“No.” Metcalf turned to face her. “Not in your car, not anywhere around here. The bomb techs swept the whole place.”
“Then what was it?”
Metcalf angled the container toward her. “Check it out.”
Kendra looked down. It was a simple circuit board with a single green LED bulb mounted on its top surface.
Kendra shrugged. “It’s not a bomb, but it’s meant to look like one.”
Metcalf turned to the techs. “Okay, let’s bag it.” He turned back to Kendra. “Sorry, but we’re taking your car.”
“What?”
“A tow truck is on the way.”
“Aw, come on.”
“Right now, your car is the best lead we have. The only person likely to have Ron Kim’s phone is his killer, and for some reason he broke into your car, placed it on your dashboard, and turned it on. He knew it would bring us here.”
Kendra nodded. “…and probably knew what a stir his green light would cause.”
“Someone’s taunting you.” Metcalf’s lips were tight. “I hate to say it, but that could be why Woodward Academy was targeted. They knew it would bring you on the case.”
“Maybe. We can’t be sure.”
“In any case, the killer was probably in your car today. I want our guys in the garage to examine and swab every centimeter.”
Kendra bit her lip in frustration. The fact that Metcalf was right didn’t make the news any easier to hear. She’d be without wheels for the next couple of days. Still, a small price to pay if it got them any closer to catching that monster. “Okay, but don’t let them take the whole damn thing apart. I know how much your guys like to do that.”
“I’ll do my best,” he said solemnly. “But whatever parts they have left over after reassembling your car, I’ll make sure they box ’em up and give them to you.”
“Thanks a lot, Metcalf.”
* * *
After Kendra reached her condo she took a long, relaxing shower. She heard her phone ring but she didn’t bother to answer it. Let it ring. It had been a rough day and she deserved a little pampering. It rang again after she’d finished and was blow-drying her hair. When she glanced at the caller ID, she wished she could ignore it entirely. But you didn’t ignore Lynch; he only went around and came at you from another direction.
As he had on the way back here from Afghanistan on that C-130. She supposed she was lucky that she hadn’t heard from him before this. Get it over with.
She pressed the ACCESS button. “Hello, Lynch. I can’t talk to you now. I’m going to go down and have dinner with Olivia.”
“An engagement of infinite importance. I won’t keep you long,” he said, amused. “I realize I’m not your favorite person these days. I only wanted to make certain you were settling in properly.”
“As well as can be expected.” She paused. “Don’t you really mean that you wanted to know if I’d made any strides on getting my visa back?” Then she snapped her fingers. “Oh, that’s right—you’re much too influential with the Justice Department to worry about that. You believe I’m stuck wherever you want to put me.”
“Not true,” he said softly. “I know eventually you’ll find a way to get what you want. I’m only hoping that I’ll make enough progress here so that I’ll be able to make it safer for you when you do.”
She couldn’t resist the temptation to ask, “And have you made progress?”
“A little. I don’t want to move too fast and scare anyone off.”
“Well, I’m sure that won’t happen. You’re very good at manipulating situations. Look how you finessed Griffin and his team to get what you wanted from me. You picked the perfect case to bring me running.”
“I didn’t pick it,” Lynch said quietly. “It would never have been my choice. I just threw Griffin an offer and he went full steam ahead as he usually does. That’s why I’m calling you. I phoned Griffin this morning and he told me about Woodward Academy. He said you knew the victims. I’m sorry, you’ve told me how much those teachers meant to you. This must be hurting you. If I’d known, I would have told Griffin to go anywhere but there.”
“But you didn’t know, you just knew you wanted your own way.” She had to steady her voice. “And yes, it is hurting. I cared about them. They were part of who I am in ways you can’t even imagine.”
“You’re wrong, I can imagine,” he said roughly. “That’s