“I didn’t meanthatcourt, I meant Judge Cummins’s chambers. The evidence might be there. And there are people she worked with we need to talk to.”
“I was planning to do that,” said Andrews.
“And pull any CCTV footage from the hospital. We might get a look at the guys who sprang Lancer.”
“Okay, I’ll get on that.”
“And while we’re in the area, let’s go see where Alice Lancer lives.”
“We don’t have her address,” said Andrews.
“Yes we do,” said Decker.
“How?”
“I saw it on her admittance form to the hospital.”
“You remember it correctly?” asked Andrews.
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” interjected White.
“We don’t have a search warrant,” pointed out Andrews.
“She’s gone missing. Can we get by on a welfare check?” said Decker.
“I doubt that. And the locals do that, not the FBI.”
“She’s a potential witness in the murder of a federal judge.”
“Doesn’t matter. And to be clear, I’m not screwing up any prosecutions on a rookie Fourth Amendment fuckup.”
Decker looked at the man with a little more respect.
***
Lancer lived in the village of Miami Shores, a half-hour commute north of the Gamma Building. It was a village of well-kept-up single-family dwellings, a couple of small commercial areas, wide streets, and lots of trees residing along them.
“It’s a bedroom community for Greater Miami,” explained Andrews. “And also has a lot of retirees. But you could say that about most places in Florida. You ever think about retiring here, Decker?”
“No. How much farther to her place?”
“It’s the next street.”
They turned into the driveway of a small bungalow with stucco siding and green-and-white-striped awnings over the windows. A short, squat palm was planted out front. The grass was clipped short, and the flower beds didn’t have much in them. They got out, and Decker looked through the window of the one-car garage.
“Empty. Her car must be at work still.”
“We don’t have a search warrant, like I pointed out before,” noted Andrews.
“But we can look around, right?” said Decker. “Until you file for and get a search warrant?”
“Yes. On theoutside. And in plain sight.”
They made a perimeter search of the yard and found that Lancer didn’t really make much use of it. There was a small wooden deck on the rear of the house, but there was no outdoor furniture to sit on. The backyard looked as uncared for as the front.
Decker used his height to peek into some windows but couldn’t see much.
“Can I help you?”