“You have people on this already,” I said. “Where has their investigation led?”

“Initially they were looking at you.”

“But you knew there was no truth in that.” I nodded at Bryce, who’d already confirmed that. “They must have been looking at others.”

“We have a team on it in Colombia, another at this end. Up until now they’ve come up empty-handed. We’re working with the FBI on this, so they have people on it as well.”

“I don’t want any of them getting in our way.”

“It’s every man for himself, Hunter. The CIA is on board because of the international implications of this one, but it’s the FBI who have jurisdiction because of the federal nature of the crimes.”

“All these G-men running around but still you’ve come to us.” Rink’s words more or less echoed my own thoughts.

“It serves a purpose, Rink.”

“As usual,” Rink said.

“As usual. These people are threatening us all. I’m as valid a target as Hunter or Bryce. It’s in all our interests if we put a stop to them. No trials, no chance of them getting away, no retribution.”

“Sounds like we don’t have official sanction after all,” I said.

Walter jammed his cigar between his teeth, speaking around it like one of those gangsters in old black-and-white movies. “You have my sanction. The paperwork can be sorted later.”

Basically what he was saying was that we were going to be his personal assassins. Ordinarily I’d have told him to stick his sanction, except this time I was happy with the arrangement. While the killer was still out there, Imogen and others were still in great danger. It would remain that way until the killer, and whoever was guiding him, was stopped for good.

Chapter 19

19

Alisha screamed all the way down, hit the pavement and then was silent. Her corpse was sprawled like a stringless marionette, surrounded by a growing pool of blood.

At least in Rickard’s mind, that was the way things happened.

In reality, he eased up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her tightly to him and nuzzled her neck. “Hi, babe.”

Alisha stiffened for the briefest of moments, but then, having realized who had caught her in a hug—or more likely because it was what was expected of her—she melted back against him, purring as he kissed her all the way down to her shoulder. Rickard released her, turned her around slowly and looked down at her upturned face. He kissed her gently on the tip of her nose.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” Alisha said.

“Couldn’t stay away any longer,” Rickard said. “Did you miss me?”

“Like crazy.” Alisha searched for his lips. Rickard held back, teasing her, making her go up on her toes before returning the kiss. She smelled of soap and shampoo. No trace of cologne.