Wild fire

So did I, and now, so did Kate. I said, “Seems that way.”

“But why would they want him to get caught?”

“That’s the big question. A possible answer is to signal to Bain Madox that he is under the eye. They certainly didn’t expect Madox to murder the surveillance person he’d caught.”

“Why would the Justice Department and the FBI want Madox to know he was under surveillance?”

“Sometimes, in police work, you use surveillance to shake up a suspect. Sometimes, with rich and powerful people, you use it as a courtesy, or a warning. You know, like, cease and desist before you put us all in a bad situation.”

Kate stood and came closer to me. She said, “It could have been you.”

Actually, I hope I would have had the brains to scrub the assignment as soon as I got a close look at the situation. Harry, on the other hand, was a simple soul who always put too much trust in the bosses, and who followed orders.

She asked me, “If you’re right, do you think this surveillance has frightened Madox into abandoning whatever he’s up to?”

“I think a man like Madox doesn’t frighten very easily. He’s a man with a mission, and he’s already committed at least one murder on his way to completing that mission.”

“One that we know of.”

“Right. And I’m fairly sure that what happened this weekend had the opposite effect of what Washington hoped for. In fact, Bain Madox’s timeline has been shortened to about twenty-four hours, give or take a few hours.”

“It may just be that he knows the game is up and he’s planning to flee the country. That’s what most people would do.”

“I’m really convinced he’s not like most people. But check out where his jets are.”

She nodded and said, “Okay, but if you really think he’s going ahead with whatever he’s planned, and if you don’t want to go back to the city, then we need to get to the closest Federal attorney and ask for a search warrant for the Custer Hill Club.”

“Sweetheart, I think the only warrant you’re going to find at a Federal courthouse is an arrest warrant for Kate Mayfield and John Corey.”

“Then let’s go to Schaeffer and see if he can get the local D.A. to get a search warrant.”

“Kate, no one is going to issue any warrant with Bain Madox’s name on it based on what you or I tell them. We need to get more evidence.”

“Such as?”

“Well, obviously some hair and fibers from the Custer Hill lodge that will match what was found on Harry’s body and clothes. That’s the connecting forensic evidence that’s required to link Madox’s lodge to Harry, and Harry to Madox, who was at the lodge.”

“All right… but how do you get fibers from the Custer Hill Club without a search warrant?”

“The same way I’d do it if I was investigating the murder of John Doe, who I believed was last seen alive at the house of Joe Smith.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I’m going to the Custer Hill Club to pay a visit to Mr. Madox.”

“I don’t want you to go there.”

“Why not? This is what I’d do at this stage of any other homicide investigation. We’re running out of clues and leads at this point, so I need to go back to the prime suspect and talk to him.”

“I’m going with you.”

“Actually, you’re not. I need you here to work the details that we’ll need to build the case… the stuff we’ll need to get a search warrant.” Actually, the time was running out for that, but it sounded good.

“No,” she said firmly. “You are not going there alone.” She looked at me. “It could be dangerous.”

“It’s not dangerous. This is not Dracula’s Castle. I’m a Federal agent making some inquiries.”

“He’s already killed one Federal agent.”

Good point. But I replied, “And he probably regrets it. If he doesn’t, he will later.” I walked back into the sitting area and put on my leather jacket.

Kate followed and also put on her jacket.

This was one of those moments that called for just the right combination of firmness and tenderness. I took her in my arms and said, “I need you here. We’re a little short on manpower today. I can really handle this myself.”

“No.”

“I think I have a better chance of getting in to see him if I’m alone.”

“No.”

“I’ll check in with Schaeffer’s surveillance team at the intersection. Okay? I’ll tell them to give me an hour, and if I’m not out by then, they should send in the cavalry. Okay?”

That seemed to do the trick, and she appeared less insistent that she go with me.

I concluded with, “Keep in touch with Schaeffer. Also, call The Point and see who’s looking for us. Tell them we’re shopping in Lake Placid, and if Mr. Griffith calls, he should meet us downtown. And remind Jim that Sonny DeMott was going to loan me a tie and jacket for dinner.”

“He was?”

“I’m sure he would. Just bullshit them.” I added, “Pretend you’re me.”

She smiled, then said, “I want you to turn on your cell phone.”

“Kate, no cell phones. You turn that thing on, and Liam Griffith will be at this door within an hour.”

“John… this is not the way we work.”

“Now and then, sweetheart, you have to stretch the rules a little.”

“Now and then? You did this on the last case.”

“I did? Well, it turned out okay. Meanwhile, see if you can get a pizza delivered.”

We went to the door, and Kate said, “Be careful.”

“No anchovies.”

We smooched, and off I went to Dracula’s Castle.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Ifound a convenience store on the outskirts of Canton. Or maybe it was downtown Canton. Hard to tell.

Anyway, I went in and bought what I needed for my mission, which was a package of Drake’s Ring Dings with cream inside, and one of those little sticky lint rollers.

The checkout guy gave me a shortcut back to Colton, a distance of about thirty miles. I also asked him where the sporting-goods store was, and he gave me directions.

I got back in the car and thought about my next move. It was a little after 1:00 P.M., which meant I should be at the Custer Hill gatehouse before 2:00 if I didn’t stop to pick up a box of 9mm rounds and a few extra magazines. I mean, if I was going to blow Madox’s brains out, I had more than enough ammo in my fifteen-round magazine, plus one in the chamber.

On the other hand, if I needed to shoot my way out of there, I was possibly a few rounds short. Bottom line with ammunition is that it’s always better to have more than you need, because if you have less than you need, things didn’t usually work out well.

Also, I probably shouldn’t have done an ammo check with Kate, who may have been wondering if I was planning an assault on the Custer Hill Club. I wasn’t sure about that myself, but it was an option.

Anyway, I decided that my first order of business should be to get to the Custer Hill Club and see what, if anything, Madox was up to. If I needed more ammo, I knew Madox had plenty of guns lying around.

I began driving, and I turned on the radio and listened to a talk show in French, live from Quebec.

I had no idea what they were saying, but everyone seemed really worked up about something, and I could pick out the words “Iraq,” “America,” “Bush,” and “Hussein.”

The melodious French language was giving me a headache, so I scanned the channels, trying to find a news