“Could we be looking at a case of genocide? Or are we just dealing with some very, very bad people?” Sam asked.

“I am afraid we’re dealing with the latter. You’d be amazed what people will do for money, Dr. Owens. There are two components to this case. One, who is behind it? And two, where did the tainted vaccines come from? The second we find out, we will blow the whistle and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. Amanda was getting close.”

“Why haven’t you gone public with this?” Sam asked. “And why wouldn’t you just stop all the vaccinations in Africa immediately? It seems the only safe thing to do.”

“And create a panic? Do you know how many deaths are prevented each year with these vaccinations? Besides, the people Amanda has been chasing are cockroaches. If we let them know we’re onto them, they’ll simply scurry back into the woodwork. And we will lose all hope of finding the tainted vaccines and stopping this attack.”

Sam glanced at Fletcher. “Unfortunately, Madam Undersecretary, I think these people, or this man, knew quite well Amanda was onto him. And that’s why she’s lying in the morgue right now.”

Girabaldi was already pale. At this, her cheeks flushed, and Sam could have sworn tears pricked at the corners of the woman’s eyes.

“Unfortunately, Dr. Owens, I believe you’re absolutely right.”

Sam tapped her pen on the notepad in front of her, thinking. “If she was so close... We have the ‘vaccines’ from Cattafi’s apartment. Maybe it’s actually the tainted medications disguised. Perhaps Amanda managed to find some and get it into the country, and whoever killed her didn’t discover them at Cattafi’s apartment.”

“Which means they’ll be looking elsewhere for them,” Fletcher said.

Girabaldi seemed pleased with their quick grasp of the situation. “If that’s the case, we need to have everything you discovered delivered to our scientists as quickly as possible. The problem is, one is lying in a hospital, nearly dead, from what you tell me.”

“Thomas Cattafi?”

“Yes. Do you think he will survive?”

Fletcher didn’t answer, clearly surprised by this reversal. “So you do know what she was doing with him.”

“Yes.”

“You lied to us?”

“I didn’t want to reveal the truth in front of my staff. This case is sensitive, and on a need-to-know basis. We’re trying to protect our people, Lieutenant. Surely you understand that.”

“Fine. You want to tell me why Thomas Cattafi was working on this, instead of a professional? He’s just a kid. Still in school.”

Girabaldi looked momentarily surprised, then shook her head. “Thomas is a brilliant young man. He and Amanda have known each other for several years. He’s more capable than anyone else in our government. And more discreet, as well.” She leaned forward. “Will he survive?”

“I don’t know,” Fletcher said. “That’s the truth.”

“I’m still confused as to why you haven’t simply brought in your very best people and shut this operation down,” Sam said.

Girabaldi sat back, flipped a hand through her hair. Sam got the sense she was deciding how much to say, and exactly how to say it. “Trust me, if I thought we could, I would have. We don’t need a sledgehammer here. We need a scalpel. The fewer people involved at this point, the better.”

“But they could be gearing up to murder more innocent people.” Sam realized she sounded utterly incredulous, and with good cause. “We’re the United States. We can stop them from—”

“Yes,” Girabaldi interrupted calmly. “And we’re going to. But without knowing who is behind this, identifying all the players, following the money trails back to the individuals at the corporations... Dr. Owens, surely you understand how undercover work goes. The whole point is for it to be undercover. If we were to just announce this to the world, as I mentioned before, they’d pack up shop and disappear, starting over somewhere else. We must stay the course. We’re so close now.”

Fletcher sighed. “Who else is working on this with Cattafi?”

“His mentor, David Bromley. Bromley is one of the preeminent virologists in the country. His specialty is hemorrhagic fevers. He’s in Africa right now, trying to find more evidence of this cover-up. So now you understand why we can’t lose Thomas.”

“Why smuggle in the vaccines? If that’s what they are, I mean.”

“Well, goodness, it’s not like Mr. Cattafi can walk into the CDC and ask for samples of these diseases and viruses to work on in private. They’re closely controlled, closely monitored. Anything Amanda could get out was done in great secrecy. She put herself at great risk. But without Tommy, and without Amanda’s notes, there’s nothing more for us to go on. We won’t be able to stop the attack she was so sure was coming.”

Fletcher pushed a pad of paper toward the undersecretary. “I assume you have a list of suspects. If she’s been digging around this case for a year, surely you have names of the people who’d want to stop her, people who might kill to protect their secrets? Write them down. I’ll go talk to them all and get to the bottom of this.”

“Amanda had the names, not I. We were trying to keep the information safe, and that sometimes means not sharing.” Girabaldi sighed. “We need to protect Mr. Cattafi. And the best way to do that is to put out word he’s died, and hopefully whoever was after her will leave him be. And you have to find Amanda’s computer. Her killer must have taken it, and we truly can’t afford for word of this investigation to get out.”

Fletcher sighed and scratched his forehead like he was getting a headache. “At the very least, I’ll have to bring my boss into the loop. There is no way I can do this without his express approval. Especially now. The media saw the HAZMAT team, they’re already talking.”

“Certainly, tell your immediate superior,” Girabaldi said. “But you’re going to have to work with me on this. Find out who killed Amanda, and do it quietly. Right now, we can’t trust anyone. I didn’t even want to bring you into the case, but a friend told me you could be relied upon to cooperate. No offense meant.”

“None taken. What friend?”

She didn’t answer.

Fletcher sighed heavily. “Madam Undersecretary, I’m sorry, but there’s no way this is going to happen the way you want. We aren’t the State Department. I’m D.C. homicide. We are accountable for all of our actions.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t take the bait. “Oh, Lieutenant, I think you’ll find a way. Amanda’s work will be for naught if word gets out what she was doing. Someone wanted her stopped. And if the killer finds out Cattafi is still alive, he’ll assume the boy knows everything, and come after him again and again until they have a dead body to parade through the streets. And don’t think they won’t.”

“This is D.C., ma’am, not Mogadishu.”

Girabaldi smiled her vulpine grin, and Sam felt a chill go down her spine. “You don’t get it, do you, Lieutenant? I’ve been very forthcoming with you. I’m no longer asking.”

“Be that as it may, telling me to shelve an investigation into a possible double murder is out of bounds. I won’t be able to make it happen.”

Sam recognized Fletcher was at the boiling point. He wouldn’t be diplomatic anymore. Now was the time to step in.

“Madam Undersecretary, what do you expect the FBI’s role to be in this investigation? I know Ms. Souleyret was our operative, though she reported to you. I need to know what you want us to do here. I can’t imagine the director is going to stand back and allow a cover-up to happen.”

Girabaldi took a breath, swiveled her gaze, touched her hand to her brow. Her entire demeanor changed. She became downright maternal.

“John Baldwin is a particular friend of mine, and he knows Amanda. I asked him to be here today because Amanda was technically an FBI employee. As such, Dr. Baldwin’s vision and discretion is necessary. He understands the intricacies of what’s happening. He spoke very highly of you, said you and Lieutenant Fletcher both possess a keen sense of...imagination when it comes to law enforcement.”