End Game (Will Robie #5)(98)

She pulled out the cloth that she had used to collect the stains from the boots back at Randall’s cabin, and showed him the pictures on her phone.

“Blank forty-five rounds, a map, and dirty work boots,” said Robie.

He eyed the picture of the map. “Any idea where that is?”

“No. But I was going to compare it to a larger map of the area to see if that would tell us anything.”

Robie sniffed the rag. “I smell oil . . . and some other chemical. Not sure what.”

“Why blank rounds?” asked Reel.

“I can’t think of a reason why someone out here would want ammo that can’t hit anything. Most folks are gunned up all the time.”

“But it has to mean something,” said Reel. “A map and dirty boots and blank rounds at a cabin used by Randall and his cronies.”

“Lambert never mentioned that Randall came here other than for the bunker.”

“Well, his wife clearly would prefer not to come here even for the bunker.”

“If doomsday comes, something tells me she’ll be first in line to get in.”

“But Randall is up to something.”

“And maybe the Agency can help us with that,” said Robie.

He pulled out his phone and made the call, speaking for a couple of minutes. When he clicked off he said, “They’re going over Randall’s past with a fine-tooth comb and will get back to us.”

“In the meantime we’ve got a long list of missing persons.”

“We do. But something tells me they all went to the same place.”

“Lambert’s bunker?”

“The dying guy said Dolph was there. He didn’t mention any others. But for me it’s the most obvious place.”

“If that’s the case Lambert has to be in on it. And all the guards would have to be in on it too.”

“Agreed.”

“So what now?”

“I don’t see anything for us to do right now other than catch some sleep.”

Robie called out to Bender that they would be at the hotel.

As they walked out, Reel said, “Are you and Malloy . . . ?”

“No, we’re not. But I still want to find her.”

“I want that too,” said Reel. “Very much.”

He glanced at her. “Why?”

“If you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand.”

She walked ahead of him out into the night. Robie slowly followed.





CHAPTER





58


When Robie came downstairs the next morning Bender was waiting for him in the lobby.

“Any news?” Robie asked.

“The BOLO produced nothing. The state police team came and went over the crime scene. It’s human blood. But they didn’t find much else.”

Bender drew a step closer to Robie. “Now I have to ask you something.”

Reel came down the stairs at just that moment.

“Ask away,” said Robie.

“I checked her phone records. We saw the call you made to her after your run-in with Dolph’s guys. And we saw the call she made to you presumably about coming to meet her at the station. But you made an earlier call to her.”

“I did,” said Robie.

“What was it about?”

“It was about me going over to see her, which I did.”

“You went to her home?”

Reel joined them at this point.

“Yes, I went to her home.”

“Why?” demanded Bender.

“I wanted to see her. It was personal. Nothing to do with the investigation.”

“And you just forgot to mention that last night? In fact, you lied to me because you said you hadn’t seen her. That’s a crime right there.”

Robie shrugged. “Like I said, it had nothing to do with the investigation.”

“So you say,” shot back Bender.

“What, do you really think I had something to do with her disappearance?”

“Hell, now I know you were the last one to see her,” Bender snapped.

“Other than the people who took her. And if I did anything to her, why would I have called you in? I almost got killed last night by Dolph’s clowns. Why not go talk to the ones who are still alive?”

“I don’t have to. They already came to me.”

“Excuse me?” said Robie.

“They came to me and said that you attacked their guys and murdered them.”

“They attacked me and I defended myself. It’s not my fault they don’t know how to drive.”

“I examined the bodies. Like I told you last night, two of them had been shot.”

“I shot one of them.”

“Are you confessing to murdering the guy?”

“Self-defense. And the other guy was shot by his buddy.”

“Why would he do that?”

Robie shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t like him,”

“You never should have left the scene.”

“I had somewhere to go. The bunker. I already told you that.”

“And Valerie conveniently goes missing.”

Robie took a step forward. “You don’t want to go there, Bender. You really don’t.”