cleaning supervisor. They have about as many men as women doing the cleaning work here. But a woman could put on pants and pretend to be a man.”
“So we need to find out who was on duty that night,” Michelle said.
“Yes and no,” Sean said. “Certainly we’ll get the list and run it down, but I’m thinking it could be an outsider disguised as a cleaning person who came here and did it. You show up in a uniform with a genuine-looking ID badge, who’s going to question you?”
“Or it could be someone who works at Babbage Town disguised as a cleaner,” Michelle added.
“That could be even more troubling.”
Sean turned to leave.
“Where are you going?” Michelle asked.
“To find out if our resident genius, Champ Pollion, was actually in Hut Number Two or maybe pushing a laundry cart filled with evidence after drowning Len Rivest.”
CHAPTER 63
SEAN COULDN’T FIND A LIVE PERSON who’d seen Champ at Hut Number Two until three in the morning the night Rivest had been killed. That resulted in Champ Pollion being put back on the suspect list for Len Rivest’s murder. While he was walking back to Alicia’s cottage he got a call from Joan.
“We got a communique from the owners of Babbage Town,” she began.
“Who are they?” Sean asked quickly.
“Don’t know.”
“Then how do you know it’s legit?”
“There are passwords and a secure channel access that was set up. It’s them. Anyway, since Rivest was killed they’ve been rethinking our presence on the scene. Now if you were showing any progress…”
“Joan, I am busting my ass trying to do just that. You’ve never seen stone walls thrown up like the ones down here. And we don’t even know who our client is.”
“What
Sean hesitated and then filled her in on the German POW angle.
“You really think that might have something to do with Monk Turing’s death?”
“It’s possible. If you can get a list somewhere of the POWs held at Camp Peary during the war, and what happened to them, that would be very helpful. And you tracked his trip in England so any chance you could do the same for Germany? I can follow up on my end by trying to get a peek at his passport, if I can pry it from the Bureau’s greedy hands.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Any idea where in Germany?”
“No.”
“I see that you’ve requested funds for some equipment down there.”
“That’s right.”
“However, you neglected to specify what the equipment is.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary, I can assure you.”
“Then you’ll have no problem telling me what it is.”
“Joan, if you won’t approve the funds just say so. I got everything for a good price, and some of the stuff is just leased.”
“I’m not debating the cost.”
“So what’s the big deal?”
“Just put it down to me feeling left out of the loop.”
“When I have something to report, you’ll hear about it.”
“How’s your
He stiffened. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
“I have my sources,” Joan said cryptically.
“She’s just fine.”
“I’m sure. But if you want my advice, you don’t need a fragile person covering your back in a crisis situation.”
“My back is just great.”
“Don’t I know it, along with your other parts. But seriously, Sean, friendship is one thing, but would you bet your life on it? Three people have already been killed. I don’t want you to be the fourth.”
She clicked off leaving Sean hating himself for suddenly having doubts about Michelle, but doubts they still were. What if she cracked when they were on CIA territory? What if she did something that might end up getting them killed?
CHAPTER 64
THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON Michelle was trying to find Viggie, only no one knew where the girl was. Alicia was at her hut working, and the guard assigned to watch Viggie had somehow lost track of his charge. However, something Viggie had said earlier came back to Michelle and she set out at a dead run for the river.
Five minutes later she reached the boathouse and right away noticed that one of the kayaks was missing. Her gaze swept the river. A storm was rolling in, the wind was gaining strength and the water current was fast. A rumble of thunder reached her ears and the smell of rain coming swiftly was suddenly thick in her nostrils.
The next sound she heard froze Michelle.
“Help me! Help me!”
Michelle grabbed a two-person kayak and paddle from the holder next to the boathouse, threw a loop of rope in it and raced down to the end of the dock. A few moments later she was in the kayak and cutting through the frothing chop of the river with each stroke.
“Help me!”
She saw the speck of red in the distance. As Michelle drew closer she saw that Viggie’s kayak had capsized. The girl was clinging to it, but she was being swept along by the accelerating river current. Michelle redoubled her effort and the kayak flew through the water. Michelle hadn’t rowed this hard for many months and even for her, the pace was grueling. A moment later she had all the incentive she needed. A lightning bolt struck the other side of the river with such force that the ground shook. This was followed by a deafening crack of thunder.
Viggie’s shrieks became louder now. Michelle kept her gaze steadily on the girl, letting the muscles of her arms, back and legs do the rest. Five minutes, and several hellish cracks of thunder and vicious lightning strikes later, Michelle pulled alongside the girl. As she put out her paddle for Viggie to grab the skies opened up and the rain came pelting down with such force it stung their faces and arms.
Viggie didn’t even make a grab at the paddle; she clung stubbornly to the side of her overturned kayak.
Michelle said as calmly as she could, “Viggie, I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay. Do you understand?”
The girl shook her head. She said in a trembling voice, “I’m going to drown. I don’t have a life jacket on.”
“You’re
“I can’t.”
“Yes you can, Viggie.”
Lightning struck so close to them that the hairs on Michelle’s neck stood up.
“Viggie, grab the paddle. Now!”
Viggie didn’t make a move, but the current did. It ripped the kayak out of her hand and sent it spinning off. She screamed and started to go under.Michelle tied the coil of rope she’d thrown in the boat around one of her ankles and attached the other end to the carry loop on the kayak.
“Help me!” Viggie screamed as she floundered in the water and then went under.
Michelle dove in and shot under the surface. The water was murky and Michelle was searching more with her
