‘I want to know what this is about. Was Tim still on the government payroll? Did you have him undercover in something?’
‘I can’t tell you that.’
Cahill jabbed a finger at Grange.
‘Why is the head of your terrorist team here for this meeting? Did someone bring that plane down on purpose?’
Webb sighed. ‘I really can’t say any more.’
‘Can’t? Or won’t?’
‘Take it any way you like,’ Grange said.
Logan felt his shoulders sink. Jesus, why did it always have to become a dick-measuring contest with these guys? Cahill invariably won when they got slapped on the table.
‘Coop…’ Webb said softly.
‘If you won’t tell us, we’ll find someone interested enough to take this public,’ Cahill said.
‘You mean the press?’ Grange snorted.
He was trying way too hard to be cool about this, Logan thought.
‘Sure,’ Cahill answered. ‘The press.’
‘We could have you arrested right now for making that threat. Both of you.’
Grange and his adherence to the rules.
Webb interjected. ‘We know your background, Mr Cahill, and it’s very impressive. There’s no need for you to demonstrate your allegiance to this country any more than you already have.’
‘So play straight with me. I know the rules of the game. What you tell me here does not go outside these four walls.’
‘What about Mrs Stark?’
‘I’ll tell her that Tim is dead. That the FBI confirmed it. Beyond that, I’d like to be able to tell her that he was still the man she loved right to the end. How we do that, I’m willing to try to agree with you. I have no desire to compromise an ongoing investigation.’
‘I appreciate what you say. But…’ Webb opened his hands, palms out. What can I do?
‘Freedom of information and all that,’ Logan said.
‘National security overrides any public interest,’ Grange said.
‘Interesting debate we’d have if we took it to the courts here. Quite big on free speech, I hear.’
Grange dismissed it with a wave of his hand.
Logan turned his attention to Webb.
‘Maybe there’s a middle ground that will allow us all to leave here content,’ he said.
‘What do you have in mind?’
‘I’m sure that you could draw up some official papers which we could sign. Undertakings of confidentiality in the interests of national security. Under penalty of… whatever, if we breach it.’
‘I could do that,’ Cahill added. ‘I’ve signed my fair share of gag papers working for the flag.’
Webb turned to look at Grange. Looked at Logan.
‘The paper’s only worth the integrity of the man who signs it.’
Logan looked at Cahill and back at Webb.
‘You have any doubts about this man’s patriotism or integrity? If so, it would be news to me.’
‘And you?’
‘I’m a lawyer.’
‘He wants to be convinced, Logan,’ Cahill said.
That brought a smile from Webb. Grange was impassive.
‘This is really need to know, sir,’ Grange said. ‘I can’t agree to what he’s proposing.’
‘Well, it’s my call ultimately.’
Grange looked like he’d been slapped.
Webb stood.
‘Gentlemen,’ he said, ‘let me have a few minutes to consider this.’
9
After Webb and Grange had left the room Logan asked Cahill if he thought they would tell them what had been going on with Tim Stark.
‘Unlikely.’
‘Why?’
‘You heard them. All that national security stuff. Plus if this has anything to do with terrorists-’
‘Then why is DHS not involved?’
‘The Feds like to keep things tight. All law enforcement agencies do. Inter-agency cooperation is something that gets talked about more in the abstract than anything else.’
Cahill got up from his seat and went to the window.
‘You weren’t serious about going to the press, were you?’ Logan asked.
‘No. And they knew it.’
‘So if they decide that they won’t tell us anything else, where do we go from here?’
‘I haven’t thought that far ahead.’
Cahill turned back to Logan and leaned against the window sill. Logan shook his head.
‘I love it when a plan comes together.’
Cahill laughed.
They had been waiting for a half-hour — Cahill starting to get restless — when Webb came in on his own. Logan took this for a good sign.
Webb made them wait, pouring a glass of water and flicking through a legal pad with handwritten notes before speaking.
‘Mr Cahill. I checked with your former boss in the service.’
‘Scott Boston?’
‘Yes.’
‘Scott’s a good man.’
‘That he is. And he spoke highly of you.’
Cahill nodded but didn’t say anything. Webb toyed with a pen on the table, as though he were still trying to decide how much he was going to tell them.
‘I’ll try to answer some of your questions. But I can’t reveal anything of operational sensitivity.’
‘Sounds fair enough,’ Logan said.
Webb leaned forward and looked at Cahill.
‘I’m doing this out of respect and as a professional courtesy to someone who has a proud history of serving this country. Nothing more. I don’t respond well to threats.’
Cahill met Webb’s gaze.
‘Do we understand each other?’
‘We do,’ Cahill answered.
Webb appeared to relax, sat back in his seat.
‘The plane Tim Stark was on crashed due to an engine malfunction. That will be made public in the next day or two, which is why I can tell you.’
‘Did you think originally that it might have been brought down?’ Logan asked. ‘Is that why Agent Grange was involved?’
Webb considered Logan for a moment in silence.
‘I can’t say much more about that right now, I’m sorry.’
‘Tell us this,’ Cahill said. ‘Was Tim using an alias? The reason I ask is that his name was not on the passenger list.’
