Chapter 66

LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS

Poppy and Chantelle sit under the fluorescent lighting of a conference room in KBI’s offices in Kansas City. Other than a custodian, whom Chantelle greeted by name when he came in to clean the trash cans, they’re the only people still at the office this late.

They’ve spent the better part of the evening running down the lead from the tailor shop, researching the suit’s owner, a man named Patrick Donnelly, known in some quarters as “Dapper Donnelly.” They’ve only been able to discern this much so far from Google and the KBI’s databases: Patrick Donnelly was a soldier in the O’Leary crime family out of Philly. He’d been under investigation for RICO violations, but so was everyone else in the organization. He was never reported missing, but he seems to have fallen off the face of the earth five years ago. They reached out to the cell phone and credit card companies. If the guy hasn’t used a cell or card in the past five years, there’s no question he’s one of the bodies from the car. He’s not in the CODIS DNA database, surprisingly. But his father, Chaz Donnelly, the longtime consigliere to the O’Leary family, did time and his DNA is on file. It won’t be hard to connect the dots if the body in the car is related to the father. Chantelle has reached out to a contact at the FBI to try to gain access to the bureau’s more extensive files and databases.

Chantelle stands, stretches her back. “What do you do for fun?” she asks Poppy.

“Fun? What’s that?”

Chantelle smiles, returns to her chair.

“How about you?” Poppy asks.

Chantelle thinks about this. “I like to go to the Blue Room.”

“What’s that?”

“I thought you grew up here?” Chantelle says, seeming surprised Poppy has never heard of the place.

“I grew up in Leavenworth,” Poppy says, “but we didn’t get up to KC much. Mostly trips to Worlds of Fun.”

This time it’s Chantelle who says, “What’s that?”

“Think Six Flags without the sophistication.”

“Well, that settles it, I’ll have to take you to the Blue Room, and you’ll have to take me to Worlds of Fun.”

Chantelle’s phone chimes and she studies the device.

“Your FBI contact?” Poppy asks.

“Yeah, he says he’ll look into it and get back to me. He has friends in the organized-crime division and they’ll likely have a file on Donnelly.”

Poppy nods.

“What about WITSEC? Do you think they’ll tell us anything?” Poppy asks.

Their working theory is straightforward: Alison and her father were in hiding from the O’Learys. They don’t know why, but for the government to intervene it probably means that Alison’s father was going to testify against the O’Leary organization for something, and that doesn’t often lead to a long life span.

Chantelle says, “If they were in WITSEC, the marshals won’t tell us jack.”

“Will they clue in the FBI?” Poppy can understand WITSEC not sharing information with state and local law enforcement, but wouldn’t they brief one of their own?

“I’d be surprised. They’ve never lost a witness for a reason: They trust no one.”

Poppy feels a stab of worry when her phone vibrates in her pocket since it could be a call about her father. Poppy flicks the device.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Poppy, I’m sorry to bother you.” It’s Margaret from the office. Something must be wrong for her to call so late.

“No worries. Is everything okay?”

“I never heard from the sheriff today. It’s not like him. I contacted the assisted living facility where his wife lives, and he hasn’t been there all day. I wondered if you’ve heard from him?”

“I’ve been at KBI working the Alison Lane case, and haven’t heard. But I usually don’t… Did you check with Kyle?”

“No one’s seen him. I’m not sure what to do.”

“Has anyone gone to his house, done a wellness check?”

“I drove by, but no one answered the door.”

Poppy feels unsettled, a tingle of apprehension at the base of her neck. “I’m sure everything’s fine. We’re about done here, so I’ll stop by the hospital to see if he’s there with my dad, and if not, I’ll stop by his house.”

Margaret lets out a loud sigh of relief. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all.”

Ten minutes later, Chantelle walks to the parking lot with Poppy. The outdoor lot is nearly empty with only scattered light from a few lampposts. “Sure you don’t want me to come with you?”

“Nah, it’s late. I’ve got it. The sheriff is probably at the hospital. He was buds with my father.”

When they reach Poppy’s car, they linger there a long moment.

“I really don’t mind coming,” Chantelle says.

“I’ve got it,” Poppy says. “I’ll call you tomorrow…” She hesitates. “About the case stuff.”

Chantelle nods, then waits as Poppy gets into the Ford Escort. Poppy watches as Chantelle walks across the shadowy lot to the employee section and gets inside her car. Before heading back to Leavenworth, Poppy checks her phone to see if there are any updates on her father or the sheriff.

The lot is quiet, the only sound from the wind.

Until she hears the voice coming from the back seat.