Chapter 42

“Not us,” I said. “We do, however, have a couple of guests who’ve been through something of an ordeal.”

“So I’m told. I just wanted to give you a heads-up about something.”

“Don’t tell me, let me guess, the pissing contest between agencies is in full flower.”

“Collegiality prevents me from being quite so blunt,” he said, “but yes, the turf war has begun.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” I said.

“One of my people from Atlanta is on the way to see you as we speak,” he said. “He’ll be there in the morning.”

“Atlanta, not Asheville?” I said.

“All we have in Asheville is a resident agent,” he said, “and this thing is way over his head.”

“We’re 99.9 percent certain that we know where the boys were being held,” I said.

“Really?” he said.

“We had a semi-retired country doctor stop by to check our guests for injuries and/or ill effects. He was here when I interviewed them, and he’s certain that the house they were in is an abandoned home just across the ridge from us.”