Stuart Woods: D.C. Dead

“Me,” Dino said.

“Me,” Holly said.

Stone poured the drinks, and they all sat down.

Dino was the first to speak. “I’ve been sleeping with a serial murderer since we arrived in this town,” he said.

“Do you know,” Stone said, “that in all our investigating and checking, we never checked the whereabouts of Shelley at the times of the various murders? Not once?”

“When she got called to go to the White House, after Mrs. Kendrick’s murder, she was already at the White House,” Dino said.

“It never occurred to me,” Holly said. “She was the FBI’s lead investigator on all the murders. If she hadn’t hung on to those phones, nobody could ever have made even one of the charges stick.”

“So, she was just one of Brix Kendrick’s conquests,” Dino said.

Stone nodded. “She eliminated Mimi from Kendrick’s life. That makes sense-she wanted him to herself. Then, when he didn’t play that way, she started taking revenge.”

“And she was right among us the whole time,” Dino added. “She knew every detail of our investigation from day one.”

Holly took a swig of her scotch. “And now I’m going to have to call the first lady and director of my agency a">

“That we got it wrong twice,” Stone said. “At our dinner with the Lees, when we told them Charlotte Kirby was the killer, and, of course, now.”

“We’re going to look like assholes,” Dino said. “Amend that: we are assholes.”

“You’re not going to get an argument from me,” Stone said.

Holly said nothing.

Stone got up and started toward the bedroom.

“Where are you going?” Dino said. “The FBI will be here in a minute.”

“I’m going to pack,” Stone said. “Then I’m going to answer their questions for as long as it takes. Then I’m going to get the hell out of D.C.”

Dino got up and started toward his bedroom. “Good idea,” he shouted over his shoulder.

“Fellas,” Holly called out, “this may take longer than you think.”

Stone answered the doorbell, and special agent Dave King stepped inside and introduced his partner, Special Agent Ann Potter.

“Now,” King said, “tell me what the hell is going on here.”

“Dave,” Stone said, “do you remember that when we visited the crime scene at Fair Sutherlin’s apartment, Shelley Bach asked if you had found her cell phone?”

“Yes, I do,” King said. “We had not found it.”

“That’s because it was in Shelley’s handbag at that moment. She had taken it on an earlier visit that afternoon, after she murdered Ms. Sutherlin.”

“Are you completely nuts?” King asked.

“Listen to me, Dave: Holly had the CIA do a search for the Sutherlin cell phone, and it was at this hotel. She had them call the number, and we heard it go off. It was in Shelley’s handbag.”

“Shelley was here?”

“She was. She was in the bathroom when the phone rang. We emptied out her bag, and there were six phones in it. We believe one was Shelley’s and the others belonged to the five women.”

“You don’t know that,” King said.

“She came out of the bathroom with a gun in her hand, took the bag, and left.”

“I don’t believe this.”

“Holly,” Stone said, “can you put traces on the other four cell phones, and on Shelley’s, as well?”

“I’ve got Shelley’s number,” Dino said.

“I’ve got Milly Hart’s,” Stone said. “Don’t bother with the Kendrick phone. She’s been dead for a year. Can you get the numbers for Brandon and Kirby?”

“Of course,” Holly said. “I’ll be right back.” She went into the bedroom to use the phone.

King spoke again. “You’re telling me that an assistant director of the FBI is a serial killer?”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you, Dave. Are your people looking for Shelley yet?”

“That’s my call, and I’m not convinced,” King said.

Stone looked at his watch. “She could already be out of the District,” he said. “How long are you going to wait?”

Holly came back into the room. “My people are on it.” She went to Stone’s computer and logged on to the CIA mainframe. “Well, well, look at this,” she said, pushing back from the laptop so the others could see.

Stone and King walked to the computer and watched.

Holly pointed. “We’ve got Sutherlin’s, Kirby’s, and Shelley’s phones at the same point, across the river in Arlington, headed south.”

“They’re all in the same handbag, Dave, and pretty soon Shelley is going to realize that, and she’ll get rid of the phones. You need to catch her while they’re in her possession.”

King stared at the moving display for a moment, then he took out his own phone and made a call. “This is Dave King,” he said. “I want every agent in D.C. and northern Virginia looking for Assistant Director Shelley Bach on a charge of murder. She’s in a silver BMW SUV, in Arlington right now, headed south. When she’s apprehended, it’s very important that you confiscate her handbag immediately. Alert local PDs in the area, as well. Call me immediately when she has been apprehended.” He looked at Stone. “You better be right about this.”

“You better be right about it, too,” Stone said, “or she’ll be gone.”

Holly spoke up. “Uh-oh,” she said.

“What?” Stone asked.

“The cell phones are splitting up. Shelley’s still moving, but the other two have stopped. She’s ditched them.” Holly zoomed in and got a street address.

King got back on the phone. “There are at least two cell phones that have been discarded near this address.” He recited the street and number. “I want every trash can and dumpster near there searched, and when found, the phones are to be treated as evidence.”

They all watched the screen, and a moment later, Shelley’s phone disappeared from it.

“Now she’s ditched her own phone,” Holly said, “or removed the SIM card. Shelley Bach is now wild in the country.”

“Oh, shit,” Dave King said.

“She’s going to ditch her car, too,” Stone said, “if she’s thinking clearly.”

“She is,” Holly said. “She’s over the panic now-ditching the phones shows us that.”

Dino spoke up. “Let’s hope she’s winging it,” he said, “because if she has a plan, we’re fucked.”

“What kind of plan?” Dave King asked.

“Does she have a country place?” Dino asked. “Does she own another car?”

King got back on his phone and started issuing orders again.

“She’s had time to think about this,” Holly said. “If she’s really smart, and I think she is, she has a plan. She has a bolt-hole, and maybe another car, too, not registered in her name. Dave, you should find out who her friends are. If I’m wrong about the bolt-hole, she might go to someone for help.”

King nodded, still talking on the phone.

It was nearly midnight before Dave King and his partner left the suite. There had beenAv>

no further sign of Shelley Bach.

Shortly after he left, the phone rang, and Stone picked it up.

“Hello?”

“This is the White House operator,” a woman’s voice said. “Will you speak to the president?”

“Of course,” Stone said. He heard a click.

“Stone?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Please put Dino on an extension.”

“Yes, sir. Dino, pick up the bedroom phone. Holly, get the other one. Mr. President, we’re all here.”

“Good.”

“I’m on the phone, too,” Kate Lee said.

“I’ve heard from Kerry Smith what’s going on,” the president said.

“We’ve been brought fully up to date,” Kate interjected.