First degree - By David Rosenfelt Page 0,69

who commit terrible crimes want to be caught and punished."

"Good," I say. "We agree."

He is surprised. "We do?"

"Yes. We agree that whoever did this wants Laurie Collins to be caught and punished."

LIEUTENANT COLONELS HAVE A LARGE workforce to call on when they want to get something done. Which is why Kevin's brother-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel Prentice, is able to call him back with our information just six hours after we had requested it.

Kevin reports that since all identification records of Stynes had mysteriously been erased, our favorite LC had his minions compare his face with that of every known member of the Special Forces during the Vietnam era. A positive match was made, and Stynes's real name is Roger Cahill. He was a sergeant in the 307th Division, Delta Company, and served in Vietnam for three years, distinguishing himself and winning three combat medals.

Kevin asked him to run a military report on Alex Dorsey, but unfortunately Dorsey and Cahill were not in the same division. At first glance, nothing in Stynes/Cahill's record matches Dorsey, but we put Marcus on the case to try to dig something up. The bottom line is, we have new information but don't yet know enough to benefit from it.

I put in a call to Darrin Hobbs, the FBI special agent who deflected my earlier attempts to get information about the FBI's intervention into the Dorsey matter. I'm told he's in a meeting, and I wind up speaking to Agent Cindy Spodek, Hobbs's underling, heretofore best known for successfully resisting my conversational charms when we last met.

This time she's just as aloof, but I'm not trying as hard. I don't really care if she likes me or not; I'm looking for information. I tell her what I've learned about Cahill and that I want access to the FBI investigative files to see if he is included in them, under either "Cahill" or "Stynes."

To my surprise she seems interested by what I am saying, and asks some clarifying questions. But ultimately, she says, "You understand that I can't authorize the release of our confidential information. That will be up to Special Agent Hobbs."

This is what I expected. "When can I speak with him?"

"I'll be talking with him before the end of the day."

I give her my phone number and tell her I'll be waiting for his call.

"One of us will call you back," she says. "But I must tell you, I think you should pursue any other avenues you have. It is not the kind of information Special Agent Hobbs is likely to share."

I again ask that he call me, and she promises to do her best. She seems sympathetic to my request but cognizant of the inclinations of the person for whom she works. My guess is that she is right, and I doubt that I'll hear from him.

It takes ten minutes to again be proved wrong. The phone rings and Hobbs himself is on the phone.

"Andy? Darrin Hobbs here. What's this about you needing more information?" His tone is friendly but on-the-run, as if he's really busy, but he'll take a few seconds to rid himself of this annoyance.

"That's right," I say. "There's a new piece added to the puzzle. A guy named Cahill."

"Never heard of him," he says dismissively.

"It's not the only name he uses. I need to know if he turned up in your investigation of Petrone and Dorsey."

"That road is closed. I told you that."

The guy is on my nerves, but it won't pay to antagonize him. "Yes, you did," I say. "I'm hoping you'll reconsider."

He laughs a short laugh at the absurdity of my hope. "It's not going to happen."

There's no sense beating around the bush. "Hopefully, the judge will have a different view of that."

The temperature of his voice drops fifty degrees in the blink of an eye. "I don't know how much you know about me, Carpenter, but if you know anything, then you know I can't be threatened."

"I'm defending my client," I point out, my voice reflecting my annoyance.

"Good for you." Click.

Within thirty seconds of the time he hangs the phone up, my anger switches from being directed at Hobbs the pompous asshole to Carpenter the idiotic, counterproductive defense attorney. I've just permanently pissed off the only guy who might have information that could help Laurie.

Good job, Andy.

I call Kevin and give him the job of preparing a motion asking Hatchet to compel Hobbs to turn over the FBI investigation files. Kevin is happy to do it; motions like