The Face of Deception (14 page)

Hired guns. It sounded like something out of a bad western. And who did that to my lab?

Gil says it could be Albert Fiske. Hes worked for Timwick before.

Fiske. That blood and horror now had a name. I want Joe to know. He can track the bastard down.

Do you really want to involve Quinn before you have proof? Timwick is a heavyweight. With one phone call he could make your friends life very diffi-cult. His voice lowered persuasively, Go for that proof, Eve. Do your job. Youll make things easier for Quinn and safer for yourself.

And do what you want.

Theres a downside to everything. But dont cut off your nose to spite your face hellip; or me. You think Im wrong. Wouldnt proving it punish me for all the problems Ive forced on you?

Attempted murder can hardly be called a problem.

Ive leveled with you. And Ive warned you. Its your decision now.

It always has been.

Then make the right one. He turned to leave. It will take a little time to arrange security to take you home. Ill tell Margaret to make reservations for you on the afternoon flight out of Reagan National.

What if I want to leave now?

He shook his head. Ive made you a target and Im going to protect you as best I can. Ill also double the security surrounding your mother and the house in Atlanta. He looked back at her. Change your mind, Eve. Forget how angry you are at me and do whats best for you and your mother.

The door closed behind him before she could an-swer. Hit and run. Manipulative bastard.

Keep your mother alive.

She tried to smother the panic rising inside her. He had cleverly chosen the words that would strike deepest. She should ignore everything hed said and get the hell out of there. Shed never have come if shed known it could lead to this. Hed deliberately deceived her and embroiled her in a situation that

Slow down. Forget the fact that she wanted to wring Logans neck. The situation existed. Now what could she do about it?

Prove me wrong.

Tempting bait. If she worked hard, in a couple days she could have the proof.

And give in to Logan after all the hell hed put her through?

No way. Not if there was any other path she could take.

Do whats best for you and your mother.

She slowly moved to the window. It was begin-ning to get light. By afternoon she could be on her way home. God, how she wanted to be back where everything was safe and familiar.

But it might no longer be safe there. Just the deci-sion to take Logans job might have destroyed the peace and safety shed so carefully cultivated through the years since Frasers execution. She was being drawn back into that nightmarish quagmire in which shed almost drowned after Bonnie died.

She would not drown. If she survived Bonnies death, she could survive anything.

BARRETT HOUSE

TUESDAY AFTERNOON

Logan was standing in the foyer when she came down the stairs just after one oclock.

A slow smile lit his face. You dont have your suitcase.

Its still packed. Im going to get out of here the minute Im finished. But I decided that doing the job is the best way to cut all ties to this mess. She moved down the hall toward the lab. Wheres the skull?

Youre heading right toward it. The box is on your desk. He followed her. But dont you think youd better get some sleep first?

Ive already slept. I took a shower and a nap after I made my decision to get on with it.

You could have sent me word and relieved my mind.

I have no desire to relieve your mind.

I can see your point. But youre doing the intelli-gent thing.

If I didnt think that, Id be heading for the front door instead of the lab. She gave him a cool glance. And lets be clear. The minute I prove that skull doesnt belong to Kennedy, Im going to call the newspapers and let them know what an ass you are.

Fair enough.

And I wont be held incommunicado. Im calling Mom and Joe every day Im here.

Have I ever tried to stop you? Youre no prisoner. I hope we can work together.

Not likely. She threw open the door of the lab. The lead box occupied the center of the desk, and she moved brusquely toward it. I work alone.

May I ask how long its going to take you?

It depends on the condition of the skull. If its not a jigsaw puzzle, two, maybe three days.

It looked pretty intact to me. He paused. Try to make it two, Eve.

Dont push me, Logan.

I have to push you. I dont know how much time I bought. Timwick wont assume the skull he has is the right one. Hell have it examined by one of your forensic counterparts. Hes bound to find out hes got the wrong one.

According to you, he wouldnt want to take the chance of having the skull identified.

Hed have to. He wouldnt risk tapping DNA or dental records, but hed do this. There are always ways to dispose of people who know too much. So if the sculptors goodhellip; two days?

It depends if he works on a cast of the skull or the skull itself. And if hes willing to push himself.

He wont have to push himself, Timwick will be doing it for him. Whos good enough?

There are only four or five top forensic sculptors in the country.

So I found out when I was searching for one. My attorney had an easy job gathering the shortlist.

She opened the lead box. I wish to hell youd picked someone else.

But youre the best. I had to have the best. Whos second best?

Simon Doprel. He has the touch.

Touch?

She shrugged. You do the measuring and the judgment calls, but when you get down to the final stages of the sculpting, its pretty much instinct. Its as if you feel whats right and wrong. Some of us have it, some dont.

Interesting. He grimaced. And maybe a little eerie.

Dont be stupid, she said coldly. Its a talent, not some kind of paranormal idiocy.

And Doprel has it too?

Yes. She carefully lifted the scorched skull out of the box. Caucasian. Male. Facial bones almost en-tirely intact. A good portion of the back of the skull was missing.

Not very pretty, is he? Logan said.

You wouldnt be pretty either if youd gone through what he did. Donnelli was lucky. The brain could have blown forward instead of backward and then there wouldnt have been any blackmailhellip; or any reconstruction.

The fire caused the brain to explode?

She nodded. It happens almost all the time with fire victims.

He went back to the previous conversation. So Doprel would be a reasonable first choice?

If Timwick could get him. Most of his work is done for the NYPD.

Timwick can get him. He looked at the skull. Two days, Eve. Please.

It will get done when it gets done. Dont worry, Im not going to waste time. I want this over. She moved over to the pedestal and placed the skull in the center. Now, get out of here. Ive got measuring to do and I have to concentrate.

Yes, maam. A few moments later the door closed.

She hadnt taken her eyes away from the skull. Shut Logan out. Dont let anything get in the way. Every measurement had to be exact.

But not yet. First she had to establish a link, just as she usually did. It was probably going to be harder since this was an adult and not a child. She had to re-member that he was also a lost one. She measured dif-ferent parts of the cranium and wrote the numbers down on her pad. Youre not who he says you are, but that doesnt matter. Youre important in your own right, Jimmy.

Jimmy? Where had that come from?

It could be Jimmy Hoffa or some Mafia goon.

Grinning, she remembered the reasons she had told Logan she shouldnt take the job.

But here she was doing it.

And Jimmy was as good a name as any.

Im going to do all kinds of undignified things to you, but its all for a good cause, Jimmy, she mur-mured. Just hang in there with me, okay?

CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND

TUESDAY EVENING

Ive no time for this, Timwick, Simon Doprel said. Youve pulled me away from an important case thats going to trial next month. Find someone else.

Its only a few days. You agreed to do it.

I didnt agree to leave New York and come down here to the country. Your men practically kidnapped me. Why couldnt you bring the skull to me?

It had to be kept confidential. Dont back out now. Finding out if this is the terrorist weve been looking for is more important than a murder case.

Whats the Treasury Department doing chasing terrorists? Simon asked sourly.

We always get involved if the threat concerns the White House. If you need anything, just ask Fiske. Hell be closer than your shadow until you finish the job. Timwick smiled. We want to make you as comfortable as we can while youre with us. He walked out of the room and closed the door.

It was just as well Doprel was so reluctant to do the job, he thought grimly. He would work at top speed, and speed was what they needed.

When Timwick had been told how the skull had been tossed from the limo, hed been immediately suspicious. The retrieval might have been a little too easy. Fear for their lives could have made Logan sacri-fice the skull, but it might also have been a diversion. Why not take out the skull before throwing out the coffin? Panic?

Logan wasnt a man to panic, but hed been driving. Kenner had said it was the woman who had thrown out the coffin. At any rate, they would know soon.

And the surveillance would go on at Barrett House until they did.

Youre awake. Logan came into the room and dropped down in the chair beside Gils bed. How are you feeling?

A hell of a lot better if that doctor hadnt doped me up, Gil growled. My shoulders fine, but Ive got a jumbo headache.

You needed the rest.

Not twelve hours. He struggled to sit up. Whats happening?

Logan leaned forward and adjusted the pillows against the headboard. Eves working on the skull now.

Im surprised. I thought your decision to take her along was a mistake. You could have scared her off.

Or made her mad enough to dig in her heels. It could have gone either way. But I didnt have a choice. I needed to make them think that what we were doing was important. I wasnt expecting them to get that close.

You mean you were hoping they wouldnt. He smiled sardonically. Dont bullshit me. You would have done it anyway.

Probably. He added soberly, That doesnt stop me from being sorry about letting you take the heat.

Thats why I was there. We agreed that Id run interference while you took care of the red herring. Gil made a face. But I was clumsy. I would have been toast if it hadnt been for our bone lady. She was damn good.

Yes, very good. It seems Quinn thought she should know how to protect herself from the Frasers of the world.

Quinn again?

Logan nodded. He always seems to be in the background, doesnt he? He stood up. Im going to go down and take Eve a sandwich. She hasnt left the lab yet.

Im sure shell be grateful youre going to allow her to eat.

Drop the sarcasm.

I wasnt being sarcastic. I meant it. Now that youve got her on the job, I imagine youll crack the whip until you get what you want.

She wouldnt let me. Anything I can get you?

My CD player and discs. He grinned. How thick are these walls? I was thinking about tor-menting you with Loretta Lynns Coal Miners Daughter.

If you do, Ill ask Margaret to come in and play Florence Nightingale.

You wouldnt dare, Im a sick man. His smile disappeared. How much time do you think we have?

Three days maximum. Once they find out theyve got the wrong skull, theyll launch an all-out war. Weve got to be out of here by that time. He headed for the door. So get well and on your feet.

Tomorrow. Ill be up and functioning and back at the carriage house. Im tempted to loll in bed with Loretta and Garth Brooks, but its not worth the chance of Margaret nursing me.

Logan closed the door and went downstairs to the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later he was knocking on the lab door, a ham sandwich and bowl of vegetable soup on a tray in his hand.

No answer.

May I come in?

Go away. Im busy.

I have food. Youve got to stop and eat sometime.

Put it down and Ill get to it later.

Logan hesitated and then set the tray on the table beside the door. Try to make it soon. The soup will get cold.

Christ, he sounded like a nagging wife. How far the mighty had fallen. Its a good thing Margaret wasnt nearby to hear that curt rejection. It would have amused the hell out of her.

TEN

"You didnt eat your dinner. You cant work if you dont eat, Mama.

Eve slowly raised her head from the desk.