The Terrorist Next Door by Sheldon Siegel

wouldn’t let me.”
    “We might be able to help you there. Where have you been today?”
    “I went downtown to see Mr. Braun and Mr. Stumpf about business. I took the eight o’clock Metra train from the 53rd Street station. I took the twelve-twenty train home.”
    This jibed with Robinson’s timeline.
    Braun pointed a finger at Gold. “You’re wasting your time if you think Muneer was involved in the bombings. He was in my office this morning. We have witnesses. End of story.”
    “The bomb at Millennium Park went off at ten-forty-seven. The initiating call came from downtown. Are you prepared to testify that he didn’t initiate the call?”
    Braun hesitated for an instant. “Absolutely.”
    Gold figured that Braun wasn’t going to risk his firm’s reputation or, more important, his seven-figure draw, on a perjury charge. “The bomb at the museum went off at twelve-thirty-five. Muneer could have driven the booby-trapped car to the museum from your office.”
    “Didn’t happen that way. Not enough time.”
    “Thirty-five minutes was plenty of time.”
    “Except Muneer took the Metra to and from downtown. We have train tickets. You’ll find him in the security videos at the 53rd Street and Millennium stations. He didn’t get back to Hyde Park until twelve-forty-eight. That was after the explosion. There’s no fucking way Muneer could have parked the car at the museum.”
    Such a delicate way with words . “He could have parked the car at the museum before he came to see you.”
    Braun harrumphed. “The museum didn’t open until nine-thirty. They tow anybody who tries to park overnight. Bottom line: there is absolutely no connection between Muneer and the bombing at the museum.”
    “Yes, there is. A car belonging Muneer’s friend, Nasser Salaam, was blown up at the museum. Turns out he lives downstairs in this very building.” Gold turned and spoke to Al-Shahid. “You want to tell us how your friend’s car got to the museum?”
    Braun answered for him. “How would we know? Muneer was with me.”
    “And you’ll make a fine witness at his trial. Why don’t you let your client answer?”
    Braun’s small mouth turned down. “We came here in the spirit of cooperation, and now you’re making accusations. Talk to Salaam about his car.”
    “He told us to talk to you.”
    “Obviously, he didn’t have anything to do with this, either.”
    Gold turned to Al-Shahid. “When was the last time you talked to him, Muneer?”
    Braun held up a hand, but Al-Shahid ignored him. “Before he went to London.”
    “How about texts or e-mails?”
    “Nothing.”
    “I trust you have no problem if we check your phone records?”
    “Be my guest. I’ve assumed you were doing that already.” Braun tried to interrupt him again, but Al-Shahid silenced him with a raised hand. “We have nothing to hide, Larry.” His eyes narrowed as he turned back to Gold. “Nasser is a smart guy from a good family who works for a top-tier law firm. He had nothing to do with the explosion at the museum.”
    “Except his car blew up. Three people were killed, Muneer, including an eight-year-old boy. Aiding and abetting is a serious crime. You’ll get a better deal if you come clean now.”
    Braun’s high-pitched voice filled with indignation. “We’re done.”
    “I trust you have no objection to our searching the premises?”
    “Get a warrant. Make sure it’s very specific.”
    * * *
    “That didn’t go well,” Battle said.
    Gold shrugged. “Comes with the territory.”
    They’d just completed a search of Al-Shahid’s condo. They’d found no throwaway cell phones or evidence of the Islamic Freedom Federation. A team from Fong’s office was going through Al-Shahid’s computer. So far, they had uncovered no suspicious e-mails, although they’d confiscated his hard drive for further analysis. In the meantime, Robinson’s people had retraced Al-Shahid’s route from his brother’s condo to and from downtown. They’d