Rudkowski had given him an opening. He took it. “That’s why I called you.” He let that hover to be certain he had Rudkowski’s undivided attention. “Drex is up to something. And this time, I think he’s…” He paused, took a deep breath. “What he’s about to do could have serious repercussions. For all of us, but especially for him.”

“What’s he about to do? Where is he?”

“Un-huh. Before I tell you anything, we’ve got to strike a bargain.”

“No bargain.”

“Then enjoy your oatmeal.”

“Wait! All right. What kind of bargain?”

“Drex gets a scolding, nothing more. You’ve got to promise me that you won’t come down hard on him. He hasn’t done anything yet. He’s only talked about it.”

“I promise.”

Mike laughed. “You agreed way too fast, Rudkowski. You think I’d trust that?”

“I give you my word.”

“Like that counts for shit. I want it in writing.”

Rudkowski thought it over. “I’ll be as lenient as I can be. That’s the best I can offer. It’s not just me you’ve got to worry about, you know.”

“But your influence—”

“Will only go so far. They don’t call it a bureau for nothing. I’ve got to account to my higher-ups here in Louisville.”

Mike knew that to be the truth. “I guess that’ll have to be good enough.”

“Do we have a deal?”

“Yes. But I want witnesses to my voluntary surrender of information. I’ll turn over everything I have, but not before getting your sign-off on it, plus passes for Drex, Gif, and me.”

“Easton won’t thank you.”

“That’s what kept me awake last night. He’ll be pissed. But I hope I can convince him that he still has my loyalty. We share a commitment to getting this guy and putting him away.”

Rudkowski scoffed. “‘This guy.’ Nobody has proved there is a guy.”

“There’s a guy. You just don’t want to think so because you haven’t identified and captured him yourself. While he’s out there rooking and killing women, you’ll shuffle paper and look busy until the day you can retire.”

“While Easton is a man of action.”

He said it derisively, but Mike smiled. “You’re making my argument for me, Rudkowski. You’ve always put your resentment of Drex ahead of getting the bad guy. This creep is real, and I hope to God Drex eventually nails him.” He hesitated.

“But this time feels different, and it spooks me. I’ve felt it from the start, but new information has recently come to light. We’re talking about one sick dude, not just a con man. Gif has had a bad feeling, too, and we told Drex we did.”

“But he thinks he’s smarter than everybody.”

“He’s definitely smarter than you,” Mike said. “But he’s also single-minded and hardheaded. In typical Drex mode, he’s latched on to this intel and is running with it. I’m scared he’s running toward a cliff at full throttle, and, if he goes over, he’ll crash land. I told him that I wouldn’t help him dig his own grave. Or mine, either. And I’m not getting any younger.” He paused, cleared his throat. “I love him like a kid brother. But this time the stakes for stepping out of line are just too damn high.”

“You’re doing the right and responsible thing.”

Reverting to his customary snarl, Mike rebuked him. “Don’t sound so goddamn pious, Rudkowkski. You’ve already peed down your leg over this. Relish the moment. Have your field day. But I’m not feeling a bit good about what I’m doing. I’m betraying my best friend, even if it is for his own good.”

Rudkowski had the good sense not to offer another platitude.

Mike took a deep breath and sounded like a bellows when he exhaled it. “Shit, let’s get this done. We’ll meet at my office. I like the idea of having witnesses who like me better than you.”

“When?”

“I’ll leave now. Before I change my mind.” He glanced at his wall clock. “I usually don’t head to work this early. Will your watchdogs let me out of my driveway?”

“I’ll call them. See you soon.”

They disconnected. Five minutes later, Mike placed another call. Drex answered after the first ring. “Did it work?”

“Like a charm,” Mike said. “I’m on my way to Atlanta. Sammy said to tell you hi.”

Drex called Gif to report their success. “Mike must have laid it on thick, because Rudkowski fell for it. Imagine when he showed up at Mike’s office ready to get the goods.”

He told Gif that Mike had given Rudkowski just enough time to call the men watching his house and then had raised his garage door so they could see his car and think that he was about to leave as planned.

He’d carried out an armful of files—filled with back issues of epicurean magazines—and placed them in the passenger seat. He’d then gone back into the house and carried out a box—with back issues of Wine Spectator—which he placed in the back seat.

He’d gone inside the house again…and out the back door. He’d walked through the houses behind his. Sammy had been waiting on the next street in a standard gray car that looked like every other make and model of standard gray car.

“Motor was running,” Drex told Gif. “Mike got in. They were off.”

“I wonder how long it took before those agents realized he’d split?”

“I don’t know, but whenever Rudkowski learned about it, he would’ve combusted.”

“I get the feeling that this escape plan wasn’t hatched by Mike.”

Drex snuffled. “I know you advised me to stop pricking with Rudkowski, but—”

“But you can’t resist a chance to get his goat.”

“The important thing is, Mike is out from under his thumb.”

“What if they canvass the neighborhood? Somebody could have noticed Sammy and remember the car.”

“We took that into account. Sammy drove Mike to a picnic area a few miles outside of town where he’d left another car. Mike preferred the gray sedan, but Sammy argued that it might not be as standard as it looked.”

“Hot?”

“Mike didn’t ask. Anyway, he’s Atlanta bound in a midnight blue minivan.”

The summary had taken longer than was necessary to relay the facts. They were dancing around the subject that overrode all others. Gif seemed as reluctant to bring it up as Drex was to address it.

Gif gave in first. “Have you seen them stirring this morning?”

“No.” Since Gif had asked about “them,” collectively, it wasn’t exactly a lie of omission that Drex didn’t tell him about his dawn encounter with Talia. “But I listened in on their breakfast. Jasper told her he was going to let his meal settle and then go to the club for a swim. She asked if he was packed. He said he would pack when he got back from the club, leading me to think they’re not leaving until this afternoon.”

“Could be they’re going to drive.”