Gillette said nothing to that.
“Did they tell you where they were going?”
“What do you think?”
“Give you any hint? Did you pick up on anything?”
“They were in an awful rush when they left. As they raced through here, I demanded to know what was going on. Coburn stopped and leaned down, putting us eye to eye.
“He reminded me that when a Marine has a duty to perform, he doesn’t let any obstacle stand in the way of performing that duty. I told him yes, of course, what of it? Then he said, ‘Well, I’m a former Marine, and I’ve got a duty to perform. Intentionally or not, you could be an obstacle. So you should understand why I gotta do this.’ Then the son of a bitch slugged me, knocked me out. Next thing I know, you’re here.”
“Your jaw is bruised. Is it okay?”
“Have you ever been kicked by a mule?”
“I don’t suppose you saw what kind of car—”
“No.”
“Where’s your computer?”
Gillette led him down a hallway and into the master bedroom. “It’s probably in sleep mode.”
Crawford sat down at the functional desk and activated the computer. He checked the email server, the home page on the web browser, and even Gillette’s documents file. He didn’t find anything, nor had he expected to.
“Coburn wouldn’t have left us a trail that was that easy to follow,” he said. “I’d like to take your computer with me, though. Give it to the department techies, see if they can find what was on that key. I guess all we can do now—”
He drew up short when he stood up and turned around. Stan Gillette was holding a deer rifle in one hand and pointing a six-shot revolver at him with the other.
Chapter 44
It’s Coburn.”
Hamilton yelled at him through the phone. “About time. Damn you, Coburn! Are you still alive? Mrs. Gillette? The child? What happened with VanAllen?”
“Honor is with me. She’s okay. But they’ve got her daughter. I just talked to Doral Hawkins. The Bookkeeper wants to trade. Me for Emily.”
Hamilton exhaled noisily. “Well, that sums it up.”
“It does.”
After a beat, Hamilton asked, “VanAllen?”
“Honor didn’t meet him, I did. I suspected a trap, but I thought it would be him springing it. As it turned out…”
“Tom was clean.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe? I understand he was practically vaporized.”
“Bad guys get double-crossed, too. Anyway, he answered his phone before I could warn him not to.”
“Where are you now?”
“Later. Listen, I found what I’ve been after. Turned out to be a USB key loaded with incriminating information.”
“On who?”