âDad, have you seen Ruthâs fastball now that Iâve been working with her?â
Dix nodded. Ah, Christie, we did good with our boys, and Ruth does well with them too. Dix had spoken to Christie a lot over the years. His memory of her, the feeling of her presence, would always be with him, easing the bad times and making the good times better. But he knew all the way to his soul that Christie was dead, more than three years dead.
This was an entirely different woman in San Francisco, he had no doubt. But he still had to make the trip, had to make sure, for all of them. If he didnât go he knew Chappy would, and who knew what kind of grief that would cause? And in the back of his mind, a voice softly asked, If she is Christie, what then?
Brewster was gnawing on his trouser leg. Dix leaned down and picked up the well-fed furball whose eyes would melt Scroogeâs heart, straightened his dark blue collar, and hugged him close. âDonât you get too excited when you see Ruth, okay, Brewster? She doesnât need you to pee on her again.â
The boys laughed. âBrewster loves her leather jacket,â Rafe said. âShe told me Brewster supports her dry cleaners.â
The boys moved on to talking about school. Theyâd bought his story. Good. The last thing they needed to know was the real reason he was flying to the West Coast.
CHAPTER 9
WASHINGTON, D.C. THE HOOVER BUILDING
Friday morning
When Special Agent Ruth Warnecki bent down to pull the bottom of her slacks out of her boot she heard Dillon Savich say to his boss, Jimmy Maitland, "Take a gander at this. This sketch is excellent.â
âI was thinking maybe itâs too good,â Maitland said. âIs Cheney sure the witness didnât embellish?â
âCheney said the reason itâs so detailed is that the guy didnât mind showing her his face up close and personal, because he planned to kill her. He ended up throwing her into San Francisco Bay, where she would probably have drowned if Cheney hadnât gotten her out in time.â
âGood for Agent Stone,â Maitland said, âand a remarkable chunk of good luck for the victim. It was a coincidence, right, Savich? He isnât dating her, is he, or surveilling her, something like that?â
Ruth couldnât help listening in. She knew Cheney. She leaned closer to the door and heard Dillon say, âNope, I asked him about that. Cheney said heâd never seen her before in his life. The thing about Cheney Stone is heâs got great instincts and this karma sort of thing that seems to put him in the right places at critical times. Weirdest thing Iâve ever heard of. But even without the woo-wooâas an agent, Cheneyâs good, very good. This Julia is lucky he was there.â
Maitland nodded, started pacing in front of Savichâs desk. âIâve read some of his reports. Heâs got good recall. Did you know heâs got a law degree?â
Savich grinned. âI say thank the Lord he crossed over to the side of the angels.â
Maitland grunted, unconsciously flexed an impressive bicep. âYep, we need him more than the world needs another damned lawyer.â
âHe started out as a prosecutor, but couldnât accept all the plea bargains they have to make to keep the system from implodingâhe couldnât see a whole lot of justice in that, didnât think he was making much of a difference.â
Maitland nodded. âYou know the SAC out in San Franciscoâ Bert Cartwright? Heâs one smart guy, but he bitches about Stone being a hot dogânot covering other peopleâs butts is how I translate that.â
âYou think?â Savich grinned.
âOf course you and Sherlock are the original hot dogs, if I donât count your dad. Buck Savich drove everyone nuts.â Jimmy Maitland paused a moment and Savich knew he was thinking back.
Savich felt the brief dig of