Dane reached into his vest pocket and removed his Hamilton watch. He opened it, wound it carefully, and replaced it before saying, “Then you know which article most interested me?”
“Yes, sir. The one about the wreckage of a plane.”
“Oh, not just a plane.”
“No, sir.”
“‘Identity of the pilot withheld pending notification of the next of kin,’” Dane quoted.
“They’ve found him, sir.”
“Presumably. His plane, anyway.”
“Shall I check to see if progress has been made on the identification, Mr. Dane?”
“Later, perhaps.”
Myles waited. He knew not to rush Mr. Dane.
“Tell me, Myles — do you anticipate any problems?”
“Difficult to say, sir.”
“That is not the answer I wished to hear.”
“Which is what makes it difficult to say, sir.”
Dane smiled. “Why, Myles! Unexpected wit.”
“I apologize if I seemed… impertinent, sir.”
Dane waved this away. “What is your evaluation of the situation?”
“That we need to monitor events, sir. Until now, we worried that he might be able to bring some pressure to bear. We have probably long been out of danger. Ten years—”
“There is no statute of limitations on murder,” Dane said testily.
“No, sir. But as we did then, we may rely on certain individuals who will have access to any…”
“‘Recovered evidence’?” Dane sneered.
“To any object or obstacle we may wish to have removed.”
“Are we as sure of our situation now as we were then?”
“More certain than previously, sir.”
Dane raised an eyebrow.
“Much more certain,” Myles said.
Dane brooded for a time. “I don’t share your level of confidence, I’m afraid. Too many of our acquaintances have been convicted of crimes I’m not so sure they committed. Not that they were innocents, mind you — and admittedly their operations were less subtle and clever than ours — but our failure to discover how they were trapped disturbs me greatly.”
Myles remained silent.
“You do realize, Myles, that I would feel so much more at ease if the dismissal of charges ten years ago had come through our efforts and not those of some unknown?”
“Yes, sir.”
Eventually, Dane sighed. “I don’t think I’ll sail today after all,” he said. “Being in this marina makes me think of that bastard Trent Randolph. What a damned nuisance that man’s death turned out to be!”
“Yes, sir,” Myles said. “May I do anything more for you before asking for your car?”
“No, thank you, Myles.”
Mr. Dane was unhappy. Myles vowed to be extra vigilant in matters connected to the discovery of Lefebvre’s plane.
He would do just about anything to receive one of Mr. Dane’s smiles.
7
Monday, July 10, 12:30 P.M.
Las Piernas Police Department
Homicide Division
Frank told Carlson that the next-of-kin notification had been made and watched the other man hurry over to the Wheeze with ready-made press releases. As he returned to his desk, he noticed that most of the other desks were empty. Pete and Vince were still in, but neither acknowledged his presence.
Their silence no longer bothered him. In his present mood, he welcomed it. He reread the file on Lefebvre and the reports taken on the night of the attack on the
Each reading raised more and more questions in his mind. Lefebvre’s family members could have easily distanced themselves from him when the accusations were made, but they had been fiercely loyal. Even Lefebvre’s parents were uncooperative with the Las Piernas police when he disappeared.
He looked at Lefebvre’s photo, wishing he had the power to read the man’s character from it. There was so little to go on. That, he realized, said something on Lefebvre’s behalf — if he had been a bad cop, where were the signs of it?
