"But?" Tyler asked.
"I felt like there was something he wasn't saying."
"I felt the same way. I wouldn't be surprised if this bomb had more to do with him and less to do with Samantha. Maybe someone wanted to send him a message. We need to find out what happened on his last trip to Tajikistan."
"And maybe more about Armen Petroysan. I'd like to know how Samantha's case is going to affect him."
"Well, we should get her case files soon. Let's go back to the office."
The rest of Tuesday delivered little progress, Kara thought, as she stretched and rolled her neck around on her shoulders a little after five. The files from the DA's office would arrive in the morning, so she'd spent most of her time re-interviewing witnesses and using social media to find out more about Samantha Barkley and Dominic Ashford's relationship.
They'd spent a lot of time at philanthropic events and political fundraisers, with a few dinners and birthday parties with local politicians and CEOs, all of whom appeared to be friends with Dominic. But she wasn't as interested in his friends as she was in his enemies. When she'd asked him if Samantha could have been targeted because of her relationship to him, it was clear that he couldn't rule out that possibility. But it was going to be difficult to find real information about Dominic on the Internet. Which meant she needed to talk to Max again. He hadn't returned any of her calls, but she had managed to get Wes to trace his phone to a Chinese restaurant on the edge of Chinatown.
Maybe it was time to check that out. She put on her coat, grabbed her bag, and headed down to the garage. Twenty minutes later, she arrived at the Golden Dragon restaurant. There appeared to be a door next to the restaurant that led to an upstairs apartment. She wondered if Max might live there, although it didn't seem like the kind of a place a guy who owned his own security company and had a billionaire for a client would live. Although it did seem like the kind of place that a CIA agent might use as a cover.
She pushed the doorbell for the apartment. If she was wrong, at least she'd know. There was no answer. Pulling out her phone, she called him again. She was ready to leave a more urgent message when his deep voice came across the line.
"Max Malone?"
"Who's asking?"
"Agent Kara Reid. I've called you several times today. I need to speak to you."
"About?"
"Dominic Ashford and Samantha Barkley. I have questions."
"Dominic told me he already spoke to you. I doubt I can provide any new information."
"Oh, I think you can. Where are you? Can we meet?"
"I guess I could meet with you. On one condition. You pay for dinner."
"I'm not having dinner with you," she protested.
"Too bad. Because I'm hungry and I like to talk over a meal."
She drew an irritated breath. "Fine, I'll buy you dinner. Where?"
"How about here?"
His voice was no longer on the line; it was coming from behind her. She whirled around in surprise, her heart beating a little too fast when she saw him standing on the sidewalk with a smirk on his too-handsome face.
She put her phone into the pocket of her jacket. "Funny," she said.
His grin broadened. "I hope you like Chinese food."
"I do. And I will buy you dinner, but you have to promise to actually speak."
"No promises. We'll see how things go."
She didn't like his response, but at the moment, he had the upper hand. She had no grounds to bring him in for an official interview yet, so she had to take what she could get. Waving her hand toward the restaurant, she said, "After you."
He led the way into the Golden Dragon, opening the door for her and motioning her inside. The space was small and unpretentious, with a dozen tables covered with bright red tablecloths. Paper lanterns hung from the ceiling, and the air was thick with the smell of garlic, ginger, and other spices.
A woman who had to be in her sixties came out of the kitchen, her face breaking into a wide smile when she saw Max.
"Max! Finally, you come to eat!" She came around the counter, already talking rapidly in a mix of English and, what Kara assumed, was Cantonese. "And you bring someone!" Her sharp eyes turned to Kara, assessing her with the kind of directness that would have been rude anywhere but in a Chinese family restaurant. "Girlfriend?"
