“Tell Steiger we’re grateful for his cooperation. I’ve ordered our Pacific Coast research ship to be standing by. Instructions were given to the skipper to dump the warheads off the continental shelf in ten thousand feet of water.” Sandecker hesitated at posing the next question. “Did you locate the missing eight?”

Pitt’s negative expression answered him even before the image spoke.

“No luck, Admiral. A thorough search of the lake bed failed to turn up a trace.”

Sandecker read the frustration on Pitt’s face. “I fear the time has come to inform the Pentagon.”

“Do you honestly think that a wise course?”

“What other options do we have?” Sandecker came back. “We don’t have the means at our disposal for a large-scale investigation.”

“All we need is a lead,” Pitt said, pressing on. “Odds favor the warheads’ being stored somewhere, gathering dust. It’s even possible the thieves don’t know what they really have on their hands.”

“I’ll accept that,” Sandecker said. “But who would want them in the first place? Christ, they weigh nearly a ton each, and they’re easily recognizable in exterior appearance as obsolete naval shells.”

“The answer will also lead us to the murderer of Loren Smith’s father.”

“No corpus delicti, no crime,” Sandecker said.

“I know what I saw,” Pitt said evenly.

“It won’t alter present circumstances. The dilemma staring us all in the face is how to get a tag on those lost warheads and do it before someone gets it in his head to play demolition expert.”

No Return Ticket I 167

Suddenly the exhaustion seemed to drop from Pitt. “Something you just said jogged a thought. Give me five days to flush out the warheads. If I turn up nothing, then it’s your ball game.”

Sandecker smiled tightly at Pitt’s sudden show of intensity. “This happens to be my ball game, any way you look at it,” he said sharply. “As the senior government official involved in this mess, it became my unwanted responsibility the day you hijacked a NUMA aircraft and underwater camera system.”

Pitt stared back across the room but remained discreetly silent.

Sandecker left Pitt stewing for a moment while he rubbed his eyes. Then he said, “All right, against my better judgment I’ll take the gamble.”

“You’ll go along, then?”

Sandecker caved in. “You’ve got five days, Pitt. But heaven help us if you come up empty-handed.”

He hit the switch to the holograph and Pitt’s image faded and disappeared.

43

It was just before sunset when Maxine Raferty turned from her clothesline and spied Pitt walking up the road. She continued her chore, pinning up the last of her husband’s shirts before waving a greeting.

“Mr. Pitt, how nice to see you.”

“Mrs. Raferty.”

“Loren with you up to the cabin?”

“No, she had to remain in Washington.” Pitt looked around the yard. “Is Lee at home?”