“Maybe I did and maybe I didn’t. But if I did, it’s classified,” said Daniels. He closed his eyes and gripped the head of his cane tighter.
“But you talked to Mary about it?”
“How do you know that?” said Daniels. “Did she say I did?”
“No. But why else would she have moved up there? I mean, otherwise it’s a really big coincidence.”
“I got nothing to say on the subject.”
“Did you know that the Air Force sold most of the land around the radar facility?”
“Sold the land?” said Daniels sharply. “To who?”
“A religious organization called the Brothers. Ever heard of them?”
Daniels shook his head.
“And they in turn leased some of the land to frackers.”
“Frackers?”
“Companies that drill down for oil and gas.”
“They’re drilling on that land?” asked Daniels.
“Yes.” Decker glanced at Kelly and then Jamison. He turned back to Daniels. The old man was staring directly at him. “The thing is, we unfortunately can’t talk to Mary.”
“Don’t know where she is, then?” Daniels said.
“No, we do.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“Someone murdered her.”
The old man seized up. For a moment Decker thought he might be having a stroke.
“Get out of here,” he suddenly roared, blinking away tears. “You just get out of here, right now. Leave me alone. Leave me the hell alone.”
A uniformed nurse rushed into the room.
“Mr. Daniels?” she said frantically. “What’s wrong?”
He pointed at the others. “These people are harassing me. I want them to leave.”
The nurse looked sternly at the three.
Jamison held out her FBI badge and said, “We had to ask him some difficult questions because of a police investigation.”
“Oh, I see. But he’s upset now. I . . . I think you should leave. He’s not in the best of health.”
Jamison tugged on Decker’s arm. “I think you’re right. We’re going.”
They left the room.
As they walked down the hall Decker said, “He knows. He told Cramer something that made her quit her job here, change her name, and move to London.”
“We just don’t know what,” said Kelly.