“Not really. They got a lot of security over there. Locals call the radar over there the eye in the sky. Used to look for nukes, so I heard. Thing’s been there since before my dad was born.”
“You ever been over there?”
“Nope. Why all the questions about them?”
“Just routine.”
“So what can I do to help find Hal?”
“You’ve helped us by telling us what you did.”
“So that’s it? Nothing more I can do?”
“Not unless you have any information about who might have killed Irene Cramer and Pamela Ames.”
Shane shook his head. “I guess I can see why not a damn thing gets done in DC.”
Jamison said, “We’re working hard on this, Shane. But it’s not easy.”
“Yeah, okay, I guess,” he said offhandedly. “Well, see you around.”
He walked off.
Decker said. “He was pretty certain that Hal Parker would never hire a prostitute. But I think that—”
Decker had stopped so abruptly and looked so out of sorts that Jamison snapped, “Decker, what is it?”
“We’ve got to go.” He turned and started hustling to the door.
“Go? Go where?”
He called over his shoulder, “To see a body.”
THE DOORS TO THE FUNERAL HOMEwere locked, and Decker had to pound on the wood for a full thirty seconds until they saw someone cautiously approach the front entrance. It was a thin, young man dressed as a custodian and holding a mop.
“Yes?” he said from behind the door glass, his features anxious.
Jamison laid her federal badge against the glass and said, “FBI, open this door. Now!”
The man dropped his mop and nearly fell over. He fumbled with the door lock and then jumped back as Decker bulled past him.
“What’s this all about?” cried out the man. “This . . . this is a funeral home, for Pete’s sake. Show some respect. Hey, where are you going?”
Neither of them answered him.
Decker quickly led Jamison to the morgue room and opened the door. He looked at the wall of drawers where the bodies were kept until he saw the name “Ames” on a notecard taped to one of them. He opened the door and slid out the gurney. Decker lifted off the sheet, revealing the naked body of Pamela Ames.
“What are we looking for, Decker?” said Jamison anxiously.
“Where do you think her clothes are?” he said distractedly.
“I would imagine back at the police station in the evidence locker. I know that Kelly collected them for analysis.”
“Call Kelly up and tell him to bring all that over here.”
“Okay, but I’d like to tell him a reason.”
“Tell him that Ames and not Parker may have been the real target.”