4. Dead Ends

McCall arrived at 4:45, accompanied by a nurse in a wheelchair. Mickey paced like a caged, albeit wounded, tiger. With a groan, he sat down in the obligatory wheelchair. "Home, James," he joked.

"We have another destination."

"Not the safe house?" Mickey groaned.

"No, my place."

"Do I get a choice?"

"No." McCall shot Jimmy a look that told him what he wanted: "follow us."

The effort expended in walking to and entering the car wore Mickey out, so much so that he did not ask McCall a single question on the ride. Still, both he and McCall kept a close eye on the mirrors for anyone following. Neither saw anyone but Jimmy.

Exiting the car and entering McCall's building, which required ascending several steps, further taxed Mickey. McCall worried. "You are certain the doctor signed off on your discharge?"

In response, Mickey simply raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes.

McCall summoned the elevator. A bumpy stop at McCall's floor led Mickey to wince. McCall opened the apartment door for him. Mickey immediately settled onto the couch, sitting uncomfortably upright. He pointed to his feet. "Do you mind?"

"The shoes, no, of course not." McCall took them off. "I suppose you would like a pillow too?"

"Wouldn't mind one."

"No problem. I shall order up some soup too."

"Nursing care here beats there already."

"There is a stack of files on the table for you to peruse."

"I knew there was a catch."

"The driver was Asian, probably Cambodian or Vietnamese."

"That's all we have?"

"He also had access to street drugs and can hot wire a car."

"Oh, that's really gonna help." Mickey picked up a file, then another, but soon fell into a nap. The doorbell woke him.

"Soup has arrived," McCall announced.

Mickey eased upward from his semi-prone position. He hurt, less than yesterday, but still plenty. He sipped his wanton soup two-handed. "Is this theme night?"

"Had it been, I would have ordered pho."

"You suppose it's some kid whose dad I left dying on the bottom of the Mekong River?"

"Unlikely, unless you left a business card."

McCall picked up a folder and leafed through it. He followed with another. Mickey finished sipping his broth and then joined McCall in reviewing folders. After Mickey threw the folder from the Cambodia mission down on the table, McCall picked it up.

"That was nine years ago, McCall."

"There's very little in here. What really happened?"

"We did our best to keep the brothels of Thailand safe from infiltration by the Khmer Rouge."

"Helped separate the wheat from the chaff?"

"The Thai didn't particularly want either."

"Did you leave anyone with cause for resentment?"

"Of course. Could I name any one in particular? No. This stuff is stale as can be."

"Is there something more recent that Control has omitted to send?"

"Not involving Asians."

"Well, perhaps the driver was only a hired hand."

"And that's gonna help how?"

"If we find him, we can find who hired him."

"Yeah, good luck with that."

"There is another avenue to explore. I believe the cab laid in wait for you."

"How could he know I'd be there?"

"You tell me."

"I didn't tell anyone my plans."

"You had to tell Ms. Cantrell. How did you arrange that night?"

"You're not suggesting that Elise had anything to do with my accident?"

"No. I am just trying to piece together the facts. Someone may have overheard you or even listened intentionally."

"Christ, let me think. When we were out last Saturday, we talked about catching a movie and dinner in Chinatown over the next weekend, but there were no specifics."

"When were those made and from where?"

"Hell, I don't remember. We play a lot of phone tag. First call was Thursday from the office, I think."

"Where did you call her?"

"I called her office. I left a message there, but it was late, so I left a message for her at home too. Then later she called me at my place."

"Either or both of you may be under surveillance."

"I need to call her and warn her."

"No, I'll take care of that."

"Why?"

"Do you honestly want to know?"

"If I can't count on you to shoot straight with me, I can't count on anything."

"Something about Elise Cantrell seems off to me."

"Like what?"

"I don't know yet. It may just be instinct."

"She saved my life, McCall. I know her. She wouldn't be involved in this. There's no possible way."

"I am not suggesting that she's involved in your accident, Mickey. It's something more vague than that -- maybe just a concern about her emotional stability."

I saw her under fire, McCall. She's good, damn good."

"I'm glad to hear that. However, that's not what I mean. She and I had a general discussion about relationships in this business. She seemed resigned to the fact that they rarely survive the job. You being targeted may have brought to the forefront certain concerns, highlighted a vulnerability so to speak, one that she is uncomfortable having."

"Get out before you get hurt, you mean?"

"She has indicated an unwillingness to go forward with you. For now, I think you should respect it and stay out of contact with her, especially until we establish where it was your plans were overheard."

"I suppose you're right."

"Get some rest. I've got some calls to make."

McCall's next call to the Company further confirmed his concerns that this was a plot. Jimmy filled him in.

"Two things. The hospital found traces of a drug in the cab's regular driver."

"No surprise. What kind?"

"Date rape drug."

"I see. The second thing?"

"Mickey's place was bugged."

"His phone?"

"No. You're gonna love this one: a listening device hidden in a refrigerator magnet that holds a pen. It has the name of a take-out restaurant on it, but get this, the restaurant manager claims he didn't order them and has never seen them. We're trying to track down the source of them."

"What about that other matter?"

"The lady friend's apartment? Control said no way, to let the Bureau look into that."

"Ah, right. So what happened when you went to her apartment?"

"Someone else was taking care of it, so I scrammed."

"Did you learn anything else about her?"

"Not much. She ran down the police report and checked on the driver after she left you last night. Otherwise, to all reports, she straight as an arrow and has a file full of commendations."

"Nothing else."

"Not as far back as the computerized records go, clean as a whistle."

"Do you think you and a couple others can keep an eye on her for a while?"

"Won't be easy. If she's sharp as everyone says, she'll make us in no time."

"Have everyone give a wide berth but make an effort to keep track of her comings and goings at least. See if you can find someone at the Bureau who can tell us more about her personal life."

"Should I focus on anything in particular?"

"No. Just see if anything seems off kilter. I think Mickey's in thicker than he'll admit."

"I'm sure the Bureau would give her protection if we talked to them."

"If the sweep of her place turned up anything, I'm sure the Bureau will get right on it."

McCall checked back on Mickey, who had fallen asleep. McCall covered his friend with a blanket, stood over him a moment and shook his head. "I shall find answers for you, my friend." McCall then retired for the night.

In the morning, Mickey was brewing coffee when McCall emerged.

"Feeling better?"

"Just ducky."

"Jimmy's going to drop off some fresh clothes for you this morning."

"Has he found out anything?"

"He found a listening device in a take-out magnet on your fridge -- the one that held the pen."

"Clever. I must get two take-out magnets a week. I manage to keep the one with the bug."

"Maybe they knew you can never find a pen when you need one."

"Neither can half the population."

"Which is exactly why the ruse succeeded."

"What about Elly's place?"

"Elly?"

"Elise."

"I believe she had her own people look into that. I shall call her at the office shortly to inquire what was found, if anything."

"So did you learn anything more about her?"

"That she is an outstanding agent."

"I told you that."

"Indeed, you did. She even took it upon herself to review the police report and to research the putative driver of the cab."

Mickey grinned. "I'd have done the same if it was her. So what's still bothering you so much?"

"Why someone with such a strong sense of and commitment to justice would so easily walk away from you when you are under attack?"

"She obviously didn't," Mickey smiled. "She's looking into it. After you strong armed her the other night, she knows you've got my back covered. She's just stepped out of the way for the time being while she works from a different angle."

"I haven't seen you smitten since Serena, Mickey. It concerns me."

"Being in the line of fire from the unknown worries me, McCall. You hang with me, then you're wearing a bull's eye too."

"Showing that Ms. Cantrell is perhaps the wiser fool than I?"

"Almost certainly," Mickey laughed.

"All right, then. After we eat breakfast, you get back to contemplating files while this fool make some calls."

McCall retreated to the bedroom to make his calls. His second one was to Elise Cantrell at work. McCall was surprised to catch her at the phone. "Good morning, Elise. It's Robert McCall."

"I know."

"I thought I would let you know that Mickey has been discharged and is healing well."

"Glad to hear it. Thanks."

"You should also know that we did discover a bug at his apartment."

"I'm not glad to hear that."

"Nor I. However, it may give us further leads which we certainly could use. I wondered whether you had your place checked."

"It was clean."

"The bug in Mickey's apartment was not on the phone line. It was a refrigerator magnet that held a pen."

"My place was clean."

"Good, good. For your sake, I'm glad to hear it."

"Anything else?"

"Not at this time. Mickey does appreciate that you are attempting to assist in the investigation, however."

"Did you have to go and tell him that?"

"It greatly improved his spirits."

"It's really over, McCall. He shouldn't think otherwise. Fini. Done."

"Sadly, the heart rarely relents as easily as the brain might wish."

"I have work to do if we have no further business."

"Right, then. Just be sure to keep an eye open for trouble. Please feel free to call me anytime."

McCall pondered the conversation a few moments before he made several more unsatisfying phone calls. When McCall emerged, Jimmy sat on the couch and Mickey was missing.

"Mickey's cleaning up and changing."

"You have anything new for me?"

"Just the name of a retired fed who probably knew her when she started with the Bureau. As I said, the computerized records don't go back that far and unless we want to take this to another level, getting the physical records is an issue. Otherwise, I got nothing. The lady has no personal life as far as we know."

"Thanks. Will you stay with Mickey while I go see this man?"

"Well, since it's raining cats and dogs, I guess I can sit and do nothing here as easily as anywhere else."

"I'll check in with you later."

McCall drove to New Jersey, to an assisted living center. He found retired F.B.I. agent Frank Woodham in his apartment watching a Cubs game on the Superstation.

"Mr. Woodham, I'm Robert McCall. I used to work for the Company. I'd like to talk to you about one of your operatives."

"It's just plain Frank now."

"Right, and I am Robert."

"If you're retired, why would you want to know about my people?"

"I freelance occasionally and a friend of mine, still active with the Company, is involved with this agent. An attempt was recently made on my friend's life."

"You suspect one of mine?"

"We have very few leads and I'm just trying to cover every possible base. The agent is Elise Cantrell."

"Elise . . . involved? . . . . No, no way."

"They've been dating three months. Apparently, she saved Mickey from a bullet in the back shortly after they met."

"Sounds like her, not the involved part, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. McCall, Robert, I can't possibly discuss this further with you until I know more about you."

"Of course. Call whomever you like. I'll wait if that's okay with you."

Fifteen minutes later, Frank Woodham returned from his bedroom. "I'm impressed. Now what exactly do you want to know?"

"About Elise Cantrell, personally."

"I brought her into this business, met her on a college recruiting excursion. She's bright, fluent in several languages, has great instincts and is tough as nails."

"Yet you bristled when I said she was involved with my friend?"

"Elise doesn't get involved."

"Why?"

"Because it's the only smart choice in this business. You don't see anybody by my side, do you? The job takes it all."

"She sounds very much like you."

"Not surprising. I was like her father in those early days. Even that much was a mistake. Left us exposed unnecessarily."

"Someone tried to get at you through her?"

"No. It was the other way around."

"Were you hurt?"

"I nearly lost my leg."

"She felt responsible?"

"No, that was the perps, but she felt bad."

"What happened to my friend, the attempt on his life, as far as we know, it had nothing to do with her. Yet she backed off the relationship immediately."

"The target doesn't matter much. You reach a point where you just don't want to deal with it, you can't. It takes too much out of you. She must have forgotten. It's been a long time."

"Is that what she did after you were hurt, distance herself?"

"Until the perps were collared, yes. Afterward, she moved away."

"Do you have any contact with her now?"

"The infrequent note."

"Is there anything else I should know about her?"

"No. I am sorry about your friend. It sucks that this business doesn't leave room for a normal life. Everybody should have a decent shot at that."

"I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you so much for your time. If you think of anything else you might want me to know, please call me at this number."

"Sure thing. Good to meet you."