and he realized what was going to happen the next day. Just a moment before he was feeling lonely, and now this! As always, with the knowledge came the headaches, although they were less severe these days than they had been in the early days. Still, they were not fun, and he headed inside the house toward the medicine cabinet.
After taking several aspirin, he headed toward his study. He would have to call Susan immediately. He open the lower right drawer of his desk and withdrew one of the cheap cellular phones he had acquired, slipping the charged battery into the one he selected. There was nothing illegal in his call, but using one of the throwaway phones was one thing they did to help keep his identity secret. If Carlson called him, she would do the same.
Jake had Carlson’s personal cellular number memorized, and he punched it in and triggered the call. He had activated the phone some time ago and used the name Trask, which would show in her caller ID. Mathews was the name he’d used when he first contacted her, but that was a name they never used anymore. Stan Mathews was the alias Jake had used to commit what amounted to crimes, and who was still being sought. While Carlson knew who Mathews was, she had accepted what he had done and the reasons for it.
Carlson would recognize the Trask name and realize it was Jake calling. That alone would alert her that the call was urgent. He heard the ring repeat five times, then six. There was no response. Finally her phone switched him over to allow the option of leaving a message. He hung up. There was no need to do so. His name would tell her enough. She must be somewhere or involved in a meeting where she wasn’t free to respond. That seldom happened, but he knew it was possible. He’d wait for her to call him back.
An hour passed and he’d still heard nothing back. He tried again, knowing that it wouldn’t change anything, but anxious to inform her of what was coming. Still no response. While he waited he went back to the computer and studied the hotel again. He had time. He could wait several days if necessary, and when he finally contacted her, he could find out where she had been, then back-track and get to her in time. As the hours passed and he grew restless, he considered that he hadn’t heard from her after the assassination. That in itself had been unusual, and he remembered being somewhat surprised. The killing of an important Senator would have been a top priority. He decided something he didn’t understand was going on.
He reached into the center drawer of the desk and withdrew his phone book. He located her office number, something he seldom had used, and then called it on the cheap cellular. He wasn’t surprised when a secretary answered.
“I’d like to speak with Special Agent Carlson,” he said.
“I’m sorry, she’s not available at this time,” replied the soft, yet mature voice on the far end. Jake envisioned an older and very efficient woman, who filtered all access to the agent.
“I see,” Jake said. “Look, I’ve tried to contact her for more than a week on her private cell, and have been unable to reach her.” He quoted the number so the woman would know he really knew the number. The rest of what he was saying was a lie, but he figured he might learn more discussing past events than asking where Carlson was or when she’d return. That would certainly be unproductive.
The voice hesitated, then said, “She has been away for longer than that. May I take a message for her when she returns?”
Jake considered. Susan had been away for more than a week, and unless he was mistaken about what had happened the next couple of days she was still going to be unavailable. Wherever she was, she wasn’t answering her cell. That suggested she was involved in some kind of an agency operation. Something that was too important to break cover. It was unlikely she had her phone with her, so she wouldn’t know about his calls. Even if she did, she must consider calling back secondary to whatever she was presently doing. She probably felt Jake’s call was something that could be handled at a future date, factoring in Jake’s ability to back-track.
Making a sudden decision, Jake said, “Tell her Bob Trask called.