“Finally—something normal.”
“Don’t know if I’d go that far, Agent,” Deon said. “He came in here acting a little woo-woo. Something about a computer conspiracy.”
Deon and Clancy led Wahlman and the agents to the break room. As Clancy opened the door he thought to himself, Please, please let there be shroomers!
Mr. Katsakis sat with his head bent low over the table, his index finger making tiny shapes on the cracked enamel surface. He was having a conversation with . . . his fingernail.
Yes!
“This is Cosmo Katsakis, he owns the Sand Dollar Motel. Mr. Katsakis? The FBI is here to take your statement.”
He raised his head with an agonizing slowness and smiled. “Thank you for bringing me the beautiful tray of dolmades last year,” he said, immediately crossing himself three times.
The agent in charge cocked her head at Clancy. “Really? The naked old people weren’t enough?”
One of the other agents sat down next to Cosmo. “What did we bring you last year, Mr. Katsakis?”
“The stuffed leaves of the precious grape, with lamb and rice and spices, all kinds of beautiful colors dancing on the platter and spinning in the wind like—” He suddenly pointed at the break room wall and let go with a horrified scream. “It’s on fire! Everything’s on fire!” His panic stopped as quickly as it started. Now calm, Cosmo glanced up at Clancy apologetically. “I thought it was on fire. I really did.”
“Yeeaahh.” The special agent got out her notebook. “What is your statement about the suspect, sir?”
Katsakis seemed to snap back to reality. His eyes focused.
Uh-oh.
“She checked into adjoining rooms with a fake ID and dressed the girl up like a boy. She paid cash. Probably bribed my Albanian, but he won’t confess.”
No one spoke.
“You don’t believe me, do you? Well, I saw her license, but now”—he pointed an accusatory finger at Clancy—“right after you asked for a copy it just disappeared! Poof! It was zapped out of our computers, like it was never even there! She might even be a spy!”
“I see.” The agent turned to Clancy. “I’ll need you to provide me with his contact information.”
“Of course.”
“Thank you for your time, sir.” She shoved her little notebook back in her pocket.
Clancy whispered to Deon, “I think maybe we should call the EMTs.”
“No shit.”
A half hour later, Mr. Katsakis was on his way to the hospital in Nantucket and the news conference was over. Clancy couldn’t believe how lucky he’d been. The FBI would be leaving without finding anything on Bayberry linked to the kidnapping case. When everyone was loaded in the helicopter and ready to take off, Clancy started to breathe easier. But a door flew open. Out popped Congressman Wahlman, who marched right up to Clancy.
“A word, if you don’t mind.” He grabbed Clancy by the arm and pulled him farther from the helicopter. He still had to shout over the propeller noise. “You have a grievance with me, Chief?”
Clancy shouted back. “Should I? Have you done something against the law?”
Wahlman’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
Clancy shrugged. “I asked if you’d violated the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in some way, because that would be the only reason I’d have a grievance with you. Is there something you’d like to confess for the greater good of society?”