10.
~ "A few hours ago. Told me that his live in girlfriend had been kidnapped. It was then I found out she was Ariadne Richards who works at the museum." Lake was explaining to another FBI agent.
"The police swept the entire house; both houses really. There's no car in the back ally or out front. Whoever got away must have done so while you were upstairs. Taken the girl to another location." the other agent said.
Arthur sat in the kitchen of the mirror house. He felt numb as crime scene technicians walked around the mirror living room in paper booties and paper jump suits. They were careful not to contaminate the crime scene.
"Are we sure this is even her blood?" Lake was asking the other FBI agent.
"We did a quickie on the blood type. It came back at O negative, which corresponds to the blood donor card in the victim's wallet." the other agent said.
"What about the home owners? Where are they? I mean, couldn't it have been the home owners blood?" Lake asked hopefully.
The other agent, older, fatter and professionally uncaring, looked over his own notes.
"Doctors Lewis and Carroll Whitman." he said. Both of them are residents at a rehab facility in the city. It seems both of them are on vacation in Greece. Must have left the house empty till they got back. We're trying to contact them now." he said.
"No house sitter?" Arthur asked at last. His voice sounded strange to him. Like he had a mouth full of broken glass.
"Sorry?" the other agent asked.
Arthur turned to the other agent.
"This is at least a million dollar home, agent. They really went to another country without hiring a house sitter? That's a little odd." Arthur told them.
"What's odd sir, is this whole situation. You need to explain to us why anyone would want to take a young woman out of her home in such an elaborate way." the other agent asked.
"I don't know." Arthur said quickly. "I don't know who would do this."
"You must have enemies." the other agent said.
"What about from the first stalking?" Lake offered.
"Eames was shot and killed. Dom Cobb is still in federal prison." Arthur said. "My testimony put him there."
"Is it possible Cobb might have sent someone to do this to you?" Lake asked. "A professional job? You said the guy sounded professional."
"No, this is vengeful." Arthur told them. "He cut off her finger and she was still alive when he did it. The blood hadn't dried yet, so he did it very recently. The chipping on the mantle piece suggests he used that as his cutting board. This isn't a paid job, agents."
"Alright. Who else hates you? Who else is capable of a crime like this?" the other agent asked.
"I don't know. If I had any clue at all, I would tell you." Arthur said.
Right now Ariadne was hurt. She was bleeding and most likely close to death. All while he was sitting here looking for answers.
Lake's cell phone dinged and seemingly broke the spell of tension in the room. The FBI man pulled his smart phone from his pocket and frowned.
"They found Wilson. The security guard." he said.
"Great, we can find out who had him hide the toy car." Arthur stood. The bombing, the museum, all of that seemed very far away just now.
"No such luck." Lake sighed. "He was found near the storm drains, face down in rain water. He'd been shot three times point blank in the chest."
~ There was nothing left but to go with Lake to the Hoover building for more questioning. The FBI was involved now. The secret was out and blood red over the neighbors carpeting.
"Leavenworth confirms that Dom Cobb is still in their custody." Lake told the Point Man. "His calls and mail are all monitored after his assignation of Senator Richards.
Arthur nodded.
"It wouldn't be Cobb. Cobb never gets his hands this dirty. He likes to outsource everything he can." he said.
"Well, then we are running out of time and suspects." Lake sighed. His government issue car merged into another lane. Traffic was bad this time of day, and the starting of an evening rain storm didn't help.
"What about from your days in the secret service? You said he kept calling you egret service." Lake asked. "Did you think someone would want to hurt you from those days?"
"Like I said, I guarded the first lady. It was her town home and there was just a light detail." Arthur told him. "Just me and Summers most days."
"Why only two?" Lake asked.
"She was ill most of the time and didn't leave the house unless she could help it. We were her primary live in staff." Arthur said.
"Summers… he was…" Lake seemed to be thinking.
"Summers was killed during the home invasion." Arthur told him. "We heard the alarms go off, home was broken into by two radical separatists. They got as far as Mrs. Winters bedroom. Almost killed her."
The Point Man's voice was sharp and angry again. He didn't like to think about that night.
"Right. You shot the woman and then the man." Lake said.
"Summers was shot and killed to. It was why Cobb was so angry at me. He felt I was a coward and the bullet was meant for me." Arthur sighed.
Lake was silent for a long time.
"Was it?" the FBI man asked.
Arthur turned to his new friend.
"Was what?" he asked.
Lake shrugged.
"Was the bullet meant for you?" Lake asked.
"No one regrets Summer's death more than I do." Arthur said slowly. The man was a mentor to me. He had a wife and two boys in high school. I never wanted him to die. I saw the intruder pull out his weapon and I ducked. Summer's view was obstructed, he never saw it coming and didn't get down in time."
"Must have been difficult."
"You mean all the inquiries the funeral, having my service record redacted? Yes, that was hard." Arthur snapped.
"You did the right thing though. No one could have save Mrs. Winters if you were both dead. If you had it to do over, you'd do the same?" Lake said.
"Not sure I would have." Arthur said quietly.
"So, no one swore revenge on you at the funeral? His widow didn't slap you in the face?" Lake asked.
"Summers and his wife were estranged at the time. So were him and his sons. It's why he was on full duty. No one to go home to." the Point Man said. "They were sad, sure, but they knew this could happen." Arthur told him.
The Point Man froze as his cell phone buzzed in his hand.
"You still have the app ready?" Arthur asked Lake.
Lake nodded and with one hand on the wheel, activated his cell phone.
The Point Man waited a few heart beats for Lake to nod at him before answering.
The Robot voice, full of malice and rage spoke first.
"I thought I told you not to contact the FBI. Her blood is on your hands now, secret service." the voice preached.
"Is she even still alive? I need to talk to her." Arthur barked.
The Voice was silent.
"She's dead." Arthur told the voice. "She's dead and I have nothing more to say to you now."
"She will be." the voice said.
"What did you do with the house sitter?" Arthur asked.
Silence.
"Did you kill the Whitman's house sitter before you started to remodel their bathroom? Very clever tactic by the way. All that running water and creaking in the house. I thought it was just bad plumbing. It was you wasn't it? Skulking around in the guest bathroom? Listening in, setting up shop. How long were you in the Whitman's house? Were you keeping her in the basement? I wouldn't have been able to hear her in the basement of the neighbors house. The CSI team is there now. Are they going to find the house sitter stuffed in a freezer somewhere?" Arthur demanded.
"Arthur?" Lake whispered.
"I've asked you before to be a man and meet me face to face. Why are you involving a woman?" Arthur barked.
"Arthur." Lake hissed.
"You think you're hurting me by taking her? I'm in debt up to my eyeballs because of her. I have a house we can't afford to fix up, in an economy that isn't buying fancy homes. Shit, you saw her clothing room. You should see her credit card bills. I was looking for a way out. If you want to hurt me, come and hurt me. I'll be at the Hoover building!" The Point Man turned off his phone and let out a long sigh.
"Arthur." Lake said.
The Point Man turned to his friend. Lake held up his smart phone. A map was on the screen with a large red pin in it.
"He was near a cell phone tower when he called. He's less than a block away from us right now. We got him." Lake said.