Cold River - Carla Neggers [112]
Five minutes later, they were on their way. Rose drove her own car, and Elijah and Sean followed her out Ridge Road. Sean called Hannah, but she didn’t answer her cell phone. He tried the café, but she wasn’t there.
A.J., Lauren and their two young children were just arriving at the lodge. Sean saw Elijah’s tight expression and knew his brother shared his fear. “A.J. didn’t bargain for killers turning up in his backyard,” Elijah said.
“You can stay, and I’ll go on,” Sean said. “I’ll be fine.”
Elijah shook his head. “A.J. and Lauren know what to do. Rose’s head’s not screwed on straight. It hasn’t been for a while. Even if she knows what to do to protect herself, it doesn’t mean she’ll do it. Sometimes,” Elijah added, “people just get reckless.”
Sean didn’t argue. They gave A.J. a brief update, and as Rose got out of her car with Ranger, Sean saw that their baby sister was as pale and withdrawn as he’d ever seen her. He tried to speak to her, but she just muttered about needing to walk Ranger. A.J. fell in next to her as she and her golden retriever headed off into the snow by the stone terrace.
When Sean and Elijah were back on Ridge Road, Elijah dug out his cell phone and made a call. “Do you and your pals in law enforcement have Rose’s place down as a spot where whoever triggered that bomb could have seen Melanie Kendall get in her car?” He listened to her answer. “Get off this task force, Jo.” He disconnected and dropped the phone back in his pocket.
“What did she say?” Sean asked.
“She told me to go throw a log on my woodstove.”
“When you suggested she get off the task force—”
“It wasn’t a suggestion,” Elijah said, then shrugged, unperturbed. “She hung up.”
“I would have, too,” Sean said. “Let’s have another look at the crypt.”
“We’re on the same wavelength,” Elijah said. “Melanie Kendall’s car was parked at the lodge most of that day. Someone could have placed the bomb in it while it was there.”
“Then went up to Rose’s and triggered it.”
“Not a stranger. A.J. was on high alert while Jo and I were on the mountain. He’d have noticed strangers.” Elijah glanced over at his brother. “The bomb had to have been made somewhere. The black powder, the gunpowder, the copper wire—they had to be stored somewhere, or maybe in several places so as not to draw suspicion. That’s what I’d do.”
When they stopped at the cemetery, Sean knew they were both thinking about Bowie. They headed down the lane. Theirs were the first prints in the fresh snow.
Elijah knocked the stick out of the latch and entered the crypt.
It wasn’t empty this time.
Sean went inside with his brother. A bright ray of the cold winter light struck a roll of thin copper wire. Next to it were number-ten cans. Elijah peeled back lids, revealing several inches of gunpowder and black powder.
“Our guy’s back at it,” Elijah said.
Sean nodded. “It doesn’t matter if he planted this stuff for us or if he’s arrogant enough to think we wouldn’t come back here.”
Elijah headed out of the crypt. Sean fell in next to him as they headed back down the lane to the truck. “You can wait here for the police,” Sean said. “I’m going after Hannah.”
“I’m going with you.” Elijah climbed in behind the wheel and glanced over at Sean. “We’ll get to her in time, brother.”
“It’s obvious?”
“Since Thanksgiving for me.” Elijah stuck the key in the ignition, his hand steady. “Jo saw it earlier. She’s tuned in to these things now, but don’t tell her I said so.” He nodded to his brother. “Call A.J. Have him get in touch with the police. If we call them…”
“They’ll have us wait here, which will waste time. Jo?”
“She’s a federal agent, Sean. We don’t want to disobey a direct order from her, either.” Elijah threw the truck into gear. “A.J. can call her, too.”
Thirty-One
January 4—Washington, D.C.
Grit met Jo in the lobby of Alex Bruni’s building a few blocks from the White House. Her badge got them into the elevator. On the way up to the fourth floor, she told him about the goings-on