The Hammer of Eden

whacked by the Mob — he owed them money — but they never found a body, so they didn’t close the file.”

“I get it. Ricky ran from the Mob, got religion, and started a cult.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t know where.”

“Except that it’s not in Silver River Valley.”

“The LAPD can check out his last known address. It’s probably a waste of time, but I’ll ask them anyway. Guy in Homicide there owes me a favor.”

“Do we have a picture of Ricky?”

“There’s one in the file, but it’s a photo of a nineteen-year-old. He’s pushing fifty now, he probably looks completely different. Luckily, the sheriff in Shiloh prepared an E-fit likeness.” E-fit was the computer program that had replaced the old-style police artist. “He promised to fax it to me, but it hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Refax it to me as soon as you get it, would you?”

“Sure. What’ll you do?”

“I’m going to Sacramento.”

* * *

It was four-fifteen when Judy stepped through the door that had GOVERNOR carved in it.

The same secretary sat behind the big desk. She recognized Judy and registered surprise. “You’re one of the FBI people, aren’t you? The meeting with Mr. Honeymoon started ten minutes ago.”

“That’s okay,” Judy said. “I’ve brought some important information that came in at the last moment. But before I go into the meeting, did a fax arrive here for me within the last few minutes?” Having left her office before the E-fit picture of Ricky Granger came through, she had called Bo from the car and asked him to fax it to the governor’s office.

“I’ll check.” She spoke into the phone. “Yes, your fax is here.” A moment later a young woman appeared from a side door with a sheet of paper.

Judy stared at the face on the fax. This was the man who might kill thousands. Her enemy.

She saw a handsome man who had gone to some trouble to hide the true shape of his face, as if perhaps he had anticipated this moment. His head was covered by a cowboy hat. That suggested that the witnesses who had helped the sheriff create the computer picture had never seen the suspect without a hat. Consequently there was no indication of what his hair was like. If he was bald, or grizzled, or curly, or long haired, he would look different from this picture. And the bottom half of his face was equally well concealed by a bushy beard and mustache. There could be any kind of jaw under there. By now, she guessed, he was clean shaven.

The man had deep-set eyes that stared hypnotically out of the picture. But to the general public, all criminals had staring eyes.

All the same, the picture told her some things. Ricky Granger did not habitually wear spectacles, he was evidently not African American or Asian, and since his beard was dark and luxuriant, he probably had dark hair. From the attached description she learned that he was about six feet tall, slim built, and fit looking, with no noticeable accent. It was not much, but it was better than nothing.

And nothing was what Brian and Marvin had.

Honeymoon’s assistant appeared and ushered Judy into the Horseshoe, where the governor and his staff had their offices.

Judy bit her lip. She was about to break the first rule of bureaucracy and make her boss look a fool. It would probably be the end of her career.

Screw it.

All she wanted now was to make her boss get serious about the Hammer of Eden before they killed people. As long as he did that, he could fire her.

They passed the entrance to the governor’s personal suite, then the assistant opened the door to Honeymoon’s office.

Judy stepped inside.

For a moment she allowed herself to enjoy the shock and dismay on the faces of Brian Kincaid and Marvin Hayes.

Then she looked at Honeymoon.

The cabinet secretary was wearing a pale gray shirt with a subdued black-and-white-dotted tie and dark gray patterned suspenders. He looked at Judy with raised eyebrows and said: “Agent Maddox! Mr. Kincaid just got through telling me he took you off the case because you’re a ditz.”

Judy was floored. She was supposed to be in control of this scene; she was the one causing consternation. Honeymoon had outdone her. He was not going to be upstaged in his own office.

She recovered fast. Okay, Mr. Honeymoon, if you want to play hardball, I’ll go in to bat.

She said to him: “Brian’s full of shit.”

Kincaid scowled, but Honeymoon just raised his eyebrows slightly.

Judy added: “I’m the best agent he has, and I just proved it.”

“You did?” Honeymoon said.

“While Marvin has been sitting around with his thumb up his ass pretending there’s nothing to worry about, I’ve solved this case.”

Kincaid stood up, his face flushed. He said angrily: “Maddox, just what the hell do you think you’re doing here?”

She ignored him. “I know who’s sending terrorist threats to Governor Robson,” she said to Honeymoon. “Marvin and Brian don’t. You can make your own decision about who’s the ditz.”

Hayes was bright red. He burst out: “What the hell are you talking about?”

Honeymoon said: “Let’s all sit down. Now that Ms. Maddox has interrupted us, we may as well hear what she has to say.” He nodded to his assistant. “Close the door, John. Now, Agent Maddox, did I hear you say you know who’s making the threats?”

“Correct.” She put a fax picture on Honeymoon’s desk. “This is Richard Granger, a hoodlum from Los Angeles who was believed, wrongly, to have been killed by the Mob in 1972.”

“And what makes you think he’s the culprit?”

“Look at this.” She handed him another piece of paper. “Here’s the seismograph of a typical earthquake. Look at the vibrations that precede the tremor. There’s a haphazard series of different magnitudes. These are typical foreshocks.” She showed him a second sheet. “This is the Owens valley earthquake. Nothing haphazard here. Instead of a natural-looking mess, there is a neat series of regular vibrations.”

Hayes interrupted. “No one can figure out what those vibrations are.”

Judy turned to him. “You couldn’t figure it out, but I did.” She put another sheet on Honeymoon’s desk. “Look at this chart.”

Honeymoon studied the third chart, comparing it with the second. “Regular, just like the Owens valley graph. What makes vibrations like these?”

“A machine called a seismic vibrator.”

Hayes sniggered, but Honeymoon did not crack a smile. “What’s that?”

“One of these.” She handed him the picture sent to her by the manufacturers. “It’s used in oil exploration.”

Honeymoon looked skeptical. “Are you saying the earthquake was man- made?”

“I’m not theorizing, I’m giving you the facts. A seismic vibrator was used in that location immediately before the earthquake. You can make your own judgment about cause and effect.”

He gave her a hard, appraising look. He was asking himself whether she was a bullshitter or not. She stared right back at him. Finally he said: “Okay. How does that lead you to the guy with the beard?”

“A seismic vibrator was stolen a week ago in Shiloh, Texas.”

She heard Hayes say: “Oh, shit.”

Honeymoon said: “And the guy in the picture …?”

“Richard Granger is the prime suspect in the theft — and in the murder of the truck’s regular driver. Granger was working for the oil exploration team that was using the vibrator. The E-fit picture is based on the recollections of his co-workers.”