“And if you were genuinely concerned, I would have already received a phone call from one of you.  So, if I had to guess, I’d say you’ve already found what you’re looking for.  And this charade of following me,” he looked at Angela, “of following us, is your way of trying to find out something more.”

The woman continued examining him and eventually nodded.  “It seems your mother-in-law purchased a ticket back to Bolivia after your trip—with very little notice.  Much like you two did in coming here.”

“You think us coming here has something to do with Kathy going to Bolivia?”

“Back to Bolivia,” corrected Hayton.  “And I don’t know. Does it?”

“No.  It doesn’t.”

“So, you have no idea why she immediately decided to fly all the way back down there.”

“None,” lied Rickards.

Agent Hayton continued studying him.  “Bolivian immigration confirmed she arrived on her flight and went through customs two days ago.  But at present they have no idea where she is.”

“Then that makes three of us.”

Hayton glanced down and casually examined her fingernails.  “Sounds strange.  Wouldn’t you say?”

“What can I tell you? Women are enigmas.”

“And I suppose none of this would have anything to do with your trips to Mexico.”

Angela, who was intently listening, suddenly turned to Joe.

He didn’t look back.  “No.”

Hayton’s eyes moved to Angela.  “Did you know about Mr. Rickards’ trips to Mexico, Ms. Reed?”

“Uh…” she stammered.  “It’s not really any of my business.”

“You sure about that?  Would it surprise you to know that Mr. Rickards traveled to Mexico not once but twice immediately after you and he returned from Bolivia?”

Angela hesitated.  “As I said, it’s none of my business.”

Hayton calmly glanced out of her window.  “What exactly was the nature of your trip to Bolivia, Ms. Reed—with Mr. Rickards here?”

She looked nervously at Joe.  “He was helping me investigate the death of my grandfather.”

“When he was still an agent for the NTSB?”

“That’s right.”

“And how did the two of you end up down there?” asked Hayton.

“We discovered my grandfather had received a letter from his brother, with whom he’d lost contact.  But my grandfather was killed in a plane crash before he could go there himself.  Joe was assigned to the case.”

The look on Hayton’s face told Angela this was news to her.

“And Mr. Rickards here just up and left with you all the way to Bolivia to find this great uncle?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, that’s certainly beyond the call of duty.”

“I told you,” said Rickards. “I’m delightful.”

“So, what?” Agent Hayton stated. “You two travel to South America and see something you thought your mother-in-law, who hates you, would want to see?”

“Believe it or not, that’s precisely what happened.”

“Just like that?”