Fear No Evil

Chapter 17

Sampson slapped the bubble on the roof of his squad car, lit up the sirens, and drove me from FBI headquarters to my home in under eight minutes.

He double-parked with the lights flashing and followed me up the porch stairs, saying, “Damn, I wish I were going with you.”

“And I wish you were coming with me, but fatherhood matters most,” I said as we went inside.

“It does. Thanks for reminding me.”

“You sure you have time to get me to the airport?”

“Jannie’s supposed to be babysitting Willow until seven.”

We went into the kitchen, where Nana Mama was frying panko-crusted rabbit in onions, garlic, and chili oil.

“That smells unbelievable, Nana,” Sampson said.

My ninety-something grandmother grinned. “I’ll send you home with some for you and Willow for dinner.”

I told her I had to pack to go to Los Angeles on short notice. I started to turn away, then asked where Ali was. She told me he’d called from the house of one of his sports-camp buddies and would be home for dinner.

I ran upstairs and threw underwear, socks, three shirts, two ties, two pairs of pants, and a dark blazer in a suitcase. After a moment’s consideration, I grabbed my passport, in case we had to go to Mexico. I tossed in my toothbrush and a few other items, then took the luggage downstairs. Anything else I needed, I’d buy.

“John!” I said. “Let’s go.”

Sampson didn’t answer. I could hear Nana Mama talking to him in concern. I dropped my bag and went back to the kitchen to find my oldest friend sitting at our table, forehead in hand, staring at his phone screen.

“He won’t tell me what’s wrong,” my grandmother said.

“John?” I said.

Sampson finally looked at me, the anguish plain throughout his face. “M is watching, isn’t he, Alex? M’s still playing us all the time, isn’t he?”

I took the phone from him and read the text message he’d received less than a minute before.

Sampson got to his feet, his eyes haunted, and said angrily, “He’s trying to throw me, upset me. Billie died of a heart attack caused by Lyme disease.”

“Was that the official result of the autopsy?” I asked quietly.

“There wasn’t one, remember?” he said. “Because of all the hospital stays, the ME decided it wasn’t necessary. And it wasn’t. She died of Lyme’s.”

“Then I agree. M is trying to throw you.”

“And he’s watching us. It’s time for that to stop.”

“Who’s watching us?” Nana Mama asked.

“We’re about to make sure no one is, Nana,” I said and looked at my watch.

Sampson turned stoic again. “I’ll be back for the rabbit, Nana. I have to get Alex to the airport.”

Outside, as we went to John’s double-parked squad car with the bubble still flashing blue, he said, “I want my house swept top to bottom for bugs and cameras. And there’s got to be some way to make sure there are no cameras trained on our homes.”

“I’ll ask Ned on the plane,” I said.

When we got in the car, I saw Big John’s hands were shaking.

“Want me to drive?”

“No,” he said.

“M is trying to throw you.”

The anguish was back on Sampson’s face as he put the car in gear and said, “I know, but I’ve got to make sure. I owe that to Billie, that and so much more.”

Before I could answer, he flipped on the siren and peeled away from the curb.