16 Taking Eve

by Iris Johansen

  Afterward, she had to get up and remake the cot. Doane mustn’t know what she’d been doing when he unlocked that door.

  In a few minutes. After she regained her strength.

  She buried her face in her arm to avoid that smell. She was going to hate the scent of carnations for the rest of her life.

  But it’s worth it, you bastard. I’m going to kick your ass.

  CHAPTER

  10

  Redmond Hospital

  Rome, Georgia

  “LORD, YOU’RE PALE. YOU should be in a wheelchair,” Joe said flatly as he watched Jane walk slowly toward him down the corridor. His glance shifted to Caleb, who was beside her. “Why didn’t you keep her in San Juan?”

  “The same reason you didn’t try to do it. I don’t like to waste my time. I compromised by making sure she didn’t do herself any permanent damage.” He smiled down at Jane. “She’s better than she seems.”

  “I’m fine.” Her gaze was searching for the correct room number. “He’s in 1602?”

  “The next one down the hall,” Joe said tersely. “I’ll come in and introduce you to Ben.”

  “I don’t need you,” Jane said as she opened the hospital-room door. “You have more important things to do than hold my hand, Joe. This is my job. Let me do it.” She paused. “Any more news?”

  “Nothing about Eve.” He added, “And no firm information that there have been any homicides. Ben was assaulted, but there may not have been any attempt at killing him. Hallet, the farmer who owned the stolen truck, has disappeared, but there’s no evidence that he’s been murdered. Venable’s agent, Dukes, hasn’t shown up, but he could be in pursuit.”

  “Is that supposed to comfort me or you?” Jane’s lips twisted. “No evidence. Disappearances. Possibilities, but no proof. What does that suggest to you?”

  “That Eve may be safer than we think. You were shot, but it may be Blick who was the violent partner.”

  “I pray that’s true,” she said soberly. “But I don’t believe it. Caleb thinks that everything that happened to Toby and me was meant to keep me away from Eve, so that she would be more vulnerable. He didn’t want to have anyone getting in his way. I was only a secondary target.” She met his gaze. “And you believe that, too, don’t you, Joe?”

  He slowly nodded.

  “And from what you’ve told me, he wants Eve to do a reconstruction. It would be smarter to make her think he wasn’t quite as much of a threat if the path was not strewn with bodies. Ben said he appeared very likeable and unintimidating.” She grimaced. “Before he tried to break his head open.”

  “You have it figured out.”

  “So do you. The difference is that you want to soothe me and try to keep me from worrying. And maybe direct me to the sidelines. It’s not going to happen, Joe.”

  “We’ll see.” He turned away. “Go do your sketch. I want to see the bastard’s face.”

  “You will.” She glanced at Caleb, who had moved to follow her into the room. “No, stay in the waiting room or help Joe. I’ve never met Ben Hudson, and I don’t want him to have to deal with two strangers.” She hesitated. “Mark Trevor contacted me in San Juan. He may want to help find Eve.”

  Joe’s gaze shifted speculatively to Caleb before returning to her. “And what do you want?”

  “If he can do anything, let him do it. I don’t care who volunteers if there’s even a chance they can help, I’ll be grateful.”

  His gaze returned to Caleb. “If I don’t believe they’ll get in the way.”

  “Oh, that won’t happen.” Caleb smiled. “I’ll either be behind you or probably ahead of you. Never in the way.” He was moving down the corridor. “I’ll bring you a cup of coffee later, Jane. After you’ve broken the ice.”

  “Do that,” she said absently. Her gaze was already fixed on Ben Hudson in the bed across the room. He was smiling at her. Warmth. Sweetness. Shining blue eyes that were staring curiously at her.

  “Hi.” She found she was smiling, too, as she walked toward the bed. “You’re Ben Hudson. I’m Jane. I’ve come to draw a picture of the man who attacked you. Will you help me?”

  “Sure.” His head was tilted to one side as he looked at her. “Joe said he’d send someone, but he didn’t say it would be you. You’re Jane MacGuire, aren’t you? You belong to her.”

  “Belong to Eve?” She sat down and took her sketchbook out of her briefcase. “Yes, I most definitely do belong to Eve. She adopted me when I was only ten years old.”

  He frowned. “No, that’s not what I meant. You belong to her.”

  She stiffened, then smiled with an effort. “You’re talking about Bonnie. Eve told me that you sometimes dreamed about Bonnie. I’m afraid that I can’t claim to belong to Bonnie. She died long before I could get to know her.”

  “That doesn’t matter. You still belong to her because Eve loves you.” He paused. “Bonnie wants to be closer to you, but she says that you won’t let her near. Why is that, Jane?”

  Jane hadn’t bargained for this. She instinctively started to shut him out, then stopped. There was such a pure good-hearted simplicity in the question that she couldn’t hurt him. The boy had probably had too many people shut him out in his life. “I’m afraid that I’m too much the realist, Ben,” she said gently. “I’m not like you and Eve. I have trouble believing in dreams.”

  He frowned, troubled. “You think I’m not telling the truth?”

  “No, I think some people live in the real world and some people have dreams to make the reality bearable.” She reached out and covered his big hand with her own. “You’re one of the lucky ones, Ben.”

  He looked down at her hand. “You have pretty hands. You’re pretty all over. It’s nice to look at you. You look like Eve but you’re—”

  “Looks aren’t important.” He was clearly easily distracted, and she was relieved to get off the subject. “Except when you’re trying to do a sketch. Are you ready to tell me about the man who hurt you?”

  “And took Eve.”

  She nodded. “And took Eve. She’ll be grateful that you’re going to help us.”

  His expression clouded. “I have to find her. Bonnie trusted me to take care of her.”

  “We’ll find her.” She hoped she sounded confident. At the moment, she was closer to desperation. “Let’s take the eyebrows first. Were they thick, thin?”

  “Thick and kinda bushy.”

  “Dark, light, gray?”

  “Dark … with gray stuff in them.”

  “He was older?”

  “Not real old. Just not young.”

  This might not be easy. She hadn’t signed on for easy, she told herself in self-disgust. She’d told Joe she could do the job better than his artists, and she’d do it. “Straight across or arched?” When he didn’t answer, she looked up to see his gaze on her face. “Ben?”

  “It’s going to be okay,” he said gently. “You’re going to let Bonnie close to you. She told me so.”

  He was back on the subject of dreams and ghosts and drifting away from her. She smiled. “Just now?”

  “No, I wasn’t sure that I should tell you. Bonnie wasn’t happy about it. She wanted there to be joy. She didn’t want it that way…”

  What way? Why would there be no happiness?

  Eve?

  She kept her smile firmly in place in spite of the icy tension that gripped her. Ignore it. Concentrate on reality and leave the dreams to others. “It will probably be fine. Bonnie and I haven’t gotten together so far, and we’ve managed splendidly.” She looked back down at the sketch. “Straight eyebrows or arched, Ben? I’ll draw both and let you choose.”

  * * *

  “ARE YOU ALMOST FINISHED?”

  Jane looked up to see Joe standing in the doorway. Something was wrong. She could see the tension that was electrifying him. “Yes. We’d have finished before this, but the nose was a little hard for us. Do you need me?”

  “I can wait a few minutes.”

&nbs
p; He didn’t want to disturb Ben, she guessed with relief, but he didn’t want to wait, either. It must not have been anything directly threatening to Eve, or he would not have cared who would be disturbed. “I think we’re done.” She closed her sketchbook and smiled at Ben. “But Ben was very good. He remembered everything about the man beautifully. He has a fine memory.” She made a face. “Except that this man has all the menace of Peter Pan or Santa Claus. It’s hard to believe that this guy could have clobbered you, Ben.”

  “I didn’t expect it. He looked like Mr. Drury.”

  She got to her feet. “You keep saying that. But when I tried to draw Mr. Drury, they didn’t look a bit alike. Thanks for helping me out, Ben. If you remember anything else, call me, and I’ll come back.”

  “I won’t call you back. That’s the man.” He watched her move toward the door. “You’ll know him when you see him.”

  “I’m counting on it.”

  “Jane.”

  She looked back over her shoulder.

  Ben was staring at her, his blue eyes were shining, but his expression was troubled. “You mustn’t let it hurt you too much. It’s not the end, you know. It goes on.”

  She froze. What did he mean?

  Eve?

  She knew she wasn’t going to ask him. His mind was full of dreams and ghosts and things that might not exist and probably wouldn’t happen. She’d have to accept all those elements as valid, and she couldn’t do that. She’d face and conquer any threat to Eve, but she wouldn’t be intimidated by this boy at the mere possibility of that danger. “I’m not going to be hurt,” she told him firmly. “Everything is going to turn out fine now that we have this sketch. You just rest now, Ben.” She smiled and followed Joe from the room.

  Her smile vanished as she whirled to face him. “What’s wrong, Joe?”

  “Plenty. But not anything to scare you. Venable called me, and we definitely can’t trace that phone call from Eve.”

  She searched his expression. “That’s not all.”

  “No,” he said curtly. “Venable’s agents have located what might be a grave deep in the woods. They’ve started to excavate it.”

  “He thinks it might be Tad Dukes, the CIA agent who was watching Eve?”

  “He hopes not. But there’s a good chance. Either him or the farmer he stole the truck from. I need to get out there right away.” His lips tightened. “If it is Dukes, then it might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

  “What?”

  “Venable takes care of his agents. He’s not going to like the idea that he sent one to his death. I may not have to force Venable to talk.” He held out his hand. “Let me see that sketch.”

  She flipped open the book. “I was surprised. Ben seemed remarkably certain of his choices. It was … odd. I thought he might be having me reproduce his friend, Mr. Drury. But the features he described are completely different.”

  “I don’t think he’d do that.” Joe was shaking his head as he looked at the sketch. “Maybe a little.”

  “Too nice?”

  “It’s hard to get around that kindly face. After all these years, you’d think I’d be able to see below the surface. That butcher, Ted Bundy, was a clean-cut, nice-looking specimen, too, but he was totally ruthless.” He handed the sketch back to her. “See if you can have a couple copies made in the administration office here and bring me one to the cottage. I want to show it to Venable.” His lips thinned. “Though I have a hunch that face may already be familiar.”

  She tucked the sketch back in her case. “Caleb and I will be right behind you. I’ll deliver your copy at the cottage in an hour or less.”

  “Good.” Joe’s started to turn away, then stopped. “You’re okay? I’m not working you too hard?”

  “Probably.” She shrugged. “I’ll survive. We’ll worry about me when we have a firm lead on Eve.” She was careful not to show unsteadiness as she walked down the hall toward the waiting room to find Caleb. She was weaker than she had let Joe see, and she would need Caleb’s help to get those copies made. She was sure the hospital wouldn’t react kindly to having their equipment used by a visitor, and she wasn’t in shape for a battle.

  Let Caleb do it. He was always ready for battle even when you wouldn’t think he was. He was like a lion lying in the sun and just waiting for prey to stroll by.

  Not like Trevor. Trevor always coolly picked his battles to gain maximum benefit.

  Why had Trevor suddenly popped into her mind? Don’t think about him. Concentrate on what she had to do for Eve. The sketch was a step toward finding her, a step toward keeping her alive.

  “You mustn’t let it hurt you too much. It’s not the end, you know.”

  Death. Ben had been talking about death.

  Don’t think about that, either. He was a boy caught up in his dreams, and she wouldn’t believe that those dreams would foretell a fate she couldn’t accept.

  Death.

  No, Eve was strong. Eve was smart. Even now, she was probably working to get away from that bastard and come back to them.

  Rio Grande Forest, Colorado

  “YOU’RE RIGHT, I DON’T LIKE to see Kevin like this.” Doane stared distastefully at the multitude of tiny red markers that looked like swords stabbing his son’s skull. “Kevin wouldn’t like it either. He’d be angry with you.”

  “He’s not pretty at the moment, but it’s necessary to complete the process. The measurements have to be exact,” Eve said. “If it bothers you, go away. I certainly don’t want you here. Go talk to Blick on Skype again. Tell him to stay away from my Jane.”

  “You’re being too slow.” He grimaced. “I thought you’d be farther along by now.”

  “It’s going as fast as it can go. It’s not as if you’re giving me much rest.” She sat back on her stool and gazed critically at the skull. Doane was right, it wasn’t going as smoothly as most reconstructions. Every move she made seemed weighted and slow. “I have to be absolutely sure with the measurements before I can begin the final sculpting. I assure you that I’m not stalling.”

  “I don’t believe you’re stalling.” His gaze was narrowed on her face. “I think maybe you’re sick. You’re pale, and you look kind of pinched. You got the flu or something?”

  “No.” She quickly looked back at the reconstruction. Little sleep and the nausea from breathing the gas had taken its toll, but she had hoped she could hide it from Doane. “How do you expect me to look? I’m worried about Jane, and I want out of here.”

  “I didn’t think you’d wither away. You’re tougher than that.”

  “I’m not withering away. I’m working on your damn skull, aren’t I?”

  “Not fast enough,” he repeated. “Maybe you should eat more. You only ate a few bites at your last meal.”

  Because she’d been afraid she’d throw up as she’d done when she’d gotten up after finally napping before he’d come for her. She’d managed to get to the bathroom before he’d noticed, but she couldn’t expect to be that lucky throughout the day. “I’ll try to eat more later. But it won’t make any difference in how quickly the reconstruction gets done.” She started working again. But she had to slow as the nausea immediately returned. The red markers were blurring before her eyes.

  Distract Doane. Don’t let him notice.

  “If you’re going to sit there watching, you might as well talk to me. Tell me about Kevin and how he became this horror.”

  He flinched. “He’s not a horror. Why are you so unfair to him, when you’re not with those children you reconstruct?”

  “Those children are victims.”

  “So is Kevin. How can you look at him and not believe that’s true?”

  “Tell me. The skull is terribly burned. Was he killed in a fire?”

  “No. He was shot with a high-powered rifle, then his body was cremated at a funeral home outside Athens.” His lips were drawn with pain. “But I was able to save his skull. I made the funeral director give it to me.” His words we
re suddenly charged with anger. “They thought that I didn’t know that my Kevin was a target after he walked out of that courtroom. I’m not stupid. Kevin told me that I had to keep myself safe and let him handle those bastards who were going to go after him.”

  “Target?”

  He didn’t answer directly. “I didn’t want to hide when they arrested him. But I’d always done what Kevin wanted me to do. He was special.” His voice was hoarse. “So special. And they killed him. But they won’t get away with it. He won’t get away with it.”

  “He?”

  “Zander.”

  “And who is Zander?”

  “A monster. He killed my son. I didn’t know that—” He shook his head as if to clear it. “I’m not going to talk about Zander. Stop trying to trick me.”

  “Trick you? I asked a question,” she said in frustration. “The only thing I’m trying to do is fight my way through this forest of lies and get myself and Jane out safely. I don’t give a damn about this Zander. How could I?”

  “That’s right, you can’t feel anything for him. However, I feel a great deal concerning him.”

  “Then go after him and let me go.”

  His gaze went to the skull. “Sometimes I wish I could, but that’s not possible.”

  She drew a deep breath. “Okay, let me try to sort this out. It’s obvious this has to be about revenge for the death of your son by this Zander. For some reason, I’m being drawn into the mix because I have the skill to do this reconstruction. But if you have the skull, DNA can be extracted even in this damaged condition. My work has value if there’s no clue as to the identity of the victim. Then I can rebuild the face and circulate photos to find out. In this case, I’m not necessary.”

  “No one is more necessary.”

  “DNA is almost foolproof.”

  “And can be faked if you have money and influence.”

  “Then demand another test. Demand a dozen tests.”

  He shook his head. “I need you, Eve.”

  Why was she arguing? It was clear that he was not going to be swayed. Yet she had to make one more attempt. “You obviously had a very close relationship with your son. Do you think that he’d want you to put yourself in danger to exact some kind of revenge? You said he wanted you to keep yourself safe.”