At this thought, his mind began to drift back to Angela but Delgado caught it fast and stopped it. He focused on an image of Tyler sitting with an attractive woman at what looked like a library he knew in Baltimore. Looking closer he didn’t know who the woman was but she was laughing at something Tyler had said by the looks of it.
“I think you and I should meet, Mr Ford,” Delgado said to his computer screen. Yes, that would be the best way to find out what was going on. It wasn’t just for Sarah’s sake he felt the need to meet Tyler. Delgado didn’t like how involved Tyler was in all of the cases that Sarah was attributing to Dwight Spalding.
Though he believed what Sarah was telling him, he wasn’t sure of Tyler’s level of involvement. He’d been on the scene in ‘The Gingerbread Man’ case now too, finding what turned out to be the first body based on a phone call tip from an anonymous source. He knew Tyler had been interviewed on this case and also the ‘John the Baptist’ case- who turned out to be a man Tyler worked closely with at the newspaper. And then apparently the intern had been involved with Dwight Spalding too, that was a lot of stuff to be overlooked. How could someone of his journalistic and investigative calibre have missed those things so close to him? It didn't add up and Delgado was beginning to think it was because Tyler knew a lot more than he was letting on. But he was going to get to the bottom of it.
Chapter 37
The morning was grey as Megan and Ellie checked the coast was clear and then dashed across the yard to Megan’s car. For a moment it felt like they were breaking out of Spalding’s farmhouse again, but this time it was Megan’s mother they were trying to evade. If they had told her what they planned to do today, she would have hit the roof and who knew what way she’d have tried to stop them. Probably barricading them in her room and calling out the National Guard!
At the moment, Melissa was still in bed and if she kept to her normal routine she wouldn't come out of her room and find the note Megan left for her for at least another ninety minutes. It didn’t say where they were going, but just that they were safe and would be back late that afternoon. Megan felt bad doing this to her mother, knowing how it would scare her, but after Ellie and she had found out where the coordinates lay they couldn't stop thinking about the place and they decided to go and see what was there.
They didn’t have any hiking gear to speak of, but they dressed in layers and each took an extra pair of comfortable shoes as well as the pair they intended to wear for the walk. They made up sandwiches late the previous evening when Melissa went to bed and they had three bottles of water apiece- which was the bulk of the weight they were going to carry in two small backpacks.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Megan asked Ellie as she put the key in the ignition.
“I’m sure, but are you? I don’t want to get you into trouble,” Ellie replied glancing nervously back towards the house.
“I’ll be fine, she’s going to go crazy either way so at least this is something real for her to get riled up about,” Megan smiled. It felt good being a naughty kid again even if she was an adult now. There was something so normal about it and she hadn’t felt that way in a long, long time.
“Okay,” Ellie said, “Let’s do it!” Megan smiled at her and started the car. She rolled out of the driveway as quietly as she could, hoping that the engine starting hadn’t woken her mother. No sign of her yet, anyway. Megan waited until they had turned the corner before she changed gears and put her foot more firmly on the gas.
They didn’t talk much on the drive up. They were both enjoying being in a car and going somewhere. Another normal thing to be doing and again it felt good. Talking would most likely have ruined it and Ellie must have been feeling the same way, Megan thought.
They pulled up as close as the satnav in Megan’s phone would allow them. It was a narrow road, not much more than a dirt track, but they were able to park on a verge and wouldn't be in the way if anyone else tried to come by this way. Megan looked at the ground and saw the different tire treads and the flattened grass to the sides. She didn’t think it was a busy road but it saw its share of cars in any given day, she felt. They put on their backpacks and looked at one another and both nodded at the same time as they set foot into the forest.
“Jeez, this is much harder than I thought it was going to be,” Ellie said as she dragged her sodden foot from another plunging deep mud patch.
“I know,” Megan agreed, “We’re not dressed right for this at all.”
“I think it’s the trainers that’s the worst part, we need hiking boots.”
“Do you wanna go back? Maybe try again another day when we have the right shoes?” Megan asked. Ellie thought for a second and then shook her head,
“No, not after all we’ve been through already today, and besides,” she added with a smile, “Your mother won’t let you out of her sight for a whole year after this!”
“You really think I’ll get off that light?” Megan said and then both laughed.
They walked on only about five minutes after this when they came to a clearing.
“How much farther?” Ellie asked as she unscrewed a bottle of water and then took a swig. Megan looked at the satnav screen.
“Another hour I think,” she estimated as the timing on the screen had been wrong all the time so far.
“You want to stop for lunch?”
“Yes, I think that would be a good idea,” Megan said.
They sat on a fallen tree and ate a sandwich as they rested.
“It’s beautiful here,” Megan said.
“Yeah,” Ellie agreed. “Not the kind of place you’d think we’d be searching for clues about a killer.” Megan looked at her in surprise,
“Is that what we’re doing?” she asked. Ellie looked back at in equal surprise,
“Isn’t it?” she replied.
“I hadn’t really thought about it like that I guess,” Megan said.
“Well, I suppose I hadn't either but it feels that way now, doesn’t it?” Megan thought about this for a moment before she answered,
“I guess it does,” she said. Suddenly on realising this, Megan felt a new sense of urgency and fear creep in. She darted her eyes around, dimly scared of something but not fully knowing what. Were they walking into a trap?
“Are you okay?” Ellie asked seeming apprehensive now and looking around them as Megan had just done. “Did you see something?” Ellie’s eyes showed that same fear as the night she was sure Spalding was in the house and Megan knew she couldn't let her feel this way out here. So she lied.
“No, no, I’m just thinking of my mom and how scared she’s going to be. We should get going and get this over with.” Ellie regarded her a moment and then seemed to ease,
“Okay, the sooner we get this done the better and we can get back to your house and shower!”
They didn’t talk the rest of the way to their target destination. Megan was more scared with each step, but her mind reasoned with her constantly. If there was a trap it would have been for days and days ago when Sarah and Tyler came here, not all this time later. There was no way Spalding could be there anticipating they would come like this. Up to last night Megan wouldn’t have believed she was going to do this herself.
“That clearing up ahead,” Megan pointed, “That’s it.” She had stopped walking to say this and Ellie stopped beside her and they both peered through the trees.
“I don't see anything,” Ellie whispered.
“Neither do I,” Megan said and she started walking again, though this time it was more like a hunter's creep through the trees, trying to keep as silent as possible so she would hear any other noises that might be heard.
After a minute they came to the clearing and looked around. There was nothing. Megan checked the coordinates and they were slap bang in the middle of where they were supposed to be.
“I don't get it,” Ellie said walking around in a circle in the clearing and looking everywhere.
Then an idea struck Megan
that scared the hell out of her.
“This looks like a meeting place,” she said. Ellie looked at her. “I think Spalding arranged to meet Sarah and Tyler here!”
“You think they are with Spalding?” Ellie said, her voice rising and tears coming back to her eyes as she ran through all the permutations of what that could mean for herself.
“Let’s get out of here,” Megan said, “We need to get to cell coverage and call the police about this.” Ellie nodded, suddenly out here in the woods was the last place either of them wanted to be.
Chapter 38
The call Sarah received was less than polite and Daniels hung up without telling her why she was being summoned to his office. There were so many things swirling about in her head but she couldn't settle on one that could get the Assistant Special Agent in Charge so riled up. It could be about the recent turn in the ‘Gingerbread Man’ case? No one was happy about what had happened with the revelation of the twins and sloppy follow work on the families, but that was almost twenty four hours old by now so that mustn’t be it.
Delgado wasn’t at his desk when she entered the office and Sarah wondered had he said something about her asking Ray Pallister about Spalding? Anger rose in her, especially after she’d tried to help him through the first few hours of his breakup, but then she caught herself and took a deep breath. She had no reason to think Delgado would have betrayed her like that. It didn’t fit with the image of him she’d formed in their short acquaintance. She knocked on Daniels’ door.
“Come!” he called and she swept in and closed the door swiftly behind her before he told her not to. She didn’t want anyone outside to hear her getting chewed out again.
“You wanted to see me, Sir?” Sarah said. Daniels regarded her a moment and then swivelled his chair sideways to his desk and looked out the window.
“I got a very interesting call today,” he said. Sarah didn’t know what that could have been about but she’d been in here enough times to know not to guess out loud. She stood silent and waited for him to go on.
“It was quite a call,” he laughed turning to look at her now. “Someone has accused you of meeting with Dwight Spalding in a forest not too far north of where we are right now.”
“What?” This was completely left field for Sarah and she didn’t know where this was coming from.
“I take it by your response that you are denying such an allegation?” he asked with a malicious grin on his kips.
“Of course I’m denying it,” she shot back, “If I ever come face to face with Dwight Spalding only one of us will be walking away from the encounter!” She instantly regretted saying this, it would add fuel to the fire of why she wasn't allowed on the Spalding case in the first place- the secret Spalding case that ‘didn’t exist,’ if she asked anyone about it.
“I didn’t think it was true,” Daniels said, “but it did get me thinking and I’ve had a look at both your own and Agent Delgado’s recent activity here.” That didn’t sound good to Sarah.
“Who made such a crazy claim?” she asked, more to buy some time as she didn’t expect an answer to this question.
“It seems you have been searching for people who have gone missing from all over the country,” Daniels went on like he hadn’t heard her. “Do these tie into one of your current cases?”
“Yes. They do,” Sarah replied, “Each of my recent cases has had more than their fair share of missing people involved. I have been checking out the databases for any links between suspects in this case and the others.”
“The people you are looking at are spread far and wide.”
“Families in this country are spread over the whole map,” Sarah said. He looked at her for what seemed like a long time then. Sarah remained silent; she wasn’t going to give him anything unless he asked specifically for it.
“Why do you think someone would make such a claim against you,” he asked, “oh and Mr Tyler Ford as well?” His name being mentioned in this office scared the hell out of Sarah, but it also gave her the answer about who had called. Sarah sighed, for show, and then looked at the ground.
“A couple of weeks ago, Megan Stanver called me to say she had a message from Dwight Spalding for me. She gave me some coordinates and I went there,” she said.
“With Mr Ford?”
“No, Megan had told him about it too and he went up there separately,” Sarah lied.
“And?”
“And nothing, as I suspected there was nothing there at all. Megan has been through a great deal of trauma. When she called I placated her and suggested calling Psychological Services.”
“But you still went up there?” He was looking at her very intently now, like a hawk watching a field mouse from a great height.
“I couldn’t take the chance she hadn’t made it up,” Sarah said. She really hoped Tyler was not being questioned at the same time she was. Two differing stories wouldn't look good.
“I don’t know what to believe here, Sarah,” Daniels said, leaning back in his chair. “Maybe Megan Stanver is causing trouble about nothing, but do you know what I think?”
“Sir?”
“I think you have been trying to work your Spalding case on the side-lines. I think you have corrupted Agent Delgado into helping you, and I also have to ask why does Megan Stanver even have your phone number? You are not on her case?” His eyes were cold and Sarah couldn't tell if she was in for an official reprimand. She was cheered by the fact that there was no one else in the room.
“I have personal experience of what Spalding has done,” she said softly, “I thought Megan could do with talking to someone like me.”
“I see,” Daniels said nodding in mock understanding. “Well,” his tone was more serious now, “Let me tell you this. If I get any more word of you trying to investigate a case against Spalding you will be severely reprimanded, got it?”
“Yes Sir,” she said, there was no other reply she could give.
“I will be personally monitoring what both you and Delgado are up to with FBI assets as well,” he warned.
“Yes Sir.” Sarah could feel the end coming and she was already wondering what had happened to make Megan turn on her like this. It was going to be hard to find out without getting in more trouble. Was Ellie the cause? Perhaps Megan had told Ellie and it was Ellie who called the police or the FBI?
“Stay away from Megan Stanver too,” Daniels said.
“Yes Sir.” Sarah wondered if anything had been said to Delgado. She would have to talk to him later to see what she could ascertain. Her first point of contact though was going to have to be Tyler. She needed to get a hold of him right away and make sure his story matched her own in case someone came to question him. The case against Spalding, which Sarah knew was every major case she’d been involved in for the last two years, including the current one, was getting harder to conduct all the time. She could only hope those actually working on the ‘secret case' if it did exist, were making some kind of progress. She doubted it though. If anyone had any chance of taking Dwight Spalding down it was she and Tyler. Everything rested on their own shoulders in this regard.
Chapter 39
Tyler picked up on the man watching him as soon as he came out of the arrivals gate at the airport. It wasn’t anyone he recognised, a Hispanic man dressed like FBI. Could this be Mr Delgado, Sarah’s new partner? He thought so. As he walked towards the car park he saw Delgado angle across the walkway to greet him.
“Mr Ford?” Delgado asked, a smile, false, showing on his face. Tyler noted his eyes looked tired but he didn’t get a sense of stress from him which was comforting.
“Agent Delgado?” Tyler countered and the FBI agent was visibly taken by surprise. “I can spot an FBI agent a mile away.”
“And you knew my name?”
“Lucky guess,” Tyler said and he went to walk on but Delgado stepped in front of him, the fake smile back on his face.
“Are you driving?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
/>
“Do you mind if I take a ride with you?”
“You don’t have a car with you? What did you do, bus it out to the airport?” Tyler laughed at this.
“Something like that,” Delgado said. They met eyes a moment and Tyler nodded and then started towards the carpark and Delgado followed.
“Does Sarah know you are here?” Tyler asked when they were out in the open air.
“No, should she?” Delgado replied.
“That depends,” Tyler said and turning to look Delgado in the eye said, “Are you checking up on her?”
“I’m checking up on you,” Delgado said, his gaze unfaltering.
“Well, I guess the drive back to the city will be enough time for that,” Tyler said going around to the driver’s side and letting himself in. Delgado waited a moment and then got in the passenger side.
“How was California?” Delgado asked as they hit the freeway.
“I didn't see much of it,” Tyler replied.
“You went to see man die,” Delgado said, “Not something most people are willing to go through.”
“I interviewed Spekler early last year. He asked for me to be there for him, I felt I owed him. He gave me a great interview and sold a lot of papers.”
“Still, can’t have been easy for you to watch someone getting killed like it was some kind of TV show?” Tyler felt Delgado was edging towards trying to anger him with his soft voiced approach and leading questions.
“It wasn’t easy, but I’ve always been a man of my word. I wouldn't do it again.”
“Watch someone die or give them your word?”
“I should be careful with both,” Tyler said smiling.
They were silent for a while and Tyler could feel Delgado’s furtive glances and thought the man was trying to both size him up and make him uncomfortable at the same time.
A Kettle of Hawks (The Birdwatcher Series Book 3) Page 15
