Trail of Destruction

Chapter 46

Chapter 46

The local Dallas office of the FBI had been activated to provide additional protection for Brad's speech, so when the shooting took place, they already had agents on-site. When they determined a murder had taken place, they took immediate control of the investigation. There were no arguments from the Secret Service, whose primary mission was to protect, not run criminal inquiries.

So it was the FBI that organized the initial search for the shooter, sending their own agents, the Secret Service agents who weren't protecting Brad, and the local Dallas cops to comb the area. Special Agent-in-Charge Christine Walker stayed at the scene for hours coordinating the hunt, making sure that every building in the vicinity was scoured, every car was stopped and searched, every person who raised the slightest suspicion was hauled in for questioning.

It was one of the Dallas uniforms who located Terry's rifle and stand, which he'd abandoned on the rooftop of a building overlooking the Memorial. The scene was cordoned off and the FBI's Crime Scene Unit went into overdrive, bagging and tagging every item they found that wasn't nailed down. Unfortunately, there wasn't much, and what little they did find they knew probably didn't come from the shooter, although they would test it just in case. A cursory look at the rifle told them that the serial number had been filed off and that it had been wiped clean of any fingerprints. But there too, they would make sure the lab examined every nook and cranny.

The fact that the shooter had left his equipment made it nearly impossible for the authorities to find the man. They wouldn't be looking for someone carrying a gun, which meant he could disappear into the swarming crowd, just one more anonymous face in a sea of anonymous faces. After an intensive five-hour search, the SAC called it off. She instructed her team to test for gunshot residue on anyone they picked up for questioning and inform her of any positive results. Given that they were in the gun-crazy state of Texas, she knew that even gunshot residue wouldn't be enough to charge someone. Then she hauled herself off to the W Hotel where the candidate was staying.

When she got there, Christine met with the Secret Service agent in charge and asked for his permission to question Brad and his staff. She had already met the man briefly when they were coordinating their respective agents' security coverage for the speech. Although she didn't technically need the agent's consent, she wanted to establish a cooperative liaison between the departments. She knew there would be plenty of finger-pointing to come out of the incident, and she hoped for a mutually supportive relationship. In other words, she wouldn't point a finger at his agents unless he pointed one at hers.

The agent accompanied her up to Brad's suite, where the candidate and his closest staff members were assembled. When Christine walked into the room, Brad leapt to his feet and rushed to the door, his arm extended.

"I'm Brad Newcomb," he said, his handshake firm. "What can you tell me? Did you find the shooter?"

"I'm Special Agent-in-Charge of the Dallas FBI office. My name's Christine Walker." Christine's handshake was every bit as firm as Brad's. She hadn't made it to the top of the FBI food chain without being as tough as any man.

"Unfortunately, sir, we have not apprehended the shooter at this time. We put the whole area on lockdown after the incident, but it appears that he managed to escape. We did pick up a few men for questioning, but at this point, we don't think we have the shooter in custody."

"So what happens next?" Brad asked.

"We'll use every available resource we have in our investigation. Unless he's truly a lone wolf, he's told somebody about his plan. We just have to find a weak link who's willing to talk."

"What do you mean by a lone wolf?"

Christine pursed her lips. "You know, like the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. Someone who lives in the middle of nowhere and has virtually no human contact. A person like that can fly under the radar for a long time. But most people don't live that way. Even the nut jobs have their buddies. And all it takes is for the unsub to tell one friend who tells his wife who tells her best friend. This shooting is too big to keep under wraps. Anyone who isn't directly involved but hears about someone who is will talk about it."

"It's probably one of these gun rights supporters," Brad said. "I've been getting a lot of hate mail and threats since I've been campaigning for more gun control."

"That's one of the first places we'll start looking. I've already talked to the Secret Service about releasing those letters to us. We also have our own list of people in the area who are active in that movement. We think there's a pretty good chance that the shooter could be local. We'll start shaking people down and see if we can get someone to talk."

"What about Amy - the woman who was shot? She was my personal assistant for several months. All of us in this room got to know her quite well." Brad turned and gestured to the others. "I know she doesn't have any immediate family. I'd like to make the burial arrangements for her."

"If no family member steps up, we'll be happy to release the body to you when our medical examiner is finished with it. We'll schedule the autopsy for as soon as possible."

"Is an autopsy really necessary?" Brad asked. "It seems like the cause of death is pretty obvious. That poor woman has already been killed. I hate for her body to be defiled any further."

"I know that a lot of people find an autopsy distasteful, but it's standard operating procedure in any murder investigation. I can vouch for our M.E. and assure you that the body will be treated with the utmost respect."

"I appreciate that, Special Agent. Is there anything we can do to assist with your investigation?"

"Actually, there is. We'd like to interview all of you, as well as the rest of your staff who were at the speech. It may seem like a long shot, but one of you might have seen something that will help us."

"Absolutely. I can speak for everyone on my staff and promise you our full cooperation."

"Thank you, sir. And if it's alright, I'd like to start with you."