“But we have more to work with now. If she was Russian, that’s something that can be checked out. If she was a handler for a spy within the government, that can be investigated too. We have leads, we just have to run them down.”
Bogart said, “If she did help out this country and was paid a substantial sum for it, that is something we should be able to track down.”
“But how does that explain Dabney’s killing her?” asked Jamison. “We know that Dabney stole secrets, but that was very recently.” She looked at Brown. “Do you have anything to show that Dabney and Berkshire were working together?”
Brown hesitated.
“Oh for God’s sake, you can at least nod or shake your head,” said Jamison in exasperation.
Brown shook her head.
Jamison turned to Decker. “Okay, so what is the connection?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Decker. “But if we find the answer to one, something tells me we’ll find the answer to all.”
Brown picked up the security badge. “I can check out when these types of badges were used at DIA. We tend to change them on a regular basis, so that will give us some time parameters.”
“And she kept that KGB communication for a reason,” said Decker.
Brown nodded. “And I’m going to read it from one end to the other. It might provide some clues.”
“And the floppy disk?” asked Jamison.
Bogart picked it up. “It’s been a while since any of us have seen one of these. We’ve had the lab go through it. Whatever was on there no longer is. At least nothing that’s intelligible.”
“Was it Russian?” asked Jamison.
“It was computer ones and twos,” replied Bogart. “That made no sense.”
Decker picked up the doll.
Milligan said, “You don’t expect to get anything from that, surely.”
Decker rubbed the doll’s hair. “I don’t expect anything. I just go where things take me.”
His phone buzzed. It was a reminder to him of their meeting with Nancy Billings.
Decker stood. “Like right now. Let’s go, Alex.”
CHAPTER
39
NANCY BILLINGS WAS in her late thirties, with light blonde hair, a carefree manner, and a nose ring. When she met them at the Starbucks she was dressed in jeans and a wool sweater. They ordered coffees and sat at a back table.
Decker said, “Just wondering, can you wear nose rings while being a teacher at a Catholic school?”
“No. I just wear it in my off hours. Still pretty strict in parochial school. For teachers and students.”
“So what can you tell us about Anne Berkshire?” asked Jamison.
“What do you exactly want to know? I mean, I was stunned to hear what happened to her.”
“Did you two talk, interact?”
“We did. She substituted for me a number of times. I was sick some, had to attend some teacher training, and a couple of other times I had to go out of state to help my mom. My dad has dementia.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Jamison.
“Anne was very good, stuck to the lesson plans, knew her way around the classroom. I never heard any complaints.”
“But you did interact?” said Decker.
“Yeah. I would meet with her after she taught my classes. She’d fill me in on what had happened, things like that. We also went out for coffee a few times. I think I was the only sort of friend she had. I mean, she never talked about anyone else in her life.”
“What did you two talk about?”
“Well, I did most of the talking, come to think of it. Anne was quiet. I can’t even tell you if she had family living. I mean, she never talked about stuff like that.”
“She must have said something.”
“The kids. The lessons. The state of education in America.”
“What did she think of that?” asked Jamison.
Billings frowned. “She wasn’t a big fan, to tell the truth. She thought the kids had it too easy. Had too much stuff.”
Decker ignored her look and said, “But this time she didn’t leave?”
“No. She was sitting there just staring off into space. I asked her if anything was the matter. She said no. Then I started telling her about my old boyfriend. I don’t know why, but I’d gotten an email from him after not hearing a word from the idiot for two years. I was complaining about him to Anne, but really just talking to myself. I remember saying that I really thought he was the one, you know. The guy I’d walk down the aisle with. Right?”
Decker didn’t react to this, but Jamison said, “Yeah, I know exactly what you’re talking about.”
“So then I said that after four years together I thought I really knew Phil, but turns out I didn’t know him at all.”
After Billings stopped talking, Decker said, “And then what?”