Silencing Eve (33 page)

“Take your hand off me.”

He dropped his hand. “I’d like to break your neck,” he said through his teeth. “I wouldn’t even be here if I had my way. But I talked to Tehran, and they’re over the moon about the prospect of having the project reinstated. I wouldn’t be forgiven if I had to tell them we’d failed again.”

She stiffened. “So you’re going to try to take the detonator from me. I won’t let—”

“No, I’m trying to clear the path for you to make it happen. If it’s still possible. If Jane MacGuire hasn’t blown everything that we’re trying to do.”

“Jane MacGuire,” Harriet repeated. “What’s she got to—” She inhaled sharply. “Did you find her?”

“As I told you, no problem. Her phone wasn’t protected, and Samli had her location within four hours.”

“Good.” Her gaze narrowed on his face. “Then did you have someone—Is that why you didn’t call me sooner? Did you take care of her?”

“No, it would have taken longer to make a safe kill even if we hadn’t discovered problems.”

“Problems?”

“Do you know where Samli first located her?”

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

“She was at a baseball game at Wrigley Field this afternoon.”

Shock. “No, your Samli made a mistake.”

“He doesn’t make mistakes like that.”

“You’re saying she’s here in Chicago.”

“Samli was concerned, too, since I told him that she was probably in Atlanta or Muncie. So he called me and asked for instructions. I told him to stay with the signal. Do you know to where he followed it?” He gazed at the bank of elevators. “She’s in a room on the floor above you. The room isn’t registered in her name. She’s staying with a Mark Trevor. CIA?”

Shock after shock. “I don’t know. I’ve never heard of him. He could be, I guess.”

“Or maybe not. One bed. They’re evidently sleeping together.”

“I told you, I don’t know. I’ve never heard of him.”

“And what the hell was she doing at that baseball game?”

Harriet was afraid that she knew. Wrigley Stadium. Five years ago, Harriet had considered that clock, then told Kevin it wasn’t right.

The clock.

That bitch had the journal and was beginning to figure out the code of the game Harriet and Kevin had played. Panic and rage tore through her. “How do I know?” She tried to keep her voice from trembling. “Maybe she was meeting someone there.”

“Maybe. And if she was at your hotel, you can bet that they’ve wired your place.”

“Yes.” It wasn’t a sure thing but definitely a possibility. She tried to think back at everything she’d said to Doane. Incriminating. Terribly incriminating. But no information that could prevent them from going forward if care was taken. And screw that those calls were incriminating. If you weren’t caught, there couldn’t be any accusations or evidence, could there? Just change her tickets and transfer the line of credit. Disappear in entirely another direction.

God, but Cartland was right, she’d been a careless fool. And Jane MacGuire was close to taking her down.

No! She would not have it. She’d still have it all.

But she had to control the situation, control Cartland and control the way James was handling the disposal of Zander.

Cartland, first.

“So what are you going to do?” She gave him a cool glance. “You said that Tehran still wants you to go forward. Does that mean that you’ll still give me your cooperation?”

“You mean more money,” Cartland said. He was silent a moment. “It’s possible. If you can convince me that you can pull this disaster out of the fire. I’ve checked all my sources with the FBI and CIA, and there’s no word on any surveillance of you or this hotel. MacGuire’s phone wasn’t protected, and that probably means she’s not linked directly to the CIA. You said you were even sure she wasn’t CIA.”

“It’s not quite a disaster.” She added grudgingly, “Though I obviously underestimated MacGuire. However, she’s obviously still floundering if she hasn’t contacted Venable to close in for the kill. She can’t know I’ve retrieved the detonator. I told James that wasn’t going to happen. She’s only an artist, and I told you that she had a personal vendetta going. She’s an amateur, and we can run rings around her. We just have to move very fast.” Her thoughtful gaze rose to the crystal chandelier casting a glittering ambience over the lobby. “I need to be out of here tonight and on my way to Seattle. Arrange it. A private jet.” Her gaze shifted to his face. “And if you decide that you’re going to take me to an undisclosed location for questioning, I’ll blow the plane out of the sky. Not only that, but I’ll set off the nukes without giving you warning or time to get out of the city. You and the other members of your group will become martyrs. You don’t impress me as the type of terrorist who is eager for paradise.”

“You’re bluffing. You wouldn’t sacrifice yourself.”

“Yes, I would. I’ve waited for five years to get revenge for Kevin’s death.” She met his gaze. “And life isn’t the same without my son. I won’t let anything get in the way.”

“And what do you intend to do once you’re in Seattle?”

“What I meant to do in the beginning. Just a day earlier. Zander will die, and I’ll type in the code,” she said. “I’ll give you an hour’s notice to get out of the city. But I wouldn’t wait if I were you. Kevin and I were never sure how powerful the blast would be. Get out the minute you put me on that jet.” She wasn’t sure he was convinced. “In eight hours at the latest it will happen. If I move fast, no one can stop me. No one can stop you. You’ll be a hero to al-Qaeda. Don’t back away because of a little mistake that I can fix.”

He stared at her for a moment, then shrugged. “I’ll have a car for you within the hour to take you to the airport. It will take me that long to arrange a charter. Anything else?”

“A phone. I can’t chance using mine in case it’s been bugged.”

He smiled. “I thought of that.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a pay-by-the-minute phone. “This should do.”

“Not quite.” She handed it back to him. “I want your phone. I won’t chance your giving me a phone you’ve bugged either.”

He frowned, then handed her his phone. “It’s an inconvenience.”

“It’s an insurance policy.” She glanced around the lobby. Hell, she didn’t know if she was being watched or not. It had to be safer than her hotel room. “Wait here.” She dialed the phone as she strode over to the huge glass windows.

“This is Harriet. I’ve been waiting to hear from you, James,” she said, when her ex-husband answered. “But now I’m not waiting any longer. Everything is falling apart. I’m going to get on a plane and come to you. Do you have Zander?”

“Not yet. But I know he’s in the city. I can—”

“I don’t care what you know. I want Zander dead. It’s time you made it happen. I don’t give a damn about Eve Duncan. She’s in the way. Kill her, then go after Zander.”

“No, I’ve planned it all. I won’t give it up because you’re impatient.”

“You fool. Listen to me. You let that journal be taken from you, and now Jane MacGuire and Venable and God knows who else are getting close to those nukes. If we don’t act soon, we’ll have to drop everything and go on the run. Then Zander will live, and I won’t have that happen.” Her voice hardened. “Get Zander. I don’t care how you do it, but you have him by the time I get out there, or you’ll ruin everything.” She paused. “And Kevin would never forgive you. He never tolerated failure. You remember that, James.”

“I never failed him.”

“Then don’t do it now. This is your last chance. Either do it your way, or step aside and let me go after Zander myself. Kevin would rather I do it anyway. He always knew he could trust me.”

“Trust you? He only played with you, the way he played with those little girls. I’m the one who—” He broke off, and she could tell he was struggling with rage. “I’ll have Zander by the time you get here. I told you I was close. Not because you want it, but because Kevin would hate to have you spoil everything I’ve planned.”

“I’ll call you when I get off the plane, and you can give me directions how to get to that cottage.” She paused. “And tell me that you have Zander staked out and ready for the kill.” She hung up.

She felt an instant of fierce satisfaction. If anything would move James, it would be the words she’d thrown at him. He always had a tendency to be too careful and stick to his precious plans, but she’d always been able to manipulate him and guide him the way she wanted him to go.

Now she’d had to crack the whip and make sure that he brought Zander under the gun.

We’ll have you, Zander. Another few hours, and you’ll be a dead man.

She turned on her heel and strode back toward Cartland.

“You look … satisfied,” he said, his gaze on her face. “Maybe even triumphant. I hope that means something positive.”

“I am satisfied.” She headed for the elevator. “Where is Jane MacGuire now?”

He shrugged. “She left the hotel a few hours ago. Do you want me to check?”

“No.” Harriet had no desire to have him trace the MacGuire woman’s steps if they were leading anywhere near that nuke. Harriet had to remain in control. “It’s not important now.”

He lowered his voice. “I promised you I’d take care of her. Do you still want me to do it?”

Did she want that bitch dead? Oh, yes, with her whole heart. But not by anyone’s hand but her own. She no longer wanted just to get rid of an inconvenience. Jane MacGuire had humiliated her and endangered her plans, and that had filled her with rage. Harriet wanted to pull the trigger, to see her die. “As I said, it’s not important. You’ve told me what I needed to know about her. I’ll take care of it.” She punched the button for the elevator. “Just get me out of the city. I’m going upstairs to pack. Call me when you’re ready to send the car.”

Driftwood Cottage

“YOU DIDN’T GO OUTSIDE TO TAKE
that call, Doane,” Eve said. “Were you caught by surprise?” She studied his face. “Yes, I believe that’s probably it. Who is Harriet?”

“A bitch like you,” he said through his teeth. “No, maybe worse than you. She thinks that she can tell me what to do. If I do what she wants, it’s because I choose, and Kevin wants it. It has nothing to do with her.”

“Who is Harriet?” Her gaze narrowed on his face, trying to put it together. “Kevin…” Then it came to her. “Kevin’s mother?”

“A bitch. She thinks she rules the world.” The words were spitting out. “She thinks that she was the only one Kevin loved. He didn’t care for her. He only used her.”

“It appears he only used everyone.”

“Well, I’m going to be done with the bitch and done with you.” He turned on his heel and went to the chest across the room. “She didn’t need to tell me to get Zander. He’s already in my sights.” He opened the top drawer. “I was going after him tonight anyway.”

She stiffened. “You know where he is?”

“Why, where would a father be when his daughter is in trouble?” he asked mockingly. “It seems Zander wasn’t fooled by that explosion in Colorado. He’s here in town and asking questions about me.”

“About you, not me.”

“If he knows about me, then he knows that you’re also alive.” He shrugged. “And that could mean that Quinn and Jane MacGuire may have staged a very elaborate distraction while they hunted me down. Not that it matters now. It will all be over tonight.” He took a large pistol out of the drawer and put it on the table. “And I’ll be done with Zander and you.” He added, “And maybe that other bitch, too.”

“You’re going to shoot him?” Her gaze was on the pistol.

“Eventually. Right now, I’m going hunting.” He stroked the butt of the gun. “This was Kevin’s tranquilizer gun. He used it occasionally when he did his own hunting. One shot, and they would be out.”

She felt a chill. “Who would be … out?”

“Why not come and see.” He yanked her to her feet and pushed her toward the front door. “Harriet said that Kevin and I had nothing in common, but he never shared this with her.” He threw open the door and she felt a blast of cool air as he pulled her out on the porch. He gestured to the shimmering white driftwood. “You said it looked like a graveyard. That’s how Kevin wanted it to look. It was his own little joke. He searched the entire coastline to find just the right-shaped driftwood.” He whispered. “Why do you think that he did that, Eve?”

She was afraid she knew. “How many, Doane?” she asked hoarsely.

“Only two little girls. He took one from a suburb in Seattle and the other from a little town in Oregon. He was under pressure when he was here and needed release, but he didn’t want to attract too much attention.” He nodded at the driftwood closest to the house. “One is buried there if I remember correctly. The other I’m not sure…”

“Why bury them practically on his own doorstep?” she asked. “He must have been even more mad than I thought.”

“He liked the idea of having them near him. And the fact that no one knew what lay beneath that pile of driftwood amused him.”

“His little joke,” she repeated. She felt sick. A joke. And two little girls who had once been loved and cherished had died and never been brought home.

“We can go inside now,” he said softly, his gaze on her face. “That’s how I wanted you to look. You were too hard, too tough, like her. But I can hurt you if I go about it the right way.”

He pushed her back into the cottage. “And I can hurt her. I just have to wait until all this is over.” He pushed her down into the chair and began to bind her. “You’ll be good when I’m gone, won’t you? Just sit there and anticipate seeing your father. I may even let you have some time together before I kill you. He should appreciate what he’s losing.”

“He won’t care if I live or die. How many times do I have to tell you that? We’re strangers.”

“Blood means everything. He killed my son. Blood for blood.” He turned and picked up the tranquilizer gun. “And who knows? I may bury you both beneath that driftwood outside.” He smiled as he headed for the door. “Kevin would like that …

*   *   *

“I THINK YOU’D BETTER
come back to the hotel, Jane,” Margaret said as soon as Jane picked up the phone. “Forget about those security tapes. Something strange is going on.”

“We’ve already got the tapes. It didn’t take us that long. We’re already on our way back. What are you talking about?”