Upside Down

61

Just as Winter arrived outside the aquarium, Adams was pulling up and parking on the access street next to the power station near a police-issue Crown Victoria. He got out and joined Winter about the same time a limping Nicky arrived, carrying his cane.

“Keep your eyes out for her,” Winter told Nicky. After showing their badges, Winter and Adams were shown around the metal detector by a security guard.

“Just a quick run-through,” Adams told the guard.

“Who y'all looking for?”

“We'll handle it from here,” Adams replied gruffly.

“Thanks,” Winter told the guard. “We're just going to make a quick sweep through the building.”

“Happy to help,” the guard said. “You guys aren't having any luck finding whoever you've been searching for.”

“I'm sorry?” Winter said. “You said, been searching for?”

“Well, yeah. First the NOPD detectives-Tinnerino and Dale or something-and now you federals. USMS and FBI spells escaped federal prisoner doesn't it? The NOPD detectives said they were looking for somebody. One of them walked through the place upstairs and down while the other watched the exit. Then they just hauled ass. I'm surprised they didn't run smack into you guys.”

“When?” Winter asked.

“They came in about ten minutes ago. They just went by the doors there two minutes ago. I saw them all heading toward Canal Street.”

“All?”

“The two detectives that came in and a couple more people were with them outside.”

“Short woman? Tall thin guy?”

“She was inside for a few minutes. Dressed in leather-you couldn't miss her. Some other guy outside in a long black coat.”

“Did you hear them say where they were going?” Adams asked.

“No. They grouped up out there and went off the plaza toward Canal Street. I walked them around the metal detectors because they had gold detective shields. They said it was official business. I figure they're after whoever it is you're after. Sort of less than forthcoming and not open for questions, if you catch my drift. I did hear the shorter one call his partner Tin Man. Like in The Wizard of Oz. ”

“We're looking for a twelve-year-old girl.”

“There's been about a thousand through here this morning.”

“This one has short blond hair, maybe five-five and ninety pounds,” Winter said.

The security guard's eyes grew serious. “Well, there was a boy that went out through these doors in a hurry. Wore a hooded red sweatshirt and a baseball cap and had a backpack. It could've been a girl, I guess. And that was just before the cops took off. The kid ran out so fast, I didn't have time to respond. I figured-”

“Thanks,” Winter managed to say before he and Adams left the same way they'd come in, this time through the metal detector, which sounded two distinct ear splitting alarms.

He figured that Tinnerino and Doyle were looking for Faith Ann, and they had flushed her and were in pursuit somewhere close by.

As he ran outside, Winter's mind whirred. The detectives had gotten there before Winter even knew about Faith Ann being there. Either someone spotted her and called the detective bureau or they were just checking places the girl frequented on the off chance she'd be there. The detective bureau's number had been on television since the night before and was published in the newspaper that morning. But because of the timing, and the fact that the picture they were using was two years old and she was now disguised, it was more likely something else. To have responded so fast, they had to have learned she was there about the same time Rush had. The pair in the Lincoln had left Bennett's club in a hurry, then had parked nearby and joined the detectives, so they must have known about it too. Once again, the couple was connected to Tinnerino and Doyle.

“She's gone,” Adams told Nicky. “The two detectives from that Crown Vic over there and that couple are after her on foot.

“You know,” he said, “we can track her too. You have the cell phone number. I make a request of my intelligence people and we can get fed the coordinates when she makes a call or takes one. In real time.”

“Damn!” Winter said when it hit him. “The cops have her cell phone number! That's how they found her. The minute she called Rush, they had her.”

“If they have the phone number, they'll know pretty quick who she's called. I think Suggs and his men will know about the connection to you pretty soon.”

“Then we can stop playing games,” Winter said. “They haven't had time to get far. They went toward Canal Street after her. Adams and I will go on foot. Nicky, you take our car. Where's yours?”

“Back there around the corner.” He handed Winter the key.

“Run a grid and look for them. You see them, radio us your position.”

Winter and Adams took off toward Canal Street. As the two men turned the corner where the power station wall ended, the city seemed to come alive with the sound of sirens. Blue strobe lights poured onto Canal Street as scores of patrol cars converged on their location.

“Good Lord,” Adams muttered. “Seems excessive to send in an army to deal with one scared little girl.”