Drex’s heart bumped, but he didn’t ask. He waited Mike out.
“Rudkowski called there, looking for you.”
“What?”
“Three times, after his assistant put in the initial call. He worked his way up the chain of command, demanding to know where you were and how he could reach you.”
“Shit!”
“This Pam thought I should know so I could inform you. She offered to help in any way she could if you were in a jam and needed her to cover for you. She asked me to tell you that. Made me promise I would. She seemed earnest.”
“She’s earnestly man-hungry,” Drex said absently as he tried to process this news about Rudkowski. “She wants a stepdaddy for her two kids. Maybe she thought the project I gave her was an inroad to…something.”
“Is it?”
“Hell no,” he replied with impatience. Then, “Did Rudkowski try to reach either of you?”
“Not yet,” Gif said. “But Mike gave me a heads-up, and I dodged calls for the rest of the day.”
“That’ll work for only so long,” Drex said. “If he doesn’t show up at your desk himself, he’ll dispatch someone. If you’re asked—when you’re asked—you haven’t seen me, didn’t know my vacation plans.”
“The regular drill,” Gif said. “Play dumb.”
“Which he won’t believe,” Mike remarked.
“Play it for as long as you can get away with it,” Drex said. “Stick to your day duties, but it’s red-alert time, boys.”
“What’s worrisome—” Gif began.
“Is the timing of the asshole wanting to talk to me today.”
“That’s what rattled Mike and me,” Gif said. “How long has it been since you two had any contact?”
“Not long enough.”
Drex came out of his chair and went over to the window. He pulled the edge of the shade away from the framework, creating a crack just wide enough to focus the new binoculars on the house across the way.
Gif said, “I don’t think Rudkowski’s call is a bizarre coincidence.”
“But what roused him?” Mike asked.
“Must’ve been that deputy in Florida,” Drex said. “Rudkowski’s name was in the case file. Gray sounded green, eager to help. If he was doing some kind of follow-up and couldn’t reach me, he’d likely contact Rudkowski.”
Mike sighed. “If you’re right, you need to destroy the phone you used when you called him.”
“Already have. It’s on the bottom of the Atlantic. After talking to him, I threw it out the porthole in the head.” Thinking of the yacht reminded him. “Any progress on that picture, Mike?”
“A team of photo experts in Bombay are working on it for me. I’ve got TV dinners in my freezer that are older than them, and I don’t understand a damn thing they do, but they’re good. I passed along what you said about wanting to see the pores on his face.”
They fell into a thoughtful silence, then Gif said, “We know your impressions of the couple next door. What do you think their impressions are of you?”
“While they were cleaning up the kitchen, he commented on my attire.”
“Your attire?”
“That’s the word he used. He said I dressed like a frat boy on his way to a keg bust.”
They chuckled. Gif asked, “What did she say?”