The Garden of Betrayal - Lee Vance [61]
“Alex’s e-mail said she had important information for you. Did she?”
“She had information,” I admitted. “I don’t know if it’s important. I’m still checking it out.”
I caught a flicker of movement from Walter out of my peripheral vision. He’d glanced up from his hands and was looking at me.
“So, how were you supposed to get back in touch with her if you had any follow-up questions?”
“Through Alex.”
The lieutenant tapped his pencil on the pad, evidently uncomfortable with the turn my answers had taken. The chief kept quiet, not giving him any help.
“Did she say how they knew each other?”
“They were friends.”
“Her name wasn’t in his address book.”
“Maybe it was on his computer.”
“‘Was,’” the chief interjected quickly. “You just said ‘Maybe it was on his computer.’ Why not ‘is’?”
Shit. I was an idiot. The last thing I wanted was to get Reggie in trouble for blabbing about the police investigation.
“Meaning that I’m in the information business, and that I talk to a lot of people. I heard that the hard drive was missing from Alex’s computer. Maybe Theresa’s contact information was on the hard drive.”
“What’s the name of this person who talked to you?” the chief demanded.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“I don’t give a good goddamn what you think you are or aren’t at liberty to say,” he snarled.
I shrugged, furious at myself for screwing up. The chief turned to Walter with an apoplectic expression.
“Mr. Wallace is an employee of yours. Perhaps you could persuade him that it’s in his best interest to answer our questions as completely as possible.”
Not true. I was a consultant. I turned my head to Walter, wondering how he was going to handle it. He stared at me for a long moment and then spoke up.
“I want a private word with the officers. Mark, I’d appreciate your waiting outside.”
“Of course.”
“I don’t think—” the chief began, but Walter silenced him with a gesture.
I stepped out, grateful for the break. Ignoring the inquisitive eyes still directed at me, I dialed Reggie on his cell phone. He answered on the first ring.
“Hey. What happened with Gallegos?”
“Later,” I whispered, cupping the phone in my hands. “Listen. I screwed up. A couple of senior guys from your department named Wayland and Ellison were asking me questions about Alex, and I let slip that I knew his hard drive was missing.”
“Shit.”
“The chief wanted to know who told me, and I refused to say. He wasn’t happy.”
Reggie sighed.
“Chief’s a little cranky before lunch with his buddy Jack Daniel’s. Afterward, he gets mean.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. I got a good balance in the favor bank. It’s not the end of the world if you have to give me up.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I gotta hop. I’m waiting outside Walter’s office. I only got bounced so they could figure out how to lean on me.”
“Understood. Where you going to be later?”
“Here, then Sloan-Kettering. Why?”
“I might have some news for you.”
“You got a lead on the car?” I asked, my heart in my throat.
“Could be. Keep your phone on. And I want to hear about Gallegos.”
“It’s another weird story.”
“My fucking epitaph. Stay in touch.”
The door opened again thirty seconds later. Wayland and Ellison filed out, neither acknowledging me. Walter called my name.
“Let me explain—” I said, as I reentered the office.
“Don’t bother,” he interrupted. “I couldn’t care less who you talk to in the police department. You got the Saudi information from this woman Theresa Roxas, didn’t you?”
“Right,” I said, not surprised he’d put the pieces together.
“And Alex was the friend who introduced you to her.”
“Yes.”
“And when we spoke yesterday and agreed that the friend who introduced you to the expert was probably working on behalf of Senator Simpson, you didn’t see fit to tell me that your friend was actually my son.”
His tone was withering. Any other time, I would have told him that my sources were none of his goddamn business. Today, it was understandable that he was upset.
“I wanted to give Alex a chance to explain things first.