Дэвид Балдаччи - The Fix

“And that explains how they afforded a place like this all those years ago.”

Decker looked at her. “So you thought of that too?”

“I have my moments of epiphany,” she said modestly.

“Let’s check the Dabneys’ bedroom.”

It was far larger than the daughters’ spaces, with an attached sitting room and a fireplace. They searched the bedroom, then the two large closets; Ellie’s was a spacious walk-in. Decker next looked in the en suite bathroom and went through the drawers and the medicine cabinet where there were a number of prescription bottles. These included heart meds and cholesterol-lowering drugs, and an asthma inhaler.

Sucks getting old , thought Decker.

He closed the door of the medicine cabinet and rejoined Brown in the bedroom.

“No dolls,” she said.

They went back downstairs carrying all the dolls and reentered the room where the Dabney women were still sitting. Jules was holding her old doll.

“What are you doing with those?” asked Samantha, indicating the dolls.

“We need to take them with us,” said Brown.

“Why?” asked Samantha.

“They’re evidence.”

Samantha was about to say something, but she glanced at Jules and sat back.

Decker sat across from Jules. “I want to show you this photo again and see if you recognize the woman.” He held up Berkshire’s photo.

“I told you I didn’t recognize her,” said Jules.

Decker passed the photo around to the others. Ellie and the others shook their heads as they looked at the picture of Berkshire.

“Imagine her with darker hair, fewer lines on the face?” prompted Decker.

They studied the photo for a few moments. Jules shook her head. “I really don’t know this person.” She looked at her sister and mother. They all, too, shook their heads.

Ellie said, “What does all this mean? With the dolls and all? I don’t understand.”

“We don’t either, if it’s any consolation,” said Brown.

“Are you... saying that Walt was involved in something having to do with these dolls? How does that make any sense? They were the girls’ toys, not his. I never remember him walking around with a doll. It’s absurd.”

“Right now, we’re not saying anything,” replied Brown. “We’re still in the collecting stage.”

They left the house with the dolls and walked to Brown’s car.

Decker turned around and looked at the house. “You know the game kids play, ‘You’re getting warmer, warmer’?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, every time I leave this place I think I’m getting colder.”

As they drove off, Brown said, “Melvin and I are having dinner tonight. You and Alex want to join us?”

“After your wonderful picnic?”

Brown actually blushed at this comment. “It was wonderful. He brought me flowers.”

He glanced at her. “You sure you want the company?”

“We’re working our butts off, the fate of the country in the balance. I think a few hours of distraction might actually be good for all of us.”

“Okay,” said Decker.

The dinner had been good and the conversation light and humor-filled. It had been a nice respite from the investigation, allowing them to recharge their batteries. Now the four of them had driven over to Brown’s home near Capitol Hill.

Jamison stared goggled-eyed at the luxurious interior. “Harper, this place is beautiful.”

Brown handed Jamison a glass of wine and said, “Most of it was my grandmother’s doing. She had the eye. But I’ve put in some of my own things too. A few paintings, that sculpture over there, and some rugs. And a special feature or two,” she added offhandedly. “It’s comfortable and cozy.”

“Yes, it really is.”

Decker and Mars were on the other side of the room. In lieu of wine the pair were each cradling a bottle of Dos Equis.

“Fun time tonight,” said Mars. He was dressed in jeans and a dark green turtleneck that seemed barely able to contain his chiseled physique.

“Always like hanging with you, Melvin.”

He looked over and caught Brown eyeing Mars. She smiled appreciatively and turned back to Jamison.

“And you obviously have a fan in Ms. Brown.”

Mars took a swig of beer and grinned like a schoolboy. “She’s fun. Lady’s been everywhere, done everything. I’ve been nowhere and done nothing.” He looked around. “And she comes from money but doesn’t act like it. That’s cool in my book. And she’s quite an athlete! I mean, she’s built like one, but she’s got the goods too, ’cause you never know, right? We went for a run early this morning.”

“Before your picnic?” said Decker.

Mars’s smile broadened. “I know. But we like hanging out together. Anyway, she had no problem keeping up with me. Hell, I think she might have been going easy on me.”

“And she’s kind to children and loves puppies. Quite the catch.”

Mars’s smile broadened. “I know, I know. I’m just rambling here, being kind of goofy. And I know we don’t really know each other all that well, but we just kind of clicked, you know?”

“I know, Melvin. And I’m really happy for you.”

Decker glanced at his watch. It was late, after midnight.

“I’m going to finish this beer and then call it a ni—”

The lights went out, sending them into darkness.

“What the hell?” exclaimed Mars.

“Did a circuit breaker trip or did a transformer blow outside?” said Decker.

He felt someone pass him and a few moments later Brown said, “Other homes on the street have power. It must be—”

She stopped, turned, and ran back over to them. She grabbed Decker and Mars by the arm. “Move it. Now! Jamison, to the right and down the hall.”

“What’s—” began Mars, but she had tugged on his hand and pulled them out of the room.

A few seconds later the front and back doors burst open and masked men poured in. They had short-barreled MP5s and night-vision goggles, and they opened fire as they swarmed through the house.

As Brown and the others sprinted down the hall, Decker, who was bringing up the rear, turned and emptied half his mag.

Bullets whizzed past him, exploding a lamp, ripping chunks of plaster off the wall, shredding paintings, and causing bursts of fabric and filling to erupt from furniture.

Decker emptied the rest of his ammo and Jamison opened fire too as they fled down the hall.

Brown kicked open a door at the end of the hall and pushed them all through it. She slammed the door shut and turned the lock.

“Over here, quick!”

Bullets thudded into the door but none burst through.

Decker glanced at her.

“Steel-lined,” she hissed back.

Brown took out her phone, hit a key, and a section of the wall swiftly opened. Behind it was a metal door. This opened on whisper-quiet hydraulics.

“Get inside, now!” she urged. “Hurry!”

They hustled into the revealed room and Brown hit another key on her phone. The door closed and the section of wall slid back into place.

A light came on in the room and Decker and the others looked around. There was a TV screen on one wall. It obviously had feed from just outside the door, because they could all see the room they had just been in.

As they watched, the door to the room burst open and the armed men moved inside.

Decker said, “We need to call the cops.”

“My security system automatically did that when I activated the door to the safe room.”

“So that’s what this is?” said Jamison, gazing around. “A safe room?”

“Steel-wrapped, soundproof, bombproof, bulletproof, with its own air supply, independent power source, and enough food and water for a week. Plus a portable potty.”