“But,” Suzanne said, “what’s making me crazy is why did he pawn the ring today, four days after her murder, but only hours after the newspaper came out with the deliberate leak to the press?”
“It’s like he wants you to think it’s a robbery,” Sean said. “Not very smart.”
“Not smart fits Bartz,” DeLucca said.
“Why meet someone at a baseball stadium in the first place?” Lucy asked.
“Citi Field is very family friendly,” DeLucca said. “We don’t get a lot of real trouble out there. It’s public; she might have thought it was safe.”
“I take it no security cameras,” Sean said.
“Nothing on the section of the parking lot where she was killed.” DeLucca looked from Lucy to Sean. “Is there anything you know that I should?” he asked. “I don’t like surprises, I don’t really like P.I.’s doing police work, and I’m not a fan of the feds.” He glanced at Suzanne. “Except blondie here.”
“Screw you, DeLucca.”
Lucy caught the smile between the two. They had been friends-or more-for a long time.
Lucy said, “If we learn anything that will aid in your investigation, you have my word that we’ll give it to you. Right, Suzanne?”
“I’m still not one hundred percent sure about this,” DeLucca said. He took out a folder and handed it to Sean. Sean turned it so both he and Lucy could see. DeLucca walked them through the photo evidence.
Nothing jumped out. There was extensive blood at the scene-the victim had been killed in front of her vehicle, then dragged approximately five feet to hide her body between two cars. All the cars in the area had been printed and cleared. The knife had never been recovered. No blood trail.
Lucy asked, “Was there anything about the murder that was never released to the media?”
“Only one thing-there was an inscription on the inside of the ring. We gave pawnshops and a few CIs a photo of the ring and the information that there
“From Corinthians,” Lucy muttered.
Sean’s phone vibrated. He ignored the text message but hoped it was info he was waiting for. He turned to Suzanne. “What’s going on with the library archives? Are there computer logs?”
“Yes and no,” Suzanne said. “Everyone signs in. Borrowed material is logged in the computer, but if they’re simply looking, they have free run of the place.”
“So either the documents are still there-hidden or misplaced-or someone with knowledge of the system took them.”
“It’s a large box.”
Sean leaned forward. “I’ll bet I can find a half-dozen ways to grab anything I want from the library and disappear with it.”
“Not everyone is you, Rogan,” Suzanne said.
“But,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken, “if I wanted the information to disappear, I’d cloak it. Put it in a different box. Do you know the last person who pulled the box?”
“That’s one of the problems,” Suzanne said. “The box has been there for three years. No one has ever checked it out. And don’t even think about asking for a list of everyone who has checked out boxes from the archives-you’re talking about thousands of people.”
Lucy said, “If someone at Quantico stole Tony’s file from his office, they may have also taken the files from the archives.”
Sean glanced at her. “You’re brilliant. At my college library, I had to have a card to access much of the building, and definitely to view most of the research material.”
Suzanne nodded. “I see what you’re thinking. If there’s anyone with access to Quantico who also has a Columbia library card. It’s a place to start.”
“Still a long shot, but not quite as long,” Sean said.
Lucy frowned. “It’s easy to check the travel of federal staff, and anyone at Quantico would know that.”
“We don’t know when the box was removed from the library,” Suzanne said. “It could have been months or years ago.”
“And,” Sean said, “it might be someone who had a friend who was a student, or a visitor who found a flaw in the security system.”
Suzanne made a note. “Dr. Vigo asked for a report tonight. I’ll let him know your theory and let him run interference with Quantico. Thanks.”
They exchanged contact information and parted ways.
“Back to the hotel?” Lucy asked.
Sean glanced at his watch. “Let’s go meet your brother for dinner.”
“In Newark?”
“At the hotel. Patrick is good. He got exactly what we needed, took the train into the city.” Sean hailed a taxi. “We make a great team. And there’s nothing I’d like more than to have you working for RCK. You’re name’s already on the door.”
Sean opened the taxi door and Lucy slid in first.
“Maybe I should,” she said quietly.
He gave the driver the name of their hotel, then leaned over and kissed Lucy lightly. “I know you should. But on your terms, Luce. Because you want to, not because you think it’s your only option.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Hans stopped by Kate Donovan’s house Saturday on his way home.
“I’ve left you two messages,” Kate snapped when she opened the door.
“May I come in?”
She opened the door wider and he stepped in. “I spent all afternoon in a meeting with Chief O’Neal, then went to visit Shannon Presidio.”
Kate softened a bit. She would never be a soft woman. But before meeting Dillon Kincaid she was on the fast track to an early death through recklessness. Now she was everything Hans had always believed she could be: smart, focused, dedicated. She still had a reckless streak, but it was tempered by experience.
“Is Dillon here?”
“Sleeping.”
It was just past nine. “This early?”
“He has to be up at three to take a military transport to talk to one of those damn serial killers you want him to profile. It’s not as easy on him as you think it is.”
“I never thought it was easy.”
“I’m not sleeping.” Dillon came downstairs in sweatpants and a T-shirt. He shook Hans’s hand. “What brings you here?”
Hans glanced at Kate. She scowled and said to Dillon, “I didn’t want to worry you.”
Dillon put his arm around her and steered her toward the family room.
“Did you come to see Kate or me?”
“Both,” Hans said.
“Don’t drag Dillon into this,” Kate said.
They sat at the kitchen table where Hans had often found himself enjoying a meal with the Kincaids and nearly as often talking to Dillon about work. Though Dillon was a civilian consultant, he spent the bulk of his time on FBI cases. He’d been offered a permanent position when he first moved to D.C. but had declined.
“Hans.” Dillon didn’t have to say anything else. He took Kate’s hand but focused on Hans.
“Did Lucy tell you?”
“That she went to New York?” Kate snapped. “I’m furious with her. I told her to keep her head low and focus on her studies. I suppose I should blame Sean, but Lucy is responsible for her own actions.”
