Eamon leaned back in his chair. “I need to be direct about the federal piece. The next forty-eight hours hinge on it.”
“Tell us more,” Dane said.
“Federal has what we have. Michael fed everything to FBI Boston. The contact has read the package. He believes us about Maria and the device. He believes the wedding is the target."
Dane placed his hands on the table. “But.”
“But he won’t move on the operatives until he can put a warrant in front of a magistrate who will sign without thinking twice. Three names with thin connective tissue aren’t enough. Neither is a consultant’s casualty estimate. Köhler’s testimony is the strongest single thing we have, and it’s still the testimony of a man whose partner was just killed and who came to us, not federal.”
“What does enough look like?”
“They need a device or a delivery vehicle.”
“And if we don’t have that by tonight?”
“That means federal won’t make a coordinated move at oh-five-hundred tomorrow morning. They could still intercept the components or device on the road if we can prove a delivery is on the way. Worst case is we wait until Wednesday before thewedding and risk Maria detonating the device when she sees the threat.”
“Eighty guests in a hall that takes five seconds to collapse,” I said.
“Yes.”
Dane looked at Eamon. “What do you need by tonight?”
“A device, vehicle, and delivery address. Something a magistrate can read in six minutes and sign on the seventh.”
“Lowell vendor records,” I said.
“Necessary but not sufficient. Right now it’s a six-thousand-dollar order for components that could have legitimate uses.”
“And Henry’s signature?” Dane asked.
“Dead men don’t testify.”
“Christ,” Dane said.
“It’s the right standard. I’m not asking you to feel good about it.”
Dane was still. .
“There’s a second address,” Eamon said.
He picked up his leather portfolio, pulled out a property record, and turned it so we could read it.
“Michael ran the Lowell vendor’s books a second time last night. The shipping address on one of the component invoices is a climate-controlled storage unit on Pleasant Street in Watertown. It was leased eight weeks ago through a third LLC.”
“Same neighborhood?” Dane asked.
“Six blocks. Walkable.”
“Maria built a chain,” I said.
“The device is never in the same place for more than seventy-two hours.”
“Do we know if the unit is in use?” I asked.
“The climate-controlled units use a key fob to open. The building doesn’t release fob logs to private contractors. Federalcould subpoena, but they won’t subpoena without grounds for a warrant.”
Dane spoke. “We watch it then.”