6
Melanie Stark answered Cahill’s call on the first ring.
‘I’ve got some people with me,’ he told her before introducing Logan and Hardy.
They both said hello quickly.
‘You get anywhere with the cops?’ Cahill asked.
‘Not really. I mean, they weren’t interested in talking to me. Couldn’t get me off the phone quick enough.’
‘What about the airline?’
‘Same story as before. His name’s not on the list and there’s nothing more they can tell me.’
‘That’s not surprising.’
‘I don’t know what else to do.’
She sounded on the verge of tears.
‘We’ve called some people too,’ Cahill said.
‘What did you find out?’ She sounded more hopeful.
‘Nothing concrete.’
‘Oh …’
‘But, I mean, it’s what they didn’t say that’s interesting.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘Well, I called the airline helpline. You know, the one they’re showing on the TV? I pretended to be Tim’s brother and said that I thought he was on the plane. Then the airline guy put me on hold for five minutes and someone else came back on the line in his place.’
‘Who was it?’
‘He didn’t say, except that he was with a law enforcement agency. And it wasn’t the police.’
‘Then who?’
‘I figure it’s probably the FBI.’
‘What is Tim mixed up in?’
‘I don’t know. And I also called our old boss at the Service, Scott Boston. Do you know him?’
She was quiet for a moment.
‘Yes,’ she said finally. ‘He’s the one who fired Tim.’
‘Well, I don’t know what’s going on over there, but he sounded shocked that Tim was supposed to be on a flight heading for Washington. Hung up on me real fast.’
Melanie sighed.
‘What the hell is going on?’ She was angry now. ‘Why won’t anyone tell me what happened to my husband?’
Her voice broke into a choked sob. Cahill’s mouth went tight, his lips forming a narrow line.
‘We haven’t exhausted our lines of inquiry yet,’ he told her. ‘Logan’s a lawyer and he knows someone in Homeland Security.’
‘Are you going to call?’
‘Yes,’ Logan said. ‘As soon as the office in New York opens.’
‘I want to go to Denver,’ Melanie said.
‘Best if you don’t,’ Hardy said. ‘You’ll end up stuck in a room for hours and they still won’t tell you anything.’
‘Stay by the phone,’ Logan said. ‘We’ll let you know as soon as we’ve spoken to my contact.’
A doorbell sounded behind Melanie.
‘I think that’s my son. Call me as soon as you can.’
‘We will,’ Cahill said, ending the call.
He turned to Hardy and Logan, telling them to reconvene in the War Room this afternoon to call Homeland Security.
‘Someone better start talking,’ he said. ‘Or I’ll be going over there myself to raise hell.’