I looked at Fenton. She nodded.
“OK.” I stepped back. “You’re free to go.”
Dendoncker was frozen to the spot. His eyes were darting around wildly, looking for a trap. He stayed still for twenty seconds. Then he started toward the door. First walking, then scuttling as fast as he could go. He kept moving until he reached the Cadillac. He jumped in. Fired it up. And steered for the gate.
I pulled out my phone. There was a message saying I’d missed a call. I’d never seen the number before. But I knew exactly who it was from. Or rather, what it was from. Thanks to Fenton’s fishing expedition.
I hit the button to call the number back.
Fenton said, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Why wouldn’t I? If Dendoncker’s telling the truth, he’ll be OK.”
“He lied about not knowing where the third bomb is. I doubt he’s telling the truth about the VX.”
“Then that’s his problem. I’m still giving him more of a chance than he gave 241 Marines in Beirut that day.”
Dendoncker’s Cadillac stopped at the inner gate. My phone showed that my call had been answered. The gate started to crawl to the side. The gap grew wide enough to drive through. The Cadillac stayed still. The gate opened the rest of the way. The Cadillac didn’t move. Then its brake lights went out. It rolled forward. Barely above walking pace. Its horn blared. It trundled on. Slewed slightly to the left. And ran into a fence post.
Its horn continued to blare.
Fenton said, “Want to check? To be sure? Confirm he added VX to the smoke?”
I shook my head. “No chance. That car’s not airtight. Dendoncker’s right where he deserves to be. And I have no intention of joining him.”
Chapter 57
I last encountered Michaela Fenton half a day later. We met on the road outside the town. I was on foot. She was in her Jeep. She roared past me then swung hard to her left. She blocked my path. Her front fender was a hairsbreadth away from the trunk of a tree. A stunted, twisted, ugly thing with hardly any leaves. But the only thing growing taller than knee height for miles in either direction.
Fenton said, “You left without saying goodbye.”
I shrugged. “Everyone was asleep.”
“I tried to call you.”
“I don’t have that phone anymore. I dropped it in the trash.”
“I figured. That’s why I came to look for you. I thought I might find you on this road.”
“It’s the only one leading out of town.”
“Still heading for the ocean?”
“Won’t stop till I get there.”
“Any chance you’ll change your mind?”
I shook my head.
“In that case, I want to thank you. And so does Michael.”
“He’s awake?”
“He is. He’s weak, but he’s talking.”
“Did he say what he had that Dendoncker was so desperate to get?”
“He called it his insurance. It was a code book. It showed what was inside all the shells Dendoncker had stockpiled. He needed it to make the maximum money when he sold them.”
“Where did he hide it?”
“He said he rolled it up and shoved it inside the crossbar of a soccer goal at the school.”
“Outstanding.”
“And there’s something else. I called Sonia. She came back. And you know what? I do like her. Maybe she is my future sister-in-law. And if she is, that’s fine by me.”
I said nothing.
Fenton tipped her head to the side. “You won’t stay even another day?”
“No point. You’d be sick of me in ten minutes. You’d be begging me to leave.”
“I doubt it.”
“That’s right.” I turned and started walking again. “You’d probably shoot me instead.”