by Allan, Dale
He had another idea during the drive back. He directed Vincent to drive to Beacon Hill, where he managed to find a parking spot on the crowded street. Again, Vincent waited in the car with the dog, and Luke rushed across the street and rang the bell at Mark Aldridge’s house. The same young girl he had met previously answered the door. “Come this way, Mr. Miller. He’s in the library having tea. Can I get you anything?”
Luke smiled. “No, thank you, I’m good.”
When Luke appeared in the doorway, Mr. Aldridge’s face lit up, and from his wheelchair he enthusiastically waved Luke in. “Come in! It’s so nice to see you again, Luke!”
Luke understood once again why Aaron liked the old man so much. “It’s so nice to see you, Mr. Aldridge.”
“Please, sit down, and call me Mark.”
Luke sat on a small sofa directly across from him. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been to visit sooner. I’ve been very busy.”
Mark smiled. “You sure have. I read about you in the newspaper almost every day. I can’t believe that you had that good-for-nothing Lieutenant Governor Richard Simpson at your house for Thanksgiving. Don’t you know that he’s a Democrat?”
Luke laughed. “Really? But his wife was working with Aaron.”
“Lori is a very special person. Why she’s married to that jerk, I’ll never know.”
Not wanting to keep Vincent waiting in the truck, he got right to the point of his visit. “Mr. Aldridge, in all of your time as a political consultant, did you ever hear of someone named Mike Dempsey? He worked for the CIA and now says he’s the lead investigator in charge of the bombing incident for the FBI.”
The old man looked up but was deep in thought. “I know that name; just give me a few seconds to think.” He gently tapped his index finger against his forehead. “Tall, with dark gray hair around his sideburns?”
“Yes.”
“I know who he is. Before Dempsey left the CIA, the president had submitted his name as a candidate for director of operations. Then about a week later, his name was abruptly withdrawn without any explanation.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that he probably had something in his background that would embarrass the administration. Why do you ask?”
“He unexpectedly showed up at Aaron’s house with the pretext of being on the case, but I am suspicious.”
Aldridge was visibly concerned and pushed himself up in his wheelchair. “What do you mean?”
“Well, he said that he was visiting all of the families that had lost loved ones in the bombing. When I asked him who else he had visited, he stumbled and didn’t answer. He couldn’t tell me the name of one other family on the list. It just seemed strange. Then he picked up the newspaper and commented on the article from Thanksgiving Day about the homeless.”
The old man seemed shaken. “Well, I can tell you this. He and the lieutenant governor know each other. Both of them have friends in very high positions, including the oval office. Those people must be very concerned about something you’re doing, and Dempsey was sent to your house to find out.”
Luke was worried as Mark cautioned, “You better be careful. Luke, what exactly have you found out about the bombing?”
Now, not wanting to expose another person to danger, he replied, “I have a few ideas, but nothing I want to tell you yet. As soon as I have proof, you’ll know.”
“Luke, you don’t realize the type of people you’re dealing with,” Mark replied emphatically. “They’ll go to any length to protect themselves and won’t care who gets in their way.”
VINCENT DROVE THEM THE short distance to the Common. As they pulled up to the curb, Luke took out his cell phone and called John’s number.
“Luke, I’ve found her.”
“Where are you?”
“At Frog Pond.”
Luke ran into the park, carrying Blade’s ashes. Reaching the pond, Luke wasn’t surprised to see that children were ice-skating, since the weather had been cold enough to freeze the six-inch-deep water. When he looked around, he saw Star sitting on a bench and John standing nearby. Seeing Luke, John began walking in his direction. When they met, John said, “She won’t talk to me. She thinks that I had something to do with Blade’s death.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Luke hurried over and sat down next to her. She never looked at him, so he began speaking. “This box contains Blade’s ashes. I want you to have them.” Luke tried to hand the box to her, but she didn’t move. He placed it on the bench next to her. Then he reached into his pocket and took out the cell phone. “Please take this and call me if you need anything. You can use it to call anyone you want. Mine and John’s numbers are stored on the contact list. You can call me anytime for anything.” Again she didn’t move. Luke stood and looked at John. As they began to walk away, Star said, “Take his ashes.”
Luke stopped and turned to look at her. “I think Blade would want you to have them,” he said.
“I can’t do anything with them. He worked on fishing boats when he was younger. Maybe you could spread them in the ocean.”
Luke reluctantly picked up the box. As he walked away, he looked back and saw her examining the cell phone.
When he got back to the Jeep, Vincent said, “I thought you were giving her the ashes.” Luke explained that she wouldn’t take them and wanted them spread in the ocean. Vincent smiled. “Looks like we’re going to have to take that yacht of yours for a ride after all.”
“Yeah, but we’ll have to wait till the ice melts.”
Vincent knowledgeably replied, “Just because the pond in the park is frozen doesn’t mean the harbor is. Salt water freezes at about six degrees Fahrenheit compared to thirty-two degrees for freshwater.”
“But there’s ice around the boat right now,” Luke pointed out, skeptically.
Wanting to educate him, Vincent continued. “That’s because there’s a mixture of fresh and salt water in the harbor, sometimes called brackish. As you get closer to the ocean, the water turns to all salt and doesn’t readily freeze. We could ease the boat out of the marina and not have to worry.”
They headed for Jami’s apartment building as Luke directed the way. Pulling up, they saw Jami already pacing outside. “There’s a spot over there,” Luke said, pointing. Vincent parallel parked and waited. As Jami approached, Luke opened the door. He introduced her to Vincent, and she climbed into the backseat.
Luke quickly told her everything about Corner Stone Builders while letting Vincent fill in the parts of the story concerning Fatih. She was neither skeptical nor surprised at what she was hearing. When they finished, she thought for a few minutes before asking, “What is his last name?”
“Abu,” Vincent answered.
“Unfortunately, that’s a very common name in the Middle East. Do you know his middle name?”
“I think it was Mohammad,” Vincent said.
“That’s little help. That’s the most common name in Saudi Arabia.” Jami reached into her purse and took out a pen and a used envelope to write on. “What were his parents’ names?”
“Ismail and Kamilah.”
“Do you know their middle names?”
Vincent shook his head no, but he reached into his folder and retrieved the newspaper article about the plane crash. Then he handed her the football picture with Fatih standing by his side.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“We have an e-mail address and know that he’s in Riyadh, but that’s about it,” Luke said.
“How do you know where he is?” she questioned.
Not wanting to divulge all the details about their connection with the computer hacker, Luke answered, “Trust me. He’s in Riyadh.”
Jami was deep in thought, and Luke could see that she was troubled. She sat and stared at the picture of Fatih. When Vincent said, “Please be careful with the picture. It’s the only one we have,” she ignored his statement and said, vehemently, “If this man had anything to do with
my sister’s death, I’m going to find him. No matter what it takes.” Luke knew exactly how she was feeling. He felt the same way.
Conscious of the time difference in Saudi Arabia, Luke asked Jami, “Do you think you can make some phone calls now?”
“Yes, I know someone connected to the government there. I’m going to call him immediately.”
Luke thought for a minute and asked, “Would your contact in Riyadh talk to me?”
Confused, she asked, “When?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“Probably, why do you ask?”
“Because I’m going to book the next flight to Riyadh.”
Vincent spoke up. “Then I’m going with you.”
“Do you have a passport?” Luke asked.
Vincent frowned. “No.”
“Well, that leaves you out.”
Jami suggested that he use British Airways, and they finished discussing the matter. Luke could tell that something else was bothering her as she got out of the Jeep, and as she walked away, he said, “Please be careful.”
As they drove back to the boat, Luke suddenly blurted out, “Do you still remember the office phone number to Corner Stone?”
Without hesitation, Vincent recited the number but said, “Luke, the company has been closed for years.” Unhearing, Luke quickly punched it into his cell and put it on speaker. After three rings, they were both stunned when an answering machine picked up. “Hi, you have reached Corner Stone Builders. Please leave a message and we’ll return your call.”
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 7:15 p.m.
FATIH ABU’S CELL PHONE rang in his pocket as he walked down Olaya Street. Figuring that it was one of the friends he was meeting at a nearby coffee shop, he nonchalantly pulled out the phone. It was a text message. He opened it and froze in his tracks. His black eyes blinked several times as he read and reread the message.
He placed the phone back in his pocket, turned, and began walking quickly in the opposite direction. It was a warm night, and Fatih began sweating as he started jogging down the crowded street toward his car, which was parked several blocks away. Approaching, he stopped to catch his breath before getting inside. Within minutes, he pulled up to a huge concrete compound containing several buildings. The security gate opened, and he drove inside the walled complex.
Running from his car, he entered the largest house on the property. As he walked into the main room, he yelled, “Where’s father?”
The older lady sitting on the sofa said nothing but pointed toward a room in the back. He quickly traversed the marble floor and knocked before entering.
“Who is it?”
“Father, it’s me, Fatih. Can I come in?”
“Yes.”
Fatih hurried to his father, who was sitting behind a large, ornate desk. Unable to speak, Fatih opened his phone and showed Ismail the text message.
“When did you get this message?”
Out of breath, Fatih responded, “Just a few minutes ago. I hurried home as soon as I saw it.”
His father calmly clasped his hands and placed them under his chin. “Maybe it was just a wrong number.”
“No one has called that number in many years,” Fatih said.
After contemplating that thought, Ismail said, “Let’s see if anyone calls again. It’s probably nothing to be concerned about.”
Fatih was shaken. “And what if it does ring again?”
His father paused. “It depends.”
Ismail stopped talking and put his finger to his lips to indicate silence, as he stood. Seeing his father staring at the crack of light under the closed door, Fatih looked and saw a shadow moving. Ismail reached out and slowly turned the knob before flinging the door open. Catching his wife standing there, he grabbed her by the hair with one strong hand and said in a deep voice, “What do you think you’re doing?” She grunted in pain but didn’t speak. Still holding Kamilah, he dragged her into the other room and threw her on the couch. “Mind your own business.” Fatih watched but didn’t say a word.
Walking back into the office, Ismail slammed the door and sat down. Fatih spoke. “What if it’s that priest, the one who was asking questions at the mosques?”
His father looked up, expressionless. “I think you already know the answer to your question. Give me the phone number from the text message, and I will have someone find out who it belongs to. Just in case, make sure you are packed and ready to go.”
Fatih walked out of the office and passed his mother without saying a word or acknowledging her presence. He hurried out of the house and across the concrete courtyard, passing several large palm trees before entering a small white stone dwelling. A young girl sat up as he entered. Ignoring her, he looked at his phone to see if a new Corner Stone message appeared. Instead, several of his friends had sent messages asking why he didn’t show up at the coffee shop. Responding to them was unimportant now. He hurried into his bedroom and began feverishly packing a bag.
WHEN LUKE ARRIVED BACK at the boat, he had another idea. Since it was daytime, he assumed that Arnold, the hacker, would be sleeping when he dialed his number. But to his surprise, it was answered on the second ring.
“Hi, Father.”
“I thought you would be sleeping. I was going to leave you a message.”
Arnold yawned. “Normally, I would be, but there’s a hackers’ conference on the web today, and I wanted to attend.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
Laughing, Arnold replied, “I’m serious. What can I do for you?”
“If I give you a phone number, can you figure out the physical address of the phone?”
“As long as it’s not a cell phone.”
Knowing the routine, Luke asked, “How much will it cost me and how long will it take?”
“You catch on quick, Father. It’ll cost two hundred fifty dollars and will take anywhere from five minutes to an hour.”
Luke gave Arnold the number, thanked him, and waited. After about ten minutes, his phone rang. “OK, here’s the address.”
Luke wrote down the information and said, “I owe you a lot of money. When can I pay you?”
Again, Arnold laughed. “No rush. I’m sure you’re good for it.”
Vincent stood and picked up Justice. Luke asked, “Where are you going?”
Vincent looked at Luke quizzically and pointed at the piece of paper. “Aren’t we going to that address?”
Thinking, Luke said, “Yes, but we need to go to Aaron’s house first.”
Recognizing the Jeep this time, the guard opened the gate and waved them in. Luke hurried into the house. Reaching his room, he opened the closet and put his hand under the stack of sweaters to retrieve Aaron’s gun. He placed it on the bed and removed his jacket. He took Aaron’s long coat out of the closet and put it on. At that moment, Vincent unexpectedly entered the room. Seeing the semiautomatic lying on the bed, he said nervously, “I’m getting a whole new opinion of the priesthood.”
Luke picked up the gun awkwardly. “This was Aaron’s. I don’t even know if it’s loaded.”
Vincent put his hand out, and Luke carefully gave it to him. Pulling the clip out of the bottom of the handgrip, he said, “It’s loaded, all right; nine millimeter with fifteen rounds.” After Vincent checked the safety, he attempted to hand it back to Luke, who refused and said, “Maybe you should hold it.”
Vincent put it in his pocket.
Leaving Justice in the backyard, they sped to Boston’s South End. Without a GPS in the Jeep, they got lost a few times before finding the address. The dilapidated office building was in a bad area. After parking, Vincent motioned to his Jeep and said shakily, “I hope it’s still here when we get back.” As they walked to the entrance, Luke saw a drug deal going down on the street corner.
There was no sign of anyone inside the building. Luke looked at the makeshift directory pinned to the wall and saw that there was a check-cashing service on the second floor. They walked up the filthy stairs t
o the next floor and found a few people standing in line waiting to get cash. Seeing a metal detector in the doorway, Luke motioned for Vincent to stay outside. A huge armed security guard stood in the corner. Luke walked over to him and asked, “Would you happen to know where the superintendent of the building is?”
The big man yelled, “Hey Traynesha, where’s the super?”
“I saw her earlier in 3B.”
Luke and Vincent climbed another flight, and when they came out of the stairwell, office 3B was directly in front of them. Luke approached and knocked on the half-open door. A voice yelled, “Yeah?” Luke entered and saw an elderly lady on her hands and knees scrubbing the tacky vinyl floor. Looking up, she said, “What can I do for ya?”
Luke explained that Vincent’s family owned Corner Stone Builders. He told her that they had dialed the old office number and were surprised when an answering machine picked up, since the company had been closed for a number of years.
Still scrubbing, she looked up and repeated herself, saying, “What can I do for ya?”
Luke struggled with his words. “Well, the answering machine is located somewhere in this building.”
“How do you know that?”
Luke didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing, prompting Vincent to chime in. “One of our friends works for the phone company.”
When she didn’t respond, Vincent reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty. Grabbing it, she stood and asked, “What did you say the name of the company was?”
“Corner Stone Builders.”
She looked puzzled. “Most of this building is empty. I don’t know any company named Corner Stone who has ever rented here.”
Vincent pulled out another twenty and asked, “What are the names of the companies that are renting here?”
She pulled the bill from his hand. “There’s a tattoo parlor, a check-cashing agency, and some sort of export business.”