answer.
When she didn’t deliver one, Jackson took a step forward. “We can
always get a warrant. Plenty of probable cause. You could save us a
lot of time and trouble, though. And if it’s like you say and there’s
nothing here, you shouldn’t have a problem with that, right?”
“I’m an attorney, Mr. Jackson,” Sidney said coldly. “I know the drill.
All right, help yourself. Please excuse the dirt, I haven’t really kept
up the household chores.” She stood up, slipped off the blanket, reached
out for her blazer and put it on. “While you’re doing that, I’m going
for some fresh air. How long will you need?”
The two agents looked at each other. “A few hours.”
“Fine, help yourself to the fridge. Searching can be very hungry work.”
After she had walked our, Jackson turned to his partner. “Damn, she’s a
piece of work, isn’t she?”
Sawyer stared after the lithe form as she headed toward the garage. “She
sure is.”
Several hours later Sidney Archer returned.
“Nothing?” She looked at the two disheveled men.
“Not that we could find, anyway.” Jackson’s tone was one of reproach.
She stared him down. “That’s not my problem, is it?”
The two looked at each other for several moments. “You had some
questions?” Sidney finally said.
When the two FBI agents were leaving about an hour later, Sidney touched
Sawyer on the arm. “You obviously didn’t know my husband. If you had,
you would have no doubt that he couldn’t…”
Her lips moved, but no words came out for a moment. “He could never
have had anything to do with that plane crash. With all those
people…” She closed her eyes and steadied herself against the front
door.
Sawyer’s features were troubled. How could anyone think someone they
loved, had a child with, could be capable of anything like that? But
human beings committed atrocities every minute of every day; the only
living things who killed with malice.
“I understand how you feel, Sidney,” the agent said quietly.
Jackson kicked a piece of gravel on the way to the car and looked over
at his partner. “I don’t know, Lee, things just aren’t adding up with
that woman. She’s definitely holding back.”
Sawyer shrugged. “Hell, if I were in her position, I’d do the same
thing.”
Jackson looked surprised. “Lie to the FBI?”
“She’s caught in the middle, doesn’t know which way to turn.
Under those circumstances, I’d play it close to the vest too.”
“I guess I’ll go with your judgment on that.” Jackson’s words did not
sound very confident as he climbed in the car.
CHAPTER FORTY
Sidney raced to the phone but abruptly stopped. She looked at the
receiver as though it were a cobra about to sink venom into her. If the
late Edward Page had tapped her phone, how probable was it that others
had? She put the phone back down and looked at her cellular phone,
which sat recharging on the kitchen counter. How secure was that? She
slammed her fist against the wall in frustration as she imagined
hundreds of pairs of electronic eyes monitoring and recording her every
action. She slid her alphanumeric pager into her purse, figuring that
form of communication was reasonably safe. It would have to do, in any
case. She put her loaded pistol in her purse and raced to the Explorer.
The disk was safely in her pocket. It would have to wait for now. She
had something else to do that at that moment was even more important.
The Ford pulled into the McDonald’s parking lot. Sidney went inside,
ordered a take-out lunch and went down the hallway toward the rest room,
stopping at the pay phone. After dialing, she scanned the parking lot
for signs of the FBI. She saw nothing out of the ordinary, which was
good–they were supposed to be invisible. But a shiver went down her
back as she wondered who else was out there.
A voice came on the other end of the phone line. It took her several
minutes to calm her father down. When she stated her request, he began
to erupt all over again.
“What the hell do you want me to do that for?”