Under the Color of Law (35 page)

He dressed and went outside to get the Sunday paper. Sometime during the night his truck had been returned. It looked a mess. He opened the door to retrieve the key. On the seat were the tracking devices Molina and Sloan had planted on Applewhite and Ingram's cars.

It seemed that Ingram had done a lot more than simply ease his conscience. He'd have to tell Sara.

He drank a cup of coffee and read the paper. He found the phony fatal-accident story in the regional news section. The accident victim wasn't identified.

Tomorrow it would become front-page news when Bobby Sloan's name was released to the press.

A sidebar national news article reported a helicopter accident at Kelly Air Force base in Texas. Two federal civilian employees had been killed, but the pilot had survived unharmed. Kerney figured that took care of Applewhite and Charlie Perry.

An international news headline caught Kerney's eye:

MEXICAN DRUG LORD ASSASSINATED El Paso Texas: According to Mexican police, Enrique De Leon considered to be the most powerful drug lord in Juarez, was found shot to death at a remote location south of the city.

Authorities speculated that De Leon was killed by members of a rival drug gang. An unnamed police source said that "there is evidence to suggest that a meeting took place between De Leon and unknown parties which resulted in the shooting," and also noted that "the killing was professionally done."

De Leon driver was also found murdered at the scene.

Maybe there was a silver lining at the end of a terrible week. De Leon had tried to kill him once, and Kerney had often wondered when he would try again.

Kerney flipped to the business briefs section. A headline read:

LOCAL CEO TO INK SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE DEAL Clarence Thayer, CEO of APT Performa, left Saturday for Caracas, Venezuela, to sign an agreement with banking officials from five Latin American countries.

Under the pending agreement Thayer's company will install state-of-the-art computer security software based on research carried out at Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories. The countries involved are Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, and Panama.

"Our software tools will assist developing countries in managing liquid financial assets, resulting in improved fiscal accountability," Thayer said before flying to Venezuela.

In Washington a Commerce Department spokesman said the pending agreement will play an important role in helping Latin American countries actively participate in the global economy.

Kerney folded the paper and put it aside. Wallace Brooks had told him SWAMI was three months away from launch. Kerney wondered if some special features were being brought on-line early. If so, he could imagine rows of intelligence analysts drooling on their monitors as they waited expectantly for the data to roll in.

He dressed in his uniform, and went to work. He called the mayor and city manager to inform them of Bobby Sloan's death. He wrote a memo to all personnel for distribution on Monday morning. By radio he spoke to the day-shift commander, gave her the word about Bobby, and asked to have the flag outside the building lowered to half-mast. He alerted the departments honor-guard commander and requested a full police escort to accompany Bobby's body back to Santa Fe. He made contact with the police chaplain and requested support service for Lucy Sloan. He telephoned every senior off-duty officer above the rank of sergeant and gave them the news.

Early in the afternoon he taped a black ribbon across his shield and called Proctor Straley from a shopping-mall pay phone. Straley picked up.

"Do you remember our conversation yesterday?" Kerney asked.

"I do, and I'm glad you called," Straley said.

"After you left it occurred to me that if a federal appointee, such as an ambassador, failed to disclose his financial holdings fully, that is a violation of the law."

"Do you propose to look into that possibility?" Kerney asked.

"If you keep your part of the bargain, I will," Straley said.

"In that case you'll receive something soon," Kerney said.

"If you put it to use, more information will follow."

"Results may not come quickly," Straley said.

"I'm a patient man, Mr. Straley. Good luck and good hunting." Kerney hung up. He passed by shoppers lining up at the food court, kids cruising in and out of the video arcade, and moviegoers buying tickets for the first matinee.

A wide-eyed child grabbed his mother's hand and pointed at him.

"A policeman," the boy said excitedly.

Kerney smiled at the boy, crouched down, and shook his hand.

"I want to be a policeman," the boy said, beaming.

"I can tell you would make a very good policeman," Kerney said. Sara's pregnancy rushed through his mind. He thought about how much he was looking forward to raising a child. He'd never had that opportunity with Clayton.

"Yep, I would."

"You come and see me when you're a little older, and I'll give you a job," Kerney said.

The boy's eyes danced and he nodded seriously.

Kerney walked away feeling better than he had all day. He got back to headquarters to find Larry Otero waiting. He was dressed in his blues with a black ribbon taped across his shield.

"Swing-shift briefing is about to start," Larry said.

Kerney nodded.

"We need everybody doing their jobs, Larry."

"They will, Chief. We've got good people."

Kerney walked down the stairs with Otero at his side.

"Has a collection been started for flowers and some money for Bobbys wife?"

"It's under way, Chief."

Kerney stopped at the briefing room door.

"You ready?"

Otero nodded.

Kerney walked into the room, where a group of silent men and women greeted him with downcast eyes.