Manhattan, New York
Tuesday, March 14, 4:35 a.m.
Marc had barely dozed off when his private line buzzed, with the caller ID blocked.
Beside him in bed, Maddy stirred. “You’re a busy man tonight,” she murmured, shifting position to get more comfortable.
Marc frowned, glancing quickly at his pregnant wife. “You okay?”
She smiled. “We both are. The baby and me. Go answer your phone.” She squeezed his hand, then settled in.
Reassured, Marc snatched up his cell. “Devereaux.”
“Morning, frogman,” Aidan greeted him. “Time for breakfast.”
“No problem, leatherneck,” Marc quipped back. “I never went to sleep. Busy work night.”
The frogman-leatherneck jibes went back to their military days, when Marc was a Navy SEAL and Aidan was a Marine captain. It was a comfortable ritual, one that had never changed.
“Well, it’s about to get busier,” Aidan replied. “I’ve got the serology and DNA results you need. Verbal overview now, more detailed fact sheet via the necessary channels in Yoda’s memory banks by midmorning.”
“I’m listening.”
“Two different blood types. Pool of blood gathered underneath Shane was AB positive. Jagged stream of blood alongside it was A negative. The former belonged to Shane. The latter belonged to Caitlin. All designated blood markers consistent with that conclusion.”
“That’s all I needed,” Marc said, pleased that his instincts had been right. “How much did this set you back?”
“Not a penny,” Aidan returned dryly. “Some terrorist group has less money to destroy the world. So it’s a win-win. Still, I did get you the information. Therefore, you do owe me. I’ll just have to come up with the right payback.”
A corner of Marc’s mouth lifted. “I can hardly wait.”
“Enjoy your day, frogman.”
“You, too, leatherneck. And thanks.”
13
The McKay Residence
East 236th Street
Woodlawn, Bronx, New York
Tuesday, March 14, 7:03 a.m.
The sun was barely poking its head up and there was a drizzle of frost on the ground when Claire and Casey arrived at the McKay house.
Maureen greeted them at the front door, and Claire immediately introduced Casey.
“Ms. Woods, thank you for coming,” Maureen said, showing them in. “I appreciate everything you and your company are doing to help us.”
Casey waved away the thanks, extending her hand and clasping Maureen’s. “Please, it’s Casey. And before we even begin, I want to extend my condolences to you in person. I know you’re suffering deeply. I apologize that, at the last minute, I moved this talk up to such an early hour, especially since the funeral was just yesterday. But I was concerned about waiting until eight. We have a lot of territory to cover, and I want to do so before Kennedy wakes up.”
“I agree.” Maureen took their coats and led them into the living room, gesturing for them to have a seat on the sofa. Once they were settled, she poured and handed each of them a cup of steaming tea. “Here. This will warm away the March chill.”
“Thank you. This is perfect.” Casey took an appreciative sip, as did Claire.
Maureen poured herself a cup, as well, then sat down in an adjacent armchair. “I appreciate your kind words. As for the earliness of the hour, I haven’t been getting much sleep these past days anyway. I hope I’m able to help you before the FBI contacts me.” She shot a brief glance toward the staircase. “And before Kennedy wakes up.”
