“Because Holly knew about the prisoners, and they must have assumed she told Luke about it. That’s why they were trying to kill them, not because Luke was leaving. It was because of what Holly knew. And that follows the same pattern as the others. Everyone in the loop on the prisoners has disappeared.”
Reel drew closer to him. “You lied to Bender.”
He stared at her impassively. “How so?”
“You saw Malloy tonight.”
“And how do you know that?”
“I watched you drive off after you spoke with Patti Bender.”
“I went for a drive.”
She looked at him curiously for a long moment and then glanced away.
“I took a drive too,” said Reel.
He said sharply, “Where?”
She told him what she had discovered from the limo driver and her trip out to Bluff Point Road.
She pulled out the cloth that she had used to collect the
stains from the boots back at Randall’s cabin, and showed him the pictures on her phone.
“Blank forty-five rounds, a map, and dirty work boots,” said Robie.
He eyed the picture of the map. “Any idea where that is?”
“No. But I was going to compare it to a larger map of the area to see if that would tell us anything.”
Robie sniffed the rag. “I smell oil…and some other chemical. Not sure what.”
“Why blank rounds?” asked Reel.
“I can’t think of a reason why someone out here would want ammo that can’t hit anything. Most folks are gunned up all the time.”
“But it has to mean something,” said Reel. “A map and dirty boots and blank rounds at a cabin used by Randall and his cronies.”
“Lambert never mentioned that Randall came here other than for the bunker.”
“Well, his wife clearly would prefer not to come here even for the bunker.”
“If doomsday comes, something tells me she’ll be first in line to get in.”
“But Randall is up to something.”
“And maybe the Agency can help us with that,” said Robie.
He pulled out his phone and made the call, speaking for a couple of minutes. When he clicked off he said, “They’re going over Randall’s past with a fine-tooth comb and will get back to us.”
“In the meantime we’ve got a long list of missing persons.”
“We do. But something tells me they all went to the same place.”
“Lambert’s bunker?”
“The dying guy said Dolph was there. He didn’t mention any others. But for me it’s the most obvious place.”
“If that’s the case Lambert has to be in on it. And all the guards would have to be in on it too.”
“Agreed.”
“So what now?”
“I don’t see anything for us to do right now other than catch some sleep.”
Robie called out to Bender that they would be at the hotel.
As they walked out, Reel said, “Are you and Malloy…?”
“No, we’re not. But I still want to find her.”
“I want that too,” said Reel. “Very much.”
He glanced at her. “Why?”
“If you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand.”
She walked ahead of him out into the night. Robie slowly followed.
Chapter
58
WHEN ROBIE CAME downstairs the next morning Bender was waiting for him in the lobby.
“Any news?” Robie asked.
“The BOLO produced nothing. The state police team came and went over the crime scene. It’s human blood. But they didn’t find much else.”
Bender drew a step closer to Robie. “Now I have to ask you something.”
Robie moved so quickly Bender had no time to react. His left hand had gripped Bender’s and his right hand held a knife an inch from Bender’s throat.
“Don’t be stupid, Bender, you’re out of your league.”
Reel stepped between them and pushed them away from each other.
“Don’t be idiots,” she barked. She looked at Robie. “Put the knife away and just shut up for a minute.”
She turned to Bender, who looked shaken by Robie’s actions. She said, “We need to go over to the station and we need to tell you something about Dolph.”