Saturday
I led the men into the living room and offered coffee, which everyone accepted. As I brought a tray in from the kitchen, I said, “Actually, Nick, I’m surprised to see you.”
“Anytime something goes boom, and we don’t know what it is, I get the call. You remember.”
I handed them mugs of coffee. “So you’re still in the antiterrorism division?”
He smiled. “I go where they tell me.”
Delaney sat in my father’s old chair, a comfortable wingback that he’d given me when he moved into the assisted living home. “Got to have something soft for my tuchus when I’m at your place,” Dad had said. Luke and I sat on the sofa. LeJeune stood in front of the fireplace.
“So,” Delaney said after taking a sip from his mug. “Before we start, Dan O’Malley wanted me to tell you everything checked out with the subway accident. It’s been ruled a suicide.”
Luke peered at me. I knew he was wondering what the hell I’d done.
“Please give him my thanks.”
“I will. Now. Zach Dolan says you are one of his clients. Want to tell me what he’s doing for you?”
Not really, I thought. “I asked him to decrypt a flash drive. I wanted to know what was on it.”
“And you got this flash drive how?”
“It’s complicated.”
LeJeune leaned an elbow on the mantel. “We have all the time in the world.”
“I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to go into this.”
LeJeune answered. “You know better than that, cher. The Bureau is here to help our brethren in blue.”
“Right.” I couldn’t avoid the sarcasm in my voice. “What about keeping it out of the media?”
“If there’s a leak, it won’t be from us.”
I took a breath and told them the whole story. The Delcroft job. Being fired. Parks. The subway accident. Delaney nodded at that. Finding the drive. Hollander telling me Parks was a spy for the Chinese. Neither man took notes, but I figured one of them was recording me.
By the time I finished, Delaney leaned forward. “Let’s talk about timing. Did you know you were the only new client Zach picked up in the past couple of weeks?”
“He told you who his clients are?”
Delaney and LeJeune exchanged a glance. “We didn’t give him much choice,” LeJeune said.
“Your gentle persuasion won him over.”
“You always were quick, cher,” LeJeune said.
I was starting to be annoyed with the “chers” and his folksy, too familiar southern Creole ways. I knew he was from Cajun country, some parish in eastern Louisiana. I glanced over at Luke. He was trying to stay composed, but his right eye was half-closed. That happened when he’s upset.
“Did Dolan get back to you with any results from the drive?” LeJeune asked.
“Not yet. All he said was that it wasn’t a common encryption program.”
Both Delaney and LeJeune nodded. They already knew.
“Which of course could back up Hollander’s notion that Parks was a spy,” LeJeune said almost to himself. “Hey, Ellie. Do you have another copy of the drive?”
“Um, no,” I lied. I saw the skeptical expression on LeJeune’s face and covered it with a question. “What about the explosion itself?” I asked. “Do you have any idea what it was?”
“Our bomb and arson teams are on it.” He threw me a warning look. “And we’ll ask the questions here.”
LeJeune rolled his eyes as though he was poking fun at Delaney. “It’s already out, Detective. Some kind of IED.”
“Any idea what the components were?” Luke asked.
“Don’t know yet.” LeJeune cocked his head. “Why do you ask?”
“I just wondered if they might have been military sourced.”
LeJeune’s eyes flashed. I stiffened. I hadn’t told anyone what Charlotte Hollander had told me over drinks: that Delcroft had a contract with the military to produce a counterdrone system. And that she’d been working on its design for more than a year. Except Luke.
But LeJeune was no dummy. He’d want to know why Luke specifically brought up the military components. To my surprise, though, LeJeune glossed over Luke’s question. He must have decided this wasn’t the right time or place. Still, I knew he’d be looking into it.
“You were in the air force, weren’t you?” LeJeune said. “Did a couple of tours, right? Flying BUFFs.”
BUFFs were B-52 Stratofortress planes nicknamed “Big Ugly Fat Fuckers.” At one time they carried nukes but now they’re mostly cargo planes.
LeJeune had checked Luke out before coming here. Even though I knew he was just doing his job, and doing it well, I was irritated. What right did he have to investigate my boyfriend? I took a breath to steady myself.
“I enlisted,” Luke replied. “And yes. I flew missions in Iraq during the First Gulf War.”
As if he knew what I was feeling, LeJeune pasted on an angelic smile. “Of course you did. Just wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth.”
Luke’s eye was almost squeezed shut now.
I crossed my legs, my foot jiggling up and down. “Have you talked to Delcroft yet?”
LeJeune’s smile faded. The look he threw me said I was the dumbest fish in the tank.
“I should never have contacted Parks. I was just so angry at being fired. It’s all my fault.”
“But now you are helping your country,” LeJeune said. “Doing the patriotic thing.”
“Gee, thanks. I can’t wait for my medal. Assuming I live long enough to get it.” My foot jiggled even faster. “Look. It’s clear someone doesn’t want us to find out what’s on that drive. What if their next step is to come after me?”
Luke chimed in. “What about protection for her? What can you do?”
“Protection?” Delaney said.
“Her phone has been tapped,” Luke added. “And strangers have been casing her house.”
“Tell us,” Delaney said.
I told him about the fake workmen in front of the empty house. “And someone in a green Toyota was tailing me.”
“Describe them.”
“I never saw the driver of the Toyota, but I can describe the ‘workmen.’” I did, then added, “I can do you one better. I have their license plates.”
Delaney’s eyebrows rose. LeJeune smiled.
“And I’ll give them to you. On one condition.”
Delaney straightened. “I know you’re friends with Chief O’Malley, but that doesn’t entitle you to withhold evidence. You could—”
I cut in. “Once you identify them, you have to tell me who they are.”
“I don’t know,” Delaney said. “I’ll have to clear it with the chief.”
LeJeune gave Delaney a sidelong glance, then turned to me. “You can look up plates yourself these days, you know.”
“I know. But what if they hacked into my computer? They’ll know I’m looking for them.”
“Which is why she needs protection,” Luke said.
“You don’t think that’s a little far-fetched?” LeJeune said.
“In today’s climate?” Luke replied. “No. I don’t.”
“If protection is warranted, we’ll provide it,” Delaney said after a long moment.
“Which means that right now it isn’t,” Luke said. “So we’re on our own.”
“You look like you can handle yourself. And the lady.” LeJeune paused. “You know the drill. Don’t say anything on the phone you don’t want overheard. Don’t drive anywhere you don’t want to be followed. We’ll be in touch when we know something.”
Luke glanced at me, nodding.
I went into the kitchen, returned with the plate numbers, and handed them over.
“Good girl,” LeJeune said.
Girl? I bristled. Had he really called me a girl?
He winked as if he knew exactly what he’d done.