“Cool. We can tell him our news at the same time.”

“Yep. Hey, wanna see the picture? I emailed it to everybody on the team.”

“Absolutely.”

Alex turned to the computer and brought up her email screen. After downloading the file, she switched over to a graphics program and opened the photo. There on her screen were George Mather, and Darryl Wilford, rifles in hand.

Cliff chose that moment to appear.

“All right, Mark, what’s so goddamn important —” He stopped in mid-sentence. “Where the fuck did that come from?”

“NRO newsletter. Mark got lucky.” Alex continued to look at the picture while Mark told Cliff about his idea, and then the information the organization gave him. He went over how he had learned about the article, and then the picture.

As Mark was talking, Cliff split his attention between him and the screen. Alex, however was looking at the screen intently, fixing on something in the background of the picture.

She framed the area that had caught her attention and magnified it. She had to do it twice more before the images began to stand out. Alex stared for a moment at what she’d found. It didn’t look like anything really interesting, but Alex could feel something trying to come through in her mind.

The image she’d enhanced was one of two men facing the left side of the screen while shaking hands. One man was holding a prize of some kind in his left hand while shaking with his right. Neither of their faces could be seen. Behind them was a banner of some kind, though it was unreadable.

“Alex? What are you looking at?”

Alex folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. She tilted her head, and stared at the screen.

“I know that picture.”

“What?”

She didn’t say anything, just tilted her head the other way. Then she glanced at Mark.

“Did the article say where this picture was taken?”

“All it said was a rifle tournament in Michigan. Wilford took first place.”

“Did it say who took second?”

“No.”

Alex sat still for a few more minutes, then shrugged.

“There’s something familiar about that scene. Like I’ve seen it somewhere, but I don’t know where or when.”

“You mean the whole picture, or just that little bit in the corner?”

“Just that little piece.” The scene kept nagging at her, but the memory wouldn’t come out.

She shrugged again. “I don’t know. I think I’ll just leave it on the screen for a while, and if I remember, great. If not, it must not have been important.”

“Sounds good,” Cliff said. “Now, want to tell me what you’ve been up to? Mark said you were stirring things up again.”

“Well, not as much as this did. Really.”

Alex explained about the notes she’d found, that had suddenly seemed more important in the context of their new information. She ended by telling Cliff that Ben and David were going to visit Ricky Wilford.

“Hot damn. I think we’ve actually got a chance at solving this son-of-a-bitch.”

“You mean you didn’t think so before?”

“I thought I had the best team, and if it could be solved we’d solve it, ” Cliff said. “But I wasn’t sure, two weeks ago, that we were ever going to get a break. Now, we’ve got several, and we just might do it.” He got up from the chair he had been sitting in. “Now, I’m expecting a conference call from California. Vic said they’ve got a line on another guy that was in the car. They’re still looking for this Brillo character.”

“Well, maybe this will give them some hope. Wish them luck for us.”

Cliff nodded, and left.

“You really think Arturo was part of this, Alex?”

“Well, his name was on the list. Plus, with the area he lived in, it’s a little suspicious. I mean, he didn’t live in Brentwood, but from what I understand, drive-by’s were unheard of in his community.”

“Yeah, but it’s completely different from these killings.”

“Is it? Think about this. The first two were similar I’ll grant you. But even they have their differences. In the first murder, the weapon is removed; in the second it’s not. The third is a bombing. The fourth is by handgun in the middle of a room. There are more differences than similarities, yet we’re discovering that the same two men probably killed all four victims.”

“Sure, I agree, but the evidence suggests that the killers in LA were gang members.”

“So? I figure if someone could hire Mather and Wilford out here, then that same someone could hire a gang member out there.”

Mark sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Damn. Everytime I think we’re getting closer, I’m reminded of how far we have to go, and suddenly …”

Alex nodded. “I know the feeling. It’s great knowing we got the killers nailed. But then you realize, the killers are dead, and we don’t have a clue yet who hired them. It almost feels like we’re spinning our wheels, but not going anywhere.”

The two of them were quiet, then Mark glanced up at the clock.

“Oh, shit. I’m gonna be late if I don’t hurry.”

“Where are you going?”

“I got a class at three o’clock. That’s why I had to stay here and David went with Ben.”

“What class?”

“Well, I’m coming up for recertification in hand-to-hand, and I thought it would be a good idea to get in a class before I took the test. It’s just a two-week refresher, and it starts today.”

“Who’s your instructor?”

“I don’t know, somebody new. They said it was a woman.”

Alex grabbed his arm as he walked past. “Hey. If it’s who I think it is, then don’t fuck around in there, Mark.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look, I know you. I’ve taken a class with you, remember? Our instructor didn’t care that you cut up during class, cause he knew you. But this instructor doesn’t know you, and you won’t get away with it this time.”

“Who do you think it is, Alex?”

“You remember, Cliff and I told you about the CIA agent who’d been shot, and was now just teaching karate?”

Mark’s eyes grew wide. “Her?”

“Yeah. I know she’s teaching, cause I got a chance to look in on one of her classes this morning. She wiped the floor with Tony Lewis.”

His jaw dropped at that one. “Tony?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah. She bloodied his nose, and then some. So don’t act up. I have a feeling she won’t tolerate it.”

“Thanks, Alex. I’ll keep that in mind.”

He left the room with a little less bounce in his step. Alex hoped she’d given him enough of a scare. Mark was a good guy, a little on the hyper side, and occasionally obnoxious, but still a good friend. She’d miss that smile of his, if Teren ripped his face off.

Chapter Seven

Alex had retired to her cubicle when her phone rang.

“Alex Reis.”

“How much do you love me, Alex?” Alex recognized Jenny’s voice.

“Well, that’ll depend on what you’ve done for me lately.”

“I’m hurt. Did you think I wouldn’t come through for you?”

“No, Jen, it wasn’t that; I knew you’d come through. The only question was whether or not it would really help. I guess I’m waiting.”

“Well, I hope it’ll help. Remember, if it does, you owe the gang over here lunch.”

“Right, I remember. Tell me what you found.”

“Most everything is on its way to your fax number. I’ll try to make it short and sweet if you want.”

“Please.”

“Nothing much on Teren Mylos. A checking account, savings, and a few investments here and there. There’s no record, of course, and her tax records are sealed. It appears her family is dead. She had a brother, but he died as a child. There’s a driver’s license on file for her, and she owns a ‘98 Nissan Sentra, and a motorcycle.”

“Okay, I thought we were just going over the basics, here, Jen.”

“Sorry. There’s just one other thing on Mylos. A hospital record. Seems she was severely injured a few months ago. While the report lists gun shot wounds, there’s no mention of how she received them.”