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Authors: Robert Crais
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hard.
Marzik said, “Why would a white guy pretend to be Latino unless it was the guy who set the bomb, Carol? If it was some white guy pretending to be Latino, then he was trying to hide, for Christ’s sake. We could have an eye-wit to the fuckin’ asshole who set the bomb.”
Starkey saw the possibilities, too, but she knew that investigations often took turns that seemed to be sure things only to have them fall apart.
“Let’s take it a step at a time, Beth. I think this is a good thing, and we’re going to go with it, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Your wit only thinks the guy he saw was Anglo. Maybe the guy was Anglo, but maybe he only looked Anglo to the kid. We’ll just have to see.”
“Okay. That’s right. I know you’re right, but the kid comes across solid. You need to come talk to him.”
“Is he there now, Beth?”
“Well, for a while. He’s got more deliveries to make and it’s getting late.”
“Okay. Keep him there. I’m coming down.”
“I can’t just keep him here. If they get an order, he’s got to make the delivery.”
“Ask
him, Beth. Say pretty please.”
“What do you want me to do, suck his dick?”
“Yeah. Try that.”
Starkey broke the connection, then punched in Santos’s number. When he answered, his voice was so soft that she could barely understand him.
“What are you whispering for?”
“Carol, is that you?”
“I can barely hear you. Speak up.”
“I’m at the office. An agent from the ATF is here. He flew in from Washington this morning.”
Starkey felt a burst of tension in her stomach and reached into her purse for a Tagamet.
“You’re sure it’s Washington? He didn’t just drive over from the L.A. field office?”
She had submitted the preliminary bomb component information through the NLETS only yesterday. If this guy came from Washington, he must have hopped the first jet.
“He’s from Washington, Carol. He went in there with Kelso, and now Kelso wants to see you. He’s been asking for our reports. I think they’re going to take over our case. Look, I’ve gotta go. I’ve been stalling, but Kelso wants me to give him what we have.”
“Waitaminute, Jorge, did the guy say that? Did he
say
he wanted the case?”
“I’ve got to go, Carol. Kelso just stuck his head out. He’s looking at me.”
“Stall longer, Jorge. I’m coming in. Marzik turned up something good for us.”
“From the looks of the guy in with Kelso, it’s going to be something good for him.”
Starkey ate a Tagamet, then drove back to Spring Street with her dash bubble flashing.
Starkey made it back to her office in twenty-five minutes. Santos caught her eye from the coffee machine and nodded toward Kelso’s door. It was closed.
“Did you give him the reports?”
Her look made him cringe.
“What could I do, tell Kelso no?”
Starkey set her jaw and stalked to Kelso’s door. She knocked hard three times, then opened the door without waiting.
Kelso gestured wearily toward her as he spoke to the man seated across from his desk.
“This is Detective Starkey. She comes in whenever she wants. Starkey, this is Special Agent Jack Pell from—”
“The ATF. I know. Is he taking over this case?”
Pell was leaning forward with elbows on knees as if he were about to leap forward. Starkey guessed him to be in his mid-thirties, but if he was older, it wouldn’t have surprised her. He had pale skin and intense gray eyes. She tried to read the eyes, but couldn’t; they seemed guarded.
Pell turned to Kelso without acknowledging her.
“I need a few more minutes with you, Lieutenant. Have her wait outside until we’re ready.”
Her. Like she wasn’t standing there.
“Out, Starkey. We’ll call you.”
“This is my case, Lieutenant. It’s
our
case. One of
our
people died.”
“Wait outside, Detective. We’ll call you when we want you.”
Starkey waited outside his door, fuming. Santos started over, saw her scowl, and veered away. She was
Marzik said, “Why would a white guy pretend to be Latino unless it was the guy who set the bomb, Carol? If it was some white guy pretending to be Latino, then he was trying to hide, for Christ’s sake. We could have an eye-wit to the fuckin’ asshole who set the bomb.”
Starkey saw the possibilities, too, but she knew that investigations often took turns that seemed to be sure things only to have them fall apart.
“Let’s take it a step at a time, Beth. I think this is a good thing, and we’re going to go with it, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Your wit only thinks the guy he saw was Anglo. Maybe the guy was Anglo, but maybe he only looked Anglo to the kid. We’ll just have to see.”
“Okay. That’s right. I know you’re right, but the kid comes across solid. You need to come talk to him.”
“Is he there now, Beth?”
“Well, for a while. He’s got more deliveries to make and it’s getting late.”
“Okay. Keep him there. I’m coming down.”
“I can’t just keep him here. If they get an order, he’s got to make the delivery.”
“Ask
him, Beth. Say pretty please.”
“What do you want me to do, suck his dick?”
“Yeah. Try that.”
Starkey broke the connection, then punched in Santos’s number. When he answered, his voice was so soft that she could barely understand him.
“What are you whispering for?”
“Carol, is that you?”
“I can barely hear you. Speak up.”
“I’m at the office. An agent from the ATF is here. He flew in from Washington this morning.”
Starkey felt a burst of tension in her stomach and reached into her purse for a Tagamet.
“You’re sure it’s Washington? He didn’t just drive over from the L.A. field office?”
She had submitted the preliminary bomb component information through the NLETS only yesterday. If this guy came from Washington, he must have hopped the first jet.
“He’s from Washington, Carol. He went in there with Kelso, and now Kelso wants to see you. He’s been asking for our reports. I think they’re going to take over our case. Look, I’ve gotta go. I’ve been stalling, but Kelso wants me to give him what we have.”
“Waitaminute, Jorge, did the guy say that? Did he
say
he wanted the case?”
“I’ve got to go, Carol. Kelso just stuck his head out. He’s looking at me.”
“Stall longer, Jorge. I’m coming in. Marzik turned up something good for us.”
“From the looks of the guy in with Kelso, it’s going to be something good for him.”
Starkey ate a Tagamet, then drove back to Spring Street with her dash bubble flashing.
Starkey made it back to her office in twenty-five minutes. Santos caught her eye from the coffee machine and nodded toward Kelso’s door. It was closed.
“Did you give him the reports?”
Her look made him cringe.
“What could I do, tell Kelso no?”
Starkey set her jaw and stalked to Kelso’s door. She knocked hard three times, then opened the door without waiting.
Kelso gestured wearily toward her as he spoke to the man seated across from his desk.
“This is Detective Starkey. She comes in whenever she wants. Starkey, this is Special Agent Jack Pell from—”
“The ATF. I know. Is he taking over this case?”
Pell was leaning forward with elbows on knees as if he were about to leap forward. Starkey guessed him to be in his mid-thirties, but if he was older, it wouldn’t have surprised her. He had pale skin and intense gray eyes. She tried to read the eyes, but couldn’t; they seemed guarded.
Pell turned to Kelso without acknowledging her.
“I need a few more minutes with you, Lieutenant. Have her wait outside until we’re ready.”
Her. Like she wasn’t standing there.
“Out, Starkey. We’ll call you.”
“This is my case, Lieutenant. It’s
our
case. One of
our
people died.”
“Wait outside, Detective. We’ll call you when we want you.”
Starkey waited outside his door, fuming. Santos started over, saw her scowl, and veered away. She was
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