She clicked on the icon for compare, and she saw the disk light flicker then pause while the processor did the calculations based on the algorithm of the programmer.
Natasha waited the longest two minutes of her life, but finally there was a beep and a big green check mark appeared on the screen indicating a positive match. All three pictures were of the same man.
Before Natasha could process all the information in her brain, the Coast Guard cutter shook and there was a tremendous sound of an explosion.
The stinger missile fired by Roy hit the boat just aft of the bridge and did terminal damage. However, she did not sink immediately.
At the top of Natasha’s voice she screamed "Positive id match to Pashwari!"
Chapter 126
Matt had just heard the telltale clicking of the Geiger counter when the explosion hit the boat. He just regained his feet when he faintly heard Natasha yell.
"Positive id match to Pashwari!"
Kamal had to do something quick, so he ran across the cockpit and grabbed for the control box on the end of the wire.
Matt finally realized what the wires were on the deck. He had no time at all to think about what to do.
On pure instinct he snapped the Yarygin out of its holster and he put a slug into the back of the diving Pashwari, who had just picked up the box at the end of the wire.
Kamal dropped the box instantly and it cluttered to the deck.
Pashwari knew that now the bomb was armed, breaking the circuit would cause detonation.
Kamal was injured, but not fatally. The bullet went right through his body without hitting any major organs. His right hand slowly clawed for the wire, but Matt saw his hand moving toward the box again and fired another two shots, both into a one inch circle centered on Kamal Pashwari’s heart.
Kamal had time to kiss the bracelet on his right wrist and wonder whether Geraldine would be waiting for him in Paradise. He died looking at the small cardboard box sitting beside him on the deck.
His time as a terrorist had ended as he faded into oblivion.
Matt silently thanked God for the shooting training from Natasha.
The radio came to life but it was hard to hear over the noise from the helicopter "Tango Two, we have strong contact above a black hulled boat beside the coastguard ship!"
Chapter 127
Now that the stitches from his head wound had been removed, Greg O’Brien had one last task to do in relation to the Pashwari matter. His face was still swollen and bruised.
This was his second flight to California is as many weeks. This time he was paying for his own ticket.
After he landed in L.A., he rented a small Toyota and drove the 15 miles down to Long Beach.
He located the house not far from the coast, and knocked on the door. He thought it better not to telephone first.
A good looking middle aged woman opened the door. She had striking red hair.
Greg flashed his badge "I am Detective O’Brien from Cambridge police in Boston. Are you Mrs. Flynn?"
"Yes, my name is Rebecca Flynn. What happened to your face?"
"I had an accident on duty."
"You look like shit. What can I do for you Detective O’Brien?"
"Could I come in Mrs. Flynn?"
"Of course, come this way."
Rebecca directed Greg to a couch in a small living room. Greg sat down.
"Mrs. Flynn, is your husband at home?"
"Yes said Rebecca" indicating an urn sitting above the fireplace, "but he died two years ago."
"I’m very sorry for your loss Mrs. Flynn."
"He just faded away after we lost our daughter. You have come about Geraldine haven’t you?" asked the woman.
"I am afraid so."
"Did you find her body?"
"Not exactly Mrs. Flynn. But I do have some news."
"I have been dreading this visit for a very long time. I think maybe I need a drink before you tell me." Greg noticed a tear slide down Rebecca’s cheek.
"That would be a great idea, can I have one too?"
"I thought police were not allowed to drink on duty" suggested Rebecca.
"I’m not actually on duty today Mrs. Flynn."
"Oh, I see. Actually I don’t see, but let me get the drinks first. I think we have some scotch somewhere" announced Mrs. Flynn as she walked back to the kitchen.
She came back a couple of minutes later with two doubles on ice, "Sorry no scotch, but Jamiesons Irish whisky will have to do."
"That’s near enough for with me. Hey I’m an O’Brien from Boston. That’s close enough to Irish!" said Greg.
"Detective, I have waited a long time for this conversation. We said our goodbyes to Geraldine many years ago, but it is not the same as knowing precisely what happened to her." Rebecca patted at her eyes with a tissue.
"Mrs. Flynn, as I hinted, I am not here in an official capacity. I was one of the investigating officers when you first reported Geraldine missing all those years ago. I have been working on another case recently, and the two cases are interrelated."
"In what way?" asked Rebecca quietly.
"After your missing person report, my partner and I interviewed a man in relation to Geraldine’s disappearance. This man studied at the same school as Geraldine and they sailed a boat together."
"That makes sense, she loved sailing here. She learned as a young girl" explained Rebecca.
"We believed that he was Geraldine’s boyfriend. This man was recently shot and killed by security forces, but I am afraid the whole episode is classified in the interests of public safety."
"Can’t you tell me anything?"
"I am not supposed to, but I also have a daughter. In no way can I imagine what you have been through. But I am sure if I was in your shoes I would want to know what really happened to her. That’s why I came to see you."
"Thanks Detective, please give it to me straight" pleaded Rebecca.
"Ok. The man that was shot was a terrorist and as I said before the whole thing is now classified. However, later when we examined the man’s body, we found that the man was wearing a piece of very unusual jewelry. It was a most unusual custom made bracelet. We had our crime lab take a good look at it. Woven into the gold band were strands of red human hair."
"Oh my God!"
"When we originally located Geraldine’s car in the mall, the lab team took a look at it. They found a few strands of her hair on the seat. I managed to dig up the evidence box from our original investigation and got the lab to do a comparison on the hair in the bracelet and the hair from the car. There was an exact DNA match."
"Of course this does not prove anything at all, but we strongly suspect that this guy murdered Geraldine and kept some of her hair as a souvenir."
"I just thought that you would want to know."
Rebecca could hold back no longer, and a river of tears streamed down her face.
Greg did not have the heart to tell her about the skull they found in the red cardboard box next to Kamal’s body. He had originally intended to share the medical examiner’s report with Rebecca, but finally decided that some things are better off left unsaid.
Greg had read and re-read the contents of the report.
"The skull was in generally poor condition and we were unable to extract DNA to do a full work-up. It has traces of coastal soil, probable from one of the north eastern states and had obviously been buried for a considerable period of time. The skull is that of a young adult female, aged between 18 and 25. I cannot accurately determine the time of death but I would speculate it to be approximately 25 years previously. There were signs of severing of the spinal cord, but the actual cause of death could not be determined."