capacity Mary sat by herself at a table near the door, eating a tuna salad sandwich, writing in a clothbound book, presumably a journal of some kind. I wanted to see that journal. Her conversations with the people around her seemed to be little more than polite hellos and good-byes. The perfect employee.
I decided to pull myself out at that point, and went back to Perkins's office in the basement. I gave him a courtesy debriefing. As we were talking, my beeper went off.
“Excuse me.” I got Karl Page in the crisis center.
“I thought you'd want to know right away - yeah, just a second, I'll be there - her time sheets check out perfectly Mary Wagner wasn't at work for at least two hours before and two hours after every estimated time of death. No exceptions. Cha-ching!”
“Okay thanks. I'm out of here. She's working today.”
“When did you last see her?”
“About ten minutes ago. I have to go, Page.” Perkins was looking at me expectantly, and I didn't want him asking too many questions. The receiver was halfway back to the cradle when I heard Page shout, “Wait!”
I gave Perkins a sorry with my eyebrows. Sometimes Agent Page could be a little exasperating, almost as if he was trying too hard.
“What, Karl?”
“Mary Smith's last e-mail, Alex. The murder that's supposed to happen by twelve tomorrow”
“Yeah, I got it,” I said, and hung up the phone. I already knew what Page was trying to tell me.
Tomorrow was Mary Wagner's day off.
Mary, Mary
Chapter 90
I WAS ALREADY CONVINCED it was crucial that I try to speak with Mary Wagner before the trauma of an arrest. That was my strong gut response on this strange case. I knew LAPD was going to be under a lot of pressure to move quickly, though. It meant I had to move even faster if I could.
I hurried back to the Bureau and found Van Allsburg in his office. “Don't ask me. Not my call,“ he said, after I'd made my case for the interview. ”If Maddux Fielding wants to move in on her-”
“Then do me one favor,” I said.
Minutes later, we were on the phone in Fred's office. I knew Maddux Fielding probably wouldn't take my call, but Van Allsburg got patched through right away “Maddux, I've got Alex Cross here. He's making a pretty good argument for holding off on Mary Wagner, just long enough to interview her.“ ”How much more do you think we're going to get on her?“ Fielding asked. ”It's done. We've got plenty to take her in.”
“It's all circumstantial,” I said into the speakerphone. “You'll have to let her go.”
“Yeah, well I'm working on that.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, already starting to fume. “What aren't you telling us, Maddux? What's the point of shutting us out?”
He ignored my legitimate question with one of his trademark stony silences.
“Listen, between LAPD and the Bureau, she's under constant surveillance; she hasn't shown any sign of making a move. We know her timetable. Let me just talk to her at home. This could be a last chance to get her in a nondefensive state.” I hated the conciliatory tone of my voice, but I knew the interview with Mary could be important.
“Detective, I know you and I have our disagreements,” I said, “but we're both going for a quick resolve here. This is what I do best. If you'll just let me “Be at her house by six,” he said suddenly. ”I'm not making any promises to you though, Cross. If she doesn't go home after work, or if anything else changes, that's the end of it.
We grab her.'
By the time I had arched my eyebrows, there was a click on the line and the call was over.
Mary, Mary
Chapter 91
SHE DIDN'T BOTHER to use the chain lock. I heard it rattle on the back of the front door as she opened it.
“Mary Wagner?”
