The Perfect Witness

by Iris Johansen

  “Man? Description?”

  “The ranger was too far away. But it was only one man and, he thought, maybe a woman.”

  “Bingo. What kind of car?”

  “A dark blue Toyota.”

  “And there was blood at the campsite?”

  “Yeah, quite a bit. He might have been trying to bandage her wound.”

  And it seemed Teresa had survived, Camano thought bitterly. If Tantona had aimed straighter, he wouldn’t be having this trouble. “Have you called in the number to our man Vaughn at the precinct?”

  “Yeah, it’s a rental car. It was rented at Philadelphia Airport. I’m on my way to get a copy of the rental agreement and a photocopy of the guy’s driver’s license.” He paused. “We should have a picture of him within a couple hours.”

  “Good man,” he said. “I should have relied on you instead of Tantona. Find this son of a bitch, and you’ll find me very grateful, Navarro.”

  “I’ll find him,” Navarro said eagerly. “You can count on me. I’d never have let her get away to begin with.” He hung up.

  “Blood?” Gina repeated as she lifted her coffee cup to her lips. “Is that what you said?”

  He looked at her across the luncheon table. She was even more gorgeous in the full sunlight of the terrace than she had been last night. Her eyes were fixed intently on him, but he couldn’t read her expression. Her beautiful face was smooth and calm and portrayed only curiosity. “It seems Tantona was forced to fire at your little girl when she ran away. I’m sure that it was only a token shot, but he must have hit her. But the blood will probably help us to find her.”

  She shook her head. “Then that’s a good thing. Such a foolish child. I always told Antonio that Teresa must be a little unbalanced because of all that weird stuff in her head. Now look at her running around the country, getting herself hurt. She’ll be much better off when she comes home to me.”

  He smiled mockingly. “They say every child should be with their mother.” He took a drink of his coffee. “Only one man in that rental car. I feel better about the possibility she might be in the hands of the police. It’s still a possibility, but we may have gotten lucky.”

  “A pervert?” She tilted her head. “She’s a pretty girl. Everyone says she’s almost as pretty as I am.”

  “Nonsense.” It was the response Gina wanted, and besides, he had never found Teresa attractive. She always stared at him with those big eyes as if she could see his soul. “I doubt if it’s a pervert. He took out three men as if they were nothing. His focus isn’t on sex.”

  “Every man’s focus is on sex. It just depends on the time and opportunity.” She met his eyes, and her own were wide and clear and totally enigmatic. “And the desirability of the woman. I’m glad you don’t find Teresa desirable. It would cause me so many problems.”

  He chuckled. “I’m sure you would solve them with your usual skill and unique talents.” He set down his cup and pushed back his chair. “But Teresa’s desirability or lack of it isn’t important for you at the moment. When Navarro gets the information I need about the man who took Teresa, we’ll be going after her.”

  “You want me to go?”

  “Hell, yes.” He started across the terrace. “I don’t know what we’ll face with that bastard. But I do know you’re the one who can lead Teresa back into the fold. Be ready.”

  * * *

  HE SHOULD PROBABLY STOP HER, Mandak thought as he stood in the doorway of the gym and watched Allie work out with the weights. Her forehead was creased in concentration and her tee shirt wet with perspiration. But she was smart, and she hadn’t overdone her workouts in the past two days. She’d paced the exercise, taken breaks, then started again. He’d been impressed by her sheer determination and deliberately left her on her own to make mental and physical adjustments. It was time for him to step in and start training her at the mental and psychological level, but he could let her physical workouts remain solitary for the time being.

  She looked up and saw him. “You’re frowning. Go away. I’m not doing anything wrong.”

  “No you’re not. I’m just admiring your stamina.”

  “Go admire it somewhere else. You bother me.”

  “Yes, I know. You bother me, too. In a few years, we might have to have a discussion about that.” He turned away. “In the meantime, I’ll let you have your space. You can have one more day on your own. I start teaching you the fine art of karate tomorrow.”

  “Why not today?”

  “Tomorrow,” he said firmly, and started down the hall. If he stayed in the gym, he knew she would persist and gnaw at him like a bulldog. She was nothing if not stubborn.

  He’d gone only a few steps when his cell phone rang.

  He went still when he saw the ID.

  N. Praland.

  He punched the access. “What do you want, Praland?”

  “Why, Mandak. I only want courtesy.” Praland’s voice was silky smooth. “And to hear that note in your voice that pleases me to my very soul. Are you ready?”

  “It wouldn’t matter if I was or not. Give it to me.”

  “Karl Steinam. Age fourteen. Salzburg.”

  “Fourteen?”

  “Ah, that’s the note. It always bothers you when I kill the young.”

  “Because you’re a son of a bitch. Why do you always call me? Why not Neal Grady or Renata Wilger?”

  “How can you wonder? Our encounters have been so exhilarating. They’d sent many of their people to try to trip me. You came very close, Mandak. And then you made the fatal mistake of stealing that young fool before I was ready to toss him away. I dearly wanted to cut your throat when you did that. I still do. You’re not safe. Look over your shoulder, and I’ll be there. I’m going to find you, Mandak.”

  “Why? When it obviously excites you to make me feel your superiority by killing these kids? Screw you, Praland.”

  “But I am superior, and you can’t do anything about it. I’ll let you know when I have something else to report.” He hung up.

  Cool down. There wasn’t anything he could do right now, and getting this angry and upset was exactly what Praland had intended. The son of a bitch knew how to rip him to pieces. He was a consummate sadist and enjoyed every minute of any pain he could inflict. Mandak had dealt with him for years, both in the field and leading raids to try to free the captives he held for profit. He had been marginally successful, but it wasn’t enough. His hands had been tied. They were still tied.

  And the only one who could cut those ties was Allie Girard.

  Allie thought Camano and her father were bad? She had no idea about the depths of the wickedness of which Praland was capable.

  But she might learn if Mandak couldn’t prepare her to face him when he tossed her in Praland’s path. She had to be lethal enough to protect herself while she was doing what Mandak wanted of her. He had started her training, but there was still a long way to go. He was impatient, and he’d been tempted to bring in outside help.

  Not yet.

  It had to be just Allie and him until the bond was forged.

  He pocketed his phone and continued down the hall toward the porch. He had work to do and contacts to be made. He couldn’t put his life on hold because he was absorbed with the promise Allie offered. But it was difficult to remember that there was a life outside Allie Girard. She was becoming an obsession.

  Another reason to move forward as quickly as possible to push her away from him.

  But first, he had to bring her closer …

  Tonight.

  Start tonight …

  * * *

  ALLIE TENSED, jerked out of sleep.

  Someone was in the room.

  Mandak.

  She could feel him in the darkness.

  “It’s all right. You’re safe,” Mandak said from the chair beside her bed. “Well, as safe as you can be.”

  “I’m not safe. Not with you.” She scrambled to a sitting position. “It’s creepy having you come i
n and stare at me in the dark.”

  “Then we’ll turn on the lamp.” He reached forward and flicked on the lamp on the bedside table. “Better?”

  She wasn’t sure. Now she could see those piercing blue eyes and feel the sheer power of him, which was a mixture of sexuality, charisma, and intelligence. That power was always present, but she could try to ignore it when she was busy. Now she felt vulnerable. “What are you doing here?”

  “It’s time to start housecleaning in that interesting mind of yours,” he said lightly. “I told you how it would be. Though it may not be as easy to access as I thought. You were sleeping very deeply.”

  “I was tired. I worked hard today.”

  “I know. You didn’t show up for supper.”

  “I ate later. I robbed the fridge.”

  “I thought you would. I assumed you just wanted to avoid me.”

  She nodded, and said bluntly, “You disturb me.”

  “It’s mutual. But it will be easier once we get through a few sessions. Lie back down.”

  She didn’t move. “I think I’ve changed my mind. Maybe I’ll wait a little while to—”

  “Coward.”

  “I’m not a coward.” She glared at him. “And I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do.”

  He smiled. “But you do want to do this. Be honest with both of us, Allie.”

  Honesty could be painful. Honesty could be terrifying. But he was staring at her with that quizzical look, and she wouldn’t lie. “You said it wouldn’t be anything like Dr. Kramer. I won’t put up with that again.”

  “Nothing like Kramer. Lie down and close your eyes.”

  She lay back down. “That’s like Kramer. Next you’ll be attaching wires to me.”

  “No, I won’t. I won’t do anything at all for a few minutes. Just go blank. You don’t have to talk or think.”

  “Sneak attack?”

  He chuckled. “I guess you might call it that.”

  “Don’t you dare show me any butterflies or any of that kind of stuff.”

  “I promise.”

  She closed her eyes. “I feel like an idiot.”

  He didn’t answer.

  Her tension was leaving her, she realized. Was she becoming accustomed to him and relaxing? She asked him, “Is the way I feel natural, or are you messing with me?”

  “Partly natural,” he said. “I have a little to do with it.”

  “Probably more than a little.” But she didn’t care. She was committed, and as long as she felt in control and able to back away, it was okay. “Mess away. But I warn you, I’ll shut you down if you pull a Kramer on me.”

  “Shh.”

  Silence.

  No sound.

  No sensation.

  Nothing.

  “Easy. It’s coming,” Mandak said. “This one isn’t bad…”

  An explosion of release!

  She arched as sensation after sensation moved through her.

  Relief.

  Freedom.

  She was panting. “I thought it wasn’t working. I didn’t know … you were doing it.”

  “Until it happened. That’s the ideal procedure.” He grimaced. “But removing memory trauma isn’t always that simple. That particular memory was a long time ago, before your father brought you in to do his dirty work. Were you aware of any memories while I was doing it?”

  “No. Just the release.”

  “Good. But it won’t always be that way. If it gets nasty, it will be like being pulled through a chain saw.” He paused. “I’ll try to wait until we get toward the end before I put you through that.”

  “Because you’re afraid I won’t let you do it any longer.”

  He nodded. “And because I need to get as far as I can so that you’ll recognize the pain is worth it.”

  “Easy to say when I’m the one with the pain,” she said dryly. “Maybe it won’t happen. The only thing I was aware of this time was sadness, a little anger, then the release.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what’s happening in my head. But you could be wrong.”

  “Not likely,” he said. “Because I do know what’s going on in that mind of yours.” He leaned back in the chair. “Are you ready to try again?”

  “Yes.” She closed her eyes again, and added flippantly, “Go ahead. Vacuum me out.”

  “I’m not taking anything away. Every memory is still there. I’m just taking out the poison and making you acknowledge them.”

  “Go ahead.” She felt the tension coming again. “What are you waiting for? How many times do we have to go through this again tonight?”

  “Only a few more. It won’t be bad. And you’re beginning to like it.”

  He was right. The release had felt cleansing and deeply satisfying. “But you just said it won’t last.”

  “For tonight it will. Believe me. Nothing bad will happen tonight.”

  She wanted to believe him, she realized. Close. She was feeling strangely joined, close to him. That could be dangerous when she couldn’t remember feeling close to anyone before. “Prove it.”

  He chuckled. “I will. Now relax and let me work…”

  * * *

  “HIS NAME IS WILLIAM MONTGOMERY,” Navarro said to Camano. “He paid by credit card, and I’m faxing you the slip and the copy of his driver’s license.”

  “Has he turned in the car yet?” Camano asked as he went into his office to wait for the fax.

  “Not yet.”

  “Then he still has her with him, and they’re on the road.”

  “Yeah, maybe.”

  Camano pulled off the fax. “Brown hair. Blue eyes. He looks like the guy next door. Did you question the clerk? Is this what he really looked like?”

  “He said it was probably close.”

  And no one really glanced at ID if it was in the least close, Camano thought in disgust. The man would have had to have two heads for him to catch that clerk’s attention. “I’ll send the photos to our man at the precinct and see if they can pull anything up on the database on him.”

  “The name won’t help?”

  Stupid. “Would you use your own name?”

  “I guess not.”

  “Stay close to that clerk. He’s your best friend. Line his pockets. I want to know the exact moment when he hears that car has been turned in.” He hung up the phone.

  Four Weeks Later

  “You again?” Allie opened her eyes to see Mandak’s shadowy form sitting in his usual chair beside her bed. “You missed last night. I was beginning to feel neglected.”

  “I thought I’d give you a rest from me. Do you want me to turn on the lamp?”

  “Not particularly. I know what you look like.” That was an understatement. In the past weeks, she’d practically memorized his features. He’d become the center of her life here at the lodge. In the morning, she got up, exercised on her own for an hour, then met him for breakfast. After breakfast, he disappeared and let her go back to the gym. But a few hours later, he appeared again, and the karate lessons started. Then lunch and gun practice in the woods back of the lodge. More karate, and two days ago, he’d given her a knife and begun tutoring her in its use. Dinner. Then he disappeared again, and she didn’t see him again until he appeared in her bedroom sometime in the night. She had only been half joking when she had said she felt neglected when he’d missed coming to her room last night. They had become so attuned to each other, it had seemed wrong for her not to see him then. “You’re right, I see enough of you. I just wondered.”

  “Why didn’t you mention it this morning?”

  “I felt kind of … odd. You know, the day seems broken into compartments. This one is sort of all by itself and doesn’t have anything to do with all the other things that we do together.”

  “No, it’s at another end of the scale from karate. By the way, you’re doing very well at that particular discipline.”

  “Oh, sure,” she said. “Don’t try to flatter me. You kept your promise. You mop the
floor with me every day.”

  “Not quite. You get better every session.”

  Silence.

  Sometimes the silences between them were comfortable, she thought, like the silence between two old friends. It had sometimes surprised her when their relationship usually had a distinct edge. This was not one of those silences. “I don’t know if I believe that’s the reason why you didn’t come last night. What do you do when you’re not with me?”

  “Work.”

  “What kind of work?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “I didn’t want to know anyway,” she said quickly. “I was just making conversation.”

  “That’s good. You’ll know when it’s time.”

  “That sounds like a bunch of philosophic crap.”

  “I’ve never been exposed to philosophic crap. Would you care to describe it?”

  “No.”

  “Then suppose we get to our work.”

  “Why not?” She was silent. “Last night, I thought that maybe we were through with all this. We’ve been doing pretty well.”

  “Yes.”

  “But I was wrong? That wasn’t true?”

  “No. It was true.”

  “So what’s the real reason you didn’t show up?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Did you decide it wasn’t doing any good? That you’ll never be able to clear enough debris away to teach me to block?”

  “It’s doing good.”

  “Dammit, talk to me.”

  “You’re doing too well. You’ve jumped over all kinds of obstacles and left only the final barriers.”

  “That’s what you wanted. That’s what I need, right?”

  “Right,” he said roughly. “But I warned you, it’s going to be hell. It’s going to blow you apart.”

  “No, it won’t. Is that why you didn’t come last night? You thought I needed the time to get ready for it?”

  “No, I needed the time for me to get ready for it.”

  She inhaled sharply. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I thought that I was prepared, but I backed away.”

  “But you came back tonight.”

  “Yes.” His tone bitter. “I’ll always come back. That’s why you have to be wary of me.” His next words were crisp. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” She paused. “But all this nonsense is scaring me.”