Free Fall

Fifty-Four

California

Ten minutes after they’d left the house, Kate still felt adrenaline pumping through her.

Munro Carlson, aka Malcolm Grady, had just given her what could be the biggest break in the story so far-Zarathustra’s identity.

Robert Cole.

Her challenge was to verify Cole’s identity and find him.

“That was wild, Kate. Even if half of what that supernerd told you is true, you’ve got a huge story,” Devon said, settling into a booth at the diner they’d driven to. He indicated the fat envelope of Overlord records Kate had set on the table. “It’s like the story with that NSA contractor who leaked stuff a few years ago.”

Kate fanned through the documents, stopping to study the stamps reading “Classified” and “Secret” on pages. They looked authentic to her but she needed confirmation. It had taken some doing but Carlson had agreed to give her copies of the records as promised, and had agreed to let Devon shoot him in shadow, obscuring his face, while Kate continually assured him his identity would be protected. In exchange, Carlson wanted Kate to say in her story that his anonymous blog, Exposita Veritate, Latin for “exposing the truth,” had been the first to raise the question of an Overlord and Robert Cole connection to the London and New York cases.

It struck her that Munro Carlson could’ve been the mystery friend Erich had referred to. She sent Erich a quick message, then called Chuck in New York, who listened intently to her update.

“Good work,” he said. “We need verification on all fronts. Can you scan the documents?”

“There are too many.”

“Okay, then photocopy them and Fed-Ex them overnight to me here, and to Tim Yardley in DC. Make sure you watch the copies being made so nothing goes astray.”

“Isn’t this risky?”

“Yes, but we don’t have many options. I’ll get Yardley to study the records, to push his national security sources on Overlord, Cole and this Munro Carlson. I’ll get Hugh Davidson to do the same here. Verification is critical on all fronts. You know what to do, Kate.”

She set out to search for Robert Cole when she got a message from Munro Carlson with a link.

This just went up on YouTube-check it out. This guy really looks like Robert Cole. You’ve got to look into it.

Kate couldn’t believe it.

What’s going on? Is this really Cole? What’s at stake here? I’ve got to find him.

She took a breath and worked with renewed urgency.

There were too many R. Coles in California, let alone the thousands across the country, for her to search for him alone. She studied Cole’s face in the group photos in the documents and estimated an age range, then called the legal documents and public records agency Newslead used and got them to search for property and court records. Given that Richlon-Titan’s headquarters was in Burbank, she reasoned that Robert Cole lived there and had asked for a search of the vicinity. If that failed, they could expand it to the surrounding communities of Glendale, North Hollywood, Toluca Lake and Griffith Park.

Their food came and they ate as Devon showed Kate the images he’d taken of Carlson. They looked good. By the time they’d finished eating, the records agency had called with an address in Burbank for Robert Cole, previously employed at Richlon-Titan.

Devon pushed his Jeep hard westbound on the 210 Freeway. During the one-hour drive, the agency also sent Kate court records concerning Robert Cole’s vehicular manslaughter case in the death of his wife, Elizabeth, and injury of his daughter, Veyda.

Veyda. That’s the person the man in the video is addressing. So that’s got to be Cole in the video. What’s Veyda’s role here?

Kate resumed studying the case.

“This is so tragic,” she said to Devon while reading the documents as greater LA flowed by.

The Cole residence was in Burbank’s Hillside District, on a tranquil street. It was of mixed style, a ranch bungalow with a touch of Spanish influence-a low, broad house with stucco walls and a red-tiled roof.

A man in his late twenties came to the door.

“Kate Page, from New York. We’re looking for Mr. Robert Cole or his daughter, Veyda.”

The man shook his head.

“Nobody here by that name, sorry.” He scratched his head. “Wait. I think that’s who used to own this house before my mom and dad bought it.”

“Did Mr. Cole leave a forwarding address?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Could we talk to your parents?”

“They’re in Europe on vacation.”

“Could you send them a text?”

“What’s this about?”

“It’s an urgent business matter and we need to reach Mr. Cole.”

The man pulled his phone from his back pocket and typed.

“I think they’re in Dublin. Not sure what time it is there.” After sending the message, he looked closer at Kate and Devon. “Who’re you with?”

“Newslead, the newswire service. We’d like to reach Mr. Cole confidentially. It’s very important.”

“This has got nothing to do with my folks, right?”

“Just Mr. Cole.”

A chime sounded on the man’s phone and he read the message.

“Dad says he doesn’t have an address but thinks that Cole moved to Idaho or Wyoming, some place like that. Maybe even Canada. Sorry.”

“Thanks.”

Kate and Devon tried a few other neighboring doors but it was futile. No one knew where Robert Cole had moved to.

“Let’s try Richlon-Titan.”

Richlon-Titan’s world headquarters was in a ten-story glass building. Its dark blue mirrored windows reflected palms and the blue California sky.

“Kate Page, from Newslead.” She placed her card on the reception desk. “I’d like to speak to Mr. Hub Wolfeson on an urgent matter.”

The receptionist’s eyebrows rose a bit.

“Mr. Wolfeson? Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but he should know who I am and it’s urgent. Tell him it concerns Robert Cole, Overlord, and the recent aircraft incidents in London and New York involving RT systems.”

The receptionist jotted a few notes. “Please, have a seat.”

Kate joined Devon at a marbled wall of water. Next to it were huge portraits of RT airliners. Two minutes became five, then fifteen.

Kate tapped her notebook on her leg.

Wolfeson should indeed be familiar with her name, given all the crap with his nephew, Sloane F. Parkman. She hoped her unannounced visit made him nervous. Heels clicked on the polished floor and she turned.

“Ms. Page?”

A woman about Kate’s age in a power suit and flawless makeup arrived.

“Shannon Bree, executive director of public affairs.” She had an Australian accent. She didn’t extend her hand. She was using both hands to hold a single piece of folded paper. “I’m afraid Mr. Wolfeson is unavailable. He’s in Vienna.”

“Well, I have questions on a number of urgent matters.”

“Yes, we’re quite aware of your reporting and I’m afraid given the circumstances of the ongoing investigations we can’t comment. We do express our condolences to the families involved and we underscore that we’re cooperating fully with officials in the United States and the UK. The safety of the flying public is our paramount concern.”

“I have questions about Robert Cole and Overlord.”

“Yes, but for privacy reasons we cannot comment on former employees or their past activities. I’m sure you understand. It’s all here in our formal statement for you.” Bree handed Kate the paper on RT letterhead, which echoed what she’d said. Then she offered a gleaming, officious smile.

“You made our cutoff by a whisker,” the Fed-Ex agent said after accepting Kate’s packages for Washington and New York.

After she’d shipped the documents, Devon dropped her at the hotel, where Kate kept working. She called Chuck and vented her frustration over not finding Robert Cole or confirming much more on Overlord.

“Did Tim or Hugh have any luck?”

“Not much. But don’t worry about it. The trip’s paid off,” Chuck said. “We have a good foundation. You can pick it up when you get back to New York tomorrow.”

Kate then called home and spoke with Grace, Vanessa and Nancy. Hearing their voices lifted her spirits. Afterward she took a hot shower then pored over the Project Overlord records. Much of it was technical.

Kate shifted her focus to read Robert Cole’s court records on her phone, this time more carefully. Dear Lord, this is so tragic. After absorbing the details on Elizabeth Cole’s death, Kate had to struggle to shove away the images of her own tragic car crash. She forced herself to keep reading. She paused when she came to sections concerning Robert Cole’s daughter, Veyda, to replay her father’s video plea, then resumed studying the records. Veyda was a doctoral candidate at MIT where she was working on aircraft systems engineering.

Veyda was following in her dad’s footsteps. She’d know where her father was; maybe she’d know about Overlord, too. But Robert Cole’s words from the video echoed in her mind: Whatever you’re doing or thinking of doing, please stop… I’m begging you… Kate went online to try to find an email or some way to reach Veyda Cole.

No luck.

The sun was still high but Kate was exhausted as she continued her research. Looking again at the images of the Heathrow tragedy and the cabin video of the EastCloud flight, she was overwhelmed by the magnitude and horror of what had happened, and what was at stake.

Is Robert Cole Zarathustra? Or maybe his daughter is? They’d have the skills to attempt to interfere with the flights. If that’s the case, then don’t I have a duty to alert authorities to look at Robert Cole as their person of interest? Wasn’t that the point of my last major story? But it’s not my job to inform police.

Anguished by indecision, Kate raised her face to the ceiling.

What if something happened? What if another plane crashed? How could I live with myself?

She reached for her phone and called Nick Varner, hoping and praying she could talk to him. One ring and the line was answered.

“Varner.”

“Nick, it’s Kate Page.”

“Hey, I really can’t talk right now.”

“I’ve got something important to tell you but you have to swear no one will know this came from me.”

“What is it?”

“Swear to me, Nick.”

“This isn’t a good time.”

“Swear, Nick.”

“Okay.”

“Your person of interest may be a former Richlon-Titan engineer with expertise on flight-management systems. He may have suffered some sort of breakdown and could be exacting revenge.”

Varner said nothing.

“His name is Robert Cole. He used to live in Burbank, the Hillside District.” Kate recited the address. “But he’s moved. And he’s posted a troubling video plea to his daughter, Veyda. This could be significant.”

Varner said nothing, which Kate took as unusual. Shouldn’t he be asking me to tell him more about the Coles? Varner’s silence meant something was up.

“Nick, I’m violating my own ethical code to help you.”

Silence. Kate looked at her phone, then pressed it back to her ear.

“Nick, are you there?”

“We’re on the same track.”

“You know about Cole?”

“We’re on the same track and things are unfolding.”

Kate sat straighter.

“Unfolding? What do you mean? Nick, where are you? What’s going on?”

“I’ve got to go.”

“Nick!”