The Night Falconer Read Online Free PDF

white paper. “So—when I was pulling my stuff out of the van before leaving the lot with you all, I found this under the front seat. Perp you chased must have dropped it. Probably got wind of us coming and had to bug out in a hurry.”
    She handed the paper to me and I unfolded it. In bold black magic marker someone had written out the word CONSAQUENSES. I showed it to Nicole.
    “Butchered the spelling,” Nicole said. “Your caller specifically named Lonigan?”
    “Uh-huh,” Darla said.
    “Was the voice male or female?” I asked.
    “Male—definitely male. Had some kind of accent too, but I couldn’t really tell what kind.”
    I looked across at Nicole then back at Darla. “Is there some reason you didn’t tell me about this before offering me the job?”
    “No. I should have.”
    “You try to trace the call?”
    “Tried to, but it turns out they were using a stolen wireless phone from an international carrier.”
    “Where?”
    “Africa. The Sudan.”
    “Pretty volatile place.”
    “I didn’t even know they had cell phone service in places like Sudan.” Nicole said.
    Darla turned toward my daughter. “Learn something every day. There ain’t many countries left on this planet don’t have some kind of cellular.”
    “Hey, Dad. Sudan’s next to Egypt, isn’t it? Isn’t Dominick Watisi Egyptian?”
    “Egyptian-American,” I corrected. The info Nicole had dug up online the night before about the prolific developer showed that he’d actually been an American citizen for most of his life. He’d emigrated from Egypt with his parents when he was eight years old.
    “Yeah, but he could still have some ties there. Maybe he even does business over there.”
    I glanced hopefully at Darla.
    The big woman shrugged. “He could be doing business overseas. Watisi’s about as red-blooded American as they come. Man keeps a giant American flag in the corner of his office. Got a framed picture on the wall of himself shaking hands with President Bush.”
    “Sounds like a politician,” Nicole said.
    “No, just a businessman.”
    “One who’s not very cooperative when it comes to talking to private investigators,” I added.
    “There is that.”
    “Okay, he’s visit numero uno after we meet and greet with the good doctor. How are we going to get around, by the way, if you’re not with us all the time?”
    “Oh, I almost forgot. Dr. Lonigan said you can use her car. She keeps it garaged and hardly ever drives it. A Porsche, I think.”
    “Cool,” Nicole muttered under her breath.
    “So we can be inconspicuous,” I said.
    “What, you’d rather take the subway?”
    “Depending on where we’re going, yes. But we’re not looking a gift horse in the mouth.”
    “That would be my advice,” Darla said.
    “Hey, I know. We can make what just happened work in our favor, let whoever did the knife work think they’ve scared you off the case,” Nicole suggested.
    “Not a bad idea,” Darla said. “But you’re forgetting one thing.”
    “What’s that?”
    “You don’t make threats against me or my kids and expect me to just go away and stop paying attention.”
    “And if they—whoever they is—are paying any attention at all, they’re going to figure out we’re working with you,” I said. “Which means the threat will be coming down on us next.”
    Verbalizing it made me second guess my insisting that Nicole accompany me on the trip. I glanced at her, but not too long for fear that Darla might pick up my apprehension.
    “You two didn’t bring any personal firearms, I take it,” Darla said.
    I shook my head. “Didn’t think we’d have the need.”
    “Have to see about remedying that.”
    “What’s the word on Watisi? He been known to use strong-arm tactics before?”
    “Not for public consumption at least. But like almost any big developer in this town, I’ve heard some rumblings. Maybe it’s part of the cost of doing business.”
    The rental car shuttle arrived. We climbed aboard