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“When are you going to start the autopsy?” Jack asked.
“Tomorrow,” I said. “There’s no rush. We know cause of death. Did the forensics team find anything on Pickering’s body?”
“There was a backpack under the table with a couple of thousand dollars in cash, two days’ worth of clothes, and wait for it…”
“A new ID.”
“Bingo,” Jack said. “A shiny and new driver’s license under the name of Beau Profit.”
“Clever,” I said. “I guess it’s easiest to keep the initials the same.”
“When you’re running a con there’s always a thread of truth in it somewhere. Speaking of William Kirby…” Jack hit the button on his steering wheel and asked to call Detective Cole. A few seconds later the phone was ringing.
“Boss,” Cole said, answering the phone.
“Can you send me William Kirby’s contact information?” Jack asked.
“Oh, sounds like I’m going to miss something fun,” Cole said.
“A guy like Kirby is duty bound to help where he can,” Jack said. “Surely he won’t turn down an opportunity to smirk at us some more.”
“Guys like that never do,” Cole said.
“Found anything on your end?” Jack asked.
“Not anything significant,” Cole said. “Martinez just got back with the electronics we confiscated from Sowers’ office. Maybe we’ll get lucky there.”
“If the kid says he can do it, he can do it,” Jack said. “Just keep him fed. I think the same rules apply to Doug as gremlins.”
Cole chuckled and disconnected.
“What are you up to?” I asked.
“Just crossing my t’s,” he said. “Cole just texted Kirby’s number.” He handed me the phone. “Do me a favor and hit dial.”
I typed in the number and then listened as the phone started ringing.
“William Kirby,” Kirby said as he answered the phone.
“This is Sheriff Jack Lawson with the King George County Sheriff’s Office,” Jack said. “I’m sorry to interrupt your Saturday night.”
“Not a problem,” he said. “My wife and I are just about to leave to an event. I’m sure I have a few minutes before my wife finally decides to come downstairs.”
He said it with good humor, a practiced politician.
“Well, I appreciate the time. We’re trying to run David Sowers’ shooter to ground.”
“I’m honestly surprised the FBI hasn’t taken over,” Kirby said. “I’ve been watching the news about the latest victim. And from my understanding, there’s a military connection to these murders. Seems like the scope is larger than what a small sheriff’s department can handle.”
Jack looked at me and raised a brow. There had been nothing in the news about our theory that the shooter might have been military, or even that Pickering had been in the military. Which meant Kirby had gotten the information by some other means.
“It’s always interesting to hear people’s perceptions of what the FBI can and cannot do, but even you know they can’t charge their way in and take over an investigation unless the killer crosses state lines. It’s not their jurisdiction, and we have no plans of handing over the case.”
“I’ve heard that about you,” Kirby said. “I’ve done some digging. You’re tenacious. Something of a bulldog. But your record and education are impressive. You’d be quite the asset to the government.”
“I’ve been told that before,” Jack said. “But my calling is here. I don’t particularly like the red tape of federal law enforcement.”
“Diplomacy calls for different avenues of investigating,” Kirby said.
