Silencing Eve

by Iris Johansen

  “You’ve been saying that for too long. Repetition is boring.”

  “You won’t be bored when I blow her brains out.” Doane took a step closer to Eve and touched her hair. “All that ugly brain matter tangled in this pretty hair…”

  “Crude. Why do you persist in thinking that it will matter to me?”

  “When it gets down to those final moments, it will matter.” He smiled down at Eve. “Harriet wanted me to just kill you and get you out of the way. She just never understood how unsatisfying that would have been. She never admits she’s wrong.”

  “When will she be here?”

  “Beginning to be frightened? I’d say perhaps three hours. You have time to bond a little longer.” He went to the cabinet. “And I have time to dig two graves out in Kevin’s garden.” He pulled out a shovel. “Those places I chose will do very well, Eve. I’ve never dug a grave for anyone but Kevin’s little girls. Well, there was that agent who got in my way back at your lake cottage, but he didn’t matter. There was no pleasure in it. This one will be different.”

  “Would you like help?” Zander asked. “If you’ll undo these handcuffs, I’d be glad to volunteer.”

  “Do those cuffs bother you? Do you feel powerless? That must be maddening for you. You are powerless, Zander. Those are the finest military handcuffs, and they’ll hold you until the bullet goes into your brain.”

  “Then I take it my offer is refused?”

  Doane’s smile lost a little of its malicious pleasure. “You arrogant bastard.”

  The front door slammed behind him.

  “I thought for a minute that he’d take that shovel to your head,” Eve said dryly.

  “There was a possibility but not a very great one. It would have spoiled his precious finale. He’s exceptionally single-minded.”

  “I’ve noticed that.”

  “And he won’t complete the show until Harriet is here.” He was staring thoughtfully at the door. “It would be much easier to take Doane out before she arrives on the scene.”

  “Oh, would it?”

  “But, since she apparently may be more dangerous in your eyes, I’d have trouble convincing you to run the risk of her blowing up Seattle and Chicago if she became upset that we had shifted the balance.”

  “Yes, a good deal of trouble, Zander.” She shook her head. “And I’m having trouble with believing this discussion. You’re talking as if it’s a done deal.”

  “No, there will be difficulties. It might be nice to have skilled assistance if it proves very dicey. We’ll have to see if Catherine comes through.”

  “Catherine?”

  “I told her that she had to redouble her efforts to find this lovely cottage.”

  “And what did she say?”

  “Well, nothing really. That was about the time when I knocked her unconscious.” He smiled. “But I’m sure that she’ll do as I suggested.”

  “I’m not certain those circumstances would lend to compliance. Catherine doesn’t appreciate force.”

  “But she does appreciate you. I think she probably weighed her anger at me and her affection for you, then got to work.” His smile faded. “If you want to take down Harriet, too, we’ll have to wait until she’s almost here before we bid good-bye to Doane.”

  “She’s almost here now according to Doane.”

  “But she’s not on the doorstep. Timing is everything.”

  “And Catherine may appear and come to our rescue.”

  “Wouldn’t that be delightful? Of course, it would ruin my image, but I might be able to bear that coming from Catherine.” He thought about it. “No, I still couldn’t stand it.”

  “Then there’s no question she’ll do it for sheer punishment’s sake. You should not have knocked her out, Zander.”

  “I do many things I shouldn’t do. I’m sure you’ve heard.”

  “Yes.” It was bizarre sitting here in this equally bizarre and dangerous situation perfectly at ease with him, talking and even smiling. “You do have that reputation.”

  “And I’ll do a few more before this night is over.” He met her eyes. “And I won’t regret one single act. After all, I am a lost soul, Eve.”

  “I don’t know about that. Bonnie says there are second chances.”

  “And, of course, she’s an expert.”

  “She wouldn’t claim to be an expert. She only tells me what she’s learned since she left me.”

  He was silent a moment. “And since she’s my granddaughter and therefore supremely intelligent, I’m inclined to believe her.” His lips twisted. “But only inclined considering her ethereal state. Suppose we change the conversation to a subject on which we both agree.”

  Her brows rose. “And what is that?”

  “Why, Catherine, of course. Tell me all about Catherine. She was a little too uptight to confide in me while she was my so-called bodyguard.”

  “And I won’t break her confidence unless given permission.” She added quietly, “But I will tell you that she has amazing perseverance. She’ll find us, Zander.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she’ll make every attempt. And there’s no doubt she’s pulled Joe Quinn into the search front and center by now.”

  “Joe’s always front and center.”

  “You really do care about him?”

  “With my whole heart.”

  “I can’t say the same. Quinn and I were at odds most of the time we were on the search in Colorado.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. You’re both alpha males.” She added quietly, “Joe has a tendency to trample down opposition if it gets in his way. He wouldn’t like the idea that he couldn’t control you. And you probably felt the same way about him.”

  “Yes, but I was right.”

  “Right, perhaps. But I’d wager not particularly moral.”

  “And now we’re back to the lost soul.” He smiled. “And our joint wish that Catherine and your Joe are having a successful bonding to find Doane’s graveyard. Hopefully before he manages to put us in it.”

  Seattle

  “DAMMIT, CATHERINE, WHERE THE HELL is that information on Oregon real-estate records?” Joe asked as he strode back into the sitting room. “You said that Langley promised it to you within the hour. I should have known those bureaucrats would drag their feet when they’re most needed.”

  “They’re not bureaucrats. I’ve worked with these agents, and they do their best. Sid is very sharp.” She glared at him. “I hate bureaucrats as much as you do, but you can’t condemn the entire world because you’re hurting, Joe.”

  “I can if what they’re doing is hurting Eve.”

  She dropped the argument because she was almost as impatient as Joe. “Did either of you find that online book about driftwood artistry?”

  “I didn’t,” Gallo said. “Nothing in any of the libraries or sites in Washington State.”

  “You should have looked at Oregon,” Joe said. “I found a reference to a self-published Portland University book that contained photos and descriptions by a Josiah Natlow. One of the descriptions was of several pieces that resembled headstones.”

  Catherine inhaled sharply. “Where?”

  “It didn’t give a location. I’ve tracked down Natlow’s telephone number, and I’ve been calling him for the last ten minutes. No answer,” he said through set teeth. “Get that answer from Langley. We’re running out of time. According to what Jane told us, Harriet Weber should be landing in three hours.”

  “You call Natlow back,” Catherine said. “I’ll get on the line to Langley.”

  “Good.”

  “May I suggest we get on the road,” Gallo said quietly. “Quinn is right, every minute may count.”

  “Just wait until I get through to—” Her phone rang, and she glanced at the ID. “Langley.” She punched the speaker and the access button. “It’s about time. What have you got for me, Sid?”

  “Success,” Sid said. “And if you’d been asking the right questions, we would have gotten it
for you sooner. Kevin Relling purchased a small acreage five and a half years ago. The paperwork was buried beneath four fake companies and one legitimate franchise, but I finally dug through all the shit.”

  “Near the beach?”

  “On the hill above with beach access.”

  “What about the driftwood?”

  “Give me a break. There’s no way these records would mention driftwood.”

  “Where is it?”

  “Right below Oregon’s northern border with Washington.”

  “On the Oregon side?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “Give me the address.”

  “Twelve Moonspinner Place.”

  “Sickeningly poetic for the domicile of a mass murderer.”

  “Yeah, anything else?”

  “No. Thanks, Sid.” She hung up and jumped to her feet. Excitement was zinging through her. “Come on, we’ve got it.” She started for the door. “Gallo, do you know far it is to the Oregon border?”

  “About 140 miles from here.”

  “Shit.” Joe was jerking open the door. “God, it’s going to be close.”

  “What about a helicopter?”

  “By the time we get to the airport and rent it, we’ll have lost too much time,” Joe said. “And if Doane hears a plane overhead, it could trigger—” He broke off. “We’ll just have to break every speed record and take the fastest highway. I’ll drive, Gallo. You keep calling Natlow to verify. I’ll Google the house and area and see what we’re up against.”

  A few minutes later, they were in the car and heading through the city streets. Catherine knew they couldn’t travel any faster until they got on the highway, but she was breathless, tense, and only wanted to hurry. Joe was right, it was going to be incredibly close. “What if Sid is wrong?” she asked jerkily. “Wrong address? Wrong Relling? We don’t have time for mistakes.”

  “You’re borrowing trouble,” Gallo said quietly. “And I don’t believe he’s wrong. I just pulled up the Natlow photo that Quinn found in that Portland University site.” He handed her his phone. “Pretty convincing.”

  Stark white branches curved in a wild, horribly macabre simile to a headstone. She felt sick as she stared at it. Death. Both Doane and Kevin had been totally absorbed with death as a means to power. This piece of driftwood was meant to fling that ugly power in the faces of anyone looking at it. She hadn’t the slightest doubt that this photo was part of Doane’s tapestry of evil.

  She swallowed as she handed Gallo’s phone back to him. “Very convincing. Now let’s get to the damn place and find Eve.”

  Sandhurst Airport

  Washington

  THE GULFSTREAM’S ENGINE WAS STILL whining as Jane, Trevor, Margaret, and Caleb ran down the steps and moved toward the blue-and-white hangar. The pilot immediately taxied into the hangar to get out of sight.

  Caleb craned his neck, his gaze searing the sky. “If Venable is correct, Harriet could be arriving at any moment.”

  “We just have to hope that they didn’t have a last-minute course change.” Jane glanced around the small single-runway airport located southwest of Seattle. “I thought you’d arranged a car for us.”

  “I did.” Caleb pointed to a black Range Rover parked next to the hangar. “Curb service.”

  A portly man in a gold shirt emblazoned with a rental-car-company logo climbed out and walked toward them with keys and contract. Caleb had barely finished signing the paperwork when Jane heard the sound of a jet in the distance. The next moment, Caleb’s iPad made a pinging sound in his satchel.

  “They’re back in range,” Jane said. She looked up at the approaching plane. “That has to be them. Let’s move.”

  Trevor snatched the keys from Caleb’s hand. “I’ll drive.”

  “I gathered that,” Caleb said dryly.

  “Come on!” Margaret had already opened the Range Rover’s rear door and was climbing into the car. “I think I see a car coming toward the airport. That may be Harriet’s welcoming committee. We have to get out of sight.”

  Less than a minute later, they were idling in a small lot near the airport’s exit. Two minutes after that, a Cadillac Escalade drove past and headed toward the Learjet that had just landed.

  “Whew,” Trevor said softly. “Entirely too close.”

  “Two men in the front seat,” Caleb said. “That shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

  They watched as Harriet came down the steps of the Learjet carrying her overnight bag and the box of Kevin’s letters. One of the two men who had met her politely tried to take the bag from her, but she waved him aside and got into the Cadillac.

  A few minutes later, the Escalade drove past their Range Rover as it exited the airport.

  “Okay, here we go,” Caleb said as he looked at the iPad. “And we have a strong signal.”

  Trevor slowly turned the wheel and waited until the Escalade had turned the corner before he started to follow it. Five minutes later, they had left the small town behind. Twenty minutes later, the scenery became sparse and barren, with tall grass lining the two-lane highway. The sky was overcast with a damp blanket of marine layer and only an occasional sliver of moonlight as they drew closer to the coast.

  “Faster, Trevor.” Jane’s hands were clenching with tension. “I think we’re losing her.”

  Trevor shook his head. “If I get any closer, she’ll see us. It’s been five minutes since we’ve seen another car.”

  “No worries.” In the backseat, Caleb raised the iPad screen. “I still have her right here. Strange, she’s heading south, not north toward Seattle. But she can’t make a move without my knowing it. She’s moving fast, but not—”

  Margaret’s phone rang. “It’s Catherine. Should I—”

  “Not now,” Jane said, her gaze on the road ahead.

  But after Margaret’s call had gone to voice mail, Jane’s phone rang. It had to be important if Catherine was going through her list trying to reach them. “Catherine, what is it?” Jane asked.

  “Something good at last,” Catherine said. “I think we’ve located Doane’s cottage.”

  “What?” Jane’s heart leaped. “That’s fantastic. Where is it? Are you—”

  “Harriet’s stopped,” Caleb said.

  Trevor eased off the gas pedal. “You’d better be sure of that.”

  “Positive.”

  “I’ll call you right back, Catherine.” Jane hung up.

  “Where?” Trevor asked Caleb.

  “About half a mile ahead. Probably just around that bend.”

  Jane leaned back to glance at the iPad screen. “What’s there?”

  “Nothing as far as I can tell. Absolutely nothing.” He waved his hand toward the tall grass along the road. “More of the same.”

  Trevor cursed under his breath. “They may have seen us.”

  “Unlikely, considering how careful you were,” Caleb said. “For once, your conservativeness may have been an actual benefit, Trevor.”

  Trevor thought for a moment. “Okay, everyone get down. I’m going to do a drive past.”

  “Now, that’s not a conservative move,” Caleb said.

  “Do it,” Trevor snapped.

  Jane, Caleb, and Margaret slumped far down in their seats so that Trevor appeared to be the only one in the car. He stepped on the accelerator and roared around the bend.

  “What do you see?” Jane asked.

  “Her car’s parked on the roadside. No one’s inside. Caleb’s right, there’s nothing else around here.”

  Jane sat up and looked around. Just as Trevor said, there was the car but no trace of Harriet and the two men. “I was hoping when they stopped that it was at Doane’s cottage.” Had they changed cars? Jane felt the muscles of her stomach tighten. To come all this way and possibly lose her … “Stop the car. Now.”

  “I don’t like this,” Caleb said slowly.

  “There’s another curve up ahead,” Trevor said. “We’ll park on the other side and
walk back. We’ll find them, Jane. They couldn’t have gone far.”

  “Unless they changed cars.”

  “If they did, they left Kevin’s letters in that Cadillac. I’m still getting a ping,” Caleb said. “And that’s not likely.”

  Trevor rounded the bend and pulled over. He, Jane, and Caleb got out of the car. Margaret was about to follow them, and Jane shook her head. “No, you stay here.”

  “I go where you go,” Margaret said quietly.

  “Not this time. I’m not protecting you, Margaret. I’m just trying to be sensible. What if something goes wrong?”

  She frowned. “Then I’d want to be there.”

  “No, we’d want someone to be able to sound an alarm, to call Venable or Catherine, anyone who could help. You’re that person.” Her voice became firm. “I’m not asking, I’m telling you. Stay here.”

  She finally nodded. “For a little while. Until I know if you’re in trouble.”

  Jane hurried to join Trevor and Caleb as they moved through the tall grass at the roadside.

  Caleb’s eyes were narrowed, darting like those of an animal on the hunt. The sleek panther had returned. “Stay low. We want to see them before they see us.”

  They crouched and moved through the grass. Only now did Jane realize just how close to the beach they were. She heard the crashing of waves and felt sand beneath her feet. She peered through the grass to see that a tall dune was all that separated her from the narrow beach. She started to move toward it when Caleb grabbed her arm. “Stop.”

  Jane pulled away. “Like hell. What if there’s a boat beyond that dune? Or maybe Doane’s cottage? If they’re over there, I—”

  “They could see you, and it would ruin everything. Let me run back to the road and come back from the other side of their car.”

  Trevor nodded. “Good idea. I’ll circle around this dune and approach from the other side.”

  Jane looked between them with exasperation. “What am I supposed to do? Sit here and do nothing?”

  Trevor smiled. “I wish I could talk you into that, but I know better.”

  “Damn right, I’ll go straight up and over and see if I can spot them on the beach.”

  Caleb stepped toward her and handed her his revolver. “Stay low. There’s a good stand of grass on this side of the dune. Use it for cover. And if you see them, wait for us before you try to follow.”