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Her daughter? Castillo wondered.
Whoever they are, they wouldn't be here if Susanna didn't trust them.
Castillo pushed a coffee thermos across the table.
"Has Charley here been a good boy, Eddie?" Castillo asked.
"A very good boy, sir," First Lieutenant Edmund Lorimer said.
"Then we mustn't forget to give him a gold star to take home to mommy-I mean, the mayor-mustn't we?"
"No, sir, we mustn't. I'll be sure to
do that. May I ask when that will be, Colonel?"
"First thing tomorrow morning," Castillo said. He looked at Mullroney for a long moment, then asked, "No comment, Sergeant?"
"You know the mayor's not going to be happy if you send me home, Colonel," Mullroney said after a moment.
"I guess not," Castillo said. "But the situation here-already bad-got worse about an hour ago, which leaves me with two choices. Making the mayor unhappy by sending you back home, or watching this operation blow up in my face-which, as you know, Sergeant, means in the President's face-which is not really an option."
"Lorimer just told you I haven't been giving anybody any trouble," Mullroney protested.
"That's because Lieutenant Lorimer has been sitting on you, under my orders to take you out if you even looked like you were thinking of doing something you shouldn't. So you behaved, and you get to go home-alive-with that gold star I was talking about."
"You really don't want to piss off the mayor, Colonel," Mullroney said.
"No, I don't, and I don't think I will. Making him unhappy and pissing him off are two different things. Do you know what we mean by a Gold Star for Mommy, Sergeant?"
Mullroney didn't reply, and his face showed embarrassed confusion.
"I will send a letter to the mayor with Colonel Torine," Castillo said, "with copies to the President and the director of National Intelligence, saying how much we appreciate his offering us your services, and how hard you have tried to be of use, but that I have reluctantly concluded you just don't have the investigative, analytical, and other skills necessary, and that I decided the best thing to do to ensure the success of the operation was to send you home."
"You sonofabitch!" Mullroney said.
Castillo went on as if he hadn't heard him: "Now, that will almost certainly make the mayor unhappy, but I think if he's going to be pissed off at anybody it will be at you, Sergeant Mullroney, for not being able to cut the mustard. I don't think that will make you too popular with Special Agent Timmons's family, either."
Mullroney locked eyes with Castillo but didn't say anything.
"Permission to speak, sir?" Lorimer asked.
Castillo appeared to be considering that before he made a Come on with it gesture.
"Sir, inasmuch as Sergeant Mullroney didn't ask to be sent with us, it doesn't seem fair that he should find his ass in a crack."
From the expression in Mullroney's eyes, ol' Charley did in fact volunteer to come along with us.
Volunteering no doubt scored a lot of points with the mayor.
And there'd be even more brownie points if we-and he-managed to get Timmons back.
"We're not in the 'fair' business, Lorimer," Castillo said coldly. "And therefore, since you are presumed to understand that-"
"Colonel," Delchamps interrupted. "If I may?"
Castillo appeared to be considering that, too, before he gestured for Delchamps to continue.
I don't know what you're going to say, Edgar, but obviously you picked up on where I'm trying to go with Mullroney.
