candidacy.'
'You mean he would have been killing his own golden goose?' said Parks.
'Right. That's why we can rule out Sidney Morse even if he weren't a vegetable, and Doug Denby too. They'd have no motive.'
Michelle suddenly looked excited. 'What about Bob Scott, the detail leader?'
'But that doesn't make any sense either,' said King. 'Scott wouldn't have had to hide his gun. No one would have searchedhim. And even if they did, it would have been strange finding him not armed.'
Michelle shook her head. 'No, I meant his career, like yours, was ruined when Ritter died. That could be a motive for revenge. Does anybody even know where he is?'
'We can find out,' said Joan.
King scowled. 'But that doesn't explain the gun I found and why Loretta was killed. She was killed because she was blackmailing someone. And that someone couldn't have been Bobby Scott because he'd have no reason to hide a gun.'
Parks said, 'Okay, Scott looks to be a strikeout. But let's go back to this Denby guy. Who was he?'
Joan said, 'Clyde Ritter's chief of staff.'
'Any idea where he is now?' asked Parks.
'No,' said Joan. She looked at King. 'How about you?'
'I haven't seen Denby since Ritter died. He pretty much dropped off the planet. It wasn't like any of the major parties would be picking him up. I imagine he was pretty much a pariah after partnering with Ritter.'
'I know it seems highly unlikely given their respective ideologies, but could Denby and Arnold Ramsey have known each other?' wondered Michelle.
'Well, it's something we should check out,' voiced Parks.
'Our suspect list is growing exponentially,' commented Joan. 'And we're not even sure if these multiple lines of investigation are even connected.'
King nodded. 'There are a lot of possibilities. If we're going to crack this thing, we have to work together. I think I can speak for the marshal and Michelle, but are you in?' he asked Joan.
She smiled demurely. 'Of course. So long as everyone clearly understands that my participation is a paid engagement.'
46
They laid the wires out in precise lengths and then connected them to the explosives, all of which were located at load-bearing points. They worked slowly and methodically, for at this juncture there was no room for error.
'Wireless detonators are a lot easier to work with,' said 'Officer Simmons' to the other man. 'And we wouldn't have to carry all this damn cable.'
The Buick Man stopped what he was doing and turned to look at him. They each wore battery-powered lights attached to plastic helmets, since the darkness here was complete. They could have been far underground where no light ever reached.
'And like cell phones versus hard line, they are unreliable, particularly as the signals would have to penetrate thousands of tons of concrete. Just do what you're told.'
'Just voicing an opinion,' said Simmons.
'I don't need any more opinions, especially from you. You've been more than enough trouble. I thought you were a professional.'
'I
'Then start acting like one! I've had enough of amateurs running around not following my instructions.'
'Well, Mildred Martin won't be doing any more running. You saw to that.'
'Yes, and let that be a lesson to you.'
The heavy-duty portable generator was set up in the corner, and Buick Man started going over its controls, lines and fuel tanks.
Simmons said, 'You sure that'll give us all the power we need? I mean for everything you've got planned? That'll take a lot of juice.'
Buick Man didn't even bother to look at him. 'More than enough. Unlike you, I know exactly what I'm doing.' He pointed with a wrench to a large coil of electrical wire. 'Just make sure the lines are strung properly. To every location I gave you.'
'And you'll double-check my work, of course.'
'Of course,' he replied tersely.
Simmons looked at the elaborate control board that was set up in the far corner of the room. 'This is some nice stuff. The best, in fact.'
'Just wire it the way I told you,' Buick Man said curtly.
'What's a party without lights and sound, right?'
They started wheeling in the heavy boxes on hand trucks, unpacking these containers and stacking the contents neatly in another corner of the cavernous space.
The younger man looked at one of the items from the boxes. 'You did a good job on these.'
'They needed to be as accurate as possible. I don't like imprecision.'
'Yeah, don't I know that.'
While lifting a container Simmons suddenly grimaced and clutched at his side.
The Buick Man observed this and said, 'That's what you get for trying to strangle Maxwell instead of simply shooting her. Didn't you ever consider that a Secret Service agent might be armed?'
'I like my victims to know my presence. It's just
'While working for me you'll subvert your ways to mine. You're lucky the bullet just nicked you.'
'I suppose you would have just left me to die if the bullet had done serious damage?'
'No. I would have shot you and put you out of your misery.'
Simmons stared at his companion for a long moment. 'I bet you would have.'
'Yes, I would have.'
'Well, we got the gun back, that's the important thing.'
Buick Man stopped working and looked at him steadily. 'Maxwell frightens you, doesn't she?'
'I'm not afraid of any man, much less a woman.'
'She almost killed you. In fact, it's only by sheer luck that you escaped.'
'I won't miss next time.'
'See that you don't. Because if you do miss, I certainly won't miss you.'
47
The following morning the group split up. Joan went off to Dobson, Tyler, the Philadelphia law firm where Bruno had worked, and also to interview Bruno's political staff. Parks set off too, though he didn't tell the others he was going to report in to the task force back in Washington.
Before they all parted, Michelle pulled Joan aside.
'You were part of Ritter's detail. What do you recall about Scott?'
'Not much. I was a recent transfer to Ritter's detail. I didn't know him all that well. And after the assassination we were all reassigned pretty much immediately.'
'Recent transfer? Did you ask for it?' She stared pointedly at the other woman.
'Most things in life worth having are rarely handed to you. You have to go after them.' Michelle involuntarily glanced at King, who was talking to Parks. Joan smiled. 'I see you follow my logic precisely. One piece of advice while you're out sleuthing with Sean: he has a terrific nose for investigative work but can be impetuous at times.
