Friday
Two mornings later LeJeune showed up after breakfast. Luke was outside pruning a couple of bushes. Then he was going to prune one of the trees. He liked playing lumberjack.
“Hey, Nick. Did I ever thank you for everything you did the other night?”
“No need. It’s what I do. Got a couple of answers for you.” He looked around. “Luke here?”
“I’ll get him.”
“Where’s Rachel?”
“Still asleep.”
“Good. She doesn’t need to hear this.”
I went to the back door to tell Luke that LeJeune was here. He came in a minute later and shook hands. I was pleased. Whatever tension had flared between them had evaporated since the kidnapping. I sensed they’d developed a mutual respect. It might even ripen into friendship.
We all sat in the family room. “So we analyzed the bits of explosive material at the airstrip.”
“Tell me it was military-grade C-4,” Luke said.
LeJeune tipped up the ball cap he always wore. “That’s exactly what it was, my friend. The kind of material Stokes could easily get his hands on.”
Luke stood. He started to pace the room.
LeJeune went on. “Preliminary forensic analysis indicates the timer was set to go off.”
“Which means Stokes was going to kill Rachel,” Luke said.
I felt myself gag. My hand flew to my mouth. I ran to the bathroom and threw up. It took me ten minutes to compose myself. As I came back in the room, I was calm. “What are your plans for capturing the motherfucker? He’s got to be put away forever.”
“That won’t be necessary, cher.” LeJeune looked from Luke to me.
“Why not?” Luke’s voice was loud, accusatory.
“Because Stokes is dead.”
A chill washed over me. “What?”
Luke stopped in his tracks. “When? How?”
“A car bomb in his van. Planted sometime yesterday. When he and two of his guys started the van last night, it all went boom.”
“Who did it?” I asked, my voice preternaturally calm.
“We don’t know.” LeJeune looked over at Luke.
So did I. Was I imagining it, or did Luke not look as surprised as he should have? He stood rooted to the floor. Then he started to gently rock back and forth.
LeJeune smiled. “Well, cher, that is a separate investigation, which, I’m happy to say, is not my assignment. But I will do my best to keep you informed.”
Luke continued to rock. And wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
He said nothing. Then he stopped rocking, straightened up, and shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
I wanted to believe him. I looked down and stared at the area rug in the family room. It was a beige Indian design, with threads of red and brown. Very earthy. Plush. Masculine.
“I suppose it could have been Delcroft,” I said.
“Why do you think that?” LeJeune asked.
“This all began with Hollander selling DADES to the Chinese. Maybe Delcroft decided to expose it themselves, rather than let Stokes feed it to the press and take the glory—”
Luke cut in. “Come on, Ellie. Do you really think Delcroft would sanction a murder?”
“They might have,” I said. “Remember Gregory Parks? I never thought he committed suicide. I’ve always wondered if someone gave him a shove.”
“Someone named Stokes?”
I nodded.
LeJeune shook his head. “It’s possible. But the Bureau doesn’t think Delcroft had anything to do with it. Too risky. Even though they’re gonna pay a price for hiring Stokes in the first place. The means don’t justify the end.”
“Then who?” I asked. “The Chinese? Admittedly, they probably understood everyone would be better off without Stokes poking around. And pissing everyone off in the process. But to actually sanction a murder on US soil? I don’t know.”
We were all quiet for a moment. Then LeJeune looked over at Luke. “What do you think, Luke?”
He hesitated. Then: “I couldn’t tell you.”
Another pregnant pause.
I ended it. “So does Delcroft know about Stokes’ ‘off-the-books’ activities?”
LeJeune said, “They do now. I had the pleasure of meeting with someone named Phillips.”
“Gary Phillips. Deputy COO. Pretty high up the food chain.”
“I told him everything.” LeJeune was still watching Luke.
I decided not to pursue it. “Hey, you guys. There’s something I don’t get. If Stokes was kicked out of the CIA, why did Delcroft hire him?”
“Phillips claims they didn’t know about his background,” LeJeune said.
“Do you believe him?”
LeJeune tightened his lips.
“Delcroft and the military are obviously in bed with each other,” I went on. “And even though Grizzly claims his ouster from the CIA was covered up, Delcroft has access to information we don’t.”
“I guess it depends on how much you believe Phillips,” LeJeune replied. “By the way, who’s Grizzly again?”
“A friend of Luke’s in the navy. A commander up at Great Lakes.”
“Oh, that’s right.” LeJeune continued to gaze at Luke.
“Or…” I got up from the couch and started to pace. “Maybe Hollander was behind it. Maybe Stokes was blackmailing her…or at least threatening to blow her ‘arrangement’ wide open. That could be a powerful motive.”
“Maybe…,” LeJeune said.
Both of us looked at Luke. He said nothing.