Текст книги "Quinn"

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

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“You think he’ll call you again?”

“Why not? I listened. I figure he wanted an audience, and I gave him what he wanted.” He grimaced. “Though it made me want to puke.”

“But anything for the Pulitzer.”

“Well, I did try to ask him questions, but he ran right over me. But that could be good. I didn’t make him mad, and that could mean he’ll call me again. Lots of reporters have formed relationships, even friendships, with killers.”

“I wouldn’t count on it. He called CNN, too. I don’t think you’re that special to him.”

McVey’s face fell with disappointment. “I can hope. In the meantime, I can milk the story for all it’s worth. Would you like to comment? I don’t have an FBI quote.”

“I’d like a few comments from you.”

“Exchange?”

It would be easier than using force or threats. Joe nodded. “Did he say anything different to you than what he told Ellen Bristol?”

McVey shook his head. “Not from what I can tell from what Slindak told me. He made a big thing about calling himself Zeus. I think he wanted to make sure I had that for the story. Maybe like the Zodiac Killer or something. All the rest of the details were vague except about the murder itself. He was very explicit about that.”

“Would you recognize the voice if you heard it again? Was it distinctive?”

“I’d recognize it. It was deep and smooth.”

“No accents?”

He shook his head. “Hard to tell. Not Southern. Just … American.”

“Well, that helps,” Joe said sarcastically.

“Sorry, I’m no elocution expert. I even tried to concentrate while he was talking because I knew it would be important, but I couldn’t tell anything.” He stopped. “There was one thing. House.”

“What?”

“He mentioned watching the Bristol house. He said the word a couple times. House. Only it didn’t sound quite the same as we say it.”

“What was the difference?”

He shook his head. “It’s hard … It was almost the same.”

“You’re sure he was American?”

He nodded. “Everything was the same except for that one word.”

“What kind of emotion? What was he feeling?”

McVey thought about it. “Excitement. Eagerness. Pride. He was speaking quickly, with energy.”

“Did he mention any other children?”

“No, not specifically.” His eyes suddenly narrowed. “You were with Eve Duncan at the Bristol place. Has she been contacted?”

“No.”

“Pity. She’s interesting. All the other parents are steady, ordinary couples. Boring. A young woman who has an illegitimate child sparks the imagination. Why was she at the Bristols’?”

“You’ll have to ask her.”

“I can’t. I tried, but she wasn’t at her house. Did you hide her away?”

“Now why would I do that? Surely you and your colleagues wouldn’t bother a grieving woman. You do have some scruples.”

“I’ll find her,” McVey said softly. “It’s the story of a lifetime, and she’s part of it. I don’t know what chapter she’s in, but I’ll find out.”

“Leave her alone, McVey. You don’t want to deal with me.”

McVey studied him. “No, but I’ll do it. It would be worth it.” He paused and picked up his pencil. “Now, what’s my quote?”

“The FBI is aiding the investigation of the ATLPD and offering the full services of the Bureau. We’re making progress and hope to have a break in the case soon.”

“Got it.” McVey looked up. “Anything else?”

“Yes.” Joe turned and started down the aisle toward the door. “Go screw yourself.”

*   *   *

“THAT’S ALL?” Eve asked, disappointed.

“It’s more than we had before,” he said. “We’ll have to work with it. But I think you’d better stay away from your house for a few days more. McVey is going to be persistent. He’s a very ambitious man, and he’s got his teeth into this story.”

“I’m not going into hiding. I can’t afford it, and it makes me angry. I’m going home tomorrow.”

He shrugged. “I tried. I didn’t think I’d succeed.” He nodded at the box he’d brought into the motel room and set on the coffee table. “There are the reports. I suppose you’re going to tackle them again?”

“Yes, I’m going to look at Janey Bristol. Did you receive the dental-record confirmation?”

“Yes, it came in right before I stopped to pick up your mother. I’m afraid I failed in my mission. She wouldn’t come with me.”

“I know. She said if she couldn’t spend the night at home that she’d go to stay with Pastor Nambrey and his wife. They are always inviting her,” she said. “It was definitely Janey Bristol?”

“Yes.”

“Poor little girl.” She shook her head. “Do you know I just felt a rush of relief? I’m like George Bristol. I wanted it to be anyone but Bonnie. He said he was terrible. I guess we’re all ruthless when it comes to protecting our children.” She paused. “If I still have a daughter to protect.” She went on haltingly, “But I was thinking about what you said about that skull being hard to ID unless you knew where to find the dental records. What if you didn’t have any idea who that victim was? She might be lost forever, maybe buried by the county in a nameless grave with her parents never knowing. It breaks my heart to think about it. There are a lot of victims like that, aren’t there, Joe?”

He nodded. “Too many.”

“It breaks my heart,” she repeated. “What if it were—” She drew a deep breath and gestured to the boxes. “Thank you for bringing these.”

“That sounds like a dismissal.”

“You don’t want to go over these records again. Things are moving for you. You have things to do.”

“And you don’t want me to be here.”

She met his gaze. “No, I don’t. I have some thinking to do, and I want to be alone to do it. I don’t want to be soothed or protected. I’ve been leaning on you too much.”

“I haven’t noticed.”

“And I don’t want to look at you and know that you’re wondering how I’ll survive when I find out my Bonnie is dead.” She added jerkily, “You’ve been very kind, but I need a break from you, Joe. Get out of my life for a while.”

He hadn’t realized he was that transparent to her. But Eve was intelligent and more savvy about people than anyone he had run across. Even upset as she had been today, she had managed to pick up on all the signals he had not wanted her to see. Damage control was clearly necessary. “What about throwing me out after dinner? You have to eat, and I’d bet this place doesn’t have room service.”

She smiled faintly. “I’ve been rude as hell, and you still try to take care of me.”

“It’s beginning to be a habit. I like it. I never had a cat or a puppy when I was kid. I was always envious of the kids on TV who had animals. You’re supplying a need.”

Her smile widened. “You’re nuts. I refuse to be a substitute for Lassie.”

“Dinner?”

Her smile faded. “No, I meant it. I need to be alone and think. What happened today may … it could open a door.”

“What door?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I have to think about it.” She added pointedly, “Without you to question me while I’m doing it.”

She was determined. Okay, back off before she tossed him out on a permanent basis. “No problem.” He turned away. “If I hear anything that might interest you, I’ll be in touch. Call me if you need me.”

“Thanks, Joe.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled at her over his shoulder. “But I’ll stop at that pizza restaurant across the street and ask them to deliver a pizza and a drink to you in about an hour.”

“Joe…”

“I’d do the same for Lassie.”

His smile vanished as he shut the door and strode toward his car. It was going to be hard as hell to give her space. He wanted to hover, build a wall, keep all the ugliness away from her.

And he didn’t like the fact that she was distancing herself from him. She had gone through a tremendously painful experience at the Bristols’. Instead of it drawing her closer to him, she had become quieter, more independent. He had been almost able to see her strengthen as each blow had struck her.

If he hadn’t cared before, that courage would have made him love her.

He stopped at the pizza restaurant and sat in the car for a moment. No, he couldn’t go back. He would do what he’d told her he’d do.

Be patient. Keep in contact, but give her a moderate amount of space. Do his job and find the bastard who had killed her Bonnie.

And be ready to catch Eve when she was downed by that final horrible blow.

CHAPTER

6

“WE GOT THE REPORT on the print on the shoe.” Slindak stopped by Joe’s desk the next afternoon and handed him a sheet of paper. “He’s big. Size thirteen. It’s a work shoe, but it’s not the usual model built for construction workers. The pattern on the soul is different and deeper. It’s not a product of any of the major U.S. companies. Schweitzer, the owner of the shoe company, is going through his catalogs and seeing if he can locate where it was purchased.”

“Different and deeper,” Joe repeated. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I suppose we’ll know when Schweitzer gets back to us.”

“That’s not good enough. I’m calling the Bureau and getting them on it.” Joe reached for the phone. “I’ll make a copy of this before I give it back to you.”

“Suit yourself. My feelings won’t be hurt. That’s why we called you into the case.” Slindak strolled across the room toward his desk.

Joe finished his call and leaned back in his chair. Call Eve and tell her what they’d learned? Which was virtually nothing as yet.

Hell, yes. It was a reason to make contact. She had only been going to spend the one night at the motel. She should be home now. He was about to dial again when the phone rang.

“Mr. Quinn?” It was Sandra Duncan’s soft, Southern voice. “I do hope you’ll excuse me for phoning you. It’s really nothing, but you’ve been so nice to me I just knew you wouldn’t mind me bothering you.”

“You’re right. I’ll be glad to help you. Are you still at Pastor Nambrey’s? Do you need a ride home?”

“No, Eve doesn’t want me to come home yet. She said I was to stay at the pastor’s until she called me.”

Joe’s hand stiffened on the receiver. “That’s … strange.”

“That’s what I thought, but Eve didn’t want to talk about it.” She hesitated. “Eve’s been real upset. You know that. I just wanted to make sure that she wasn’t– It was such an odd call.”

“You believe she might try to hurt herself?”

“I don’t think so. Not when she’s so set on finding Bonnie. But she was firing all kinds of orders at me and wouldn’t answer questions. Then she just hung up.”

“What orders?”

“Not to come home. Not to pay any attention to the afternoon papers or anything else. To stay with the pastor and not go with anyone I don’t know. Don’t you think that’s peculiar?”

“Yes, very peculiar.” His heart was pounding, and all he wanted to do was to get off this damn phone. “But I’m sure she has a reason for everything she said. She’ll be fine.” God, he hoped he was telling the truth. “And it’s probably best to do exactly what she told you.”

“Well, I did promise her. But I thought that maybe you knew more, and I could find out what Eve was talking about. I know how much Eve trusts you.”

That was more than he knew, Joe thought grimly. “No, she didn’t confide in me. I have go now, Mrs. Duncan. I’m sure Eve will be fine. If you have any other concerns, just call me.”

“I knew you wouldn’t mind me phoning you. I do feel better after talking to you. Sharing always helps, doesn’t it?” She didn’t wait for an answer but hung up.

Sandra’s sharing didn’t make him feel better, Joe thought as he jumped to his feet. It was scaring him to death.

He had to get his hands on the afternoon paper. There was a machine downstairs.

Suicide? Yesterday had been a nightmare for her, and he’d known she was coming closer to accepting that her daughter was dead.

But she had been stronger than he had ever seen her last night before he had left her.

Yet she had pushed him away, and he hadn’t been able to persuade her otherwise. She would know that he wouldn’t let her harm herself.

He didn’t wait for the elevator, but ran down the stairs. The newsboy was cutting the cord on the pile of newspapers that had just been delivered. Joe snatched up the top newspaper.

Son of a bitch.

“What the hell is she doing?” Slindak had come up behind him. His expression was tense as he grabbed another newspaper. “The captain just called me from a meeting at the mayor’s office. He wants to know if we had anything to do with this. Did we?”

“Hell, no.”

There was a photo of Eve on the front page. She looked sober, but her chin was lifted defiantly. That gesture was the theme for the entire story below the photo.

The story was written by Brian McVey.

“I’m going to murder him,” Joe muttered as his gaze scanned the interview.

It led off with an emotional introduction to Eve Duncan, who had lost her child. Then it went to the Q&A directly following.

Q. “You’ve heard about the death of Janey Bristol. Do you believe that your daughter was taken by the same killer?”A. “It’s possible. The man who killed Janey Bristol was obviously a coward who only has the nerve to prey on children. Adult interaction obviously terrifies him. He was so stupid he didn’t even hide the child’s body but left it in that cave to be discovered.”Q. “Stupid? He’s allegedly killed at least nine children without being apprehended.”A. “Children. He’s a moron who is only capable of attacking and overcoming little children like Janey. That’s why he concentrates only on them. It takes logic and intelligence to attack adults. Someone told me that killers like him are into power. Since he’d be defeated by anyone other than a five-year-old, he’ll probably continue to kill helpless children. He won’t attempt to attack anyone who might challenge him.”

The article continued for another two columns, but it was all in the same insulting vein.

Slindak gave a low whistle. “Ugly. She couldn’t be more insulting. Is she trying to get herself killed?”

“Don’t ask me,” he said through his teeth. “She didn’t consult me about this insanity.”

“And I thought you were so close,” Slindak murmured.

“Not now,” Joe said curtly. “I’m very near to blowing, Slindak.”

“I can see that.” He added, “But I told you that there was the danger of not being able to control her. Now she’s going to cause us a hell of—”

“I know what she’s doing.” He strode over to the lobby telephone booth. “And she would have done this if I’d never shown up here in Atlanta. She’d have found a way to reach out to the bastard.”

“Reach out? She bludgeoned him. Are you calling her?”

He was trying. But she wasn’t picking up on her home phone. She could be there, but not answering. He hung up. “I’m going to her place and talk to her.”

“You may have to stand in line. She could have made Zeus mad enough to want to have his own discussion with her.” Slindak added, “The captain isn’t going to be happy if Eve Duncan ends up in a cave with her skull on a shelf. We’re getting enough heat without that maniac expanding his chosen field.”

“Dammit, it won’t happen. She won’t be killed.” He tore out of the precinct and down the steps.

Thirty minutes later, he was at the house on Morningside. No answer when he rang. The front door was locked. He went around to the back porch. No answer there.

What the hell? He jimmied the window and climbed into the kitchen.

Five minutes later, he’d searched every room in the house, and Eve was not to be found.

But there was an envelope on the kitchen table.

Joe

He tore it open.

You’ll be angry, but I had to do this. It’s my chance. You told me that this monster is all ego, and I thought this way I could draw him closer to me. You wouldn’t let me do that, but McVey has no qualms about it. As you said, he’s hungry. He doesn’t care about anything but getting his story. Isn’t that lucky for me? Thank you, Joe. Eve

His hand clenched on the paper.

Lucky.

Yeah, lucky enough to have that bastard zero in on her and slice her to pieces.

Cool down. Panic wouldn’t get him anywhere. He had to find her, talk to her, persuade her to step back and away from acting as bait for McVey.

Find her.

She wasn’t in the house. Her mother didn’t know where she’d gone. But she was working with Brian McVey. He might have thought he was using her, but he’d soon find out differently. Eve would be in control.

He called the Atlanta Constitution.

Brian McVey had taken an indefinite leave of absence and could not be contacted.

Strike one.

The hell he couldn’t be contacted. He called the ATLPD and had a clerk pull out all the profile information they could gather on McVey.

“What are you doing?” Slindak came on the line. “What does Duncan say?”

“I’d know if I could get hold of her,” Joe said. “She’s not home. I think that McVey has her stashed somewhere while he runs these stories. Get off the line and let me get the info I need.”

“I’ve got it here. McVey has an apartment in Dunwoody—1321 Ashford.”

“That would be too easy. Anything else?”

“Let me see … He inherited a house from his mother two years ago. It doesn’t say whether he sold it or still has possession.”

“Address.”

“It’s 4961 Rosecreek Drive. It’s near Lake Allatoona.” He paused. “McVey’s story has caused a buzz with the rest of the media. There was lot of talk on the local TV news this evening. Including Eve Duncan’s quotes.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. McVey might have even given them a call.”

“And shared his story? Not likely.”

“To stir the pot. To add the final irritant that would make an explosion certain. Anything else you can tell me about McVey?”

“I can tell you he’s a member of the press, and you should be careful what you do to him. I know you’re pissed at the hot spot he’s put Eve Duncan on, but he can cause us big-time trouble.”

“Ask me if I care.” He hung up.

The apartment in Dunwoody or the house near Lake Allatoona?

The Dunwoody apartment was closer, and he didn’t know whether McVey still owned the house he’d inherited.

But his instincts were leaning toward Lake Allatoona. He called the telephone company, identified himself, and asked if there was still a telephone connection at 4961 Rosecreek Drive.

Yes.

Private number.

Joe waited for the operator to call Washington on another line and check his authority. Five minutes later he had the number.

Name of party holding the service?

Edna McVey.

Brian McVey had never changed the name and evidently occasionally still used the house.

Okay, phone the number he’d been given?

If Eve was there, then she’d be given time to leave before he could get there.

He strode out of the house and jumped in his car.

*   *   *

THE MCVEY PLACE ON ROSECREEK Drive was a pleasant two-story cottage only a few hundred yards from the edge of Lake Allatoona. Its gray sideboard needed painting, but there was a cane rocking chair on the wide porch that gave the place a comfortable ambience.

There was light gleaming from windows on the first floor.

Joe cursed softly. Nothing like leaving a welcoming beacon.

He parked his car a good distance away from the house and moved silently into the woods.

He was a hundred yards to the rear of the cottage when he knew someone was following him.

He paused, listening.

To the left, in the brush.

He faded into the stand of trees to the right.

A sudden crashing of shrubs to the left.

Definitely following him.

He circled swiftly, silently, to the left to get behind the pursuer.

A male figure in a black Windbreaker was now moving ahead of him.

Now.

He covered the distance between them in seconds and brought him down.

The man started to struggle frantically.

Joe’s hand tangled in his hair and jerked back hard as the edge of his knife was pressed to the man’s throat. “Don’t move, or I’ll cut your throat.”

The man froze. “For God’s sake, Quinn. What are you doing? Let me go.”

McVey.

“Why should I, you son of a bitch?” He deliberately pressed the edge of the knife a little harder so that it broke the skin. “I’m a little angry with you. Maybe you can tell.”

McVey went rigid. “I can tell. But I don’t think you’re pissed enough to commit murder.”

“But you told me that I was so good at it.”

“Let me up, Quinn. You know you’re just toying with me.”

Joe drew a deep breath. “Toying”? McVey didn’t know how close he’d come. All of Joe’s training, his instincts, the savagery that had been both his friend and his enemy had come racing back in that moment.

“Let him go. What are you doing, Joe?”

He looked over his shoulder to see Eve standing with a gun pointed at him.

“A gun, Eve? Did McVey give you that gun? He probably thought you’d need it if you were going to have to rely on him.”

“I asked him for a weapon,” Eve said as she lowered the gun. “But I don’t need to use it against you, Joe. Dammit, you scared me. I thought you were going to– Let him go.”

Joe shrugged and took the knife from McVey’s throat. “It was a close call for him. I was mad as hell, and the bastard decided to follow me. I thought he was a threat.” He got off McVey and stood up. “As much threat as a day-old Chihuahua.”

“You cut me.” McVey’s fingers were on his throat and came away with blood on them. “You knew who I was, and you still cut me.”

“I cut you because of who you are, you son of a bitch. Maybe I should tie you up on the front porch and see how you like being bait. You’ve got our killer all primed. He’s probably almost as angry with you as with Eve. What do you think he’d do to you if he found you helpless?”

“None of this was McVey’s idea,” Eve said. “It was all mine, Joe. I called him and sketched it out to him.”

“And he jumped at it.”

“Of course, I did,” McVey said as he got to his feet. “Do you think I’d turn my back on a chance like this? I told you that I’d do whatever I had to do.” He glared defiantly at Joe. “I didn’t go out of my way to cause a killer to go after her. That wasn’t my fault. But I wasn’t going to say no if she wanted to run the risk. Hell, if we catch Zeus, it might mean that we’d save some other kids. What’s wrong with that?”

“You sound almost noble, McVey.”

“Stop this, Joe.” Eve turned to McVey. “Come back to the house and I’ll try to find something to put on that cut.” She glanced at Joe. “You’re not going away, are you? I can’t convince you.”

“You can’t convince me.”

“Then I suppose you’ll have to come with us, and we’ll talk.” She turned and strode toward the house, with McVey at her heels.

Joe watched them until they reached the porch, then faded back into the brush.

*   *   *

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Eve was standing waiting on the porch when Joe came toward her twenty minutes later. “I didn’t know what had happened to you.”

“Were you worried? Good. I was worried about you, too. And with a hell of a lot more reason.”

“Where have you been?” she repeated.

“You decided to declare war on Zeus. This evidently was going to be your first battle site. I know about war. First, you familiarize yourself with the terrain and the places that lend themselves to ambush. While you’re doing it, you make sure the enemy isn’t already within the gates.”

“That’s what McVey was trying to do.”

“Not well. He’d have had his throat cut, and the way to you would have been open. Where is he?”

“Inside. He’s calling in tomorrow’s story.”

Joe muttered a curse.

“Do you want to go in and cut him again?” she asked sarcastically.

“It’s tempting.”

She shook her head in exasperation. “For God’s sake, be civilized. This isn’t his fault.”

“But there’s a wide streak in me that isn’t at all civilized. I think you’ve always sensed that. If you’ll be honest, you’ll admit that’s one of the reasons that you thought that I could help you find Bonnie. You didn’t want some slick, dutiful cop who would make all the right moves. You wanted me. Because you knew I’d break any rule I had to break to get what I wanted. Isn’t that the truth? Well, you can’t have it both ways. You wanted me. You’ve got me. And there’s no way I’ll let you turn your back on me.”

She stared at him, her expression a mixture of frustration, anger, and something else that he couldn’t define. “Damn you, Joe. Okay, come in and talk. But don’t you dare hurt McVey.” She turned on her heel and opened the front door.

“I’ll try to resist.” He followed her and glanced around the living room. Nothing fancy. The furniture was contemporary, but there were doilies on the arms of the blue denim couch. Probably another legacy from McVey’s mother. It surprised him that McVey hadn’t stored them away. He wouldn’t have thought the reporter would be that sentimental. “McVey must not use this house much.”

“Only an occasional weekend. He told me he has a boat that’s stored at the marina a few miles away.” Eve led him down the hall to the kitchen. “But it was convenient for our purpose. Private. Out of the way. And he still had the phone service connected. Since he’s a reporter, he has to be reachable even on his time off.”

“Yeah, very convenient. It wouldn’t do to invite a killer to a place that wasn’t isolated. He might not accept the invitation.”

“That’s right.” She poured him a cup of coffee. “You might as well sit down. Though you can cut the sarcasm. I got the point. You don’t have to belabor it.”

“I’ll try.” He dropped down in a white chair at the kitchen table. “I’m having trouble with control at the moment.”

“That couldn’t be clearer.” She poured herself a cup of coffee. “I think you scared McVey.”

“He should have been scared.”

She sat down opposite him. “I never saw you like that before.”

“But you always knew it was there, didn’t you?” He stared directly into her eyes. “You said you grew up with violence all around you. Well, violence isn’t confined to the housing projects. It can exist anywhere. It may be a breeding ground, but you have to have someone to throw out the seeds.”

“And you’re a regular Johnny Appleseed,” she said dryly. “I didn’t expect you to get so angry. And I didn’t think you’d track me down so quickly. I thought I’d have time.”

“It wasn’t that difficult. I just had to stretch a little. Time for what? It’s obvious to anyone that you’re trying to set yourself up as bait. Would you like to tell me how you expect to do it without getting yourself killed?”

She glanced away from him. “I expect him to call me. McVey has set up a tracer on the phone. If I can keep him on the phone long enough, I can find out where he is.”

“And you don’t think he won’t suspect that’s what you’re doing? If he has any brains at all, he’ll know why you were so insulting in that interview.”

“He’ll suspect it. But if he’s as egotistical as you think, then he’ll still come after me. It would be a feather in his cap to be able to get to me in spite of a trap.” She moistened her lips. “And I’m counting on rage. He has to be full of rage if he could do what he did to those children. That’s why I was so insulting during the interview. I wanted to trigger that rage.”

“I don’t believe you’ll be disappointed.”

“I hope not,” she said quietly.

His hand clenched on his cup. “Look, he’s crazy. Nothing could be more evident. Crazy people don’t react as normal people do. Even when they know that there’s danger, they just keep on coming.”

“Maybe he won’t come after me. We may be able to trace his call and have the police pick him up before it gets that far.”

“Eve … Dammit.”

“Joe … Dammit.” She smiled unsteadily. “I had to do this. He can’t be allowed to go on. I know that the chances aren’t wonderful of everything coming out the way I want them. That’s why I didn’t want you involved. I knew you would try to stop me.”

“Damn right, I am.”

“Too late, Joe. If he’s as crazy as you think, he’ll already have his sights on me.”

“I could knock you out and have Slindak stuff you in a cell as a material witness.”

“And when he let me out, the problem would still be out here waiting for me.”

“Not if I find Zeus first.”

“What are the chances of that?” She shook her head. “My way is better.”

“Your way is as crazy as he is.” But he could see that he wasn’t budging her. “So what are you doing? Just camping out here and waiting for him to call you?”

“Yes.”

“And what if he comes instead of call? That’s what I did.”

“That’s why I had McVey get me a gun. But if I made him angry enough, he won’t want to just kill me. He’ll want to connect with me, tell me how wrong I am and what he’s going to do to me.”

“Maybe.”

“Am I supposed to argue with you? None of this is written in stone. I’m guessing, based on what you told me about the mind-set of serial killers.”

“I should have kept my mouth shut.”

She shook her head. “You were trying to help me. You did help me.”

“Enough to put you squarely behind the eight ball with the help of Brian McVey.”

“Am I hearing my name taken in vain?” McVey strolled into the kitchen, his gaze fixed warily on Joe. “Has Eve convinced you that you shouldn’t take my scalp?”

“We hadn’t gotten around to discussing you yet,” Joe said coolly. “But I doubt if she’d be able to tell me anything about you that would tip the scales.”

“I went to him,” Eve said. “He only agreed to what I wanted from him. It’s entirely my doing.”

“I’m insulted,” McVey said. “I contributed. I wrote a damn good article. Maybe not Pulitzer quality, but it’s the quantity of work that counts in this case. And I furnished the house and the telephone, not to speak of the equipment and technician who’s going to trace the dreaded call.” He grimaced. “Though it’s not really dreaded. It’s much anticipated. I admit I want to get this over with as soon as possible. I wasn’t expecting you to appear and offer me bodily harm.”

“I only offered. If you’d been following the one you’d set this bullshit trap for, you’d be missing a larynx.” He paused. “And you’ve convinced me that you’re just as much to blame as I thought. So maybe we should take it outside and start over.”

“You will not,” Eve said. “Since you won’t go away, you’ll stop trying to vent your temper on McVey.”

“Eve to the rescue,” McVey murmured. “I know it’s supposed to be the other way around, but I’ve always believed in women’s liberation. It’s much more comfortable.”

Joe ignored him and stared at Eve. “This is sloppy as hell. It would be a miracle if it worked.”

“But our killer isn’t neat or tidy. He’s sloppy, too. Or should I use the word ‘reckless’? Either way, he might take a chance if it suited him.”

“I can see that happening and that’s why I’m going to call Slindak and have him surround this place,” Joe said.

“No, Joe.”

“Why the hell not?”

“We may not get the trace. If we don’t, then he’ll come after me. A police presence would scare him off.”

“Exactly.”