The Other Path Chapter 96

Rick absently pokes at the ridiculously healthy grilled chicken he and Kate are eating for dinner. "Is there any way I could get a look at the bomber's manifesto?"

"Why?" Kate asks.

"Because I've been researching some of the literature the white supremacists put out, particularly in New York. It may play a part in my next GAN, assuming that I write one. I was wondering if any of the language would match."

Kate spears a cherry tomato in her salad. "I would think the FBI would be checking on that."

"I would hope they would. But remember the Unabomber, Kate? The FBI had 100 agents on him, but they were all in the wrong state. If his own brother hadn't recognized the pattern in what he wrote and turned him in, the feebies wouldn't have caught him. They have all the neat toys, but you know what happened when Agent Shaw and her people were here."

"Meaning that you were the one that broke the code and figured out where the killer was hiding."

Rick huffs on his fingernails and swipes them down the front of his shirt. "Modesty prevented me from mentioning that myself."

Kate barely avoids choking on her tomato. "Of course it did. But seriously, Babe, do you really think you could get something out of that manifesto?"

"I don't see why it would hurt to try. Do you think anyone at the 12th could get their hands on it?"

"Not with the FBI guarding their territory. But how about one of your friends? You know a lot of people who work at The Ledger. Someone there had to have read it before turning it over to the feds."

"You're right. And not only read it, they would have made a copy ready for release when the feds gave the go-ahead. That would give The Ledger a massive scoop. And I bet I know who would have had eyes on it: Barney Shelton."

"Didn't you use Shelton as a model for Rook?"

"A partial model and only up to a point. Barney's five-foot-four, balding, and has a wife and three kids. He's not exactly the dashing globetrotter type. And as far as I know, he doesn't write romance novels. He and his wife were high school sweethearts with no terrible circumstances to keep them apart. Great plot for a life, terrible plot for a novel. But he does have a knack for getting to the truth and an impressive talent for concise prose. He's probably already written whatever sidebar would go with the release."

"You think he'd let you have a look at the manifesto?"

"I doubt it. Barney's a total straight arrow – another deviation from Rook. But he might be willing to discuss what's in it, especially if I convince him it could help catch the bomber."

"We could try convincing him together," Kate proposes. "I'm a cop and I'm involved with the case now. I could talk to him about the positive changes the NYPD is making and we can work the bomber into the conversation."

"Given the current situation, that shouldn't be hard," Rick figures. "I can arrange a lunch meeting, someplace where we can bring Miv along. The Jade Buddha is family-friendly. It has a changing station and everything. And Barney loves Thai."


Barney leans back in his seat and sighs. "The peanut dressing is fantastic. Our family never has anything with peanuts. One of my kids is allergic. But if I brush my teeth and wait at least four hours before going home, he'll be all right around me."

Rick nods. "I got lucky with Alexis. She can eat anything. But I had to be careful feeding some of her friends. Three of them carried EpiPens. Crossing my fingers about this little one."

Barney takes a sip of his Thai iced tea. "Crossing mine for you. But I doubt you invited me to lunch to talk about our kids. So, what's the deal?"

"Barney, are you aware of the action in the state legislature to ban lying by police officers and other methods that elicit false confessions?" Kate inquires.

"Of course. Cleaning up its interrogation techniques represents a major shift by the NYPD. I've interviewed a few cops who aren't happy about it."

"Captain Gates put me in charge of the process at the 12th Precinct, so I've dealt with a few of those myself," Kate confides. "I have a great detective filling in for me with that while I'm on leave, but she's running up against some new problems."

Barney pulls out a notebook and pen. "What kind of problems?"

"The liaison from the DHS thinks it's still the 1940s."

"As in the film noir third degree," Rick adds.

"He is investigating the largest terrorist attack in New York since 9-11," Barney points out. "People in the city are pretty desperate. He may be reacting to that. Has he developed any useful information?"

"From everything I've heard from the precinct, he hasn't," Kate replies. "He's grilling every Curly, Moe, and Larry, who might be remotely connected to a white supremacist organization, but none of them have any real link to the bombing. He's not only abusing suspects, he's going down a useless path. And while he's wasting time, the bomber could strike again."

"And you have some idea what the right path would be?" Barney inquires.

"The clues to his identity might be in the manifesto," Rick interjects. "The bomber could be regurgitating beliefs of a known group. But there's no way of knowing that without the exact wording, and the feds are holding on tight to that."

"The liaison from the DHS claims he's read it and concluded that the bomber is a neo-Nazi nutcase," Kate continues. "But the city has plenty of those and the country is full of them. We need to drill down a lot more."

"I've seen it," Barney confides. "But I'm under strict orders not to provide a copy or give exact quotes until the feds OK it. The paper would fire me and the feds could bring me up on charges."

"Then how about this," Rick suggests, "I'll give you a keyword or phrase, and if it's in the document, you take another sip of your tea. You'll have said nothing."

Barney turns to Kate. "Do you honestly believe this could help catch the bomber faster?"

"I do," Kate affirms.

Barney picks up his glass. "Go ahead, Rick."

Rick strokes Miv's soft hair. "Kate, just in case, cover her ears."

Rick's gut clenches as the poisonous words cross his lips. During Rick's list, Barney takes four sips of his beverage. "That gives us some direction," Rick finally announces.

"So, Kate, if you hear something is breaking on the bombing, you'll give me your first call?" Barney requests.

"I have rules too, Barney, even on leave," Kate explains. "But as soon as I can do it, my first call will be to you. That's a promise."


After Rick finishes securing Miv in her infant seat, he slides behind the wheel of the Beckett-Castle family car. "So," Kate inquires as he starts the ignition, "what did you get out of the phrases Barney confirmed?"

"Not exactly what I expected, but it makes sense. Two out of the four date way back to before the U.S. got into World War II. I believe the bomber is hooked up with an older group, Kate. The members aren't neo-Nazis. They're descended from the original demon spawn."