Mariel glared at the floor. Her cigarette burned down to the filter in her hand.
“What’s that?” Jonny cupped his ear.
Mariel whispered something.
“I can’t hear you.”
“I’m sorry,” Mariel said, a little louder. “I’m sorry.”
Jonny smiled. “That’s my girl.”
Chapter 43
HARPER FELT HER heart rate soar, thumping an irregular beat against the inside of her chest. She lived for moments like this. Seattle PD had made the call a little under an hour ago: two Asian men had been involved in a pileup on the I-5, matching the description the anonymous tipster had given. One had died in the collision, the other was being treated for head wounds. The Seattle police chief had put pressure on the hospital to let them question him, and the treating physician had caved. The chief had made an immediate call to Harper’s private line. He had given her the address after she’d dropped Assistant Director Hunt’s name.
Harborview Medical Center loomed into view and Harper headed for the parking lot. Found an empty space, killed the engine. Left her government parking permit out on the dashboard and headed for the main entrance. The receptionist directed her upstairs after she flashed her ID. A few minutes later, Harper found the room. It was a private ward, the door flanked by two police officers. They checked her ID and waved her through.
Inside the room, a single bed with a drawn curtain. A Seattle police detective stood nearby, wearing a shabby-looking suit and a light raincoat. He had short dark hair, a little gray round the temples. A notebook and pen were on the table next to him.
“You Harper?” he said.
She held up her badge. “Who are you?”
“Detective Carter. We’ve got the place to ourselves, I asked the nurse to leave us alone.”
“He talking?” She stepped over toward the curtain.
“Not yet. Chief said to wait for you. Suspect’s a little out of it.”
“Condition?”
“Shattered collar bone, fractures to the arms and legs. Concussion.” Carter sighed. “He was lucky. His partner was dead on the scene.”
“Anyone else hurt?”
“Driver of a pickup also involved was pronounced dead on the ride to the hospital. Massive head trauma.”
“Shit.”
“Shit is right,” Carter said.
“He awake?”
“Just about. The doctor’s said not to cause him any stress.” Carter smiled grimly. “Like that’s ever gonna happen.”
“We need him to talk,” Harper said. “There could be something we’re missing. Lives could be at risk.”
“You’re the boss.” Carter pulled back the curtain.
Harper stared at the figure on the bed. Roughly five-eight, skinny, the man was Asian, maybe Korean. He looked middle-aged, wrinkles starting to set in around the eyes and mouth, hair flecked with gray, large veins in the hands. He was hooked up to a morphine drip and heart monitor. Eyes open, he stared vacantly at the ceiling, one ankle shackled to the bed frame.
“He got ID?” Harper asked.
“Yeah. Name’s Robert Kim. Works for a company called LS Coventry.”
Definitely Korean. “The company check out?”
“Found a website, but the number’s disconnected.”
“You think it’s an alias? A sham company?”
Carter bit his bottom lip. “Smells like one.”
“Then the ID’s probably fake too.” She sighed. “Let’s see what we can find out, shall we?”
Carter nodded and Harper took another step forward, leaning over the patient. His eyes flicked over to meet hers, before glancing away again.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Kim,” Harper said. She leaned in a little closer. “You and I have a lot to talk about.”
The man’s eyes focused a little.
“That’s it. I know you can hear me.”
He said something Harper couldn’t understand.
“And it’s no good pretending you don’t speak English,” she said. “I already spoke with the operations manager at the hotel. He was kind enough to show me some video footage of you and your friend.” She paused. “You two have caused quite a mess.”
The man closed his eyes for a moment. He mumbled something.
“What’s that?” Harper said.
He sighed deeply. “You have no evidence. You have laws. You can’t keep me here.”
Carter took the opportunity to step forward. “Actually, buddy, we do. We take terrorist activity very seriously in America. As a foreign national, we can declare you an enemy combatant and hold you indefinitely. That little loophole strips you of pretty much every civil right you can think of. Or, maybe you help us out a little and we see what we can do about getting you a lawyer.”