Vanish: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

Albany Street, cops stood red-faced and sweating, and reporters were retreating back into their air-conditioned news vans. Everyone was waiting for something to happen. The calm before the next storm.
    “It does start to make sense,” said Stillman. The negotiator had been listening to Gabriel’s points with a deepening frown. “Consider the sequence of events. Jane Doe refuses to negotiate with me. She won’t even talk to me. That’s because she’s not ready—she needs her back covered, first. She needs to strengthen her position. She calls the radio station and they broadcast the activation code. Five hours later, that man with the knapsack arrives. He shows up because he was summoned.”
    “And he blithely walks into a suicide mission?” said Hayder. “Does anyone have friends who are
that
loyal?”
    “A marine will lay down his life for his company,” said Gabriel.
    “
Band of brothers?
Yeah, sure.”
    “I take it you’ve never served.”
    Hayder flushed an even deeper red in the heat. “Are you saying this is some sort of military operation? Then what’s the next step? If this is so logical, tell us what’s next on their agenda.”
    “Negotiations,” said Gabriel. “The takers have now cemented their position. I think you’re going to be hearing from them soon.”
    A new voice cut in, “Reasonable prediction, Agent Dean. You’re probably right.”
    They all turned to look at the stocky man who had just stepped into the trailer. As usual, Agent John Barsanti wore a silk tie and a button-down shirt; as usual, his clothes did not fit well. He responded to Gabriel’s look of surprised recognition with a sober nod of greeting. “I’m sorry about Jane,” he said. “They told me you were involved in this mess.”
    “No one told me you were, John.”
    “We’re just monitoring developments. Ready to assist if we need to.”
    “Why send someone all the way from Washington? Why not use the Boston field office?”
    “Because this will likely go into negotiations. It made sense to send someone with experience.”
    The two men regarded each other for a moment in silence. Experience, thought Gabriel, couldn’t be the only reason John Barsanti had turned up. The FBI would not normally send a man straight from the deputy director’s office to supervise a local hostage negotiation.
    “Then who’s in charge of the deal making?” Gabriel asked. “The FBI? Or Boston PD?”
    “Captain Hayder!” called Emerton. “We’ve got a call coming in from the hospital! It’s on one of their lines!”
    “They’re ready to negotiate,” said Gabriel. Just as he’d predicted.
    Stillman and Barsanti looked at each other. “You take it, Lieutenant,” said Barsanti. Stillman nodded, and crossed to the phone.
    “I’ve got you on speaker,” said Emerton.
    Stillman took a deep breath, then pressed the connect button. “Hello,” he said calmly. “This is Leroy Stillman.”
    A man answered, just as calm. A reedy voice, with a hint of a southern drawl. “You’re a policeman?”
    “Yes. I’m Lieutenant Stillman, Boston PD. Who am I speaking to?”
    “You already know my name.”
    “I’m afraid I don’t.”
    “Why don’t you ask the FBI guy. There is an FBI guy, isn’t there? Standing in that trailer with you?”
    Stillman glanced over at Barsanti with a look of
how the hell does he know
? “I’m sorry, sir,” said Stillman. “I really don’t know your name, and I’d like to know who I’m speaking to.”
    “Joe.”
    “Right. Joe.” Stillman released a breath. So far, so good. At least they had a name.
    “How many people are in that trailer with you, Leroy?”
    “Let’s talk about you, Joe—”
    “The FBI is there, though. Am I right?”
    Stillman said nothing.
    Joe laughed. “I knew they’d show up. FBI, CIA, Defense Intelligence, Pentagon. Yeah, they all know who I am.”
    Gabriel could read the expression on Stillman’s face.
We’re dealing with a man who clearly has delusions of persecution.
    “Joe,” said Stillman, “there’s no reason to draw this out any longer. Why don’t we talk about ending it quietly?”
    “We want a TV camera in here. A live feed to the media. We have a statement to make, and a videotape to show you.”
    “Slow down. Let’s get to know each other first.”
    “I don’t want to know you. Send in a TV camera.”
    “That’s going to present a problem. I need to clear this through a higher level.”
    “They’re standing right there,