Six days remaining. As the number grew smaller, Levi’s concern over the looming deadline increased. Hopefully, by setting up these dominos, he’d be able to follow where they fell, leading him straight to June Wilson.
Denny’s package had arrived at the hotel right on time, and Levi had spent the better part of the day tracking down cars and planting Denny’s tracking devices on them. Next up was O’Connor’s car. It was a gray Chevy Impala, and even though Levi had only seen it for a second, the image of the license plate was etched in his mind.
The difficulty lay in getting into the underground parking facility where it was parked. His best chance was the Third Street entrance, but the entry was manned by security, and physical barriers prevented anyone unapproved from driving in.
Levi parked on the street, palmed one of the tracking devices, and walked toward the security booth just outside the parking entrance. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say.
A car pulled up alongside him. “Hey, Yoder. Are you here to see me?”
Levi couldn’t believe his luck. There was O’Connor in his gray Impala staring up at him across the open passenger’s side window.
Levi walked up to the passenger window, leaned in, and lied. “I tried calling you, but the call wasn’t going through for some reason.”
The agent motioned for him to get in. “Well, let’s not talk on the street.”
Levi got in. Between closing the door and making a production of putting on his seat belt, he managed to stick the magnetic tracking device on the underside of his seat.
“So, what’s the status?” O’Connor asked as he pulled into traffic and began circling the block.
“I saw someone who I think works in the State Department meeting up with one of my leads. They exchanged papers and cash, but that’s about all that I know right now.”
O’Connor slowed to a crawl, and cars behind him began honking. He turned in his seat to face Levi. “Do you have pictures of this State Department person?”
“Yes. I’ll send them to you tonight. I’ve got some things to follow up on in the meantime. Just figured you should know.”
The car completed the circle around the block, and O’Connor stopped to let Levi out.
Before closing the door, Levi leaned down and said, “And get your phone fixed. Coming out here wasn’t exactly on my to-do list today.”
###
“Shit,” Levi muttered as he stared at the entrance to Marine Base Quantico. There was no way he was getting in. He’d followed the guy from the State Department and frowned as it became obvious that he was probably heading to the FBI Laboratory today. And for him to get to the FBI Lab, he needed to get past the gate.
He drove up to the main entrance and a marine stepped out of the guard booth.
Levi rolled down his window. “Excuse me, Corporal. I need to visit someone who works at the FBI lab.”
“Yes, sir. Can I have some ID and the name of the person who’s sponsoring you? They’ll have to have called your name in before you can get in.”
“They have to call ahead?”
“Yes, sir. It’s procedure.”
Levi motioned to the turnaround. “In that case, I’ll be right back. Let me give him a call.”
The marine motioned to his right, and Levi made a U-turn away from the entrance. He did know one other person who worked at the lab, and he called them now.
Unfortunately he got voicemail. “This is Nick Anspach. Please leave a message with your case number and the phone number to reach you at, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
“Damn it.” Levi hung up and dialed another number. Almost immediately, O’Connor’s voice broadcast through the car’s speakers. “Yup.”
“Hey, it’s Levi Yoder. What would you say if I thought I might be able to get you some answers in the next two to three days regarding who’s responsible for the kidnapping?”
O’Connor’s voice took on an animated tone. “You’re shitting me, right?”
“No, I think I have a really solid lead. But I need a favor. Otherwise this might all fall apart.”
“What’s this favor?”
“I just need you to call up the gate at Marine Base Quantico so I can get in. I swear to you, nobody’s getting hurt, nothing is being damaged. I’m just going to take a quick look around, and I’ll be back out in like thirty minutes. No harm, no foul. But it might make all the difference.”
The line was silent for a full five seconds before O’Connor responded. “Fine. I’ll call right now, but it might take five or ten minutes before the duty officer at the gate gets word. Don’t fuck this up for me, I’ll make you wish you weren’t born if you do.”
“Thanks, O’Connor. I’ll owe you.”
###
Levi nodded at the Marine as he waved him through. He pressed slowly on the accelerator, and followed the signs that eventually led him to one of the overflow parking lots adjacent to the large three-story building the FBI used for its most advanced forensic analysis.
Scanning the parking lot, he glanced back and forth, looking for the Cadillac CTS the State Department scumbag had been assigned. That seemed like a high-end car for some State Department criminal, but Levi had seen crazier things before. There were hundreds of cars in the lot and he slowly drove up one aisle and down the next when suddenly he lurched to a stop at a black Buick LaCrosse.
The license plate matched one of the ones Denny had sent him. It was for Anspach.
Pulling into an empty spot, Levi snatched one of the devices from the shipping package, hopped out of the car, and walked in the direction of the Buick. Just as he reached the vehicle, he knelt, pretending to tie his shoe, and as he stood, stuck the magnetically-held tracking device underneath the vehicle’s rear passenger compartment.
Levi knew that Anspach probably had nothing to do with anything, but he had sent Denny the names of everyone associated with any aspect of this case. The people who’d done the crime scene analysis. The people who’d been sent to investigate the apartment. Anyone even remotely associated with June or Helen Wilson. Levi had even stopped off at the day care and planted devices on both the principal’s and teacher’s cars.
He got back into his car and continued surveying the parking lot, looking for the Cadillac, when he spied Anspach himself striding down the path that cut through the green landscape surrounding the lab.
As the forensic specialist got into his car and drove off, Levi kept his head low so as not to be spotted.
Levi scoured the entire parking lot without finding the red Cadillac. It wasn’t until he tried a second parking lot that he found his target and put his tracker in place.
Moments later, he was waving to the Marine as he exited Marine Base Quantico.
His phone vibrated, and he tapped a button on the steering wheel. Dino’s voice came over the speakers.
“Hey, I’ve got that thing you were looking for.”
Levi had asked Dino to look for the folder that the State Department guy had given the now-dead Gino.
“Do me a favor and keep that thing safe. I may need it pretty soon.”
“Ya, no problem. The boss is really happy with what you did. We should talk.”
“Okay, maybe soon. After I find the munchkin.”
“You go do that thing. And remember, if you need anything, me and a couple boys can help out if you need some influence.”
“Thanks, that’s good to know. Talk to you.”
“Ciao.”
As Levi got onto the on-ramp to I-95 North, he dialed Yoshi’s number.
“Hello?”
“Yoshi, where are you?”
“On my way to Old Alexandria to meet someone for my brother.”
“Is it urgent, or can you take some time? I wanted to have a quick talk, but not on the phone.” Levi pressed the accelerator, and carefully weaved his rental through northbound traffic.
“I don’t think it’s urgent. I just got an e-mail from Ryuki asking me to meet someone at the corner of Prince and Strand Street at four.”
Levi had studied the DC maps, and he pictured in his mind the intersecting streets that Google Maps had shown him months ago. “There’s a restaurant called Chadwick’s near there, and there’s parking right across from it. Let’s meet there. It should be quick.”
“Okay. I’m stuck behind some serious traffic, so for all I know, you’ll get there before me.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
Levi hung up and gritted his teeth in frustration. Yoshi might know more than he thought—if only Levi had thought to ask him earlier.
Checking the rearview mirror, and seeing no cops, he pressed down harder on the accelerator.
###
Levi and Yoshi walked along Strand Street. From somewhere in the distance came the sound of bagpipes.
“What’s with the bagpipes?”
“I’m not sure,” Yoshi said. “I had to drive around some crazy Scottish parade on the way here. A hundred guys dressed in kilts, all of them playing the bagpipes. Evidently it’s some Christmas tradition. Anyway, you wanted to talk.”
“Has anyone else from the FBI been to Helen’s house other than in response to the kidnapping? I figure you’ve been watching who came and went.”
Yoshi shrugged. “Sure, plenty of people. I remember she had a pool party for June, and lots of her co-workers were invited. Mostly the ones with kids June’s age, but some didn’t have kids.” He pressed his lips firmly. “Actually, I can’t remember exactly who was there. Most of those people I didn’t know. And that was months ago. Any security tapes of that would have been recorded over by now.”
The cacophony of the bagpipes had grown louder as they walked, and now, as they reached Prince Street, it was nearly deafening.
Levi felt one of the metal prongs on his cap tingle—and it was a consistent tingle, not fleeting. He looked down Prince Street in that direction, trying to identify the source.
Right next to the South Union Street intersection stood an old four-story brick building. Light reflected off something in a fourth-floor window.
Levi spotted the muzzle flash just as he dove at Yoshi. He felt a shooting pain in his arm. He grabbed Yoshi by his shirt collar and belt, sent him sprawling behind the corner of a bicycle store as he took another a hit in the back.
With a grunt of pain, he tripped, he fell to one knee and felt a heavy impact to the side of his chest.
And all the while, the bagpipe Christmas parade continued their deafening march past them.