Delta Stevens 2: Storm Shelter (31 page)

Delta thought about Megan’s words and shrugged. “I can’t promise anything, Megan. You know how I get.” Sighing heavily, Megan lightly touched Delta’s cheek. “Yes, I do. Just promise me that you’ll try. That’s all I’ll ask for now.”

Nodding, Delta took Megan in her arms. “I
can
promise you that much. I swear, Megan, I’ll try to think about my . . . our life together before I take any risks. I may not be successful, but you have to believe me when I say that I’ll try.”

Pulling away, Megan kissed Delta’s lips softly. “Thank you.”

Hugging Megan again, Delta shut her eyes tightly. If only trying were as easy as loving Megan.

Delta hobbled to the house from the backyard, where she’d been letting her mind rest among the trees. If she never saw or heard another myth again, it would be too soon for her. The last two days had been spent getting as far in the game as their energy and time would allow, and she was beat. Her eyes ached, her leg throbbed, and her head pounded. Their seventy-two hours were rapidly dropping through the hourglass. If the answer they had come up with wasn’t the right one, it was over.

Sliding the glass door open, Delta turned and smiled weakly at Connie. Forty-eight hours of watching a computer monitor put dark circles under Connie’s eyes. She looked dreadful.

“I think we finally got him. If there’s another solution to this level, it’s beyond my reach. We’ve done all we can do.”

“What did you finally have to do?”

Delta closed her eyes; visions of Dori fighting Poseidon passed in front of her. For the last twelve hours, every time Dori got close to Poseidon, he killed her. They tried throwing snakes, rocks, magic spells, even the shoes, but nothing hurt him, nothing distracted him. Time and time again, Poseidon raised his trident and thrust it into the tiny warrior, sending them back to the beginning of the level. And although she would never admit it, Delta had grown rather fond of the dark-haired, animated figure of Dori. On the screen, she seemed so real, so heroic in her actions, that Delta found it increasingly difficult to watch her get killed.

It wasn’t until after they figured out Harold’s Hybris, that they knew how to approach Poseidon—or not approach him as the case turned out.

Connie pulled up a chair next to Delta and sat down heavily. “Dori was lacking the humility of a mortal. When a person forgets they’re human and acts like a god, they commit hybris.”

Delta nodded. She almost resented the fact that she was beginning to understand how this game and Elson’s twisted mind worked. “Right. Dori isn’t a god, so she shouldn’t approach him as if she were.”

Gina walked in and pulled herself up on the counter. She had toned down her patient load to only a few “must sees” a day, and Connie was having an increasingly difficult time just getting her out of the house. If this case was tough on Connie, it was doubly hard on the woman who loved her. Gina seldom let Connie out of her sight now, and for the past week, had been feeding Connie her meals at the computer. Looking up, Delta saw the same tired lines forming around Gina’s mouth that she saw on Connie’s. If they didn’t have the answer, then this was really the end. Then this became someone else’s ballgame.

Looking around at her best friends, Delta wondered, for the first time in her life, if that wasn’t such a bad idea.

“Hi,” Gina said, bending over to kiss Connie. “How are things coming?”

“I think we’re ahead of him now, honey,” Connie replied with little enthusiasm.

Gina’s face suddenly lit up. “That’s great! How’d you do it?” Hopping off the counter, Gina sat in Connie’s lap.

“We did everything we could to get by Poseidon, and then we realized we were doing the very thing Elson accused me of.”

“What?”

“We were arrogant. A mortal should never try to outsmart a god. That’s exactly what hybris is about.”

“So, what did you do?”

“After trying everything we could think of, Megan called Professor Rosenbaum at the university and explained what we had going. When she was telling him about the shoes, he stopped and asked if the shoes were all we got from the gorgon.”

Gina nodded. “It was.”

“Yes, but that wasn’t the only thing she had to offer.”

Gina glanced over at Delta, who nodded. “I hate to use Jan’s analogy, but what else does the F.T.D. Florist guy wear besides winged sandals?”

Gina’s eyes lit up. “That little helmet.”

“Right. But that isn’t just any helmet,” Connie said, twisting open a Calistoga. “It’s the helmet of invisibility.”

“I get it. Once Dori turned invisible, she could go get the trident.”

Connie nodded. “Which she did. She put on the helmet, got on the horse, and Poseidon immediately fell asleep.”

“So we nabbed the trident.”

“Con, that’s fantastic! Now what?”

Connie and Delta shrugged in unison. “We don’t know.”

Taking Connie’s Calistoga from her, Gina took a drink. “You don’t think he intends on stealing a horse, do you?”

Coming in from the bathroom, Megan joined them as well. “I was just thinking the same thing. don’t you think stealing a horse from the hustle and bustle of a racetrack would be nearly impossible?”

Connie and Delta looked at each other. “That’s precisely why he would do it,” Connie said quietly. “If we look at his current pattern, his actions have become more and more dangerous, more and more sensational. He held a cop hostage, only feet away from other cops, he’s attacked Delta twice now, and he’s already killed numerous people. Stealing a horse right out from under everyone’s noses would be child’s play after those stunts. He’s getting fearless, and that could be his greatest downfall.”

Delta nodded. “Being destroyed by his own hybris. What irony.”

“Isn’t that what happens to most brilliant criminals? He’s cocky now. He’s been successful in every turn. Now is when he’s going to make that one fatal mistake.”

Megan shook her head. “Yeah, but come on. Stealing a horse at a racetrack? Isn’t that a bit like trying to hide an elephant in a pet store?”

“Actually,” Gina said, handing the water back to Connie, “It would be more like trying to hide an elephant in a carnival. It’s been done before. When I was a kid, there was a big news story about guys who went in and dyed a horse right there in the stall. They simply walked the now-chestnut horse out of the barn and into a waiting trailer. They got a multi-million dollar horse for free.”

“But where is the murder?” Delta asked, her face a puzzle.

Connie fidgeted with her bottle. “True. We didn’t have to kill anyone to get the trident. Maybe there aren’t any more deaths.”

“Maybe just not on this level.”

“You don’t think,” Megan offered, rubbing the back of her own neck, “That he’d murder one of the jockeys in an effort to get closer to the stables?”

Connie thought about this a moment before answering. “He’s crazy enough.”

“And little enough,” Delta added. “It’s possible that’s how he plans on getting into the stables in the first place.”

“Harold’s Hybris’s last race is at 5:30 tomorrow.” Megan said, tossing down the racing green.

“That’s not the killing hours,” Delta said.

“No, but now would be a good time for him to switch gears. Maybe he’ll kill again, maybe he won’t. It’s possible he may just knock someone out, kind of like Dori did.”

Megan nodded. “I agree. I think we need to be at that last race so— ”

“Whoa. Wait a minute,” Delta interrupted. “Who’s ’we’? You’re not going anywhere, my sweet. Elson is far too dangerous.”

Megan stood and jammed her hands on her hips. “No? Then, who? Certainly not you.”

Delta eyed her leg and then looked over at Connie.

“What do you want to do?” Connie asked, already anticipating Delta’s next words.

Tracing the bandage with her finger, Delta wondered how much weight she could put on it before the stitches busted. “As much as I hate to say this, it’s got to be done. Bring Leonard in. We have our best lead since we started, and I don’t want to lose him because I have a bad wheel.”

Connie shrugged. “We don’t really have a choice, do we?”

“No. It would be suicide to put any of you out there against him. Let’s call Leonard and tell him what we’ve got going. He needs a collar so badly, he won’t give a damn how we know, so long as he comes out of it with an arrest. I’ll brief him on everything we have.”

Megan moved behind Delta and massaged her temples. “And what, my overworked mate, are the rest of us going to do?”

“Megan, you go back to the racetrack and find everything we’ll need to know about the stables, the horse, the jockey, the exits and entrances, how many stable hands there are, et cetera. Even information about the owners will help.”

“Do I, uh, use my sources?”

Delta grinned. “Short of getting on your back, do what needs to be done.”

Megan clapped her hands together. “How exciting.”

Delta pulled Megan to her. “It’s dangerous, honey, not exciting. Remember, always, that you’re dealing with a psychopath. A murdering, insane lunatic, who could cut your heart out as easily as look at you.”

Megan nodded. “I know. I’ll be discreet. Remember, before you met me, discretion was my middle name.” Delta grinned and realized she was holding Megan’s arms too tightly. “I remember.”

Connie nodded and gently motioned for Gina to get off her lap. “I’ll keep at the game and try to figure out what we’re supposed to do with the trident.”

“Good. I’ll get Leonard to arrange for a surveillance van so we can be there and follow what he and his men are up to.”

Connie frowned. “You think he’ll do that?”

“I won’t give him any choice. If he wants the goods, he’s going to have to play this our way.”

Connie moved over to the computer. “I’ll hook Eddie up in the van, so I can be right there should I have a break in the game.”

Slowly rising, and grabbing her cane, Delta put gentle pressure on her leg. “Then I guess this is it. Any questions before we make the call to Leonard?”

Megan threw her sweatshirt over her head, and bent down to lightly kiss Delta on the mouth. “Remember what we spoke about yesterday. don’t be a hero, my love. I know how badly you want him, but you do have another life outside of him and your badge. Remember that, okay?”

Kissing Megan back, Delta felt the fire burning inside. “Roger.”

“Del?” Connie said sternly. “That order goes ditto for me.”

Taking the racing form from Megan, Delta nodded. “Okay, okay. I promise to try and remain an innocent bystander.”

Megan ran her fingers through Delta’s hair. “Somehow, my love, you and the word `innocent’together in one sentence is hard to buy. Just stick to the promises you can keep.”

“You’re all so cynical,” Delta said. “I swear, I’ll stay on the sidelines.”

Connie shook her head. “And I’ll turn into a tomato at dawn. I mean it, Storm, keep your promise.”

“I will. Speaking of promises, Gina, are you coming with us or do you need to see patients today?”

“I’ll need to go to the office and cancel my appointments first. I had an emergency call from a fellow last night, and he sounded suicidal. I’ll need to call and see if he won’t mind seeing one of my associates. After that, I’m all yours.”

Connie nodded. “Are you sure?”

Draping her arms across Connie’s neck, Gina held her. “You’re all that matters to me, my love. If I let someone down because I’m not there, I’ll deal with it later. But right now, your safety is all I care about.”

“I love you, Gene,” Connie said, hugging her.

“And I love you, Consuela.”

Glancing over at her two best friends locked in a fearful embrace, Delta grit her teeth. She would die before she let anything happen to Connie; of that, she was sure.

Promise or not.

With Leonard’s men in place, Delta painfully limped over to the surveillance van and climbed in. Every available plainclothes cop was stationed at various vantage points across the track, and each was supplied with a computer print-out of Elson’s face. Delta didn’t expect the picture to be much help, since he was obviously big on disguises and make-up. Nevertheless, it was good for them to have pictures of Elson’s dark black shark’s eyes which no amount of make-up could hide.

“Everything’s running like clockwork, Stevie. If your hunch is right, he should be walkin’ right into our hands in half an hour.”

Delta nodded, but said nothing. Leonard had been less than skeptical in the beginning, but when she told him she might have a bead on Elson, he sat very still until she had finished her explanation. This time, he didn’t balk. Instead, Leonard immediately got on the phone and started making arrangements for the bust. Elson Zuckerman had even changed the concrete, evidence-only view of Detective Russ Leonard. It was almost scary.

Chuck Connell, Leonard’s partner, shook his head. “Goes against every M.O. this guy’s set up, Sarge. Everyone knows he hits between ten and one. It’s not yet five, and you think he’s going to show?”

Delta nodded. “He’ll show all right. And don’t be surprised if he’s through with his standard M.O.”