She glanced at Lucy as she said it, and her voice snapped across Starkey like a slap.
This guy is a professional killer. He's murdered people all over the world.
And now he has your son.
Starkey flushed deep when she realized what she had done.
'I'm sorry, Ms. Chenier. That was insensitive.' Richard went to the door, anxious to leave.
'Let's get on this, Lee. We can't waste any more time with this.'
Myers didn't move.
He said, 'I'm not wasting time. I'm investigating how Cole knows this man. Everything I've heard so far fits with the tape. Cole and Fallon have a lot in common. How do you know each other, Cole? What does this guy want from you?'
'He doesn't want anything from me. I don't know him, never met him, and don't have any idea why he's doing this.'
'That isn't what he says on the tape.'
'Fuck yourself, Myers.'
Lucy's forehead was lined in concentration.
'This doesn't make sense. He has to have some connection with you.'
'He doesn't. There isn't.'
Lucas whispered to Alvarez, then spoke loudly to interrupt.
'Let's not get sidetracked. This is a good start, Detective. Ray, call SID to confirm the identification, then have Central distribute the picture.'
Lucas had assumed command of the case, and she wanted everyone to know that she was still running the
show.
'Mr. Chenier, Ms. Chenier--what we want to do now is bring the elements of the investigation together. This won't take long, then we can get on with developing this lead.'
Starkey said, 'It's already developed. We just have to find the sonofabitch.'
Gittamon touched her arm.
'Carol. Please.'
Richard muttered something, then opened the door. 'You people can do what you want, but I'm going to find my son. Lee, goddamnit, let's go. Do you need a copy of that?'
'I have what I need.'
'Then let's get the hell out of here.'
They left.
Alvarez turned toward Gittamon.
'Sergeant, you and Starkey wait outside. We'll review
what you've done so far when we're finished with Ms. Chenier.' Starkey said, 'Have you people been asleep? We made a maior breakthrough here. We don't need to have a meeting about it.' Alvarez raised his voice. 'Wait outside until we're finished. You, too, Gittamon. Stop wasting time and get on with it.' Starkey stalked out, and Gittamon followed, so humiliated that he shuffled. Alvarez said, 'You stick around, too, Cole. We want to know why this guy has it in for you.' 'No, I'm not wasting more time with that. I'm going to find Ben.' I looked at Lucy. 'I know you don't want me involved, but I'm not going to leave it alone. I'm going to find him, Luce. I'm going to bring him back to you.' 'You'd better be downstairs, Cole. I'm not asking I'm telling.' Alvarez said something else, but I had already shut the door. Starkey and Gittamon were on the sidewalk by his car, arguing. I ignored them. I went to my car. I could get in, I could drive, but I didn't know where to go or what to do. I looked at Michael Fallon's picture and tried to figure out what to do. This doesn't make sense. He has to have some connection with you. All investigations run the same course: You follow the trail of a person's life to see where it crosses with another. Fallon and I had both been in the Army, but we had been in the Army at different times, and, so far as I knew, our lives had never crossed. So far as I knew, his life had never crossed the life of any man with whom I served, and I didn't see how it would. A Delta-trained killer. A professional mercenary. A man wanted for murder in E1 Salvador and war crimes in Africa who had come to Los Angeles to steal Ben Chenier and make up a lie. Current whereabouts unknown.
I glanced up and down the street to see if I could spot
Joe. He would be here, watching, and I needed him. 'Joe!'
Men like Michael Fallon lived and worked in a shadow world that I knew nothing about; they paid cash and, were paid in cash, lived under other names, and moved in circles so clannish that they were known in their true
lives by very few others.
,,joeI. ,,
Pike touched my shoulder. He might have stepped out of a tight thatch of plants at the corner of the building. His dark glasses gleamed like polished armor in the sun. My hands shook when I gave him the file.
'This man took Ben. He's lived all over the world. He's fought and done things everywhere. I don't have any idea how to find him.'
