Chapter seven
Simon halted in front of the conference door. "Okay, let's discuss how we're going to play this. Connor, I want you to start the research here using anything the FBI are willing to let you use; computers, faxes etc. Joel, I want you to go over everything they've amassed so far. Agent Patton seems on the up and up, but on principle I don't trust them to hold something back. You can help Connor at the same time."
He turned towards Rafe and Brown. "You two go to the fair and question people there. I'm pretty sure Sandburg's been taken, but I don't want egg on our faces if it turns out he simply skipped out. Apparently, he's well liked there and I think you'll get more information if you stress that we're not FBI, but Blair's friends. You're going to have to be inventive so whatever agent you're with doesn't catch you doing the questioning.
"And that goes for you and me too, Jim. I want to see if you can find anything along the route he took last night. That's going to be difficult if we have an agent watching our every move. God, where's Sandburg with his obfuscating skills when you need him?"
Nobody missed the irony in his question.
Megan and Joel slipped into the room discussing possible lines of enquiry they could pursue. Megan headed for a computer that was sitting with its darkened screen in a corner and turned it on. Joel walked up to the large white board that held numerous and photos of Berger and Escobar in the top left corner and a photo of Blair in the centre. He wondered where they'd picked it up from, but when he examined it closer he saw that it was a copy of Blair's PD warrant card. He started reading the information on the board taking copious notes.
Banks followed the two partners into the room and looked around for Patton. A number of people were either working on computers or talking on telephones creating a low hum of noise. Spotting Patton at the head of the file-and-paper-covered conference table he made his way towards him. He was talking on his mobile phone and while he waited for him to finish he cast his eye over the whiteboard that Joel was examining. After a few minutes the agent wound up his phone call and made a few notes on the pad sitting on the table. He then turned to Banks with a questioning look on his face.
"Banks."
"Patton." Banks nodded at the agent. "I've got an important question I should've asked this morning."
"Uh huh."
"Any indication that Berger and Escobar know that we're here as well?"
"Don't know if they knew before, but if they're the ones who snatched Sandburg I'm sure they know now."
"Yeah, that's how I see it, too. Do we know who's here in Wyoming?"
"We're working on it. We think, and I stress that we have no proof, that at least two of Escobar's henchmen are here and they've hired local muscle." A female agent came up to him and handed him a fax. He read it quickly and then handed it to Simon. "Confirmation that two men known to have connections to Escobar boarded a plane to Casper, Wyoming two days ago. We're checking car rental places, cab companies, hotels. The usual suspects."
Simon looked at the grainy photos of two shifty looking large men. He didn't recognise them, but a number of possible names were listed below: José Martinez, Juan Martinez, Oscar Ramos, Oscar Ramirez etc… "Do we know where they are now?"
"Working on that, too. The photos aren't great and we're waiting on clearer ones from the central database." His phone rang again and he answered with an apologetic smile. "Patton. Uh huh. No. I don't care what he says; just tell him to get it done. Right. Speak to you later." He hung up and turned back to Banks.
Simon jumped in before he someone or something else could interrupt them again, "As you can see I've got Connor and Taggart here. I'm sending Rafe and Brown to ask around at the fair…" Patton went to say something and he spoke over him. "You've probably done so already, but without putting too fine a point on it, you're Feds and we both know how that more than likely went down with the fair workers. I know you said we couldn't ask questions, but I'd like you to reconsider in this case. We'll be asking questions as Sandburg's friends. We can prove that and there's a chance that they'll open up more to us."
Patton considered his words and then nodded. "Okay, but they go with an agent."
"Agreed."
"I'll tell Agent Archant to meet them in front."
"Thanks. Meanwhile I'd like to take Ellison and walk the route that Sandburg would have taken last night."
"Why? Forensics has done it already."
"I know, but we know Sandburg. He could have left a clue that only we would recognise. He can be pretty inventive."
"Okaaay." Patton didn't sound 100% convinced.
"And we don't need anyone to come with us. We're not going to be asking anyone questions." Simon really didn't want any witnesses to Jim doing his 'stuff'.
"Unacceptable. None of you go anywhere without someone with you. As well as you not having any authority here, you're also under the risk of being targeted by Escobar. I meant it before – I WILL have you confined to this hotel if necessary."
"Okay, okay. I'll go get my jacket and meet Agent…?"
"Agent Goodson," Patton answered after a long, considered look at Simon.
"…Agent Goodson out front."
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The lunchtime rush had finished, but there were still a number of people ordering food at the Parisis' trailer when H, Rafe and Agent Archant turned up. Archant had turned out to be a fairly new agent and this was the first major case she'd been involved with. She'd driven the two Washington detectives to the fair all the way talking nineteen to the dozen. H and Rafe exchanged bemused looks. She made them feel old and jaded. Rafe realised that she also reminded him of how Sandburg had been when he'd first started working with Ellison. He didn't realise how much he'd missed the former grad student and now, former detective.
Waiting for a lull in the orders, they watched the couple that had apparently adopted Blair. Jim had repeated the little Blair had said about them the night before telling them that Blair obviously held them in great esteem. After another fifteen minutes they had their opportunity and stepped forward.
"Mr and Mrs Parisi?" H asked.
The couple eyed them warily.
"We've already spoken to you lot," the large man answered standing protectively behind his wife.
"Oh, we're not FBI," countered H. "We're police officers from Cascade, Washington and Blair's our friend."
"You the ones he met yesterday? 'Cos if you are, Fel said he didn't seem right pleased to see you."
"Yes, well," Rafe answered a little uncomfortably, "Blair left Cascade after a big misunderstanding. We, um," he knew instinctively that only the truth, no matter how unsavoury, would prove their sincerity, "we didn't treat him with the respect and consideration that he was due."
"Basically, we fucked up," added H, "and lost a good friend and a damn good cop."
"Blair had been a cop?" Mrs Parisi asked amazed.
"Yeah, it's along story and I'm not too sure we should be the ones telling you. It's really up to Hairboy, sorry, I mean Blair, to give you the details. But just take it from us, he's one of us and we'd do anything to get him back."
Mr Parisi looked at his wife for a few seconds and she eventually nodded at him. "Okay," he said taking off his large apron, "we'll close up here for a while. The lunch rush is over anyway. We can talk in our caravan, but I don't know what else we can tell you. BS doesn't talk much."
Brown and Rafe looked at each other. Sandburg didn't talk much? Were they even talking about the same person?
Unfortunately, the Parisis were right in their assessment of not being to able to give much more information. They'd explained more of how they'd employed Blair glossing over how they were paying him, and stressed what a reliable and hard worker he was. Maria Parisi had made tea for everyone, including Agent Archant, and they were sitting around the small caravan table when she stiffened.
"Vinnie, do you remember what Art said yesterday morning? About Blair's tent."
The man looked at his wife for a moment blankly then his eyes showed he'd remembered.
"What? What d'you mean 'Blair's tent'?" questioned Rafe.
"BS has a small tent. We let him use the washing facilities here in the morning and sometimes he eats with us, but he sleeps in his tent and keeps his stuff there. Well, the small amount of stuff he has. It amazes me that he can get by on so little."
"So, what happened to it?"
"Art, Arturo Blanco, he works on the big wheel, said he saw someone hanging around the tent yesterday morning."
"And?"
"That's all he told us. We checked it over but couldn't see if anything was wrong. BS was in Sheridan and we didn't see him when he got back 'cos we were working, so we didn't get the chance to say anything to him."
"Where is Mr. Blanco now?" asked H.
"Working, I imagine," Vinnie answered.
"Could you take us to him, please?"
"No, I'll bring him here. Art's a bit 'shy', if you know what I mean?" Vinnie glanced at the cops and FBI agent. "I think he'd be more comfortable here."
Brown nodded and Vinnie left the caravan only to return ten minutes later with a tall, thin, nervous looking man in tow. Maria went over to him urging him into the caravan when he hesitated.
"C'mon Art, no-one's going to ask you difficult questions. They just want to know about what you saw yesterday. You're not in trouble. You know that Blair's missing and these people here just want to find him. Do you want some tea?" The man visibly relaxed under her soothing chatter, but still eyed the three intruders warily and refused to sit down.
"Mr Blanco, I'm Detective Rafe from Cascade and Blair's a friend of mine. Would you mind telling us what you saw yesterday?"
The man swallowed and then took a large gulp of the tea that Maria had pressed into his hands. " I was walkin' near them trees where Blair has his tent. I was, um, going for a piss like. When I saw a man hoverin' over the tent I askt him what was he doin' like."
"About what time was this, Mr Blanco?"
"Um, just 'afor noon, I reckon."
"Please, continue."
"Well, he just a looked a' me and said s'mthin' and walked off. I watched him 'til he went 'n came got Maria 'n Vinnie."
"Could you describe the man for us?"
"Dunno, really. He was big, though."
"What do you mean by big?" H tried to coax more information from the obviously unconformtable man. "Big muscular or tall? What was his hair like?"
"Umm, he was big like. Bigger 'n you and with muscles. Dinna see his hair, he was wearing a cap."
"Did you see the colour of his eyes, then? Any idea of his age?"
"I didna notice his eyes, but I reckon he's like 'bout same age as Blair."
"Was he either of these two men?" Rafe pulled out a folded copy of the fax showing Escobar's men.
Blanco squinted at the bad reproductions and slowly shook his head. "I c'n't be certain, but ahm pretty sure, no."
"Was he carrying anything?"
"Nope."
"Where did he go?"
"I watched him outta the park. He went through trees toward airport."
"Anything else you can tell us?"
"Nope."
"Okaay. Well if you think of anything, will you let us know? Here's my card with my cell number." Rafe held out his hand to the man who looked at it fearfully then took it and scuttled out of the caravan.
A gloomy silence fell over the group. Although Blanco's information was interesting, without a better description it was going to be difficult getting an identity. H pulled out his phone and updated Joel back in the hotel who promised to pass the information onto Patton.
"Maybe someone else at the fair saw him."
Rafe and Brown looked at Agent Archant in surprise. She'd been so quiet up to now that they'd forgotten she was there.
"Uh huh," agreed Brown, annoyed with himself for not thinking of it first. "Okay, Babe," he turned to his partner, "let's get out there."
"I think it would be a good idea if I came with you," Vinnie interjected. "You know, some people might not be so open otherwise, if you get my drift?"
"What about your stand?"
"Don't worry about that," Maria said calmly. "Blair needs to be found and found quickly."
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Agent Goodson eyed the police officers from Cascade with mixed feelings. While he understood their need to be doing something to find their missing friend, he couldn't understand why Patton had given them so much freedom. Well, he was stuck with them and it was his duty to protect them and he'd do it to the best of his ability. He turned again towards the dark captain and concentrated on what he was saying.
"…must be great fishing out here."
"I don't fish."
"Oh. Do you hunt?
"No. Don't like hunting."
"Oh, what about…"
Jim grimaced as he listened to Simon trying to distract the FBI agent. They'd walked the road leading from the hotel to the fairground confident that it was the route that Blair would have taken the night before. The rain that had passed and the mid-afternoon sun was beating down on his head. He wished that he'd thought to remember to take his Jags cap as trying to use his senses in the bright sunlight was giving him a headache. He stared at the road again and sniffed discreetly in an attempt to catch a trace of something that would lead them to Blair. Unfortunately, the rain had washed away any signs of his former partner and there was no telling if any of the detritus on the side of the road related to the kidnappers.
Suddenly, a familiar smell drifted across his nostrils – Blair! The previous evening he'd subconsciously catalogued the younger man's scent; the smell of fried food, the more subtle smell of a herbal shampoo, the flowery smell of a woman's perfume. He could now smell the unique combination coming from a clump of bushes on his right. Walking over to them while being careful not to walk on any obvious traces on the ground, he could also see something glinting in the sunlight. Getting closer he realised that it was the torch that Blair had been carrying in his jacket pocket. Although the area around the hotel had been brightly lit, the road had been in total darkness and he certainly would have been using it to get back to the fairground.
Going no further, he called out, "I've got something!"
The other two men hurried over, but stopped on the road itself.
"What have you got?" questioned Simon eagerly.
"It's Blair pocket torch. I saw it in his jacket last night."
"Okay," Goodson pulled out his phone. "I'm getting forensics out here." He started talking rapidly to the person on the other end.
Jim retraced his steps across the damp ground and joined his captain. They moved a few metres away from the agent.
"Anything else, Jim?" Simon asked in a low voice.
"Nothing obvious. The ground's fairly damp there and I didn't want to mess it up any more. This is probably where he was snatched and they obviously forgot about or couldn't find the torch."
"Or it rolled away and they didn't want to waste too much time looking for it."
"Mmm, could be." Jim looked down the road towards the hotel where he could see a number of vehicles pulling out of the car park. "Hope they find something that'll help us."
Simon could do nothing except agree with the man.
Six o'clock came and the hotel conference room was filled with around twenty men and women including the Cascade contingent. Agent Patton sat at the head of the table and cleared his throat, "Right everyone, let's get this show on the road. Greaves tell me what you got."
Jim half listened to the report on the searches carried out on Berger and Escobar's possible financial and criminal links to the area, which to be honest, didn't seem a lot. His interest was piqued when an Agent Wozniak reported that a car had been rented to two gentlemen holding Washington driving licences. Photos of the licences were displayed on the whiteboard and somehow he didn't think that the names underneath were real. It didn't really matter as what was important was now they had clearer images of the men. They were still searching for where they were staying and were using the local police in the search.
Another agent got up giving a forensic report on Blair's torch and the area surrounding where it had been found. Only Blair's prints were on it and a few possible shoe marks had been noted, but it was difficult to read anything from the information. The best bit of evidence was a tyre track from a vehicle that had stood on the ground near the bushes where the torch had been lying. They were in the process of searching for tyre make, size etc. and once having the information they would have a list of vehicles using this type of tyre. As for the kidnap itself, no-one had seen anything which was hardly surprising given the time it occurred and the remoteness of the road.
Eventually, the reports swung round to Brown and Rafe and Jim woke up fully. He had heard a little of what had gone on at the fair, and in his opinion, this was the best lead they had.
Brown stood up and walked over to the whiteboard. He placed on it a photocopy of a police-booking photo showing an unsavoury looking individual staring belligerently at the camera.
"Aloysius Temple Brown, 32, a long time resident of Sheridan. No relation I hasten to add." A polite smattering of laughs came from the room. "He was seen by a number of people at the fair notably around Blair's tent. We managed to get a good description of him and it turned out that he's known to the local PD. He's a small time crook with a couple of convictions for aggravated burglary. An APB's been put out on him and we're waiting on being able to go question some of his known acquaintances."
As the meeting went on Patton threw it open to questions and suggestions. Pizzas were brought it in and the men and women worked into the evening. Assignments were passed out for the following day and eventually everyone went up to their rooms. The Cascade group gathered in the room shared by Rafe and Brown, as it was the biggest.
"So, Simon, what's next?" Joel eased himself into one of the armchairs standing against the windows. Although they'd been given assignments by Patton, they were low key, 'something to do' actions to keep them appeased.
Simon had an unlit cigar clamped between his teeth and he took the second armchair. "Patton doesn't realise how good we are especially when have a vested interest in the outcome. Joel, you and Connor continue to do what your were doing today. You managed to get some good information. H, Rafe, stick with the agents working with the local PD. You and I, Jim, we're going to find this Aloysius Brown."
"What about having to take an agent with us?"
"We'll ask for Goodson. He seemed to be impressed by your detecting. I'm sure he wouldn't mind hanging out with us again. Okay, bed everyone. I want us up early tomorrow."
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Lying on the cold stone did nothing to ease the aches and pains Blair felt in his body. He groaned and immediately started coughing, which unfortunately sent shards of pain through his head. He eventually managed to draw breath without hacking up his lungs and he lay immobile for a moment, a miserable, shivering wreck. He cursed silently. Ever since his drowning in the fountain, his lungs had been susceptible to infections and dust. Obviously getting wet last night and then lying in this cold cave for hours had done him no favours.
Apart from the few gulps of water he'd had earlier and the tea last night (and that he'd brought up), he'd had nothing to eat or drink for a while and he was beginning to feel the effects. He thought about trying to sit up, but realised he simply didn't have the energy. He found his thoughts wandering and tried to bring them back to his situation. 'You know, Jim,' he thought to himself, 'I've changed my mind. I obviously need looking after. I'll come back to Cascade, but just come and find me first.'