"I'm not sure Peterson even knows. The agent on the phone told Peterson that this case has suddenly become a national-security issue."
"Our case? Shouldn't somebody have told us?"
"Somebody did. The morgue guy."
"Nice."
"Anyway, I'm already on my way down there. I don't want them to cart away our biggest piece of evidence without answering a few questions. You want in on this?"
"Yeah, I'll see you there."
* * *
Twenty-five minutes later, in the corridor outside the crime lab's morgue, Wayne Norton jammed a sheaf of papers at Finley. "There's all the authority I need, Detective. Now if you'll excuse us… "
Norton motioned to the two young men behind him. They had the shooter's bagged body on a gurney, ready to be rolled out to the adjacent parking garage. Finley and Gonzalez had arrived just in time to catch them leaving.
The detectives blocked Norton's path. "We're not done with him," Gonzalez said.
"Those papers say you are."
Finley cursed under his breath. "Come on, Norton. Who is this guy?"
"I can't discuss that."
"Why the hell not? You wouldn't even have him if it wasn't for us."
"Then let me express my deepest gratitude on behalf of the United States government."
Finley glared at him. "Screw that. Give us something to go on. The corpse's prints don't show up on any database, and there was no match on a facial scan. What are you not telling us?"
"Who says there's anything to tell? You're the ones who have had the corpse for the past couple days. Maybe we just want a crack at it."
"In the name of national security."
"Yes."
"Security from campus shootings?"
"Possibly."
"Uh-huh. Strange that your agency showed zero interest in this case until we started sending around this guy's prints and scans."
Norton shrugged. "I know you guys have been busting your hump on this case, and I'm sorry. But I can't say any more. When I can, I promise I'll get in touch."
Gonzalez leaned closer to him. "We both know what's going on here. Our inquiries tripped something on one of your databases, didn't it? One of the databases that you don't share with anybody else. And it must have been something really good for you guys to schlep out here at two thirty in the morning and drive off with a corpse from our crime lab."
"We're a twenty-four/seven operation, Detective. Just like your department."
"Uh-huh. You know, of course, ballistics matched the weapon we found with him. We know it's the same gun used to shoot Rachel Kirby."
"I do know that. Excellent work. As a matter of fact, the rifle is already in our truck."
Gonzalez laughed bitterly. "Great. Just great."
"We picked it up before we came down here. The authorization is in the paperwork I gave you."
"Of course it is."
"We're through here, gentlemen. Good luck with your investigation." Norton moved past them.
The other two men followed him, pushing the gurney down the corridor and through the red exit doors at the far end.
After the doors clanged shut, Finley turned to Gonzalez. "Dammit to hell."
"Yeah."
Finley scowled. "We could take the easy way out. We could just file the paperwork and close our eyes."
Gonzalez looked at him. "That's not going to happen."
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Gonzalez nodded. "We need to talk to Carlos."
* * *
The white-paneled van had just pulled onto the Katy Freeway when Norton's phone buzzed. He checked the caller ID screen. Deputy Director Robert Pierce.
He answered the call. "Good morning, Mr. Pierce. Are you up late or early?"
Pierce ignored the question. "Do you have the corpse?"
"Yeah, we just left the morgue. Someone tipped off the local cops and they gave us a little flak. No big deal. We're heading for Ellington Airport per instructions. Anything else?"
"No. You've done very well, Norton." Pierce cut the connection.
Better than you could dream, you arrogant bastard, Norton thought. He was walking a tightrope, but the delivering of this body should rid Pierce of a few of his suspicions.
Yes, he'd done very well.
FOURTEEN
MATULIK CARGO AIRPORT
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
Tavak pocketed his phone and joined Rachel and Allie in the small aircraft hangar where Demanski's jet was warming up.
Rachel moved toward him. "Okay, tell us how we're going to find that mastaba wall."
His brows lifted. "You're assuming I know."
"You didn't know an hour ago, but now you do. At least you think you do."
Tavak's gaze narrowed on her. "How do you figure that?"
"You're walking straighter now, your stride is longer, and your jaw is clenched. All signs of a man with a plan. Am I right?"
"A tentative plan. And here I thought you were only proficient at reading that computer of yours."
"And are you going to share this brilliant plan with us?" Allie asked.
"I said tentative, not brilliant."
"Either way, you'd better tell us, dammit." Demanski walked up from the other side of his jet. "Remember, I'm on the hook for that thing. Or at least my insurance company is."
Tavak shrugged. "It just occurred to me that whatever information that mastaba wall holds, photographic images alone aren't enough to unlock them. Dawson needs to get an expert in front of it. That's the key."
"For him or us?" Rachel said.
"Us. Because as far as I've been informed, Dawson has consulted only two Egyptologists since he's been on this trail—Dr. Scott Collier from Cambridge and Dr. James Wiley from the University of Chicago. I'm pretty sure he will either take the wall to one of them or bring one of them to it."
"Unless he's found someone new and brighter," Demanski said.
"It's possible, but Dawson probably wouldn't risk forging a new relationship over such a high-profile stolen piece. Every major newspaper in the world will be printing a picture of that mastaba wall tomorrow. Dawson will go to someone he can trust."
Rachel nodded. "So we get to them first."
"If it's not too late," Demanski said.
"I really don't think it is. Dawson had to move fast once he found out you were taking the mastaba wall away."
Allie glanced thoughtfully at Demanski. "That's one thing I can't figure out. How did Dawson find out Demanski was taking it away tonight? We sure as hell didn't know."
Tavak shrugged. "A lot of people could have tipped him off. Dawson may have been making his own inquiries at the museum, and someone there could have told him. And you mentioned your insurance company, Demanski. If they were covering the trip, they would have had your entire itinerary. To value the objects, they might have consulted some antiquities experts. The same experts Dawson may have on his payroll." Tavak grimly smiled at Demanski. "I'm not the only one who needs to cover my tracks better."
"So do we tail these Egyptologists and wait for them to make contact with Dawson?" Rachel said.
"That's what I'm thinking. But I need to find out a bit more about them. I just got off the phone with their places of employment, and neither has left town."