Wake the Devil Read Free Page B

Ms. Sturgis’s technique. Chief Ritson told us you performed admirably during the investigation.”
    That probably wasn’t what Ritson said. On at least two occasions, he had accused Jack of being a loose cannon and threatened to fire him.
    “This isn’t a good idea,” Jack said. “You have hundreds of qualified people—”
    “Professor, the clock’s ticking. We can’t afford to lose these witnesses,” said Milner.
    “Look, I’m flattered,” Jack said. “I just don’t think you’ve thought this through.”
    He turned to Janet Newton for support. She responded by motioning with her head toward the door, indicating she wanted to speak in private. Jack looked at Beth, but her face remained neutral as they moved off.

Chapter 3
    W hen they were out of earshot, Jack asked, “What’s really going on here, Janet?”
    “It’s pretty simple. We want your help.”
    From prior experience, things were never pretty simple with Janet Newton. She was self-directed, confident, and like an arctic icebreaker, prepared to plow through any obstacles to achieve a result. She was also a damn good cop.
    She said, “The past is the past. From my standpoint, you’ve more than wiped the slate clean. It’s time to rejoin the living, Jack.”
    He knew she was right but chose to ignore the reference to his final case with the Bureau. After that madman Howard Pell had killed his young partner, Jack’s evisceration of the killer during their fight at Cloudland Canyon had gotten the Bureau sued. “Why me?”
    “Because nobody thinks the way you do. I speak from personal experience.”
    Jack started to respond, but the deputy director held up her hand for him to wait.
    “Let me put my cards on the table. We’re stumped by the Sandman and fresh out of ideas. An investigation lasting six years has almost nothing to show for it. The man’s an enigma our best profilers can’t get a handle on. What little we do know indicates he’s brilliant and adept at changing his appearance. He gains weight, loses weight. Has a scar one day, it’s gone the next. His hair is blond on Monday and black on Tuesday. He’s also a genius at getting inside no matterhow many precautions are taken. To put it bluntly, if he wants you dead, you’re dead. Frankly, he scares the hell out of me.”
    The unspoken part of her message was beginning to dawn on him. “You’re getting pressure from upstairs,” Jack said.
    “Like you wouldn’t believe, and it extends all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue. The grand jury convenes in six days and the U.S. Attorney is all over us to know what we’re doing. We’re dealing with the most ruthless and efficient killer we’ve ever been up against. I’m not saying this lightly. He’ll use anybody or do anything to achieve his goal. My counterparts in MI5, France, Israel, and Russia all share this view. Bad doesn’t begin to describe this man.”
    Jack looked down at his feet for several seconds, then said, “Janet, it’s not that I don’t want to help. It’s just—”
    “I meant what I said. The past is the past. You’re not responsible for what happened to Connie Belasco. No one ever thought you were except you.”
    “It’s a little more complicated than that,” he said quietly.
    Janet Newton ignored the comment. “Milner was telling you the truth. Noah Ritson did have some good things to say about you. He was also candid and mentioned you were enrolled in NA for a prescription medication problem. How’s that going?”
    “Day by day, as with any addiction.”
    “Good. Is it under control?”
    “As much as it can be,” Jack said.
    “Understood. What else do I need to know?”
    This was typical of her. Charge straight ahead and manage any problem on the fly. Still hoping to step away gracefully from the situation, Jack decided to tell her about his panic attacks. She listened thoughtfully while he spoke.
    “But you say they’ve tapered off over the last few months,” Janet said.
    “I thought we