killed. Hell, the man thought he was bulletproof, and he had convinced just about everyone else of that, including Thorpe."
"There's no excuse for that woman, and there's no telling what other threads of the web she has managed to keep from you and me."
He frowned and gave her a guilty look just before his voice took on an angry edge. "All right, damnit, if it'll make you feel any better, come on inside and have a look... have a good look at Oliguerri over there."
The FBI had wasted no time with Oliguerri. The men circled the body like flies. Their chatter was a guarded whisper, not so much in respect for the dead as in respect for the fact that the CPD was on hand. These men were trying desperately to find some trace fiber or dust particle that might help lead them to Ovierto. Oliguerri was being airbrushed for such details, while his eyes remained wide open, his teeth set into his tongue so deeply that uppers and lowers were touching where he had nearly bitten it off. He'd obviously died a cruel, painful death.
"Poison of some sort," said Captain Noone. "I've seen enough. Wait for you outside."
She glanced from Oliguerri's sad carcass to the room itself. She roamed toward his office when an FBI voice said, "We figure Ovierto entered through the elevator and exited the same way. Service elevator for transporting scientific equipment, experimental stuff."
"Yeah, experimental stuff," she replied, continuing to look around. She knew the FBI guy had been put on her to watch her every move.
As she passed Oliguerri's lab table she saw some paperwork there, just some scribblings in a foreign hand, German, or perhaps his tribal Ibo. She turned and pretended a sudden surge of warmth as if she might faint.
"Are you all right, officer?" he asked.
"Suddenly feel... oh, I don't... water? Is there any water?"
"Cooler over there. Just take a seat, and I'll get it for you."
"Thank you so much."
She snatched the papers and placed them into her purse as quickly as possible. He was still pressing for the water when she straightened and looked back at him, the papers secure. She drained the water, took great breaths of air, filling her lungs and saying, "Captain Noone was right... I shouldn't have come in. I... I'd best leave."
"Yes, ma'am. I think so," agreed the helpful man. "Have you got your legs?"
"Quite all right now, thank you."
He watched her leave before placing the cup she had used to his nostrils, smelling her. Outside, in the hallway, Noone took her by the arm and solicitously walked her to the elevator. "You look a little pale and very tired, Robyn. I want you to go home now. Leave this to Thorpe's people."
"Leave Joe's murder to them?"
"Revenge and anger ate Joe's insides out, and you know that. He was half a man."
"Joe was more man than... than anyone I knew." She pulled from Noone and said, "This cab is mine." She rode down alone, in silence, glancing over the meaningless papers she had stolen from the crime scene. To her they made as much sense as the incidents of this night.
"Oh, Joe," she moaned and her heartbreak filled the elevator cab.
Melody Carter was a bright, young policewoman with long dark hair and dark features. She put her arms around Robyn and led her toward the car. "I'll get you home and put you to bed, honey," she said.
"No, I've got to get to Elena Hogarth."
"The FBI guys said Ovierto kidnapped her."
"That's the bull Thorpe is shoveling. I know better."
"Well, if she wasn't kidnapped..."
"They'll be all over her place by now."
"And every exit from the city, so how do you hope to locate her first?"
"Not sure, but I've got to try."
"Do you even know what she looks like?"
"I got a glimpse of her in a picture with her husband and kid while I was snooping around her office upstairs."
"Where to then?"
"O'Hare International."
"She'll be disguised —traveling under an assumed name —if she's hiding."
"And Thorpe knows that, too."
"Are you sure you're up to this, Robyn?"
"Yes,
"There's no excuse for that woman, and there's no telling what other threads of the web she has managed to keep from you and me."
He frowned and gave her a guilty look just before his voice took on an angry edge. "All right, damnit, if it'll make you feel any better, come on inside and have a look... have a good look at Oliguerri over there."
The FBI had wasted no time with Oliguerri. The men circled the body like flies. Their chatter was a guarded whisper, not so much in respect for the dead as in respect for the fact that the CPD was on hand. These men were trying desperately to find some trace fiber or dust particle that might help lead them to Ovierto. Oliguerri was being airbrushed for such details, while his eyes remained wide open, his teeth set into his tongue so deeply that uppers and lowers were touching where he had nearly bitten it off. He'd obviously died a cruel, painful death.
"Poison of some sort," said Captain Noone. "I've seen enough. Wait for you outside."
She glanced from Oliguerri's sad carcass to the room itself. She roamed toward his office when an FBI voice said, "We figure Ovierto entered through the elevator and exited the same way. Service elevator for transporting scientific equipment, experimental stuff."
"Yeah, experimental stuff," she replied, continuing to look around. She knew the FBI guy had been put on her to watch her every move.
As she passed Oliguerri's lab table she saw some paperwork there, just some scribblings in a foreign hand, German, or perhaps his tribal Ibo. She turned and pretended a sudden surge of warmth as if she might faint.
"Are you all right, officer?" he asked.
"Suddenly feel... oh, I don't... water? Is there any water?"
"Cooler over there. Just take a seat, and I'll get it for you."
"Thank you so much."
She snatched the papers and placed them into her purse as quickly as possible. He was still pressing for the water when she straightened and looked back at him, the papers secure. She drained the water, took great breaths of air, filling her lungs and saying, "Captain Noone was right... I shouldn't have come in. I... I'd best leave."
"Yes, ma'am. I think so," agreed the helpful man. "Have you got your legs?"
"Quite all right now, thank you."
He watched her leave before placing the cup she had used to his nostrils, smelling her. Outside, in the hallway, Noone took her by the arm and solicitously walked her to the elevator. "You look a little pale and very tired, Robyn. I want you to go home now. Leave this to Thorpe's people."
"Leave Joe's murder to them?"
"Revenge and anger ate Joe's insides out, and you know that. He was half a man."
"Joe was more man than... than anyone I knew." She pulled from Noone and said, "This cab is mine." She rode down alone, in silence, glancing over the meaningless papers she had stolen from the crime scene. To her they made as much sense as the incidents of this night.
"Oh, Joe," she moaned and her heartbreak filled the elevator cab.
Melody Carter was a bright, young policewoman with long dark hair and dark features. She put her arms around Robyn and led her toward the car. "I'll get you home and put you to bed, honey," she said.
"No, I've got to get to Elena Hogarth."
"The FBI guys said Ovierto kidnapped her."
"That's the bull Thorpe is shoveling. I know better."
"Well, if she wasn't kidnapped..."
"They'll be all over her place by now."
"And every exit from the city, so how do you hope to locate her first?"
"Not sure, but I've got to try."
"Do you even know what she looks like?"
"I got a glimpse of her in a picture with her husband and kid while I was snooping around her office upstairs."
"Where to then?"
"O'Hare International."
"She'll be disguised —traveling under an assumed name —if she's hiding."
"And Thorpe knows that, too."
"Are you sure you're up to this, Robyn?"
"Yes,
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