Long Shadows

Chapter 87

L​ater that afternoon, after getting back from West Palm, Decker and White sat out in their rental in front of Cummins’s house.

“In some ways it seems like we’ve been investigating this thing a lot longer than we have,” observed White.

Decker wasn’t listening. He looked at Doris Kline’s house and then at the Perlmans’.

“Not easy transporting Lancer’s body into a house unseen.”

“They could have just brought it in the trunk of a car,” noted White.

“And then what? Pulled into the driveway and hauled the corpse out?”

“Well, they obviously did it late at night when no one was around.”

“The security here makes regular rounds. And how does a car with no special tag get in the gate after hours?”

“Well, that’s true. But I don’t see Kline carrying a body around. And the Perlmans were in New York when Cummins was killed. We confirmed that.”

“Remember the guys on the beach? The person behind the killings didn’t have to be here that night if they were.”

“By that logic, they could be working for Davidson or Langley.”

“True.”

“Do you think they’re the same guys who pulled Lancer from the hospital?” she asked.

“It was dark on the beach, and the video at the hospital wasn’t great, so we can’t be sure. But it certainly could be the case. They were the same sizes as the guys on the CCTV footage.”

Decker rubbed his eyes and shook his head.

“What is it?”

“My perfect memory isn’t so perfect right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s something in there but it won’t connect.”

“How do you mean it won’t connect?”

“Two images I have that should be connected, but I can’t remember what they are.”

“You’ll think of it, just give it time.”

“How much time do we have?”

“What do you mean?”

“Before the Bureau declares the investigation a clusterfuck and yanks us both back to DC for our professional execution?”

White sank back against her seat. She said, “Well, I won’t go quietly.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to.”

“How about you?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t want to do this anymore?”

“Not necessarily. I just don’t know if the Bureau is the right place for me to be doing it.” He opened the car door. “Let’s go talk to the Perlmans. Maybe something will pop.”

She killed the engine and opened her door. “And why the Perlmans over Doris Kline?”

“The Perlmans recommended Gamma to Cummins. And Draymont was in their house.”

“Wait a minute — you think he might have been blackmailing them? But if so, why recommend Gamma to the judge?”

“Maybe they did that before they got blackmailed.”