by Dave Conifer
She snapped the book closed and jumped to her feet. “Give me that hammer! I used to help my dad fixing fences. I’m pretty good with one.”
“I don’t need any help,” he sputtered. “Besides, you’re too busy with that damn Warren Report.”
She stared at him with narrowed eyes. “Don’t you dare start shitting on me,” she warned. “It’s not my fault you smashed your finger. Screw you if you’re going to turn on me. I don’t put up with shit like this. Not from anybody, even if this is the most important story I ever worked.”
“What are we doing with this story anyway, Abby? What makes you think that after twenty years, you’re the one who’s got it solved? Why--”
“I never said I had it solved! Don’t put words in my mouth! But I don’t see you doing much research! It’s all me!”
“I’m doing plenty! If you don’t like it then go find your own fucking story. But answer me this, Abby. What makes you think that after all these years, and a wall full of conspiracy theory books at every library, that we’re the only ones who were able to solve the mystery?”
“Maybe we aren’t the only ones,” she answered angrily. “Maybe all the others got thrown over a cliff like Pomeroy.”
Jonas climbed back onto the countertop and finished nailing the board over the window. He already regretted how he’d treated her. He could hear the thump of Reno’s books as she threw them into her sack on the table. “I need a ride back to the hotel.”
He hopped down and walked over to her but she turned away to adjust the books inside the sack. With a hand on her shoulder he gently twisted her in his direction. He was relieved that she didn’t resist. “I’m sorry, Abby.”
She sighed and pushed her hair back. “Me too. It’s okay.” After a few seconds she pulled away. “You didn’t get any blood on my shirt, did you? I like this shirt.” When she picked up her sack and carried it into the living room, he followed.
“You’re right about this. It’s hard to believe,” she said. “I just feel like we’re on the right track. McBride’s so dense he had no idea what he was giving us when he let Pomeroy’s name slip. Pomeroy’s the key to this whole thing. I’m surprised he lived as long as he did.”
Jonas nodded, then walked over and turned the TV back on. He’d had enough of the story for one night. Maybe the Braves game wasn’t over yet.
“That’s why so many strange things are happening all of a sudden,” she continued, raising her voice. “I think we found something, or maybe even somebody, that nobody else ever found. ‘Noticed’ might be a better word.”
“I guess it’s possible,” Jonas answered without looking at her.
“I’m not reading you, Joe. Do you think I’m wrong? Or are you having second thoughts because you think I’m right?”
He looked over at her. “If I had to say one way or another,” he finally answered, “I’d have to say I think you’re right. And I’m scared.” He walked into the kitchen and pulled a cup from a cabinet. She came in as he filled it with ice and jammed his finger in.
“Do you still think we should go tomorrow?” she asked. “This is getting pretty intense. I don’t think these people are kidding around.”
“I don’t know,” Jonas said, surveying the jagged board that covered the window. “I just want to sleep.”
“I think I should go back to the hotel. We need to pull back, at least for tonight.”
“I wish you’d stay here. I’d worry about you.”
She smiled. “It’d be easier,” she said. “But no more talk about the story. Not tonight. I’ll sleep over there on the couch. We can decide about the trip in the morning. Deal?”
“Deal,” he agreed. He set her up with blankets and some sweats to sleep in, and then collapsed onto his own bed without even changing his clothes. The last thought he had before dropping off to sleep was that if Reno was right about the house being bugged, they could be in serious danger after everything that had been said that night.
-- Chapter 14 --
“Hello? Mr. Braden?” It was after ten o’clock at night but he was still at his desk, forty-four floors above the streets of Pittsburgh. “This is Frank Marino. I’m sorry to bother you at home.”
“Marino, I’m going to have call you right back. This line isn’t secure. Are you at home?”
“I’m still downtown, at the office.”
“At this hour? You’re still in the office? That doesn’t sound good. I’ll get right back to you.”
Marino punched some buttons on the phone console. “He’s calling right back,” he said to Max and Eddie, who were on another line. “Stay quiet while I set the scene for him first. Then just let him ask the questions when I bring you into the call.” Seconds later the call from Braden came in.
“Sir, we got the taps in place this afternoon,” Marino said. “It doesn’t look good. I’ve got Max and Eddie on the other line. They’re the men I sent down to North Carolina to install the taps, and they’ve been monitoring the take all night. I think it would be a good idea if I conference them in.”
“If you know how to do it, go ahead,” Braden said. “Do I know these men?”
“I’m sure you know their work,” Marino said. “I doubt if you’ve seen them in person.” Marino started pushing buttons. “Max? Are you guys in?”
“Right here,” Max said.
“Mr. Braden,” Marino said, “Max and Eddie are in a van on the street near the residence of one of the reporters. I’ll let Max update you on what he’s heard.”
“Things have quieted down but they did a lot of talking,” Max said. “I’ll send up a transcript tomorrow. But they’re really moving. They tracked it almost all the way up. When’s the last time anybody got that far?”
“What do they know?” Braden asked.
“They know this isn’t just another story,” Max said. “They know what happened to Pomeroy, and why. They’re smart, especially the girl.”
“That’s not good,” Braden said. “It means we’re short on time.”
“We remembered that you wanted us to try to shake them up,” Max said. “So a few minutes after they got in I threw a section of gas pipe through a window. It was solid iron,” he added.
“It got to them,” Eddie said, speaking for the first time. “Next thing we know they’re at each other’s throats. They’re starting to sound a little frayed around the edges, if you know what I mean. I think it’s just dawning on them what they got themselves into.”
“That could work against us,” Braden pointed out. “Until they panic we have some breathing space.”
“The girl’s an expert on the Warren Commission Report,” Eddie said. “She brought most of it with her.”
“They’re suspicious about being watched,” Max added. “But it doesn’t occur to them that somebody might also be listening. At least we haven’t heard them mention it.”
Marino grimaced at the irony of the presumptuous remark, but said nothing. His men weren’t making much of an impression on Braden.
“We kept them busy sweeping up glass,” Eddie said.
“I’m going to need that transcript,” Braden said. “But we need to make some decisions right now. Marino, what do you think? Do we keep an eye on them and hope they don’t get anywhere?”
“Sir, with all due respect, we’re past that point,” Marino said. “They know a lot. The longer we wait, the worse it gets. This is the point where we usually intervene.”
“Marino, cut those fellows out for a minute,” Braden said.
“Hey guys, stick around,” Marino said to Max and Eddie. “I’ll call you back in a few.” He pushed a button and they were gone.
“It’s just us now?” Braden asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ve lost track of our team. Are these men any good? Do you think they’re right about what they reported?”
“Absolutely,” Marino replied without hesitation. “They’ve never failed me.”
“I think the reporters have t
o go. It’s a no-brainer, really,” Braden said.
“I agree, sir, ” answered Marino.
“They’re young, aren’t they? I have kids about their age. But I don’t see that we have any choice. They’re cutting close to the bone, and moving fast. I’ve been reading your reports.”
“I’m sorry, too, but it can’t be avoided.”
“Are these men up to the task?” Braden asked. “They made me nervous with that business about throwing the pipe through the window. They don’t seem very professional.”
Marino bristled. He’d told Max not to mention the pipe. “That was a bonehead stunt but I’ve never heard of them pulling anything like that before. And they’ve done a lot of work for us.”
“How will they do it? Do you think it can happen tonight?”
“I think tonight is pushing it. They’ll need time to set it up. If we rush them there’s more chance of a screw-up.”
“How will they do it?” Braden asked. “Are they shooters?”
“Why don’t we tell them what needs to be done and let them sweat the details, sir? The fewer people that know about it the better, don’t you think?”
“All right, Marino. Go ahead and give them the order. And please remind them to get those transcripts up to me. I’ve got to get to work on damage control.”
-- Chapter 15 --
Jonas woke up early the next morning out of habit and decided instantly that he was going to Morgantown even if Reno had changed her mind. On his way to the kitchen he was surprised to see her sitting on the living room floor, once again surrounded by books and papers. When she saw him fully dressed with a packed suitcase she announced her own decision. “If you’re going, I’m going too.”
“Have you been up long?” he asked.
“I stayed up all night. I wrote up everything I’ve been thinking about from the Warren Report. Maybe I can read it to you in the car.”
“Sure. I’m really sorry about last night, Abby. I shouldn’t have gone nuts like that. I’ve always been a klutz with tools. I guess I was embarrassed.”
“We were both a little crazy. Do you think it’s safe to go?”
“It’s too late to back out as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “If there’s really anybody watching us, they won’t leave us alone even if we promised to forget what we know.”
~~~
They finished packing and then ate cold cereal in the kitchen. Neither mentioned the boarded-up window but both stole an occasional glance at it. “I was thinking,” Jonas whispered. “Maybe we should rent a car for the trip.” He knew she’d understand why he was whispering.
“I could get one,” she whispered back between spoonfuls of Cheerios. “The paper would pick up the cost.” She tapped her ear and nodded. She understood.
After they finished eating they drove downtown to pick up Reno’s luggage. “I’ll come up with you,” he said when they reached the hotel. He drove to the tiny parking lot in back.
“I think this is the valet lot, Joe. I was watching them park the cars yesterday while my nails were drying. I don’t know if we’re allowed in here.”
“The gate’s up,” Jonas said with a shrug as he drove into the lot. “We’ll only be here for a minute. They’ll live.”
~~~
“Renting a car is a good idea, especially if we do it at the airport,” he said softly as they waited for the elevator. “If we do it there, maybe we can lose them. They might think we’re flying somewhere.”
“That’s actually pretty good,” she said. “I’m still booked on the flight back home later today. Even if they have some way of checking out the airlines, they’ll think you’re just dropping me off. By the time they figure it out we’ll be gone.”
“And I know it’s crazy,” Jonas said, “but what if they have my car bugged?”
“At this point I wouldn’t rule anything out. I wouldn’t be surprised if we find my room ransacked,” she said as she slid her key into the lock. But when they entered the room nothing appeared to be out of order. She began gathering up her clothes and laying them into an open suitcase.
“I lost respect for them after they threw that pipe through the window,” Jonas said. “They seemed scary when then they took Pomeroy out. They really freaked me out the way they sent me that obituary. But any clod can throw a pipe through a window.”
“I don’t know about that,” she yelled from the bathroom, where she was stuffing cosmetics into a satchel. “I’m respecting them just fine.”
~~~
“Hey, Abby, can you take a look at this?” Jonas said when Reno came back in the room. He was standing at the window, holding the drapes aside. “I think there’s somebody in my car. Every couple of seconds I see something moving. There! Did you see it?”
“I haven’t even found your car yet.”
“I’m going down there,” he said as he let the drapes fall back into place.
“Why? What are you going to do, ask them how they like your car? Joe, if somebody’s really in there we don’t want to mess with them.”
“I just want a closer look. I’ll stay out of sight,” he promised as he headed towards the door.
After he was gone she moved the drapes again to watch. Within seconds after locating the car she saw a man get out from the passenger side and walk away. When he nodded towards the building Reno pressed her face against the window trying to look straight down, but couldn’t see who the signal was intended for. She collapsed into the chair and closed her eyes, but popped back up just as quickly. She had to warn Jonas.
A loud knock startled her. “Who is it?” she called through the door.
“Abby, it’s Joe,” Jonas yelled back.
“Okay, sorry,” she yelled as she rushed to open the door. “Sorry, you scared me,” she said after he was back in the room.
“I didn’t see anything. Now it’s my imagination that’s playing tricks.”
She pulled him into the bathroom and turned on the shower. “I don’t think so,” she whispered. “Somebody got out of your car right after you left. There was somebody else down there too.” She told him everything she’d seen.
“If we saw what we think we saw, they must have been planting bugs. It’s not going to matter,” he said. “We’ll talk about football or something on the way to the airport and then we’ll be out of earshot after we change cars.”
~~~
This time the gate was down when they returned to the parking lot and there was an attendant in the glass booth. “Damn,” Jonas said. “I guess you were right.”
“Excuse me,” a voice called out from the booth after they walked past. “You can’t go in there.”
Jonas sighed as he backtracked to the booth. “I parked my car in there a few minutes ago,” he explained. “I didn’t know it was the valet lot. Can I just pull it out?”
“No can do,” the attendant said. “Nobody’s allowed back there. It’s about insurance. I could get in trouble. You’ll have to let us go get it.” She pulled a walkie-talkie off her belt and barked into it. “I’ll have somebody get it for you right now. Where’s the key?”
“The car’s right there,” Jonas said, raising his voice in exasparation. “I’m looking right at it. Just let me go get it myself.”
“Just give her the key, Joe,” Reno said. “We don’t need this.”
He handed over the keys, which were already in his hand. The attendant told them to wait in front of the hotel before disappearing back into the booth. “We’re waiting right here,” Jonas snarled, looking for an issue he could stand his ground on. “They don’t care about any insurance. She just wants to squeeze a tip out of me.”
Reno walked over to the booth without answering him. “It’s a blue Taurus, about three rows back,” she said. By then another uniformed employee was approaching the lot, presumably to retrieve the car. Wearing the same sullen look that was on the attendant’s face, he took the key without a word and walked away. “It’s a blue Taurus,” Reno said to his back.
/>
Jonas had already pulled his wallet out and was fishing for small bills when they heard the explosion. Reno grabbed his arm just before a wave of heat pulsed over them. When she saw the fireball where the Taurus had been she clapped her hand over her mouth. Jonas stared at the flames with his mouth open as he shoved the wallet into his back pocket. “Jesus H. Christ!” he breathed. Ashes and bits of metal were already in the air around them.
The car was unrecognizable by the time the initial burst of smoke cleared. The fire was most intense at the rear of the car but it was burning from bumper to bumper. Black smoke poured from the fire, forming a dark cloud that drifted toward the hotel. The tires on the car to one side had already caught fire. The pickup truck on the other wide was charred black and it’s windows had been blown out but it hadn’t been touched by the flames yet. The attendant stepped out of the booth without a word. She looked at the car, then at Jonas, and then back at the car.
“Call somebody!” Jonas shouted at her. The roar of the burning car was so loud that he didn’t know if she heard him, but she went back inside the booth. He picked up Reno’s canvas sack with one hand and took her hand with the other. “Come on!” he yelled. “We have to get out of here!”
She still hadn’t said a word but she followed him after snatching up her suitcase. They rushed up Brevard Street, away from the hotel. “We need to get a taxi,” Jonas said, breathing hard. People who’d heard the explosion or seen the smoke were running toward the hotel. Jonas heard the distinct wail of a fire truck’s siren, punctuated by the blasts of its deep horn.
“There’s a cab!” Reno said. She let go of Jonas and waved it down. The driver made an illegal U-turn and slammed to a stop at the curb. Reno pulled the rear door open and climbed in, still clutching her suitcase. “Airport please,” Jonas said after he was in beside her. A lot had happened since they’d left his home thirty minutes earlier.
Reno held her head in her hands as the cab moved through the streets of Charlotte. “Oh my God,” she said several times. “That could have been us! That guy was in there.” She paused. “It was supposed to be us, wasn’t it?”
