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Jack said, “Of course you’ve already read every single one of the initial interviews with the safe-deposit box owners.”
She gave him a fat smile. “Sure. And when you’re lying in bed alone tonight, you can review Cortina Alvarez’s interview. Sleep well, Jack. I sure hope we do something to earn our pay tomorrow.”
He stayed on the front porch until she’d backed her white Mazda out of the driveway and disappeared down the street. He walked back into the Savich living room and saw Sean in blue Transformer pajamas, standing next to Savich, his iPad clutched to his chest. He gave a jaw-cracking yawn.
“Papa says I should call you Uncle Jack.”
“Sounds good. I already have three nephews. You can be my fourth. It’s late, why’d you leave dreamland?”
“I dreamed a big green dragon flew so close to me he nearly burned my ears off and I woke up.” Sean yawned again.
Savich lifted his boy into his arms. “Sean wants to challenge you to Lethal Demon Force—naturally, it’s the advanced version—but I told him he’d have to be at the top of his game to take you on, and that means a solid night of sleep.”
Jack smiled at the little boy, his face pressed against his father’s neck, nearly asleep again. He could already see the man in the boy. Jack patted Sean’s thick black hair. “That’s right, a solid nine hours or I’ll zing you good.”
Sean gave a little sleep snort.
Sherlock came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. “All cleaned up. Hey, I hear Astro.” She added to Jack, “Astro’s Sean’s terrier, a right frightening guard dog, that one. He rarely lets Sean out of his sight here at home. It’s late, we should all get some sleep.” Astro came tearing into the room, jumped up, and Sherlock caught him in her arms.
Jack looked down at his boots. “Yes, of course. Ah, about the fiasco today, Savich, I—”
“Jack, I’m sure you’ve played everything over and over in your head already. Tell me the truth—would you have done anything different?”
“No.”
“There you go,” Savich said. “Do me a favor and take Sean back to bed.” He handed Sean to Jack. “I’ll take Astro out, lock up and turn on security.”
Ten minutes later, Jack was settled on his back in the middle of a very comfortable bed, reading Cortina Alvarez’s interview. When he finished, he turned off the light, stared up at the dark ceiling, and listened to the silence of the night. He saw Jacobson falling again, falling until he smashed onto the dirt road a dozen feet from where he and Cam stood. Jack doubted he’d forget that sound for a very long time.
36
HOOVER BUILDING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
WEDNESDAY MORNING
Savich was reading Russell Bauer’s prison records when his cell belted out Kenny Chesney’s “Noise.”
“Savich.”
“Raven here. It appears we’ve got ourselves a full-on Metro/Federal law enforcement overlap.”
A black eyebrow went up. “I hope we played nice. Talk to me, Ben.”
&nb
sp; “I drove over to the Satterleigh Condominium complex this morning to speak to a Cortina Alvarez. Lo and behold what should I see but two of your people driving away. I recognized Cam Wittier. Cortina Alvarez wasn’t there. She was traveling again, I was told. One of her neighbors verified your two FBI agents were asking questions about Cortina Alvarez as well. So what’s up, Savich? How are we connected? What’s the FBI’s interest in Cortina Alvarez?”
Had the list of the six safe-deposit owners gotten out? Savich didn’t think so. “Ben, could you tell me first why you went to see Cortina Alvarez?”
“And if I do, you’ll tell me why your nose is under my tent?”
“Yes, as much as I can.”
“All right, I know you won’t screw around with me.”
“No, I won’t, but I can’t tell you all of it; things are at too sensitive a point right now.”
