Tanner grinned. “I’m glad I could help. Where do we go from here?”
“Well, the hospital. I expect Captain Weaver will be joining us?”
“Yep. He said he’d be there first thing, with a list of personnel and visitors.”
Alex had been placing the last few items in her briefcase, but she suddenly stopped. She turned to Tanner with disbelief on her face.
“Visitors? You mean he allowed his suspect to receive visitors?”
Tanner frowned. “I don’t think he meant it the same way you do. He means like a lawyer. No way did he get to see friends or anything like that.”
Alex sighed and shook her head. “And did he think to search the lawyer?”
The frown deepened. “I don’t know. It happened before we came on the case so I wouldn’t be able to tell you.”
She shook her head. “Well, let’s get down there.” She rubbed a hand across the back of her neck. “Hope to hell they have a coke machine.”
*******************************************************
They did have a Coke machine, and Alex gratefully took the first few swallows from the can. That was enough to shake the final cobwebs out, and she felt ready to face Matthew Weaver.
Who was fast approaching, with a clipboard, and a very big frown.
He stopped in front of Alex, trying to use his six foot height to intimidate her, and thrust the clipboard at her.
“Here. The first sheet has the names of all police personnel who entered the room after the last search was conducted. The next one is the list of hospital staff, and the third is the list of visitors, which numbered a total of three.” He jabbed the list at her.
What he completely failed to realize was that Alex didn’t really ever become intimidated. Even when Davies was yelling at her in Philadelphia her reaction had been rage, which she carefully clamped down on. She had disliked the man, but never felt intimidated. The only person she could remember being intimidated by, was Teren.
Alex smiled at the police captain. “Good morning to you, too, Captain Weaver. Thank you for meeting us so early in the morning, and being so prompt in filling our request for these lists.”
Her smile, and the gentle way she said it, caused confusion to settle on Weaver’s face. He had been expecting either anger, or fear, but not the angelic smile she wore.
“Uh, you’re welcome.”
Alex took hold of the clipboard, and began looking through the names. She waited until he had backed up a step or two, then spoke.
“Captain?”
“Yes, Agent Reis?”
“At this point in time, my only concern here is how Keith Halloran might be connected to events on a national level. His death is a matter for the Denver PD.” She looked up from the papers. “However, that could change in the blink of an eye. And if I sense less than full cooperation from this department, I will call in enough federal agents to fill every hotel at the airport.” Her smile was still in place. “Do I make myself clear, Captain Weaver?”
Weaver nodded, swallowing hard.
“Good. Just remember that we’re on the same side, from different angles. You’re looking for the killer of a sniper. I’m looking for the leaders of a conspiracy that has taken the lives of at least seven people.” She looked back down at the board in her hand. “You remember your manners, and I’ll remember mine. We’ll both be a lot happier, don’t you agree?”
She could see him nodding out of the corner of her eye.
“Okay, then.” She flipped the papers back down and looked up at him. “Let’s get to work on these lists. I trust you can run an initial check on each individual, correct?”
“Yes, ma’am, we’ve already started that process. You want the results when we finish?”
“Please. Between then and now, I’d like to talk to as many people as possible. David is checking the room, and talking to nurses at the desk.” She gave a grin to the Captain. “He’s very good at getting women to talk to him. Can’t imagine why, can you?”
He returned the grin, surprising both of them. He was thinking that she wasn’t at all what he expected a female agent to be.
“Would you like to speak to officers first, or the staff?”
“There’re only four officers on the list. Are they all here?”
“I think two of them are here, and the others are either off today, or back at the station. I’ll give a call and make sure.”
“Great. If you could have them come here, I’d appreciate it. David and I will be heading down to Colorado Springs this afternoon, so it would make it much quicker if we didn’t have a lot of stops to make.”
“Right. I’ll call the station.” He pointed down the hall. “See that officer with the mustache, in the jacket? That’s Martel. He’s on the list, and he probably knows where Simmons is.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“No problem, ma’am.”
“Captain?”
“Ma’am?”
“Don’t call me ma’am.”
Weaver grinned. “Yes, sir.”
Alex tilted her head and grinned back. “That’s much better.” She headed down the hall to where Officer Martel was standing.
Weaver shook his head. “Never knew a female cop with balls before.”
*******************************************************
At that moment, Teren was stepping into a bookstore on East Colfax. She noted that it hadn’t changed since the last time she was there, three years ago. The stacks of books were everywhere, making it difficult to navigate through the crowded aisles. There was a desk, with more shelves in the front, to the right of the door, and Teren recognized the same round figure and gray hair that she’d known previously.
The old man looked up from his book, then let it drop to the counter in shock. He stood up and edged around the desk, grinning madly.
“Why, you just get yourself over here and give me a hug, young lady. What the hell are you doing here, Teren?”
Teren couldn’t help but smile at him, and she let him wrap his arms around her. Then he pulled back and looked at her.
“I heard about Perry. I’m damned sorry, girl.”
She lowered her head, but was able to keep the smile. “I know. I was too.” She looked at him. “He deserved better.”
“He sure did. I’m damn glad you got your ass out of that mess, though.” He shook his head. “I swear, if I ever get my hands on Mather, I’ll rip his lungs out.”
That turned the smile into a grin. “Somebody beat you to it, Carl.”
He looked at her. “Yeah? Who? You?”
“I wish. Nah, somebody blew him up in a car.” Teren put a hand on the old man’s shoulder. “That’s part of the reason I’m here. Mather was tied to a lot of bad people. And those people just might have been the ones behind the Seffren shooting.”
Carl’s eyes went wide. “No shit? Damn. I was afraid it wasn’t just a nutjob.”
“No. It’s connected to Fletcher in New York, and Dabir in Philly.”
He frowned. “I thought you weren’t gonna stay with the firm, Teren.”
She smiled at him. “That decision hasn’t been made yet. But I’m not here on Agency business. I’m helping someone at the Bureau.” She looked towards the back. “Do you have time for a chat? Sitting down, I mean?”
“Sure.” He moved around her, limping toward the front door, and locked it. He hung up a sign that said he’d be back in an hour.
“Go on. You know you’re way. Ain’t much changed since the last time you were here.” He limped towards the coffee pot as Teren took her jacket off and walked down an aisle to the very back of the store.
Carl was right, she mused. Nothing much had changed in three years. The sofa still had holes in it, the coffee table rocked, and there were magazines and books tossed everywhere. She chuckled and sat down, remembering the last time she and Perry had been here.
“You still take your coffee with sugar?”
“Yes. I’m surprised you remembered.”
“Shoot. I can remember plenty of things. Like when you and Perry were here, and he was ragging on you because you wanted to ask that girl out and wouldn’t. You remember?”