by Dean Atwood
“I try not to judge. I know through personal experience that the intelligence community can screw with people’s lives.”
A knock on the front door was followed by a smoker’s voice that said, “Are you alright, Agent Saunders?”
“Everything’s OK in here.”
“I thought I heard two voices talking inside.”
“A friend is with me. I won’t be much longer.”
Blaire motioned with her head toward the door. “New FBI partner. I’d like to chat more with you, Lieutenant, but I need to pack and hit the road.”
“Of course. Don’t let me hold you up.” She looked down at her half naked body and added, “I need to finish dressing and get ready to go, too.”
Blaire headed to the master bedroom with a look that was changing from surprise to curiosity, while the lieutenant returned to the guestroom with a look of bewilderment on her face.
When she entered the bedroom, the first thing Blaire noticed was the unmade bed. In general, there was nothing unusual about it because QT very seldom made the bed. What was out of the ordinary was the degree to which the sheets, blanket, and bedspread were disheveled. She supposed, with all the trying events that occurred yesterday, he could’ve just had a restless night. Further examination made that a less likely explanation. She sniffed around the pillows and pulled the sheets up close to her nose to get a good smell.
There was no doubt in her mind. The scent of a woman pervaded the air — and the scent hadn’t emanated from her.
Chapter 39
Q uinton leaned back in the office chair, folded his hands behind his head, and moved his neck from side to side to relieve the tension.
“Would you like to go with me to give Colonel Smithers an update?” Daphne said.
“Not really, but I suppose we should do it together.”
“She wasn’t pleased yesterday when I showed up alone.”
“That implies that it’s actually possible to please the woman. I doubt my presence will be the one thing in this world that makes her happy.”
“I should have worded it differently,” Daphne said, playing along. “Colonel Smithers’ level of displeasure will be less if you accompany me to the briefing.”
Quinton smiled and said, “That I can buy. How much do you think we should share with her?”
“You’re the lead investigator. You tell her whatever you think she should hear and I’ll agree with whatever you say.”
“She hasn’t exactly been forthcoming with me, so I don’t feel an obligation to go into details with her. I’ll tell her as little as possible.”
“Are you ready to go now?”
“Give me five minutes. I need to make a quick call to my boss.”
“OK. Stop by my office when you’re done, and we’ll go together.”
QT watched Daphne rise from the visitor’s chair and leave. He prided himself on sizing up people. His take on her was that she played by the book and wouldn’t get distracted by office politics. But, he still wasn’t convinced that he could count on her loyalty to him. In light of the recent revelation that he hadn’t told her about his relationship with Blaire, it was likely she’d have some reservations about him. He sensed she didn’t like Colonel Smithers any better than he did, but the colonel was the one who assigned her to the case, and that would demand some level of allegiance, no matter how disagreeable the woman was.
Quinton selected Clinton McCoy from the favorites list on his iPhone and called. It rang once before being answered.
“It’s about time you called to let me know what’s going on. Richmond’s all over my ass, trying to find out where we stand on the case,” McCoy said.
“Sorry, Boss, I’ve been meaning to drop by the office or call to give you an update. A lot has been happening.”
“Yeah, I figured as much, that’s why I hadn’t bothered you. Give me the highlights, so I can determine what to pass on to Richmond.”
“Blaire returned to the JUIAF last night. Daphne and I interviewed her this morning.”
“Did she remember anything about the shooting that would help with the investigation?”
“Nothing changed from yesterday when I talked to her on the phone. She said the sniper fired at both Jeremy and her. She fled the scene as soon as the shooting stopped.”
“Have you learned anything additional about the interagency task force?”
“Not much more than we already knew. They’re going after a defense contractor they suspect of selling secrets to China. Nobody, including Blaire, has been willing to give me details. They’re hiding something.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. The DIA’s idea of a joint operation is that the FBI is totally open and above board with them, while they withhold information, claiming it’s classified and can’t be shared.”
“Blaire was reassigned to the team after she returned last night. She told me they’ve replaced Jeremy with another FBI agent. Did anybody tell you who the new guy is?”
“Richmond isn’t telling me squat about the task force. Do you have any theories about who sent the assassin and why?”
“Not really. A couple of things have surfaced that I need to make you aware of. But, I don’t think it’d be wise for you to share what I’m about to tell you with the Richmond field office. In fact, it may be better if I didn’t tell you at all. That way, you wouldn’t be culpable for withholding information. It’s your call.”
“You’ve got my curiosity piqued, now. I’d rather know what you know.”
“I found out from Blaire that the DIA suspected Jeremy Glover was taking payoffs. Warren instructed her to spy on him to find out who was making the bribes and why. As far as I know, only DIA Special Agent Warren and Blaire were aware of her extra duties. The DIA didn’t inform the FBI about their suspicions because they thought others in the FBI could be involved.”
“Damn. If I tell Richmond about this, it’s going to create a huge pissing contest between the FBI and DIA. On the other hand, if I don’t mention it, I could get in a shitload of trouble if the top brass finds out I knew about it but didn’t alert them.”
“Sorry, boss. I haven’t told anyone else about it, so maybe you can delay passing it on until I figure out whether it has anything to do with the murder.”
“I’ll think about it. I don’t want to complicate your investigation by causing a conflict between the DIA and CIA, but I’d also like to retire with my pension intact.”
“I understand ... I hesitate to bring up the other thing.”
“Go ahead,” McCoy said with resignation in his voice. “It can’t get much worse.”
“The assassin made a second attempt on Blaire’s life last night.”
“I thought you said she returned to the JUIAF?”
“It happened before she came back.”
“Did she get a description of the shooter this time or was he too far away?”
“She got a good look at him — after she shot and killed him.”
“What? Who knows about this besides Blaire and you?”
“Blaire told Special Agent Warren. He arranged a clean-up operation. We still have no idea who hired the hitman. I didn’t want it to become public knowledge that he was dead because it would’ve alerted the employer that his man was out of play.”
“How do I explain to Richmond or Langley that an FBI agent’s murderer was killed by the NSA, and the body disposed of by some other intelligence agency?”
“I know, it sounds bad.”
“Let’s keep this buried, for now. All hell will break loose, if I report it to Richmond. They’ll want to know why you didn’t take control of the body instead of letting the DIA intervene.”
“I don’t know if Warren told anyone besides the person arranging the cleanup. I’m betting he’s keeping it under wraps.”
“Do you think he told that obnoxious JUIAF commander, Colonel Smithers?”
“I doubt it. His allegiance is to somebody higher up the food chain within the DIA itsel
f. He probably views Colonel Smithers as the office manager, nothing more.”
“Do you have any other delightful news for me? I don’t think I can stand much more.”
“I found out today that another hitman has been contracted to kill Blaire.”
“How’d you discover that?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to know who provided me with that tidbit.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“I’ll try to deliver a more positive report the next time we talk.”
“Let me know sooner rather than later if there’re any significant changes. And, don’t be afraid to call to ask for my help. I’m a lame duck, but I’ve made a few contacts in these past thirty-five years and I’m owed a few favors. I can pull a few strings if necessary.”
“I’ll try to keep you more up-to-date, boss.”
“You do that. With all this shit going on, retirement is beginning to sound better all the time.”
***
The firm knock on the door solicited a curt reply. “Enter,” the dispassionate voice said.
Daphne walked into the room first, followed by Quinton. The colonel stood momentarily and pointed to the visitors’ chairs, as she had done the first time they’d met.
“Good afternoon, Colonel,” QT said as he was sitting down.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Agent Target,” she said as she sat down. “It’s good of you to take time out of your busy schedule to provide me with a status of the investigation into the murder committed on my base.”
“I aim to please, ma’am.”
“You can please me by saying you’ve caught the killer.”
“We’re making progress, but we’re not there yet. What would you like to know?”
“The usual. What have you done to find the killer? Who are the suspects? What’s next?”
“As Daphne probably explained to you yesterday, she canvased the entire building. There were no witnesses to the shooting. One person saw two suspicious SUVs parked in the approximate location where the shooting occurred, but we weren’t able to get a registration number on either.”
“Did you elicit anything from viewing the security footage captured during the shooting?”
“Nothing of significance,”
“Did anyone come forward with a motive for the shooting?” the colonel asked.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, Daphne, but I believe you wrote in your report, summarizing the interviews, that FBI Agent Glover was disliked by most of the employees at the JUIAF, both on a personal and professional level. But, there was no evidence that anyone in the office disliked him enough to kill him. Is that a fair assessment?” QT asked.
“Yes. I’d also add that the opposite was true of the other person involved in the shooting, NSA Analyst Saunders. She’s generally well-liked and respected by her peers.”
“Agent Warren and I spoke briefly with Cyber Analyst Saunders when she returned last night. Have you interviewed her yet?”
“Yes, we interviewed her this morning. She confirmed the shooter fired from the direction of a white SUV that was on the hill above the parking lot. Other than that, she really didn’t have anything to offer that would lead us to the killer.”
“It doesn’t sound to me like you’ve made much progress in two days. All you know is that the shooter was driving a white SUV, he shot Agent Glover from the hill behind the parking lot and missed shooting Analyst Saunders.”
“That’s about it.”
“Do you have any suspects or theories about the motive?”
“We don’t have any identifiable suspects yet, but in my opinion, the murder is in some way connected to the interagency task force’s operation. As you know, Special Agent Warren is leading the effort.”
“What evidence do you have to support your conjecture?”
“Unfortunately, I have limited details about Project Typhon because I’m getting no cooperation from Warren or his team. I’m forced to use alternative means to get the answers I’m looking for, which is time consuming.”
“Special Agent Warren puts national defense foremost in his priorities. I’m certain he’s being as cooperative as he can without revealing state secrets.”
“That’s a cop out. He’s stonewalling and I’m going to find out why. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to order him to answer my questions about the operation, would you?”
“I don’t have that authority.”
“I thought you ran this place.”
Colonel Smithers face reddened at the suggestion that she might not be fully in charge. “There’s a different chain of command for the interagency task force.”
“Since you don’t have the authority to help me, can you point me to somebody who does? Daphne’s been trying, without success, to find the name of Warren’s superior. Don’t you think it’s odd that nobody in the intelligence community knows who he reports to or is unwilling to speak up, if they do know?”
“Not necessarily. The intelligence agencies don’t always operate with clear lines of command like the army does.”
“So, you don’t know who Warren reports to on the project?”
“If I did, I wouldn’t be at liberty to divulge that information.”
“I thought that’d be your answer. Unless you have any additional questions, Daphne and I will get back to work, circumventing the bureaucracy to get to the bottom of this conspiracy.”
“You’re dismissed,” the colonel said.
Chapter 40
T he Amtrak passenger train gently wobbled down the tracks. Lieutenant Mad took a couple of deep breaths to relax. This was the first time she’d left the city in five years. Before she’d boarded, making the two-and-a-half-hour trip hadn’t seemed daunting. Now that she was on the way, her anxiety level was increasing.
The rational side of her psyche was telling her the journey was nothing to fear. After all, she’d ridden on the Japanese bullet train, gliding at 200 mph. The Amtrak train would max out at less than 75 mph. But, speed wasn’t the issue. The irrational part of her brain was telling her that she was confined to the train and couldn’t allude the spooks if they’d boarded with her. Since it was a nonstop trip, she couldn’t depart at an interim point to get away from them either.
“I’m OK, nobody followed me,” she said out loud, and then looked around to see if anyone noticed she was talking to herself.
An older woman, across the aisle from her, looked in her direction for a moment, but didn’t say anything. The lieutenant glanced at the man in the window seat next to her. He’d been sleeping since she’d boarded. She took another quick look to make sure he wasn’t faking it.
To distract herself, she turned her thoughts to the encounter with Blaire. Talk about your bad first impressions. The lieutenant doubted she could’ve remained as calm as Blaire, if she’d found a strange woman in her house, wearing sexy underwear, calling out to her boyfriend. Instead of making a scene and asking her to leave, Blaire had thanked her for saving her life. She hated to admit it, but she was finding it difficult to dislike Blaire Saunders — although, she doubted the feeling was mutual.
Lieutenant Mad’s eyes watered a little. She’d told QT — and herself — she didn’t expect anything beyond the one night they’d spent together; however, the truth was she was developing feelings for him. Blaire had made it clear, in her subtle way, she had no intentions of letting QT go. The old insecurities were creeping into the lieutenant’s thoughts. There’s no way Quinton Target is going to pick me over the beautiful, self-confident Blaire Saunders. Last night was only a one-night stand for him. He doesn’t want a relationship with a broken woman like me.
The mobile phone reception was spotty on the train, so when her phone started vibrating in her pocket, it was unexpected.
“Hello,” she said.
“I’m disappointed I didn’t arrive in time for you to share your surprise with me. My imagination was running wild,” QT said.
“Oh, that. You probably would’
ve been disappointed, anyway.”
“I doubt it. You sound a little down. Is everything OK? You aren’t in danger, are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“You didn’t happen to run into anyone while you were at the townhouse, did you?”
“Only Blaire.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of. I should’ve called to warn you she was stopping by to get an overnight bag. Was she hospitable when she discovered you were there?”
“It was a little awkward when I called out your name and greeted her in my — “
“In your what?”
“You know, in my usual direct manner without covering anything up. After we introduced ourselves, it went surprisingly well. You were right. You told me she’s a likeable person and she is.”
“I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry for putting you in that position. Believe me, being involved with two women at the same time is a new experience for me. I’m the monogamous type.”
“It isn’t your fault. I’m the one who entered your bedroom last night, remember?”
“How could I forget? I didn’t resist you, did I? I have no regrets.”
“Blaire mentioned the video of Jeremy and her. She said the two of you discussed it and worked things out.”
“That’s not exactly the way our conversation went. It’s true we didn’t official break up, but we agreed we needed to talk more before deciding whether our relationship has been damaged beyond repair.”
“Well, don’t worry about me. I won’t get in your way.”
“You’re not in my way. I thought we decided, after our night together, we’ve been upgraded to the status of really good friends, right?”
“If you say so.”
“I do ... Where are you staying tonight? You aren’t avoiding the townhouse because of your unplanned meeting with Blaire, are you?”
“No, I have an out-of-town appointment.”
“Where, may I ask?”
“Crystal City.”
