“You’re far too loud for that.” I pat her shoulder. “I know you’re used to getting whatever you want, but I’m sure you can handle waiting a bit. It’ll be good for you.”
She reaches down into the water, scoops up a handful of suds, and throws them in my face.
“As if. I’ve got three of you for a reason.” She raises her voice. “Excuse me!” She calls through the suite. “I am the biggest celebrity diva of the year, and I amdemandingthat someone comes in here to finish me off!”
There’s a few second’s pause, then Kenta comes into the bathroom, smiling wider than I’ve seen in years. He leans in the doorway and looks at us. “Problem, Briar?”
“Youruselesspartner won’t finish what he started,” she complains loudly. “Get in here.”
He’s already started unbuttoning his shirt.
I step into the bedroom, listening to the bathwater splash as he joins her in the tub. There’s a flurry of giggles, then a long groan. Trying not to smile, I accept the call.“Hey, I—”
“We’ve got him.”
Shock flashes through me. “You’ve apprehended him?”
“No. But we know who X is. We found a fingerprint match for the magazine, and you’re right; it is one of the suspects you picked up for online activity.”
“Let me guess. Daniel F.”
“Oh, yes.”Anfisa sounds exhausted. “You need to come and see this. It’s not good.”
Thirty minutes later, I’m back at the FBI building, sitting opposite Anfisa in her eerily bare office. She looks like she’s been up all night: her face is pale, and her dark suit is rumpled and wrinkled. She slides a photograph across the desk to me. “This is X,” she says. “Real name, Daniel Filch. Forty-one years old, grew up in Anaheim, his mother was an unmarried British immigrant. She died when he turned twenty.”
I study the man. He doesn’t look like much of anything. Thinning brown hair, watery eyes, an insipid, weak smile. It’s hard to believe thatthisis the man who’s been running rings around us.
“He dropped out of high school at sixteen,” Anfisa continues, “no further education. We’re not sure what he does for a living right now, if he works, but he had a string of menial jobs when he was younger. They never lasted long. We called up a cafe he worked at when he was seventeen; apparently he was fired for sexual misconduct. Wouldn’t stop groping the waitresses.”
“Shocker.”
“Mm. Another position as a janitor at a gas station; he got fired after CCTV caught him putting cameras into the women’s bathroom.”
“Jesus. You manage to get his location?”
She purses her lips unhappily. “Kind of. Our agents did some cold-calling around the city and managed to find a local motel which reported a man of his description checking into a room a few days ago. He used a fake name, but the physical appearance and handwriting all match. He only stayed for one night, paid in cash. We have no idea where he moved to after that.”
I nod, studying her face. She looks worried. Far more worried than I’d like. “What aren’t you telling me?”
She grimaces. “We swabbed down the motel room.”
My stomach twists. “And?”
“Traces of black powder.”
“Christ.” I rub my face. “You think he’s making bombs?”
“Well, he’s not using it in a goddamn gun. It’d be like sending us up a smoke signal.”
I close my eyes. “The premiere is tonight.”
She nods solemnly. “We’ll brief the officers at the event, give them his picture. If he does turn up, we can arrest him quietly.”
I frown. It’s not enough. “She’s not going.”
“That’s your prerogative. We have no idea what he could be using the explosives for, so I’d advise you check your cars very thoroughly, and give your hotel security his picture. Briar might not even be the target. She wasn’t last time.”
“Not a risk I’m willing to take.” I stand up, scraping the chair back. I don’t like being this far from her. I need to get back to the hotel. “Thanks, Anfisa. For everything. Keep me updated.”
