CHAPTER
79
DECKER RUSHED BACK around to the other side of the building. He noted the empty guard shack again. With the President’s visit, the guard was probably inside helping with security, he thought.
Brown and Mars once more caught up to him.
She said, “Decker, what are we going to do? Do you think they’re going to somehow try to assassinate the President and the two other leaders? Do you think the shooters are already in the building?”
“Call Bogart, tell him what we suspect. Melvin, come with me.”
They rushed off as Brown made the call.
Decker ran over to the street and looked down at the manhole cover. And then he looked over at the Hoover Building.
“The day Dabney shot Berkshire there were men working at this manhole.”
“What were they doing?”
“I don’t know.” He closed his eyes and thought back to that day. “There was no utility truck that I could see.”
Mars looked more closely at the manhole cover. “It says Washington Gas.”
“Can you open it?”
Mars bent down and gripped the top of the cover. “Decker, it’s been sealed, look.”
Brown had come up to them. “The Secret Service seals all the manhole covers the motorcade will pass over.” She paused and looked confused. “But the motorcade is on the other block. So I don’t think they came down this way.”
“Did you reach Bogart?” asked Decker.
She nodded but looked sick to her stomach. “Decker, he’s in the Hoover Building at the ceremony.”
“Dammit. Did you tell him they need to evacuate the building?”
“I told him what you suspected, but Decker, he can’t stop the ceremony and evacuate the building based on that. He said to call him back if we come up with something else.”
“What, like when the President’s dead!” snapped Decker.
In a calming voice Mars said, “Decker, what else do you remember from that day?”
Decker focused on him. “I remember a utility truck going into the FBI building. And the guard told me that most of the exterior surveillance cameras are out of order.”
“Anything else?”
Decker glanced sharply at the building across from the Hoover.
“There were workmen carrying materials into that building.”
He led them over to it and they tried to peer through the windows, but they were taped over with thick paper on the inside. Decker tried the door. It was locked. He stepped back and looked up. “I don’t think there’s anyone in this building.”
“It’s being renovated,” said Brown, pointing at a sign on one of the windows.
“Then you think people would be here working, wouldn’t you?”
She looked confused. “Do you think there’s a sniper’s nest in there? But the motorcade is on the next street over. They’d have no shot from here.”
Decker said, “Call the gas company and find out if they had a team out here working on any lines under that manhole on the day Berkshire was killed.”
“That might take some time.”
“Just do it!” snapped Decker.
Decker pulled his phone and called Bogart. The FBI agent answered and, speaking in a low voice, said, “Decker, I already told Brown, I can’t evacuate. The ceremony just started. But—”
Decker interrupted: “What was the meeting about that Dabney was supposed to attend at the FBI when he shot Berkshire?”
“What?”
“The meeting! What was it for?”
“Why does it matter? He obviously never intended to be there.”
“But he picked that day to kill Berkshire, Ross, so just tell me!” snapped Decker.
“Okay, okay. Dabney’s firm was consulting on some renovation work here. As you know, a new building is a long way off so they have to do work on myriad systems here—security, electrical, and other infrastructure—”
Decker clicked off.
He glanced around and then hustled to an alley and turned down it.
“There are over eleven thousand people in that building,” Brown exclaimed.
“This way!” Decker barked. He was pointing to a set of stairs leading down. As they raced down the steps he said, “Anything from the gas company?”
“You won’t be surprised to learn that they put me on hold. I’m currently listening to the Bee Gees.”
They raced down two flights until they reached the basement. This too was an open shell. They looked around until Mars said, “Over here.”
They joined him at the spot.