“What’s next?” Jack looked at his watch.
“I should look through my notes, finish some interviews, check on the crime scene, touch-base with the Wayzata police.”
“Are you hungry?”
“I could eat. I skipped breakfast after I got the call this morning.”
“Let’s go touch base with the SAC and then we’ll take a little drive and I’ll buy lunch.”
Jack led the way down the hall with Ross at his heels. Jack heard a folder hit the floor, but just kept going. He heard Ross swearing behind him after the other folders fell.
“Hey, is he free?” Jack asked the Special Agent in Charge’s administrative assistant who was sitting at her desk. Her name was Barb and she was the gatekeeper for the SAC. Nobody got in to see the SAC without her approval.
Ross joined Jack in front of Barb’s desk. “Junior, put everything here on the desk; we’ll grab them on the way out.”
Barb cleared her throat and stared at Jack.
“I mean, put them on the credenza here behind Barb. Have you two met?”
Ross piled the folders onto the credenza and stuck out his hand. “Special Agent Ross Fruen, nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Jack chuckled. “Can we go in, ma’am?”
Barb quickly flipped him off and then waved them through. “Let’s go, Junior. Don’t be nervous.” Jack rapped his knuckles on the open door of the Special Agent in Charge and walked in.
The SAC, Timothy Spilman, just over fifty, had a full head of close-cropped gray hair, reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, and wore a starched white shirt. He looked up as Jack and Ross entered his office.
“Gentlemen, what have you put together so far?” He looked at Jack.
They stood in front of the SAC’s desk. Jack was loose, with his hands in his pockets. Ross stood stiffly, almost at full attention, arms hanging straight down at his sides.
“Junior has a good start on this. I’ll let him fill you in on the Governor.” Jack walked over to the window and took in the view of the neighboring downtown buildings and Mississippi beyond them.
“The Governor?” the SAC asked.
“That’s what we’re calling him. Go ahead, Agent Fruen.”
Ross opened his notebook and cleared his throat. “Well, sir, we’ve linked four bank robberies together over the past four months. We’re pretty sure all four have been committed by the same person wearing the same mask, which appears to be custom made. It’s a very good likeness the governor from a few years back.” Ross paused, cleared his throat, and continued.
“The MO is very similar, other than the murder this morning. And he’s exhibited the same habit leaving each of the banks.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, sir, he salutes the security camera as he leaves the building.”
“Salutes?”
“Yes, sir. Like this.” Ross imitated touching the first two fingers of his right hand to his eyebrow. “Every time.”
“Don’t publicize that detail. What’s next, Jack?”
“It’s his case.”
Ross glared at Jack, and thought for a second. “I have a couple of interviews I want to follow up on. I’d like to revisit the crime scene and we have the videos from the banks and the surrounding area from the bank this morning being looked at by the lab.”
The SAC took off his glasses, leaned back, and looked at Ross. “Sounds like you have a mask, a salute, and nothing else. We’re not too close to nailing this guy, are we?”
Ross kept his head up, but his voice gave away his lack of confidence. “No, sir.”
“Well, I told you how the media’s all over this one. Keep digging. Follow procedure. It’s your case, but use Jack’s help and experience, don’t be afraid to ask questions and bounce things off him.” He nodded towards the door. “Why don’t you give Jack and me a minute?”
“I’ll meet you at the parking lot door,” Jack said to Ross.
Once Ross had left, the SAC asked Jack to sit. “Is he up to this?”
Sitting in the comfortable chair, Jack thought of his first field office assignment. He was Junior once; a fresh agent full of confidence, wanting to prove himself, looking for that case that would make a difference and help accelerate your career. This was one of those.
“Sure. He’s full of energy, smart, wants to do well. He’ll nail it, but it’s going to take some time.” Jack leaned forward. “This guy in the mask is smart, but he’s cocky. That’s how we’ll catch him.”
“Jack, I know you’ll support Ross and help him out. But, if he’s not up to it, you have to step in. This one is going to get noisy. Nobody likes multiple bank robberies; throw in the murder in Wayzata, politicians will start talking, and Washington will call me. We don’t need that. You need to catch this guy before he robs another bank or kills somebody else. It’s starting this afternoon with a news conference in Wayzata. I want this to be an FBI case; don’t let the police take it. Our spokesperson will be there, but keep this one on our side. The bank robberies are ours and we’ll help with the murder investigation too.” He turned and looked out the window. “Are you doing OK, Jack?”
“I’m doing OK.”
“This case can be a springboard, Jack. Things are good here, not that I want to lose you, but this case can do something for your career.”
Jack was surrounded by the SAC’s hall of fame; pictures on the wall with politicians and celebrities. He had comfortable chairs, four walls, and a door. Jack thought about his cube and his call with Julie.
“I know it’ll be under the microscope. I’ll work with Junior and we’ll get this guy.”
“OK.” The SAC leaned forward on his desk. “You and Julie OK? This job can be hell on relationships.”
“We’re working on it.” Jack stared at the SAC. “Why, did somebody say something?”
“Just noise.”
“We’re fine.”
The SAC waited a couple of beats for Jack to go on. Jack stayed quiet and they stared at each other. The SAC blinked first and turned to some papers on his desk.
“All right, go see if you can help Ross and let me know if you need anything. Anything needs to go public, you work it through our spokesperson. I don’t think Ross is ready for the media circus without your guidance, yet. Stay ahead of this one.”
Jack got up to leave. When he reached the door, the SAC called out, “Hey, Jack.”
“Yeah?” Jack was halfway out the door and turned around.
“Please don’t call him Junior in public. And happy birthday.”
Jack smiled and gave him a little salute.
Chapter 3
The heat rippled across the parking lot. Jack stood with his hands in his pockets and looked out the glass door at the parking lot. He reminded himself to check the weather for tomorrow so he could figure out what to do with the kids.
Ross was doing OK with the case so far, but Jack knew he had the experience to teach the new agent something. He could get used to having a junior partner, somebody with energy to do the grunt work. Leave the heavy-duty thinking, theorizing, to him while his assistant ran the errands. He pulled his left hand out of his pocket to check the time. His right hand jingled the change in his pocket. What could be keeping Junior? He thought about the morning, the videotapes, the man in the mask, and the murder. Solving a case was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Today they had a few pieces, but a lot were missing. They weren’t even sure yet what picture they were trying to create.
The sound of a door opening behind him jarred Jack from his thoughts. Looking back, he expected to see Ross, but it was another agent with a gym bag slung over his shoulder.
“Hey, Jack. No run today over lunch?”
“Not today. I’m following up on a case. You’re going to run in this heat? You’re nuts.”
“That’s me. Stay cool.”
“Don’t forget to drink some water.”
The door closed behind the agent and a blast of hot air enveloped Jack in the small entryway. As he watched the agent walk through the waves of hot air rising off of the black pavement, a picture of Clint Eastwood riding off into the desert popped into his head and he whistled the ditty from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. He leaned back against the wall trying to catch the breeze from the overhead vent as he let his mind drift to his kids and plans for the next afternoon. The birthday outing was his tradition and he wanted to make it one they would enjoy, another birthday to remember, a special time with Dad. With this heat, they had two choices, the water-park outside or go somewhere indoors, out of the heat. The kids would probably pick the water park. The door behind him banged open again. Ross interrupted his thoughts as he bounded through the door.