“No problem.”
She had an inkling there was definitely a problem. Being with Joe Quinn was making her aware of what she was missing. Eve and Joe had a relationship that was like a deep, strong river and yet Catherine could see the exciting rapids that still ran through it. She had never known a relationship with that intensity. She had loved Terry, but it had been a comfortable affection comprised of gratitude and common likes and dislikes. They had both wanted a home and child and passion had not been that important.
Eve and Joe had passion. A passion for each other and a passion for their life together. They didn’t display it blatantly, but every glance revealed it.
She wanted that passion for living. She was tired of just surviving.
Good Lord, was she jealous?
No, that would mean she wanted to take something from them to keep for herself, and she would never do that. This emotion was a sort of poignant wistfulness all the more powerful for the unexpectedness of its appearance in her life.
She would not steal, but perhaps she could watch and learn.
Joe was no longer looking at her. He had moved to the steps and was starting down them. Wind was whipping his clothes to his body, and he was drenched in seconds.
“Where are you going?” she asked, startled.
“I thought I’d take a look around to see if I can locate Rakovac’s scout.”
“He said he pulled him once he reported.”
“Why should I believe he’s telling the truth any more than you do?” He smiled recklessly. “I think I’ll see if he lied about that, too. I’m probably going to bat zero, but I’ll at least be able to work off some stored energy. I don’t like the idea of someone out there on my property.”
Before she could respond, he had vanished into the heavy veil of rain.
Chapter
6
2:35 A.M.
“You’re tired,” Eve said. “Why don’t you go to bed?”
“Not until you do.” Catherine looked up. “I have almost a quarter of this face done. I didn’t think I’d get this far so quickly. I’m very proud of myself.”
“That’s two of us. I’m proud of you, too. I wasn’t sure that you’d be able to do it. It’s one hell of a difficult job.”
Catherine nodded. “It takes concentration.” She smiled. “And study. I know more than I ever wanted to know about the bones of the human face.” Her smile faded. “You say Cindy was buried at least ten years ago. Does it take that long in the ground to turn a body into…this?”
“It depends on the circumstances and conditions. Sometimes shorter, sometimes longer.” She studied Catherine’s face. “You’re thinking of what Rakovac said about killing Luke and burying his body in the woods.”
“I try not to remember. But I do. How can I help it?”
“You can’t. It’s impossible.” Her lips tightened. “What a sadistic bastard. What other things has he taunted you with over the years?”
“Do you want a list? Sometimes it amused him to tell me how he tortured Luke. He made me listen as he described the most horrible atrocities imaginable.” She shuddered. “I nearly went crazy. The only way I could survive was to tell myself over and over that it was all lies. That he wouldn’t have dared to do anything to Luke while Venable knew he was holding him. It might have disturbed the status quo of their relationship.” She added hoarsely, “I had to believe that, or I would have slit my throat. I kept thinking if I were dead, there wouldn’t be any reason for him to hurt Luke. And then I would think if he was still alive, I had to live, or Rakovac would have him forever.” She shook her head and glanced back down at the bones in front of her. “But you don’t want to hear this. I’ve been moaning since I came into your life. I didn’t do it to make you feel sorry for me. Being who you are and what you’ve been through, that’s a given. That’s just my life right now.”
“You didn’t offer,” Eve said. “If I hadn’t wanted an answer, I wouldn’t have asked.”
“Let’s change the subject. How long before I see my Luke?”
“I’ll start the last transition tomorrow. I can’t wait either.”
She nodded. “He’s got you, hasn’t he?” Her face was suddenly luminous. “You can see what kind of wonderful little boy he is. I used to look at him when he was sleeping and think how lucky I was to have a child like Luke. He was different from other children, full of love, full of mischief, smart. I know every mother thinks her child is special, but it’s true. He was only two, and he spoke like a five-year-old. And he was beautiful, you can tell how beautiful he is.”
“Yes, he’s very beautiful,” she said gently. “He must be a good deal like you.”
She shook her head. “He’s nothing like me. There may be a little resemblance, but inside he’s different. From the time I was a toddler, I was always looking for the way to fight my way to the top. I didn’t care how. I had to survive. From the moment he was out of the cradle, Luke was always caring and giving.”
“Because he had a mother who adored him, and was surrounded by love.”
“People are born with souls. His soul was special. Sometimes he seemed to be lit from within.”
Like the face of Catherine when she spoke of her son, Eve thought. “I’m sure he’s all you say he is.”
Catherine suddenly smiled. “You’re being very soothing. I know I’m besotted. But it’s true. It’s all true. He was like—”
A banging at the front door.
Eve’s gaze flew across the room. For heaven’s sake, it was after two in the morning.
“Don’t answer it.” Catherine was gliding across the room to her duffel. “Rakovac had someone here watching. Maybe his orders weren’t only to watch.”
“Joe said he thought that Rakovac’s man had taken off. He saw the tire prints. If he was still out there, Joe would have found him.”
“Oh, I believe Joe is very efficient. But Rakovac’s men are good. Better to be safe.” She drew her gun out of the duffel and headed toward the door. “Stand back. I’ll take—”
“You can see the front of the porch from the window left of the door,” Eve said as she slipped from her stool. Her heart was pounding, hard. “Just stay away from the glass in case someone decides to take a shot.”
“I’m not stupid,” Catherine said. “Go wake up Joe. We may need him.”
“I’m not leaving you alone,” Eve said. “This is my house, and I should be the one repelling intruders. And Joe’s a light sleeper. He probably heard that pounding. It was loud enough.”
“Have it your way,” Catherine was to the left of the window carefully moving the curtains, her gun ready. “Just don’t come close to the door. A spray from an AK-47 could blast it off its hinges.”
“I’ve seen what one can do. I’m not about to go in harm’s way. What do you see out—”
“Oh, shit.” Catherine dropped the curtain, strode to the door and jerked it open.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Eve frowned in puzzlement as she moved forward to get a glimpse of the person at the door.
Not person, a young girl. A small, fair-haired girl in blue jeans and pine green sweatshirt dotted with dark drops of rain.
“I had to come,” the girl whispered. “I couldn’t stay with my mother.”
“What am I going to do with you?” Catherine said helplessly. “You can’t stay here, Kelly. You shouldn’t have come.”
“Who is she?” Eve came to the door to stand beside Catherine. The girl wasn’t as young as she had first thought. She must be at least entering her teens. She was just small and extremely fine boned. “What is she doing here?”
“She’s Kelly Winters.” Catherine was glancing down the road. “See those taillights about a mile away? I’d bet she was dropped off on your doorstep.” Her lips tightened. “Only it’s meant to be my doorstep.”
Kelly Winters. The young girl who had been kidnapped that Catherine had told her about, Eve realized. No wonder she appeared s
o fragile and haunted. “Well, I don’t care what was meant or not meant. This is my home, and I won’t have her stand out there in the rain while you decide what to do with her.” She held out her hand to the girl. “I’m Eve Duncan, Kelly. Come in.”
Kelly’s gaze was fastened on Catherine. “May I?”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake.” Catherine threw up her hands. “Okay. Come in, but you can’t stay. You shouldn’t even be here.”
“I’m glad that’s decided.” Joe was coming up the porch steps. He was barefoot, without a shirt, soaked to the skin, and clearly in a foul mood. “Get her inside.”
“You slipped out the bedroom window and came around the front?” Eve guessed.
“It seemed the thing to do at the time. I didn’t realize that it was only a kid who was trying to get in from the storm.” He held up his hand as Catherine started to speak. “At the moment, I don’t care why she’s here. Now that I know that it’s not one of Rakovac’s men or a midget with bombs strapped to her chest, I’m opting out. I just want to get her inside and hit a hot shower and get on some dry clothes. She’s your problem. Settle it yourself. Preferably before I get out of the shower.” He strode past Kelly and went into the house.
“He’s angry,” Kelly said.
“He’s disappointed,” Eve said. “Joe has the instincts of a gladiator. For the second time tonight, he was all primed to step into the arena and take care of a massive threat. Instead, it turned out to be you. He’ll be fine after he relaxes and lets the adrenaline stop ruling him.”
The girl shook her head. “I didn’t want to make him—”
“Kelly, be quiet and come in.” Catherine pulled her inside and shut the door. “It’s done. Now all I want is to know what’s happening. Who dropped you off and ran like a thief in the night? Venable?”
She shook her head. “Agent Dufour. But Venable told him to bring me.”
“Why?” Catherine shook her head. “And why am I even asking? He’s manipulating the situation to suit himself. He thought if he’d throw you into the fray, that I’d—”
“No.” Kelly shook her head. “I made him do it. I told him I’d run away if he didn’t tell me where you were.”
“And Venable couldn’t handle the threat from one small girl?” Catherine asked. “I don’t think that’s true.” She turned on her heel and went into the kitchenette. “Where’s the cocoa, Eve? Do you have any around here? She needs something hot and sweet. She’s shivering.”
“I’m okay,” Kelly said. “I’m only a little wet. I had to run from the car to the porch.”
“The cocoa’s in the first cabinet. It’s instant. Use the hot water from the coffeemaker,” Eve said. She smiled slightly as she watched Catherine take down the box. There was frustration and anger in every line of the woman’s body, but even through the aggravation, she was still trying to take care of the young girl. “I’ll get her a towel for her hair.” She headed down the hall to the linen closet. When she returned with the towel, Kelly was sitting at the bar, a mug of chocolate in front of her and a warm throw around her.
“I’ll do it.” Catherine took the towel and enveloped Kelly’s head with the cloth and rubbed vigorously but gently. Then she stepped back and threw the towel on the barstool. “Now drink your chocolate.”
Kelly didn’t touch the mug in front of her. She just sat there staring at Catherine.
“Don’t sit there looking at me,” Catherine said. “I told you that I can’t help you. I’d take you in if I could, but you came to me at the worst time possible. Hell, the whole world wants to help you, Kelly. I’m the wrong one to pick.”
“I’m not going to get in your way. I won’t be any trouble. I’ll help you.” She paused. “We need to help each other.”
“You can’t help me.”
“Yes, I can.” She hesitated. “I’m smart, Catherine. Very smart. That’s why my mother doesn’t want me around. Daddy said that she had an idea of what she wanted in a daughter, and I wasn’t it. I make her uncomfortable. I try to hide it, but sometimes it tumbles out. But maybe you can use me.” Her lips firmed. “No, not maybe, I’ll make sure you can do it.”
“You can’t help me,” Catherine repeated.
“Venable told me that you’re looking for your son. He told me all about it. I’ll help you find him.”
Catherine muttered an oath beneath her breath. “He had no business telling you anything. You’re a kid, for heaven’s sake.”
Kelly shook her head. “I don’t feel like a kid.”
“That damn Munoz. I told you that you shouldn’t let what he did make you—” She shook her head. “What am I saying? It’s your father. His death alone was enough to make a big change in you.” She shrugged. “And you may not feel like a kid, but it’s the responsibility of the adults around you to recognize that you still have the right not to have to confront adult problems.”
“Do I have that right?” Kelly gave her the ghost of a smile. “Did you, Catherine? Not according to what Venable told me.”
“Did he give you my life history?” Catherine asked in disgust. “I can see him doing that. He wouldn’t care that you have problems of your own.”
Eve could see Catherine’s irritation growing by the moment. She wasn’t angry at Kelly so much as the situation, but Kelly might misinterpret. Time to step into the picture. “Kelly, you were supposed to go to your mother’s after you left the hospital. What happened? I can’t believe she wouldn’t be concerned.”
“She was concerned,” Kelly said. “But she didn’t want to deal with me. After the social worker explained what had happened and all the care and attention she should pay me for the next few months, she panicked. She set her secretary to trying to find a good rehabilitation home to stash me in for the next few months.” She added quietly, “She’s not a monster. It would have been a fine, luxurious rehabilitation home with wonderful psychiatrists. But I wouldn’t have been able to take it. And there’s no way I could persuade her not to send me there. She’s always sure she’s right when she wants something badly enough.”
“Bitch,” Catherine said.
Kelly shook her head. “No. You don’t understand. She doesn’t mean any harm. She just wants me to go away.”
“She’s your mother,” Eve said.
“Maybe the stork got the babies confused.” She met Eve’s gaze. “Don’t pity me. Because sometimes I want her to go away, too. Does that make me a terrible person?”
“It makes you human,” Eve said gently.
She nodded. “That’s what Daddy said. But Daddy was angry with her most of the time himself, so I couldn’t be sure.”
“Be sure,” Catherine said. “So you called Venable, and he came and picked you up?”
“He didn’t want to do it. He argued with me. He even hung up on me. But he called back. He said he’d thought about it, and my place was with you.”
“After he realized that you’d be the perfect roadblock to my plans,” Catherine said dryly. “He threatened to do everything he could to stop me from upsetting their plans for Rakovac. Then here you come, and it’s a golden opportunity.”
Kelly nodded. “You’re probably right. He was kind to me, but I think he may be a devious man. But I didn’t care, he gave me what I wanted.”
“A trip to Atlanta and the chance to be dumped on Eve’s doorstep.”
“Yes, and he promised to talk to my mother and convince her that he’d placed me in a secure home where I would receive excellent therapy.” She smiled wistfully. “It won’t take much to convince her. It’s what she wants to hear.”
“Eve’s home may be secure, but I’m leaving it within the next few days,” Catherine said. “And I’m as far from being a therapist as I could possibly be. I’m pretty screwed up myself right now. I could strangle Venable.”
“You’re not screwed up. You’re one of the sanest people I’ve ever met.”
“Your experience is limited.” She pushed the mug closer to Kelly. “Drink your chocolate.
Then we’ll talk about where you’re going to spend the next six months.”
“Here, with you.”
“I can’t take care of you.”
“I don’t want you to care for me. I want breathing space until I can figure a way to run my life myself.” She lifted her chocolate to her lips. “I think the best thing for me would be to go and stay at school. I attend the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Then no one would have to bother with me.”
“A college?” Eve said. “But you’re only fourteen.”
“I’m very smart. All the professors decided that I should be at a think tank. Some of them wanted to send me to Harvard, but Daddy said he didn’t want me at a place with that high, edgy profile. He thought the pressure would be less on me in a Southern school. I like it okay there.” She paused. “Daddy told me that I was going to be all right as far as money was concerned. He set up some kind of trust for me. But public opinion matters to my mother, and she wouldn’t let a bank be my guardian. I’m too young, and she’d get a lot of bad press. But if enough time passes, maybe I can work it out.”
“Then perhaps Venable could persuade your mother to send you to school instead of a rehabilitation home,” Catherine said. “I’ll get on the phone and talk to him.”
“It won’t do any good. She won’t give in while there are still media stories about me. And you said that Venable wants me here. He’s not going to help you.”
“No, heaven forbid that he gives me a break.” Catherine drew a deep breath. “Kelly, being with me wouldn’t be good for you. If I thought anything else, I’d take a chance and let you stay with me. But it might even be dangerous. Venable knew that, and he still sent you. I can find you a safe place. I know a lot of people who owe me favors.”
Kelly smiled slightly. “Did you save their lives, too?”
“Look, I’m not some saintly do-gooder. I only went into Munoz’s camp because Venable and I had made a deal.”