Split Second

“Oh, by the way,” she had a

Immediately he had gotten angry. She was only a freshman. When had they decided she could date?

“Did I miss that conversation?” he had asked with enough sarcasm that he was now embarrassed in retrospect.

She had given him her best insulted, wounded look. How could he not trust her? She was “almost fifteen.” Practically an old maid compared to her friends who, she assured him, had been dating for two or three years already. He passed on the opportunity to counter with the old argument that just because your friends jump off a bridge…Besides, the real problem was not that he didn’t trust her. At forty-three, he could still remember how horny fifteen-and sixteen-year-old boys could get. He wished he could discuss it with Caroline, but he knew she’d side with Emma. Was he really just being an overprotective father?

He jammed the fax sheets into a file folder, adding it to the pile in his arms and headed down the hall. After talking to Kansas City Detective John Ford late last night, Tully was prepared for Cu

“Good morning, Anita,” he greeted the gray-haired secretary who looked alert and impeccable at any hour of the day.

“Coffee, Agent Tully?”

“Yes, please. Cream but—”

“No sugar. I remember. I’ll bring it in to you.” She waved him by. Everyone knew not to set foot into the assistant director’s office until Anita gave the signal.

Cu

“Yes, I understand,” Cu

“Before we get started,” he said, glancing at his watch, “do you have any information on Walker Harding?”

“Harding?” Tully had to think past horny high-school boys and pink prom dresses. “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t recognize the name Walker Harding.”

“He was Albert Stucky’s business partner,” a woman’s voice answered from the open doorway.

Tully twisted in his chair to look at the young, dark-haired woman. She was attractive and wore a navy blue suit jacket with matching trousers.

“Agent O’Dell, please come in.” Cu

Tully stared up at her, shuffling his files, awkwardly shoving them aside.

“Special Agent Margaret O’Dell, this is Special Agent R. J. Tully.”

The chair wobbled as Tully stood and shook Agent O’Dell’s outstretched hand. Immediately he was impressed with her firm grip and the way she looked directly into his eyes.

“I’m pleased to meet you, Agent Tully.”

She was genuine. She was professional. There was no trace of what she must have gone through last night. This certainly didn’t look like an agent who was on the verge of mental collapse.

“The pleasure is mine, Agent O’Dell. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”

Tully could see Cu

“Why were you asking about Walker Harding?” O’Dell asked as she sat down.

Tully picked up his files again. Okay, so she was used to the assistant director’s style of getting right down to business. Now Tully wished he had spent some time preparing instead of agonizing over Emma’s virginity. He honestly hadn’t thought O’Dell would show up.

“For Agent Tully’s benefit,” Cu

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I have any information on him,” Tully said as he riffled through his files, double-checking.

“You probably don’t.” Cu

“I’m not sure I follow,” Tully said, glancing at Agent O’Dell to see if he was the only one missing something. “Is there some reason why we should now?”

Anita interrupted, floating into the room and handing Tully a steaming mug.

“Thanks, Anita.”

“Anything for you, Agent O’Dell? Coffee? Or perhaps your usual early-morning Diet Pepsi?”

Tully watched Agent O’Dell smile in a way that said the two women were quite familiar with each other.

“Thank you, Anita, but no, I’m fine.”

The secretary squeezed the agent’s shoulder in a gesture that looked more motherly than professional, and then she left, closing the door behind her.

Cu

“Then what does this have to do with Albert Stucky?” Tully was puzzled.

“I checked the airline schedules within the last week for flights going from Dulles or Reagan National to Kansas City. Not that I expected to find Albert Stucky’s name on any of the manifests.” He looked from Tully to O’Dell. “I was looking for any of the aliases Stucky has used in the past. That’s when I noticed that there was a ticket sold for a KC flight, Sunday afternoon out of Dulles, to a Walker Harding.”

Cu

“Excuse me, sir, for saying so, but that may not mean much. It may not even be the same man.”

“Perhaps not. However, Agent Tully, I suggest you find out whatever you can about Walker Harding.”

“Assistant Director Cu

Tully wanted to smile. Instead, he kept his eyes and his attention on Cu

When he didn’t answer immediately, O’Dell must have seen it as an opportunity to proceed.

“I mean no disrespect, but the three of us are sitting here talking about a ticket that may or may not have been issued to a man who Albert Stucky may or may not have talked to for years. Yet, there is one thing that we can be certain of—Albert Stucky murdered a woman in Kansas City, and most likely he is still there.”

Tully crossed his arms and waited, all the while wanting to applaud this woman he had heard was burned out and slipping over the edge. She certainly soared at the top of her game this morning.

Cu