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Zusatztext “What a perfect book: It has layered! appealing characters! a riveting plot! a most satisfying ending—and a German shepherd! Investigator Elvis Cole thinks he’s finding a missing woman! but what unfolds is a case involving explosives! terrorists! betrayals! and broken hearts. Grade: A.”— Cleveland Plain Dealer “Robert Crais takes the most popular characters from previous novels and shakes them up in an intense and thrilling mystery. Crais delivers a master class in writing with this latest novel.”—Associated Press “After 20 novels! Crais remains one of crime fiction's smartest and most effortless plotters. The story unfolds with supreme ease.”— Kirkus Reviews “Master crime fiction writer Crais delivers another winner....For readers who long for character crossovers and unambiguous resolutions! this excellent thriller should fit the bill. A skillfully convoluted plot evolves ever so slowly and culminates in a satisfying finish that also successfully ties up multiple story lines.”— Library Journal “MWA Grandmaster Crais is at the top of his game.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review) Informationen zum Autor Robert Crais Klappentext Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are joined by Suspect heroes LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his German shepherd, Maggie, in this heart-stopping thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais. Elvis Cole and Joe Pike keep their promises. Even if it could get them killed... Elvis Cole is hired to find a woman who's disappeared, a seemingly ordinary case, until he learns the missing woman is an explosives expert and worked for a Defense Department contractor. Meanwhile, LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his patrol dog, Maggie, track a fugitive to a house filled with explosives-and a dead body. As the two cases intertwine, they all find themselves up against shadowy arms dealers and corrupt officials, and the very woman they promised to save may be the cause of their own deaths.CHAPTER 1: Mr. Rollins The woman stood in the far corner of the dimly lit room, hiding in shadows like a fish in gray water. She was small, round, and dumpy. The fringed leather jacket probably made her seem rounder, but she’d never been a looker. She reminded Mr. Rollins of an overripe peach, and the peach was clearly afraid. A steady rain fell from the overcast night. The dingy, one-bedroom bungalow west of Echo Park reeked of bleach and ammonia, but the windows were closed, the shades were down, and the doors were locked. A single yellow twenty-five-watt lamp provided the only light. The chemical smell gave Mr. Rollins a headache, but he could not open the windows. They were screwed shut. Rollins wasn’t his real name, but the man and the woman probably weren’t using their true names, either. Amy and Charles. Amy hadn’t said three words since they arrived. Charles did the talking and Charles was getting impatient. “How long does this take?” The chemist’s answer was resentful. “Two minutes, dude. Relax. Science takes time.” The chemist was a juiced-up, sleeved-out rock pile hunched over the coffee table. A hiker’s LED headlamp blazed on his forehead. He was heating the contents of a glass jar with a small torch while watching two meters that looked like swollen TV remotes. Rollins had found him cooking meth eight years ago and used him often. Charles was a trim man in his forties with neat brown hair and the tight build of a tennis player. Mr. Rollins had made three buys off Charles in the past year, and all had gone well. This was why Mr. Rollins let him bring the woman, only now, seeing her, Rollins wondered why she wanted to come. She damned near pissed herself when Rol- lins searched her and made them put on the gloves. He made everyone who entered the house wear vinyl gloves. Rollins did not allow food or drinks. No one could chew gum or smo...
