Deadly News: A Thriller (24 page)

Emily stopped at the door. “Where to?”

“Check out the crime scenes.” She shrugged. “Not many other leads.”

“We have one, maybe.”

“Really?”

“Former agent, remember?”

“Yeah.”

“We picked him up.”

“He’s here now?”

Emily nodded. “We’re letting him simmer.” One side of her mouth frowned. “Not that it will do much good with him. But, human nature is human nature, might have some small effect. And really, we’re just too fucking busy right now.”

“Do you think she should see him?” she gestured at Abby.

“Yeah, I could tell you if it was the same voice.”

“Thanks, but we have recordings and speech analysis software for that.”

“But—”

“No. I can’t, you are a civilian, despite what you may think. And evidence to the contrary,” she mumbled.

“But—”

Fe put her arm around Abby. “It’s fine. We have more promising things.”

“Looking around a thoroughly investigated crime scene is more promising than interviewing the most likely suspect yet?”

“When you put it like that…”

“Like I said,” Emily said, “wait here if you want. I need to get back to work.”

“Wait,” Abby called.

“Jesus fuck.” Emily slowly turned back around to face Abby. “What?”

“That flash drive you let me use. Is it…”

Emily sighed. She walked over to her desk, and pulled the drive from the computer on her desk. She held it out, but then withdrew it when Abby reached for it. “What are you planning on doing with it?”

Abby shrugged.

“Because I don’t think it would be wise to write a story about this right now. It might even be considered obstruction.”

“Seriously? You’re gonna use that to intimidate me?”

“I’m a cop, I’m not trying to intimidate you.” Emily lowered her hand once more and allowed Abby to take the drive.

Abby did.

“All I’m saying is you don’t really know anything at this point, so it makes sense to wait.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Emily shook her head. “Whatever.” At the door, she turned back to them. “This isn’t a bedroom.” Then she left.

Abby tilted her head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just stress, probably,” Fe said.

Abby turned on her phone, and was inundated with voicemails from Becky. “Damn, let me just listen to one of these first.” She looked out the office door, then added, “In here where it’s quiet.”

“Hurry up. You can listen to the rest on the way over.”

Abby nodded and selected the most recent.

Becky’s voice began playing in her ear: “What the crapfuck is going on? Are you alive? Call me. I guess if you’re dead, you can’t. But if you aren’t, call me NOW. I’m not paying you for this. Unless you have a good story I can run. Which you better if you want to keep your job. I hope you do. I’m guessing you do. I saw you on the internet. Or maybe you went crazy. Why do crazy people always end up walking naked outside or in a mall or whatever? Strange. Could be a column. You could write it. Call me! Okay, bye.”

Abby ended the call, assuming that message would be representative of the others. She pressed her lips together and looked at Fe. “I should call my boss.”

“Okay,” Fe said with mild irritation.

“Can I?”

“I don’t see why not.”

Abby shrugged, picked one of the hundred missed calls from Becky, and hit send.

“This is Becky.”

“Hey.”

“Who’s this?”

“It’s me.”

“Who?”

“Abby. You know, the one you were all worried about?”

“Where are you? What’s going on? Have you heard from Ecks?”

“I am a bit busy right now.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Maybe you could help me by making sure my latest work gets edited.”

“Woman, are you kidding? What’s wrong with you?”

“No, Becky, I’m not. I’m just saying, there’s
pending
work.”

“Wait. You mean on what’s happening?”

“Maybe you should double-check.”

No response.

“Hello?” She pulled the phone from her ear to check the screen. Frowned, then put it back. “You there? Hello?”

“Yeah, hold on. I can’t multitask.”

“What are you doing?”

“Here, let me call you back.”

“Becky! No, what are you—” the line went dead. “What, the fuck!”

“What is it?” Fe asked.

Abby put her hands out, indicating no idea.

“Okay then. Ready to go?”

Before Abby could answer, her phone rang.
I shouldn’t even answer it
, she thought.
Let her worry.
She sighed and put the phone to her ear. “What?”

“Please hold, Abby Melcer.”

“What the hell?” She checked the number. It wasn’t Becky’s.

“Now what?” Fe asked, frowning.

“It’s a recording, but something—”

A voice closed her throat. “Abby, how nice to see you.” It was his voice.

“I—”

“How good of you to answer. So nice to see you’re doing okay. Now, down to business, yes? That’s you, all business. Well then, let me oblige you. Here is what you are going to do, no, don’t interrupt.” He laughed. “You cheeky little monkey you. Right, so this is what you will do, as I said. In eleven hours and fifty-seven minutes from one minute and three seconds from now you will be at the north-east corner of First and Third. Once there, you will discover a folder. Ah yes, you like folders, don’t you?”

“You’re fucking—”

“
Then
,” a pause, to let the interruption sink in, “you will take this folder somewhere, which will be disclosed at that time.”

“Why would I do anything for you? You haven’t kept any of your promises.” But even as she said this she scanned the room for a clock, noted the time. She could do the math later.

“This is the last thing we will require of you. I promise.”

“And why should I believe that?”

“Oh Abby. Why should you believe anything? Nothing is certain. But I promise you this. Do this one thing, and you will be done.”

“What about Ecks. And Soren?”

“Your friend Ecks is currently fine. Who is this Soren?”

“You know damn well.”

“No matter. You have your instructions, where you go from here is up to you. Goodbye, Abby Melcer.”

Abby wasn’t sure if he was still on the line or if he had hung up, but she found herself unable to say anything, unable to remove the phone from her ear.

Fe mouthed,
What?

Abby was suddenly sitting down, Fe was holding her, saying something. Abby couldn’t hear it.

Several minutes later, the two of them left Emily’s office. A new plan formed. With what ‘They’ just said, this might be the best opportunity they had to catch them, and save Ecks.

“Haven’t we been over this?” the lieutenant asked.

“But this is different. I’m not bait this time.”

“You may as well be,” Masterson said. He had actually gotten in an accident getting back to the station so quickly. Luckily he had only hit a parked car, and left a note—or so he claimed.

“They said this was the last time. Maybe they’re lying, but what if they aren’t? This could be your last chance.”

The lieutenant contemplated this. “If I agree, you have to do exactly as told.”

“That sounds familiar.”

“I’m serious. If we’re going to catch these guys, it’s not going to just happen, they are pros, clearly. So we need to be as well.”

Abby nodded. “I understand.”

Shortly after, Abby was in an evidence room, getting a wire taped to her person. “A vest, too? Again?”

“Safety precaution,” Fe said.

“Won’t they see that?”

“It will be dark, and you’ll have your coat on. You’re skinny enough that I doubt it.” She put it over Abby’s head.

“I have to start wearing it now? Let me put a shirt on first.”

“I just want to see how it fits.” She settled the vest over Abby’s head, then buckled it.”

“How’s that feel?”

“Shitty.”

“Too tight?”

Abby shook her head. “It’s fine. It fits as well as it’s going to. Can I take it off now?”

Fe nodded and Abby pulled the heavy thing off and tossed it on a nearby shelf. “You said we’re testing this?”

“Yeah. Almost done, I need to find an earpiece for you.” She went to another shelf.

“Won’t they see that?”

“If they’re even watching you, which we don’t know.” She grabbed something and handed it to Abby.

“Wow that’s small.”

“Yeah, it goes almost all the way in your ear. You’d have to stand right next to you to see it.”

Abby put it in. “It’s like an earplug.”

“But smaller.”

Abby shook her head. “Whoa, that’s weird. I can’t hear on that side.”

“It’s got a microphone, so when it’s on you’ll be able to.”

“What the hell’s this for then?” Abby gestured to the tape and wire crisscrossing her body.

“Transmitter and more mikes and a camera.”

“Oh.” Abby stared down at the electronics taped to her, then laughed. “They were right about hiding it.” She shook her head. “I wonder why they’re letting me go like this.”

“There’s a saying about gift horses.” Fe threw a shirt at Abby. “Let’s go test it.”

A few hours later, having confirmed the electronics worked as they should, Abby and Fe were sipping coffee in the kitchen across from the interrogation room in which Emily was currently ‘questioning’ the former FBI agent they suspected of being connected.

When they’d arrived, they were told Agent Vasquez had already been going at him for a couple of hours, so they were surprised when it was nearly another full hour before she came out, even more sweaty than when Abby had last seen her.

“Good cop, bad cop?” Abby asked.

“Bad cop and worse cop,” the agent who came out of the room with Emily said.

“What is she still doing here?”

“She got another call,” Fe said. “I’m guessing you’ve been out of communication for a while?”

“Don’t even start.”

“I wasn’t sure if she was trying to interrogate him or fuck him,” the agent said.

Emily scowled at him. “Don’t you have work to do?”

He chuckled. “It’s all on tape, all nothing of it. So, no.”

Emily wiped her face. “Let’s talk in my office.”

She shut the door once they were inside, removed her jacket then unbuttoned a few buttons of her shirt.

“You look exhausted.”

“You try interrogating an ex-FBI agent.”

“So?” Fe asked.

“So what?”

“What did you find out?”

Emily exhaled. “Nothing. It doesn’t look like it was him. His alibi is weak, we’re checking into it. But it looks like it will hold up.”

“Then you’ll be happy to know Abby got another call from our mystery man.”

Emily sat up in her seat. “What’d he say?”

“He wants me to pick up a folder for him, deliver it somewhere.”

Emily frowned. “That’s weird.”

“I know.”

“Um. Is there anything, you know…”

“I can keep my clothes this time.” Abby shrugged. “At least I think so. Maybe I’ll find out I have to pull a Lady Godiva and ride a unicycle to the drop-off location.”

Emily looked to Fe. “Do you guys want any help with this?”

“It’s probably technically the FBI’s case, so if you’re interested in finding out what happens…”

“Okay. When is this going down?”

“A few hours,” Fe said, checking her watch.

“Good. I’m going to shower and change. Give me ten minutes?”

“Ten minutes?”

“The showers are all the way on the ground floor, it takes time to get there.”

“No, I thought that was quick. That’s fine.”

Not fifteen minutes later, a wet-haired Emily came walking out of the elevator.

Fe and Abby stood from the bench.

“That was longer than ten minutes,” Fe said, looking at her watch.

“Blow me,” Emily said, and walked past them and through security, where the guard was trying not to laugh. Fe and Abby followed, and headed to the location of Abby’s final task.

The scene was a busy city street corner; men and woman carrying shopping bags or babies, pushing strollers and trailing the occasional suitcase, teenagers with backpacks and that rebellious look they always manage; these all passed by as, a block and a half away, Fe, Abby, and Emily staked out the scene.

There was nothing obviously or overtly wrong with it. There were lots of places that Abby could be watched from, which would be both good and bad. But at least the police would be able to keep an eye on her.

“Wanna grab a bite?” Fe asked.

They were all staring at the corner, as though something extraordinary was supposed to occur, any moment now.

“I could eat,” Emily said.

“Sure. We’ve seen all we can I think.”

Emily put the unmarked car into drive, merged into traffic, and disappeared.

They talked about things that didn’t matter as they ate, about topics like, but not exactly, the weather; about the people around them, the bartender, the waitress, things that were safe, in other words, nothing that would remind of what had happened, and of what was yet to come. When the topic of friends came up, and drifted precariously close to ones not seen for a time, it was swiftly dropped.

They killed more time, ordered drinks without any alcohol, drank them, got refills, used the restrooms, paid the bill. Left.

The sky was dim when they exited, and the lights of the street would soon turn on. But for now, it was just the dying rays of the sun setting behind buildings they walked under.

They walked back toward the corner where Abby was to be a few hours from now, and Fe and Emily split off to enter an apartment building, to take an elevator to a room on the eighth floor commandeered for just this purpose, while Abby headed to a Starbucks, where she would wait until that night had fully come.

When she left the coffee shop hours later, still wearing her coat, and under it the vest that might save her life, she was sweating—not just from the heavy layers—and the bite of the night air on her damp skin was welcome. But it held something else, too. Something menacing and dark, flashes of all the bad things we imagine as children lurk in the unseen corners of the night, waiting for us to come closer, and closer, until…