Chapter 73 Summary
Bravo returns to his hotel room and inventories the items he took from Remington’s safe. He counts twelve hundred dollars in cash and studies the four driver’s licenses and matching credit cards, each bearing Remington’s photograph but different names: Roger Hernandez, Alejandro Esperanza, Rico Carrera, and Hernandez Cortez. Unsure which, if any, is the man’s true identity, Bravo reasons that the name Hernandez is almost certainly false, as it was the one Remington’s brother had supplied earlier. Assuming the brother lives in the St. Louis area, given that he’d been sent there to eliminate an FBI agent, Bravo begins narrowing down possible leads using the local phone directory. Eliminating Hernandez immediately, he is left with a manageable list of Carrera and Cortez entries to investigate.
His methodical planning is abruptly interrupted when a breaking news report appears on television. The report details a grisly double murder in the warehouse district: an unidentified man found dead inside the warehouse Bravo had used, surrounded by punctured steel drums and a cache of weapons, and a second body, believed to be the taxi driver, discovered nearby. The police confirm the taxi found at the warehouse was linked to a fare picked up at the BestInn Hotel. Realizing the investigation will escalate rapidly, Bravo knows he must leave immediately before police begin canvassing nearby hotels.
Bravo packs his belongings and the items taken from Remington, abandoning the alias Patrick Kelly. With no time to create a new identity, he chooses to adopt the Cortez name, pocketing the driver’s license and credit card that go with it. He checks out of the hotel using cash and exits discreetly through a back entrance to avoid Derek or other unwanted attention. After walking several blocks, he arrives at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark. He secures a room under the name Hernandez Cortez, playing the part of a frustrated executive whose secretary mishandled his reservation. Once settled, he confirms via the news that the taxi driver’s death has been officially linked to the warehouse incident, while Remington’s identity remains unknown.
Determined to stop Remington’s brother before another assassin is sent after him, Bravo shifts to the next phase of his plan: locating the brother. Convinced the man’s wealth would place him in one of St. Louis’s most affluent neighborhoods, Bravo contacts a small real estate firm under his new alias. Speaking with agent Tanya Diaz, he explains he is a corporate vice president relocating to the city and seeking a prestigious, well-protected neighborhood. Tanya identifies Ladue and Town and Country as prime areas favored by wealthy executives, emphasizing Ladue’s exceptional privacy, luxury, and low crime rate. Bravo expresses a strong interest and schedules property viewings for the following morning, positioning himself one step closer to uncovering Remington’s brother and dismantling the threat at its source.
