The Killing Game ed-2

by Iris Johansen

"I don’t care. Where’s the rescue team?"

  Spiro pointed at the line of moving lights at the bottom of the ravine. "They’re almost at the car."

  What car? It appeared to be only a mass of twisted metal. "Joe’s down there.”

  “I know, he called me. But he was already on his way down when I got here.”

  “Does anyone know what happened?"

  Spiro shook his head. "No witnesses. We don’t know yet if they were driven off the road or there was brake tampering. We’re not even sure if it’s Charlie’s rental car. The rescue team is going to try to radio back the license number."

  "But you think it is?"

  "Don’t you?"

  "Yes." The lights were almost at the car now. "Do they know how long it’s going to take?"

  "It depends on what they find down there." He paused. "But I have to warn you. The rescue team is already smelling gasoline. Even worse, gas vapor will be hovering over the vehicle. All it would take is a spark."

  She went rigid. "Then tell them to get out of there.”

  “They have to try to rescue whoever’s in the car.”

  “They don’t have to get blown up. I’ve seen burn victims and—”

  “I know," Spiro said quietly. "No one wants that to happen. The squad leader will call off the The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02

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  attempt if it gets too dangerous."

  "Joe won’t do that. He won’t take orders from anybody. He’ll do what he has to to get them out of that car." God, she wished she were down there so she could do something.

  "Take it easy, Eve. The rescue team isn’t going to make any mistakes that will get anyone hurt.

  They’ll disconnect the battery and then steady the vehicle. And they’ll use Hurst tools to force their way into the car to avoid sparks."

  The lights were moving, weaving in and around the wreckage. Ten minutes passed.

  Fifteen minutes.

  "Why aren’t they coming back? Can’t you find out what’s happening?" she asked Spiro.

  "I’ll try." Spiro strode over to the command unit and came back a few minutes later. "They’ve got one man out. They weren’t able to make a positive confirmation, but they think the other man is dead. The squad leader’s made the decision to pull his team out."

  "Why?"

  He hesitated. "The car hood is crushed. They weren’t able to get to the battery to disconnect it.

  They managed to turn off the ignition, but anything could blow the car. The catalytic converter, the wiring…"

  "And everyone’s coming up?”

  “Look for yourself."

  The lights below were moving faster, away from the wreckage, back toward the incline.

  Please let Joe be one of those men running to safety. Her gaze moved back to the wreckage.

  One light still burned in the midst of the twisted tangle of metal. "Joe."

  She had known it. Damn him. Damn him. "My God, he’s crazy," Spiro said.

  Joe, get out of there. Please. One minute passed. Two minutes. Don’t stay. Don’t stay. Don’t stay. The wreckage exploded into a fireball. She screamed.

  Joe.

  She ran toward the cliff edge. Spiro caught her.

  She struck out at him. "Let me go."

  "You can’t help him. There’s a chance he could be all right." All right? She had seen that light The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02

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  inside the car when it exploded. "I’m going down there."

  "No way." His grasp tightened. "Too many people have been hurt tonight. I’m not going to watch you tumble down that mountain."

  She kneed him in the groin and his grasp loosened. She ran, but two highway patrolmen grabbed her and forced her to the ground.

  She fought desperately, kicking, frantically striking out.

  Joe!

  Darkness.

  "You son of a bitch. Did you have to hit her?"

  "I didn’t hit her," Spiro said. "It was one of Phoenix’s finest. They were trying to keep her from sliding down that mountain and killing herself. She’s not hurt badly. Only stunned."

  "You could have stopped them."

  Joe. That was Joe’s voice. Her eyes flew open. Joe kneeling beside her. Joe’s face, oil-streaked, a cut on his cheekbone—but he was alive. Oh, God, alive.

  "How do you feel?" Joe was frowning. "Did they hurt you?" Alive.

  She shook her head.

  "You’re lying. Why are you crying if you’re not hurt?"

  She hadn’t known she was crying. "I don’t know." She sat up and wiped her cheeks. "I’m okay."

  “You’re not okay. Lie back down."

  "Shut up, Joe." Her voice was uneven. "I said I was okay. No credit to you. God, you’re stupid. I thought you were dead, you idiot. I saw the light in the car right before it blew up."

  "I had to drop the flashlight when I wriggled out of the car." Stop shaking. He was alive. "You shouldn’t have been there.”

  “I know," he said wearily. "The squad leader is mad as hell at me, but I had to make sure." He glanced at Spiro. "I’m sorry, it was Charlie in the car. I thought he was dead, but I had to be sure."

  "And he was dead?"

  Joe nodded.

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  Spiro flinched.

  "And Billy Sung was alive when we got him out of the car, but he died before we reached the top."

  Dead. Both dead. Nice Charlie Cather and Billy Sung, with his plans for taking the world by storm. Joe could have died too. Joe…

  "Eve?" Joe was gazing at her in concern.

  "I heard you. They’re dead. They’re both dead." She wrapped her arms around her body, but she couldn’t stop the shaking. "I heard you."

  "You’re cold." He reached out to her.

  "Don’t you touch me. I feel fine." Her voice was rising, and she had to stop to control it. "I wasn’t down there. I didn’t do that stupid—"

  "Come on." Joe took her hand to help her to her feet. "I’m taking you home." She jerked away from him and stood on her own.

  "Yeah, get her home," Spiro told Joe. "Those officers may be focused on the wreck, but there’s still an APB out on her." He grimaced. "I have to make a telephone call. Jesus, I’m going to hate this."

  Charlie’s wife, Eve thought dully. Charlie hadn’t survived, and Joe had been so close to not surviving. Oh, God, she was going to throw up. "She’s pregnant. Can you get someone to tell her in person?"

  "I’ll have someone from the field office go out to see her, but I’m the one who has to do the dirty work."

  "Come to the house after you’ve finished," Joe said. "We have something to talk about." He opened his jacket.

  Half of a five-by-seven envelope was stuffed into the top of his jeans. "The photograph?" Spiro asked.

  "I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet, but it was on the floor of the car beside Charlie. It was caught under the drive shift, and it ripped when I jerked it out and ran for it."

  Spiro held out his hand. "Give it to me."

  Joe shook his head. "You’ll get it after we take a look at it, and I’m not going to stop and do that now. I need to get Eve home. She’s not doing well."

  "The hell I’m not. I’d have to be dead before I’d wait to see that murderer’s face." She tried to The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02

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  steady her hands as she took the envelope. Disappointment surged through her as she drew out the photo. "No."

  A third of the photograph was gone. The third with Kevin Baldridge sitting on the porch steps.

  Two lives lost. All for nothing.

  Spiro was cursing. "Why couldn’t it have been the other half that was torn?”

  “Murphy’s Law," Joe said. "This is just a print, Eve. Can you do anything?"

  She tried to think. "Maybe. Sung might have made copies. Or his work might have been saved on his computer."

 
Joe looked at Spiro. "Get us permission to go into that lab on Blue Mountain Drive."

  Spiro nodded. "Meet me there in two hours.”

  “We’ll be there," Eve said.

  "Come on." Joe tried to wrap an arm around Eve’s waist. "Let’s go home.”

  “I don’t need your help." She pushed his hand away and started to walk. Put one foot in front of the other. Don’t look at him. Keep control or you’ll disintegrate into a million pieces. "I’ll see you back at the house."

  "I’m going with you. For God’s sake, you just took a knock on the head.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m not capable of—"

  "I’m not letting you drive."

  "And what are you supposed to do with your car? Just leave it here?”

  “Screw the car." He opened the car door for her.

  "No, I don’t—"

  "Need my help," he finished for her. "But you’re still not driving. Now get in."

  He whirled to face her as soon as they walked into the living room. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

  "Nothing’s wrong with me." Except she felt as if she were going to explode any minute. She wanted to scream and pound on him. Damn him. Damn him. Damn him.

  "The hell there’s not. You’re shaking like a malaria victim."

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  "I’m fine." She couldn’t hold on much longer. "Go wash your face," she snapped. "You have oil all over it. All over your hands and that—"

  "I’m sorry it offends you."

  "It does offend me." A single light in the wreckage and then the world exploding. "I hate it."

  "You don’t have to bite my head off."

  "Yes, I do." She turned away, her back rigid. "Go away.”

  “Turn around. I want to see your face."

  She didn’t move. "Go wash up. We have to go to that lab and see if we can get another print."

  "You shouldn’t go anywhere in your condition.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me."

  "Then look at me."

  "I don’t want to look at you. I want to go and look at that photograph. It’s important, dammit."

  "Do you think I don’t know that? But there’s something else happening here, and it may be more important to me than any picture."

  The room seemed to be tilting, exploding beneath her feet. Like the car had exploded.

  Hold on. Don’t break down. What had they been talking about? The photograph. "It couldn’t be more important. Two men died because of that photograph."

  "And I’m sorry as hell, but I’m not to blame." He spun her around to face him. "I did everything I could to help—"

  "I know you did. Crawling into that— Stupid, idiotic—‘ The floodgates broke and tears were again running down her cheeks. "Charlie was already dead, dammit."

  "I didn’t know that."

  "You could have died."

  “I didn’t die."

  "Not for lack of trying.”

  “Will you please stop crying?”

  “No."

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  "Then may I point out that you’re being unreasonable."

  "Go to hell." She walked over to the window and stared out into the darkness. "Eve."

  She could feel his gaze on her back. "Go away.”

  “Are you going to tell me why you’re so angry with me?" She didn’t answer.

  "Tell me."

  She whirled on him, her eyes blazing. "Oh, yes, you’re too mean to get killed. You’re going to be around for the next fifty years or so. I don’t have to be afraid, do I?"

  He went still. "Oh, shit."

  "You could have died tonight." The words tumbled over one another. "You had no right. You upset my life, you barged around and made me feel things I never wanted to feel. You said you’d be around for the next fifty years and then you try to get yourself— Don’t you touch me."

  She backed away from him. "Charlie Cather and Billy Sung died tonight, and I hardly thought about them. I didn’t care about the photograph. I didn’t care about Dom. Do you know how that makes me feel?”

  “I know how it makes me feel."

  "Are you proud of yourself? You lied to me. You lied about—" He was holding her, pressing her face to his shoulder. "Stop shaking. It’s over.”

  “It’s not over. It’s going to go on. Because you’ll never change. You’ll keep on doing stupid, insane things because you have an ego that tells you that you’ll live forever even if you—" Her whole body was trembling. "I can’t stand it."

  "Neither can I. You’re turning me inside out."

  "You shouldn’t have done it. You shouldn’t have done it."

  He was lifting her and carrying her to the couch. "Shh, I’ll do anything you say if you’ll just stop shaking." He cradled her on his lap. "I thought I was prepared for anything, but I was wrong. I wasn’t ready for this. It was always Bonnie who came first with you. I never thought—"

  "Because you can’t see farther than the tip of your nose." He was silent a moment. "Are you telling me that you love me?”

  “I’m not telling you anything, you bastard."

  "It’s hard to judge because of the verbal abuse, but I think that’s what you’re saying. It…

  heartens me."

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  "It doesn’t hearten me."

  "I know. It scares you." He was rocking her back and forth. "If you’ll just stop shaking, I promise I’ll try to live forever."

  No one lived forever. His heart pounded strong and steady beneath her ear, but it could have been stilled tonight. Her hands tightened on his shoulders. "Idiot."

  "Hush."

  "You’ll do it again. I know it. You’re a cop." He was silent.

  She was silent too. Moments passed and she sat there, listening to the beat of his heart. Lover.

  Best friend. Center.

  She gradually stopped shaking.

  He gently pressed his lips to her temple. "Someday will you tell me you love me?"

  “Probably not." Her arms tightened around him. "You don’t deserve it.”

  “True." He was silent again. "I won’t take chances I don’t have to, Eve. I’ve never wanted to live more than I do at this moment. Okay?"

  "It has to be okay, doesn’t it? I have to accept it. That’s life."

  "Yes, that’s life. Welcome back." He brushed her hair away from her face. "You’re a mess. I’ve gotten grease all over you."

  "It will wash off." But what had happened that night could never be eradicated. Every one of her protective barriers had been stripped away and she’d been forced to face her true feelings for Joe. But they were too intense, almost unbearable. She pushed him away and slowly stood up. "We’ve got to leave to go to Professor Dunkeil’s lab. I’ll use the powder room down here.

  You go upstairs and change. Those clothes are beyond hope."

  "I’m on my way."

  She watched him leave the room, not wanting to let him out of her sight. Get a grip. There were other things in life to worry about besides Joe Quinn. Two men had died tonight. Probably killed by Dom. He was getting nearer.

  But so was she.

  You haven’t beaten us yet, Dom. I’ll still find a way to see your face.

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  SEVENTEEN

  Eve and Joe were waiting across the street from the lab on Blue Mountain Drive when Spiro drove up.

  "Professor Dunkeil’s waiting for us. He was upset about Sung." Spiro studied Eve’s face. "You look better."

  "I’m fine. Did you reach Mrs. Cather?"

  "Yes." His lips tightened. "I didn’t talk to her very long. She broke down. She’s only a kid herself."

  "I know you were close to Charlie."

  "I could have been closer. I thought I had to toughen him up." He shook his
head. "Getting Dom is becoming very personal to me."

  Eve started across the street. "Join the club." She felt the tension rise as Joe rang the doorbell of the lab.

  Please, don’t let those young men have died for no reason. Don’t let Dom win this one.

  The image of Kevin Baldridge was still blurred. On the computer screen he was almost ghostlike, like a cadaver floating in a sea of light.

  But his face was clear enough.

  She couldn’t breathe.

  "Eve?"

  "Tell me I’m crazy, Joe."

  Joe was gazing at the screen and swore softly. Spiro inhaled sharply. "Grunard."

  Younger, thinner, but the charming, slightly cocky smile was the same. Eve sank back in the chair, her mind whirling. "No."

  "He’s the right age. He’s been close to you from the beginning," Spiro said slowly. So close.

  "That guard at the welfare house…" She shuddered. "I told him to distract him if he ran across him."

  Joe turned to Spiro. "He thinks he’s safe. Pick him up before he learns what we’ve done here tonight."

  "He may already know." Spiro took out his phone and punched in a number. "He’s made some The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02

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  friends in the precinct the past few days."

  Eve was thinking of the serial killer profile Spiro had told her in Joe’s cottage. They usually know police procedures and may even associate with the police. Joe had told her that Grunard hung out at the bar all the Atlanta police detectives frequented.

  And a reporter could travel from place to place without suspicion. He had contacts and sources for finding out facts other people couldn’t. Mark had delayed going after Jane at the welfare house until eleven o’clock, giving him plenty of time to kill the security guard and make it to the alley where Mike had been. He would have had no trouble gaining access to Fraser all those years ago.

  “No answer at Grunard’s hotel." Spiro was punching in another number. "I’ll send someone to the hotel."

  Grunard. Dom.

  He had wanted to stay at the lab last night. He had given Sung his phone number. Spiro had finished his phone call and was heading for the front door. "I’ll start a background check on Grunard. I don’t know how much good it will do. There’s no telling how many times he’s reinvented himself. Go back to the house and stay there."

  Grunard.

  The thought of him being Dom occupied Eve on the drive back to the house. He had been there all the time and she had not felt an ounce of suspicion. My God, she had even felt guilty for not keeping him more informed. And he had even warned her not to let Dom see Eve and Jane together in Phoenix.