“I don’t like it either,” said Decker. “But it might be our best shot. And at the same time, we can find out who her partners are. There has to be paperwork filed with all of her projects.”
“Okay, I’ll get rolling on that,” said Lancaster. She pointed her finger at Mars. “This is not fun and games. These people are killers.”
“Yeah,” said Mars. “Which is why we’re going after them.”
“You think you know a lot about killers?”
“Well, I was on death row all those years.”
Lancaster looked at Decker. “Will you tell him to be serious?”
“He is being serious, Mary.”
Lancaster whirled back around to stare suspiciously at Mars.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Turns out I was innocent. Only cost me twenty years of my life and ruined any shot I had at playing in the NFL.”
“Damn,” said Lancaster. “That sucks.”
“Oh, it more than sucks, trust me.”
“How are you going to approach it with Katz?” asked Decker.
“Look, she probably thinks she can work on me and get details about the investigation. She tried doing that last night. I didn’t give her much, but I did give her a taste here and there. I can let her think she’s making inroads. And I’ll do the same with her.” He paused. “And there’s something off with her.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lancaster.
“I’m not sure. She’s attractive, she’s got money, education. But she feels like a loner to me. How come she never remarried? And why is she always so guarded about everything? When I asked about meeting her business partners, she didn’t look comfortable with that at all.”
“You could be right,” remarked Lancaster.
“And if we end up in a place where I can snoop around, I will.”
“Whoa, now you think you’re some kind of, what, spy?” said Lancaster.
“Well, my girlfriend is a spy.”
“Now you’re bullshitting me, right?”
Mars held up his right hand. “God’s honest truth.”
She looked at Decker, who nodded. “Military intelligence.”
“Sonofabitch,” exclaimed Lancaster. “You have a whole new class of friends, Amos.”
“Hey, if you don’t grow, you wither, right?” said Mars.
Decker put a hand on his shoulder. “All that aside, this is dangerous, Melvin. You’re not going into this clean. They know what side you’re on. Things can go sideways fast. If you sense any of that happening, you need to get out, pronto.”
“I’ve always been fast, Decker, you know that from our college football days.”
Lancaster said, “Wait a minute, you two played football against each other?”
“Longhorn versus Buckeye,” said Mars. “And guess who won?”
“You did,” said Decker. “And I hope you win again. Because unlike our college football matchup, I’m rooting for you.”
Mars smiled, but when he saw the look Decker was giving him he gripped his shoulder and said, “Look, I know this isn’t a game. But people have been killed. For no reason other than some assholes decided they didn’t get to live anymore, and that included kids. If I can help you take them down, then I will.”
Lancaster exchanged a glance with Decker. “You have seriously upgraded your friends, Amos.”
“I know,” he said. “And I want to keep them.”
Chapter 47
“WHAT THE HELL is he doing here?”
Decker, Mars, and Lancaster were walking into the police station the next morning when Childress stormed across the front lobby to confront them.
Decker eyed the police superintendent, who was attempting to stare him down. “I’m observing,” he replied. “Like I was told I could. Natty’s on board with it.”
“I don’t give a damn if Natty’s on board with it.” Childress put a finger in Decker’s face. “And I know damn well that you’re hardly just ‘observing.’ You’re working this case, I know you are, because I know you.”
“Then you know that I want to get to the truth.”
In a scoffing tone, Childress said, “You think you can just waltz back in here and try to do our work for us? We’re perfectly capable of investigating this case ourselves. We don’t need you or the FBI to help us.” He glanced at Mars. “Are you FBI?”
“No, just your friendly neighborhood vigilante.”
“Nothing wrong with cooperation,” interjected Decker. “Happens all the time.” He glanced at Lancaster but was not surprised to see her remain silent. This was her job, this was how she supported her family. And with her health issues, Childress could make her life miserable.
Now Childress got right in Decker’s face. “Just remember that we are still pressing charges against you. And you still have a court date to keep. Hired that lawyer yet? Because you’re going to need one.”
“Well, I won’t be hiring Ken Finger.”
Childress drew back. “Why not? He’s got a good reputation.”
“Yeah, he did such a bang-up job for Meryl Hawkins.”
“Hell! The world’s greatest lawyer couldn’t have gotten Hawkins off. The forensic case was overwhelming.”
“You think so?”
“You built that damn case, Decker,” snapped Childress.
“Only I built it wrong.”
Childress was about to say something but seemed to swallow his words. “What are you talking about?”
“We were all had, that’s what I’m talking about.”
“You’re nuts. Forensics don’t lie.”
“No, they don’t. But people do. All the time.”
“You’re making no damn sense at all.” Childress glared at Lancaster. “How the hell can you work with this guy, Mary?”
“He gets results. You know that as well as I do.”
Childress turned back to Decker. “One step out of line. One. And your ass is mine.”
“Well, that’s quite tempting,” replied Decker.
Childress looked like he was about to throw a punch, but he somehow marshaled his anger and marched off.
“Is he always that mellow?” asked Mars.
“He’s actually gotten better,” said Lancaster. “He went from Satan to just being an asshole.”
“You’re really being prosecuted, Decker?” asked Mars. “I thought it was just a joke.”
“For now, I am. I doubt it will ever get to an actual trial.”
“Don’t believe that, if Childress has anything to do with it,” said Lancaster.
“He’ll keep. And we need to ‘keep’ our focus on the case.”
“What’s the next move?” asked Lancaster.
“Someone impersonated Susan Richards on the day she disappeared.”
“That’s still not been proven,” pointed out Lancaster. “It’s just speculation.”
“Fine, but speculation or not, we have to follow the theory up.”