The Face of Deception (21 page)

“Keep Ben's skull with you.”

“Have you ever seen me leave him anywhere?” She smiled bitterly. “I know who's important in the scheme of things.”

“That's not true. It's just that—”

“Go on.” She waved her hand dismissingly. “Go help Gil. Go do what you have to do.”

“Why the hell are you— I thought you liked Gil.”

“I do and I want him safe.” But she didn't want Logan dead, and the more she thought about Lisa Chadbourne, the more frightened she became. “I'm not arguing. I know it wouldn't do any good. Goodbye, Logan.”

He still hesitated.

“Good-bye, Logan.”

He muttered an oath beneath his breath and backed out of the parking space. In another minute he was gone.

Alone.

It's not good for you to be alone, Mama.

She was accustomed to being alone. When the door was shut and the world closed out, wasn't everybody alone?

Yet it was strange that she was feeling more alone now than ever before.

“Where's Logan?”

She turned and saw Gary had walked up to the car. “Winging his way north. Gil Price needed him,” Eve said. “What did you find out?”

“Well, there's some bad news and some good news. The good news is that Chris has converted their method over to chemiluminescence. They could work up a DNA profile for me today.”

“And the bad news?”

“He said he won't do it. He's too busy.” He held up his hand. “I know. I know. You don't have to say it. He'll do it. I just have to be a little more persistent. It won't be today, but I may be able to get the initial profile tomorrow. I just thought I'd come out and give you a report.” He tossed her his keys and started back toward the lab. “Go back to the motel. I'll probably be here until after midnight. I'll take a taxi.”

She didn't want to go back to the motel. She wanted to go into the lab and help. She wanted to do something.

Yes, sure, and blow everything Gary was trying to do.

Forget it. Her irrational impulse was only due to the fact that she had nothing to do, sitting there waiting was getting on her nerves. She could almost sympathize with Gary and Logan, who had seized the opportunity to take action, any action, even if it held an element of recklessness.

What was she thinking? Recklessness had nothing to do with her life. She needed steadiness and serenity. Taking chances was not for her.

She mustn't begin to think about Lisa Chadbourne as if she were some kind of superwoman. Logan was probably right about Gary and her being safe for the time being. Accept it. Relax. After the tension and pace of the last days, she should be glad for a boring few days in Bainbridge.

“I've narrowed the possibility of the safe house at Lanier down to four,” Timwick said as soon as Fiske picked up the phone. “They were all booked day before yesterday.”

“By Wilson?”

“How the hell would I know?” Timwick asked sourly. “Do you think she'd use her real name?”

“She'd have to make a deposit. That means a credit card.”

“And who's to say that she doesn't have a phony? Do you think Logan wouldn't have made provisions for that? Got a pen?” He rattled off the four addresses. “Get on it right away.”

“As soon as I can.”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“You told me to check out Kessler. I'm at Emory now and he left on an unexpected trip yesterday morning.”

“Where?”

“I've no idea. I'm on my way to talk to his assistant and see if I can find out.”

“The mother is more important. Kessler is just a long shot. Logan will be going to Duke if he wants an expert.”

“Now that I'm here, I might as well check it out.”

“I told you to drop it. Go to Lanier.”

“What do you want me to do if I find her?”

“Just stake her out. I'll let you know.”

“I told you I don't like stakeouts. I'll find her, but you assign someone else for the donkey work, Timwick.”

The silence at the other end of the phone was frigid. The chicken bastard didn't like being told what to do. Well, he'd better get used to it. Timwick didn't know it, but the game had changed and the queen was controlling the board.

“You realize that you can be replaced, Fiske.”

“But it would be difficult at this stage of the game. Why not let me do what I do best?”

Another silence, colder than the last. “Very well, report to me as soon as you've located the women.”

“Right.” Fiske hung up the phone and moved quickly toward the dorm where Kessler's assistant, Bob Spencer, lived. He'd tell Spencer he was an old friend of Kessler's, maybe take him out to dinner and pump him. Even if he didn't know Kessler's location, Fiske might be able to find out the lab where Kessler generally did his tests. Find out where the tests are being done, Lisa Chadbourne had said.

No problem.

“He
knew
?” Lisa murmured. “My God, he knew, Scott?”

“Not for sure. My take is that Logan made an educated guess.”

“And then sent Price to lay the cards on the table. Why?”

Scott didn't answer for a moment. “A deal. He wants you more than he wants me, Lisa.”

“What kind of deal?”

“I'm out of the country, out of the picture, somewhere with a new identity, if I furnish evidence against you.”

Panic rushed through her and she fought to quell it. She had known Logan was smart and that he might suspect her, but she'd hoped he wouldn't make the connection with Scott. “He's lying. They'd never let you off.”

“Perhaps.”

Her stomach clenched. “And were you tempted, Scott? Just a little?”

“For God's sake, I'm calling you, aren't I? Does that sound like I want to strike a deal?”

“No, I'm sorry. I'm scared. I never thought they'd guess it was you.” Jesus, it was all falling apart.

No, it wasn't. She just had to think, to make adjustments. “We can work our way out of this. We may be lucky that they thought you might make a deal. They could have gone to the media.”

“But we've blocked that route for them.”

“Did you finish substituting the records?”

“Right after Price left me.”

The panic subsided a little. It was going to be all right. She could see her way clear now. “Thank God. Then I'll talk to Kevin right away and start the ball rolling. It's going to be fine, Scott.”

“Is it?”

“Of course it is. I promise you.”

“You've promised me a lot of things, Lisa,” he said wearily.

“And haven't I given you everything I promised? You've lived the sweet life all these years.”

“You think I couldn't have done it without you?”

“I didn't say that, Scott.”

He was silent a moment. “Sorry.”

He sounded odd, and she knew better than to overlook any change in him. The situation was too delicate. “What's wrong?”

“Price said something else. He told me about three people who'd been murdered quite recently and that the murders conveniently erased problems for you. He asked if I wasn't afraid that I'd be killed too.”

“And are you afraid, Scott? After all these years, are you afraid I'd hurt you?”

Silence. “No, I guess not.”

“That's not good enough. Don't guess,
know
.”

He didn't say anything.

She closed her eyes. Christ, not now. Don't let him doubt now. “We'll talk. I'll prove it to you. But now we have to deal with Price as cleanly as possible to save you.”

“Not to mention you.”

“All right, save both of us. Go ahead and meet Price. I'll have Timwick there before you.”

“And?”

“We'll take Price and try to use him as a bargaining tool for the skull. We have to have that skull back.”

“You think Logan will deal?”

“We've got to try.” She paused. “Trust me, Scott. I won't let Logan take you down. Not after all you've done for me.” She hung up.

Her heart was beating too hard. Breathe deeply, steadily. It was only another challenge.

But it was a challenge she shouldn't have had to meet. If Timwick had done his job with Donnelli, no one would ever have suspected Scott and she would not have had to make this decision. Panic was turning to rage. Logan and Duncan were coming too close and she was losing control.

So gain control. She had a way out. She'd call Timwick and tell him the problem.

But first she had to talk to Kevin and guide him on the path he had to take.

Joe called Eve at eight that evening. “I've managed to get a letter Chadbourne wrote to his sister when their mother died a few months before he took office. I don't think there's any doubt that he licked that particular envelope himself.”

“Great. How did you get it?”

“You don't want to know. That would make you an accessory. But I haven't gotten the sample from Millicent Babcock yet, and I thought that would be the easiest. I'm following her and her husband to the country club this evening to see if I can get my hands on a glass.” He paused. “How are you?”

“Fine. Gary is going to be able to get the DNA right away.”

“Good.” Another silence. “Is Logan taking good care of you?”

She avoided answering. He would go ballistic if he knew Logan wasn't here. “I take care of myself, Joe.”

“I should be there. I should have told Logan to come here and follow that Babcock woman around. I didn't trust him to get the job done, but I'm spinning my damn wheels.”

“You'll get it tonight.”

“I'd better or I'll mug the damn woman and get a blood sample instead. You're not laughing. I was joking, dammit.”

“Sorry, nothing seems very funny to me right now.”

“Me neither. I'll try to be there tomorrow. Take care of yourself.”

“Joe.” She stopped him before he could hang up. “Have you called Diane?”

“Before I left Atlanta.”

“She'll be worried about you. I'm feeling guilty enough about involving you. I don't want to send her off the deep end too.”

“I'll call her.”

“Now?”

“Now, dammit.” He ended the call.

She put the phone back on the table. At least Joe was safe and behaving with his usual protectiveness. Tomorrow he'd be here and she'd once more feel that sense of homecoming that was always present when she was with Joe.

Now she had only to wait for Logan to call and tell her he and Gil were okay.

Call her, Joe thought. You promised Eve you'd call Diane. Now do it.

He dialed his home number and Diane picked up immediately.

“Hi, babe, just thought I'd check in. How are you doing?”

“Where are you, Joe?”

“I told you, out of town on a case. I should be able to wrap it up pretty soon.”

“What case?”

“Nothing you'd be interested in.”

“Oh, I think I'd be interested.” Her tone was hard. “Do you think I'm stupid, Joe? I'm tired of pretending I'm blind. All this stuff on television. It's Eve, isn't it?”

He was silent. He knew she wasn't stupid, but he'd hoped she'd pretend the problem didn't exist, as she usually did with issues that made her uncomfortable.

“Isn't it?”

“Yes.”

“It's gone too far, Joe.” Her voice was shaking. “How long do you think I can put up with this? We have a good life and you're risking everything we have for her. Is she worth it?”

“You know I can't turn my back on her.”

“Oh, I know that. Nobody knows it better. I thought I could take it, but she dominates your goddamned life. Just why the hell did you marry me, Joe?”

“You're upset. We'll talk about this when I come home.”

“If you come home. If she doesn't get you killed.” Diane slammed down the phone.

Jesus, he'd made a mess of it. Why had he thought the marriage would work? He'd given her everything he could, everything he'd thought she wanted. He'd tried to balance honesty with kindness, but Diane had pride, and no matter how he tried to avoid inflicting pain, it was inevitable. Everything Diane had said was true. She had every right to wonder why he had married her.

He hoped she never found out.

EIGHTEEN

The scent of the damp, mossy riverbank hit Logan as soon as he got out of the car. The smell of earth reminded him of the cornfield in Maryland.

Not a particularly happy memory, Logan thought. A successful diversion, but he still remembered Eve's face when she found out he'd used her as bait.

“Smells good, doesn't it?” Gil breathed deeply as he started to walk toward the river. “Reminds me of home.”

The area appeared deserted and, at least, Gil had chosen a meeting place with no trees or cover. “The gulf? You're from Mobile, aren't you?”

“A little town outside Mobile.”

“
Deep
South.”

“Where else did you think I learned to love Garth Brooks?”

Logan's gaze raked the bank. It should be there . . . God, he wished there were moonlight. “But you tell me country is universal.”

“But every universe has to have a home planet.” He glanced at Logan. “Relax. It's going to be okay. No one can approach us without us seeing them. If anyone but Maren shows we can take off.”

“And if we're cut off from the car?”

“We can always swim.”

“I've got a better idea.” He breathed a sigh of relief as the moon came out from behind the clouds and he saw the gleam of stainless steel. “I rented a speedboat and arranged to have it brought downriver and staked out over there.”

Gil started to laugh. “I knew you would. God, you're anal, John.”

“It's better than swimming.”

“Do you think I wouldn't have done it myself if I hadn't known you'd provide?”

“How the hell do I know what you'd do? You arranged this damn-fool meeting. Why couldn't you just have him call you?”

“Because he may need more persuading. It's too easy to hang up a telephone.”

“And you have a death wish.”

“
I
have a death wish? The risk isn't as great for me as for you. I've already taken one bullet this month. I figure that puts the odds on my side. You should have stayed in Georgia and let me handle it.”

Logan didn't answer.

“Of course, I realize that you were afraid something might happen to me.” Gil gave him a sly glance. “Naturally, you didn't want anything to happen to a man of my brilliance and charisma.”

“No?”

“And besides, you don't have that many friends who are willing to put up with your lack of appreciation for the finer things of life. Yes, I should have known you'd hop on a plane for purely selfish reasons.”

“Purely selfish.”

“Ah, you admit it.”

“You bet I do. I couldn't stand another day at Bainbridge. The only thing I could get on the radio was Hank Williams Jr. and that damn song ‘Feed Jake.' ”

Gil chuckled. “God, really? That's got to be my kind of town.”

“I agree. I've got an airline ticket in my pocket for you.” His lips tightened grimly. “If you survive tonight.”

Gil's smile faded. “This is worth the chance, John. I managed to shake Maren. I could see it.”

“Then, where is he?”

“We're early. I think he'll be here.”

Only forty minutes early. But there was no sign of movement on the bank of the canal or the river. If there was a trap, he couldn't see it.

Maybe Gil had succeeded in convincing Maren. It was possible. Perhaps in a hour all this would be over and their work on Ben's skull would be of secondary importance.

Lord, he hoped so.

But where the hell was Maren?

The security guard looked up from talking to the clerk at the information desk. “Good night, Dr. Maren,” he said, smiling. “Late night.”

“Paperwork. It's the bane of my existence. Good night, Paul.” He went out the glass doors and headed for his reserved space, where his classic 1957 Corvette was parked. The timing was right. Thirty minutes and he'd be at the canal.

He pulled out of the lot and turned left. With any luck, it would be over before he got there. Timwick didn't really need him to act as bait to catch Price.

So why was he going? Was it truly Price who was to be caught in the trap?

The poison Price had injected was eating into him. Lisa. Death.

Stop it. It wasn't true. Price had given him supposition, not proof. Lisa and he were bound together. She knew it as well as he did.

A red traffic light flashed on the cross street ahead.

Symbolic?

It wouldn't hurt to be cautious. He wouldn't go to the meeting with Price. He'd go to his house and wait for Lisa to call him and tell him what had happened. The tension immediately left him with the decision. He'd turn right at the next intersection and in ten minutes he'd be home and safe.

He braked as he neared the red light.

Nothing.

He pumped frantically.

The Corvette moved toward the intersection.

It was late. Maybe the traffic—

A garbage truck was heading for the intersection. Huge. Fast. Oh, God, it was moving too fast to stop.

The truck hit the driver's side of the Corvette like a tank, driving the small car sideways into the streetlight on the corner. It tore through the fiberglass, through flesh and bone and muscle.

Lisa.

The man coming toward them had Maren's tall build and he was alone.

“I told you I got to him,” Gil murmured.

A low throbbing to the south.

Logan's heart jumped. “The hell you did.”

The air.

Why hadn't he thought about the air? Logan thought, even as the brilliant blue lights of the helicopter speared down at them out of the darkness.

“Run for the boat! Keep low.”

Gil was already streaking for the speedboat.

The man they'd thought was Maren was running toward them.

A bullet whistled by Logan's ear.

“Son of a
bitch
.”

Gil was in the boat, untying the line from the stake.

The damn helicopter was almost on top of them, flooding the boat with cold blue light.

Logan jumped in the boat and turned on the throttle.

The water ahead of them was sprayed with bullets from above.

“Stay low.” Logan started zigzagging the boat across the water, trying to avoid the cone of light. “If we can make it to that inlet, we're home free. There's a thick tree cover, and there are too many residences for them to keep shooting. We'll ditch the boat and—”

Another spray of bullets, closer.

Too close.

Christ, that beam was like a spotlight. How could they miss?

Unless they wanted to miss.

Unless they were more valuable alive than dead.

The skull. Jesus, they needed the skull.

The speedboat tore into the inlet and was engulfed in shadows from the overhanging trees.

Not safe yet. Not as long as they remained in the boat. He pulled the boat close to the bank and cut the motor. He jumped out and grabbed the lead.

He could hear the helicopter overhead. “Come on, we'll go up to the house and see what kind of transport we can—”

Gil was staring at him, his eyes glittering.

“Gil?”

Why hadn't Logan called?

Eve rolled over in bed and looked at the illuminated face of the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was almost three in the morning. Surely he could have picked up the damn phone and let her know he and Gil were safe.

If they
were
safe. If the trap hadn't been sprung.

Go to sleep. They were hundreds of miles away. She couldn't help by lying there, staring into the darkness.

And wishing she hadn't been so curt to Logan before he'd left.

My God, she was having all these morbid regrets, as if he weren't on his way back to her.

Back to her? Back to Ben and the forensic testing, back to their joint purpose.

Never back to her.

Kessler knocked on her door at seven-thirty the next morning. “There's something you should see.” He came into the motel room and switched on the television set. “The President's press secretary just issued a statement. CNN is repeating it now.” When a picture of Kevin Detwil appeared on the screen, Kessler murmured, “Look at him. Even knowing it's not Chadbourne, I still can't—”

The shot immediately switched to the group of reporters firing questions at Jim Douglas, Chadbourne's press secretary.

“It wasn't John Logan in the fire?”

“So I've been told. The man who burned to death at Barrett House was Abdul Jamal.”

“And you think an assassination conspiracy is a possibility?”

“I wish I could say it wasn't. I assure you the President doesn't like the idea of being a target. But since the fire occurred at the time President Chadbourne was invited to visit Barrett House, Mr. Timwick tells me he has to consider the possibility and increase his security.”

“And Logan is suspected of instigating this con-spiracy?”

“We sincerely hope not. Even though they're on the opposite ends of the political spectrum, the President has always held him in respect. It's his sincere wish that Logan will come forward and explain all this.” He paused. “Until that time, we must consider Logan a threat to both the President and the country. Jamal was a known terrorist and assassin and the Secret Service believes that the President's visit to Barrett House would have been a disastrous mistake.”

“We were told the body was almost entirely destroyed. How did you manage to match the DNA to Jamal?”

“Mr. Timwick asked that a check be made.”

“Then you already suspected that Jamal was at Barrett House.”

“When the President goes anywhere, we have to make sure the situation is secure. You all know how fanatically determined Logan has been to see that the President is not elected to a second term. When Mr. Timwick discovered that Mr. Logan may have had contact with Jamal on his last visit to Japan, he asked Bethesda to run a check on Jamal.” He held up his hand. “No more questions. The President wishes me to assure you that under no circumstances will this threat interfere with his attendance at the funeral of his good friend, nor with the execution of his duties as president.” Jim Douglas turned and walked out of the room.

There was a final shot of the President in the Rose Garden, which must have been taken at some other time. He was smiling down at Lisa Chadbourne and she was smiling back with just the right amount of support and concern.

“My God.” Eve turned off the set and turned to Kessler. “How hard are they looking for Logan?”

“They've pulled out all the stops. He's a prime suspect.” Kessler added, “And you too.”

She crossed her arms over her chest to keep from trembling. “Now I'm a terrorist as well as a murderer?”

“You've been downgraded. You're just an accessory. Logan is the murderer. They believe he had a falling-out with Jamal about the terms of the assassination and killed him.”

“And burned down the house to hide it.”

“Correct.”

“It's completely preposterous. No one could believe a story like that. Logan is a respectable businessman. Why would he become involved with terrorists?”

“I'm not so sure they won't believe it,” Gary said slowly. “The average person sitting before a television set has a tendency to accept what the authorities tell him, and people in general have no liking for big business. Haven't you heard that the only way to get someone to accept a big lie is to tell some little truths along with it? You'll notice that Douglas stressed two points. Logan's political ‘fanaticism,' and his visits out of the country. They've started with basic provable facts and layered in DNA science and the average American's fear of foreign terrorists. It's a pretty complete package.”

Complete enough to make it impossible for Logan to surface without danger of being shot on sight. “She had it all planned.” Eve still found it hard to believe. “That was why, when that body was found in Barrett House, Detwil issued a statement praising Logan and revealing that he'd planned to go there that weekend. We thought she was trying to have Maren switch the DNA to prove the body was Logan's. Instead, she was setting this up.”

He nodded. “Identifying that body as Jamal makes your situation a hell of a lot more difficult.”

Difficult. It made it a nightmare. “Logan will be a target of every law enforcement body in the country.”

Maybe he was already dead. Why hadn't he called her?

No, the media would have picked up on Logan's capture or death. She suddenly remembered the press secretary's last words. “What funeral? What was he talking about?”

“Scott Maren. He was killed in an automobile accident last night. They just announced that the funeral would be two days from now.”

The words struck her like a blow. “What?”

“A truck broadsided his Corvette.”

“Where? Near where Gil was supposed to meet him?”

“No, only a few blocks from the hospital. They think something was wrong with his brakes.”

“Murder.”

Gary shook his head. “Not as far as the officials are concerned. They're investigating, but they think it's just an accident. Respected doctor, liked by everyone. No motive.”

“It was murder.” It was too coincidental. Lisa had gotten rid of Maren because she'd been afraid he'd become a liability. Which meant Maren had told her about Gil approaching him.

“They set a trap for Gil.” And Logan had walked into the trap with him.

“It's possible. But we don't know. We have to wait and see. In the meantime, I think it would be a good idea if you stayed away from the testing lab,” Kessler said. “Logan would like you to stay here with Teller's security guard.”

“No, I'll go with you.”

“To protect me?” He made a face. “What can you do sitting in a car in the parking lot? I appreciate the effort, but I can care for myself. Besides, it's only ten minutes from here. I promise I'll phone if I need you.”

“I'll go, dammit.”

“What about Logan? Have you heard from him?”

“No.”

He touched the circles beneath her eyes. “And you're worried. Shouldn't you stay here and wait for him? He's the one who is in danger.”

“I can't help him. I don't even know where he is.”

“He's a bright young man. He'll come back.” He turned to leave. “I have to get to the lab. Chris promised me those results late today, but he works better with a little subtle browbeating.”