Silencing Eve (43 page)

Zander was sitting cross-legged in front of the fire, and he looked up as he saw her. “Does this remind you of that campfire we shared in Colorado?” He smiled. “That seems a long time ago, doesn’t it?”

“Not really. Not to me.” She sat down opposite him. “And I don’t think you asked me to come here to reminisce. That’s not your style, Zander.”

“And why do you think I did want to see you?”

“I don’t know. But I know why I wanted to see you.” She paused. “You saved my life. I wanted to thank you.”

“Don’t be maudlin.”

“Gratitude is not maudlin. And you’re not accepting it at all graciously. But, then, I didn’t expect anything else. It’s too human and probably makes you feel uncomfortable.”

“Very perceptive. You’ve gotten to know me entirely too well. It’s time we parted company.”

She stiffened. “By all means, don’t stay around anyone who might make you feel something besides curiosity and boredom.”

“My thought exactly. That could be very dangerous for me. Look what happened with you. I got a busted arm and almost ended up dead.”

“I never asked anything of you.”

“I know,” he said softly. “That’s the problem.” He looked across the fire at her. “You make me ask it of myself. How much more dangerous that is, Eve.”

She couldn’t look away from him. He had become so close to her. How could that be when she still didn’t understand him? He was an enigma that she wasn’t sure she could ever solve. But she wanted to solve it, she realized with sudden desperation. She wanted to understand him. “So you’re telling me that you’re leaving? I didn’t expect anything else. It’s not as if you have anything to keep you here.”

He nodded. “That’s right. Nothing at all. Nothing has changed.” He smiled. “And I didn’t bring you here to bid you a fatherly farewell. As you said, not my style.”

“Why did you bring me?”

“I have a good-bye gift for you.”

“What? Now that’s truly maudlin, Zander.”

“No one would ever describe this gift as maudlin.” He reached behind him into the tall grass and brought out a leather case. “I don’t think you would either.”

She stiffened. She knew that case too well. “Is this your idea of humor?”

“Would I be that cruel? Well, I would, but not to you, Eve.” He unfastened the case. “No, this is a true gift. You’re never going to forget these days with Doane, but you have a chance of its gradually blurring. But not if you know this is somewhere in the world.” He drew out the reconstruction of Kevin and studied it. “You did a magnificent job on him. He’s been with you every minute, in your mind, under your fingers. The stuff of nightmares…”

“Yes.” She forced herself to look at the reconstruction. Is it over, Kevin? Has your power to silence vanished? Have you faded back to the hell from where you came?

No smothering sense of evil.

No reaching out to grasp and take.

Has he gone, Bonnie?

“He frightened you?” Zander’s gaze was narrowed on her face. “Why?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” But the fear was gone, she realized. Bonnie’s answer?

“No, I probably wouldn’t. But I do understand about nightmares.” He smiled. “I believe I’ll take this one away from you.”

“What do you mean?”

“If this skull exists somewhere, it will always haunt you. So it will no longer exist.” He held out the reconstruction to her. “Do you wish to make sure of that? Or would you like me to do it? I thought I’d offer you the opportunity.”

“What opportunity?”

“Can’t you guess? Why do you think I built this fine fire? Five years ago, I sent Kevin’s body to a crematorium to be burned. If Doane hadn’t snatched his head from the blaze, you wouldn’t have had to deal with putting his skull back together.” He added mockingly, “Now I can correct that little error.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re going to burn this reconstruction?”

“I regret burning your wonderful work, but I prefer to think of it only as Kevin’s skull. And I’m going to burn Kevin’s skull to ashes. Then I’m going to toss those ashes into the most disgusting mire I can find. I thought about the ocean, but that would be too clean for him.”

“Yes, it would.”

“I won’t ask if you approve. Your work is to save, not destroy. I just wanted you to know it was being done and that you could trust me to do it right.”

She gazed at Kevin’s handsome features, which reflected none of the evil that had corroded his soul. All the murders, all the innocent children … She felt suddenly sick. No one should ever look at him again and not know what he was. And she would not let Zander be responsible for doing what she thought was right. “I trust you.” She took the reconstruction from him. “But I won’t let you do it alone.” She took a deep breath and threw the skull into the flames.

The fire leaped high and hungry as if in blazing welcome.

She stared at the skull as the fire began to consume it.

“It’s time for you to go,” Zander said quietly. “You’ve made your decision and acted on it. You don’t need to see it happen. It will take a long time for it to burn down to ashes. In a furnace, the heat is more intense, but this fire will do what’s necessary. I’ll tend it all day and all night, longer if need be. Then I’ll dispose of the ashes.”

She got to her feet and moved toward the path. No, not like this. She wouldn’t leave him like this. She turned and looked at him. “Thank you for my gift, Zander.”

He grimaced. “I’m happy you’re pleased. I thought you’d think it was a suitable good-bye present for a man of my profession and character.”

“You never do anything that’s suitable. But it’s a gift that I’ll remember you thought about, then gave to bring me peace. That’s a very precious gift, Zander.”

He looked a little taken aback. “Are you getting maudlin again?”

“No. I’m being sincere. I know it’s hard for you to recognize the difference. I think I may have to teach it to you.” She met his eyes. “Because if this is a good-bye present, you’ve wasted it. I’m not saying good-bye to you.”

“You’re not? You may not have a choice.”

“Bullshit. I’m not intruding into your life, but I’m in it now, and I won’t be thrown out. You did that when I was ten years old. It’s not going to happen again.”

He smiled faintly. “You’re intimidating me, Eve. And your judgment is very, very faulty. Do you really want to have anything to do with a lost soul like me?”

“I don’t know. It depends on you … and me. But it’s not good-bye.” She started up the path. “So we’ll see how it goes.”

He chuckled. “Because your Bonnie believes in second chances?”

“Because
your granddaughter
believes in second chances.” She didn’t look back. “And so do I, Zander.”

Epilogue

Lake Cottage
Atlanta, Georgia
Four Days Later

“DÉJÀ VU,” CATHERINE SAID
to Kendra as she gazed down from the porch at the guests milling on the grounds below her. “It reminds me of the day that I was here for that phony memorial service for Eve.” No, not really, she thought. There were no public figures or media at Trevor’s funeral. Only the people who had been on the hunt for Eve and a dozen or so friends of Trevor’s who had flown in from Europe. They were all moving from group to group, talking soberly. Except for Seth Caleb, who was standing apart and alone, drinking a glass of wine. Her gaze rested on him for an instant before moving on. That fascinating face always made her pause, and particularly today, when she could sense the tension behind it. “I was so angry and bewildered when I showed up here that day…”

“And relieved when you found out she was still alive,” Kendra said. “God, it’s good to have her back. I only wish to hell that this was a celebration and not a genuine funeral.” Her gaze was focused on Eve and Jane, who were standing together down by the lake. “Jane is managing to hold it together, but I don’t know for how long.”

“As long as she has to do it.” Catherine had watched Jane all through Trevor’s funeral and burial this morning, and her heart had ached for her. She had been pale, tragic, but there had also been strength and endurance. “And she has Eve. You can almost see Eve…” She tried to find the words to describe the bond between the two women. “She’s kind of spreading invisible wings to enfold her Jane.” She suddenly stiffened. “There’s Venable. I wasn’t sure he’d be here. He was pretty pissed off at Jane for not letting him know about Harriet sooner.” She headed for the steps. “I’m going to intercept him and make sure that he doesn’t say anything to her.”

“He wouldn’t be that insensitive, would he?” Kendra asked.

“I don’t think so, but I’m not taking any chances.” Catherine glanced back over her shoulder. “And he should thank you for figuring out where those nukes were located. Who knows how long it would have taken him to find out where Kevin placed those devices? It could have been a threat for years.”

“Stop it,” she said testily. “I don’t want thanks. I had my fill of it with Eve when I got here. She’s free and back home, and that’s all that matters.” Her gaze returned to Eve and Jane. “And we can only hope that the healing begins soon.”

Catherine silently seconded that wish as she ran down the steps. Healing for Eve, who had been tortured mentally and physically. Healing for Jane, who had lost even more than Eve.

Venable was gazing at her with a sardonic smile as she came toward him. “Catherine to the rescue?”

“It depends on how much of an asshole you turn out to be,” she said soberly. “You’re not getting near Jane if you’re here to give her even one word of condemnation. She’s had enough.”

“I agree,” he said. “Though she was wrong, and I was right.” He added, “And, by complicity, you were also wrong, Catherine.”

She lifted her chin. “Then fire me, Venable. You could make a good case.”

“I thought about it.” He shrugged. “But I’d be cutting off my nose to spite my face. You’re the best of the best. I’ll need you next week when I send you to Guatemala City.”

“I’m not going anywhere next week but home to my son. Find someone else.”

“I could hold your disloyalty over your head and—” He broke off, then said wearily, “But I won’t do it. I’m tired of being the bad guy. Someone’s got to do it, but not me. Not right now. I’ve got to go over there and try to explain to Eve why I was willing to risk her life. I like Eve and Joe and Jane, and I let them all stay under the gun. They may never forgive me because I can’t even say I’m sorry.”

“Maybe,” Catherine said. “You’ll just have to try. You might begin by expressing your condolences to Jane for losing the man she loved. It might establish a rapport that could carry you through.”

“I was going to do that,” Venable said. “I’m not that much of a bastard.”

“No, you’re a good guy when you’re not trying to save democracy.” But she was suddenly bone weary of dealing with Venable and his agendas. “But I don’t care about jumping back on your bandwagon right now. Go do your duty and clear the way for me to say my good-byes. By midnight, I’m going to be on a jet to Hong Kong, and tomorrow I’ll be with Luke and Hu Chang.”

“Really?” His brows rose as his gaze wandered through the crowd to a table where Gallo stood talking to Margaret. “And what about him?”

Catherine’s gaze followed his, and she felt the familiar jolt of pure sexuality as he lifted his eyes and saw her. He smiled faintly and inclined his head.

Heat.

Electricity.

Both of which interfered with what she had to do. He was a complication. She needed her son and her best friend in the world and not to be swept away by Gallo. She turned away. “I’m leaving for Hong Kong,” she repeated.

“He’ll follow you,” Venable said softly.

“I can’t stop him. He’ll have to do what he has to do. He won’t have an invitation.”

“You could avoid him by going to Guatemala City.”

She ruefully shook her head. Venable was as obstinate as a mule. “No way.” She started to make her way through the crowd toward Joe, to say her good-byes to him. “Find someone else, Venable.”

*   *   *

“YOU’RE EXHAUSTED, JANE,”
Eve said in a low voice. “Go on up to the cottage and go to bed. There are only a few people left, and they’ll understand.”

Jane shook her head. “I’ll wait. I don’t want to leave it up to you. Trevor was my—” For an instant she lost track of what she had been about to say. He was my heart. My life. My love. “All of this is my responsibility. It was kind of you to offer this service, but you shouldn’t have to—”

“Oh, be quiet, Jane,” Eve said. “This has nothing to do with kindness. This has to do with family, and if you weren’t in shock, you’d realize that. Joe and I only want to get you through this. That’s all that’s important.”

“No, what’s important is that I have you and Joe beside me,” she said unsteadily. “You’ve kept me from falling apart during these last few days. I know I’ve been behaving like a sleepwalker. It’s not fair to you.”

“You’d have gotten through it on your own. You’re tough.” Eve touched her arm affectionately. “It was our privilege to be with you. But now it’s my privilege to send you to bed. Scoot.” She gave Jane a quick kiss on the cheek. “If you won’t go to bed until everyone has gone, I’ll see that they take the hint.” As she started to turn away, she stopped and glanced at Seth Caleb, who was standing alone a few yards away. He had a glass of wine in his hand and he lifted it to Eve as he met her gaze. “But I’m not sure that Caleb will take the hint. I may have to send Joe to reinforce it. He’s been hovering over you like an eagle who’s spied prey.”

The last thing Jane wanted was a confrontation between Joe and Caleb. “Leave Joe out of it. It will be okay. Caleb has been very civilized ever since he got here today.” She tried to smile. “Even subdued. That’s a first for him.”

“You’d know better than I,” Eve said. “He didn’t look subdued to me. He looked like a hurricane waiting to happen. I won’t have him upset you.”

“He can’t upset me.” Not today. Everything that could be done to her had been done. “Stop worrying, Eve. He might just be waiting to offer his condolences.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Eve said doubtfully. “Just motion to me if he gives you grief.” She moved toward the remaining pockets of guests. “I’ll be there for you.”