“Um…Something else happened this morning.”
Court cocked his head. “What?”
“In Arlington?” She said it as if she was prompting him to remember.
It took a second, and then Court closed his eyes and sighed. “Shit. My father’s funeral. Of course.” He was embarrassed. Said, “I’m just a little overwhelmed by events, I guess.”
“Totally understand. But they did full military honors. It was very moving.”
“Very moving?” Court was confused by this. “Did you go?”
“Well…no. I wanted to stay away in case there were people there looking for you. I didn’t want to be associated…I mean…I don’t mean that in a bad way.”
Court chuckled a little. “I get it. I’m something of a hot potato these days.”
“Right. Anyway…Skip Echols flew up from Florida to be there. I asked him to take video of the ceremony.”
“That’s great. I appreciate your kindness. And his.”
“Yeah,” Angela said, “that’s not why I did it. I did it for intelligence purposes. Wanted to see if Gauntlet or Homeland or someone else was there. It could give us an indication of the threat against you.”
“Good thinking.”
“Skip sent the video. I watched it myself just now.”
“Was the cemetery crawling with jackbooted thugs?” Court joked.
“Not at all. There was no one. Well, not no one, just one attendee, but of course it wasn’t announced, and you said your dad didn’t stay close with anyone in Washington.”
“Well, I’m glad Skip was there, so somebody could be witness to—”
Angela interrupted. “No…I mean…one more person other than Skip.”
“Really?” Court was surprised, and suspicious. “Who was it?”
“Oh, I have no idea. He stayed back, out of the way. Kind of watched from a distance, but he didn’t film or anything. I don’t think he was there conducting surveillance. He looked like he gave a damn about the funeral, I mean.”
“That’s nice,” Court said, but he had no idea what this meant.
Lacy said, “I took an image from the recording, sending it to you now. Just thought you might recognize someone who knew your dad.”
Court highly doubted it. The image came through and Court clicked on it.
He enlarged it, then enlarged it again.
And again.
He looked at the man standing on a hill not far from the gravesite, but not close, either.
A black raincoat, sunglasses, brown hair lifted by the breeze.
“Six?” Angela said. “Did you get it?”
Court didn’t answer; his eyes were so fixed on the screen in front of him, he didn’t even blink for twenty seconds.
“Hello?”
Still he did not respond.
