Read Online A Slow Walk to Hell by Patrick A. Davis - Free Book Online
Authors: Patrick A. Davis
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there.”
“It won’t.”
She glanced at me. “Agent Collins?”
“Yes.”
“This call is for you, sir.” She offered me the cell phone.
I realized at once who it probably was. “Looks like I’m in trouble, Billy.”
He laughed. “Better you than me.”
As I stepped from the cubicle and took the phone, I was thinking Amanda really had called General Hinkle.
I was mistaken.
Simon was on the other end. Instead of pressuring me about General Baldwin, he said simply, “I thought you might need a car, Martin.”
I hesitated, instantly wary. “Why?”
“Do you?”
“I might.”
“Fine. Tell the officer.”
“Simon, why are you doing—”
A click. He was gone.
I passed back the phone to the cop. “You have a car for me?”
From her shirt pocket, she produced a set of keys. The key chain was made of leather, with the initials A.G. embossed on it.
Amanda Gardner.
As I went up the stairs, I was thinking hard. Because of my reaction to hearing Baldwin’s name on the tape, I wasn’t surprised that Simon had deduced I might come down to the surveillance room or might need a car. What did surprise me was that he’d offer me the use of a vehicle, especially Amanda’s.
I knew how Simon’s mind worked. He wouldn’t give up this easily on finding out what I knew about General Baldwin.
He was up to something.
My hunch proved right.
The moment I passed through the pool gate, I spotted the figure sitting in the passenger seat of the Saab. As I came closer, the silhouette tipped me off to the person’s identity.
Opening the passenger door, I said, “Out, Amanda. I’m going alone.”
She shot me a frosty glare. “Then you’d better start walking.”
“I’m the one with the car keys.”
“I’d like to see you get me out of the seat.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Don’t make me kick your ass.”
She probably could. She was a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and I’d seen her reduce a weightlifter into a whimpering mound of flesh with a flick of her wrist.
We stood there, eyeing each other. Her perfectly formed face was defiant, all trace of her earlier emotional turmoil toward me long gone. She was now a hard-nosed cop, working a case.
“Have it your way. Catch.” I tossed her the car keys and started walking toward the house.
“Where the hell are you going?”
I kept walking.
“Oh, for—will you chill out? I’m not going tag along when you talk to General Baldwin. That’s where your going, right? To his apartment in Crystal City?”
I slowed to a stop, watching as she unfolded herself from the Saab. She’d obviously checked Baldwin out. “I’m supposed to believe that?”
“Cross my heart.”
“Why are you coming, then? You enjoy my company?”
She snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself. Chief Tisdale is waiting for me at the Pentagon. We’re going to search Talbot’s office.” She shot me a disparaging look. “After all, one of us should try to solve this murder.”
I let the dig pass. “I’m not going to talk about General Baldwin.”
“Oh, goodee.”
“I’m serious, Amanda. I won’t discuss him.”
She sighed. “Tell you what, Marty, I’ll make you a deal. You keep your mouth shut and so will I. Now quit screwing around and let’s get going.”
Of course I didn’t believe her.
But by the time we turned into the Pentagon’s cavernous south parking ten minutes later, she hadn’t made a peep. I didn’t get it. This had to be the reason why Simon had arranged for Amanda and me to ride together. He wanted her to grill me about General Baldwin. Yet she never asked a single question.
All’s fair in love and homicide investigations, and I knew Amanda hadn’t remained silent because she’d given her word. That told me there had to be another reason. Could she and Simon have guessed the answer?
Some of it.
I rolled to a stop by the pedestrian bridge which led to the Corridor Two entrance. The Pentagon’s massive limestone walls loomed
“It won’t.”
She glanced at me. “Agent Collins?”
“Yes.”
“This call is for you, sir.” She offered me the cell phone.
I realized at once who it probably was. “Looks like I’m in trouble, Billy.”
He laughed. “Better you than me.”
As I stepped from the cubicle and took the phone, I was thinking Amanda really had called General Hinkle.
I was mistaken.
Simon was on the other end. Instead of pressuring me about General Baldwin, he said simply, “I thought you might need a car, Martin.”
I hesitated, instantly wary. “Why?”
“Do you?”
“I might.”
“Fine. Tell the officer.”
“Simon, why are you doing—”
A click. He was gone.
I passed back the phone to the cop. “You have a car for me?”
From her shirt pocket, she produced a set of keys. The key chain was made of leather, with the initials A.G. embossed on it.
Amanda Gardner.
As I went up the stairs, I was thinking hard. Because of my reaction to hearing Baldwin’s name on the tape, I wasn’t surprised that Simon had deduced I might come down to the surveillance room or might need a car. What did surprise me was that he’d offer me the use of a vehicle, especially Amanda’s.
I knew how Simon’s mind worked. He wouldn’t give up this easily on finding out what I knew about General Baldwin.
He was up to something.
My hunch proved right.
The moment I passed through the pool gate, I spotted the figure sitting in the passenger seat of the Saab. As I came closer, the silhouette tipped me off to the person’s identity.
Opening the passenger door, I said, “Out, Amanda. I’m going alone.”
She shot me a frosty glare. “Then you’d better start walking.”
“I’m the one with the car keys.”
“I’d like to see you get me out of the seat.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Don’t make me kick your ass.”
She probably could. She was a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and I’d seen her reduce a weightlifter into a whimpering mound of flesh with a flick of her wrist.
We stood there, eyeing each other. Her perfectly formed face was defiant, all trace of her earlier emotional turmoil toward me long gone. She was now a hard-nosed cop, working a case.
“Have it your way. Catch.” I tossed her the car keys and started walking toward the house.
“Where the hell are you going?”
I kept walking.
“Oh, for—will you chill out? I’m not going tag along when you talk to General Baldwin. That’s where your going, right? To his apartment in Crystal City?”
I slowed to a stop, watching as she unfolded herself from the Saab. She’d obviously checked Baldwin out. “I’m supposed to believe that?”
“Cross my heart.”
“Why are you coming, then? You enjoy my company?”
She snorted. “Don’t flatter yourself. Chief Tisdale is waiting for me at the Pentagon. We’re going to search Talbot’s office.” She shot me a disparaging look. “After all, one of us should try to solve this murder.”
I let the dig pass. “I’m not going to talk about General Baldwin.”
“Oh, goodee.”
“I’m serious, Amanda. I won’t discuss him.”
She sighed. “Tell you what, Marty, I’ll make you a deal. You keep your mouth shut and so will I. Now quit screwing around and let’s get going.”
Of course I didn’t believe her.
But by the time we turned into the Pentagon’s cavernous south parking ten minutes later, she hadn’t made a peep. I didn’t get it. This had to be the reason why Simon had arranged for Amanda and me to ride together. He wanted her to grill me about General Baldwin. Yet she never asked a single question.
All’s fair in love and homicide investigations, and I knew Amanda hadn’t remained silent because she’d given her word. That told me there had to be another reason. Could she and Simon have guessed the answer?
Some of it.
I rolled to a stop by the pedestrian bridge which led to the Corridor Two entrance. The Pentagon’s massive limestone walls loomed
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