17

Well, god damn it.” Windermere threw up her hands. “That was useless.”

She’d just emerged from the airport police department at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International. Stevens and Mathers waited for her in the crowded terminal building. Even from twenty feet away, Stevens could tell his former partner was frustrated. “Dead end?”

Windermere snorted. “They have security tapes for the whole building. Rental car offices to the departure gates.”

“Yeah, and?”

“And we can’t see them. It’s a TSA situation, they said. And the TSA doesn’t want to play nice.”

Mathers shook his head. “I don’t get it.”

“We could have full coverage of this guy walking into the airport, dropping off his rental car, and boarding a plane. We could figure out where he landed and work the tapes from his arrival airport as well. Hell, we might get lucky and get another license plate number, or a positive ID. But unless I come correct with TSA approval from on high, boys, we’re not seeing those tapes.”

Stevens scratched his head. “So how do we get TSA approval?”

Windermere sighed. “I don’t know, Stevens,” she said. “Maybe if we write our congressman.”

NOBODY AT THE LIBERTY RENTAL DESK proved to be of any help, either. “Saturday, right?” the manager said. “Busy day. Heck, they’re all busy. Some brown-haired kid isn’t going to make an impression.”

“The Chevy Aveo.” Windermere read off the license plate. “Who rented it?”

The manager frowned. “Thought you knew this already.”

“Humor me, Bob.”

The manager typed something into his computer. Read it. “Here it is,” he said. “Allen Bryce Salazar. Council Bluffs, Iowa.”

Windermere swapped glances with Stevens. “You ever deal with this guy before? He rent from you guys in the past?”

The manager squinted. “Doesn’t look like it.”

“What about credit card information?”

The manager squinted some more. Leaned down and peered at his screen. “Looks like a corporate card.” He looked up at Windermere. “Triple A Industries. That sound familiar?”

Mathers shook his head. “Salazar calls his company Wrong End Incorporated. I’ve never heard of Triple A before.”

Windermere looked at Mathers. Then she looked at Stevens. Stevens shrugged. “Triple A Industries,” she said finally. “I guess it’ll have to do.”