Текст книги "Taking Eve "

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

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She moved to the far right side of the door and carefully drew the red drapes the tiniest bit away from the window.

She stiffened with shock.

The next moment she was at the front door, turning off the alarm.

She thrust her gun in her robe pocket and threw the door open.

“Stop that banging. What are you doing here?”

“You need me,” Ben Hudson said simply. “So I came, Eve. May I come in? I’m all wet.”

“For heaven’s sake, of course you have to come in.” She took his arm and pulled him into the cottage. “Just look at you.” She grabbed a dish towel from the kitchen cabinet and handed it to him. “You look like you’ve been swimming in the lake.”

“Do I?” He smiled his warm sweet smile as he wiped his face. “I guess so. After all, it’s all just lots of water.” He dried his sandy hair until it stood up in spiky tendrils. “But kind of different.”

She shook her head as she gazed at him. Here he was on her doorstep smiling at her as if he had just dropped in to say hello. Wide-set blue eyes stared at her from beneath that ridiculously spiked hair, and he was obviously pondering the difference between lake and rainwater. He was the same calm, sweet, slow boy she had grown to know all those months ago when he had helped Joe and her find Bonnie’s body. The counselors at the charity camp where he worked had told her he was twenty years old but had the mental capacity of a child of ten. She had never been sure that was true. He was indeed special, but that uniqueness seemed far beyond the easy pigeonhole where they wanted to put him. When she had first seen him, his joyous smile had reminded her of Bonnie’s. It still did. She wanted to hold him, take care of him, shake him for wandering outside in this storm.

“Sit down. I’ll get you some hot chocolate.”

He shook his head. “No, I have to go back outside. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

She was already at the counter putting in a chocolate K-cup under the drink dispenser. “So you decided to bang down my door and make sure.”

He nodded gravely. “I thought that would be the right thing to do. I had to be sure. She said Joe wasn’t with you.”

She stiffened as her hand closed on the cup of chocolate. “She?”

“I had a dream last night. She said that I had to try to help you.”

She. He had to mean the dream had been about Bonnie. Bonnie had reached out to Ben in the past in dreams. Perhaps she recognized and bonded to his clear, simple soul, which was so like that of the child she had been when she had been alive. The fact that Bonnie had chosen to come to this boy made Ben all the more close to Eve.

She crossed the room and handed him the cup, and said very carefully, “Let’s go slowly. You had a dream about Bonnie?”

“Sort of.” He frowned. “It was more about you. She said she couldn’t get through to you. She said the darkness was holding her back.”

“Darkness?”

“Bad darkness. She said it was coming toward you, and I had to try to help.”

“Because Joe wasn’t going to be here?” She felt a sudden chill. “Were you at the vocational camp when you had this dream?”

He nodded. “She came almost as soon as I went to sleep. So I started out right away.”

“All the way from the camp in south Georgia? You don’t drive.”

“I woke up Kenny. He brought me. He’s a counselor, too, and sharing my tent right now. But he was afraid his Honda would get stuck in the mud and wouldn’t bring me past the highway and I had to walk.” He made a face. “I think he was kind of mad at me for waking him up. But it was nice of him to bring me, wasn’t it?”

“It would have been even nicer if he’d gone the extra couple miles,” she said dryly. But it didn’t surprise her that he’d been able to persuade this Kenny to drive over a hundred miles when Ben had asked him. Ben was special, and everyone he touched seemed to realize that. “You’ve got to get out of those clothes. I don’t suppose you brought anything with you?”

Ben shook his head.

“Then I’ll get something of Joe’s for you to wear.” She started to turn, then saw a spear of headlights outside the window. “That’s the patrol car. I almost forgot he was coming.” She headed for the front door. “Stay here. I’ll talk to the officer.”

But Ben was at the door before her. “No, I have to be with you.”

She looked at him in exasperation. “Ben…”

He shook his head. He wasn’t going to be persuaded.

She drew back the drape and glanced out the window and saw the uniformed officer coming up the porch stairs. She opened the door before he had a chance to knock. “I’m sorry, Officer Hughes. I didn’t have time to call you. It was a false alarm. It was only my friend at the door.”

“At this hour?” He was looking beyond her at Ben. “May I come in for a moment?”

It was clear he wanted to check Ben out and make sure she wasn’t being coerced. Why not? It would be the quickest way to reassure him. No one would believe Ben would be a threat once they’d spoken to him. She opened the door wider. “Of course.”

“Thanks. I’ll only be a minute.” He showed her his ID as he came into the house. “Detective Quinn wouldn’t like it unless I did everything by the book.” He looked at Ben. “Your name?”

“Ben. Ben Hudson.”

“And your purpose here?”

“To help Eve.” He smiled. “Like you. Right?”

“Right.” Officer Hughes smiled back at him. It was hard not to smile at Ben. “But from now on call her and tell her you’re coming. It will save all of us a lot of trouble. You don’t want to scare her.” He turned back to Eve. “I’ll be on my way. If you need me, just call. I’ll be on duty for another two hours, and I think Detective Quinn has arranged for Pete Dolanelli to take over.”

“Thank you for being so prompt.” She went with him to the door. “I hope it’s the last time I’ll have to call you.”

“So do I.” He grinned. “But it broke up the duty a bit. Monotony is always best, but it gets boring.” He started down the steps and looked back over his shoulder and lowered his voice. “No offense, ma’am, but I’d rather you rely on me or Dolanelli. Mr. Hudson seems like a nice guy, but there’s no … edge.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Eve said. “Ben has no edge at all. But he’s very loyal and has a good heart. When I need edge, I’ll definitely call you.” She went back in the house, locked the door behind her, and turned back to Ben. “You see, I have that very nice and competent policeman to protect me. I don’t need you, Ben. Go back to the camp.”

He shook his head. “I have to stay with you.”

She nodded. She hadn’t thought that she’d be able to convince him. “I’ll go and get Joe’s clothes. The bathroom is the first door on your left. Why don’t you take a hot shower?”

He shook his head. “I’ll only get cold and wet again when I go back outside.”

“Outside? Why should you go outside again? You want to protect me? Do it from the living-room couch.”

“I just wanted to make sure that the cottage is safe. That Officer Hughes is in a car. I’ll be able to see more if I move around on foot.”

“Ben, there’s no solid proof that I’m even in danger. It’s all fog and mirrors.” She met his eyes. “And dreams. And that dream of yours was very vague.”

“Because of the darkness,” he said gravely. “But it wasn’t vague that Bonnie sent me here. She wanted me to come.”

“And park yourself out in the rain?”

“Maybe the rain will stop.”

“And maybe it won’t.” She gazed at him for another moment and turned on her heel. She wasn’t making a dent in that solemn determination. “I’ll get those clothes. Do you have a cell phone?”

“Yes, but I keep doing things to it that make it go wonky.”

“Well, don’t do anything tonight, dammit. I want you to call me every hour, and I want to be able to reach you.”

He smiled. “Yes, Eve.”

“And I’m going to give you Joe’s slicker, and I want you to keep beneath the trees and out of the rain as much as possible.”

“Yes, Eve.”

“And if you see something you don’t like, then call me, and I’ll call Officer Hughes. Don’t try to deal with it yourself.”

His smile widened. “Yes, Eve.”

“And stop saying that and grinning at me. I mean it.”

“I know you do. But it’s hard not to smile. You’re worried about me, and that means that you like me. That makes me happy.”

She felt a melting within her. “Of course I like you. I’ve always liked you, Ben. Don’t you know that?”

He shook his head. “I thought it was because I helped you with Bonnie. It was okay that it was all about her, but it’s nice that you like me, too.”

She went back and gave him a quick hug. “Don’t you ever say that again. Bonnie was the beginning, but you’re very special to Joe and me on your own. Because you’re who you are.” She turned and strode toward the bedroom. “So you have to take care of yourself and don’t do anything foolish.”

“Some people think I am a fool, Eve,” he said quietly.

“Then they’re stupid. Are you different? Yes. But we’re all different, and we just have to accept each other. Finish that chocolate and dry your hair.”

“Yes, Eve.”

“Now you’re making fun of me.”

“I think I am.” He thought about it. “Do you mind?”

“No. Just don’t make a habit of it.” She slammed the door behind her.

Dammit, she didn’t want Ben to go out there.

But he had said that Bonnie had told him to come here. Surely she wouldn’t have sent him if she’d thought there was any danger. Or would she? Bonnie had shown that she wasn’t above weighing her choices as to whom she wanted to protect. She loved Eve as much as Eve loved her. Eve would always be first where Bonnie was concerned. From the moment she had given birth to Bonnie, Eve had realized her little girl was very special, and they would always have a bond that would last forever. But forever had lasted only seven short years when Bonnie had been kidnapped and died. Eve couldn’t bear the agony of living without her and had been spiraling downward to follow her through that final door when she had started to dream of Bonnie. It wasn’t until years later that she would admit to herself that she believed Bonnie was no dream but a spirit who had come to show her that forever was still possible if they were patient and didn’t break the rules. It had been difficult because Eve always had been hardheaded and practical, and ghosts were not acceptable in her vision of life … and death. But those visits from Bonnie were so real, so right, that she had gradually realized that Bonnie was alive for her no matter what anyone else thought.

And when she was searching for Bonnie’s body to bring her home, she had come across Ben, who was as special in his way as Bonnie. Somehow, it had hardly surprised her that he, too, dreamed about Bonnie. Nor that he loved her as much as Eve did.

No, that wasn’t true. No one could love her that much.

Good God, was she a little jealous that Bonnie had come to Ben and not to her?

She said the darkness around you was holding her back.

So Bonnie had sent Ben to try to keep Eve safe.

And now Eve had to find a way to keep Ben safe.

*   *   *

THE RAIN WAS LESSENING, Doane noticed. That was too bad. The rain was his friend right now.

“It will still be fine, Kevin.” He looked down at the skull in the chest beside him on the seat of the truck as he pulled out his earphone. “I’ll just have to make a few adjustments here. I kind of thought Venable might send that man who was watching us at the lake. But I wasn’t expecting Ben Hudson to show up. Fate seems to be putting obstacles in our path. But you always said the victory was sweeter if it wasn’t easy.” He opened his computer. “Everything has to be ready to go like clockwork when I put it in motion. Let’s check on Blick.”

Text or Skype?

No, he wanted to see Blick’s face, make certain that there was no hesitance or lies. He trusted the man as much as he trusted anyone. He had been Kevin’s friend and worshipped him. Besides, he liked money. Between the two, he had a chance that he wouldn’t betray him. Or that he wouldn’t move too soon and trigger a response that would make it difficult for Doane to initiate his plans for Eve Duncan. Blick had never had Kevin’s coolness and was prone to panic. He had to keep him calm and on track.

He pressed the button and waited for Blick to pick up the line on Summer Island.

“Is everything okay?” Blick’s face was tense as he picked up the line. “Have you done it?”

“Not yet. There are problems. I’ll work them out. MacGuire’s attention is still focused on the dog?”

“Yeah, the doctors seem to be busy. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“You don’t have to know. Just keep her there and away from here. That’s your job. You understand?”

“I heard you.”

“Good. Then do it.” He hung up.

CHAPTER

4

“HOW’S HE DOING?” CALEB ASKED, as Jane came out of the examination room.

“Good. Very good.” She smiled brilliantly. “Devon doesn’t think there’s any internal organ damage from the poison. That means that once we get the poison totally out of his system, he has a chance for total recovery.” She looked at the computer on his lap. “That’s my laptop. What are you doing with it?”

“Nothing criminal. That’s not saying I couldn’t have made you a cybervictim if I’d chosen. It was ridiculously easy to access anything I wanted to see.” His brows lifted. “And your password? Eve/Joe. It took me all of three minutes to decide what you’d use.”

“So? It’s not as if I really cared. Nothing is top secret on my computer. Technology is not my life.” She added, “Though you might have asked permission if you wanted to use it.”

“You weren’t around, and I have a tendency to be impatient. I didn’t go into your Facebook account or anything. I was just checking your e-mail to see if you got an answer from that Nedra woman at your luxury pup day-care center.”

“And did I?”

“Yes.” He turned the computer around. “Shocked disbelief. And then abject apologies. When they checked, they found their cameras caught this man with Toby.” He paused. “Syringe in hand.”

“What?” The next moment, she’d snatched the computer from him. One glance, and she could see it was true. It was taken in the outdoor play area, and the short, stocky man with curly, red hair had his back to the camera, and she couldn’t see his features. But she could see that he was standing over Toby and she could see the syringe he was slipping back into the pocket of his jacket. For an instant she could feel the rage run hot before she got it under control. “The son of a bitch. Who is he? Did Nedra know? Everyone has to check in at the front desk.”

“She said his name is Herbert Connors. He’d brought a boxer to the day-care center three times before that day. He said he was dropping the dog off for his next-door neighbor at his flat. She says he appeared to be a nice man and was very friendly with all the dogs. She can’t believe he would do something like this.”

“Well, he did.” Her hands tightened on the laptop. “And she’d better check out the other dogs he had contact with.”

“That was her first thought. She said she’d get on the phone immediately with all her clients and see if any other dogs are sick.” Caleb tilted his head. “But somehow I don’t think she’s going to find any. I think that Toby was the only target.”

Her gaze flew to his face. “And why do you think that?”

“She said Herbert Connors hadn’t been back since that day he’d evidently given Toby the poison. I think he’d gone the other three times to set it up. He was waiting for you to drop off Toby so that he could finish his job.”

“For God’s sake, you’re making it sound like some diabolic scheme instead of a vicious crazy preying on a helpless animal.”

“Haven’t you noticed?” He smiled faintly. “I tend to think on diabolic lines.”

“True. But you’re very clever, and sometimes you’re right. So tell me what you’re thinking.”

“That you’re a target. That this Herbert Connors used Toby to nudge you in the direction he wanted you to go.” He paused. “And he wanted you to leave London and come here to Summer Island.”

“You’re crazy. How would he even know about Summer Island?”

“I’m sure there are several messages from Sarah Logan in your e-mail. If he tapped it, he could put together a way to lure you out of London to take Toby to the island if it was an emergency.”

She stared at him incredulously. “You believe he found a way to get access to my computer?”

“You probably made it easy for him. To use your own words, technology is not your life.” His forehead wrinkled thoughtfully. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he also found a way to bug your apartment.”

“You’re really reaching. This is getting more and more complicated … and absurd. If he got into my apartment, why not poison Toby while he was there.”

“Because he wanted information and a way to move you out of London, not just to hurt the dog.”

“I was already moving. I was planning on visiting Eve and Joe,” she said. “So there goes your motive for the scenario.”

“Maybe not. At any rate, I put a few wheels in motion to start verifying. For one thing I’m running a check on Herbert Connors. Though I doubt that’s really his name.” He stood up and headed for the front entrance. “But I do need to think about it. Let’s get some air.”

“Caleb, what—” He was already out the door. She closed the computer and hurried after him.

The air was soft and fragrant, and a breeze brought a hint of salt from the sea she could not see. It must be close to dawn, but night was still clinging stubbornly.

“The sea is just over that hill,” Caleb said. “I went out and reconnoitered the area earlier.”

“You’re lucky you didn’t get shot by a security guard.”

He only smiled.

No, he wouldn’t be worried about guards. She had seen him in action, and he was truly intimidating. He was not only a hunter but had the instincts and skill of a jungle cat. “Reconnoitered? That’s a military term.”

He nodded. “But this is far from an armed camp. Margaret Douglas was able to get on the island with very little problem. The airspace is probably secure, but it’s not as if there are constant patrols along the beaches.”

She gazed at him quizzically. “And are we expecting a D-day assault?”

“No, one man would be enough,” he said quietly. “One gun.”

“Caleb.”

He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a suspicious bastard. I don’t like the way this is playing out. Whoever gave that poison to Toby went to a good deal of thought and trouble.”

“If you’re right.”

A brilliant smile lit his face. “But I usually am, Jane.”

“Arrogant bastard.” She was finding it hard not to smile in return. That wicked magnetism always disarmed her when it should have put up red flags. “And what other wheels did you put in motion to verify that?”

“I made a call and asked one of my associates to burgle your apartment and see if there were any bugs.”

“What? I could have just called and gotten permission from the landlord.”

“It was just as easy my way. And I was in control.”

“By all means, that’s of the utmost importance,” she said dryly.

“It is to me.” His head lifted, and he looked out into the trees. “Control can mean the difference between life and death. It’s something I’ve always had trouble with. But you know that, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

He looked away from the trees to her face. “But I’ve done extraordinarily well with you. You’ve been a great temptation, and I’ve managed to be almost civilized.”

“Almost.”

“That’s all you can expect from me.” His smile deepened. “I’m hoping you’ll learn to appreciate the fact that I could be so much worse … or better. Depending on how you look at it.”

She looked away from him. “I’m not looking at anything that doesn’t concern Toby right now.”

“And quite right. Sorry. One thing seems to lead to another.” He chuckled. “And selfish bastard that I am, it usually ends up back with me. How peculiar.” He shrugged. “I can wait.”

“For me to jump into bed with you?” She looked him directly in the eye. “It’s not going to happen, Caleb.”

He smiled. “It will, you know. I’m working with a handicap, but I can deal with it.”

“What handicap?”

“Well, actually there are several. The most important is who I am and who you are. You have a problem with trust, and no one can say that I’m the steadiest man in the universe.”

She made a rude sound. “You’re as volatile as a runaway comet.”

“Comets usually have a general direction. They can occasionally be deterred, but only by a major force. I have my course set.”

“Prepare to be deterred.” His smile never changed, and she continued impatiently, “Why me, Caleb? You said yourself that we’re not a good match.”

“We could be a fantastic match, just not in the ordinary sense. Why you?” He tilted his head, gazing at her appraisingly. “Besides the fact that you’re beautiful and intelligent and make me hot just looking at you?”

“I’m not that unusual. I’m sure there are other women who have that same effect on you.”

“Lust is definitely a part of my makeup but there are degrees.” He added softly, “And you shoot up and break all the gauges, Jane.”

Heat. Breathlessness. Electricity.

She pulled her gaze away. “You’ll get over it.”

“I’m not sure. Because there’s something else. I don’t know quite what it is, but it holds me. Sometimes I get a glimpse, but then it’s gone. I can’t let you go until I find out what I’m losing.”

“I don’t want to get involved with you, Caleb.”

“I know. Because you think I’m not safe.” His eyes were suddenly glittering with recklessness. “You’re right, I’m not safe. You’d have to watch me all the time. But I’d make it entertaining for you.”

“I’m not that starved for entertainment.”

“I could make you think you were starved. That would make the satisfaction all the more delicious.” He was studying her face. “But I’m going to have to move very slowly. As I said, I’ve never seen anyone more wary of making a commitment. Even one of a purely sexual nature. You couldn’t even make one with Trevor, could you?”

She stiffened. “Trevor? Why are we suddenly talking about Trevor?”

He smiled crookedly. “Because I think a lot about Mark Trevor. I did a little checking when I found myself becoming … drawn to you. I wanted to know with just what I had to contend. The only man who has been important to you was Mark Trevor. He was your lover for a number of years. I was very glad to find out that you’d cast him out of your life.”

“I didn’t cast him out. We just agreed that we weren’t right for each other.”

“I’d bet that you were the one who made the decision. Did he get too close?”

“Stop trying to pry into my business, Caleb. I don’t want to talk about Trevor.”

“Right.” He held up his hands. “Neither do I. I just wanted to see your reaction.”

“And?”

“Guarded but not overly emotional. It’s a response I can handle,” he said. “Now I’m going to skip out of the line of fire and concentrate on your dog and your situation here since that’s all you want from me at present. I’ve probably disturbed you. Why don’t you forget me for a while and go back inside to your Toby. I think I’ll stay out here a bit and commune with nature.”

“Good. But I’m not going to run along because you tell me to do it.” He did disturb her. She couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t. That disquiet was always present, burning low, and she had become almost accustomed to it. Yet she had to admit that she was relieved that he had taken a step back. “I’m not going anywhere until I get you back on track and tell me why you were sure enough that you were right to have someone burgle my apartment. I can almost hear that brain of yours clicking away. You gave me a scenario, now fill it in. Why would anyone go to all that trouble to make sure that I would come here to Summer Island?”

He didn’t speak for a moment, then said slowly, “Maybe it wasn’t that he wanted you to come to Summer Island. Maybe it was that he didn’t want you to go home to Eve.”

She froze. “What are you saying?”

“Coincidences. I always have problems with coincidences. You were planning to go home to visit Eve and Joe. Then suddenly your dog became very ill, and you had to cancel your trip to Eve and bring Toby here. Coincidence?”

“Why would anyone want to stop me from going to see Eve?”

“Inconvenient?”

“Caleb.”

“How do I know? It’s all just a product of my suspicious mind.”

But that product was beginning to scare the hell out of her. “It’s too … Why?”

“We’ll have to find out, won’t we?”

“No, we won’t,” she said harshly. “Because it’s not true. Nothing is wrong with Eve. None of this is going to touch her.”

“I scared you,” he said. “You asked, Jane.”

Yes, she had asked. But she hadn’t thought he would say anything that would involve Eve. “It’s all supposition.”

“I never claimed anything else.”

She drew a shaky breath. “I know.” She pulled out her phone. “But I think I’ll call Eve anyway. I promised I’d call her about Toby.”

He smiled. “That’s right you did.”

She dialed quickly.

Answer, Eve.

One ring.

Two rings.

Eve picked up on the third ring. “Jane?”

Jane felt heady with relief. “Yes. Did I wake you?”

“No, I was awake. I’ve had trouble sleeping tonight. How’s Toby?”

“Better. He’s going to live, Eve.”

“Thank God. What was wrong with him?”

“Poison.”

“What?”

“I know, it’s crazy. Some bastard poisoned him.”

“Who?

“I don’t know yet. The whole thing’s beyond any kind of sanity.” She paused. “How are you? Is everything all right there?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Take care of Toby.”

“If you’re fine, then why are you having trouble sleeping?”

“I should have known that you’d pick up on that. Ben Hudson dropped by unexpectedly.”

“Really? Why? You haven’t seen him since you found Bonnie, have you?”

“No.” She changed the subject. “How long before Toby will be well enough for you to bring him here?”

“I’m hoping only a day or two. He’s getting wonderful help here on the island.”

“Let me know as soon as you know for sure. Now I’m going to call Joe and tell him the good news about Toby. Or maybe not. It’s still the middle of the night, and he has to be in court tomorrow. I’ll phone him first thing in the morning.” Her voice was suddenly tense. “And I may decide not to wait until you come to me. Maybe I’ll hop a plane and check on you and Toby myself. Take care of yourself.” Eve hung up.

Jane slowly pressed the disconnect.

“Okay?” Caleb asked.

She nodded. “She said she was fine.”

“But you don’t believe her?”

“Sure I do.” She was frowning. “But she said something about coming down here to check on Toby and me. And she got off the phone too soon.”

“So?”

“She didn’t want me to ask questions. That bothered me. And what is Ben Hudson doing at the cottage?”

“I might be able to help you if I knew who Ben Hudson was. Is he a threat?”

She shook her head. “No way. It’s just odd that he should turn up tonight.” She turned and started for the door. “I’m going to ask Devon Brady how soon I can transport Toby.”

“And if you don’t get the answer you want?”

She hadn’t known that the answer had already formed in her mind. “I need to get to Eve. I think something is going on with her. I’ll just wait until I’m sure Toby’s stabilized. He may already be there.” She was thinking quickly. “And then I may turn him over to Margaret until I can come back. She’d take good care of him.”

He looked at her in surprise. “You’d trust her with your precious Toby? You just met her.”

“I’d trust her.” She met his gaze. “Will you take me to Eve?”

“That goes without saying.” He bowed mockingly. “I’m at your service. Why else would I be here?”

“I don’t know. I can never quite figure you out, Caleb.”

“But you’re willing to use me. Maybe you even actually trust me a little. Wouldn’t that be interesting?” He gestured with a little shooing motion. “Run along and make your arrangements about Toby. Oh, that’s right, you don’t like me to give you orders.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then I’ll just gas up the plane and have it ready to go if you decide that’s your best option.”

“Thanks, Caleb,” she said absently. “Of course it all depends on Toby…”

“No, it depends on Jane MacGuire.” She heard him chuckle as he turned away. “You’ve made up your mind, and you’d find a way to save your Toby and fly to Eve’s rescue no matter what the obstacles.”

“Maybe.” She opened the door. “But Eve said she doesn’t need rescuing.”

“And you hope she’s telling the truth.”

“Eve never lies to me. I just don’t like the poison. I don’t like having to come here instead of going straight to the lake cottage. I don’t like the way she shunted me off that call.” She said over her shoulder, “So I’m going to go and ask her in person why she did it.”

*   *   *

“I’LL BE BACK SOON, BOY.” Jane’s hand gently stroked Toby’s head. He was still under sedation and didn’t move. But she hoped somehow he might be able to understand her. “We made it through, Toby. We’ve been together so long and it looks like God wants us to stick together for a while longer.” Her voice was unsteady. “Isn’t that great?” She put her cheek on his ruff. He was so soft and silky. “I love you,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t leave you if I didn’t have to do it. But Devon says you’re doing fine, and you’re out of danger. I’m not so sure about Eve. You’ll understand, you love Eve, too.”

“Devon says you’re leaving.”

Jane straightened and turned to see Margaret standing in the doorway. “Yes, I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to see you before I left. Devon says that it will take a day or two before Toby will be well enough to travel.” She gave Toby a final pat. “I’ll be back in a few days. Will you take care of him for me?”

Margaret nodded. “I told you that he belonged to me, too, now.” She looked down at Toby. “He’ll be well soon. He has a strong heart. I’ll put him with Monty and Maggie and that will help.” She smiled. “After all, they’re his parents. It’s right that they’re together now.” Her smile faded. “You wouldn’t leave Toby if it wasn’t important. Did you find out who tried to kill him?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Maybe. I just know I have to get to Eve. She adopted me when I was a kid, and I’m uneasy that this may have something to do with her.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m trying to put the pieces together. I was going to see Eve when all this began. She could be the key.”

“You’re worried about her.”

“I love her,” she said simply. “She’s the most important person in my life.”

“That’s … nice,” Margaret’s voice was wistful. “But it’s kind of dangerous, too.”

“What?”

“All your eggs in one basket…” Margaret said vaguely. “You have too much to lose. It’s safer not to narrow down the field.” She tilted her head. “I’d think that you’d be afraid of doing that. It doesn’t seem your style.”