touchy-feely America. I wondered if the CIA was like this. Which reminded me. I asked, 'Where's Ted Nash?'
Jack replied, 'I'm not sure. I left him in Frankfurt. He was going to Paris.'
It occurred to me, not for the first time, that the CIA, upon whom so much once depended, was now being eclipsed by the FBI, whose mandate was domestic troublemakers. I mean, a guy like Nash or his colleagues could now vacation in Moscow with no more danger to themselves than bad food. An organization like that needs a purpose, and lacking a clear purpose these days, they were bound to get into mischief. Idle hands are the playthings of the devil, as my Protestant Grandma used to tell me.
Anyway, Jack and Kate were chewing the fat, and Jack asked a few leading questions about how Kate and I were getting on, and so forth.
Kate looked at me with that bursting-with-good-news look-so what could I do? I nodded.
Kate said to Jack, 'John and I have some good news. We're engaged.'
I thought I heard the phone hit the floor at the other end. There was a silence that lasted about two seconds longer than it should have. Good news for Jack would be that Kate Mayfield was filing a sexual harassment suit against me. But Jack is slick, and recovered nicely. He said, 'Well… hey, that is good news. Congratulations. John, congratulations. This is very… sudden…'
I knew I had to say something, so, in my best male macho tone I said, 'Time to settle down and tie the old knot. My. bachelor days are over. Yes, sir. I finally found the right girl. Woman. I couldn't be happier.' And so forth.
So, that out of the way, Jack briefed us on the momentous issue at hand and said, 'We have people checking with the FAA about flight plans for private aircraft. We're concentrating on private jets. We actually turned up the flight plan and the pilots who flew Khalil across the country. We interviewed the pilots. They flew out of Islip on Long Island. This would have been right after Khalil murdered McCoy and Satherwaite at the museum. They stopped in Colorado Springs, Khalil deplaned, but we know he didn't kill Colonel Callum.'
Jack went on about Khalil and his flight to Santa Monica. The pilots, according to Jack, were in shock now that they knew who their passenger was. This was interesting, but not that important. However, it did show Khalil to be resourceful and well financed. Plus, he could blend in okay. I said to Jack, 'And you're trying to find out if Khalil has another private flight booked?'
'Yes. But there are hundreds of private jets filing flight plans every day. We're concentrating on non-corporate and foreign corporate charters, flights paid for by suspicious means and by non-repeat customers, and customers who may appear foreign, and so on. It's a long, long shot. But we have to give it a try.'
'Right. How do you think this asshole is going to get out of the country?'
'Good question. Canadian security is tight and cooperative, but I can't say the same for our Mexican neighbors.'
'I guess not with fifty thousand illegals crossing every month, not to mention tons of Mexican marching powder blowing across the border. Did you alert the DEA, Customs, and Immigration?'
'Of course. And they've assigned extra personnel and so have we. It's going to be a rough month for drug dealers and illegals. Also, we've alerted the Coast Guard. It's a short boat hop from southern California to the beaches of Mexico. We've done everything we can in cooperation with several local and Federal agencies-as well as our Mexican allies-to intercept the suspect if he tries to flee across the U. S. – Mexican border.'
'Are you on TV now?'
'No. Why?'
'You sound like you're on TV.'
'That's the way I talk. That's the way you should talk tomorrow afternoon. Keep the fuck word to a minimum.'
I actually smiled.
So, we discussed the subject of the manhunt for a while, and finally Jack said, 'John, it's taken care of. And it's out of your hands.'
'Not quite. Look, I want to get back here as soon as this press conference is over tomorrow.'
'That's a reasonable request. Let's see how you do at the press conference.'
'One has nothing to do with the other.'
'It does now.'
'Okay. I get it.'
'Good. Tell me about your phone conversation with Asad Khalil.'
'Well, we didn't have a whole lot in common. Didn't someone brief you about that?'
'Yes, but I want to get a feeling from you about Khalil's mood, his state of mind, the possibility that he might be heading home or staying around. That sort of thing.'
'Okay… I had the feeling I was talking to a man who was very much in control of himself and his emotions. Worse, he came across as though he were still in control of the situation, despite the fact that we fucked up his plans. I mean, that we thwarted his plans.'
Jack stayed silent a moment, then said, 'Go on.'
'Well, if I had to bet, I'd bet that he was planning to stick around.'
'Why?'
'I don't know. Just one of those feelings I get. By the way, speaking of bets, I want Nash's ten dollars, and his buddy Edward's twenty dollars.'
'But you said Khalil was in the New York area.'
'He was. Then he left, then he came back to Long Island. Point is, he didn't fly out to Sandland.' I looked at Kate for support. This was important.
Kate said, 'John is right. He won the bets.'
Jack replied, 'Okay. I'll accept Kate's impartial opinion.' Ha, ha. Then Jack said, seriously, 'So, John, you have a feeling now that Asad Khalil is still in your area?'
'I do.'
'But this is just a feeling?'
'If you mean am I holding something back, I'm not. Even I know when to come clean. But… how can I put this?… well… Khalil said to me that he sort of felt my presence before he… this is stupid. Mystical Sandland stuff. But I sort of feel this guy's presence. You know?'
There was a long silence as Jack Koenig probably looked up the phone number of the Task Force psychiatric office. Finally, he said kindly, 'Well, I've learned not to bet money against you.'
I thought he was going to tell me to get some sleep, but instead he addressed Kate and asked, 'Are you going to the L.A. office?'
She replied, 'Yes. I think it's a good idea to say hello, establish a working relationship, and see if we can be of any help when we return.'
'You have friends there, I understand.'
'I do.'
There may have been some subtext here regarding Kate's hour-long sexual history, but I wasn't jealous, and I wasn't going to be baited any longer. The hook was already in, the big fish had been reeled up and was now flopping around on the deck, gasping for air, to use an appropriate metaphor. So, Kate didn't need to use old boyfriends or suitors, such as Teddy, to get John to get off his ass and pop the question.
Jack and Kate chatted a minute about some people they knew in common in L.A., then Jack said, 'Okay, pick a flight to Dulles, but no later than the red-eye.'
Kate assured him we'd be on the red-eye at the latest.
Jack was about to sign off, but it was time for my Columbo moment and I said, 'Oh, one more thing.'
'Yes?'
'The rifle.'
'What rifle?'
'The rifle that was in the long package.'
'Oh… yes, I did question Mr. Rahman about that package. So has everyone else in L.A. and Washington.'
'And?'
'Rahman and his family are under protective custody.'
'Good. That's where they belong. And?'
