Long Shadows

Chapter 48

“T​he Kingston Group,” said White as they sat in Andrews’s small office at his RA in Fort Myers. “That’s where Lancer was the communications director and later a lobbyist. They’re a respected K Street outfit, been in business for a long time. She was there for five years. Good record, no complaints. Before that she was a corporate lawyer for a white-shoe firm in DC. I spoke to someone at the firm. They reported that nothing unusual happened while she was there.”

Decker was looking over some pages on a laptop. “Connection to Draymont?”

“The people I spoke to didn’t know of one. But they might have dated, hung out as friends; it didn’t have to be a professional connection. She was a number of years older than he was, but so what?”

“Did they live near each other?”

“Relatively speaking, but not in the same community.”

“No overlap in their jobs?” asked Decker.

“Well, the lobbying firm did a lot of work on Capitol Hill. And Draymont worked security at the Capitol complex. It was entirely possible that their paths would have crossed professionally. You know, she’s up there lobbying someone while Draymont is on duty. He caught her eye. They might have dated. Those things happen every day.”

Decker thought about her words. He caught her eye.

“But nothing firm on any nexus between them?”

“No. But they could have kept it on the Q.T.”

“Were either of them married?” he asked.

“No record of that. You were thinking if one was, that would be a reason to keep their relationship secret?”

“Yes. Okay, let’s just take this logically, step-by-step. You don’t kill someone without a reason, particularly in this situation. Now, with Cummins we have a number of motivations, separate and apart from Draymont and Lancer. But for the latter two, you kill them if they did the killer wrong, or had information that was dangerous to the killer or whoever might have hired them.” He looked up at her inquiringly.

“Okay, I agree with that. But could their killings be a symbolic act against Kanak Roe and Gamma? Remember the money in the mouths.”

Decker shook his head. “I would maybe think that, if Draymont and Lancer had no connection to one another. But they did. It’s beyond probability that they would both be targeted simply as symbolic stand-ins for Kanak Roe or Gamma Protection Services. And Patty Kelly intimated that they were doing something to make money.”

“You thought that involved blackmail, and that they got their hands slammed in the cookie jar. So that was probably why they were killed.”

“But that was somehow also connected to Kanak Roe and his home country. Hence the Slovakian money in their mouths.”

“But, Decker, Roe came to this country many decades ago — before Draymont or Lancer were even born, in fact.”

“Doesn’t matter. If the connection is there, it will explain all facets of the case.”

She shook her head. “Well, right now, I just don’t see it. And I like to keep an open mind on cases. Going down only one alley can waste a lot of time if it turns out to be the wrong alley.”

“And it can save time if it turns out to be the right one,” countered Decker. “What’s the latest on Andrews?”

“He’s awake and in a lot of pain. But he’s lucky. If the bullet had hit a few inches or so to the right, he’s not waking up ever.”

“And ballistics on the slug in him and the one that killed Kelly?”

“Did not match the rounds taken from Draymont and Lancer. They were probably from a rifle, because the shots definitely came from a distance.”

“Like I said before, we need to know more about Draymont and Lancer from their time back in DC.”

“Do we fly there and check it out? I’m not sure how much we would find out that’s relevant besides what I learned on my phone calls.”

“You can fly there and check it out. I’ll stay here and run down some leads.”

Her look turned sour. “Trying to get rid of me again? I thought we had covered that.”

“We can divide and conquer.” He paused, looking uncomfortable. “And...”

“And what?” she said, evidently looking for a fight.

“And I thought you might want to see your kids.”

All the venom seeped from White’s features as she scrutinized him. “Okay, that is the only response that would have saved your butt with me right this second. So, what do you want me to try to find out?”

“I said before I didn’t think this was Draymont’s and Lancer’s first attempt at blackmail. And maybe they picked up down here where they left off in DC.”

“Pretty bad blackmailers then, because Draymont drove an old car and lived in a crummy apartment. Lancer’s house was pretty modest.”

“Draymont also had on a Cartier watch and his suit was an Armani. Both were the real deal. And he had a personal platinum Amex card.”

“Shit,” said White. “Now that I think about it, the clothes in Lancer’s apartment were all designer and so were her handbags. I thought they were knockoffs. And the motivation for the people who killed them?”

“It’s about something more important than money.”

“Which is?”

“What we have to find out.”