Alex Kava Bundle - Alex Kava [237]
“He was Albert Stucky’s business partner,” a woman’s voice answered from the open doorway.
Tully twisted in his chair to look at the young, dark-haired woman. She was attractive and wore a navy blue suit jacket with matching trousers.
“Agent O’Dell, please come in.” Cunningham stood and pointed to the chair next to Tully.
Tully stared up at her, shuffling his files, awkwardly shoving them aside.
“Special Agent Margaret O’Dell, this is Special Agent R. J. Tully.”
The chair wobbled as Tully stood and shook Agent O’Dell’s outstretched hand. Immediately he was impressed with her firm grip and the way she looked directly into his eyes.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Agent Tully.”
She was genuine. She was professional. There was no trace of what she must have gone through last night. This certainly didn’t look like an agent who was on the verge of mental collapse.
“The pleasure is mine, Agent O’Dell. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
Tully could see Cunningham already growing impatient with all these pleasantries.
“Why were you asking about Walker Harding?” O’Dell asked as she sat down.
Tully picked up his files again. Okay, so she was used to the assistant director’s style of getting right down to business. Now Tully wished he had spent some time preparing instead of agonizing over Emma’s virginity. He honestly hadn’t thought O’Dell would show up.
“For Agent Tully’s benefit,” Cunningham began explaining, “Walker Harding and Albert Stucky started an Internet stock-trading business, one of the first of its kind, in the early 1990s. They ended up making millions.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I have any information on him,” Tully said as he riffled through his files, double-checking.
“You probably don’t.” Cunningham sounded apologetic. “Harding was out of the picture long before Stucky took up his new hobby. He and Stucky sold their company, split their millions and went their separate ways. There was no reason for any of us to know about Walker Harding.”
“I’m not sure I follow,” Tully said, glancing at Agent O’Dell to see if he was the only one missing something. “Is there some reason why we should now?”
Anita interrupted, floating into the room and handing Tully a steaming mug.
“Thanks, Anita.”
“Anything for you, Agent O’Dell? Coffee? Or perhaps your usual early-morning Diet Pepsi?”
Tully watched Agent O’Dell smile in a way that said the two women were quite familiar with each other.
“Thank you, Anita, but no, I’m fine.”
The secretary squeezed the agent’s shoulder in a gesture that looked more motherly than professional, and then she left, closing the door behind her.
Cunningham sat back and made a tent with his fingertips, picking up the conversation exactly where they had left off, as if there had been no interruption. “Walker Harding became a recluse after he and Stucky sold their business. Practically disappeared off the face of the earth. There seems to be virtually no records, no transactions, no sign of the man.”
“Then what does this have to do with Albert Stucky?” Tully was puzzled.
“I checked the airline schedules within the last week for flights going from Dulles or Reagan National to Kansas City. Not that I expected to find Albert Stucky’s name on any of the manifests.” He looked from Tully to O’Dell. “I was looking for any of the aliases Stucky has used in the past. That’s when I noticed that there was a ticket sold for a KC flight, Sunday afternoon out of Dulles, to a Walker Harding.”
Cunningham waited, looking for some reaction. Tully watched, tapping his foot nervously but not impressed with the information.
“Excuse me, sir, for saying so, but that may not mean much. It may not even be the same man.”
“Perhaps not. However, Agent Tully, I suggest you find out whatever you can about Walker Harding.”
“Assistant Director Cunningham, why am I here?” Agent O’Dell asked politely but with enough candor to indicate she wasn’t willing to continue without an answer.