“They made wine in Czechoslovakia?”
“No, in California. My father immigrated there initially. As a teenager he worked in a vineyard for two years to earn money for college. Then he came east, went to college, joined the Secret Service, and then left to build what eventually became Gamma Protection.”
“Sounds like he was quite a force of nature.”
“He was.” She stared out the window. “And I miss him dearly.”
“I’m sure. So, you wanted to meet?”
She looked back at him, an expression on her face Decker couldn’t really read. “I understand that a wad of old Slovakian money was found in Alan Draymont’s throat.”
Decker sat up straighter and eyed her, barely concealing the anger he was feeling. “And how did you find that out?”
“I know that you’re upset by that. But I have resources everywhere, it’s just the nature of the business I’m in.”
“Resources are one thing, getting confidential information about an ongoing federal criminal investigation is something else.”
“Is it true?” she asked.
“What if it were? What would that tell you?”
“You already know of my father’s connection to that country.”
“But even if he had any enemies, your father is beyond their reach. And why take it out on Draymont in any case?”
“As to your first query, Gamma and my father were interchangeable. He may be gone, but the company is still there.”
“So they want to destroy the company your father built, you mean?”
“It could be. It’s certainly one possibility.”
“And as to my second query?”
“I don’t know why they would target Alan Draymont. My initial thought was the most obvious. That the real target was the judge and he died defending her.” She glanced up at him. “Could that still be true?”
“Anything’s possible.”
“But you think it unlikely?”
“With the cash in the throat? I doubt they just happened to be carrying expired Slovakian currency when they showed up at the judge’s house to murder her.”
“But it could be a device to throw you off the scent. To distract?”
“They would have to know Draymont was guarding her, and they might have known who employed him. How well-known was your father’s background, that he came from Czechoslovakia?”
“Well-known enough. We have the clock in our office.” She attempted a smile.
For Decker, this was an exercise in futility, since he already believed that there were two unrelated killers at the house that night. But he also might be wrong about that.
“Then your theory is that someone wanted to get back at Gamma. So they killed Draymont, stuffed his mouth with Slovakian money, then killed the judge to take out the witness?”
“It’s one possibility,” she replied.
“Why target Draymont? Out of all the agents you have? And why kill him when he’s on assignment, which means they might well have to kill the protectee, too?”
She sipped her wine and looked thoughtful. “I know it might seem implausible when you say it that way.”
Decker took a swig of beer. “When I say it any which way.”
She stared at him. “So, what is your theory then?”
“Is that what this is about?”
“What do you mean?”
“You call me to meet, throw out a bullshit theory which I shoot down, and then you put me on the spot to tell you my theory to make me look smart. But you really want to find out where we are in the investigation.”
She smiled demurely and set her wine aside. “Would you like to come and work for Gamma? We can use people like you.”
“Don’t think it would work.”
“Why?”
“I don’t wear ties. Except at funerals.”
She sat forward, her expression more urgent. “I am afraid that this will have a negative impact on Gamma.”
“And despite my winning personality, I don’t do PR.”
“The media has already picked up on the fact that one of our operatives was killed.”
“I don’t really care about your business. I just want to catch whoever killed two people.”
“I can understand that, but I have a lot of people to think about.”
“Okay, you think about them and I’ll focus on my job.”
“You’re not very cooperative.”
“Am I supposed to be with someone who’s gotten information on a case she shouldn’t have, and tried to con me into spilling even more without telling me a goddamn thing in return?”