Survival of the Fittest (Alex Delaware Novels) by Kellerman Jonathan

Author:Kellerman, Jonathan [Kellerman, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 2003-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

Out in the parking lot, Connor said, “I spoke to Stu this morning. He won’t be back from Maui for another week, says to give you all our data.”

She produced a file from a huge black bag and handed it to Milo.

“Thanks, Petra.”

“No problem.” She flashed an abrupt white smile. “Just promise that if I send around a memo, you’ll read it.”

We watched her drive away in an older black Accord.

“Fairly new on the job,” said Milo, “but she’ll go far. . . . So I guess the next step is for me to go over this, then give you a look. Then have a talk with Ponsico’s two girlfriends.”

“It’s the best lead we’ve gotten, so far,” I said. Saying nothing about Nolan because I was still bound by confidentiality and there was no reason to violate.

We walked to the Seville. “Thanks for the library work, Alex. Have time to go back there and look up this Meta outfit?”

“First thing in the morning. Sharavi’s well-equipped in the computer department. Planning to update him?”

“Haven’t decided. Because anything I tell him goes straight to Carmeli and how much do I want a grieving high-powered father to know at this point . . . not that I can put him off too long—hell, if I don’t cue him in, he’ll probably start bugging the phones again.”

He laughed, cursed. “Distractions . . . by the way, I think I figured out how Sharavi got Raymond Ortiz’s shoes. Same way he got the file—remember how the first time Manny Alvarado looked for it he couldn’t find it? Seems a former Newton captain just happened to drop in to visit the station a couple days before. Guy named Eugene Brooker, one of the highest-ranked blacks in the department, they used to think he was on his way to deputy chief. But his wife died last summer and he retired. And guess what—he was a biggie on the same Olympics security Sharavi worked on. So the Israelis are connected to the department, who knows where else. No matter how aboveboard Sharavi acts, I’ll always figure he’s holding something back. You think his computers can help substantially?”

“I can get academic references from the library, material that’s been in the English-language press. But if Meta’s an international group, or if it’s been implicated in anything criminal overseas, he could be useful.”

He thought about that. “All this assumes Meta’s some big deal. For all we know, it’s just a group of nerds getting together for chips and dip, patting themselves on the back because God gave them smarts. Even if the killer’s one of them, how’re we going to pick him out of the group?”

“If there’s a membership roster and we get it, we could cross-check with the sex-offender and M.O. files. We can also see if any members present a clear opportunity or motive for the three killings. Like working at the park where Raymond was abducted and/or the conservancy.”

“Park worker with a high IQ?”

“Underachiever,” I said. “That’s the way I’ve seen it all along.

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