done it in a not so by the book fashion and warned Duffy off while they did it. Duffy got the traitor and his fingers weren’t on any of the illegality in exposing him. Since that time Duffy had worked well with St. Paul and St. Paul with him, bygones were bygones. “Hey Mac,” Duffy said, extending his hand which Mac took.
“Special Agent Duffy, glad you’re here. Ed, I need you to tell me who this guy is,” Mac handed him a photo of the killer from McCormick’s house. “This man killed Sebastian McCormick, Adam Montgomery and I’m betting he killed Jason Stroudt on Tuesday. So he has for sure two and perhaps three bodies on him. I want him. We’re hunting for him at hospitals but whether we do or don’t find him, I need to know who he is. I’m betting he’s not local. He doesn’t look local.”
“No he doesn’t,” Duffy replied, soaking in the photo. “He looks European, French, maybe even Italian.”
“He could be Greek, Russian, Ethiopian, I don’t care, I just want to know who he is, and if possible, Ed, known associates and if we’re really lucky, an idea of who he might be working for.”
“We’re on it.”
Wire had backed away from McRyan and moved to stand with Sally Kennedy in the back of the room. She watched McRyan in action again and was impressed. The man knew how to take command and run an investigation. He moved quickly and decisively, putting people in action without bravado, just getting things done. In less than two minutes he’d assigned three pieces of the investigation and from what she could tell to three people he trusted.
“God, he’s in his element now,” Sally remarked.
“He appears to be,” Wire agreed. “He’s definitely taking charge.”
Sally laughed quietly. “That’s Mac. He’s not too good riding shotgun, he has to be the driver.”
“Control freak?”
“More than just a little,” Sally replied. “It leads to some interesting conversations at home to say the least.”
Wire caught Kennedy’s subtext, “You don’t strike me as the shrinking violet type. I imagine as a prosecutor, you like being in charge as well.”
“I do. Makes for some fun battles in everything,” and then Sally smiled mischievously and whispered, “and I mean in everything we do.”
Wire smiled herself, “I think I understand.” Kennedy was offering assistance, a little insight, and also letting Dara Wire, the other attractive woman in the room, know ever so gently, that the really good looking detective giving orders was not in play.
“I can just tell you want to help, and I can tell you like to be in control as well, so just thought you’d want to know what to expect,” Sally added.
Wire nodded and casually moved back around the table to join McRyan who was now going through the backpack.
Mac looked up as she approached, “You’re still hanging around, eh?”
“I was rather hoping I could help you,” Wire said, arms folded. “That is, if you need any help?”
Lich was at the hospital with a bullet hole in his shoulder, Riley and Rockford were working the McCormick crime scene and others Mac trusted were working other parts of the investigation. Mac was on his own at the moment.
“I don’t work for Dixon,” Mac stated.
Wire nodded. “I know, and I do. But I can still be helpful. I bring a certain insight to matters that could prove beneficial.”
“My case. My rules. I control it.”
“Your girlfriend told me that is the way it would be.”
“She did, huh?”
“Oh yeah. She said you like to be in charge. I’m good with that.”
Wire was obviously smart, an ex-cop, could clearly handle herself, personally motivated by the night’s events and Dixon trusted her, which spoke volumes. “Okay, Dara Wire. You want in, you’re in.”
“What’s next then?”
“Let’s work through this backpack. I’m betting there is something here.”
“Why?”
“When these guys killed Stroudt, they took whatever he had for luggage. He checked a bag for his flight here but there was nothing left in the motel room. We tracked down some airport footage, and he was carrying a backpack. Those were all gone from the room. These guys saw or knew something that was worth killing for. Maybe the answer is in this backpack.”
Inside the backpack there was a laptop, spiral notebook, a cell phone, camera and pictures. He started with the cell phone, flipping it open and scrolling through the calls.
“Burner phone,” Wire offered.
“Yup,” Mac agreed. “There aren’t many calls, although I recognize this one.”