“Yes, Alice was Draymont’s immediate superior. She oversaw his work, was sort of his handler. He wasn’t the only one. She probably had two dozen field agents she was overseeing.”
“But he was the only one who ended up dead.”
“Yes.”
“We need to see his work schedule for the last couple of months or so. And any communications between him and Lancer.”
She began to speak, but then hesitated, looking down. “I’m afraid that won’t be—”
Decker interrupted her. “Okay, then we have to go to the media with this, you know, get the word out that Gamma people are dying left and right, and present and future clients might want to give the firm a wide berth for now. That way we might be able to get some help from the public to answer questions you refuse to.”
Roe scowled. “Is that a threat?”
“No, it’s an option.”
“A nuclear option?”
“More like an assault weapon. When I go nuclear it will be unmistakable.”
“And here I thought we had a meaningful working relationship.”
“It’s only a relationship when it goes both ways. So what’s it going to be? You pull your records and help us find out who’s killing your people, or we release details to the media that will probably sink your business?”
Roe looked at Andrews. “Doug, is what he’s doing even legal or FBI approved?”
Andrews didn’t take his eyes off Roe. “I really don’t know, but I fully support it.”
Decker leaned toward her. “There’s one more woman out there who’s disappeared. I expect her to end up dead anytime now. Maybe you’re okay with slow-walking all this, but I’m not. And I don’t think your dad would be, either.”
Roe’s face flushed. “Don’t throw my father into this. You didn’t even know him.”
“I know all I need to know about him. He was Secret Service. He took an oath to take a bullet to keep the president alive. You think he’d let a bunch of red tape stand in the way of saving someone?”
Roe balled up her tissue and put it in her pocket. She stood. “I’ll get the records for you.”
“Thank you,” said Decker.
“You must be a very good chess player,” she said.
“Maybe, if I ever took up the game. I just can’t seem to find the time.”
She stalked out.
Andrews sat back and let out a long breath. “Jesus, I can’t believe I just said what I did. But damn, it felt good.”
“You should transfer up to DC, Doug,” said White. “From what I’ve heard, this stuff is a daily occurrence with Decker.”
“How do you not get your ass fired, Decker?” Andrews asked.
Decker said, “They know I don’t give a shit. It’s like body armor.”
Andrews looked stunned. “Why the hell didn’t I ever think of that?”
Chapter44
O?KAY,” SAID DECKER AS HEfinished both his beer and the last document he was looking at.
They were ensconced in a small conference room at Andrews’s office. Spread out over the table were the records Roe had provided. White munched on the last piece of cold pizza and looked out the window, where the sun had gone down hours ago.