9
After Logan left the warehouse, Cahill went to call Melanie Stark from another room in the building – a functional meeting space with a round table and six chairs.
It was still early in Kansas, but Cahill figured that she wouldn’t be sleeping much.
Turned out he was right.
‘How are you holding up?’ he asked, when she answered the call.
‘Ask me again in six months.’
He thought that she sounded a little brighter than she had last night. Which wasn’t saying much.
‘I wanted to let you know that I’m not going to let this go. That I want to help you.’
‘Alex, I appreciate the sentiment, you know. But Tim’s dead. What’s left after that? Whatever we do, he won’t be walking back through the front door, will he?’
‘No. You’re right about that. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t honour his memory.’
‘I don’t mean to be rude, Alex. But that stuff sounds so hollow right now.’
‘I know. Doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do.’
She sighed. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Suppose that I agree to let you help me. What are you going to do? And how much will it cost me?’
‘First, it won’t cost anything. I don’t charge friends for helping them out.’
‘Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.’
‘No need to apologise. It was a perfectly sensible question.’
‘So, what is it that you can do from over there?’
‘Not much. That’s why I’m flying out to Denver tomorrow.’
‘What?’
‘I need to be where it happened.’
‘You organised this before speaking to me.’
She sounded a little angry. Maybe that was good – showing something other than grief or hurt.
‘Yes. I was going to do it anyway. For Tim.’
‘Are you going alone?’
‘No. I’ll have someone with me. Logan – the lawyer you spoke to before.’
‘I don’t expect that the cops or FBI like lawyers much, do they?’
‘They don’t. That’s kind of the point.’
She made a noise. Cahill wasn’t sure if it was a sniff or the best attempt at a laugh that she could manage right now.
‘I’ll speak to the cops and the FBI and anyone else who I think will help. Or might be trying to hide something. In my experience, if you stir up enough people it usually gets results in the end.’
‘Will this come back at me? I mean, will they—’
‘I’ll make sure it doesn’t.’
‘Thanks. I guess. Though I’m not sure what it is that you’re going to find. Maybe I don’t want to hear it. Have you considered that?’
‘I won’t tell you if you don’t want me to.’
‘No. I mean, I want to hear it. Good or bad.’
‘It won’t be bad.’
‘I appreciate your confidence.’
‘Listen, there’s something that you can do to help me.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Can you go through all of Tim’s stuff: clothes, bags, papers, computer. Everything. Look for anything that’s unfamiliar to you. It might be something that you wouldn’t ordinarily notice. Just a scribble on a piece of paper or a phone number you don’t recognise. If it’s there, you’ll know it when you see it.’
‘I’ll do that today.’
‘I’ll call you when I get in to Denver.’
She paused.
‘Is this how you all are?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You know. Soldiers and cops and people in the Service.’
‘I suppose. The bond you have with someone you’ve stood beside and risked your life with is different from any other.’
‘Even that with your own family? Your children?’
‘Yes. I’m not saying it’s stronger, because it’s not. Just different.’
‘Well … thanks. I think Tim would have done the same for you.’
‘I have no doubt.’
‘Take care, Alex. I don’t want you to … you know. To get hurt for this.’
‘Don’t worry about me.’
Cahill drove back to the city centre, parked under the office building and went up to find Tom Hardy in his own room. Hardy was on a call with a client so Cahill waited until he finished before speaking.
‘Tom, I’m going to Denver tomorrow with Logan. I’ll be gone for three days at least. Maybe more.’
‘As long as it takes?’
‘Yeah.’
‘I can’t talk you out of this?’
‘You know me better than that.’
Hardy nodded. ‘You need anything else from me?’ he asked.
‘I’ll need a contact over there.’
Meaning: someone who can supply a weapon.
‘Of course. Can’t go walking around naked.’
‘Do you know anyone?’ Cahill asked.
‘No. But I can find someone. Don’t sweat it.’
‘Nothing fancy, Tom, you know?’
Translation: a handgun.
‘I hear you. Watch your back.’