Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
Back at the office, after Jane had replayed the recording for everyone and they’d listened twice, she looked up when Gina interrupted to take a call.
After a moment, she hung up, not happy.
“Well?” Jane asked.
“Professor Lito and his wife are gone. So’s their car. They left their phones behind.”
Sometimes when her brain fixated on a detail, the way it had when Phillip had called the mess a “travesty,” Jane knew to pay attention. She’d heard that same description before, when Kyle had spoken about the Keisers’ deaths.
Anyone could use the same word, but “travesty” wasn’t that common. Kyle acted like he hadn’t talked to Phillip lately. But Jane thought he had.
“Shoot.” Jane scowled. “We should have put someone on them.”
Rapp shrugged. “We have no proof Lito is part of the murders. He and his nephew obviously spoke. Perhaps the use of the word ‘travesty’ is just something Phillip picked up from his uncle.”
“No. It’s not.”
“How do you know?” Gina asked.
“I just do.”
Gina snorted. “Nothing like a lack of proof to tie murderers together. ‘I just do’ never works in court.”
“Good thing we’re not in court then, isn’t it?” Jane said, not appreciating Gina’s tone.
Gina shook her head. “Look, we still don’t know if all this talk of some ‘he’ is a real person or not. Because I’ve listened to this a few times now, and I have to tell you that Phillip sounds mentally unstable.”
Rapp agreed. “Yes. He’s also methodical. And no matter who’s telling him to kill, he’s planning to do it again. At least four more times.”
Jane glanced at Diego. “Hey, can you run all our victim’s names against Kyle and Maria Lito?”
“Yep.” Diego hustled out of the conference room to his computer.
“Great. So what now?” Gina asked.
“What did you find when you went looking for him?” Jane asked.
“A lot of nothing. We’re haunting the hospitals though. Hopefully, our presence will deter him. He’s after administrators, right? So we’ve warned them to stay inside as much as possible and to use hospital security and a police presence to get them in and out of the building.”
“That’s good.”
Rapp sighed. “I’d suggest leaving one hospital open to draw him in, but he’s too smart for that. Even if he is getting advice from voices in his head, he’s slick. He knows how to avoid leaving a trace.”
“If not him, then his partner.” Jane still didn’t like it though. “Not partner. That’s not the right word. This voice is directing him to get justice. He said, ‘It’s much bigger than me.’”
Gina argued, “God is much bigger than any mere mortal. We can’t assume he’s working with a partner.”
“We can’t assume he’s working alone,” Jane argued right back.
“Good points. Unfortunately, you’re both right.” Rapp stood. “Let’s find out as much as we can about the Litos.”
“I’ll look into Kyle,” Gina said.
Jane nodded. “I’ll take Maria, though I have to tell you. I don’t think they’re in on it. Phillip clearly said he’s sorry this will hurt them.”
Rapp shrugged. “Yes, but Jane, they took off. That’s suspicious. So we’ll look into them, and I’ll get August Kaminski and his sons.” Rapp left and headed to the kitchenette for coffee.
Jane felt caffeined out. And a little depressed.
She’d liked Kyle, and he’d lied. He’d acted like he hadn’t talked to Phillip lately.
But Jane thought he had. And maybe he knew what Phillip was up to and didn’t like it, so he’d called in a warning to Gambol.
Or he liked what Phillip was doing and wanted the FBI to know.
It would be interesting to learn how Gambol had gotten the first message. To his email address? A private line? By phone?
She chased after Rapp and cornered him in his office.
“You look a little intense there, Jane. What can I help you with?”
“How did Gambol hear about the cases being connected?”
“He was emailed.”
“To his private email address or a government address?”
“Hold on.” Rapp made a quick call then hung up. “To his fbi.gov address.”
“Which wouldn’t be too difficult to learn if Gambol were anyone else. But he isn’t a regular department head or division chief. So why contact him? How many people know who Lionel Gambol is?”
Rapp grimaced. “Not many. Very few people in the Agency have the clout to get him involved in anything. From what I gather, he usually involves himself. I need to talk to him again.”
Jane started to leave, done with that angle, when another question nagged at her. “Hey, Rapp.”
He paused in the act of dialing. “Hey, Jane.”
His fake excitement made her want to laugh.
Instead, she schooled her expression into one of disinterest. Unfortunately, that only made his smile widen. “Cut it out.”
“Sorry.” He cleared his throat and looked menacing.
“Better. Question for you. What do you know about Jon Haversham?”
The abrupt change in subject startled him, she could tell. But he put his phone down and waved her to the chair across from his desk. “Why do you want to know?”
“His name’s come up a few times, mostly in relation to the Seattle field office, of course, and my friend Jenn Sullivan, who is now suspected of being the squad’s mole.”
“Sullivan. The blond who got shot?”
“Yep.”
“How exactly has Haversham’s name come up?”
“Well, it was something Sullivan mentioned. She and another friend came to Seattle from Las Vegas. Haversham was there when the Harvester case happened. Do you remember hearing about the black-market organ theft case?” She still didn’t. The FBI had definitely kept it quiet.
“I do.”
“And we now know Phillip’s parents were victims in that crime.”
Rapp looked thoughtful. “And now Haversham is one of the ASACs here in Seattle. We should bring him in.”
“Bring him in? Are you really going to order my boss’s boss to come to you?”
He was already on the phone and hung up a minute later. “He’ll be here in half an hour. Would you like to stay for the conversation or have me fill you in when it’s done?”
“What do you think?”
“I think not even your boss’s boss would intimidate you, Jane Cannon.”
“You are correct, Gunther Rapp.”
His eyes crinkled when he smiled. “I’m flattered you know my name.”
“I should. It’s written on the bathroom wall with a phone number under it. For a good time call…”
He laughed hard, and she found herself laughing with him.
Rapp wasn’t laughing half an hour later when Jon Haversham planted his hands on Rapp’s desk and loomed over him.
“It won’t take much to end this farce of a task force and your less than stellar career.
You’re already on thin ice, Rapp. And you too, Jane.
Now I’d like to hear an ‘I’m sorry, sir,’ or you’re both fired. ”