Текст книги "The Face of Deception"

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

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Since those circumstances involved probable trouble with the law, she could see the problem. What about dental records?

That may be more difficult. Chadbournes den-tist was a woman named Dr. Dora Bentz. He paused. She was one of the people Fiske murdered after you came to Barrett House. You can bet every dental file Chadbourne ever had has been switched.

You said it was a witness who was murdered. She held up her hand as he started to speak. Never mind. Why should I expect truth from you?

Im not going to defend myself. It was a dif-ferent situation.

She noticed he didnt apologize or claim hed do anything else. Then were left with the DNA. What if we dont have enough for a test? Could we find a way to force Detwil to take a test to prove his identity?

No way, Logan said flatly. Hes now the presi-dent. We bear the burden of proof. Besides, his medical records could be switched like mine.

Couldnt we try? Hes got to have relatives.

Other than his mother, who died seven years ago, he had one older half brother.

Had?

John Cadro. He and his wife were killed the day after Dora Bentz.

Jesus. It doesnt have to be a close relative. They proved the Anastasia impostor wasnt genuine by comparing her DNA to Prince Philip of Englands. Isnt there anyone else?

Not that we can readily trace. They chose Detwil very carefully.

What about the mother? They could exhume

I dont mean to make a morbid pun, but we dont have time to dig deeper. Once we go public, we have to have full proof.

Why dont we have time?

Because well be dead within twelve hours after we show ourselves, Gil said bluntly. According to the news, John is already dead. That leaves only you and me, and they have the power of the presidency behind them. Im sure the scenario is already in place. Quick, logical, and thorough. Timwick was al-ways thorough.

Eve shivered. There has to be another leadhellip; someone else.

Yes, there is. Scott Maren.

Another relative? She grimaced. And is he dead too?

No. Hes Chadbournes personal physician, and hes been out of the country, which probably saved his life. He paused. But Im not sure well be able to use him. I believe hes probably involved in the actual murder.

How?

Opportunity. Two years ago, on the morning of November second, Ben Chadbourne checked into Bethesda for his annual checkup. The body appeared at Donnellis funeral home after midnight on No-vember third.

You think thats when the switch was made?

Logan nodded. It had to have been choreographed perfectly, with one Ben Chadbourne checking in and another checking out. Maren probably gave the real Chadbourne a lethal shot claiming it was vitamin B or something.

So hes their inside man at Bethesda, Eve said slowly. It was possible and diabolically clever, she thought. A physician was in a position of trust and yet dealt with the means for taking life every day. This has to be supposition. Maren would have had to go through all kinds of security checks before he became Chadbournes physician.

Im sure he did, Gil said. But hes highly re-spected and also a close friend of the Presidents. Maren, Chadbourne, and Lisa Chadbourne all went to college together. Either Chadbourne or his wife was probably instrumental in getting him his posi-tion at Bethesda.

Why would he do it? Why would he take that chance?

Logan shrugged. I dont know, but Id bet he did. Thats why Ive been trying to contact him. We might be able to persuade him to implicate Timwick and Lisa Chadbourne.

I cant see that Maren is a lead. Theres no way hed admit he was involved if its true. Hed be a fool.

Maybe. Logan paused. Unless we could con-vince him that hes a dead man if theyre not taken out. When I made up my list of their possible targets for elimination, Maren ranked high on it.

Eve thought about it. Hes the only witness who can link Lisa Chadbourne and Timwick to her hus-bands death.

Right. If theres no such witness and the death is discovered, they could set up a patsy, claim it was a terrorist plot or some other conspiracy. But Maren is real, and if he goes down for the murder, they couldnt be sure he wouldnt talk and bring them down with him. I havent any doubt that from the moment the plan was conceived, they were already planning on killing him.

But will he believe that?

We can try. We dont have much choice. Hes our only hope right now.

You said he was out of the country. Where is he?

Detwil sent him on a goodwill mission to Jordan to inspect the hospitals there. It was high-profile and he was supposedly requested by the king of Jordan. On the surface its an honor that would increase Marens prestige.

And below the surface?

Possibly a setup. Fiske would have found it easy to kill him there and shift the blame to a foreign dis-sident group. I think Bentz and Cadro were killed be-cause they suspected I might be getting too close, but Maren was always a target.

He wont cooperate. For Gods sake, if he killed the President, hes a dead man either way.

Not if we offer him a deal.

You dont have authority to offer him She studied his face. What are you thinking?

That I want Detwil and Lisa Chadbourne out of the White House, and I dont care how I do it. He paused. Even if it means helping Maren set himself up somewhere with a fat bank account.

Make a deal with a murderer?

What if we cant get DNA proof? Can you sug-gest anything else?

She was too confused to think clearly about any-thing at the moment. Whats to stop Fiske from still going to Jordan after Maren?

The situation has changed. They need Maren, and they wont kill him until his usefulness is ended. He smiled. Remember, they took my body to Bethesda. Theyre going to want Maren there to cover up. He was supposed to come back day after tomorrow, but now hell be winging his way home at warp speed. While we go to Emory to see Kessler, Gils going to Bethesda and try to gather Maren in.

How is Gil going to keep from being gathered in himself? Theyre bound to be on watch for us.

Through the magic of disguise, Gil said. Im going to dress up as a female nurse. He tilted his head. A blonde, I think. With great boobs.

What?

Just joking. Dont worry, Ill handle it.

She was already worried. She didnt want any harm to come to him. Gil might have been involved in the plot to deceive her, but he was a likable rascal.

And, dear Christ, there had been too many deaths already. People she had never met were dying. She seemed to be in the middle of a circle of ever-widening ripples of destruction. Thank God, those ripples hadnt touched anyone close to her yet.

And they mustnt touch them.

Youre talking as if you can move around without any problems, she pointed out. What about money? What about ID? Credit cards can be traced and

Logan took care of that. He had me buy a few handy-dandy phony drivers licenses on the black market. Youre Bridget Reilly. I thought your red hair looked like you might be of Irish descent. The picture is very satisfactorily blurred and

My picture? She turned to Logan. You got a phony drivers license for me?

He shrugged. I had to be prepared. I had Gil get IDs for everyone who was at Barrett House. I thought it might come down to this.

Damn him. He had not only known the trouble he was involving her in, he had planned on it. And I suppose you had Gil set up phony credit cards for all of us too?

He nodded. But I brought enough cash to see us through most situations.

Youre absolutely incredible.

I had to be prepared, he repeated.

She had to get out of the room, or shed do some-thing violent.

Call Margaret. She headed for the bedroom. Im going to phone my mother and tell her to be ready to go.

Her phone will be monitored, you know.

Im not an idiot. I know theyll be watching my mother. Ill be careful, but Ive got to warn her. Ill use my digital phone and call her on hers.

She has a digital too?

Of course. Joe got them for us. He says there are all kinds of creeps out there listening in on cellulars. Digitals are almost foolproof.

I should have known it was the ubiquitous Mr. Quinn, Logan murmured. Is there anything he doesnt think of?

No, hes a good friend and he keeps us safe. She gave him a cool glance over her shoulder. I can guess why you wouldnt understand that concept.

THIRTEEN

Sandra had seen the morning news, and it took Eve ten minutes to get past her exclamations of relief and deflect her barrage of questions to tell her that Mar-garet was coming.

What do you mean, I have to leave? Sandra said. Whats going on, Eve?

Nothing good. I cant talk about it.

Is John Logan really dead?

No. Look, Mom, its going to be nasty, and until I get it cleaned up, I want you somewhere safe and out of public view.

Safe? Im safe here. Joe stops by every other day, and that black and white is parked out in front every night.

Mom hellip; She had to find a way of convincing her. Do what I ask. Please. Its bad. Trust me. Im scared of what may happen.

Scared? Sandra was silent. I believe you are scared. I havent seen you act like this since Fraser She broke off and then said, I want to see you.

I cant come there. It would only endanger you.

What are you mixed up in, Eve?

I cant tell you that either. Will you do this for me?

I have a job. I just cant run off

Theyll kill you, she said baldly. Or theyll use you to kill me. Is that what you want? For Gods sake, tell the office you have a family emergency. Believe me, its true.

Kill you, Sandra repeated, and for the first time Eve heard fear in her voice. Im going to call Joe.

Im going to call him myself. But he may not be able to help you. Dont leave the house and dont open the door to anyone but the person I send after you.

And who is that?

Christ, what if they found a way to monitor the conversation? She couldnt have Margaret a target. Theyll have ID. Ill fax a picture No, her fax machine had been destroyed along with almost everything else in the lab, and besides, a fax might not be safe. Ill get a photo and information to you somehow. She paused. And, Mom, dont go any-where with anyone else, no matter what kind of ID they show you. Not the police, not the FBI or Secret Service. No one.

When will this person be here?

I dont know. Soon. I dont even know how theyll contact you. They may not want to come to the house. Just do what they say. Okay?

Im an adult, Eve. I dont go blindly where Im led. God knows, I did enough of that when I was growing up. She sighed. Okay, okay, Ill go along with this. But I wish to hell youd never heard of John Logan.

Me too, Mom. Me too.

And you take care of yourself.

I will. She paused and then said impulsively, I love you.

My God, now I am scared. You dont get sappy very often. She said awkwardly, I love you too, Eve. She quickly hung up the phone.

Eve pressed the end button on her phone. Ex-pressing affection was still never easy for either of them. There had been too many years of noncommu-nication during Eves childhood.

But Sandra knew she loved her. She didnt have to say it.

She braced herself. Now Joe.

She quickly dialed Joes private digital phone number.

He picked up immediately.

Joe?

A silence, and then his voice came low, hard. What the hell are you up to?

Can you talk? Is there anyone around?

Im walking out to the parking lot. Why didnt you call me? Why the hell didnt you return

I was busy. Stop yelling at me.

Im not yelling. It was true, but every word was laden with anger. I could strangle you.

You may have to stand in line.

Is that supposed to be funny?

No. Im in trouble, Joe.

Thats pretty clear. Did you kill Logan?

Her hand tightened on the receiver. What?

Did you kill him?

Are you nuts?

Answer me. Look, if you did it, I know it was self-defense, but I have to know so I can fix it.

Why would you think Of course I didnt kill him. Hes not dead. Its all a lie.

Silence. Then Id say youre in very deep shit. Have you seen CNN?

About Barrett House burning? Yes, I know about that.

No, the latest bulletin. The one that mentions you as a suspect.

Me?

Novak, that hotshot lawyer of Logans, was in-terviewed, and he said you were staying with Logan at Barrett House. He paused. He said you were Logans lover and he had been concerned about the relationship because you were unbalanced.

Son of a bitch.

They know about Lakewood, Eve.

She stiffened. How could they know? How could anyone know? You buried the records. You promised me that I

I dont know how they found out. I thought I had it covered.

You should have been more Christ, she was blaming Joe for something that wasnt even his re-sponsibility. They mentioned Lakewood?

Yes. He paused. I told you that there was no reason to hide it. Theres nothing wrong about

It seems there is reason.

Joe cursed softly. Tell me where you are. Ill come to you.

She tried to gather her wits. I shouldnt see you. As long as youre not involved youll be

Tell me. I am involved. Tell me or Ill hunt you down. Im damn good at hunting.

She knew better than anyone else how deter-mined Joe could be. Im coming to Atlanta. I need to see Kessler. Ill meet you at the Hardees parking lot out in Dekalb at ten tomorrow morning. Thats about six blocks from Emory.

Right. He didnt speak for several seconds. How bad is it, Eve?

Big-time. It couldnt be any worse.

Sure it could. You couldnt have me to help fix it.

She smiled shakily. Thats true. That would make it worse. She thought of something. Will you dig up a picture of Logans assistant, Margaret Wilson, and run it over to my mother? Tell her that Margaret is the one whos going to help her.

Help her do what?

Shes going to see that Mom gets to somewhere safe.

Im taking care of her. There was an edge to his tone. You dont need any other help.

Dont do this to me, Joe. I need all the help I can get. Will you get the picture to her?

Of course Ill do it. But youd better have a damn good reason for not trusting me.

I do trust Maybe hed understand when she explained everything to him. She thought of some-thing else. And will you find a picture of James Timwick and a man called Albert Fiske, who works for him? Bring it with you tomorrow.

Timwick should be no problem. Hes on the news fairly frequently, but whos Albert Fiske?

A name I need to put a face to. Good-bye, Joe. She pressed the end button.

Lakewood. My God, Lakewood.

She put her phone back in her purse and stood up. She could hear the television in the next room. Logan and Gil would be hearing about Lakewood.

But Logan must already know. The lawyer was his snoop and it was Logans money that had dug up all the facts about her past.

Logan again. Damn him.

Gil and Logan both looked up when she walked into the room.

The plot thickens, Logan said as he switched off the TV.

Yes, Im crazy and youre dead, she said jerkily. They want to make it hard for us to make any move at all.

Not hard. Impossible, Gil corrected her. Were you really at Lakewood?

Ask Logan.

Logan shook his head. I didnt get that morsel of information. I guess Novak was saving that to sell to Timwick.

You knew he was dealing with them?

I suspected the possibility. Novaks ambitious. He paused. But the question is how valuable is that piece of information to them. How long were you at Lakewood?

Three weeks.

Who committed you?

Joe.

Christ. The authorities. Not a good image.

It wasnt the authorities, she said fiercely. It was Joe.

Quinn was with the FBI at the time.

They didnt know about it. Nobody knew about it. Not even my mother.

Shes next of kin. She would have had to know.

Eve shook her head. Lakewood isnt a public in-stitution. Its a small private hospital in South Georgia. Joe admitted me under another name. Anna Quinn. He told them I was his wife.

And you went in voluntarily?

She smiled crookedly. No, Joe can be a power-house when he chooses. He bulldozed me into it.

Why?

She didnt answer.

Why, Eve?

What the hell. Hed find out anyway. The night Fraser was executed, I took an overdose of sedatives. I was staying at a motel near the prison and Joe came to check and found me. She shrugged. He made me throw up several times and walked me around that damn room until I was out of danger. Then he took me to Lakewood. He stayed there with me for three weeks. At first they wanted to sedate me, but he told them that wasnt why he brought me there. He made me talk to every shrink in the place. He made me talk about Bonnie. He made me talk about Fraser. He made me talk about my mother. Hell, he even made me talk about my father, and I hadnt seen him since I was a baby. She grimaced. But he didnt think I was opening up enough with the good doctors, so after three weeks he checked me out and took me to Cumberland Island and kept me there for another week.

Cumberland Island?

Its a wild island off the coast. One hotel, but Joe didnt check us in there. We camped out and Joe ad-ministered his own brand of therapy.

And did you open up with him?

Joe didnt give me any choice. Her lips twisted ruefully. I told you, he can be a powerhouse. He wasnt about to let me go crazy or kill myself. He wouldnt have it. So I had to cope.

Quinn must be pretty impressive, Gil said.

Oh, yes. No doubt about it. Theres nobody like him. She walked over to the window and looked out at the surf. I fought him like a tiger. He wouldnt let me go.

I wish hed buried the Lakewood records deeper.

So do I. In the neighborhood where I grew up there were a lot of crazies, but you were really bonkers if you had to go to an asylum. But Joe doesnt think like we do. Hes very direct. If somethings broken, you get an expert to fix it. He didnt see any stigma about staying at a mental hospital. That didnt scare him.

Did it scare you? Logan asked.

She was silent a moment. Yes.

Why?

She said haltingly, I was afraid I belonged there.

Ridiculous. You had enough stress to give anyone a nervous breakdown.

And how close is a nervous breakdown to going over the edge? You never realize what a tightrope we all walk until you almost slip into the chasm.

But you fought back.

Joe jerked me back. She crossed her arms over her chest. And then I got mad as hell and disgusted with myself. I wasnt about to let Fraser take anything else from me. Not my life and not my sanity. I wasnt going to let him win. She turned to face Logan. And Im not going to let Timwick and her win either. The question is how are we going to keep them from making everyone think Im nuts.

We cant. Not now. Were on the defensive, Logan said. We cant do anything until we have a weapon to launch an offensive.

She had known that, but shed hoped for good news, not reality. Did you call Margaret?

He nodded. Shes on her way.

Where will she take my mother?

Shes consulting with the security service whos guarding your mother now. Wherever they decide to stash her, I told Margaret I wanted them to take at least one guard. Did you tell Sandra to ex-pect her?

Yes, and I told Joe to meet us tomorrow in At-lanta. She saw an expression flit across Logans face and demanded, What?

Nothing. It just might not have been wise to in-volve him. The fewer people who

Crap. She ignored the fact that that had been her own initial thought. I trust him more than I trust you or Gil.

I can see why. Gil rose to his feet. Im eager to meet the interesting Mr. Quinn. I think Ill go for a walk. Care to join me, John?

Logan nodded. I can use some air. He moved toward the door. Well be back soon. Keep an eye on the news, will you, Eve?

They wanted to talk over the situation alone. Theyd weigh the recent developments and try to plan an offensive. Well, let them. Theyd learn soon enough that she wouldnt be shut out of decisions any longer.

On the other hand, she just might want to shut them out. Tomorrow shed be with Joe again. Logan had used her and she had no confidence he wouldnt do it again, but she could trust Joe. Theyd been a team for a long time, and together they could work their way through anything, including Timwick and Lisa Chadbourne.

Lisa Chadbourne. Did the fact that her name had come so easily to Eve mean shed accepted Lisa Chad-bourne as the prime conspirator? The signals she had used with Detwil indicated complicity but didnt nec-essarily mark her as the kingpin.

But the woman shed studied in the videotapes was not the type to accept second place. She exuded confidence and charisma.

And Gils description of Timwick had not been of a man who would be able to pull off a deception of this magnitude. It would take nerves of steel and the ability to think on your feet. According to Gil, Timwick was a man who might crumble under pres-sure.

If Lisa Chadbourne was the prime player, then Eve had better study her very carefully.

She went to her handbag and pulled out the tapes she had stuffed in it before leaving Barrett House. She popped one in the VCR and settled on the sofa in front of the television.

Lisa Chadbournes smiling face appeared on the screen. Beautiful, intelligent, and, yes, fascinating. Eve felt tension ripple through her, and she leaned forward, her gaze never leaving Lisa Chadbourne.

What are you doing? Logan asked when he walked in on her two hours later. Lisa Chadbourne?

Eve flipped off the VCR. Nothing. I was just studying her.

Her signals to Detwil?

Some. Mainly body language. Expressions. They tell a hell of a lot.

Do they? Logans gaze narrowed on her face. I wouldnt think theyd tell you anything. Im sure shes very good at disguising her emotions.

She shrugged. Im an artist and Ive made it my business to learn a lot about facial expressions. When I first became a forensic sculptor, I even took a course in expressions and body language and how they re-late to psychology. Expressions can make all the dif-ference in identification. A face without expression is like an empty slate.

And what did you learn about Lisa Chadbourne?

Shes a little arrogant, bold, but wary too. Per-haps a little vain. She frowned. No, not vain. Shes too confident to be vain. She just knows who she is and she likes herself.

Smug?

Eve shook her head. No. She hesitated. Sheshellip; intensely focusedhellip; and maybe a little lonely.

Quite a crystal ball you have, Gil said.

Some of its guesswork. Maybe a lot of it. People can usually control most of the muscles of the face. Except the ones around the eyes. Theyre very diffi-cult to manage. But even a lack of expression can sometimes tell a story. She returned to Lisa Chadbourne. Id bet she has a very small circle of friends and shed keep everyone but those few at a distance.

Logan raised his brows. That wasnt my impres-sion when I met her. I assure you no one could be warmer or more gregarious, and she handles people better than anyone I know.

And shes good enough to fool you. She turned on the charm and focused the full force on you. Men still rule the world, and shes made it her business to get along with them. Its probably second nature to her now.

But shes not good enough to fool you?

Maybe, if you hadnt provided me with the tapes that spotlight her every move and expression. Shes quite wonderful and almost never steps out of character. When it happens its for only a split second and then shes back in character again. She shrugged. Thank God for freeze-frame. It can be very illuminating.

So youve decided shes just a lonely, misunderstood woman who became innocently involved? he asked mockingly.

No, I think she could kill a man. She projects de-termination and intensity as strong as an atomic blast. I think she could do anything she needed to do and theres no way shed be a pawn. It would be her way all the way. She switched the television set back on. Im afraid I was too busy to watch the news for you. You can catch up on it yourself.

Youre assuming a lot from just looking at those videotapes.

Believe me or not. I couldnt care less.

Oh, I believe that body language and facial ex-pressions can be a dead giveaway. Studying them is one of the key courses in the negotiating seminars I send all my corporate executives to. Its just that we have to be very careful about assuming anything about Lisa Chadbourne.

We have to be careful about everything con-nected with her. She headed for the front door. Im going down to the pier.

May I go with you? Logan asked.

No, I dont remember being invited when you and Gil wanted to talk.

Ouch, Gil said.

She ran down the porch steps. The beach was de-serted except for a few children playing volleyball several hundred yards from the pier. She supposed she should be worried about being recognized. CNN had probably shown a photograph of the crazy pyromaniac who had killed Logan.

Crazy. She flinched from the word. Damn Lisa Chadbourne. Shed had to use the part of Eves life that could still bring pain. She could almost see her going over the possibilities and then striking like a black widow spider at the heart of

Why was she so sure it was Lisa Chadbourne who was responsible for the attack on her? She could be wrong. It could be Timwick.

She wasnt wrong. Lisa Chadbourne would never underestimate another woman. She had too much re-spect for herself.

She sat down on the pier and looked down into the water.

Youre assuming a lot just from looking at those videotapes.

She was assuming a lot. She could be imagining the subtle nuances she thought shed caught while watching Lisa Chadbourne.

The hell she could. She had trained herself to recognize and portray expression.

And her observations were more than clinical. She had felt the same gut instinct she experienced in the last stages of sculpting.

She knew Lisa Chadbourne.

Fraser.

She shivered as she looked down into the water. Lisa Chadbourne and Fraser were nothing alike. So why was she thinking of them as one?

Because the fear was back a second time. It had returned the day her lab had been destroyed so vio-lently and she had thought of Fraser. Lisa Chad-bourne had been the guiding hand then, just as she was now.

Fraser had been tainted with a madness that Eve had not seen in Lisa Chadbourne, but they both pos-sessed the assurance that came with power.

The pleasure derived from power was a strong motivator. Frasers power had come from killing. Lisa Chadbournes motivation was obviously more com-plicatedhellip; and possibly even more deadly. The thirst for power on a global scale could be far more dam-aging than on a smaller personal scale.

To hell with global scale. Nothing could be more damaging than what had happened to Bonnie. The world was made up of personal stories, personal tragedies, and the brutal acts that Fraser had com-mitted were every bit as evil as the killing done by Lisa Chadbourne.

Murder was murder. They had taken a life and life was sacred. She wasnt sure that Detwil was the danger Logan saw him to be. She didnt know about politics or plots or diplomatic implications, but she knew about murder. She had lived and eaten and slept with it.

And, God, how she hated it.

Keep watching the mother, James. Lisas brow knit as she gazed at the Duncan dossier in the computer. Duncan obviously has a soft spot for her. I think we can find a way to use her.

I am watching her, Timwick said. Ive never stopped. We believe Duncan placed a call to her mother this morning. She was on a digital phone, but we had stationed a man with an amplifier outside the house. We got only snippets of the conversation, but Id bet shes trying to remove her mother from the equation.

Smart. Just exactly what Lisa would have done. Erase every weak point. That mustnt happen. Deal with it.

Permanently?

Christ, violence was Timwicks solution for everything. No, we may need her.

Shes being watched by Madden Security, Logans team, as well as the Atlanta P.D. It may be difficult to make a clean move.

Do your best. Send Fiske. He handled the Bar-rett House matter exceptionally well. What about the forensic anthropologist?

Were watching Crawford at Duke University.

What about the people Eve Duncan worked with?

Were working our way through the list. That takes time.

We dont have time. It shouldnt be that diffi-cult. Hed have to have qualifications and experience working in DNA.

There are more people with the DNA qualifica-tion than youd think. Its the wave of the future.

Weve got to cut the list down. Send it to me and Ill do it. She checked her wristwatch. I have to go. Im scheduled for a meeting. Ill get back to you.

She hung up and started to close Eve Duncans file. Then she hesitated, gazing at Eves image.

Eve was moving swiftly to prevent any more damage. Lisa had had a hunch that Eve would try to save the mother even though Sandra seemed to have done precious little for her. Shed let her daughter grow up on the streets and had done nothing to keep her from becoming pregnant and having that illegiti-mate child.

Yet Eve had obviously forgiven her mother and was loyal to her. Loyalty was a rare and valuable quality. The more Lisa studied the womans file, the more she was coming to admire herhellip; and know her. She kept seeing similarities between them. Lisas own parents had been loving and supportive but she, too, had worked her way out of the tenements and fought the system against all odds.

What was she thinking? she wondered impa-tiently. She mustnt be swayed just because she was be-ginning to feel a certain empathy with Eve Duncan. She had set her feet on a particular path, and she must follow it to the end.

No matter who got in the way.

FOURTEEN

"Well, you made it, Joe said sourly as he walked over to the car. Im surprised. This baby looks like its seen some miles.

It attracts less attention. Logan climbed out of the drivers seat and faced him. Would you have pre-ferred I drove Eve around in a red Lamborghini?

Id prefer you didnt drive her around at all. He stared at Logan. Id prefer that youd never set eyes on her, you son of a bitch.

Christ, he was uptight, Eve thought. Joe looked more menacing than shed ever seen him, and Logan was bristling like a guard dog. She hurriedly got out of the car. Get in the backseat with me, Joe. Logan, you drive us to Emory.

Neither man moved.

Dammit, youre drawing too much attention. Get in, Joe.

He finally climbed into the car.

She drew a breath of relief, said, Drive, Logan, and climbed in.

Logan returned to the drivers seat and started the car.