“A life-preserving policy.”
VanAllen nervously wet his lips. “You can trust me, Mr. Coburn. I don’t want this fouled up any more than you do. Is Mrs. Gillette all right?”
“Yes, and I want to make damn certain she stays that way.”
“You believe she’s in danger?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Because she has incriminating information on The Bookkeeper?”
On the outside chance that VanAllen had lied about wearing a wireless mike, Coburn wasn’t about to answer that question. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to order the local P.D. to call off the manhunt for me. Like you, I’m an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in performance of my duty. I can’t have a bunch of trigger-happy yokels on my ass.”
“Crawford isn’t going to shrug off eight murders.”
“Homicide detective?”
“For the sheriff’s office. He’s investigating Fred Hawkins’s murder. He sort of inherited the warehouse murders when Fred—”
“I get the picture,” Coburn said, cutting him off. “Talk this Crawford into granting me a reprieve until I can bring Mrs. Gillette in safely. Then I’ll thoroughly brief him on the warehouse shootings and Fred Hawkins.”
“He won’t go for it.”
“Twist his arm.”
“Maybe if you gave me some exculpatory information that I could pass along—”
“Thanks, but no thanks. Your office leaks like a sieve and so does his.”
VanAllen sighed, looking worried. “It all relates to The Bookkeeper, right?”
“Right.”
“And it’s big?”
“Right again.”
“Can’t you tell me anything?”
“Can. Won’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because if you were supposed to know, Hamilton would have already told you. He would have started by telling you about me.”
The man winced, as though it pained him to hear that. He also must have sensed Coburn’s resolve and decided that trying to bargain was pointless. “Okay, I’ll do my best with Crawford. What are you going to do?”
“Disappear. I’ll bring Mrs. Gillette in, but no one will be given notice. I’ll choose my time and place.”
“I’m not sure that’ll fly.”
“With who?”
“Hamilton. He said to tell you that time is up.”
“Hamilton can go fuck himself. Tell him I said so. Better yet, I’ll tell him myself. I’m still on the trail of something, and I intend to finish the job that he assigned me. If you need to go back to him with something, tell him that. Now, let’s get in the car.”
“What for?”