'I don't see--' 'It's another freeway name. Boss.'
'Kind of a reach, isn't it?'
'Maybe not. Guy booked a ticket two days ago, a round-trip to Seattle.
He was originally scheduled for this evening, but he called and changed
it to an earlier flight.
Return is open-ended.'
'I don't see how that makes it any more certain.'
'Okay, look. He planned to leave tonight, but there was some kind of a
problem, a shoot-out, so he had to take off early.'
'But he's planning to come back, your Mr. Corona.'
'If you're on the run, you don't buy a one-way ticket, that's a red
flag, first thing cops look for.'
'But why would he use a name we might know?'
'Because he doesn't know the freeway names have been compromised. He
doesn't know we picked up his pal at the surplus store in Washington,
so why would he throw away perfectly good ID?'
'Still sounds like a stretch.'
Jay did an imitation of a late-night infomercial: 'But wait, but wait,
don't order yet, listen to this!'
The virgil's screen was tiny, but it had good resolution, and Michaels
could see Jay's grin easily enough.
'I checked the car rental places at SeaT ac A Mr. B. W. Corona walked
into Avis, no reservation, and rented a midsize Dodge ten minutes after
the flight from L.A.
landed late this afternoon. You got a computer terminal there in your
room. Boss?'
'Yes.'
'Plug your virgil into it, I want to show you something.'
Michaels opened the terminal, lit the screen, and tapped the infrared
send-and-receive code into his virgil. Jay's face appeared on the
hotel's computer screen.
'I've got your visual on the hotel's computer,' Michaels said.
'Stand by.'
The image of Jay was replaced by a digital line-by-line image. It was
a close-up of a California driver's license.
'This came from the counter scanner at Avis. They log all licenses.'
The man in the hologram had short hair, but a full beard. Could that
be Ventura?
Michaels couldn't tell.
'I don't see the guy in our sketch.'
'No^law against growing a beard, having your picture taken, then
shaving. But forget the picture.'
Michaels was already scanning the information on the license. He got
no farther than the name.
'Son of a bitch!
Why didn't you tell me this in the first place?'
'C'mon, Boss, you always save the best part of a story for last. You
want me to call the Washington state police and have him picked up?'
'I suppose you know where he is, too, huh?'
