Jerome grunted. “And we didn’t even get to go up the Space Needle.”
***
“Building secure,” Jerome announced, appearing at the door with June in tow. The doctor had changed her clothes and her hair was wet, slicked back. She walked with a slight limp and was clutching her upper arm.
“You’re injured,” Leopold said, looking at June.
She hobbled a little closer. “Bullet clipped my shoulder,” she said. “Just took a chunk of skin off. Sprained ankle too.”
“What the hell happened up there?”
“Guy came for Jack. He looked kinda familiar. Anyway, I didn’t much feel like waiting around for you guys to show up, so I took action.” She sighed. “Didn’t mean for him to get killed.”
“Not your fault,” said Leopold. “Whoever set those explosives off wanted you dead. They got the wrong person. Count yourself lucky.”
“Any idea who it was?”
“Our only lead had three rounds pumped into him,” said Leopold. He looked over at Jerome. “It was too fast. Couldn’t do anything to stop it.”
“What about the sarin gas?” asked June.
“Bomb squad will track down the canisters,” said Leopold. “We have another suspect in custody who’ll probably be able to help with that.”
“I need to find Jack.”
“We’ll get you to him.” He looked behind him. Agent Jameson was finishing up a conversation with one of the local officers. “One of Harper’s guys can take you to him. Go see Agent Jameson, over there.”
“You need medical attention,” Jerome said, as June set off.
“I’m a doctor. I can diagnose myself, thank you.” She hung back for a moment. “Listen, I know we didn’t exactly get off on the right foot, but…”
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Doctor Kato,” said Leopold. He held out his hand.
She shook it. “That wasn’t what I meant. I was only going to say you weren’t as bothersome as I thought you might be.” She smiled. “I guess I made it out alive, so that’s got to mean something.”
“You’re welcome,” said Leopold, dryly. “We’ll see you at the safe house with Jack once we’re done here.”
June nodded and hobbled away toward Jameson.
Leopold looked at Jerome. “Any news on her unwanted guest? How the hell did he get up there without anyone knowing it?”
Jerome frowned. “I think I know. There’s an access panel above the false ceiling. We found the opening, along with our missing Secret Service agent. I think he may have been hiding up there for a while.”
“We looked up there. It was clean. Didn’t we scan for infrared signatures?”
“Twice. But I doubt we would’ve picked up on his. He was wearing some sort of insulated suit.”
“Where was he hiding, exactly.”
Jerome shrugged. “We found a bunch of supplies in one of the service ducts on the seventh floor. A false wall panel, too. Damn, I must have stuck my head within three feet of the bastard and never knew it. He could have been up there days for all we know.”
“At least the Secret Service missed it too. There’s always that.” Leopold sighed. This weekend had been a rare chance for an easy few days. On paper, the assignment looked great. Looking after a politician and his girlfriend in a five-star hotel. Instead, it had ended with dead gangsters, a terrified client, and a hotel filled with bombs. And a lot of questions.
In retrospect, none of it seemed all that surprising.
Leopold started walking back toward the plaza. “Let’s find Harper. I’d like a full debrief before we meet Jack. Then we can get out of here.”
Jerome nodded. “Hell of a weekend. Gotta say, that Kato woman impressed me.”
“You serious?”
“Hell, she took a bullet, sprained an ankle and still managed to take out a perp nearly twice her size. Damn good work, all things considered.” He laughed. “Shame he didn’t make it. I know I’d have liked some answers.”
“He said he was after Jack? Nothing to do with the attempts on June?”
“Looks that way.”
Leopold looked behind him as he walked. The hotel was even busier than before. News journalists had shown up and were pressing for interviews from anyone standing still, helicopters hovering in the sky overhead.
“I think it’s time we made ourselves scarce,” said Leopold. “I’d rather avoid having my face show up in any newspapers.”
“Yeah, because you always hate the attention.”
“Just shut up and walk.”
Jerome smiled. “You’re far too sensitive.”