Authors: Mike Sherer
stopped,!engine!running.!His!tail!cruised!on!by!to!the!end!of!the!
block! and! turned! the! corner.! Langford! took! a! right! a! block!
behind! where! Legs! had! stopped.! He! pulled! up! in! front! of!
hydrant,! got! out! and! ran! back! to! the! corner! to! see! what!
Sanders!was!up!to.!The!block!looked!familiar.!He!scanned!the!
houses! and! realized! that! he’d! been! there! earlier! to! talk! to!
Sanders’s!ex.!!
!
Langford! shook! his! head.! How! Legs! had! let! that! one! get!
away! he’d! never! know.! He! guessed! it! hadn’t! been! without!
regret—Sanders! sat! parked! across! the! street! from! her! house,!
but!he!made!no!move!to!get!out!of!his!car.!After!five!minutes!or!
so,! Langford! saw! the! car’s! back6up! lights! flash! on.! He! hustled!
back!to!the!Scout!and!slowly!drove!around!the!block,!giving!the!
tail! time! to! fall! in! behind! Sanders! before! he! brought! up! the!
rear.!
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!
From! there,! Sanders! led! them! up! into! a! park! on! top! of!
Capitol! Hill.! The! sedan! that! followed! him! slowed! and! nosed!
into!the!entrance.!Langford!drove!on!past,!and!accelerated!up!
to! the! corner! of! the! park,! casting! glances! to! his! left,! trying! to!
get! a! glimpse! of! the! two! cars! in! the! park.! He! took! a! left! and!
followed! the! perimeter! of! the! park! for! another! block! or! two,!
but!could!see!little!from!the!street!through!the!trees.!He!caught!
a!glimpse!of!the!back!of!a!low!building!in!the!park,!but!couldn’t!
see! the! road! that! Sanders! had! taken! into! the! park.! He! cursed!
under!his!breath.!
!
At! the! next! corner,! he! noticed! a! pedestrian! entrance! into!
the! park! on! the! other! side! of! the! street! and! made! a! quick!
decision.!Swinging!into!the!curb,!he!parked,!darted!across!the!
street!and!jogged!deeper!into!the!park.!The!building!he’d!seen!
was! ahead! to! his! left,! and! as! he! drew! closer,! he! figured! it! for!
some!sort!of!museum.!He!slowed!to!a!walk—he!saw!plenty!of!
joggers!in!the!park,!but!he!wasn’t!exactly!dressed!for!the!part.!
The! last! thing! he! needed! was! someone! to! think! he! was! a!
mugger!or!rapist!running!from!the!scene!of!a!crime.!
!
Numerous! parking! spaces! had! been! striped! on! the!
pavement!in!front!of!the!museum.!He!scanned!the!cars!quickly!
and! spotted! Sanders’s! tucked! in! between! an! SUV! and! an! old!
Volvo! wagon.! He! stooped! to! one! knee! and! yanked! a! shoelace!
loose,! and! took! his! time! retying! it,! alert! for! signs! of! the! two!
men!tailing!Sanders.!He!finally!located!their!car,!parked!in!the!
farthest!space!away!from!him,!facing!the!museum.!The!driver!
had!remained!in!the!car.!Langford!caught!sight!of!his!partner!
on!the!sidewalk!in!front!of!the!museum,!feigning!interest!in!a!
sign,! but! turning! for! occasional! glimpses! across! the! road!
behind! him.! Langford! followed! his! gaze! and! saw! a! small!
reflecting!pool!across!the!road!and!down!a!short!slope!beyond!
that!a!larger!reservoir.!!
!
Park!benches!lined!the!sidewalk!overlooking!the!reservoir.!
Sanders!occupied!one!almost!directly!across!the!road!from!the!
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man!in!front!of!the!sign.!He!sat!facing!west,!arm!draped!over!
the!back!of!the!bench,!not!moving.!Langford!stood!and!casually!
sauntered! a! few! yards! toward! the! museum! entrance,!
pretending! to! admire! the! flowerbed! set! back! from! the!
sidewalk,!turning!every!so!often!to!keep!tabs!on!the!others.!He!
sidled!closer!and!suddenly!realized!Sanders!wasn’t!waiting!for!
anyone.! He! was! simply! taking! in! a! breathtaking! view! of! the!
Space! Needle! back6dropped! by! snow6capped! peaks! of! the!
Olympic! Mountains! across! the! sound! in! the! distance.! Bright!
and!hot,!the!sun!dropped!toward!the!horizon,!its!position!so!far!
north!surprising!Langford.!He!checked!his!watch—nearly!nine!
in!the!evening!and!still!a!half6hour!of!light!left.!!
!
Langford! wandered! off,! conscious! of! drawing! attention! if!
he! loitered! in! one! place! too! long.! A! few! hundred! yards! down!
the!road!a!park!bench!perched!at!the!end!of!a!grassy!field,!set!
back! in! an! alcove! of! shrubbery.! He! crossed! the! street! and!
walked! across! the! grass! toward! the! bench,! the! day’s! heat!
sapping!his!energy!and!lulling!him!to!lethargy.!He!sagged!onto!
the!bench,!abruptly!aware!of!how!tired!he!was!from!the!strain!
of!the!past!several!days—the!long!drive!on!the!trail!of!the!Jones!
couple! and! the! longer! drive! back! with! them! as! his! prisoners.!
Constantly! keeping! watch.! He! put! a! hand! to! his! mouth! and!
stifled!a!yawn.!
Not*now.
!He!couldn’t!afford!to!sleep!yet.!
!
Even! at! this! distance,! he! still! had! a! view! of! the! road! in!
front!of!the!museum.!If!Sanders!walked!back!to!his!car!or!the!
agents! tailing! him! moved! their! positions,! Langford! would!
know.!Earlier,!he’d!considered!knocking!on!Sanders’s!door!and!
confronting! him! face6to6face.! The! FBI’s! presence! had! quickly!
changed! his! mind.! They! probably! hoped! Sanders! would! lead!
them! to! him.! He! should! have! left! already! for! the! cabin.! But!
Sanders! didn’t! seem! gung6ho! about! finding! him,! despite! the!
fact!that!Holden!had!told!Sanders!where!he!was.!It!made!him!
curious!enough!to!blow!off!a!little!time!relaxing!in!the!park.!
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!
Sanders!was!on!the!move.!Langford’s!senses!went!on!alert,!
but! his! body! showed! no! outward! appearance.! He! slouched!
casually! on! the! bench! as! Langford! walked! in! his! direction,!
glanced!over!his!shoulder!to!check!for!traffic!and!crossed!the!
road! to! the! opposite! side.! Even! as! he! drew! abreast,! Sanders!
was!a!good!sixty!yards!away,!his!gaze!on!the!ground!in!front!of!
him! as! if! in! thought.! A! minute! later,! the! suit! who’d! been!
standing! in! front! of! the! museum! sauntered! along! behind,! his!
attention!strictly!on!Sanders.!Langford!waited!until!they!were!
well!past!before!he!got!up!and!stretched.!He!stepped!out!of!the!
alcove! and! crossed! the! grass! to! the! sidewalk.! He! looked! for!
Sanders! and! the! suit! near! a! building! that! looked! like! a!
greenhouse!at!the!edge!of!the!park.!Instead,!they!followed!the!
curve!in!the!road!that!led!to!a!park!exit.!!
!
Langford! headed! for! the! botanic! gardens! and! watched!
from! there! as! Sanders! continued! on! toward! the! park! exit.!
Discreetly,!Langford!followed,!but!when!Sanders!crossed!over!
to! his! side! of! the! road,! Langford! hung! back.! He! sprinted! to! a!
copse!of!trees!on!the!opposite!side!of!the!street,!and!stayed!out!
of! sight! until! he! got! a! fix! on! where! Sanders! and! his! tail! were!
headed.!A!hundred!yards!down!the!road,!Sanders!stopped!and!
stood!on!the!outskirts!of!a!large!playground.!!
!
The!shouts!and!laughter!of!high!voices!drifting!toward!him!
froze!Langford!where!he!stood.!He!hadn’t!heard!those!sounds!
since!he!was!a!kid!himself.!They!churned!memories!of!carefree!
days! and! all! the! time! that! had! been! taken! away! from! him.!
Sanders! just! stood! there,! watching! the! children! play.!
Was* he*
some*sort*of*perv?*A*pedophile?*Did*he*have*kids*of*his*own?*The*
house* the* exHwife* lived* in* was* large* enough* to* handle* a* whole*
passel*of*them.
!Langford!frowned,!wondered!if!he’d!ever!have!
children!of!his!own,!or!if!that!possibility!was!yet!another!thing!
that! he’d! been! denied.! He! didn’t! even! know! if! he! wanted!
children,!hadn’t!ever!considered!it.!Those!weren’t!the!sorts!of!
thoughts!one!fostered!in!prison.!
Night&Tide
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!
Dusk!shrouded!the!park!in!growing!darkness.!Mothers!and!
fathers!had!already!been!rounding!up!their!offspring,!trickling!
out!in!small!groups!for!some!time.!The!cheerful!noises!slowly!
died! along! with! the! light! as! the! park! emptied.! Langford! sat!
comfortably!on!the!grass,!half6hidden!by!a!flowering!shrub!at!
the!edge!of!the!path.!!
!
The! streetlamps! luminesced,! glowing! orbs! atop! ten6foot!
iron!posts.!The!playground!was!long!empty!and!night!had!fully!
taken!hold!when!Sanders!walked!back!the!way!he’d!come,!head!
down,! hands! thrust! deeply! into! his! pockets,! shoulders!
hunched.!The!lights!cast!shadows!that!advanced!and!retreated!
as! he! moved.! Langford! stood! and! eased! away! from! the!
sidewalk! deeper! into! the! copse! of! trees.! Sanders! passed! by!
without!looking!up.!!
!
Melting!into!the!darkness,!Langford!watched!until!he!was!
sure!Sanders!was!headed!back!to!his!car,!his!government6paid!
escort!close!behind.!Then!he!found!his!way!back!to!the!street!
where!he’d!parked,!unlocked!the!Scout!and!climbed!in!to!wait.!
It!wasn’t!long!before!Sanders’s!car!pulled!out!of!the!park!exit!
under!the!streetlight!at!the!next!corner.!The!dark!sedan!wasn’t!
far! behind.! Staying! well! back,! Langford! pulled! onto! the! street!
and!followed.!
!
Sanders! led! them! randomly! through! town! for! another!
hour,!stopping!only!once!more,!this!time!to!buy!a!cup!of!coffee!
at! an! espresso! stand.! Twice,! Langford! was! sure! that! Sanders!
had! spotted! the! cars! tailing! him,! but! his! erratic,! haphazard!
turns! never! materialized! into! attempts! to! shake! pursuers.!
Langford! was! beginning! to! rue! his! decision! to! dog! his! old!
friend!when!Sanders!pulled!into!a!large!parking!lot!down!near!
Ballard!locks!that!linked!Lake!Union!with!Puget!Sound.!!
!
The! sedan! pulled! into! the! lot! entrance! of! a! waterfront!
restaurant! next! door,! already! closed! for! the! night.! Langford!
craned!his!neck!to!see!Sanders!park!behind!him.!He!passed!the!
restaurant! entrance! and! halfway! down! the! next! block! swung!
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the! wheel! into! a! tight! U6turn.! Stepping! on! the! accelerator,! he!
drove! past! the! restaurant! and! the! lot! where! Sanders! had!
parked.!He!saw!Sanders!climb!out!of!the!car!and!walk!toward!a!
large! warehouse.! Speeding! up,! he! drove! to! the! end! of! the!
building! and! found! another! entrance! on! the! far! side.! He!
wheeled!into!the!lot!in!the!back!and!followed!the!perimeter!of!
the!building!down!to!the!side!facing!the!water.!!
!
Far!ahead!he!saw!Sanders!and!a!few!men!headed!toward!
the!light!spilling!out!of!the!open!door!of!a!loading!dock!in!the!
warehouse.!Sanders!towered!over!the!others.!He!drove!slowly!
now,! getting! a! little! closer! to! the! lighted! warehouse! door.! An!
open!space!with!a!good!vantage!point!beckoned,!and!he!quickly!
braked! and! backed! into! the! slot,! giving! him! a! full! view! of! the!
loading!dock.!Above!the!door!on!the!side!of!the!building!large!
letters!spelled!out!“Seattle!Times.”!
!
His! eyes! widened.!
Sanders,* a* newspaper* boy?
! The!
information! he! had! must! be! outdated.! Sanders! was! supposed!
to! be! high! up! in! some! consulting! firm,! dealing! with! public!
affairs!for!clients!like!sports!teams!and!local!companies.!As!he!
absorbed! this! new! development,! a! figure! stepped! out! of! the!
shadows!of!a!small!shed!on!the!quay!and!intercepted!Sanders.!
A!woman.!Sanders!stopped!dead,!obviously!taken!aback!by!her!
presence.!She!turned!slightly,!giving!Langford!a!glimpse!of!her!
face!as!she!accosted!Sanders.!Langford!was!just!as!surprised.!
!
He! knew! that! face.! Back! row,! closest! to! the! door! of! the!
courtroom!in!Benton.!She’d!been!there!every!time!he’d!turned!
for!a!glimpse!of!the!gallery!that!had!rooted!for!his!conviction.!
Had!asked!his!attorneys!who!she!was.!And!now!had!no!trouble!
remembering!that!her!sister!Jill!Baines!had!been!the!one!who’d!
died,! the! one! he’d! been! accused! of! shooting! at! point6blank!
range.!The!one!whose!body!they’d!found!him!standing!over.!A!
chill! ran! through! him! and! for! a! brief! instant,! panic.! He!
squelched!it,!cleared!his!head!and!thought!about!what!it!meant.!
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!
Pieces! of! the! puzzle! he’d! labored! for! years! to! solve!
suddenly! dropped! into! place,! rendering! a! more! complete!
picture.!It!made!sense.!He!was!closer!now.!But!so!were!they.!He!
didn’t!have!much!time.!Especially!since!now!he!knew!he’d!have!
to! make! an! additional! stop! on! the! way! back,! one! that! would!
take!him!the!long!way!around!the!Sound.!He!put!the!Scout!in!
gear! and! slowly! pulled! out! of! the! space,! turning! away! from!
Sanders!and!the!woman!and!quickly!leaving!them!behind.!
!
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Chapter&33&
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