“You will not get away with this, Khole. I don’t care who you think you are.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Khole opened his briefcase and extracted a paper. “Mr. McCarty knew you would try to pull something like this immediately after the apprehension of the Ripper. Although the official word will get to you shortly. Let me assure you that your attempt to discredit Marshal McCarty’s invaluable help in solving these heinous Ripper murders and bringing the perpetrator to justice has not gone unnoticed at the Department of Justice, nor with the Director of the FBI. Marshal McCarty tried to allow you full credit without any mention of his part other than a generalized note indicating he was acting as a S.W.A.T. team sniper charged with protecting the operation’s participants. Ms. Burns, Mr. Lewis, and Marshal McCarty will be leaving with me right now. US Marshals Reinhold and Stanwick have been assigned the procedural completion of the case, including any contact with the media.”
Khole handed Anderson the paper with the letterhead of the FBI Director. Anderson’s face lost all color. Khole stood. “Let’s go, Sarah. The people now actually in control of this case have your contact information when they need to get in touch with you. Good day, Agent Anderson.”
Sarah gave the shocked Anderson a wave. “Bye.”
*
Outside the precinct building, Tim and Grace waited next to Nick. They decided any conversation with Nick needed to be done somewhere off site.
“How did it go with my publicity exposure on this?”
“Thanks to your lawyer, very well,” Tim said. “When Kensky comes to trial, we’ll gather Dan and Sarah in for testimony. We’ll submit yours as a deposition. You’ll only have to testify as a last resort.”
“Dan’s eager to testify. He’ll be a key witness. Dan was part of the operation, and being threatened at gunpoint on video cam,” Nick responded.
“You sure called it right with Great Kate,” Grace said. “The damn woman went after you the moment she had the Ripper in custody, trying to actually discredit you and the witnesses. I doubted she’d actually sabotage the arrest for some weird payback scheme, but that’s exactly what she was attempting. My two acquaintances on the task force figured Kate thought since she knew who Kensky was now, even if they lost him temporarily, they would be arresting him later on an ancillary charge. It’s a damn shame after getting warned, she still couldn’t let it go. Now her entire career is in jeopardy, and maybe it should be. That bastard Kensky could have been released and then went on a rampage.”
“That lawyer of yours is impressive,” Tim said. “Great Kate walked out of the interrogation room after he got through with her in a numbed trance. I suppose part of it had to do with the people you contacted the moment you had Kensky.”
“I knew I would need help to keep from getting mired in this. Kate’s loss is your gain. The US Marshal Service gets credit now along with the task force. It looks like I get to go do some book signings in Olympia, Seattle, and some smaller ones around the area before heading home without any worries. I guess you can let that punk Calhoun loose along with his buddy. Anytime you two get a break, call me. We’ll have dinner together at the Wolf Lodge, or here in Seattle when I do a signing. That reminds me. I brought you a first edition of ‘Assassin’s Folly’, Grace.”
Nick put his briefcase on the walkway, and extracted the hardcover edition. He handed it to Grace. “Don’t worry, I simply signed it with a small note.”
Grace examined the cover, with a grin. “This would be worth a fortune once you’re dead.”
Nick smiled back. “Read the note inside.”
Grace frowned, opening the book. The note read ‘To Grace. I ain’t dead yet’.
Tim started laughing the moment he read the note over her shoulder. “Nick can predict what you’ll say or write before you even announce it, partner. Are you going to ask him before he goes full bore into vacation land mode?”
“I refuse,” Grace said. “Rachel will kill me if I get him involved in something else close to home.”