The Cost
Chapter 36
Once they'd been located, the enrollment records and student files of Spaulding Academy were subpoenaed and transported up to the 24th floor. The whole team, along with other agents requisitioned from other departments, worked all night, going through the most recent years of student records, selecting those individuals who could be tracked down locally, and then categorizing them into 'most likely', 'likely', and 'not likely' piles of folders. All the 'most likely' and 'likely' students would be followed up on. It was a massive job, and, considering the time constrictions they were working under, would likely take too long. The team knew they had to narrow it down more quickly than that, so while the others worked on the big picture, they worked according to their own plan - using more exacting criteria and a healthy dose of intuition.
After pausing a moment to rub his stiff neck, Terry Baldwin watched Samantha push a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and wearily lean back in her chair. She sat directly across the table from him, and he saw her wince and, using the arms of her chair to raise herself up slightly, adjust her seating. He remembered the injury done to her leg and wondered if sitting so long bothered it.
As though sensing his gaze, she looked up and tossed the file she held onto the table. "That's it. That's all of them," she told him, blowing a short breath of air through her lips. The strand of hair that had again fallen across her face lifted, then settled back, arching down over her forehead and right eye.
"Nice work," he said, deciding not to comment on her discomfort. After giving her a brief smile, he looked back down at the file in front of him. His thoughts, however, remained on the blonde agent who now busied herself by gathering the files spread out in front of her into neat piles.
He'd been watching the woman causing Jack so much inner turmoil with interest all night. What he'd seen intrigued him. Even after a night's worth of coffee pick-me-ups, she was easy on the eye. More importantly, however, she had a quiet, inner stillness about her that he knew would have attracted Jack effortlessly. Maria had it too, though there was always an edge to Maria's calm that spelled danger when things did not go as she wanted. Samantha, on the other hand, seemed more accepting of life's disappointments and deviations; they touched her, but they did not anger her or make her need to lash out. Learning the why of that acceptance, he decided, would have been an intriguing exercise in itself.
Add to that calm demeanour her confidence - she seemed a woman who dealt with the world head on - and the dry, intelligent sense of humour she'd displayed that evening in conversations he'd overheard, and he was sure Samantha Spade was the perfect temptation so far as Jack Malone and his peace of mind were concerned.
He would have been hard put to profile anyone more fitting for his friend.
Sensing movement, Terry looked up in time to see Samantha glance to her left. He followed her gaze to the end of the table, unsurprised to find she was looking towards where Jack sat engrossed in conversation with Danny Taylor. Terry smiled inwardly. Although Jack was obviously smitten, the night spent watching the two of them had assured him of one important certainty: the attraction was very definitely mutual. This was not an 'I'm screwing the boss because he's the boss' sort of affair...Quite frankly, he was absolutely sure Samantha Spade adored Jack Malone. She seemed to quietly cling to every movement of Jack's hand, every intonation of his voice, and seemed aware of him even when concentrating deeply on something else. Whatever the connection between them, it amazed him.
And somewhat frightened him. He watched Jack, thinking. They played with the intensity of their relationship, and he was sure they thought they could handle it, but-
Baldwin saw Jack stiffen and look over to meet his gaze. After raising an eyebrow at his friend, Terry glanced away. Earlier, when he'd been surreptitiously watching Jack and Samantha speak together over a case file, Jack had looked across at him and frowned, letting him know that he knew he was being watched and wasn't happy about it. Terry had grinned back at him, unrepentant. Profiling killers was his job. Watching relationships that intrigued him was his hobby - a hobby Jack wasn't about to interfere with, no matter how much it displeased him to be the unwilling focus of it.
Later, Jack casually walked over, and, putting both hands on the table beside Terry, had leaned on them and said in a low tone, "If you don't stop putting us under your damned microscope, I'm going to have you moved to another room."
Terry had merely grinned and turned his attention back to his work.
Now, hours later, Baldwin found himself again needing to consciously draw his thoughts away from the messy relationship his friend had got himself into. Looking at the 'most likely' pile of folders sitting in front of him, he felt confident that the ex-student scenario was the right one. It made the most sense simply because of how much less effort it would take on Spaulding's part: he'd be able to choose quickly, would need to do little background work, and would likely know exactly how to approach his victim when the time came.
It was the logical way to go, and Spaulding was nothing if not logical.
Hopefully, that logic would help lead to his downfall.
Taking one last look at the top of the blond head now bent over one of the files, he picked up his pen and resumed making notes.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Why do so many things in life end up in groups of three?" Baldwin questioned, tossing his pen down on the three files they'd decided were the most likely candidates for Spaulding's attention.
Both Martin and Danny looked up from their work but said nothing. Jack looked over from his position at the end of the table and arched an eyebrow. "The number of times you've married put aside, they don't."
"Shut up," Terry replied amiably. "I'm trying to be philosophical here - or something - I don't think that's the right word for it, but you know what I mean."
Jack yawned. "I'm sure I could think of a smart comeback to that, but I'm too tired and the coffee's run out."
"Thank God," the tall man grunted. He gestured to indicate the files in front of him and said, "Now, if these are the three we want to concentrate on, we've got to organize surveillance."
"For that kind of manpower we need approval."
"When does Van Doren get in?"
Jack looked at his watch. "An hour or so. She said she'd be in early."
"What's your gut telling you?"
Knowing Terry wasn't talking about Van Doren's arrival time, Jack indicated the file folder to Baldwin's left. "David Walters is the most likely on paper. His daddy's someone big on Wall Street. Lots of money. Lots of time spent in the press. His son's picture matches up with Spaulding's type. The kid's school counsellors's report indicates he's quiet and unassuming, bookish, even. He's a kid who falls mostly below the radar, except for his being in the school's international aid awareness group, and there's a thing in his file that says he helped raise money to support education in Zaire," he said, consulting his notes. Looking back up, he grimaced. "Lot's of story material in that, I suppose, if he were to disappear. Spaulding would love it."
Putting his notes down on the table in front of him, Jack leaned back. "We still need to talk to some people," he said, feeling that one important detail of information was missing. "We need to find out if anyone can identify someone Spaulding may have taken a particular interest in, someone who perhaps made disparaging comments about him. I think we should be looking for an indication that a boy might have spurned Spaulding's advances in some way. Any rejection would increase the likelihood of that boy becoming a target. If we can find a story like that involving one of these three, there's no doubt in my mind but that that kid would be the next one on Spaulding's list. Spaulding isn't a man who forgets."
Considering what Spaulding was doing now in the name of fifteen minutes, Terry could agree whole-heartedly.
Everyone turned when a bleary-eyed Samantha entered the work area holding a freshly brewed pot of coffee. "I made some fresh," she said, flourishing the pot of dark liquid towards the four men before putting it down on the hot plate they'd brought in to keep the dark brew hot and near by. Turning, she looked at them and commented, "I'm feeling hungry, though. Do you think we could order something in for breakfast?"
"I'm not really hungry," Martin said. Looking at the others, he added, "If we're finished here for now, I'd rather grab a few minutes shut eye." Danny nodded in agreement. Rubbing his flat stomach, he added, "I don't think I could hold anything down on top of the mud we've been drinking all night." Vivian wasn't there to make a decision: she had left around two a.m., planning to grab a couple hours sleep, get her son off to school, and return by nine. Bill Ganter, who, as Terry had predicted, had been overjoyed at being asked to help, had been called away at three a.m. on a case in his jurisdiction. He'd left with obvious reluctance, assuring them he'd be back as soon as possible.
Terry leaned back in his chair and raised his arms up over his head in a long stretch. "I vote for getting outta here. A change of scenery would be good, and walking will jumpstart my brain. That liquid poison we've been drinking has turned it to mush." Turning to Jack, he said, "Come on. It'll be good to get out. Put some heavy duty cholesterol in your veins, and you'll be a new man."
As soon as Jack agreed, Terry turned innocent, hazel eyes towards Samantha and included her in the invitation, asking, "Why don't you come, too? I'd like to review Mike Flemming's history, and you're the one who did his file, right?"
He didn't even flinch when Jack threw a decidedly barbed glance his way.
Though not aware of the undercurrents between the two men, Samantha still paused before replying. Glancing quickly at Jack, she decided that in spite of Baldwin's knowing about their affair, he would be too much of a gentleman to bring it up at breakfast. Besides, she was starved, and the thought of fried eggs and toast was making her mouth water. "Sure. I could do with the exercise," she said, nodding her acceptance.
* * * * *
Baldwin took control of the outing from the beginning, making sure that Samantha walked between them on the way to the restaurant, controlling the conversation on the way there, and then ensuring that Jack and Samantha sat beside each other in the small booth they were ushered to. Jack, Terry noticed with some amusement, was understandably uneasy during most of the meal. In spite of his friend's fears, however, he lived up to Samantha's perhaps mistaken impression of him and remained very circumspect, saying nothing out of place. Keeping his conversation firmly on the case, the weather, and his breakfast preferences, he watched Jack slowly relax enough to actually enjoy a few of their stolen minutes away from the case.
When they rose to return, Terry felt satisfied he'd gathered all the observations he needed to form an opinion about the relationship his friend had got himself into. Here, he believed, were two people connected on many levels. The affair had connected them physically, that was obvious in the way they shared their personal space and in the subtle, almost unnoticeable chance touches that occurred between them. There was more, though. Looking across the table at the two of them, the word 'yearning' popped into his head. Mulling it around, he decided that it perfectly described the invisible bond between them now: Samantha yearned for Jack the way any woman would yearn to recapture a moment of happiness, the way one yearns for something within reach that's untouchable. That Jack yearned for Samantha in the same way was plain: he wanted, but he couldn't have - at least not to keep - and it tore him apart.
The walk back to the FBI building gave him more time to think. He could imagine that the affair had been fulfilling for both of them. Both had their reasons for being attracted to and needing the specifics they found in the other. Those specifics weren't going to change because Jack was married or because their jobs said they couldn't have an intimate relationship or because they felt they shouldn't feel the way they did.
Looking at them as they entered the building in front of them, he realised he didn't know how it would end, but their story sure as hell wasn't over, no matter how Jack protested it had to be.
When the elevator opened onto the 24th floor, Samantha stepped out first. Jack, motioning to Terry to precede him, muttered in a low tone, "Thank you for your restraint."
Terry smiled and replied in an equally low voice, "Don't thank me yet."
Jack paused, then shook his head. He should have known better. Of course Terry's not embarrassing the crap out of him this morning only meant he was waiting for a better opportunity.
* * * *
Later, with the team around the table feeling slightly more refreshed, Jack went over where things stood with the case. When he reached the topic of Hutchinson Ave, he said, "There's only one building in the general area Spaulding was dropped off in that could possibly house someone without drawing attention. Power was disconnected on the 1st of January. It was then re-connected under a different name two weeks later. The billing address is a post office box number. Ownership of the building, however, hasn't changed. The owner's been contacted, and he says he hasn't had it re- connected, so I say this is our place. We're going in as soon as they organize the team. We've got to get him as quickly as possible."
"And if he's not there? What if we're wrong?" Vivian asked quietly. Jack had surprised her by putting her in charge of this part of the operation. She'd expected he would want to be there, but had not spoken her thoughts aloud. Later, she would wonder if, on some level, he had known what they would find.
"Then we'll have explored and closed one avenue of investigation," Jack said in a reasonable tone. "It'll make finding him easier by one building." Turning to Martin and Danny, he said, "You've got the three guys we're concentrating on. Do the interviews, look for what we've talked about. Terry - and Bill Ganter, if he gets back - will be here to synthesize information as it comes in from the resource people and us. He'll filter information to me, but that doesn't mean if anyone on this team wants to talk to me, they can't. You know my number."
Looking over at Samantha, he said, "Sam, you're with me. We're going to be the loose canons here, picking up anything that looks like it needs investigating. I want to start with doing another trace on Spaulding's credit card activity for yesterday, then check out the area around where that last call of his originated."
Samantha nodded, understanding that what he was really setting himself up for was to be available quickly for anything. It made good sense in more ways than one. There'd be the cost of his not being involved in any one particular area, but that would be compensated by his flexibility of movement.
As the others rose, Samantha said, "I'll go look at his credit card. There was nothing yesterday for the day before."
Jack nodded. He wasn't hoping for much, but you never knew. "Let me know what you find. After that, I think we should take a look at David Walters. I know we've assigned him out, but I'll feel better if we take a look ourselves."
Samantha looked at him curiously, surprised he was honing in on this one particular boy. Making no comment, she nodded, trusting his intuition.
* * *
She found what she'd been hoping for since they'd arrived back in New York. Graham Spaulding had used the credit card issued to his Wilson persona two days ago. The small store that had accepted the card, however, hadn't filed the charge until the following day.
Spaulding had bought furniture.
Grabbing the address of the store, Samantha stood up and walked quickly to Jack's office. "I think we've got something. He's buying furniture."
"So he's either fixing up his old place or moving somewhere new."
She nodded. "I've got the address of the store. Want me to go ask some questions? Unless he took whatever he bought with him, he'd have to have it delivered, right?"
Jack frowned, sure that would have happened only if Spaulding were deteriorating mentally faster than he had expected. Keeping this thought to himself, he said only, "I'll come with you."
Passing through his office doorway, they stopped abruptly when Jack's phone rang. Turning back, he quickly walked across his office floor, reached across his desk, and picked up the receiver.
"Malone."
He listened for a while, and then said tersely, "We're on the way. Don't let anyone touch anything."
Samantha, who had guessed from his tone of voice that something big had happened, hid her dismay when he told her, "They're at the place on Hutchinson. He's not there, but it's pretty sure he was. And they've found a body there." As he moved past her, he continued, "The place is pretty much empty; Vivian figures he's moved."
Another body. It was not unexpected, but it was far too soon after the last one. Samantha wasn't certain what that meant, but a tremor passed through her as she thought of the crazed anger that must have made Spaulding lash out again so quickly. Filled with dread, she kept pace with Jack as they headed towards the elevator and their ninth body.
End Chapter 36
Once they'd been located, the enrollment records and student files of Spaulding Academy were subpoenaed and transported up to the 24th floor. The whole team, along with other agents requisitioned from other departments, worked all night, going through the most recent years of student records, selecting those individuals who could be tracked down locally, and then categorizing them into 'most likely', 'likely', and 'not likely' piles of folders. All the 'most likely' and 'likely' students would be followed up on. It was a massive job, and, considering the time constrictions they were working under, would likely take too long. The team knew they had to narrow it down more quickly than that, so while the others worked on the big picture, they worked according to their own plan - using more exacting criteria and a healthy dose of intuition.
After pausing a moment to rub his stiff neck, Terry Baldwin watched Samantha push a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and wearily lean back in her chair. She sat directly across the table from him, and he saw her wince and, using the arms of her chair to raise herself up slightly, adjust her seating. He remembered the injury done to her leg and wondered if sitting so long bothered it.
As though sensing his gaze, she looked up and tossed the file she held onto the table. "That's it. That's all of them," she told him, blowing a short breath of air through her lips. The strand of hair that had again fallen across her face lifted, then settled back, arching down over her forehead and right eye.
"Nice work," he said, deciding not to comment on her discomfort. After giving her a brief smile, he looked back down at the file in front of him. His thoughts, however, remained on the blonde agent who now busied herself by gathering the files spread out in front of her into neat piles.
He'd been watching the woman causing Jack so much inner turmoil with interest all night. What he'd seen intrigued him. Even after a night's worth of coffee pick-me-ups, she was easy on the eye. More importantly, however, she had a quiet, inner stillness about her that he knew would have attracted Jack effortlessly. Maria had it too, though there was always an edge to Maria's calm that spelled danger when things did not go as she wanted. Samantha, on the other hand, seemed more accepting of life's disappointments and deviations; they touched her, but they did not anger her or make her need to lash out. Learning the why of that acceptance, he decided, would have been an intriguing exercise in itself.
Add to that calm demeanour her confidence - she seemed a woman who dealt with the world head on - and the dry, intelligent sense of humour she'd displayed that evening in conversations he'd overheard, and he was sure Samantha Spade was the perfect temptation so far as Jack Malone and his peace of mind were concerned.
He would have been hard put to profile anyone more fitting for his friend.
Sensing movement, Terry looked up in time to see Samantha glance to her left. He followed her gaze to the end of the table, unsurprised to find she was looking towards where Jack sat engrossed in conversation with Danny Taylor. Terry smiled inwardly. Although Jack was obviously smitten, the night spent watching the two of them had assured him of one important certainty: the attraction was very definitely mutual. This was not an 'I'm screwing the boss because he's the boss' sort of affair...Quite frankly, he was absolutely sure Samantha Spade adored Jack Malone. She seemed to quietly cling to every movement of Jack's hand, every intonation of his voice, and seemed aware of him even when concentrating deeply on something else. Whatever the connection between them, it amazed him.
And somewhat frightened him. He watched Jack, thinking. They played with the intensity of their relationship, and he was sure they thought they could handle it, but-
Baldwin saw Jack stiffen and look over to meet his gaze. After raising an eyebrow at his friend, Terry glanced away. Earlier, when he'd been surreptitiously watching Jack and Samantha speak together over a case file, Jack had looked across at him and frowned, letting him know that he knew he was being watched and wasn't happy about it. Terry had grinned back at him, unrepentant. Profiling killers was his job. Watching relationships that intrigued him was his hobby - a hobby Jack wasn't about to interfere with, no matter how much it displeased him to be the unwilling focus of it.
Later, Jack casually walked over, and, putting both hands on the table beside Terry, had leaned on them and said in a low tone, "If you don't stop putting us under your damned microscope, I'm going to have you moved to another room."
Terry had merely grinned and turned his attention back to his work.
Now, hours later, Baldwin found himself again needing to consciously draw his thoughts away from the messy relationship his friend had got himself into. Looking at the 'most likely' pile of folders sitting in front of him, he felt confident that the ex-student scenario was the right one. It made the most sense simply because of how much less effort it would take on Spaulding's part: he'd be able to choose quickly, would need to do little background work, and would likely know exactly how to approach his victim when the time came.
It was the logical way to go, and Spaulding was nothing if not logical.
Hopefully, that logic would help lead to his downfall.
Taking one last look at the top of the blond head now bent over one of the files, he picked up his pen and resumed making notes.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Why do so many things in life end up in groups of three?" Baldwin questioned, tossing his pen down on the three files they'd decided were the most likely candidates for Spaulding's attention.
Both Martin and Danny looked up from their work but said nothing. Jack looked over from his position at the end of the table and arched an eyebrow. "The number of times you've married put aside, they don't."
"Shut up," Terry replied amiably. "I'm trying to be philosophical here - or something - I don't think that's the right word for it, but you know what I mean."
Jack yawned. "I'm sure I could think of a smart comeback to that, but I'm too tired and the coffee's run out."
"Thank God," the tall man grunted. He gestured to indicate the files in front of him and said, "Now, if these are the three we want to concentrate on, we've got to organize surveillance."
"For that kind of manpower we need approval."
"When does Van Doren get in?"
Jack looked at his watch. "An hour or so. She said she'd be in early."
"What's your gut telling you?"
Knowing Terry wasn't talking about Van Doren's arrival time, Jack indicated the file folder to Baldwin's left. "David Walters is the most likely on paper. His daddy's someone big on Wall Street. Lots of money. Lots of time spent in the press. His son's picture matches up with Spaulding's type. The kid's school counsellors's report indicates he's quiet and unassuming, bookish, even. He's a kid who falls mostly below the radar, except for his being in the school's international aid awareness group, and there's a thing in his file that says he helped raise money to support education in Zaire," he said, consulting his notes. Looking back up, he grimaced. "Lot's of story material in that, I suppose, if he were to disappear. Spaulding would love it."
Putting his notes down on the table in front of him, Jack leaned back. "We still need to talk to some people," he said, feeling that one important detail of information was missing. "We need to find out if anyone can identify someone Spaulding may have taken a particular interest in, someone who perhaps made disparaging comments about him. I think we should be looking for an indication that a boy might have spurned Spaulding's advances in some way. Any rejection would increase the likelihood of that boy becoming a target. If we can find a story like that involving one of these three, there's no doubt in my mind but that that kid would be the next one on Spaulding's list. Spaulding isn't a man who forgets."
Considering what Spaulding was doing now in the name of fifteen minutes, Terry could agree whole-heartedly.
Everyone turned when a bleary-eyed Samantha entered the work area holding a freshly brewed pot of coffee. "I made some fresh," she said, flourishing the pot of dark liquid towards the four men before putting it down on the hot plate they'd brought in to keep the dark brew hot and near by. Turning, she looked at them and commented, "I'm feeling hungry, though. Do you think we could order something in for breakfast?"
"I'm not really hungry," Martin said. Looking at the others, he added, "If we're finished here for now, I'd rather grab a few minutes shut eye." Danny nodded in agreement. Rubbing his flat stomach, he added, "I don't think I could hold anything down on top of the mud we've been drinking all night." Vivian wasn't there to make a decision: she had left around two a.m., planning to grab a couple hours sleep, get her son off to school, and return by nine. Bill Ganter, who, as Terry had predicted, had been overjoyed at being asked to help, had been called away at three a.m. on a case in his jurisdiction. He'd left with obvious reluctance, assuring them he'd be back as soon as possible.
Terry leaned back in his chair and raised his arms up over his head in a long stretch. "I vote for getting outta here. A change of scenery would be good, and walking will jumpstart my brain. That liquid poison we've been drinking has turned it to mush." Turning to Jack, he said, "Come on. It'll be good to get out. Put some heavy duty cholesterol in your veins, and you'll be a new man."
As soon as Jack agreed, Terry turned innocent, hazel eyes towards Samantha and included her in the invitation, asking, "Why don't you come, too? I'd like to review Mike Flemming's history, and you're the one who did his file, right?"
He didn't even flinch when Jack threw a decidedly barbed glance his way.
Though not aware of the undercurrents between the two men, Samantha still paused before replying. Glancing quickly at Jack, she decided that in spite of Baldwin's knowing about their affair, he would be too much of a gentleman to bring it up at breakfast. Besides, she was starved, and the thought of fried eggs and toast was making her mouth water. "Sure. I could do with the exercise," she said, nodding her acceptance.
* * * * *
Baldwin took control of the outing from the beginning, making sure that Samantha walked between them on the way to the restaurant, controlling the conversation on the way there, and then ensuring that Jack and Samantha sat beside each other in the small booth they were ushered to. Jack, Terry noticed with some amusement, was understandably uneasy during most of the meal. In spite of his friend's fears, however, he lived up to Samantha's perhaps mistaken impression of him and remained very circumspect, saying nothing out of place. Keeping his conversation firmly on the case, the weather, and his breakfast preferences, he watched Jack slowly relax enough to actually enjoy a few of their stolen minutes away from the case.
When they rose to return, Terry felt satisfied he'd gathered all the observations he needed to form an opinion about the relationship his friend had got himself into. Here, he believed, were two people connected on many levels. The affair had connected them physically, that was obvious in the way they shared their personal space and in the subtle, almost unnoticeable chance touches that occurred between them. There was more, though. Looking across the table at the two of them, the word 'yearning' popped into his head. Mulling it around, he decided that it perfectly described the invisible bond between them now: Samantha yearned for Jack the way any woman would yearn to recapture a moment of happiness, the way one yearns for something within reach that's untouchable. That Jack yearned for Samantha in the same way was plain: he wanted, but he couldn't have - at least not to keep - and it tore him apart.
The walk back to the FBI building gave him more time to think. He could imagine that the affair had been fulfilling for both of them. Both had their reasons for being attracted to and needing the specifics they found in the other. Those specifics weren't going to change because Jack was married or because their jobs said they couldn't have an intimate relationship or because they felt they shouldn't feel the way they did.
Looking at them as they entered the building in front of them, he realised he didn't know how it would end, but their story sure as hell wasn't over, no matter how Jack protested it had to be.
When the elevator opened onto the 24th floor, Samantha stepped out first. Jack, motioning to Terry to precede him, muttered in a low tone, "Thank you for your restraint."
Terry smiled and replied in an equally low voice, "Don't thank me yet."
Jack paused, then shook his head. He should have known better. Of course Terry's not embarrassing the crap out of him this morning only meant he was waiting for a better opportunity.
* * * *
Later, with the team around the table feeling slightly more refreshed, Jack went over where things stood with the case. When he reached the topic of Hutchinson Ave, he said, "There's only one building in the general area Spaulding was dropped off in that could possibly house someone without drawing attention. Power was disconnected on the 1st of January. It was then re-connected under a different name two weeks later. The billing address is a post office box number. Ownership of the building, however, hasn't changed. The owner's been contacted, and he says he hasn't had it re- connected, so I say this is our place. We're going in as soon as they organize the team. We've got to get him as quickly as possible."
"And if he's not there? What if we're wrong?" Vivian asked quietly. Jack had surprised her by putting her in charge of this part of the operation. She'd expected he would want to be there, but had not spoken her thoughts aloud. Later, she would wonder if, on some level, he had known what they would find.
"Then we'll have explored and closed one avenue of investigation," Jack said in a reasonable tone. "It'll make finding him easier by one building." Turning to Martin and Danny, he said, "You've got the three guys we're concentrating on. Do the interviews, look for what we've talked about. Terry - and Bill Ganter, if he gets back - will be here to synthesize information as it comes in from the resource people and us. He'll filter information to me, but that doesn't mean if anyone on this team wants to talk to me, they can't. You know my number."
Looking over at Samantha, he said, "Sam, you're with me. We're going to be the loose canons here, picking up anything that looks like it needs investigating. I want to start with doing another trace on Spaulding's credit card activity for yesterday, then check out the area around where that last call of his originated."
Samantha nodded, understanding that what he was really setting himself up for was to be available quickly for anything. It made good sense in more ways than one. There'd be the cost of his not being involved in any one particular area, but that would be compensated by his flexibility of movement.
As the others rose, Samantha said, "I'll go look at his credit card. There was nothing yesterday for the day before."
Jack nodded. He wasn't hoping for much, but you never knew. "Let me know what you find. After that, I think we should take a look at David Walters. I know we've assigned him out, but I'll feel better if we take a look ourselves."
Samantha looked at him curiously, surprised he was honing in on this one particular boy. Making no comment, she nodded, trusting his intuition.
* * *
She found what she'd been hoping for since they'd arrived back in New York. Graham Spaulding had used the credit card issued to his Wilson persona two days ago. The small store that had accepted the card, however, hadn't filed the charge until the following day.
Spaulding had bought furniture.
Grabbing the address of the store, Samantha stood up and walked quickly to Jack's office. "I think we've got something. He's buying furniture."
"So he's either fixing up his old place or moving somewhere new."
She nodded. "I've got the address of the store. Want me to go ask some questions? Unless he took whatever he bought with him, he'd have to have it delivered, right?"
Jack frowned, sure that would have happened only if Spaulding were deteriorating mentally faster than he had expected. Keeping this thought to himself, he said only, "I'll come with you."
Passing through his office doorway, they stopped abruptly when Jack's phone rang. Turning back, he quickly walked across his office floor, reached across his desk, and picked up the receiver.
"Malone."
He listened for a while, and then said tersely, "We're on the way. Don't let anyone touch anything."
Samantha, who had guessed from his tone of voice that something big had happened, hid her dismay when he told her, "They're at the place on Hutchinson. He's not there, but it's pretty sure he was. And they've found a body there." As he moved past her, he continued, "The place is pretty much empty; Vivian figures he's moved."
Another body. It was not unexpected, but it was far too soon after the last one. Samantha wasn't certain what that meant, but a tremor passed through her as she thought of the crazed anger that must have made Spaulding lash out again so quickly. Filled with dread, she kept pace with Jack as they headed towards the elevator and their ninth body.
End Chapter 36