“But his daughter-”
“His daughter is dead. The senator is a practical man. He has nothing to gain now by fighting us. Nothing to gain, and everything to lose.”
“And if Gerrit is alive?”
Richard relaxed. “Then he is still out there chasing ghosts. Thinks the Russians had something to do with his parents’ murders.”
“And why would he believe that?”
“Because I tainted the evidence from the bomb site and made sure a Russian detonator was seized as evidence. And I made sure the crumbs of evidence led Gerrit right to Nico.”
Lawton shook his head. “Unbelievable. All this time, O’Rourke believed the Russians were behind the bombing? That’s why he was so fixated on that criminal organization?”
Richard nodded and just smiled. At least until Gerrit found out he’d been set up in Vienna. It was a good thing the man died in his houseboat, or the detective could have given them real trouble.
Richard would have to make certain Gerrit had died in the explosion.
After Lawton left, Richard sat back down and dialed a number on a secure line to the United States. “How y’all doing out there? Any complications?”
“Sir, we got people on the ground, covering the houseboat and the federal building. So far, all fingers are pointing toward the Russians. They’re still sifting through evidence.”
“And Gerrit. Have they identified his body?”
“Not much to identify. Talked to one of the bomb guys. Said there might not be enough left to run DNA. The fire burned hotter than even our people expected.”
“What are you saying? Someone added to the blast?”
“We don’t know, sir. Talked to the guy who was set to activate things. He said the blast went off before he had a chance to trigger it.”
“You mean the blast went off all by itself?”
“No…um, well, maybe. That’s just it. Our guy said someone could have piggybacked his signal and set it off on their own. But he’s not sure how they did it…if they did it.”
“I want your people to go through everything. Make sure Gerrit is dead and there aren’t others out there involved in this thing that we don’t know about. Understand? Gerrit knows too much to be left out there alive. If he did survive, he might be able to start putting pieces together.”
“I don’t see how he could have survived it. And the investigators are pretty sure there was a body that burned up in that blast.”
“I don’t want any guessing. I want to know for sure. Are we clear?”
“Yes, sir. We’ll keep on it.”
Richard slammed down the phone. There was too much at stake. He had to get everything under control. If those who empowered him started to question his abilities, it would only be a matter of time before they retired him. Permanently.
That wasn’t going to happen. He was a survivor, willing to do whatever it took to stay on top. To do that, he had to be aware of all the options. He needed to know who he could trust and who he needed to purge.
There was one person who might be able to help. No one but Richard knew about this person. Contact between them must be kept to a minimum. He couldn’t risk exposing this person. At least until now. He needed to know right now! Whatever the cost.
Kane sent off a message and hoped it slipped through undetected.
Chapter 24
Clearwater River, Idaho
Kane was involved with his parents’ death. And here Gerrit was, stuck in bed as weak as a lamb. Irritated, he eased himself to the side of the bed, his head still woozy. Planting both feet on the rough-timbered floor, he slowly raised himself, grasping the headboard for support.
His uncle looked concerned. “Take it slow. Doc said you had a serious concussion and to keep a close eye on you.”
“A doctor makes house calls out here? I remember a guy coming during the night. Can’t recall much else.”
Joe nodded. “Travis knew a local doctor he trusted. Had him come check you out. The guy said you belonged in a hospital, at least until your head cleared and you could get on your feet. We couldn’t run that risk, unfortunately. You need to stay still for a day or so-doctor’s orders.” Joe smiled, patted a pile of folded clothes, and glanced at Gerrit’s bare legs. “Travis left these for you. Might want to slip into these unless you’re set on giving the women a real thrill.”
Gerrit stood and reached for the pants. A gentle knock on the door made him lunge. He had one leg started when Alena came through the doorway. She took one look and tried to stifle a grin. “Joe, you guys have a chance to talk?”
He nodded. “We got to the point where Richard Kane’s name popped up.”
Gerrit finished putting on his pants, zipped up, and slipped on a black T-shirt with white lettering. Again, Alena smiled, glancing at the inscription. “Looks like Travis must have gotten that from a homicide school. My day starts when your day ends. Travis has a sense of humor.”
Gerrit glanced down at his chest. “My day would have ended if you and your friend hadn’t bailed me out. Never did thank you.”
Her face turned serious. “You are welcome.”
Joe pointed to a large sofa near the fireplace. “Alena, this is a good time for you to join the conversation.” He glanced at Gerrit. “Let’s get comfortable while we try to bring you up to speed.”
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to stand a bit longer, try to get my sea legs back. Why don’t you guys have a seat and tell me what I’ve been missing for the last seven years.”
They sat down and Joe started in. “First, let me fill you in on some background. While I tried to sort out what happened in Seattle, Travis reached out to an FBI contact he worked with a few years ago here in Idaho, a guy named Beck Malloy. This agent is like a ghost-pops here, there, everywhere, and then disappears again. Back then I wondered if he really was with the FBI.”
“Is he?” Gerrit asked. “I really need to know about the people I’ll be depending on to stay alive. You’ve got this guy Travis, plus an Indian tribal police chief and his daughter. Man, it’s like some kind of family get-together around here. I don’t know any of these people. I’m supposed to be dead. I wanna keep it that way until I can fit these pieces together.”
“Funny you should use the term family, because that is exactly what we’ve become. One extended family. I trust Travis and his friends with my life. They’ve proven they’re trustworthy. You’re the last member of my physical family, Gerrit. I would never endanger you again.”
Gerrit frowned. “Again?”
Joe nodded, looking over at Alena for a moment. “After Malloy hooked me up with the U.S. Marshal’s office, I quickly realized that my life-as I knew it back then-was over. I needed to recreate myself if I was going stay alive-just like you will.”
“So you became Joseph Costello. Wanted to keep that Irish thing going?”
That drew a smile. “Not many people would know Costello is an Irish name. Once Irish, always Irish. No better calling, me ‘boy.”
They heard Travis and the others coming up the pathway. Alena pushed herself off the sofa and went outside. He heard her talking to the others. They began to walk away as Alena rejoined Joe and Gerrit. “They’re going down to the river for a while. Give you more time to catch up.”
Gerrit turned toward Joe. “So how did you endanger me?”
“Not intentional. You were off in Iraq. Ironically, I learned that you might have been safer over there. Then you came to Seattle and became a cop. That changed everything.”
“I came to Seattle to find my parents’ killer. And all the time you knew who that was? Too afraid to share it with me? Let me go for seven years without knowing why they lost their lives?” The anger in Gerrit’s voice made Joe flinch.
Alena walked over and placed her hand on Gerrit’s arm. “That is not really fair. Your uncle did not know the details for several years. He is trying to explain. Give him a chance.”