“Good detective work. And have you spoken to… what’s his name?”
“Raúl. Ms. Taylor and I met him, and he suggested that what we were looking for was in an unsavory quarter of Caracas called Petare.” Brodie added, “This fits Simpson’s description of his drive to the brothel.”
“That’s good. Do you think Mercer frequents this brothel?”
“Simpson said he looked very at ease there. Like he was… maybe more than a customer.”
“Okay. How come you’re not there now?”
“We’re going tomorrow.”
“That’s not like you, Brodie.”
“It’s a very… dangerous part of the city. Controlled by organized gangs. We decided to recon it in the daylight.”
Dombroski stayed silent, then said, “You caught some good breaks. You could have wrapped it up tonight and been home tomorrow.”
After seventeen years in the Army, Brodie was used to the military’s can-do culture—we do the difficult today, the impossible tomorrow. Andhe bought into most of it. But not all of it. He’d seen too many men get killed in Iraq who’d be alive today if they and their officers had been a little more cautious, and a little less macho.
“Brodie?”
“Tomorrow.” He added, “I’m under the influence tonight.”
“Taylor going with you?”
“We’ll see.”
“That’s your call.”
“And her call.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Fine. Let’s return to the subject of hookers.”
“Okay.”
“You should know that this brothel that Simpson was in specializes in underage girls.” He added, “Child prostitutes.”
Dombroski had no reply.
“So we’ve got a problem with this witness if we need him on the stand.”
“Don’t think too far ahead, Brodie. Let the JAG people worry about that. You just need to apprehend Kyle Mercer and get him into this jurisdiction.”
“I know that.”
“And donotinterrogate him. If you do, his lawyer will say he was questioned without an attorney—”
“I know that too.”
“Don’t ask him anything except his name, rank, and service number. Then read him his rights with a witness present—Taylor—and make a note that he understood. Then tape his mouth shut and put a sack over his head.”
“When do I kick him in the nuts?”
Dombroski ignored that and continued, “Worley said he gave you a kit.”
“Right. No duct tape and no sack.”
