“Seriously?” Gordon replied, leading the way into the small office, where the small television was broadcasting a news bulletin.
“Anyone we heard of?” Charlie asked, standing beside Jake and Gordon as they watched the screen.
“No name given yet,” Jake responded. Without asking, he brewed three cups of coffee from their pod machine and handed Charlie and Gordon filled mugs.
Some Fed Charlie didn’t recognize was busy thanking local law enforcement and other agencies, but Charlie noted SAC Tyler Jackson was standing beside the speaker.
Their eyes were glued on the screen throughout the five-minute bulletin, then, when the programming switched back to one of the prerecorded national morning shows, they sat down together.
“So is that the guy?” Jake asked Charlie.
“I wish I could say that he’s the one who shot Whitaker, but he’s not the person who killed Colby. This guy is an Iraqi, dark-haired and husky, and doesn’t fit the person I chased into the bosque,” Charlie pointed out.
“Well, we’d already taken on the theory that there were at least two people involved,” Gordon said. “And if he’s the person who blew up Steven Azok and planted the Whitaker murder weapon for us to find, then he gave up that rifle, which explains the need for another long weapon.”
“This guy has apparently been on the Fed radar for a while. Nailing him trying to buy an M-15 clone out of an undercover officer’s trunk was good work,” Gordon added. “And he did have a pistol in his car. Maybe he was the guy watching Dawud’s house, the guy in the gray van who shot at you on Rio Grande.”
Charlie shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I wonder what they’ll find on his laptop,” Jake said.
Charlie’s phone rang and he brought it out of his pocket. “It’s Nancy on her APD phone.”
“Put it on speaker,” Gordon whispered.
“Charlie, you hear the news?” Nancy said.
“Just now. Can I put you on speaker for Gordon and Jake?”
“Go ahead. This affects us all.”
“Done. Now, do you really think they’ve arrested Whitaker’s killer?” he asked.
“I’m withholding my opinion until there’s more concrete evidence. The suspect was set up. He’d been told by an undercover officer that he could make a private purchase of a semi-auto assault rifle and a hundred rounds of ammunition from a guy in a parking lot. That’s still perfectly legal, even for people on the No-Fly List. The Feds had profiled the man as a potential radical. He has a history of arrests for DWI, abusing his girlfriend, shoplifting, and recently lost his low-paying job. There are a lot of losers who turn to terrorism these days.”
“Besides fitting the profile, what actual evidence do they have?” Charlie asked.
“Turns out the man is a former Iraqi soldier who’s been the subject of harassment, which cost him his construction gig. Former coworkers say he threatened to kill them in their sleep if they didn’t leave him alone. The man has given no alibi for the night Captain Whitaker was shot. Oh, and he resisted arrest during the sting and tried to grab Agent Jackson’s weapon.”
“That explains the broken arm,” Charlie commented. “But how about connections to radical groups?”
“Can’t say, don’t know. The Feds apparently have his computer, and scuttlebutt is that he’s been in contact with online sites being monitored by the authorities. Until there’s more, the Feds aren’t releasing anything else. We’ve been told to stay alert in case there’s a third perp out there.”
“So they’re also convinced that Steven Azok was involved in the attacks?” Gordon suggested.
“Yes,” Nancy said. “And DuPree and I have been assigned to search for possible links between Azok and the Iraqi suspect.”
“What about the rifle Azok had in the pickup?” Charlie asked. “It was damaged in the blast, right?”
“But easily repaired without jeopardizing the forensics. Techs were able to fire a round for comparison,” Nancy explained.
“Was it a match for the slug recovered from Whitaker’s body?” Gordon asked.
“Yes, and also with the ejection marks on the recovered brass at the park. What we need to know now is how Azok ended up with the murder weapon. Based upon the images from the neighbor across the street from Patricia’s apartment, we can confirm that Azok couldn’t have been that shooter.”
“Hence the Iraqi being the sniper suspect,” Charlie said. “But there are a lot of unanswered questions. I still believe that somehow the Back Up staff or one of their clients are involved. Maybe both, especially Todd Colby.”
“Yeah, and you guys opened the door to that angle and have gained Patricia Azok’s confidence. I’ve got some help checking out Anna Brown’s background, but I can use an extra set of eyes. Will you guys keep investigating in that direction as well, keeping Anna in the dark if at all possible? Low-key, of course,” Nancy said.
“Low-key? Us?” Gordon said.
“Sometimes I forget who I’m talking to, Gordon,” Nancy said.
“I’ll keep him in line, girl,” Charlie replied, rolling his eyes.
“Whatever. Meanwhile everyone remain vigilant. It’s possible the Feds have grabbed the wrong man—not that he didn’t have the potential to strike out in the future.”
“You’ll keep us informed if there’s something else we need to know?” Charlie asked.
“Count on it. Stay safe, I’ve gotta go now.” Nancy ended the call.
Jake grinned, then looked down at their mugs. “Celebrate the positive news with a refill?”
Ruth came in fifteen minutes later with a big smile on her face, and a pleasant hug for all of them, especially Charlie. Stepping back from him, her eyebrows furrowed and a frown appeared. “What’s wrong? They caught the killer, didn’t they?”
Charlie reached out, taking both her hands. “I hope so, Ruth, but we need to wait and see if the evidence is really there. I’d like to believe it’s all over now, but there are still some details that don’t fit.”
“Crap! And you’re usually right about these things. How about you, Gordon?” she added, turning toward him.
“These terrorist attacks, or whatever they are, always seem to bring people out of the woodwork and lead to more confrontations. Hatred, racism, accusations, retaliations, and the hardening of both sides. Was the guy they arrested looking to replace the weapon he used to kill Whitaker, to add to the damage caused by the first attacker, or just to defend himself from those who assume he’s their enemy?” Gordon said.
“So we all have to watch our backs until this is settled, Ruth. You included,” Jake said. “Let’s talk about it over a cup of coffee, or maybe tea?”
Ruth squeezed Charlie’s hands, then let go with a smile and reached for her mug. “But stay positive, right? How about one of those French roast brews for me? But first, guys, you’ll have to tell me what you were up to yesterday afternoon,” Ruth said, sitting down into the chair Charlie positioned for her beside his own.
After a few minutes listening to Charlie and Gordon’s description of the events at Nathan’s apartment, Ruth spoke again. “So even if Anna didn’t kill Nathan—who she apparently loved at one time—she’s got secrets. I keep coming back to the fact that she’s been the one handling the money at Back Up, that she’s against changing the system, and that a supposedly very successful operation is in financial trouble. That cash reporting system, to me, is a real red flag, and it’s obvious that this would be the easiest way to skim the business. Any idea what her personal financial situation is? Large purchases, big debts, stuff like that?” Ruth asked.
“Her vehicle, at least the one we’ve seen, is an older model mid-range sedan. I don’t know about her apartment; however, it may be laden with big-ticket items,” Gordon said.
“Excuse the old-school input, people,” Jake interjected. “But wouldn’t it have been easier to skim some of the incoming cash and just put it under her mattress? The only real record of cash coming in is the actual bills themselves, and she keeps the books. Why flash your crime with an extravagant lifestyle?”
“Well, now that her romance with Nathan is out in the open, I guess we’ll see how she behaves,” Charlie said.
“You mean she’s at work today? Patricia is going along with that?” Ruth asked.
Charlie quickly explained the conditions Patricia was going to implement, and Ruth nodded. “I’d have terminated her,” Ruth said. “There’s no way of knowing what might be missing from Whitaker’s apartment or how many times Anna has been there since his death.”
Jake looked up at the clock. “I agree with Ruth, but time waits for no man—or woman. I need to get set up out on the floor before our customers start showing up.”
Gordon stood. “No, you and Ruth take care of the office today, Charlie and I will handle the customers, right, Chuck?”
“Good. Ruth was going to show me how to work the website anyway,” Jake replied. “Later I’ll check to see what items can be priced and put out on display.”
Except for a few reporters who came by in the morning asking for a comment from him regarding the arrest of the suspected terrorist, business at FOB Pawn was typical, and that was just fine with Charlie. The high point of the day was taking Ruth to lunch at Frank and Linda’s while Gordon and Jake tended to customers. Charlie and Ruth had a great conversation, mostly about Rene, who was coming to the shop next Saturday. Then they walked up the alley to the shop, holding hands.
“We’re back,” Charlie announced as they came in through the rear entrance. “Anything new?”
“Does that include us?” came the voice of Detective Wayne DuPree, who stood when they came in. Nancy was there as well, in the office.
“Bearers of more good news, I hope?” Ruth said, stepping forward to give DuPree a hug. He stood there a second before returning the gesture, somehow barely touching her. His face turned red.
Ruth laughed, then gave Nancy a much more appreciated embrace. “Charlie and I are finally having a really good day. Please tell us more.”
Gordon came up quickly to the office door. “Go ahead, guys. You’re gonna want to hear this. Jake and I’ve got things handled out here,” he added, nodding to a customer who’d just approached the front register.
Nancy glanced over at Ruth, who’d quickly taken a seat, then gave Charlie a mischievous wink. Everyone was picking up on the fact that Charlie and Ruth were finally becoming a pair.
Charlie sat at his desk, noticing a folder there with DuPree’s name on it. “Can I take a look?”
He opened the folder and discovered Anna Brown’s military records inside. A quick glance confirmed what he’d already been thinking.
“So Anna was AP, Air Police, and spent much of her time working base security. She was trained in detecting and handling explosives—like with car bombs—and in gaining quick entry into and out of vehicles. She barely qualified with her handgun, but shot expert with a rifle. I see she received a commendation for rescuing a child in a hot car using a slim jim. Not a bad record at all.”
“You haven’t seen the last two pages, Charlie,” Nancy said.
He read the report, which contained several redacted names, then looked up at Nancy, who nodded. “Yeah, I get it. She was accused of stalking an airman, even attacking his new girlfriend. She avoided a disciplinary hearing by leaving the service. Honorable discharge, even.”
“So maybe she also had problems with Nathan, if she has a history of being unable to let go,” Ruth observed.
“That’s certainly possible, but as for killing him, that’s still unclear. Ms. Brown might have an alibi for that night,” DuPree said, looking over at Nancy. “Detective?”
Nancy nodded. “We always start with the obvious—where were the people who knew him best? I interviewed Anna and Max Mitchell the morning after the attack. Anna claimed to be at her apartment and Max was at a local café. I was able to verify Max’s alibi. Patricia Azok was at her place, with Steven Azok watching her front door, as we already know.”
Charlie thought about it for a moment. “How do we know for certain that Anna was at home? Are there parking lot cameras at her building, as with Patricia’s?”
DuPree looked at Nancy, who nodded. “Let me follow up on that.”
“You might want to see if there’s a back window to her apartment. Anna knows how to make a quick exit,” Charlie suggested.
“Well, if we can’t arrest her for shooting Nathan, we still have a good shot—pardon the expression—with Todd Colby’s murder,” DuPree said with a grim smile.
Nancy held up a second folder, with a New Mexico State Police emblem on the outside. “I can’t show you this, but I can tell you that the state crime lab found Anna Brown’s prints in Colby’s apartment—on the back of the ISIS poster, no less. Plus a few blond hairs in the hall beside his bed that apparently belong to a woman. If we get a sample of Anna’s DNA, we might find a match.”
“Aren’t her fingerprints enough?” Ruth asked.
“More is better. A defense attorney might argue that the fingerprints on the poster only prove she handled it, maybe before it was placed in Colby’s trailer. Still incriminating, but less so,” Dupree pointed out.
“I see,” Ruth replied.
“So circumstantial evidence suggests that Anna may have had a motive to kill Nathan—extreme jealousy—and that she was involved with Colby in some way. Maybe they also had a relationship that … went south,” Charlie said.
“Or she used him to get the explosives, then created the bomb that blew Azok’s body apart, at the same time framing him for Nathan’s murder,” Nancy suggested.
“But she didn’t know Azok had a clear alibi for that shooting, did she?” Charlie asked.
“This is getting complicated,” Ruth said, shaking her head. “How will you put all this together to charge her with … whatever crimes she’s actually committed?”
“That’s the problem. We have all this circumstantial evidence, but nothing solid—not yet, anyway,” DuPree said.
“But Anna’s starting to make mistakes now, like getting caught in Nathan’s apartment,” Charlie concluded. “So if we can increase the pressure a little more, maybe she’ll crack.”
“But what about the terrorist guy the FBI arrested?” Ruth asked. “Does he know Anna? Could he be working with her?”
“Consensus among our department is that the guy is a nutcase who’s too stupid to have done the deed, and he may have even been out of state when Whitaker was shot. The witness who came forward with that information isn’t quite sure, unfortunately. The Feds are trying to clarify the issue,” DuPree said.
Nancy nodded. “So Charlie, would you be willing to give the Back Up staff some face time, maybe putting more pressure on Anna? We’re trying to get a judge to force the cloud vendor to give up Nathan’s user name. We’re hoping that whatever Nathan was saving in those files may provide enough evidence to charge Anna, or at least clarify a motive. Unfortunately, the opportunity to access that information hasn’t come through yet.”
“Can the state attorney general call the vendor and ask for an immediate response? Or maybe the governor, or one of our two senators?” Ruth suggested. “Terrorism is a big concern.”
“Good idea,” DuPree agreed. “I’ll pass that along to our legal people.”
“If Anna discovers just how close she is to being arrested, there will be problems,” Charlie suggested. “I’m guessing she already has an escape plan.”
“We’re having her apartment watched, beginning this evening, and we’re hoping you might want to go over to Back Up for a little undercover work. Stir the pot,” Nancy suggested.
“Neither of us can do this, she’d behave perfectly. But you might be able to get her angry. You’re good at that, Charlie,” DuPree said.
“You mean I can be really annoying,” Charlie said with a smile.
“Not nearly as much as Gordon, but you have a greater stake in all this,” DuPree pointed out.
“Isn’t that dangerous, if Anna really is a killer—the killer?” Ruth asked. “Has she been the one taking shots at him? What about the firebomb?”
“Charlie will be armed,” Nancy said. “She’s more likely to flee than risk a close-quarter shootout.”
“I’ll carry my Beretta,” Charlie said. “And my backup knife.”
“And you’ll also be wired,” DuPree added, placing the small device on the desk.
“Finally, we’re getting to the real reason you guys came here today,” Charlie said, rolling his eyes.
DuPree nodded. “We spent the morning planning all this.”
“Just be safe, Charlie. We’ll be listening in,” Nancy assured. “But there’s something else you might want to know…”