He turns to me and says, “We’ve got four agents there and all of them heard the same thing. Some weird slamming noise they can’t identify.”

“Marino and I both heard something similar a number of times.” I continue checking my mirrors for the filthy smoke plume of a black powder bomb going off.

I listen for an alert tone on the scanner that might indicate an emergency but I see and hear nothing that might hint at what’s happening with Marino. I keep telling myself he must be all right or I’d know. He must have drilled a decent-size hole by now and has the borescope’s long camera probe fed through so he can see what’s inside.

“You mind swinging by there?” Benton asks and I don’t understand.

“Excuse me?”

“The Gilbert house. Let’s see what they’re talking about. The noise has to be coming from somewhere.”

Chapter 47

CHAPTER 47

I TURN ON BINNEY STREET AS MORE MINUTES PASS. I’ve heard nothing about Marino and I can’t stand it.

“What’s going on with him?” I ask Benton as we drive back toward the Harvard campus. “It shouldn’t take any time at all to know what’s inside the trunk. To thread the camera head through he’d need about nine or ten millimeters, a hole about that size which isn’t that big. He must know by now what’s inside,” I add and it hasn’t escaped my notice that I’m not hearing sirens.

I’ve heard nothing on the scanner that might indicate Hyde has been found inside the trunk and a rescue squad is responding. I’ve heard not a peep from Rusty and Harold.

“Lucy and Janet are safely out of their house,” Benton says, as if that’s what we’re talking about, and he’s skimming through messages on his phone, using some encrypted FBI app that allows him to communicate safely, privately. “I suggested the best place to drop them off for now is your office. I didn’t think they should be at our house yet or anywhere else until we have a better idea what’s going on.”

“What about Desi and Jet Ranger?”

“All of them are safe, Kay. I have a text from Janet. She says Desi and Jet Ranger will wait in your office. When you get there everybody will be waiting, and that’s a big relief to hear.”

“It’s nice she texted you. She must know we’re together right now. Somehow.”

“Why do you say it like that?” he asks as he stares straight ahead.

“She didn’t text me. She must figure you’d tell me. Janet would know how worried I am,” I reply and Benton doesn’t answer. “It’s easy for me to forget that the two of you were friends before she knew Lucy. In fact you introduced them to each other.”