Erased (22 page)

As Stryker tailed the car down Van Ness, he couldn’t be sure if he’d jumped the gun or not. He had gotten up at four a.m. and gone over the car with a fine-toothed comb. The bomb was there, just like he’d expected.

The problem was that he couldn’t be sure of the timing. Who knew what Konrad was thinking? He might wait for later that night, or even the next day. If Konrad didn’t blow the car up this morning, it was going to get increasingly more difficult to keep up the charade.

The one thing working in Stryker’s favor was that he knew Konrad was under pressure from Paolini. That meant he’d want to get it done sooner rather than later. Plus, with Sara Murphy still running wild, Konrad would be eager to get things straightened out and take credit for the clean-up.

When the car finally blew, it almost took Stryker by surprise. He’d been expecting it, more or less, but what shocked him most was the simple inhumanity of the act. Konrad had chosen a location dense with civilians. Traffic was heavy, the sidewalks were loaded people. There was even a bus stop next to the intersection where Konrad blew up the car. The only way Konrad could have insured more damage was to bomb the bus itself. Stryker shook his head and drove away. He’d underestimated Konrad’s ruthlessness. The man was an animal.

Stryker considered the whole of his situation as he drove across town. He was officially dead now. He was no longer concerned about Sara Murphy. Let Konrad take the heat on that. However, he did still have business to attend. Konrad had tried to kill him. That wouldn’t stand. And then there was Paolini. Stryker had thought they’d come to an agreement. It turned out Paolini was less accommodating than she’d led him to believe. The bitch had stabbed him in the back.

Instead of sticking to their agreement, Paolini had told Konrad to assassinate him. Stryker was grinding his teeth as he thought about it. Paolini had just screwed him in more ways than one. If she’d just screwed him on the money end of things, he would have understood. He might have even let it slide. But to pull this? She went too far. Her and Konrad both.

Stryker had some killing to do.

Chapter 37

When Brandy and Inspector Lee arrived at Sara’s office building, the place was locked up tight. They waited outside for a few minutes, thinking Steve might have been late. There was a car parked on the street and Brandy ran the license plate number. It came back as Steve’s.

“You sure he took the appointment?” Brandy said.

“I spoke to him myself,” said Lee. “He said he’d be here all day. Hang on, I’ve got his home phone number. Let me call his wife.”

Brandy waited patiently while Lee spoke to Mrs. Crenshaw. He jotted down a couple phone numbers and then hung up. “She confirmed, Steve was supposed to be here all day today. She gave me phone numbers for a couple partners.”

“Don’t bother,” Brandy said. “I don’t like this one bit…” Brandy whipped out her phone and dialed the number on the security system. “Yes, this is Special Agent Brandy Jackson with the FBI. My security clearance is Alpha ten-twenty, beta three-ten-twenty. Yes. I need a door opened. Thank you.”

She gave them the address and thirty seconds later the locked clicked open. “I didn’t know you could do that,” Lee said as they walked inside. “Don’t you need probable cause or something?”

Brandy shrugged. “Murphy attacked one of her coworkers last night, right? Anyone she worked with might be in danger. As far as I’m concerned, that’s probable cause.”

Brandy knew that she was playing fast and loose with the law, but technically, she was justified. If it ever went to court, all she had to do was prove that her reasoning was sound. That was easy. And she was also quite certain that it would never get to court, because no one was going to press charges against an FBI agent who had been concerned about someone’s safety… Unless she was about to barge in on Steve, banging his secretary. That might lead to some trouble. Brandy pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

They took the elevator to the law firm’s lobby on the second floor. Brandy had her gun drawn as the doors slid open. She called out for Steve. He didn’t answer.

“Something happened,” she whispered. “This is just too much coincidence.”

They went through the floor, checking each office. The lights were all off, but they flickered on as they passed each room. Steve’s computer was still running. Then, halfway down the hall, they came to the file room. Brandy twisted the knob while Lee covered her.

“It’s locked,” she whispered.

“Hey, who is that? Is somebody out there?” Steve’s voice echoed inside the small file room. He started pounding on the door. “Hello!”

“Steve Crenshaw?” Brandy said.

“Get me the hell outta here!”

They picked the lock and within a few moments, released a very grateful lawyer. Steve gulped down a bottle of water and then excused himself to go to the bathroom. “Sorry,” he said when he returned. “I’ve been locked in there a couple hours. I’m a little claustrophobic.” He invited them into his office.

“You said it was two hours ago that Murphy was here?” Brandy said.

“Yeah, her and that other guy. They just walked in the front door. Some nice goddamned security we have, huh? I told them to delete her account last night.”

“What other guy?” said Lee.

“I don’t know. A white guy, about five-ten, short hair. Late thirties or early forties maybe? He was wearing a political t-shirt. It had a cartoon with a senator using the constitution for toilet paper.”

“What did they want?” said Brandy. “Did they mention anything specific?”

“Yeah. Sara was going on like a lunatic. She wanted to know who Jim was working for. It didn’t make a bit of sense. Jim’s been working here for five years. Crazy bitch put a gun to my head!”

“Jim,” Brandy echoed. “You mean Jim Durgan?”

“Yeah, she kept asking me who he was working for. She wanted to know if I was working for
them
too.”

Brandy thought that over. Was that what Sara had confronted Jim about before she shot him? “Do you have any idea what she meant by that?”

“How should I know? She’s off her rocker. Just goes to show, you never really know a person.” Steve swigged down another half a bottle of water.

“And that was it?” said Brandy. “She asked about Jim and then she left?”

“NO! That wasn’t even the weirdest part. I told her she was nuts and then she starts asking about her husband. I said he left her three months ago and she just about fell apart.”

“Do you know why they split up?” Brandy said.

Steve glanced back and forth between them. He looked a little guilty. “Sara had an affair with Jim.”

Brandy and Lee exchanged a look. “Sara was sleeping with Jim?” Brandy said.

“Yeah. Well, at least that one time. We had a big business meeting here at the office. It was kind of a party. Sara and Jim both had a lot to drink, then they left together.”

“And you didn’t try to stop them?”

Steve wrinkled up his forehead. “Look, I’m not their chaperone. They’re full-grown adults.”

“Right,” said Lee. “You just give them all the free booze they can drink and then send them happily on their way. Probably don’t even check for car keys. Who gives a shit what happens after they leave, right?”

Steve looked defensive. “Am I on trial here? That nutcase broke in here and pointed a gun at my head!”

“Okay, calm down,” said Brandy. You said that when you mentioned Sara’s husband, she was surprised?”

“Completely. Acted like she had no idea that he’d moved out. Try to make some sense out of that. She must be on some hardcore drugs or something.”

“Thank you, Steve,” said Lee. “This is my card. If she contacts you again, or if you remember anything else, please call.”

“Sure.”

They started to leave but Brandy had a thought as she stepped into the hallway. “Steve, do you have any idea how to get hold of Sara’s husband? A phone number maybe?”

Steve shrugged. “I have no idea. You could look through her file, might be some family members listed. We have next of kin information in case of emergencies. Would that help?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Five minutes later, Brandy had a phone number for Sara’s parents in Sonoma County. She also had solid proof that Sara had been working steadily for more than five years, and that she’d graduated in the top of her class, both in college and in law school.

“I’m going to contact our records department on Monday,” she said. “I don’t trust anything I’ve read in Sara Murphy’s criminal file.”

“You think someone modified her FBI file?” Lee said.

Brandy bit her lower lip. “I don’t know. I didn’t even think it was possible, but now I wonder.”

As they stepped out of the elevator, Brandy’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it, and then frowned. “Interesting. The owner of that rental car at Jim’s house was an alias. This guy’s been dead nearly ten years.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, that’s not even the best part. The alias has been used before.” She held up her phone and Lee squinted at the screen. It was a picture of a man with a thin face and thick, slightly curly black hair.

“That’s him?”

“Yeah. His name is Konrad Richter. The guy’s got links to the IRA and is wanted for international terrorism and espionage. Sound familiar?”

“Sounds a lot like Sara Murphy,” Lee said. “Looks like we’ve got another terrorist in town.”

Brandy smiled. “I can’t wait to see who was driving the rental car that blew up today.”

“I can,” Lee murmured. “This case is getting more convoluted by the minute.”

Chapter 38

“Call him,” Brian said. They were back at Brian’s studio, halfway through their PB&J lunch. Sara took a big slurp of Coke and it stuck in her throat. She forced it down.

“Now you think I should call Scott? Why? I thought you said it was a bad idea.”

“I want you to, for your own sake. I can tell that you need to. Once you do, it’ll be easier to decide what to do next.” He grabbed the silver cordless phone from its cradle on the counter and handed it to Sara.

She held the phone in her hand, staring at the number pad. She thought of her mother, Veronica. Scott wouldn’t have moved without letting Veronica know where he was going. He wouldn’t have taken Bree anywhere without Veronica’s approval. Veronica was the most absorbed grandmother Sara had ever seen. Bree’s face would have been on billboards all over California if Veronica lost track of her. Sara ran her thumb over the numbers. All she had to do was push those buttons.

It wasn’t that easy though. Sara’s reluctance wasn’t based on the fear that Scott might have betrayed her. That was impossible to believe. There was something else, something that stayed her hand. If Sara called Scott, if she spoke to him, she might be putting him in danger. She might alert the killers to Scott’s presence; might even make them believe he was a danger to them.

“No,” Sara said, putting the phone down.

“What? “Why not? What’s the matter now?”

“I can’t do it. I don’t want to put my family in danger.”

Brian sat back in his chair, exasperated. “What are we going to do then? I mean, we’ve got no way to find these guys. Look, I feel sorry for you, but you gotta make a move. You’ve gotta do something.”

A wry grin spread across Sara’s face. “Oh, I am,” she said. I’m going to do something.”

Brian cocked an eyebrow. “What are you gonna do?”

“I’m going to call
them
.”

Brian’s jaw went slack. “You’re going to do what?”

Sara smiled broadly. “Get your keys.”

They parked in a small lot across the Embarcadero from The Wolf House Coffee Company. It was Scott’s favorite place to get coffee in the city, and Sara liked it too. The coffee wasn’t sweet like at the other places. It was strong and bitter. At the Wolf House, even the sweet drinks were strong enough to melt lead paint, and they were potent. There was a certain danger of anxiety attacks and heart palpitations, but that didn’t bother Sara. If her coffee didn’t have a kick, then what was the point?

“I still don’t get it,” Brian said. “What are we doing here?”

“You want a coffee?”

“Uh, sure, I guess.”

“Let’s go.”

They jogged over the crosswalk and crossed the stone patio outside the coffee shop. Sara remembered all the times she and Scott had sat on that patio, drinking coffee and staring at the sailboats on the bay. The view was gorgeous. Scott had admitted that it was one of the places he’d considered proposing to her. Eventually, the Wolf House lost out to the ferry under the Golden Gate. Thank God for that. She liked coffee but that would have been a little over the top.

They paid for their drinks and then they went out and sat on the patio. By that time, Brian was getting a bit twitchy. He looked like a nervous wreck. Sara smiled at him, but it didn’t put the man at ease.

On the other hand, Sara felt completely relaxed. It was unexpected, this strange calm that came over her, but welcome. Sara finally knew what she needed to do. She had a plan. That gave her confidence. It gave her the feeling that, at least for now, she was in control. She sipped her coffee and enjoyed the feeling for a few minutes. Brian looked ready to climb the walls.

Eventually, a nice looking couple sat down at the table next to them. They were young, probably college kids. The guy had a backpack with a laptop sticking out of it. He was dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt. The girl was plain but pretty in a floral dress. They had all the awkwardness of a couple on their first date. Sara pounced.

“Excuse me,” she said, leaning towards the kid. “I lost my phone and I really need to make a call. Do you think I could borrow yours? It’s local, and it’ll just take a second.”

The guy was momentarily taken aback. He was already in an uncomfortable situation. Naturally, his response was completely chivalrous, just as Sara had calculated. “Of course,” he said. He handed over a nice little iPhone.

Sara dialed Scott’s cell phone number and put the phone to her ear. It rang a few times, and then the Spanish-speaking woman picked up. “Buenos dias.”