Christmas came and went. Catherine and Steve had decided to forgo presents, having rescheduled their earlier trip to Vegas as getaway instead. As it turned out, the trip became part holiday, part fact finding. They had finally gotten the ok to speak to retired FBI agent Dick White from his overprotective wife.

Steve threw their bags in the trunk.

"You want to drive first?" He asked Catherine as she walked down the drive.

"Nah, you start. I'll take over when you get tired."

This was a big change for Steve. When he was younger, he had never willingly given up the wheel. Now, he found he got tired and distracted a lot more easily. While he still would rather drive, he saw the wisdom of letting Catherine drive now and again.

They took the 580 south, through San Leandro and out to the high desert. They picked up 5 outside of Modesto and followed it to Bakersfield, where they stopped for lunch. After a quick bite they changed drivers and opted to stay on the interstate rather than the more scenic Rt. 99. They cut across 40 to Barstow, picking up Interstate 15, which led right to the Strip in Las Vegas. The trip in total took just a shade over 8 hours.

While they drove they discussed the case, the book, her job, the grandkids and how they were going to approach Agent White. For a lot of the time, they drove in a comfortable silence. Steve found the situation illuminating.

In the past when he drove with any woman, even his wife, he or his counterpart felt the need to fill the the dead air with idle chat. Silence was unnerving. With Catherine, it was different. Neither of them felt compelled to talk and the quiet never felt awkward. They could simply be, together. That, to him was a very comforting place.

Both Steve and Catherine were sore and tired when the arrived at the Hilton. It was a little before 5 in the afternoon and they decided to take a walk to stretch their cramped muscles. It had been a long time since either of them had been here and the town had changed dramatically.

Most of the Hotel/Casinos on the Strip had be become huge resorts. It was crowded, noisy and garish. Steve now remembered why he never came here. Catherine agreed. If they hadn't already paid for the room, she would rather be anyplace but Vegas.

Sleep was elusive for Steve that night. He got out of bed and stepped onto the balcony, staring at the neon lit spectacle before him. He felt like he was on the edge of something. The case seemed to finally be moving forward, but he didn't think the potential end of the investigation was keeping him awake. It was something bigger.

As much as he had feared retirement, he was actually enjoying the time it gave him. Time to write, time to read and time to think. He had spent so much of his life in reactive mode, simply responding to stimuli, living crisis to crisis. He never really had the time to ponder. It was a shame younger people never had time. He thought that perhaps the world would be a better place if everyone had the luxury of time to just breathe. On the other hand, he probably would have wasted the opportunity in his youth.

One of the things he had been pondering was the passage of time. Very soon, he and Catherine were going to have to make a decision. Six months. He hadn't been with anyone for six months in a lot of years. Right now, he couldn't see his life without her in it, but what would happen next year and the year after.

Some kind of commitment was in order, particularly in light of their age difference. She would most certainly outlive him and if they were going to be together, why not make it official, it would make the future a lot simpler for her. He wasn't sure he wanted to marry again and if he asked her, he wasn't sure she would say yes. She deserved someone she could grow old with and he just wasn't that person. He really needed Mike right now. Even past 70, he craved the sage advice of his best friend.

He heard the glass sliding door open. Catherine slipped out and shut the door behind her.

"Can't sleep?"

"Nope. Can't turn my brain off. Did I wake you?"

"No. I woke up and didn't see you, I figured you hadn't gone far. Anything you want to share with the class?"

Steve got up and wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent. "No, not right now. Come back to bed, we have a big day tomorrow."

Catherine laid awake for along time after they got back in bed. She had the feeling Steve had some sort of epiphany out on the balcony, a decision he didn't care to share with her. She stared at the ceiling listening to his gentle snores, hopeful that whatever the decision was, it included her.

00000

It was early afternoon before they drove to Summerlin, a residential planned community west of Las Vegas. Catherine was reading from her phone.

"The name of the place is Trilogy. I think it's some kind of retirement community. It's out near Red Rocks. Hey, it's a 55 and older deal, you could get a place here."

"Thanks, I needed that reminder right now."

"Your welcome." She grinned and dropped her phone in her bag."

"When we get there, you are going to let me do the talking, right? Not like that first night with Miller."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault. You didn't say anything. I was just picking up the slack."

"Yeah, right. I was still in a state of shock over what you said in the car."

"Well, that won't happen again. You already know I've been lusting after you for years." She grinned and squeezed his arm. Catherine's nighttime bout of insecurity had been erased by a champagne breakfast in bed, followed by dessert in the ensuite jacuzzi. She would never look at a bathtub the same way again.

00000

It was about 25 minutes until they pulled up at the White residence.

Mrs. White led them to the sun porch in the back of the house, turned and went back inside. Dick White looked to be about 80 years old. He appeared to be napping, but when they came abreast of the patio chair, he opened his eyes. An oxygen cannula was strapped under his nose and a walker sat by the wicker chair.

"Mr. White, I am Steve Keller, This is Catherine Wyland. We spoke to you before your stroke. Do you remember?"

He nodded his head.

"Good. Well, the reason we are here is to ask you a few questions about your time in San Francisco in 1972."

He nodded again. Steve started to worry, Agent White had yet to say a word.

His wife came in with 4 glasses of lemonade and sat down in the chair next to her husband. He gave her a lopsided smiled when she took his hand.

"He really hasn't been able to talk since the stroke. It's getting better with therapy. We're very hopeful."

"Not to be rude, but why didn't you tell me this on the phone?" Catherine was just as shocked as Steve.

"Well dear, you seemed so insistent, and he is in there. He just can't talk."

Mr. White squeezed her hand affectionately.

Steve and Catherine looked at each other. "Now what?" She mouthed to him.

"Lie detector." He mouthed back. She shrugged in confusion.

"Mr. White, I know you are familiar with polygraph tests. What I'm going to do is ask you yes and no questions, just like in the test. Just nod for yes and keep your head still for no. Can you do that for me?"

He nodded his head.

The interview had just become an order of magnitude more difficult. Steve opened his notes.

"Ok let's begin. Did you work on a joint mission with ATF in San Francisco in 1972?"

A nod yes.

"Good. Next, do you recognize the name Mikhail Petrovic. He nodded his head again. Catherine breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this wasn't a waste of time.

"Was he involved with the Russian Mob in San Francisco in 1972?"

Another nod, this might work.

Using Marc's ATF lead he asked, "Was he involved in weapons trafficking?" White nodded again. Steve was on a roll. Before he got to the question of witness protection, he brought Irina into the mix by pulling out her picture.

"Do you recognize this woman?" White indicated yes. Now it got dicy. Steve needed to make sure he didn't shut down before the most important questions.

"Were Petrovic and his daughter placed in protective custody?"

It appeared he was thinking this one over. He finally dipped his chin.

"Where are they? Catherine blurted out. Steve turned to shush her, "Easy tiger, yes or no."

Catherine blushed. "Sorry." she whispered.

Steve rephrased the question. "Do you know where?"

Again White took a long time to respond. Steve didn't know if it was fatigue, or an unwillingness to answer. He ultimately indicated yes.

"Can you tell us where?" Steve was pretty sure what the answer would be. Whites head never moved.

He changed gears, "Did you know Mikhail's wife was murdered?" Nod.

Finally Steve asked the money question. "Did ATF and the FBI know that Mikhail Petrovic murdered his wife?"

The silence on the porch became a physical presence. Agent White remained stationary, but a single tear trailed down his face. It was all the response Steve and Catherine needed.

00000

There were so many more questions they wanted to ask, but Mrs. White called a halt to the interview. Steve knew none of this would ever hold up in court, if it ever got that far, so he didn't put up much of an argument as she ushered them to the door.

They drove back to Las Vegas in silence. They now knew the answer, but they were at a dead end. Neither one of them wanted to spend another night in Sin city, so they grabbed their things and checked out. Steve took the first driving shift.

"Why didn't you try to ask him more questions?" Catherine asked.

"It would have been pointless. None of this is admissible in court. I can just hear a defense lawyer objecting about leading the witness, and he or she would be correct."

"I guess so. What about the FBI, can we petition to see the records of the case?"

"We can try, but I think they would look a lot like ATF's records, a name and a blank. All the details have probably been redacted. Neither agency will want to admit to hiding a murderer, at least not on paper"

"Why would they do something like that, let a murderer walk free."

"Who knows, might have been the intel he provided was incredibly valuable. It could also be that the murder happened after they struck a deal, but before they relocated him, who knows. Some seriously messed-up shit happened back in the day in the name of expedience and justice."

"Well, I think it stinks. No wonder you and Mike couldn't figure it out. How can you win the game when you haven't been given the full deck?"