Romeo's Tell (A disappearance mystery turned international thriller)

by William Neubauer

  Blake, for example, would handle his cards a certain way—slightly bending them at the edges—whenever he was bluffing. All of the others, except Morgan, had similar tells. She could never read him. Probably one of the things that made him such a good card player.

  * * *

  The gig at The Circuit Board went very well despite concerns that Brooks had agitated the band members’ collective psyche. By the time they’d done their last encore and packed up all their gear, it was almost 3:00 AM, so they decided to stay at Jill’s parents’ home for the night.

  The Paulson’s were happy to have the band stay with them. They already knew Michael, but really enjoyed meeting Chad, Blake, and Morgan, who equally enjoyed getting to know them. The boys particularly liked clowning around with Jill’s younger sister, Jane, who had recently turned ten and thought it was way cool to have a band staying at her house.

  Jane got a big kick out of strumming Chad’s guitar while he did the left hand work, allowing her to play the chords to some of her favorite songs. She loved the look of the guitar too—a white Fender Stratocaster in pristine condition. She had a tiny troll doll with a pointy shock of red hair and asked Chad if she could stick it on the head of the guitar up by the tuning pegs. Jane and Chad agreed that the troll would enjoy going on gigs with Chad and his beautiful white guitar.

  The travelers left the Paulson’s late Sunday afternoon and had a relaxing, non-eventful drive back to Ithaca.

  Chapter 18

  Now

  Washington, DC

  Special Agent-in-Charge Milton Fox was having a typical Monday. Not really chaotic, but riddled with red tape, meetings, and other trappings of bureaucracy. He guessed this shouldn’t be too surprising to anyone. After all, the word bureau was integral to the very name of the FBI.

  As he stood to get another cup of coffee before his next meeting, the phone rang. He saw it was an outside call transferred from the switchboard and picked it up on the third ring. “Special Agent-in-Charge Fox,” he announced.

  “Special Agent-in-Charge Fox, this is Detective Tom Drake of the Syracuse PD Criminal Investigations Cold Case Unit.”

  “Good morning, Detective. What can I do for you?”

  “Well, we had new evidence surface recently in a 24-year-old cold case that has resulted in us identifying a person of interest. Checking him out, we found he is the subject of an active federal warrant.”

  “Okay. What’s the name.”

  “Chad Swan. Does it ring a bell?”

  “Actually, it does. But I can’t help you.” Fox was expecting a break soon in his pursuit of Chad Swan and the last thing he wanted right now was to bring in local law enforcement and run the risk of complicating things. He wasn’t ready to let on just yet that he was hopeful Swan would surface in observance of his daughter’s upcoming college graduation.

  “I thought we might be able to help each other,” Drake said. “I wouldn’t want our local guys doing anything to trip up what you’re doing. I’ve worked before on joint efforts with the Bureau and the USMS Fugitive Task Force, the US Marshals Service—”

  “Thanks. I know what the USMS is.”

  “Well anyway, it always seems to go better when we’re all working from the same playbook.” Drake waited a few seconds after making his point.

  Fox realized that, whether he liked it or not, Drake was right. “This is a national security situation,” he said. “And I am expecting Swan to surface in the near future. Swan has slipped the noose before. I want to minimize the risk of tipping our hand.”

  Drake was not surprised by this. “I understand that a decades-old missing person case has to take the back seat to national security concerns. All I’m asking is that along the way we try to give a missing woman and her family some justice and closure. We both want the same thing, really.”

  “Right,” Fox said, sounding something short of completely on-board. A few seconds of silence ensued. “Okay then, what did you have in mind, Detective?”

  “Simple. Let’s coordinate our efforts, with you as point. We’ll help apprehend Swan any way we can. Once you’ve got him in custody, grant us access to him so we can get to the bottom of this new evidence in the missing person case.”

  “What new evidence do you have, Detective?”

  “Call me, Tom. Please.”

  “Okay, Detective. You can call me Special Agent-in-Charge Fox.”

  Drake’s face took on a look of annoyed puzzlement that may have been profound enough to travel through the phone line. For his part, Fox was really just sort of dickin’ around with Drake, keeping his distance for the moment.

  “So what do you have?” Fox asked.

  “In short, a recently discovered note, written to Chad Swan by his fiancée on the day she disappeared twenty-four years ago.”

  “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s it say?”

  “Before we get into that, can you tell me why the Bureau is after Swan? The warrant is a little vague.”

  “He’s wanted in connection with suspected violations of the Espionage Act.”

  “Yeah, it says that much in the warrant. But what’s it about?”

  “Aren’t you up on your current events, Detective?”

  “I thought I was, but I’d never heard of Chad Swan until a few days ago.”

  “Just bustin’ your shoes. Swan was only a footnote in the news stories. The story the media latched onto was about his sister-in-law, Paula Andrews.”

  “Reporter for the Discloser, right? Wouldn’t reveal her source?”

  “Yes. I’m impressed, Detective. If you recall, the story Andrews wrote exposed alleged weaknesses and cost overruns in a new, overarching security framework being developed under the codename Bigeye. Swan was working contract for DARPA at the time and they were pretty heavily involved with the project.”

  “DARPA. Isn’t that a Department of Defense thing?”

  “That’s right. Specifically, the DoD’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Anyway, Ms. Andrews was on the verge of being jailed for refusal to identify the source of the leaked information, when Swan sent out a statement identifying himself as the source.”

  “And I bet he took off before you could bring him in.”

  “Right. He was out of the country before we even received his statement.”

  “So, is that all?” Drake asked.

  “What do you mean, is that all?”

  “Well, it’s just that I remember reading something later saying that most of the stuff in Andrews’s article was valid.”

  “Not the point. It’s a breach of national security.”

  “Still, it just doesn’t seem like a big enough deal to warrant the kind of attention you are giving this guy.”

  “Notwithstanding that it is a big deal, you’re right. There is more to it,” Fox admitted, somewhat surprised at Drake’s incisiveness. “After Swan took the heat off his sister-in-law and took himself out of the country, his problems escalated. A short time later, DARPA’s internal people notified us that they had discovered evidence that Swan had tried to sell highly classified encryption technology to the Chinese.”

  “So . . . he’s in deep.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “And he took off to . . . ?”

  “To parts unknown, although we believe he’s somewhere in Central or South America.”

  Fox was ready now to hear exactly what Drake had. “So what about this note? What does it say?”

  “Well, it seems to indicate some involvement on Swan’s part in the disappearance of his fiancée. It’s essentially a brief message from the missing woman breaking a dinner date with Swan for the night she disappeared. However, information in the case file regarding Swan’s own statements, as well as what the missing woman’s sister remembers, indicate that Swan never mentioned anything about any plans they had for that night. So, something doesn’t add up.”

  “And you think all of this will help me exactly how?”

  “Well, the way I see it, if
word gets to Swan about the existence of this note, it may cause him to surface.”

  Fox broke the momentary silence that followed. “It’s possible. How do you plan to feed him the information, the media?”

  “No, I was thinking via his daughter,” Drake responded.

  “Swan’s daughter is generally not cooperative with us, although I’m not sure she knows much anyway,” Fox said.

  “Surely, she will contact him once we contact her. That is, if she is in touch with him. I thought you would know whether they are in contact.”

  Fox took another moment to think. He wasn’t at all sure that Swan would actually surface for the graduation. If it was handled right, the angle Drake was playing could provide some insurance.

  “We believe Swan and his daughter are still in contact,” Fox finally said. “We are sure they were in contact as recently as four months ago.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Simple. We had a tap on the daughter’s phone.”

  “You don’t have that now?”

  “No. There was never any progress from the tap. Swan is smart and careful. You have the information on his background, right?”

  “Yeah, I’ve seen it. Computer security expert, martial arts, languages, yada, yada, yada.”

  “Indeed. In any case, calls between Swan and his daughter were short, used complex, off-shore routing, and never included any discussion of his whereabouts. I honestly don’t believe the daughter even knows where he is.”

  Drake indicated he understood with an “um-hmm.”

  “Anyway, about six months ago, a high-powered law firm—you may have heard of them, A & A Litigation?”

  “No, never heard of ‘em.”

  “Well, no doubt you will if you get involved with pursuing Swan. There’s some kind of connection there or something. Anyway, they slapped us with a court order to terminate the tap. We simply complied, knowing that it would be a tough fight, since we weren’t getting anything of value from the surveillance anyway.”

  “But wouldn’t the daughter’s knowledge of this new, potentially incriminating evidence change things? It would seem that once she’s aware of the discovery of the note, we should be able to make the case for a tap and get an order to resume it, right?”

  Fox glanced up toward the ceiling, pensively. “That’s probably true.”

  Both men were quiet until Fox said, “I like the way you think, Tom.”

  Chapter 19

  Detective Tom Drake was on the way back to his office after a meeting with the Onondaga County Assistant DA, during which he brought the folks in the DA’s office up to speed on the situation with Chad Swan.

  Just hours earlier, Drake had heard from Special Agent-in-Charge Milton Fox that he had been successful in securing a court order to tap Morgan Swan’s phone and that the tap should be in place by the end of the day. The next step would be to put pressure on Morgan Swan to induce her to contact her father. Drake was thinking about exactly how that should be handled when his cell phone began to vibrate. He answered before it started its audible ring sequence.

  The caller was a repentant Jane Mannix.

  “Detective Drake,” Jane began. “I have something I have to tell you.”

  Drake responded with a tentative, “Okay.”

  “It’s something I’ve done that you may not be happy with, but I thought you really should know about. I just had to do it.”

  “Okay, Ms. Mannix.” Drake sternly pressed her to the point. “What is it?”

  “A few days ago, I contacted Chad Swan’s daughter and told her that I have a note that Chad needs to see.”

  Drake was rock silent.

  “I also told her that the police will be looking for him because of it. Then yesterday, I mailed her a copy of the note to hold for Chad.”

  Drake still said nothing. He was in the habit of thinking before he spoke, particularly when blindsided with something as inherently idiotic as what Jane Mannix had just told him.

  Ironically, this development would actually save Drake the step of having to contact Morgan so that she would then contact Chad. But it caused a serious problem in that Chad and Morgan could make important plans before the tap could be put in place.

  “Detective?”

  “Yes, I’m here. I can’t say I’m happy, but I’m here. Exactly what possessed you to do something like this?”

  Jane sighed deeply. “I can’t explain it other than to say I felt Chad should know about the note before the police came looking for an explanation. It is addressed to him, after all.”

  “What else did you tell her?”

  “Nothing really. Only that my son found it and that it would be better for her to get the background directly from her father.”

  “All right. Damage is done. You were right to tell me at least. Is there anything else I need to know?”

  “No, that’s it.”

  “Okay. You let me know if she contacts you, clear?”

  “Yes.”

  Drake was somewhat annoyed and ended the call without saying goodbye. He shook his head in frustrated wonder as he pressed his speed dial number for Special Agent-in-Charge Milton Fox. If either humanly or inhumanly possible, that tap had to be put in place now.

  Chapter 20

  Then

  The ancient, faded-blue Volkswagen minibus buzzed its five occupants along the interstate, pushing itself through crisp air on the calm, cool evening.

  Inside the vehicle, things were not as tranquil.

  Of the five travelers, Blake Mackenzie was the most on-edge. “We’re gonna be late, I’m telling ya. I can’t F-ing believe it!”

  On the other end of the wadded-panties meter was Morgan Bassar. “Cool your jets, Blake. Just relax and enjoy the ride, all right?”

  “Relax? Why not? It’s only Phil Spector we’ll miss, and who will miss us. Only the biggest break we’ve ever had or ever will have.” Blake’s voice grew louder and louder until he was basically shouting.

  Chad was driving and remained silent, as did the other two passengers, Michael Murdoch and his childhood friend, Jill Paulson, who was sitting next to him. In Michael’s mind, he and Jill had been inseparable until Chad came along. Michael more than liked Jill. He pretended to like Chad. He was never quite sure why Chad had insisted that he join him, Morgan, and Blake in the Alpine Light. Michael was self-aware enough to know he really wasn’t that good a drummer. Probably just one of Chad’s mind games, he quietly reckoned.

  They were on their way to The Cave, a literally underground nightspot where emerging talent was occasionally discovered, getting that big break. The band members, particularly Blake, were hoping that the Alpine Light would get their big break tonight. Blake, the band’s lead singer, had received a tip that the famous record producer, Phil Spector, was going to be at The Cave. The band’s time slot in tonight’s lineup was from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM, the same time Spector was going to be there. Blake had been trying to set something like this up for months and had worked hard to line up this particular opportunity. But the group was running late.

  The silence of the next few miles was broken by Blake. “We need to take the next exit. The last thirty miles or so are on 206. It’s a two-lane country road kinda deal.”

  They exited the interstate and started the last leg of their journey, now on a winding country road. The change in scenery seemed to ease the tension in the van somewhat, but still, no one spoke.

  Jill tried to prime the pump. “So what are you guys gonna open the set with?”

  This drew strange looks from both Blake and Morgan, who apparently were not in agreement regarding this question.

  Dusk was quickly darkening to night and the evening woodland activities were aching to begin. Chad slowed the Blue Wonder upon eying two deer on the side of the road, then called Michael into the conversation, “I believe that’s a topic of some debate. Michael, what do you think?”

  “How about ‘Start Me Up,’” Michael ventured, in character, as
always.

  There was a brief silence. “Not one of the choices we’re considering,” Blake eventually blurted out, before thinking out loud, “but I think I like it.”

  “Me too,” Morgan said. “Let’s go with it.”

  Jill chimed in again. “Are you boys gonna kiss and make up now?”

  Laughs and a little friendly shoulder slap from Morgan to Blake ensued. Everything seemed okay now.

  But they were about to be tested.

  Chapter 21

  About halfway through their stint on route 206, the Alpine Light and their female accomplice passed an old, beat-up Chevy wagon pulled off the pavement on the other side of the road.

  “Chad, they need help,” Jill said with urgent softness, as they passed the stopped vehicle. “There’s a handwritten sign that says ‘Please Help.’ The word Please is misspelled.”

  Blake, who had been reading something by the glimmer of a small book-light, spoke up with tension in his voice. “How can you read a sign in this light, let alone check the spelling? Give me a break. We cannot stop!”

  “I really am sorry, Blake, but there are kids in that car,” Jill said. “And who else is even on this road? It’s cold out there and it’s going to be completely dark soon. What will they do then?” She looked at Chad so hard he could feel it.

  Morgan and Michael were quiet. So was Chad, who spotted an area where the shoulder was wider and slowed down so they could turn around.

  Blake brought his hand to his head. “I can’t believe this. Someone else will stop. Come on!”

  Chad glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. “I don’t like it either, Blake, but it’s what we’re faced with. We have to at least see if we can help.” Blake slammed his hand against the back of the passenger seat.