Fast and Loose

55

Jake read one of Rawls’s books for a while but felt antsy. It was nice outside, so he went for a little walk. The first nip of autumn was in the air, and there was a hint of color in the trees around the house.

As he strolled around the ample backyard he noticed a pile of dirt behind the garage. Closer inspection revealed a brand-new propane tank set in the hole, and an old, rusty one on the ground beside it. The new tank appeared to be connected, and the heat was on in the house. A backhoe stood beside the hole. Apparently, the tank had been installed and the backhoe operator had left until the plumber arrived to make the connection.

He strolled on until he came to a barbed-wire fence that seemed to separate Rawls’s property from the farm beyond. A few dairy cattle grazed beyond that. He felt a hunger pang and wished Macher would hurry up.

On his way back, he inspected the garage, found it unlocked and an old Mercedes inside. He thought it would be a good idea to get his own car out of sight, so he moved it into the garage and closed the doors.

Macher was nearly to the house when his cell rang.

“Yes?”

It was his secretary. “Someone called for you half an hour ago.”

“Who?”

“He said he was a friend, wouldn’t leave a name.”

“If he calls again, give him my cell number.”

“As you wish.” He hung up. That wouldn’t have been the police, since they had already visited, and a client would have given his name. He considered Barrington as a possibility, but dismissed it as being too far-fetched. He drove on toward his destination.

Stone got the Manassas automated weather: the wind was from the south at ten knots, so he called the tower and requested runway 16 and set the airplane down there. He rolled out and taxied back to the FBO, expecting Rawls to come out to greet him, but he didn’t show. Probably still in the air.

Inside he requested fuel and hangar space and rented a car. Half an hour later a Cessna 182 rolled up to the FBO, cut its engine, and Rawls got out. Stone met him on the ramp and put his bags into the car, along with his own. Rawls headed inside for the head, then came back and got into the car.

“I’ll need directions,” Stone said, and Rawls gave them.

“What’s your plan when we get there, Ed?”

“Don’t have one,” Rawls replied. “I don’t think we’ll just walk in, though. Why don’t we stop for a late lunch, then take our time. I’d rather approach the place after dark. If Herman is there, he’ll have a light on.”

“Makes sense.”

Rawls guided Stone to a country restaurant, and they had a leisurely lunch.

“We could pay Lance Cabot a surprise call,” Rawls said. “The Agency is ten minutes from here, and we go right past it.”

“I don’t think Lance and I have anything in particular to say to each other right now.” He told Rawls about Lance’s disinterest in connecting the CIA explosives to Erik Macher.

“That sounds like Lance,” Rawls said. “There was nothing in it for him, so he said no.”

Macher pulled up to the house in the late afternoon. He didn’t see Jake’s car, so he approached the house with caution. Jake saw him through a window and opened a door to admit him.

“Where’s your car?” Macher asked.

“I put it in the garage.”

“Is there room for mine?”

“No, Rawls’s car is taking up the other space.”

Macher parked next to the house. “Have you had a look around?”

“Yeah,” Jake said, “I took a walk.”

“Anything unusual going on?”

“There’s a backhoe parked behind the garage, waiting to bury a new propane tank, apparently just installed, so tomorrow somebody might turn up to fill the hole. I don’t think he’ll need to speak to us. Did you bring food?”

“Yep, booze, too. I could use a drink.”

“I could use one, too,” Jake said, “and something to eat.”

They went inside the house, collecting Macher’s bag on the way. Jake saw the explosives in the box in the trunk. “Why did you bring the plastique?”

“I wanted to get it out of the office. The cops have searched it once, but I moved it to a dumpster. You never know when they’ll come back.”

“What did they say about Dan Swenson?”

“That he’s expected to recover.”

“Did they mention the bomb?”

“No.”

“That must mean it didn’t go off. What time were they at the office?”

“They left a little before ten.”

“So the bomb might still have gone off?”

“I don’t think so,” Macher said. “I had the satellite radio news on the whole way down here and there was no mention of it.”

They went into the kitchen, and Jake heated up a can of chili while they sipped a scotch.

Stone and Rawls cruised slowly past the house as the sun was going down and saw Macher’s Mercedes.

“What does Macher drive?” Ed asked.

“A Mercedes S550, just like that one,” Stone replied.

They drove on past.