And if you don’t tell me, the minute I leave this car, my next stop
will be the FBI. And if you think yourself so invincible as to try and
kill me while the Feds are back there, then go ahead. However, if I
die, you go down too.”
Buchanan leaned back and allowed himself a smile. “You know the old
story of the frog and the scorpion, don’t you? The scorpion needs a
ride across the water and tells the frog he won’t sting it if the frog
will provide that ride. And the frog knows that if the scorpion does
sting it, that the scorpion will drown, so he gives it the ride.
Halfway across the water, the scorpion, against all reason, does sting
the frog. As it’s dying, the frog cries out, “Why did you do it? Now
you’ll die too.” And the scorpion simply tells him, “It’s my nature.””
Buchanan made a mock show of waving. “Hello, Mr. Frog.”
The two men sat staring at each other for the next mile, until
Thornhill broke the silence.
“Lockhart needed to be eliminated. The FBI agent was with her. So he
had to die too.”
“But you missed Faith?”
“With your private investigator’s help. But for your blunder, this
crisis would never have happened.”
“It never occurred to me that you would be planning to kill anyone. So
you have no idea where she is?”
“It’s only a matter of time. I have a number of irons in the fire. And
where there’s bait, there’s always hope.” “Meaning what?”
“Meaning I’m done talking with you.”
The next fifteen minutes passed in complete silence. The car drove
into the underground parking garage of Buchanan’s building. A gray
sedan waited on the lower level, its engine running. Before Thornhill
got out, he gripped Buchanan’s arm.
“You claim to have the ability to destroy me if anything happens to
you. Well, here’s my side. If your colleague and her new ‘friend’
bring all that I’ve worked for crashing down, you will all be
eliminated. Immediately.” He removed his hand. “Just so we
understand one another. Mr. Scorpion,” Thornhill added scornfully.
A minute later, the gray sedan pulled out of the parking garage.
Thornhill was already on the phone.
“Buchanan is not to be out of sight for even one second.” He clicked
off and began to think of how to attack this new development.
CHAPTER 42
THIS IS THE LAST PLACE,” CONNIE SAID as they pulled up to the
motorcycle shop in his sedan.
They got out and Reynolds looked around. “His younger brother?”
Connie nodded as he checked his list. “Scott Adams. Manages the
place.”
“Well, let’s hope he’s a little more helpful than the others.”
They had covered all of Lee’s relatives in the area. None had seen or
heard from him in the last week. Or at least that’s what they said.
Scott Adams might be their last chance. However, when they got inside
they were told he was out of town for a friend’s wedding and wouldn’t
be back for a couple of days.
Connie handed the young man behind the counter his card. “Tell him to
call me when he gets In.”
Rick, the salesman who had obnoxiously flirted with Faith, looked down
at the card. “Does this have to do with his brother?”
Connie and Reynolds eyed him. “Do you know Lee Adams?” Reynolds
asked.
“Can’t say I know him. He don’t know my name or nothing. But he’s
come by a few times. Just a couple days ago, in fact.”
The two agents looked Rick up and down, gauging his credibility.
“Was he alone?” Reynolds asked.
“No. He had some chick with him.”
Reynolds took out a photo of Lockhart and handed it over to him. “Think
short hair, not long, black, not auburn.”
Rick nodded as he stared at the photograph. “Yep, that’s her. And
Lee’s hair was different too. Short and blond. And he had a beard and
mustache too. I’m real good at noticing things.”
Reynolds and Connie looked at each other, trying hard to hide their
excitement.
“Any idea where they might have gone?” Connie asked.
“Maybe. But I sure know why they came here.”
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