Stone Barrington fished his cell phone out of his pocket. “Yes?”
“Are you in your hotel?”
“I am,” Stone replied, recognizing the voice on the line.
“Walk east. Go in the first bar on your left and take a table in the back.”
Five minutes later Stone walked into the bar. He had no trouble recognizing the man sitting at a table in the back as Teddy Fay, despite his Fred Walker persona.
Stone sat down across from him. “Who are you now?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Are we about done playing cops and robbers?”
“I certainly hope so. Let’s see your phone.”
Stone handed it over. Teddy slipped the back off, checked it out again.
“What did you want to tell me?”
“Holly just came from a national security briefing. The whole thing gets more and more complicated. Lance is holding out on the President, too.”
“Lance knows about the kidnapping?”
“No. It turns out the shell from the sniper’s rifle was CIA issue.”
“Lance is withholding that from the President?”
“That’s not the half of it. He thinks I fired the shot.”
“Are you serious?”
“Only half. He called Holly to ask her. She pooh-poohed the idea.”
“Are you sure?”
“I was in her office. She told him that Teddy Fay would never jeopardize his clean slate.”
“He buy that?”
“He said so. Deep down inside I suspect he still thinks I did it.”
“I happen to know you didn’t.”
“Thanks for your support.”
“Well, it’s not like I’d put it past you, but we happened to be having brunch at the time.”
“That’s right. The last time we talked it was just a kidnapping. Now we have an assassination.”
“You think they’re related?”
“Only if this is all about passing the veterans aid bill. I find that hard to believe.”
“No kidding,” Stone said. “So, is that all you’ve got?”
“You’re disappointed I haven’t found the girl yet? Well, I found out who bugged your phone.”
“Really? Who?”
“Margo Sappington, just like I thought. She was a setup. She was told to get close to you and plant the bug. I’m sorry to deflate your ego, but she didn’t just fall for your manly charm. She was programmed by a man posing as a CIA agent.”
“Any description?”
“Not good enough to work with. Middle Eastern features, clean-cut, looked like an agent. I’ll track him down when I’ve had some sleep. Right now I can hardly think straight.”
Stone frowned. “What does any of this have to do with the missing girl?”
Teddy shrugged. “I don’t know yet.”