Текст книги "Taking Eve "

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

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Текущая страница: 14 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

CHAPTER

13

Leesburg, Virginia

THE OLD MAN LOOKED MORE frail than he had the last time Venable had seen him, the CIA agent thought as he walked down the path toward the small garden at the rear of the house. He should not have aged this quickly. It had been a steady downhill path since he had been robbed of years and vigor by one tragic blow. Yet there was no question the general was thinner, his shoulders a little more bowed.

And he looked … tired.

He glanced up from the strawberry bed he was weeding and stiffened when he saw Venable coming toward him. He sat back on his heels. “Hello, Venable.” He forced a smile. “I won’t say it’s good to see you. Do we have a problem?”

Venable nodded. “I’m afraid so, General Tarther.”

The general got slowly to his feet. “And it must be a considerable problem if it rates a personal visit.” He grimaced as he moved toward the striped canvas chair a few feet away. “It’s hell to get old. I hate all the aches and pains.” He sat down. “And it’s even worse when I remember how young and strong I was only yesterday. I do a lot of remembering.” He gestured to the other chair. “Sit down, Venable. Don’t stand there hovering like a vulture.”

Venable sat down. “I was being respectful.” He smiled. “As is due a general of your caliber and stature. How are you doing, sir?”

“Health-wise, a few issues. Emotionally, more than a few. I get ambushed more frequently all the time.”

“Ambushed?”

“Memories. Things that have been, things that could have been. I find the older I get, the less likely I am to keep a stiff backbone and deny that against those ambushes I’m completely helpless. Very chastening for a military man.” He smiled at Venable. “I’m even admitting them to you, Venable.”

“You’ve fought your battles, sir. You’ve won a hell of a lot of them. You don’t have to win that battle.”

“That’s good, because I’m not.” He looked away. “Why are you here? What’s the bad news?”

“Doane has left the safe house.”

“And?”

“He’s abducted a woman, and she may be in danger.”

“You told me that Doane wasn’t like his son.”

“I told you as far as I could tell there was a good possibility,” Venable said. “I believe I was wrong. Even if not as bad, he certainly is very dangerous. He killed one of my agents, who was protecting Eve Duncan.”

“More killing.” Tarther was silent. “If he’s like his son, did he help Kevin Relling kill my Dany?”

“No, he wasn’t in Europe at that time. We know that for certain. I told you so when we arranged protection for Doane. You wouldn’t have asked me to give Doane protection if there had been any hint that was true.”

“Things seem to be changing. I had to make sure that had not changed.” His gaze swung back to Venable. “Did you get the disk?”

It was the question he had known was coming and one he did not want to answer. “No, sir, I did not.”

“Then we have to assume he will use it. Have you protected my men?”

“I’m in the process now, sir.” He paused. “My bet is that Doane is going to be occupied in the immediate future and won’t make an attempt to release any information. There’s still an opportunity to get the disk back. But I had to tell you that I’ll have to pull out all the stops when I go after Doane. I can’t have any more lives lost.”

“I know. But my men’s lives are at stake, too. Why do you think I sent you to shelter that monster’s father? All I wanted to do was forget that he existed and brought Kevin Relling into the world. Instead, I woke every day with the knowledge we had no proof that the apple had not fallen far from the tree. I don’t want it to be for nothing, Venable.”

“I’ll try to take him alive,” Venable said grimly. “And if I do, I guarantee you’ll have that disk.”

“Just save my men.”

“I’ll do everything I can, sir.”

“I know you will,” Tarther leaned back and wearily closed his eyes. “You’re a good man, Venable.”

“If I were that good, Doane wouldn’t have slipped away.”

Tarther’s eyes opened, and he smiled faintly. “Now you’re doing it. Another ambush, Venable. What might have been? That’s the cruelest ambush of all.” His gaze went to the strawberry patch he’d been weeding. “Every year I put in strawberries. My Dany loved strawberries. They would make her mouth red, and she’d rub it against my cheek and laugh. I loved her, Venable.”

“I know you did, General.”

“She appeared in my life when I was near the end of my career and cynical and discouraged beyond belief. I never wanted a child. I was going to pay off her mother and send them both away. What would I do with a little girl? I was nearing sixty, and it would be foolish to take on that kind of responsibility. I was a hard-bitten military man who had done his duty all his life and had no wish to be anything else.” He shook his head. “Yet I could see the world around me going to hell, and I couldn’t seem to stop it. The last thing I wanted was for my Dany to come into that world. But when she came, she changed everything.”

“I understand that children have a habit of doing that.”

“You don’t have any children do you, Venable?”

“No, sir. I’ve never seemed to have the time to think about a family.”

“Take the time. Nothing else is worth thinking about. Not a career, or ideology, or saving the world. I never realized what an empty life I had before Dany. She was a miracle.” He shook his head. “But I didn’t recognize how fragile a miracle could be. I should have spent more time with her. I was always too busy. I thought I’d have more time later. I should have protected her. I never dreamed … but it happened. I thought I’d never forgive myself.” His gaze stayed on the green stems in the rich brown earth. “I pray every day that she’ll forgive me.”

“I’m sure she has, sir.”

“How do you know? I don’t.” His lips tightened. “But lately, I’ve felt that maybe she has forgiven me. I’ve felt her close to me. Sometimes, I imagine I hear her laugh. Or maybe it’s not imagination. What do you think, Venable?”

“I don’t think it matters, General. Not if it’s there for you.”

“You’re probably right. I feel her most when I come out here to this little patch to garden. I find myself hurrying like a young boy down the path because I know maybe she’s waiting.” He nodded slowly. “And I’m waiting, too. We’re just waiting to be together.”

Venable cleared his throat. “Then I’ll go and let you get back to your gardening.” He got to his feet. “I’m sorry to bring you bad news, sir. I’ll let you know of any updates.”

“Do that.” He got up from his chair and moved the few yards to the strawberry patch. “But all I ask is that you protect my men. Find the disk.”

“I’ll find it, General. Oh, and I wanted you to know I’ve assigned an agent to the house to protect you.”

The general stopped and looked over his shoulder. “I’d forgotten that I might be a target. Yes, one thing does lead to another, doesn’t it?” His smile was curiously thoughtful. “Thank you, Venable. And don’t worry about me. I have an idea it’s all going to work out for the best.” He fell to his knees and started to weed again. “Good-bye, my friend.”

Venable hesitated, watching him. The general had already closed him out, his expression absorbed. There was a patience, a methodical movement, a rhythm, to every motion, as if he was devoting every cell of his body to the simple task.

But it wasn’t simple at all, Venable realized. He was preparing a gift for his Dany while he waited for her.

And Venable found it too private a gift to watch the giving. “Good-bye, sir.”

He turned and left the garden.

Lake Cottage

“WHY WOULDN’T YOU LET JANE come along?” Margaret hurried to keep pace with Joe as he strode through the woods. “If I can help, it’s just a matter of concentration on my part. It doesn’t matter how many people are around.”

“It matters that Jane would be hovering over you, trying to keep me from damaging your delicate sensibilities.”

“They’re not delicate.” Margaret made a face. “Nothing about me is fragile or delicate. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m sturdy, and I bounce. Though I can see why you’d think Jane would make that judgment. She’s tough, but I seem to have that effect on her.”

“You saved her Toby. Jane is very careful about giving her affection, but she loves that dog. That probably has something to do with it.” He studied her coolly. “And you’re … disarming.”

She nodded. “Yeah, most people think that. I think it’s because what you see is what you get.” She grinned. “And do I disarm you, Detective Quinn?”

“Joe.” He shook his head. “I can’t afford to be disarmed by anyone or anything right now. All I’m concerned about is whether you can produce results. You may prove valuable, or you may be a bust. I have a little time before Venable gets here, and I’m using it to see if you’ll be of any use to Eve. Nothing else matters.”

“I’d have to be deaf and blind not to have gathered that.” Her brows rose. “And you’re willing to bet on a wild card.”

“I’m willing to bet on anything or anyone,” he said bluntly. “I’ve seen and experienced weirder things than a kid who is a dog whisperer. I don’t expect anything. Prove me wrong.”

“I’m not a kid. And I don’t expect anything, either. I just hope.”

“Is that how it always works?”

“Not always. Sometimes I have somewhere to start, as I did when I was trying to find out what happened to Toby. And I had support and an intelligent animal who’d had contact with people and could translate his experience for me. That’s not always the case. Particularly when I may have to deal with wild, not domestic, animals. Then I have to fumble around and try to interpret.”

“How long have you known you could do this?”

“All my life. But I was five years old before I realized that other people couldn’t do the same thing. The sounds and thoughts and impressions were all around me, and I thought they were there for everyone. Then one day I told my father that our neighbor’s dog, Brandy, told me that she was sick and there was something hurting her stomach.”

“And?”

“My father accused me of lying and beat me until I couldn’t stand.”

“A five-year-old kid?”

“It wasn’t the first time. He drank a lot. My mother died when I was born. My father let me go to foster care because he didn’t want to take care of me. But when I was four, he took me back. I didn’t know until later that the only reason he kept me around was for the welfare checks. I usually tried to stay out of his way, but I didn’t know how to help Brandy.” She shrugged. “I should have worked it out for myself. But at least when I went to my father and he beat me, I learned what not to say. The next day I went to see Brandy’s owners, the Andersons, and told them their dog was sick. I said I’d seen him throw up a couple times, and he was crying when he did it. They were nice people who liked Brandy and didn’t want to take a chance even if a little kid wasn’t exactly a credible witness. They took him to the vet. It was a tumor, but they got it in time.” She wrinkled her nose. “But the Andersons were grateful and went to my father and told him what a fine, observant little girl he had. He agreed, thanked them, and then when they left, he beat me again for talking to the neighbors. I wasn’t supposed to ever talk to anyone outside the house. He wasn’t stupid. He knew DEFACS relied on interviews with neighbors to make their quarterly reports. After that, I usually did what he wanted, but I was pretty lonely. Until I realized I didn’t have to rely on my father or other people to talk to me. It was much better then.” She smiled. “Of course, most people would say that it was isolation and mistreatment that led to hallucinations. You’re a practical, reasonable man; isn’t that what your first reaction would be?”

He nodded. “Damn right. Unless you can prove first reactions are false. So this so-called gift isn’t inherited?”

She shrugged. “As I said, my mother died when I was born, so I have no idea what she could or could not do. The only thing I’m sure about is that I heard she managed to put up with my father for ten years, so she must have been a saint … or a fool. I only made it until I was a little over eight before I ran away from home.”

“Didn’t they catch you and bring you back home? That’s pretty young.”

She shook her head. “I knew how to take care of myself, and I was ready. I didn’t go near anyone who might turn me back over to him. I was used to the woods by that time, and I lived off the land. Later, I made friends who were willing to take me in and help me get an education. There are good people in the world, and some of them don’t believe you have to go by every rule. You just have to find them.” She paused. “The people on Summer Island are like that. So is Jane. So are you, Joe.”

“I believe in rules.”

“Except where it concerns your family. Then the rules are thrown out the window. Caleb is like that, too. But he’s one of the wild ones who don’t have exceptions, so I can’t really include him in the mix.”

“By all means, let’s not include Caleb,” Joe said dryly. He was silent a moment. “You’re not exactly reserved about your background. I admit I didn’t expect such openness since—”

“I’m traveling with false documents and might be a criminal,” she finished for him. “But that’s another story. I told you what I could. I thought it would help you to trust me a little. Not a lot. But we all take what we can get.” She raised her head and listened. “The grave is over the next hill.”

“Yes. That was easy. No voices but a disturbance in the birds?”

“That’s right.” She nodded. “Caleb told me that you were a SEAL. You’d know the basics.” They had come over the hill, and she saw the yellow tape cordoning off the area. There was a uniformed policeman standing by a pine tree, and he lifted his hand in greeting at Joe when he saw him.

Margaret’s gaze was drawn to the area in the center of the taped enclosure. She felt a wave of sadness. “Poor man. Death comes so swiftly sometimes. How did he die?”

“His throat was cut. Do you want to get closer?”

“No, this is fine. What do you want from me?”

“Anything you can give me. We need to know where Dukes was killed on the property and if there’s any evidence to be found there. There’s a possibility that Dukes might have been trailing Doane when he stole a truck from the Hallet farm several miles from here. We can’t find the farmer or Doane’s vehicle.” He added grimly. “I have search teams all over the property, but there are too many damn acres, and I need to know something now.”

“It’s not going to be that fast,” she said absently. “You’re asking too much. I have to find a carrier with a reason to be concerned.” She dropped down on the ground and crossed her legs tailor fashion. “You’re right; the birds are disturbed. Some of them left when the grave was being dug. Some when you excavated the body. There are only a few left who were here originally, and I don’t sense any who witnessed anything disturbing.” She saw Joe’s skeptical look, and said, “Yes, if they saw Dukes’s throat being cut, they would be particularly disturbed. Death disturbs all creatures. Even if they don’t understand it or empathize with it, there’s a sense of loss.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” He hesitated, then fell to his knees beside her. “What’s next?”

“I cast around for an animal I can work with who has been disturbed enough to linger or come back to the grave.” She was gazing down the hill at the grave. “It may take a while.”

He was silent for a few minutes, his gaze on her intent face. “How long?”

He could see the effort she had to use to jerk her attention back to him. “You don’t have to stay. It’s hard for you to believe it’s worthwhile, that I’m worthwhile. I’ll come back to the cottage if I have anything to report.”

The words surprised him with their simple maturity. She gave the impression of cheerful high energy and youthful vigor, but he was beginning to see layers beneath that façade that intrigued him. “I’ll stay. God knows I don’t have anything else to do right now until Venable—” He broke off as his phone signaled an incoming call. “That may be Jane. I told her to call me if Venable showed—Shit!” He was gazing at the ID. “Eve!” He punched the button.

Nothing.

A dial tone.

He was dialing Venable as he jumped to his feet. “I just got a signal that could be a missed call from Eve. It didn’t even ring. What the hell is happening? Did you get a trace on her?”

“They’re working on it,” Venable said. “The call was cut off before it made a connection. But they may have the tower.”

“May?” Joe repeated savagely. “Who the hell knows what Eve risked to make that call. And your tech guys can’t trace it?”

“They’re trying, Joe. If anyone can do it, they can. I’m almost at the cottage. I’ll see you within an hour.” Venable hung up.

Joe whirled and started down the hill toward the path to the cottage.

“Joe.” Margaret called out quietly from behind him, “I know that this seems unimportant at the moment, but I think I’ve found what you were looking for.”

She was right. When he’d gotten the call from Eve, he’d forgotten that Margaret existed, much less for what he’d asked her to search. He looked impatiently over his shoulder. “What, already? You said that it would take—”

“It’s a feral cat. I got lucky.”

“And that means?”

“Cats are clever, and they stalk prey. Feral cats are always looking for food, and this one scavenges the neighboring farms as well as your woods for his next meal. The wife of the farmer who Doane stole a truck from often fed the feral cats on the property.”

“So?”

“The cat was familiar with the farmer as well as his wife. There was often grain in the bed of the farmer’s truck, which he went after when he couldn’t find any other prey.”

“What does that have to do with Dukes’s death?”

“Dukes watched Doane get rid of his blue car and the farmer’s body. But Dukes mustn’t have been too good at his job because Doane turned stalker and went after him. He cut his throat, then took the body away to bury it. Probably because he didn’t want anyone to discover his car or the farmer before he took Eve.”

“This cat told you all this?” Joe asked sarcastically.

“No, don’t be silly. All I get is impressions for the most part. A lot of it is my interpretation of what the cat saw combined with what you told me.”

“And where is Doane’s car and the missing farmer?”

Her gaze went to the north side of the lake. “The lake is deep out there?”

“Very deep.”

“Then you’ll have trouble retrieving the car.”

“We checked the entire bank of the lake for any sign of vehicle entry.”

“It was raining that night, and Doane must be very good at masking his trail.”

“So judged your feral friend?”

She ignored the sarcasm. “There’s a huge moss-covered rock near the bank where the car went into the water. Do you know it?”

He slowly nodded his head. “I taught Jane how to dive off that rock when she was a kid.”

“Then you have somewhere to start, don’t you?”

“I guess I do.” It could be guesswork about that moss-covered rock on the north side of the lake, but it was a peculiar coincidence she had known about it since Margaret had just arrived at the cottage. But, hell, her story was even more peculiar than the coincidence. He had to choose which one to believe.

No, he didn’t. He’d accept everything and check it out later. He started back down the trail. “I’ll order a new search in that area. Come on, let’s get back to the cottage. We have to be there when Venable gets there.”

“We? That sounds … companionable. You’re going to let me help Jane?”

“I’m going to let you help Eve. Providing we find signs that car went into the lake.”

“Eve. Jane. It’s the same thing for me.”

“Not for me.”

“I can see that. She stands alone.” Her voice was a little wistful. “You truly love Eve, and you don’t try to mask it or hide it. It’s … nice. Most people I’ve met are afraid to give themselves unconditionally to any emotion.”

“Then they’re cheating themselves. Are you coming or not?”

She didn’t move. “I’ll be along soon. I have something to do.”

“What?”

“The cat. He was afraid and ran away and didn’t see Dukes’s body being removed. I have to let him know that he doesn’t have any reason to stay close to the grave.”

He frowned. “Why the hell should he be doing that? I’ve never heard of a cat’s guarding a grave.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Go on. I’ll be down soon.”

“Why?” he asked again.

She was silent a moment. “He’s a feral cat,” she said quietly. “He scavenges for food. How do you think he knew where Dukes was buried? He was hungry and followed Doane when he hid the body. But Doane buried Dukes, and he couldn’t get at him. I have to let him know that he should go look for other food.”

Joe grimaced. “Pleasant thought.”

“No, but it’s nature. We’ve got to accept it and not hang our own values on other creatures. He’s doing what his instincts and self-preservation tell him to do.”

“And you accept it?”

“Most of the time. When my emotions don’t get involved.” She turned back to look at the grave. “And I like this cat. He loves lying in the sun and everything about the forest and hunting. He’s tough, but that’s okay, there’s no malice. Maybe we can persuade that farmer’s wife, Mrs. Hallet, to be a little more proactive in taking care of the ferals.”

“If the cat doesn’t eat anyone she knows.”

She shrugged, and said again, “Nature.”

*   *   *

“THEY SHOULD BE BACK SOON.” Caleb had come up behind Jane on the porch. “You could call Quinn if you’re worried.”

“He just called me. They’re on their way back. He thinks he just got a signal from Eve’s phone.” She held up her hand as he started to speak. “But Venable doubts they can trace it, dammit. She managed to try to get word to us, and we can’t even take advantage of it.”

“Is there a chance?”

“Not a very good one.”

“At least you know Eve is alive and working to save herself. That should give you some comfort.”

“It doesn’t give me comfort. I’m upset and feeling pissed off. I want her back here.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I hate staying here and waiting. Eve is helping herself, but I’m not doing anything. I could at least have gone with Margaret and Joe if he hadn’t dragged her off so quickly. I want to shake someone. Preferably Joe.”

“Quinn still thinks of you as walking wounded. He didn’t want you to exert any extra effort.”

“I know all that.” She crossed her arms across her chest. She felt cold. That was probably because she was tired from lack of sleep. Don’t admit even to herself that it had anything to do with the wound. Ignore it. “You’re defending him. That’s not at all like you, Caleb.”

“I’m defending you. You need all the support you can get right now.” He sighed. “It appears I’m not sufficient.” He sat down on the porch swing and stretched his legs out before him. “Until you realize how mistaken you are.”

She turned to look at him. “Since when have you needed any other opinion but your own?” Lord, he was magnetic, she thought suddenly. It was hard not to keep on staring at him. He was leaning lazily back in the swing, and his white shirt was clinging to the powerful muscles of his abdomen. She could see a hint of the dark hair that thatched his chest. And his eyes … dark, sensual, knowing. Everything about him reached out, touched, stroked. She had always thought he was probably the sexiest man she had ever met, and at this moment there was no doubt of it.

But sex could be enslaving if you couldn’t trust the man who wielded it. She was right to keep Caleb at a distance. Even now, when she was weary and hurt, he managed to make her feel more than she wanted to feel.

“But I value your opinion,” Caleb said with a half smile. “And I’m willing to work to be thought sufficient. Sometimes you come close, then you veer away. I agree that it’s safer for you to handle me that way, but so boring. Take a chance, Jane.”

“Why? You don’t have anything that I need except your help finding Eve.”

“No, but there might be something that you want.” He suddenly straightened and got up from the porch swing with one fluid movement. She tensed, foolish to feel this threatened. “A little distraction?” he offered as he came toward her. “I’m more than sufficient at that and very willing to—”

Her phone rang, and she grabbed it quickly without checking ID.

“Did you connect with Margaret?” Trevor asked. “I contacted the head of the search-and-rescue group, and he said that she’d been picked up in Atlanta.”

“Yes, Margaret’s here, Trevor.” She saw Caleb stop and go still. He obviously didn’t like or appreciate Trevor’s calling. Too bad. She was relieved to have that moment interrupted. She wasn’t too pleased with Trevor either, but she never felt threatened around him. “You shouldn’t have put her in touch with that group. It was none of your business. I didn’t want her here.”

“She wanted to come,” Trevor said. “And I liked the idea of your having someone besides Caleb and Joe Quinn beside you.” He paused. “It didn’t hurt that it kept me in the picture if only on a peripheral level. Have you found out anything more about Eve?”

“A little.” She rattled off the information they’d gathered. “Venable will be here soon and tell us more.”

“I’ll check out the info you’ve given me with my contacts and see if I can come up with anything. You have my number. Call me if you need me.” He added, “I’m letting you have a little time and space, but I’m going to be on my way up there in a day or two. Expect me.”

“I may not be here. If Venable gives us the information we need, we’ll be going after Doane.”

“Expect me,” he repeated, and hung up.

“He’s going to come here,” Caleb said flatly, as she pressed the disconnect. “I knew it was only a matter of time.”

So had Jane. Trevor had always done exactly what he wanted once he made up his mind. He had clearly made a decision that their relationship was to have a new start, and she could only hope that he stayed out of her way while she was searching for Eve. “Yes, tomorrow or the next day maybe.”

“And I’m sure he’ll try to be everything that’s sufficient.” His lips twisted. “No, glorious.”

“Glorious? What a description. Trevor would laugh at you.”

“No, that he wouldn’t do,” Caleb said softly. “Not more than once.”

“Caleb, I won’t tolerate any conflict,” she said through clenched teeth. “Not from either of you.”

“I’m sure you won’t have trouble with Trevor. He’ll be everything that’s civilized. Greek-god looks, sophistication, and intelligence. How could you ask for anything more?”

“Don’t be flip, dammit. And I can do without sarcasm.”

Caleb didn’t speak for a moment, then said, “You’re right. I’m having a few problems I didn’t expect. I think it’s because I know you were lovers.”

“What?”

“I know it’s none of my business.” He smiled sardonically. “And it shows how very uncivilized I am that it bothers me. Bothers me? That’s an understatement. I want to—” He broke off. “You don’t want to know what I want to do.”

“No, I don’t.”

His smile changed, warmed, became completely charismatic. “Then we won’t discuss it. But don’t you feel better that you know where you are with me? I wouldn’t be able to hide it even if I tried.” He added, “And I’ll be careful not to antagonize Trevor because I know it would make it difficult for you. We’re just men with the usual priorities, but Trevor will be civilized, and I’ll be as sensitive as I can, and it will all work out. Anything else would be exceptionally stupid.”

“Yes, it would.” And just because Caleb stated that truth wouldn’t necessarily mean that everything would be smooth and easy. She never knew which way he was going to jump. She said deliberately, “And I would never forgive either of you if you did anything that got in my way when I’m looking for Eve.”

“Point taken.” Caleb looked away from her to the road. “A car just came around the bend. Venable?”

“Lord, I hope so.” Her gaze followed his to the light tan Camry. “Yes, that’s the car he was driving.” She started quickly down the steps as she dialed Joe’s number to tell him. Now things would start to move. Now some of the waiting would come to an end. “Thank God.”