Chapter 78

 

 

Something was wrong. Mary felt the change between the two men, as strongly as if a jolt of lightning had rocked the turf club.

The morning of the third day had started in what was becoming a predictable pattern. Breakfast, racetrack, bets, turf club around noon, and an order for snack food. She’d donned an over-styled blonde wig that a housewife in her seventies would choose. That, and a muumuu that added twenty pounds and covered her athletic build, provided the perfect cover. She’d placed a tiny pebble in her shoe to create a realistic limp. She was certain Cody had noticed her in the bar last night where her chic outfit had been out of place. She’d made sure she looked nothing like that woman now.

Mary had whiled away the past two hours by tracking the news via an app on her phone. Cody was still being referred to as ‘an unnamed suspect’ but the details fit. He was from New Jersey and had been in the Phoenix area a short time, although they weren’t quite admitting the police didn’t have an address for him here. He had worked in the building where the phone had been located, abandoned, at the lost and found. He had recently quit the job with no notice.

Much was being made of the fact that the threat had stated the bomb would detonate within the next 51 hours. Endless pundits speculated on why that number had been chosen. There was even a countdown timer at the bottom of the screen showing 29:32:04 left against that deadline.

If Cody was monitoring the news, he would know in a moment that he was the suspect, and since he was not exactly making any attempt to hide, Mary could only assume he wasn’t following the story.

Now, just as she was limping toward the bar to order a soda, the older man raised his voice.

“I just don’t understand why you need your computer. You got no job to go back to. Why can’t we just have a nice day out together?”

“Pop, it’s three days now. Sorry if my new project interests me more than watching horses run around a track. I’m happy you’re winning, but it’s driving me nuts, just sitting here.”

“Fine then, go! I’m sick of hearing about that damn computer. You can’t spend a couple days with your old Pop and just relax? Go get the damn thing.”

Standing at the bar with her back to them, Mary did her best to conceal her reaction. At all costs, she had to keep him away from his laptop. She asked the bartender to put her Coke in a paper cup.

Cody was on his feet when she turned around, and Woody was fishing in his pocket. The keys. Gracie told her it seemed the old man controlled the car keys, but now he was about ready to hand them over. Mary limped her way toward the exit where she could keep an eye on the outcome.

When Cody came down the stairs from the turf club, dangling the key ring from his finger, she walked outside. He strode out the door, not even giving her a glance. There was no way she could keep up the convincing limp and keep up with him. She kicked off her shoe and dumped the pebble out, then dashed to her little red sedan and got inside.

By the time he steered the rented Taurus to the exit, she was twenty yards behind him, tapping her phone to raise someone. Pen was the first to answer.

“Cody’s leaving the track and he’s headed for his computer,” she said, a little breathlessly as she ran the yellow light.

He was heading for the interstate and she couldn’t lose him.

“Do you know where?” Pen asked.

“Wherever he lives. I have no clue.”

“Describe to me where you are now.”

“I-17 southbound.”

“How can I help?”

Mary thought fast. “I should be able to tail him, but I don’t know how it’ll go once he gets to his place and gets the computer.”

“Shall I put Amber and Gracie on alert?”

“Yes, please. I’ll let you know what happens.” Ahead, Cody appeared to be taking the ramp toward I-10, right through central Phoenix. She left her phone on the console, ready to hit redial if she needed to.

This is where it could get tricky. If he exited downtown, there were a number of one-way and crowded, narrow streets where she could easily lose him. She thought of the news scenes shown outside Blackwell-Gorse. Surely he wasn’t planning to go back there. What, exactly, had he said to his father? She tried to remember.

But Cody stayed to the middle lanes, passing through the tunnel. Mary was three cars behind him when they emerged. At the junction where I-10 headed south toward Tucson, Cody merged onto the 202. From here, the exits were spaced farther and were well marked as the freeway took them toward the East Valley cities.

He bypassed chances to go north to Scottsdale or south to Chandler or Gilbert. It looked as though he was heading toward Mesa. Mary reported it to Pen.

“I’ve spoken with Gracie. She’s on the move and can meet you.”

“Let me find out where that is.”

“It might not be a bad idea to let him actually get his hands on the computer,” Pen suggested. “It probably contains evidence the police can use.” There was a pause. “However, at that point you must stop him. Once he sees his bank accounts, our cause is lost. Amber says only half the money transfers have been completed.”

“I’m on it.” Mary closed the gap to two cars between them. This time of day, with rush hour not due to begin for another hour or more, there was enough space to keep an eye on him from a distance.

She tapped Gracie’s number and reported. “We’re passing Gilbert Road.”

“Good. I’m not far behind you. Let me know what turns he makes. I have an idea.”

While Gracie outlined the basics of her plan, Mary didn’t take her eyes off the white Taurus.

Five minutes later, Cody edged into an exit lane.

“He’s getting off at Power Road. I’m closing in so there’s only one car between us.”

“I see you ahead,” Gracie said. “I’ll be two minutes behind you.”

Cody roared through the major intersection at McDowell, but slowed at the next one as traffic exiting a Home Depot joined the flow. Mary had tossed her wig aside and was now right behind their quarry. She hardly dared check the rearview for Gracie. Right now she had to keep her eyes on Cody’s plain white vehicle, which could easily blend with the hundreds of others at the busy commercial intersection.

If she’d blinked, she could have almost missed his last-minute signal before he turned right, onto a side street. He drove two blocks and made a right turn again. Smallish, middle class houses filled the area.

Wary of being spotted, Mary pulled to the curb and watched as Cody came to a stop in front of one of the houses on the left. He got out, leaving his car on the wrong side of the street, and went inside. He planned this as a quick stop, she realized. Gracie had suggested they create a diversion, cause an accident if necessary.

In less than two minutes Cody walked back out of the house, a briefcase-sized bag in hand.

Mary’s heart rate picked up as she realized this was it—this was the time.