The last thing Norwalk wanted was for McLanahan to “lawyer up” now, so he nodded and put on a faint smile. As long as McLanahan only said “I think I should stop” and not “I want a lawyer” or “I want to stop,” he could still question the suspect, even if the suspect believed his responses wouldn’t incriminate himself. “I’m sorry, sir. We just got here, and it’s been a long day. Let’s all relax and just talk.” He looked around the office. “You got any coffee around here? It’s been a really long day.”

“Sure,” Patrick said cheerfully. “It’s been a busy day for me too. Call in the rest of your guys—there’s plenty for everyone.”

“Nice plane you got out there,” Norwalk said as Patrick went out to the outer office to start the coffeemaker. “What is it?”

“An Aerostar—the fastest piston-powered twin you can buy,” Patrick said proudly. “It’s got six seats in it, but it’s really only good for two persons with full fuel and luggage.”

“You fly out from San Diego?”

“I keep the plane out at North Island Naval Air Station— the base commander is a friend of mine. It’s about a seven- hour flight, plus a couple potty breaks—eleven hours total, including the time zone changes.”

“It sounds pretty fast.”

“It’s a rocket ship,” Patrick said. “I just wish it could hold more people and baggage. Me, the wife, and my son pretty much max it out.”

The armrest of the rear bench seat inside the Aerostar flopped down, and one eye peeked out from behind the seat. Seeing it was all clear, both seat backs in the split bench seat flopped down, and Chris Wohl and Hal Briggs unfolded themselves from the small baggage space behind the seat. “Oh, God,” Briggs said, groaning as he stretched and flexed his sore legs and back. “My leg cramps have cramps.” As he usually did, Chris Wohl ignored his friend and former commanding officer, but it was obvious he was experiencing much of the same difficulty unfolding his legs.

After he got feeling and circulation going in his limbs, Briggs crawled over the bench seats, staying low, then peeked out the smoked side windows into the hangar. No guards visible on the hangar door side; none visible out the forward windscreen. He looked out the right windows and saw one armed guard seated up on the concrete stairway landing leading into the flight department offices. Briggs made hand signals to Wohl where the guard was, then made his way to the forward entry hatch.