way. They won’t take it away but they’ll take charge. I think they know there’s more than the gun connecting the cases. They’re assholes but they’re smart assholes. I think they figured out the same thing I did once they looked at the tapes you gave them. They know it’s the same shooter and that there is something hooking all three of these hits together. They came by to intimidate me, to get me off it. Next it will be you.” dura dura “If they think

I’m just going to turn this whole thing over to them and-” “It’s not you. They’ll go to Hitchens. And if he doesn’t agree to back off, then they go farther up the ladder. I was one of them, remember? I know how it works. The higher you go, the more pressure points.” dura dura “Me? Tomorrow I’m going back to work. I don’t have to answer to the bureau or Hitchens or anybody else. Just myself on this one.” “Well, you might be the only one with a shot at this. Good luck.” dura dura McCALEB DIDN’T GET to the notes and financial records he had taken from Amelia Cordell until the end of the day. Tired from all the desk work, he quickly scanned the notes and came across nothing in the widow’s recollections that sparked any interest in him. From the bank statements he quickly determined that Cordell was paid every Wednesday by direct deposit. During the three months for which McCaleb had statements, Cordell had made an ATM withdrawal on every payday at the same bank branch at which he was eventually killed. The significance of this was that it confirmed that, like Gloria Torres’s nightly stop at the Sherman Market, Cordell had been following a definable pattern when he had been murdered. It gave more credence to the belief that the shooter had watched his victims-in Cordell’s case for a minimum of a week, but probably longer. McCaleb was glancing through the credit card statements when he felt the boat dip and looked out to see Graciela stepping down into the stern. It was a pleasant surprise. dura dura “Graciela,” he said

as he stepped out to the stern. “What are you doing here?” dura dura “No, I-oh, I

Want: dura dura