Chapter 19

In the last three days, Billy Barker had spent more time in public libraries than he had in the previous twenty years, and he was not happy about it. He closed a telephone book and looked disgustedly about the large room. The atmosphere reeked of bad karma. The people did not bother him—it was the quiet. When this many people gathered in one room, there ought to be a little activity. The crowds Billy usually associated with were those on city streets, at racetracks, and in bars. He rubbed the back of his hand across his forehead in the manner one uses to wipe sweat from their face after performing manual labor. As far as Billy was concerned, this was manual labor.

He glanced toward an elderly woman sitting quietly in a large chair, reading. He had noticed her earlier and could not understand how a person could sit still that long with a book. The racing form, maybe, but a book? He wondered how anyone could be still that long under any condition. There was no doubt about it—the library was a spooky place.

He stood, grudgingly, then placed the phone directory on the shelf and selected another. He would have left the book on the table, but it had become overloaded with other volumes he had not put away. He couldn't care less. Twenty minutes later, he closed the last directory in disgust. He had covered nearly every phone book used in the surrounding two hundred miles, and he still had no idea who Scott Q was. A team of three men had already checked potential suspects living in the immediate vicinity, and they were now working names in the more distant towns. The list of possibilities continued to shrink.

Immediately after the Chandler woman had escaped, Billy and his men spent two days checking the airports, train stations, and other obvious locations, but they found no trace of her. Their next task was to find the mysterious Scott Q. Thus, Billy found himself in the library.

He left the building and sought out a crowd more to his liking. A few minutes later, he walked into the Cloverleaf Bar. He felt comfortable here, but he was worried. Merrick was flying into town, and Billy knew he was in for an ass chewing. He ordered a boilermaker. Billy looked solemnly into the bar mirror and saw his thin, taut face staring back at him. He picked up the shot glass and downed the contents in one movement. He let the liquid spread its warmth through his stomach for a moment, then he started on the beer. He finished the bottle, left the bar, got in his car, and headed for the apartment. With Merrick on the rampage, Billy knew better than to be late.

***

Victor Merrick was pissed. His men had let Lauren Chandler escape from the restaurant, and they had not been able to find any trace of her. The chances of locating her in the Washington area now seemed nil. After his plane had landed, he picked up a rental car and drove straight to the apartment complex. He turned off the engine just as Billy pulled into the next parking slot. Billy got out of his car and wiped sweat from his forehead. “Hey, Victor. ”

Merrick started toward the building without answering. As soon as they got inside, he focused a brutal stare on Billy. “You really fucked up.”

“Jesus, we've done everything possible to find her.”

“That's not the point. You shouldn't have let her get away in the first place. Think about it. Lisowski corners an unarmed man and woman and gets knocked out with a baseball bat. Then the guy runs right over you, and they get away. A bunch of old ladies could have done a better job.”

“It was one of those things where you had to be there to understand.”

“Bullshit!” Merrick went to the bar, poured a drink, took a sip, and turned toward Billy. “Tell me everything you've tried.”

“For the first forty-eight hours we checked the airports, bus depots, and the train station. We also watched a couple of the people in her address book, but there were only a few local names.” Billy went to the refrigerator and got a beer. His fingers fumbled about as he tried to pop the tab.

Merrick mulled the information. “What about the man?”

“All we know is that his first name is Scott and his last initial is Q. I went through every damn phone book in the area and made a list of the possibilities. Lisowski, Hammitt, and Navarro are working them around the clock, but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Merrick ran a finger through the condensation on the side of his glass. “We've got a perfect set up here, one that can make everyone rich, but the Chandler woman can ruin everything. We've got to locate her and the man she’s with.” Merrick thought a moment. “It's obvious we need more people. I know you've got a few men in Chicago we use from time to time, and I want you to bring them in right away. ”

Billy nodded.

“I'm going to get a copy of her personnel file from Benson; then we can check her parents and next of kin.” It was time to make a decisive move. “I'm going to bring in a hit man called Cade. He's one deadly sonofabitch.” Merrick looked at Billy.” I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”

“Christ, everybody's heard of him.”

“Yeah, I guess they have.” Merrick paused, his thoughts turning optimistic. “He's a genius at finding people, but he's expensive as hell. We need the best so I figure the potential of our setup makes it worth the price.”

“When's he coming?” Billy asked.

“That's the problem. Some say Cade retired and moved to Florida, but I know someone who says he can make contact. I should hear something in a day or so.”

“I'd hate to be in that woman's shoes,” Billy said.

Merrick nodded, realizing he had made the right decision. He walked to the window and looked out. “Isn't this one of Shannon's days with Benson?”

“Yeah, but I don't know if he's there yet.”

Merrick moved toward the door. “Let's go find out.”

The two men walked past the parking lot and noticed Shannon's car in its usual place. They expected her to be home, but she did not answer the doorbell. Merrick said, “Did you get a duplicate key from her like I asked?”

“Yeah.” Billy reached into his pocket. “Her bell rings in the kitchen, and it's not very loud. She said if she's in the bathroom or the bedroom with the door shut, she doesn’t always hear it, and for me to knock real loud.”

Merrick took the key. “Let's just go in and see what they're up to.”

Billy grinned. “She'd be a hell of a piece of ass, huh, boss? ”

“Yeah, Billy—she would.”

Merrick twisted the knob and opened the door. They were cautious at first but relaxed after seeing the champagne bottle and two glasses. He led the way down the hall, stopped in front of the bedroom door, leaned forward, and heard Benson moan. He whispered to Billy. “This I've gotta see.” He opened the door.

Shannon rocked back and forth atop Benson, cowgirl style. Merrick knew she had a great figure, but he had not seen her completely undressed, and he was more than impressed.

Benson’s, head shot up. “Who's there?”

Merrick laughed. “Oh, I'm sorry, Hayden. It looks like you're a little busy.”

Benson yelled, “Merrick? Dear God.”

“Relax, Hayden. We’ll go back into the other room and have some of your champagne. Go ahead and finish what you're doing.” Merrick walked into the hall.

Billy followed, laughing hysterically. “God, I'd like to stay and watch the whole show.”

“There isn't going to be any show,” Merrick said. “Benson is so fucking embarrassed he won't be able to get his dick up for two weeks.”

The two men erupted in laughter.

Ten minutes later, Benson walked sheepishly into the front room and headed for the front door.

“Not so fast,” Merrick said. “I need to talk to you.”

Benson walked to a chair and slumped down. “Haven't you had enough fun?”

Merrick ignored him. “I want you to get me Lauren Chandler's personnel file.”

“I can't just go in and request that kind of information. People would be suspicious. ”

Merrick spoke in a harsh tone. “I'm not asking you to do this; I'm telling you. I want the damn file by tomorrow.”

Benson remained silent for a moment; then his expression changed. “I just thought of something. I was put in charge of the investigation committee, and I can legitimately ask for anything related to the case.”

“What investigation?”

“The Secretary called a meeting and wants a full review of our security procedures for the lockup.”

“What do they know?”

“They don't have a clue,” Benson said. “I don't think there's any chance of them finding anything. Actually, there's nothing to find.”

“Of course there isn’t, but I still want you to keep me informed.”

Benson inched toward the door. Can I go now?”

“Yeah, get the hell out of here.” As soon as Benson left, Merrick turned to Billy. “I'm going back to Chicago tomorrow. When you get that file, call me and let me know about her relatives. The first thing we’ll do is send somebody to watch her parent's house.”

Billy nodded. “I'll call you the second I get it.”

Merrick thought for a moment and realized he had covered everything; then his mind shifted to what he had seen in the bedroom, specifically Shannon Peterson. The sight of her naked body had created a powerful urge. He got up and walked toward her bedroom.

He knocked once and entered the room. She was lying across the bed reading a fashion magazine. “Shannon, I've got an offer for you.”

“Sure, what's on your mind?”

“I'm going to stay the night. I'll give you a special bonus to cover things. ”

She turned on her side, presenting a suggestive pose. “What are you doing way over there?”

Merrick held up his index finger. “I’ll be right back. He walked into the kitchen and got a fresh bottle of champagne. He spoke over his shoulder as he headed for the bedroom. “Billy, get lost.”