The Face of Deception ed-1

by Iris Johansen

  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.

  Did you get the picture of Margaret to my mother? she asked Joe.

  Last night. His gaze was fixed on the back of Logans head. I scouted the area myself and ran across his security team. I almost threw them in the lockup before I got them to identify themselves.

  Anyone else? Logan asked.

  Not that I could tell. No obvious stakeout.

  They wouldnt be obvious and theyd be good. Very good. With the most sophisticated surveillance equipment in the business.

  Why? Joe turned to Eve. What the hells going on? Talk to me.

  Did you bring me the pictures of Timwick and Fiske?

  He reached into his jacket pocket and brought out an envelope. And thats another thing. I checked into Mr. Fiske and hes real nasty. You shouldnt even be within shouting distance of the bastard.

  Ill try not to be. He didnt look nasty, she thought absently, more like a stereotypical butler. Hazel eyes gazed mildly out of the picture. His nose was long and aristocratic, and his gray-flecked, care-fully trimmed mustache was the epitome of neatness. Though he appeared to be only in his late thirties, his barbered brown hair was slightly gray at the temples and receded sharply from a broad forehead.

  There was nothing aristocratic about James Timwick. His face was broad, almost Slavic, and his eyes were a pale blue. He was younger than shed thought hed be, perhaps in his early forties, and his hair was jet black.

  Now tell me why you had me bring those to you, Joe said.

  Because I needed to see the face of the enemy, the men who might try to kill me. Not an explanation she could give Joe, who was already near meltdown. I thought it might help. She tucked the pictures in her handbag. Thank you, Joe.

  Dont thank me. Tell me what I need to know.

  She had to make one last try. You dont need to know. Id rather you opted out of this.

  Tell me.

  He wasnt going to be dissuaded, she realized re-signedly. Okay, but let me tell it my way. Dont try interrogating me, Joe.

  They had arrived at Emory and were parked in the lot for a good ten minutes before Eve stopped speaking.

  He was silent a moment, gazing down at the leather case at her feet. Is that him?

  Yes.

  Its damn hard to believe.

  I agree, Eve said. But its Ben Chadbourne, Joe.

  Youre sure?

  She nodded. And thats why I want you out of it. I dont know what will happen.

  I do. Joes lips tightened grimly. And so does Logan. He knew what he was getting you into from the beginning.

  Yes, I did, Logan said calmly. But that doesnt change the present scenario. We have to do that ourselves.

  Joe gave him an icy glance and then turned back to Eve. You cant trust him. It would be better if I got rid of him for you.

  Got rid of him?

  It would be easy enough. Everyone thinks it happened already anyway.

  Her eyes widened. Joe.

  He shrugged. I didnt think youd go for it. He opened the car door. Stay here. Ill reconnoiter the area and feel out Kessler for you. What makes you think hell want to become involved?

  He has integrity plus curiosity and an obsessive nature. Its why hes in the profession.

  Well, you should know about obsessions. He slammed the door shut and moved quickly across the parking lot.

  A very violent man for an officer of the law, Logan murmured.

  Hes not violent. Hes just angry. He wouldnt really have

  Oh, I think he would. For a few minutes my neck was definitely on the line. I think Id better step very carefully around Quinn.

  Joe believes in the law, she said fiercely. Dammit, hes a good cop.

  Im sure he is, but Im equally sure his SEAL training gets in the way occasionally. Particularly when the law doesnt seem to be working and his friends are involved.

  Joe doesnt kill.

  Now. Did you ever ask him how many men he killed when he was a SEAL?

  Of course I didnt. We were at peace when he was in the service.

  But SEALs have missions even in peacetime.

  Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to make me distrust Joe?

  Maybe self-preservation. He smiled grimly. And because I want you to admit that one nod of your head and I would have been a dead man a few minutes ago.

  I wont admit any

  Be honest.

  She didnt want to be honest, not if it meant ad-mitting she didnt know Joe as well as she thought she did. Joe was one of the bedrocks of her life. He was everything stable and trustworthy. When everything else had been falling apart around her, Joe had always been there. She would not think of him as a killer be-cause that would be comparing him to Fraser. No. Never.

  Has he ever talked to you about his time in the SEALs?

  No.

  Did you know hes killed three men in the line of duty since hes been in Atlanta?

  Her gaze flew to his face.

  I didnt think so. Quinns smart and he knows you well. Hed keep that part of his life separate from you.

  Hes no murderer.

  I didnt say he is. Theres no question that those deaths were self-defense and that the scum he killed deserved to die. Im just saying that Quinn is multi-faceted and very dangerous.

  Youre trying to take away my trust in him.

  And hes trying to take away any trust you might have in me. Im just defendi
ng myself.

  I have no trust in you.

  You have a little. At least, you know were on the same side. I wont have Quinn stealing that away. His gaze went to Joe, who was now climbing the steps of the geoscience building. And I dont want to have to fight Quinn along with everyone else.

  Eve followed his glance. It was as if she were looking at Joe in a different light. He was always con-fident, always moved with a springy grace, but now she could see the relentless efficiency in his entire at-titude. Powerhouse, she had called him, and power-house she knew him to be, but not deadly.

  She could sense the deadliness now.

  Damn you.

  Were all savages, Logan said quietly. We all kill when it means enough to us. Food, revenge, self-preservationhellip; But Quinn knew you couldnt take it, so he made sure you didnt see that side of him.

  And would you kill too, Logan? she asked bitterly.

  If the circumstances warranted it. And so would you, Eve.

  She shook her head. Life is too precious. Theres no excuse for murder.

  He shrugged. Excuse no, but reason is

  I dont want to talk about it. She leaned back and stared out the window, shutting him out. I dont want to talk to you at all, Logan. Just leave me alone, okay?

  Sure.

  Of course hed agree. Hed turned loose a serpent and now was willing to watch it work its poison.

  She wouldnt let him. She wouldnt let him de-stroy the trust she had in Joe. Logan was the out-sider, not Joe. She wouldnt brood and wonder and let his words eat at her.

  Logan said softly, But its true, you know.

  Its okay. Joe opened the car door for Eve and helped her out. The coast is clear. Kesslers alone. His assistant, Bob Spencer, was there, but I had Kessler get rid of him.

  She picked up the case containing the skull. What did you tell Gary?

  Not what was in the surprise package, but I filled him in on everything else. Youre right, hes cu-rious. He took the case from her and his hand closed on her elbow. Lets get him started on it.

  Im beginning to feel a little de trop. Logan got out of the car. I trust you wont mind if I tag along?

  I do mind, Joe said. But Ill put up with you as long as you dont get in the way. His pace quickened as he guided Eve across the parking lot. How long will this take?

  Kesslers part wont take long if he can find a good source of DNA to extract. Its the lab work Im concerned about. DNA testing can take months.

  You worry about getting a good sample, Ill take care of getting the DNA testing pushed through. Joe held the door to the building open for her. No problem. Im good at pushing. Its one of my His gaze suddenly narrowed on her face. Why are you looking at me like that?

  She glanced away from him quickly. I dont know what you mean.

  The hell you dont.

  She shook off his hand and kept walking. Stop probing, Joe. Theres nothing wrong.

  Maybe. His glance shifted to Logan. Maybe not.

  She opened the door of the lab and saw Kessler sitting at his desk, eating a sandwich.

  He looked up and glowered at her. I hear youre trying to get me tossed in the cooler. Thanks a lot, Duncan.

  Theres mustard on your mustache. She took the case from Joe and went to stand before Kessler. She picked up the paper napkin on the desk and wiped his mouth and bristly gray mustache. Christ, you have to be the messiest eater on the planet, Gary.

  Eating should be a pleasurable function when a mans alone. I shouldnt have to worry about a woman coming in and criticizing me. Particularly one whos come begging. He took another bite of his sandwich. What have you got yourself into, Duncan?

  I need a little help.

  If the hews reports are right, you need help from a lawyer, not me. He looked behind her. Youre Logan?

  Logan nodded.

  Kessler smiled slyly. I understand youve got a potload of money?

  Enough.

  Care to part with some? Things arent the same as when I was a young man. Its a sad fact that we bril-liant scientists need patrons these days.

  Maybe we could come to an arrangement, Logan said.

  Back off, Gary. Eve unfastened Bens case. You know very well that if youre interested enough, youll do the job for nothing.

  You have a loud mouth, Duncan, Kessler said. Theres nothing wrong with a little greed. And, besides, I might have become more of a philistine since we last worked together. His tone was absent, his gaze fixed on the case. In spite of his words, she could sense his excitement. He re-minded Eve of a kid waiting to see what was in a Christmas package. And sending Quinn in ahead to try to rouse my curiosity is a pretty obvious ploy. I would have thought youd be a little more subtle.

  She grinned. If something works, I dont fuss with it.

  It must have been something pretty interesting that pulled you into a mess like this. His gaze never left the case. Youre not usually stupid.

  Thank you.

  She waited.

  He finally said impatiently, So who is it?

  She opened the lid and carefully lifted out the skull. You tell me.

  Oh, shit, he whispered.

  Eve nodded. Yes.

  He took the skull from her and put it on his desk. Its no joke?

  Would I be on the run if it was a joke?

  He stared at the face. My God. Chadbourne. He looked at her. If it is Chadbourne. Did you know who you were working on?

  She shook her head. I went at it blind. I had no idea until I finished.

  And what do you want from me?

  Proof.

  DNA. He frowned. And what have I got to work on? I suppose you worked on the actual skull again? Why cant you make casts? Theres no telling what you destroyed.

  It was already clean. The body had been through a fire.

  His gaze narrowed. Then what do you think Im supposed to do?

  I thoughthellip; the teeth. The DNA would have been protected by the enamel. You could split a tooth and extract the DNA. Is that possible?

  Possible. Its been done before. Kessler added, But its not a sure thing.

  Will you try?

  Why should I? This isnt any of my concern, and it could be big trouble.

  Joe spoke up. Ill be here to guard you while youre working. He glanced at Logan. And Im sure Mr. Logan would be glad to make it worth your while.

  Within boundaries, Logan said.

  They were going about this all wrong, Eve thought impatiently. Theyd had Gary from the mo-ment hed seen the face. He just needed a little push over the line. Dont you want to know if its really Chadbourne, Gary? Dont you want to be the one to prove it?

  Kessler was silent a moment. Maybe.

  He wanted it all right. She could see the excite-ment he was trying to hide.

  It would be megadifficult, she said. Hell, youll probably have enough for a book.

  Not so difficult. He scowled. Unless you screwed up the teeth too.

  I didnt touch them any more than I could help. She smiled. And you know my work doesnt interfere with yours. Its all there, waiting for you.

  He glanced up from the skull. I know exactly what youre doing, you know.

  Of course you do. Now, are you going to do it, or do we take the skull to Crawford at Duke?

  Appealing to my competitiveness wont work ei-ther. I know Im the best in the business. He sat back down in the chair. But I may do you the favor. Ive always liked you, Duncan.

  Youd do it even if you hated my guts. Her smile faded. But Im not going to lie. The situation is more dangerous than getting in trouble with the law.

  I gathered that. He shrugged. Im an old man. I need a little something to keep the adrenaline pumping. Can I use my own lab?

  Wed rather you dont. We think were safe, but we dont want to take any chances. Is there someplace else you can work?

  You do make things hard for me. He thought for a minute. My lab at home?

  She shook her head.

  Ive a friend whos a professor at Kennesaw State, which
is about forty minutes from here. Hell let me use his lab.

  Fine.

  What about my assistant?

  She shook her head. Let him take over your classes. Ill help you.

  I probably wont need it. He added testily, But you can clean off all this damned clay. I want a nice, clean surface.

  Okay. She braced herself. But I need to do a superimposition first.

  And Im supposed to twiddle my thumbs and wait?

  Ill hurry. We need it, Gary. You know the teeth are important with superimposition and we dont know how many teeth youre going to have to take. We cant verify the dental records, so we need every bit of evidence we can get our hands on.

  Maybe, he granted reluctantly. But my DNA will carry the day.

  I know. But will you use your pull to borrow video equipment from the audio-visual department? I already have the mixer.

  You dont want much, Gary said sourly. Tak-ing valuable equipment off campus? Theyll yell bloody murder.

  Dont tell them youre taking it off campus.

  Theyll still kick up a fuss.

  Charm them.

  Yeah, sure. Then they really will suspect Ive gone around the bend. Ill threaten and blackmail them instead.

  Youre right, we wouldnt want you to act out of character.

  But youll work your skinny butt off and get your stuff done pronto.

  Im not arguing.

  Amazing, Kessler murmured. How long to clean up the skull?

  An hour, maybe two. I want to be very careful.

  Then Ill get your equipment and then run down my assistant and tell him Ill be gone for a couple of days. Kessler moved toward the door. Pack up our presidential friend. Ill be back as soon as possible.

  She said quietly, Thanks, Gary. I owe you.

  Yes, you do, and Ill make sure you pay me.

  You played him very well, Logan said as the door closed behind Kessler.

  We understand each other. She glanced at Joe. Will you follow him and make sure hes safe? I didnt want to make an issue of it, but I dont want him running around the campus all by himself.

  You said yourself that you didnt think theyd figure out the connection.

  I dont want to take any chances. I persuaded him to help us. I feel responsible.

  And I feel responsible for you.

  Please, Joe.