Текст книги "The Killing Game "

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

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The knife fell out of his hand.

He looked down in disbelief at his chest, which was bubbling with blood. "Eve?"

She turned to face him. "Now the game's over, you son of a bitch."

He touched his chest and brought his hand away. It was smeared with blood. "Who . . ."

"Joe."

"No, I–searched here before I lit the candles. There was nowhere he could hide . . ."

"He was a sniper in the SEALs. He told me once that he can hit a target from a thousand yards. It's not five hundred yards to that tree down the slope. I knew he could get you if he could see you, Spiro."

His eyes widened. "You knew . . ." He collapsed to the ground.

She walked over and knelt beside him. "Where's Jane?"

"Screw you."

"You're going to die, Spiro. What difference does it make?"

"It–makes a difference. How–did you know?"

"You made that anonymous telephone call and had me thrown in jail. I was there for forty-eight hours. For the first twenty-four hours I was a basket case. You would have loved seeing me. Then I realized I was letting you win. So I spent the second night thinking. I thought I was going to find a way to locate Grunard. I tried to divorce myself the way I do when I work on one of my skulls and just examine the facts and events. I started with something that bothered me at the time I learned about it, but I forgot about when I saw the photo. Charlie said that Sung was excited and talking about shifts and spectrums and that he made a phone call before he said he needed to see me. He could have called Grunard, but if he recognized Grunard as the killer, why call him? No, it had to be someone else. So I asked Logan to check phone records and find out who Sung called. It was to Multiplex, one of the digital imaging companies on the West Coast. Sung wanted to verify his findings on the photo. It was the middle of the night, but there's often a crew working at those big companies. You'd sent the photo out to Multiplex to have Grunard's image implanted in it so I could 'discover' it. That was why you stalled giving us the photo."

"Worked."

"But you didn't realize how sharp Sung was. State-of-the-art companies like Multiplex create their own software and the variance of the shifts in the light spectrums are almost like a fingerprint. Sung recognized that shift and he knew the picture had been doctored. Multiplex might not have been willing to confirm the specific job, but they would have no reason not to confirm the general technical aspects of the software. Did Charlie call you from the lab after he called me?"

"Of course. I trained him well."

"And then you killed him. What would you have done if Joe hadn't climbed down and retrieved that photo? Would that other picture you supposedly sent to Quantico surface?"

He didn't answer. He was having trouble breathing.

"But it was all guesswork, and I had to verify. Multiplex wouldn't talk to me. You'd probably told them to keep the job confidential, and everybody obeys the FBI. So I took the photo and did some work myself. I didn't have the equipment or expertise to do what Sung did, so I did a digital merge of the faces of your brothers." She smiled grimly. "And what to my surprise appeared? I came up with you."

"Lie. We look–nothing like each other."

"You're right and that was good. I was much more likely to pull up a completely distinctive face than if your brothers looked alike. I often use older family members' features for age progression for children. When I was studying at the National Center for Missing Children, I used to play with merging different familial faces and seeing what I could come up with. Even when the family members didn't look like one another, it was amazing how the similarities appeared when they were combined. The face I came up with didn't resemble you exactly, but it was close enough, and after I aged the image, it was even closer. It made me go over everything that had happened."

"I didn't make–mistakes. I didn't."

"No, you were almost perfect. But you were always there beside me or in the background."

"So was Grunard."

"Yes, and I stumbled over that conversation with Dom while you were in the same room with me at Joe's cottage. It was only later that I realized it wasn't really a conversation. Dom made a brief statement and hung up. A taped alibi set on a timer. Very effective." She shook her head. "There were so many things that became clear once I accepted that you were Dom. All the times you misdirected and lied to me and Joe. Why should we have suspected? You were Spiro of the FBI."

"You're so proud of yourself." His expression was full of malice. "You haven't won. I won't die. I'm feeling stronger all the time. I'll live and they'll say I'm insane."

"You won't live."

She looked up to see Joe standing beside her, staring down at Spiro.

"If there's even a chance of you living I'll put another bullet in you before the police get here," Joe said. "You'd be dead now if I hadn't decided not to risk a head shot. You were too close to her."

"Closer than you. Closer than anyone. She'll forget you. She'll never forget me." His gaze shifted to Eve. "The little girl will die. I've hidden her and it gets freezing cold up here at night. She doesn't have a coat and she's tied. You won't find her in time."

Fear rushed through her. "You lie. Sarah and Monty are looking for her now. They'll find her."

"What if I've laid a false trail? I knew you had Sarah and Monty at your disposal. You should know I never take anything for granted. Ah, I've scared you. You're not so–"

"Would you care to go down the hill and wait in the car?" Joe asked Eve. "I think it's time we said good-bye to the bastard."

"She won't let you. She's still too soft." Spiro raised himself up. "The girl will die, but I'll live forever. I'll live–" Blood gushed from his chest. "Stop the bleeding, Eve. You know you can't let me die."

"Screw you." She stood up and turned to Joe. "We have to call the local police and then ring Sarah and see if she's found Jane."

"I'll be right with you," Joe said.

"No." She looked down at Spiro. "I don't want it quick. Let the bastard bleed to death."

She turned and walked away.

"Eve!"

She stared straight ahead, ignoring Spiro's howl of disbelief and terror.

"WE HAVEN' T FOUND her, Eve," Sarah said.

"The temperature's falling."

"I know that. The bastard may have laid a false trail or even several."

"He wants her to die."

"Monty's moving in another direction. I have to go." She hung up.

Eve turned to Joe. "He has them running around in circles." She shuddered as a sudden gust of wind knifed through her jacket. "It must be down to zero. If he has her tied, Jane can't even move to keep herself warm."

ANOTHER FALSE LEAD.

How many had the bastard laid? Sarah wondered.

Child?

Monty was bewildered too. He was running around in circles trying to find the scent.

He suddenly stopped short and turned toward the east.

Child?

"What is it, boy?"

His head lifted as if listening.

Jesus, he was trembling, and the hair was rising on his back.

What the hell was happening?

Other child.

He started at a dead run toward the east.

Other child. Other child. Other child . . .

"WE FOUND HER," Sarah said. "She was under some boulders on the slope of the ravine. We almost missed her."

"Is she okay?"

"She's cold but no hypothermia. Monty's lying beside her, keeping her warm. As soon as I get my breath, we'll start back."

"We'll come to you."

"No, I want her out of this cold. I gave her my jacket, and walking will be good for her."

Eve turned to Joe, who was coming down the hill. "She's okay."

"Thank God." He glanced back over his shoulder at the top of the hill. "Too bad Spiro isn't still alive so we could rub his nose in it."

"Did you . . . ?"

Joe shook his head. "Don't blame me. He was already dead when I went up to check on him."

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you had ended it for him. I would have killed him myself rather than chance having him go free."

"My, how you've changed."

"Yes, I've changed." She looked up at the hill still lit with candles. Dom had changed her. Not the way he had wanted to. He'd thought he could drag her down, close her away from life. He hadn't realized he'd caused her to reach out to life instead. How he would have hated knowing that.

"The police are coming." Joe's gaze was on the lights of two highway patrol cars coming up the road toward them. "There will be some tall explaining to do."

"Yes." She took his hand. His grasp was warm and strong and rock steady. See what you've given me, Dom? Life. Love. Light where there was darkness.

Burn in hell, you bastard.

She squeezed Joe's hand as they started down the road. "No problem. We'll manage to get through it together."

EPILOGUE:

"You should go in. It may be March, but the lake breeze is still cool."

Eve turned to see Bonnie sitting on the porch steps, leaning against the rail. "I'm not cold. Who's the mother here?"

Bonnie giggled. "I'm making up for all the times you said things like that to me."

"Ungrateful child."

"Yep." She shaded her eyes as she looked out at the boat on the water. "Joe's got Jane all bundled up in his sweater. Why didn't you go fishing with them?"

"I was feeling lazy."

"And you wanted to give Joe the chance to bond with Jane."

"If you knew the answer, why did you ask?"

"You shouldn't worry. He really likes Jane. It's not easy for him to let anyone else into his life. It will take a little time for him to adjust."

"I'm not worried." She leaned her head back against the rail. "Life's pretty good, baby."

"It's about time. You've been very difficult, Mama." She looked back at the boat. "You haven't told Joe about me yet."

"I will soon."

"Are you afraid he'll think you're crazy? You should know better."

"Maybe I just want to keep you to myself for a little while longer. Is that so bad?"

"Not to me."

"Or maybe I'm afraid if I tell anyone, you won't come back."

"That's pretty dumb. Why would I leave you just when you're so much happier? I love to see you happy."

Contentment flowed through Eve in a golden tide. "We're going to find you, Bonnie. Sarah offered to come here with Monty next month and search the Chattahoochee park. I have a good feeling. We're going to bring you home, baby."

"You know that never meant anything to me, but it will make you happy." She leaned forward and linked her arms around her knees. "I like Monty. He's nice and smart too."

"And how do you know he's smart?"

Bonnie didn't answer.

"Sarah said something weird happened to Monty up in the mountains that night."

Bonnie's gaze shifted back to the boat. "Did she?"

"You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Don't be silly, Mama. How could I?" The teasing smile Bonnie turned on her was brimming with love and mischief. "When you know I'm only a dream."

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