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Rick led Alex into the basement of the Philadelphia FBI building, where there were a number of rooms meant for people they had to keep in hiding. This was the place Janet Brogan and her two kids had been brought after the explosion in their home. It wasn’t nearly as nice as their house, but there was a television, a stereo, and a small collection of books to read. It wasn’t the Waldorf, but they weren’t dead either.
Janet Brogan answered Rick’s knock on the door, leaving it open for the two of them to follow her into the small kitchenette. The oldest child, Brogan’s daughter, was watching the TV when Alex and Rick entered. She looked up at them with wide eyes, and quickly looked back at the screen. Alex winced at the shock on the girl’s face.
Janet had white blond hair, that was swept around her face in waves. She was a few inches taller than Alex, with a heavier body. She appeared to be about forty-five, though Alex knew from the file that she was only thirty-eight. The woman looked like she hadn’t slept any more than Alex, and Alex noticed that her hands shook as she poured coffee for the three of them. Alex took a sip of hers, thinking she needed the caffeine. She grimaced at the taste.
“Is something wrong, Agent Reis?”
“Call me Alex, and, no, not at all.” She gave the woman a smile. “I’m just not a coffee person. Never liked the taste.”
“Then why did you say you’d like some?”
Alex shrugged. “Didn’t get a lot of sleep, and I need the caffeine.”
Janet chuckled and sat down, folding her hands around her own mug. “I know about no sleep. I didn’t get a wink last night, and neither did the kids.” She shook her head. “They don’t understand what’s going on. They both had nightmares all night. I finally just got Eric down for his nap.”
“I’m sorry. I know this whole situation must be hell for you.”
“It’s no party, that’s for sure.” Janet rested her arms on the table, leaning onto them. “Rick says you have questions for me, is that right?”
“Yes. I know this is difficult, but I need you to be as honest as you can.”
“I have been. I’ve told Rick everything I know.”
“Okay. I’ve seen Rick’s notes about the bombing, and the last few days, so I’ll try not to ask the same questions he did. I might though, so bear with me, alright?”
Janet nodded.
“Great. So, just to recap, you and the kids were out shopping, is that correct? And when you came home from the grocery store, the explosion occurred while you were still outside.”
“Yes.”
“And Kyle wasn’t home, you’re sure about that.”
“Yes. He was supposed to be, but his car was gone. I noticed that when I got home.”
“Okay. Now you told Rick that you hadn’t seen anyone suspicious in the neighborhood recently. I know Rick, and Agent Thomas visited your house a few times to talk to Kyle. Were there any other visitors?”
“Just a few friends of ours. They came over, oh, last Monday, I guess, because it was right after our other car was stolen.”
“And who are these friends?”
“John and Karen. We go to the same church as they do.”
Alex jotted the names on her pad. “And John’s last name is?”
“Oh, don’t drag them into this. They’re such good people.”
“Janet, we won’t talk to them unless we have to, but I need to know their last name.”
The older woman sighed. “Treville. John and Karen Treville. Karen and I have worked together on several charity drives, and John is a deacon in our church. He also works at East Penn Telecom, where Kyle works.”
“I see.” Alex traded glances with Rick. “And the last time you saw or spoke to John or Karen was last Monday?”
“Yes — no, wait. That’s right, John called, a couple of days ago. He wanted to talk to Kyle, but Kyle was in with Rick, and that other man. John said Kyle should call him back.”
“That was a couple days ago? Did Kyle return the call?”
“I think so.”
Alex folded her arms and looked across the table at Janet. “Okay. I need to know when was the last time that Kyle saw his cousins, Mallory and Derek.”
Janet shook her head. “Not that again. Like I told Rick, it’s been months since we saw Derek, and even longer since Kyle has even spoken to Mallory. The two of them had an argument over something, two years ago. They haven’t spoken since.”
“And Derek White? I know you told Rick he was there six months ago. Was it just him, or his family?”
“Just him. There was a meeting, a prayer meeting.”
“A prayer meeting?”
“Yes. Derek may have some tendencies toward discrimination, which I don’t like, but he is a Christian. He met with my husband and several of his friends to pray.”
“Were you there for the meeting? Did you hear them praying?”
“No. Kyle said they wanted the house to themselves. I took the kids and went over to Karen’s house. I got home a few minutes before everyone left.”
“So, they were praying when you came in?”
Janet looked down at her coffee cup. “Well, no. They were talking, but it was obvious the meeting was over. They were laughing a lot, and they’d had a few beers.”
“Is that usual at a prayer meeting?”
Janet didn’t raise her head, but she shook it, slowly. “I’d never seen it before, except when Kyle and his friends gathered. He said it helped them relax after praying so hard.”
Alex again glanced at Rick, but the younger man was busily taking notes. She turned back to Janet. “Can you tell me who exactly attended this meeting?”
“Well, there were Kyle and Derek, of course, and John Treville. And someone named Jake, but I never heard his last name.” She thought about it. “There was also a C.J., and Marty. Marty was a good friend of John’s it seemed, because they always came together to the meetings.”
“Meetings? There was more than one?”
“Yes. It started about a year ago. For a while they had meetings every six weeks or so. Then, I couldn’t tell you when, but just before the last meeting, John invited these other two men.” Janet grimaced. “I didn’t like them at all, and I told Kyle that. He laughed and said they probably wouldn’t be back. I asked him who they were, and he said the group had hired them for something, to take care of some church business.”
“Do you remember their names?”
“Yes. Well, kind of. The one guy’s name started with a ‘D’ I think. I’m not sure. But the other one, him I remember. He was really jumpy, nervous like. His name was George.”
“George? No last name?”
“I’m sorry, I never asked anybody for their last name. Kyle said it wasn’t important.” Janet paused, staring down into her coffee cup. “Alex, what does all this have to do with my house being blown up?”
Alex sighed, and reached out to touch the other woman’s hand. “Janet, we think that your husband may have been involved with several men, including his cousin, who were part of a much larger conspiracy. We think they may have planted the bomb at the house.”
Janet gazed steadily at Alex. “That’s not possible. Derek and Kyle care about each other. They’re cousins, Derek would never hurt Kyle.”
“And the others? Jake, and C.J., and John —”
“No. John Treville has done nothing but help Kyle. He and his wife are very active in our church, and they’ve been our friends for years. Besides, he just a few months ago gave Kyle that painting the one Rick was admiring the other day.”
Alex looked at Rick. “Painting?”
“Yeah, it was a painting of the Virgin and Jesus. Oil painting, looked pretty old to me.”
Alex turned back to Janet. “John gave Kyle a painting?”
“Yes. It was one that he’d had for many years, but he wanted Kyle to have it. After all, John and Karen have so many beautiful paintings, and Karen said she’d helped John pick out just which one to give to us.”
“And where did John get this painting?”
“He picked it up on one of his European visits. You know, he visits a lot of churches in the former Soviet Union, bringing them bibles. He’s a good man, Alex. He couldn’t have been responsible for the bomb. That’s just absurd.”