“That’s very comforting.”
Their drinks came and they touched glasses. Brodie said, “You did good today.”
“Thank you, but I don’t need your affirmation.”
“Right. Well, I think we made some progress today.”
She nodded.
“Why is Kyle Mercer here?” Brodie asked.
“I think we’ve been through this.”
“Okay.” He looked at her in the dim light. “Why did Captain Mercer desert?”
“We’ve been through this too.”
He nodded, then thought a moment and said, “Here’s something new. I’m starting to think that there’s more to this case than bringing a fugitive to justice.” He asked her, “Do you have that feeling?”
“Tell me what you base that feeling on.”
“A dozen years of detective work.”
“Okay. But maybe you’ve developed an overactive imagination.”
“Maybe.”
She sipped her drink. “This is pretty good.”
“Better than Tennessee moonshine.”
She smiled. “Hardly.” She asked, “What more could there be to this?”
“I’m glad you asked.” He leaned toward her. “Two things about this case make absolutely no sense. One is that a Delta Force officer deserted his men in a war zone, surrounded by hostile forces. Two, that deserter went through hell in captivity, and then wound up here in the shithole of the Western Hemisphere.” He looked at her. “Also, I’ve been through a hundred case briefings, but I’ve never been through one like General Hackett gave us.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I was sure he—and maybe Dombroski—knew more than they were saying, and I was also sure Hackett didn’t want us to know anything more.” He added, “Hackett specifically told us not to question Mercer.”
“I think you need another drink.”
Brodie kept looking at her. “Do you know anything I don’t know?”
“I should be insulted.”
“Sorry.”
“Look… what you say may… be correct. A lot of this doesn’t make sense. This case is complex. But our mission is simple: Find and apprehend Captain Kyle Mercer.” She added, “Don’t complicate it with… conspiracy theories.”
“I watch too many TV series.”
“Apparently.”
“You want another drink?”
“No. I’m drained and beat.” She stood. “Don’t drink too much. And don’t knock on my door.”
“What if I figure this all out?”
