But there was one thing he had to do before he left.
"I'm going to Atlanta."
"I'm glad to see you're taking action. This had better be solved soon. Remember, you don't have much time to clear up your mess. Boca Raton is set for October twenty-ninth."
"You don't have to remind me. I can take care of both matters."
"We've trusted you for a long time, but the Cabal isn't too pleased with you after that blunder with Etienne."
And Melton was even less pleased. He was probably looking over his shoulder and thinking he'd be next. Lily-livered bastard.
"I had to shoot him. It was self-defense."
"Was it?" Melton paused. "I admit I've been wondering if you're playing a double game."
"You have no reason to accuse me of that."
"Well, then, you'd better make sure your mistake has no repercussions."
"That's why I'm going to Atlanta. I'll find a way."
"See that you do." Melton hung up.
The threat had been veiled, but Jules couldn't mistake Melton's intention to pressure him. He smothered the anger and tried to compose himself. It was the first time in years that any of the Cabal had been in the least critical of him. He had served them faithfully. Wasn't he entitled to their trust?
Well, they had trusted him with Etienne, and he must make amends for that.
Boca Raton.
It would be all right. Jules had made the advance preparations and the plan was proceeding nicely. He could leave the matter alone while he concentrated on the Duncan project.
Eve Duncan. Hebert leaned back and closed his eyes. He would go soon, but another few moments wouldn't hurt. You'd think after all these years that he'd become hardened, but it had never happened. Not with the innocents.
Get a grip. He had killed Etienne; anything else would be easy in comparison.
Joe Quinn, Jane MacGuire, and hadn't Melton mentioned Eve Duncan's mother?
Which one would he have to choose?
-------------------
"Look at him." Jane's expression was glowing with pride as she gazed at her puppy. "I think he's even smarter than his daddy, Monty, don't you?"
"Well... he's very good. But rolling over isn't exactly the same as saving lives after an earthquake." Eve smiled as she packed Carmelita's reconstructed skull in a box. "He's got a way to go."
"Well, he's only four months old. I have to train him." Jane snapped her fingers and Toby bounced to his feet. "Maybe I should go out to California and let Sarah help me. I bet she could teach him in no time. She offered to do it when she gave him to me."
Providing Sarah had time to do it, Eve thought ruefully. Besides traveling all over the world with a canine rescue group, Sarah was trying to adjust to marriage and keep her golden retriever, Monty, and his mate, Maggie, content and peaceful. Peaceful wasn't that easy when it came to dealing with an untamed wolf like Maggie. "That could be a good idea. We'll ask her when she might have a chance to do it." She addressed the label on the box ready for collection. "But not until your school breaks for the Thanksgiving holidays."
"I could make it up. I'm ahead anyway."
In more ways than in her studies. Jane's background had ensured that in both experience and character she was twelve going on thirty. Eve was glad to see this wild enthusiasm over the puppy. Heaven knows the girl had been cheated out of most of the joys of childhood. "Maybe. We'll talk about it."
"Are you going to the FedEx office? Can Toby and I go with you?"
"Sure. Right after I go and put some fresh flowers on Bonnie's grave. I haven't been up there this week."
"The chrysanthemums by the side of the house? I'll get them. Toby and I will go with you. He needs to stretch his legs."
"What are you talking about? That puppy dashes around every minute of the day."
"Running up hills is different. It's good training and helps the lungs." She ran out of the cottage. "We'll meet you."
Eve smiled and shook her head as she went out onto the porch. They'd be there long before she reached the grave, and she'd be lucky if Toby didn't tear up the flowers Jane put down on it.
Not that it mattered. Flowers were only flowers. And Bonnie would have loved to see the puppy tearing around, full of life and joy. She started on the path around the lake.
To her surprise Toby was being comparatively sedate, lying on his back beside the grave while Jane scratched his tummy. "I told you hills were different," Jane said. "He got tired. He needs to get in shape." She turned around and began picking weeds from the grave. "It doesn't need much cleaning at this time of year. I was up here three days ago and there was hardly any clover or anything."
"You were up here?"
"Sure. I know it's important to you. You love Bonnie." Jane straightened the flowers "There. I was going to brush those maple leaves off, but the red color looks kind of pretty. Like a cozy little blanket."
"Yes, it does." Eve looked down at the fallen leaves. A blanket for her Bonnie. The phrase spoke of home and shelter from harm. Everything she'd wanted for her daughter.
"Is it okay?" Jane asked.
"It's beautiful." Eve swallowed hard. "Have I told you lately how much I love you, Jane?"
"You don't have to tell me." Jane didn't look at her as she jumped to her feet. "You keep thinking you're cheating me or something. It doesn't have to be even. I don't expect it."
"It is even. It's just... different."
"Right. I'll see you at the car. Maybe we can rent a video while we're in town, now that you're finished with Carmelita. Joe said he wanted to see that new sci-fi spoof." The girl streaked off with Toby romping at her heels.
Still a few problems there, but they'd come a long way. They had such a strong foundation that Eve couldn't believe they wouldn't work everything out eventually.
Time to go. She looked down at the grave. "Goodbye, Bonnie," she whispered. She turned and started to follow Jane.
A sudden chill went through her.
She whirled and looked back up the hill. "Bonnie?"
Nothing. No sound. No rustle of trees...
Yet, had there been ... something?
Imagination. She must have been working too hard on Carmelita. Bonnie never gave her this sense of menace....
"Eve!" Jane was waving at her from the bottom of the hill. "Toby's treed a squirrel. Or maybe it's a raccoon. Come and see."
Eve turned around and her pace quickened. "I'll be right there."
Chapter Two
The child could be the key.
Jules Hebert faded away into the bushes as Eve left the grave site. The expression on the woman's face had told it all. She was a mother, and radiated the love, endurance, and tenderness that all mothers possessed. The death of a child could move a woman to do almost anything.
Jane MacGuire?
The idea made him sick. He did not like to kill children. He stopped and leaned against the birch tree at the bottom of the hill. He could do it. He could do anything he had to do. He had proved that.
But maybe it wasn't necessary. He had to clear his head and think. Would he have to do this? Would it even bring the result he wanted? The situation was critical, but wouldn't it be better to explore other avenues? Everyone had secrets. Suppose he probed and pried until he knew every detail of these people's lives. He had always been good at that. He might be able to find something he could use....
It would take time.
Not if he bent all his will and effort to the task. He had come to admire Eve Duncan. With her strength and intelligence, she reminded him of his own mother. Surely, he could wait a few more days.
Boca Raton.
Three days. Taking any more time would be irresponsible. He could allow himself three days to find another option.
Then he would have to kill the child.
-------------------
"I need to talk to you." Jane's voice was hesitant. "Could you spare a moment, Eve?"
"I don't have time to—" Eve looked up
from the skull she was charting and saw that Jane was so pale her freckles stood out. "What's wrong? Is it Toby?"
"Toby's fine." Jane moistened her lips. "I didn't know what to do. I thought about telling Joe, but it's really you ... I tried to fix it, but I couldn't. And then I didn't want you to go up and see—I had to tell you."
"What are you talking about, Jane?"
"Will you come with me?" Jane moved toward the door. "You have to see—"
"See what?"
"Bonnie..."
"What do you mean—"
Jane was gone, running down the porch steps and down the path.
"Jane!"
Eve ran after her but didn't catch up until she was almost up the hill. "Why are you—"
Then she saw it.
"I didn't know what to do." Jane's voice was uneven. "I tried to clean it up."
Blood smeared, dripping over the headstone.
Eve shuddered. "What did you— What happened here?"
"I don't know. I came up today to clean off the weeds and it was like this. No, not like this. I made it worse. I'm sorry, Eve."
"Blood."
"No, I don't think so. At first, I thought... But it's paint or something." She edged closer to Eve. "I couldn't get it off."
"Paint?"
Jane nodded. "Someone drew a big X through Bonnie's name and everything else on the tombstone." She took Eve's hand. "Who would do this to you?"
Eve couldn't imagine who would commit a horror like this. She felt ... bruised. "I don't know." It was hard to think. "Maybe some kid who thought it was funny to desecrate a grave." But not her Bonnie's grave. Not her Bonnie. "I can't think of anyone else."
"I'm gonna get him," Jane said fiercely. "Maybe he'll come back. I'll wait here and when he does, I'm gonna get him."
Eve shook her head. "It would only make it worse." She turned away. "Come on, we'll get back to the cottage and see if we can find something to clean it off with."
Jane fell into step with her. "We'll tell Joe as soon as he gets home. He'll get him."
"Not until we clean up the tombstone." "You're afraid he'll be so mad, he'll do something to him. He should do something. I'll help him."
Jesus, she couldn't handle this right now. Eve knew very well Joe's response would be just as violent and protective as Jane's, and she was too shaky to play peacemaker. Besides, she didn't want to be a peacemaker. Shock was quickly being replaced by anger. She wanted to wring that sicko kid's neck. Not a good example for Jane. And Joe was an ex-SEAL and would think little of doing just that. "Just go to the shed and see what you can find. There may be some turpentine left from last spring when we painted the porch."
-------------------
"Having trouble?"
George Capel glanced impatiently at the man in a blue Saturn who had cruised to a stop beside him on the side of the road. What a stupid question, when he was standing here with his head under the hood of the Mercedes. "Not unless you're a mechanic. It's dead as a doornail."
"Sorry. I'm a computer salesman." The man in the Saturn grimaced. "And believe me I've had my share of breakdowns. I remember once in Macon, it was the middle of the night and I—" He stopped. "But you're not interested in that. What about a jump?"
"We can try." Capel glanced at the man's neat blue suit. "Better be careful. I've already got grease on my shirt."
The man smiled. "I'm always careful."
Ten minutes later Capel was cursing a blue streak when the car still failed to start. "Piece of crap. For God's sake, it's a Mercedes. Do you know how much this car cost me?"
"A bundle. New?"
"Last year."
"Sorry I couldn't help. Maybe you'd better call for a tow truck."
"When my car's dead, my car phone's dead, too. Do you have a cell phone?"
The other man smiled. "You seem to be having trouble with mechanical objects. I remember a Stephen King book about machines gone amok. I listened to it on Books on Tape when I was driving through Iowa."
Capel tried to keep his temper. "Do you have a phone?" he repeated.
"Sure, but it's back at the motel on the charger. I was only going to go out and find a restaurant to have dinner." He wiped his forehead with his handkerchief. "But hop in and I'll give you a lift to the nearest service station. I'm new in this area. Do you know where one is?"
"There's a Texaco two miles ahead." Capel hesitated, gazing at the Mercedes.
"I don't think it's going anywhere."
"That's for sure. Piece of lousy junk." Capel strode over to the passenger side of the Saturn and got in. "Let's go. I didn't need this. I left the office early because I've got tickets to the basketball game tonight. And then this has to happen. Damn, I hate car trouble. The sooner we get this over with, the better."
"That's what I think. I hate unpleasantness." Jules Hebert got into the driver's seat. "Let's get it over with."
-------------------
Joe turned away from the grave. "We'll replace the headstone."
"I've got almost all the paint off."
"But every time you look at it, you'll remember. We'll get a new headstone. I'll see to it when I go into work tomorrow." He looked at her. "You haven't seen anyone around the place in the past few days?"
Eve shook her head.
"Don't worry, it won't happen again."
"It's a big property. It's hard to keep trespassers off it."
"It won't happen again," Joe repeated. "Go on back to the house while I take a look around."
She looked at him warily.
"Hey, I'm a cop. Let me do my job."
But this wasn't a cop standing before her. He was in protective mode, and Joe could be lethal when he was this angry. "I don't want you to do your job too well. It was vandalism."
"It hurt you," Joe said flatly. "I won't allow that. Never again."
"And I won't allow you to kill some kid who thought this was just one big giggle."
He was silent a moment. "If it's a kid, he may get by with learning a lesson he won't forget. Satisfied?"
"No." But it was all she was going to get from him. Eve was beginning to hope they'd never find out who did this awful thing. "You can't call a forensic team out here to solve a case of vandalism."
"I'm pretty good on my own." Joe turned away. "Go on back to the cottage. Jane needs you. She's pretty shook up."
"Not anymore. She wants to do the same thing as you. She said she was 'gonna get him.' "
"Good. Smart girl. But she doesn't have to bother."
Eve watched in exasperation as Joe disappeared into the bushes. He was on the hunt, and there wasn't anything she could do about it.
She turned and went down the hill.
-------------------
Joe found the footprints almost immediately.
Not running shoes or mountain boots like most kids wore in this area. Regular shoes. Size eight or nine, and the imprint was shallow so the wearer wasn't very big.
And he hadn't tried to brush the footprints away. It was stupid enough to be a kid. Joe followed the prints down the hill.
Car tracks.
It was getting dark. Joe turned on his flashlight as he knelt down and looked at the tracks. He didn't know enough about tire imprints to identify them. He'd go back to the cottage and get some plaster to make a mold, and then run it through the database at headquarters.
He didn't like any of this. His hand clenched on the flashlight as he thought about the grave and Eve's expression when she'd told him about the defacement.
He was going to get that son of a bitch.
-------------------
Hebert's phone rang as he was getting back in the car.
"I hadn't heard from you," Melton said. "Do I have to remind you that time is of the essence?"
"No."
"The situation may be escalating. Have you thought any more about getting Dupree?"
"Forget Dupree." Jules wearily leaned back in the seat. "That may not be necessary."
&
nbsp; "Why not?"
"Things are looking up. I want you to wait one day and then call Eve Duncan again and make her the same offer."
"She was quite adamant."
"Try her."
"Whatever you say. It's good that things are proceeding so well." Melton hung up.
There was nothing good about this but the end result, Jules thought. It had been a hideous night. The man had been harder to break than he had thought, and torture was always worse than a clean kill. As he punched the end button, he noticed there was blood on the phone. He looked down at his hands. Blood on them, too.
He wiped his hands with a tissue, and then the phone. He glanced at the sheet of paper on the seat beside him. Good. No blood on the paper. He didn't want to leave any traces.
He looked out the window at the drainage ditch several yards away from the road. The water should wash away any evidence he had left behind.
He wished he could cleanse his mind and soul as easily.
-------------------
"I ran into the FedEx man outside." Jane dropped her schoolbooks on the coffee table and tossed the FedEx letter on Eve's desk.
"Who's it from?"
"Search me. No return address. Where's Toby?"
"Outside by the lake. He chased some ducks this morning."
"Well, he has retriever blood."
"And he turned tail when one got mad and bit his nose." Eve grinned. "Some retriever."
"Poor Toby." Jane started for the door. "That must have hurt his pride. I'll have to go soothe his feelings."
"He's forgotten already. I saw him chasing a butterfly an hour later. Maybe he thought that wouldn't be quite so dangerous."
Jane giggled. "A little more respect, please." She ran out the door and down the steps. "Toby!"
Eve was still smiling when she picked up the FedEx letter and tore it open. Thank heaven for Toby. He had completely taken Jane's mind off that horror of two days ago. She only wished Joe would be similarly distracted by—
My God.
-------------------
"Come home, Joe," Jane said as soon as Joe picked up the phone. "Right away. You've got to come now."
"Easy. What's wrong?"