Killer dreams, p.10
Killer Dreams, page 10
“Oh, shut up.” She wiped her eyes, watching as the plane taxied down the runway. She felt as if she were being torn apart. It was for the best, she had told Michael. And she’d talked to MacDuff earlier this morning and he’d promised to keep her son safe. But that didn’t make it any easier. She waited until the plane was no longer in sight before she turned away. “Let’s get out of here.” She headed for the parking lot. “Have you talked to your friend Kelly?”
“I couldn’t reach him last night. He told me that he wouldn’t contact me unless it was safe for him.” He fell into step with her. “If Sanborne’s busily eliminating everyone connected with REM-4, getting near those files must be becoming increasingly difficult.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to make the attempt?”
“Don’t be stupid,” he said coldly. “It means that I’m going to wait until I have a sure thing.”
“And what if you don’t have a sure thing? What if he gets away with those records and sets up his little foreign stronghold?”
He opened the car door for her. “Why, then I’ll find him and blow his hideaway to hell and back.”
His tone was uninflected and his face without expression, yet she felt the force that was driving him as if it were tangible. She drew a deep breath and changed the subject. “Where are we going? Back to the motel?”
He shook his head. “We’re leaving the city. I’ve made a reservation at a motel about forty miles from here. I don’t want to risk a chance of someone seeing you and recognizing you. According to the news last night, you and Michael are presumed dead. I want you to stay that way as long as possible.”
“I suppose I can’t let my ex-husband know that Michael’s alive?”
“Hell, no.”
She hadn’t thought so. “It’s going to be hard for him. He does love Michael.”
“Tough.” He backed out of the parking space. “What about you? Does he still love you?”
“He’s married again.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
She shrugged. “I had a child with him. How do I know how much feeling he has left?”
“How about you?”
She glanced at him but he wasn’t looking at her. “What?”
“How do you feel about him?”
“That’s none of your business. Why would you want to know?”
He didn’t speak for a moment. “Maybe I’m probing for possible weaknesses. It would be the smart thing to do.”
“Are you?”
“No.”
“Curiosity?”
He shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
“Then screw your damn curiosity. All you have to know is that I’m not going to run to Dave and let him know that Michael and I are alive.” She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. “And I’m tired of talking to you. It’s like hacking my way through a field of briars. Wake me when we get to the motel.”
The room at the Holiday Inn Express was clean and spare, but it had a few more amenities than the motel where they had stayed the night before.
Royd handed her the key after he’d glanced around her room. “I booked an adjoining room.” He smiled faintly. “Michael would be upset if I wasn’t within calling distance.”
She tossed her purse on the bed. “I need some clothes. Everything I had to wear was in that house.”
“I’ll go out and buy you something.” He studied her. “Six?”
“Eight. Size seven shoes. And I’ll need a laptop. I’m going to take a shower and then nap.” She headed for the bathroom. “Will you see if there’s any news about our recent demise?”
“Anything you say.”
“How accommodating. One would never associate you with the man who destroyed almost everything I had in the world.”
“I promise I’ll replace everything of value.”
“You can’t do that. I don’t care about furniture and appliances, but what about my photo albums? And my son’s souvenirs and toys he cherished?”
“No, I can’t replace those,” he said quietly. “I guess I didn’t think about them. I grew up in eight different foster homes and no one was interested in taking any family pictures. But I’ll try to make it up to Michael. Only you can decide if the time we bought was worth what I took from you.”
Of course it was worth it. Michael was flying away to safety. “You did what you thought best.”
“Yes, I did. But that doesn’t mean I did it in the best way. I’m not perfect.” He nodded. “I’ll pick up some Chinese on the way back. I’ll lock the door. Don’t open it to anyone but me.”
The door shut behind him.
Don’t open it to anyone but me.
His words had been said in an almost casual tone but the meaning wasn’t casual. She was still a target and that no doubt pleased Royd. Why wasn’t she more afraid? She felt tired and on edge but there was no fear. It was probably because Michael was no longer in danger. She could cope with anything as long as she didn’t have to worry about her son.
She stepped beneath the shower and let the warm water rush over her body. Michael would be fine. No one could take better care of him than Jock.
Unless it was Royd.
Why had that thought popped into her mind? Royd was everything that was barbed and deadly. He had none of the gentleness that masked the threat that Jock presented to the world. He was blunt and single-minded and had as much sensitivity as a charging rhino.
Yet he had known that Michael would erupt in that last moment.
Judgment, not sensitivity. She had never doubted he was intelligent.
Don’t think about him. She’d take these few moments to relax and gather herself together. She was upset and angry and was beginning to feel the first pangs of loneliness. Michael was always with her, either in person or in her thoughts. Every day ended and began with her son. Now she was cut off from him and it hurt.
Then stop whining and do what you have to do. It was the only way they could be together again. She wasn’t only a mother. She was a woman with a brain and a will.
And that will had to be directed squarely at Sanborne.
Royd was sitting in a chair across the room, one leg slung over the arm and his head leaning against the back.
Tiger, tiger, burning bright.
“Awake?” Royd sat up straight and smiled. “You were out cold. I wonder how much sleep you’ve missed over the last couple years.”
She shook her head to clear it before she sat up and wrapped the sheet more firmly about her naked body. “How long have you been here?”
He checked his watch. “Three hours. And it took me a couple hours to gather you a wardrobe and a duffel bag.”
Five hours. “You should have woken me.” She swung her feet to the floor. “Or gone to bed yourself.”
“I wasn’t in a hurry. Though I seem to be making a habit of being the one to wake you, don’t I? But this time I was enjoying it.”
“That’s a bunch of—” She broke off as she met his eyes. Sensual. As sensual as the way he was lounging. Lazy, catlike, totally sensual. She tore her gaze away. “Then you’d better find something else to amuse you. I don’t like any intrusions on my space, Royd.”
“I’m not intruding. I haven’t moved from this chair since I came in here. I’ve just been watching you.” He smiled. “Sorry. I’ve been in the jungle for too long.” He stood up. “I’ll go back to my room and heat up the Chinese in my microwave. Your clothes are in those two shopping bags across the room. I hope they fit. I tried to choose something with a little style.” He said over his shoulder, “But you’ll never find anything that you looked better in than that sheet.”
She stared after him. Jesus, her cheeks were warm and her breasts beneath the sheet were suddenly full and sensitive. She felt—She didn’t want to think about how she felt. And she didn’t want to think about the man who had made her feel like that. It was crazy as hell anyway. She’d always been drawn to men who were intelligent and civilized, like Dave. Royd might be intelligent, but there was nothing civilized about him. He made up his own rules and ignored everything else.
It was okay to feel like this. That uncontrolled response was purely biological and normal, considering that she’d not had sex since months before her breakup with Dave. She’d been caught off guard and probably would have had the same reaction to anyone under the same circumstances.
Maybe not anyone. Royd had a bold sexuality that—
Forget it. That moment wouldn’t be repeated. She stood up and headed across the room to the shopping bags. Get dressed, pack the rest of the clothes in the duffel, and go into Royd’s room and eat dinner. By the time they finished it might be time to call Jock and talk to Michael.
“I’ve just seen the evening news,” Boch said when Sanborne picked up the phone. “For God’s sake, the police still don’t know whether they were in that house when it exploded. Or if they do, they’re keeping it under their hats.”
“They had to be in it. The cop who stopped the car recognized their photos. Remnants of that same car were found in the ruins and on the lawn.”
“No bodies, dammit.”
“The force of the explosion. We’re looking at body parts and they’re not going to announce a death until they’re certain. It could trigger a flurry of lawsuits against the gas company and cause a panic in the neighborhoods where the leak existed. It will take time.”
“Excuses, Sanborne? Your Caprio must have fouled up and now you don’t have proof that your men followed through to correct the blunder.”
Sanborne kept hold of his temper. “I can’t phone any of my contacts with the police. I can’t be associated with her in any way. Can’t you see that? I’ve had Gerald Kennett call the hospital and she hasn’t phoned in. She usually checks up on her patients at weekends. The staff is shocked and worried.”
“That’s not enough. She’s not stupid. She could be hiding out. She must have close friends she’d contact. Pump them.”
“I have to be careful. I can’t have them call the police claiming harassment.” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I’m way ahead of you. I sent one of my men, Larry Simpson, to interview the neighbors and the kid’s soccer coach, posing as a newspaper reporter. None of them have heard from her.”
“The ex-husband?”
“I have someone on the way to Edmunds’s house now. Satisfied?”
“No, I’ll be satisfied when the police announce that Sophie Dunston was blown to hell.” Boch paused. “Ben Kaffir has been in touch with me. He’s interested in REM-4 but he’s playing footsie with Washington and he won’t commit until we prove that he’s not going to be named in any investigation. The Dunston woman has already caused too many problems.”
“She won’t cause any more,” Sanborne said. “Be patient. Give me another day and you’ll see that you’re worrying needlessly.”
“I’m not worrying. I’m heading for Caracas to make final arrangements. If I find out that you’ve screwed up again, I’ll come back and take care of her myself.” Boch hung up.
Sanborne leaned back in his chair. Much as he’d like to let his anger have free rein, Boch was not too far out of line. He’d been truthful about the death reports taking a long time, but he was uneasy after Caprio’s disappearance. The delay in announcing the deaths might indicate that they were trying to identify body parts, but it might mean a slip-up. Things weren’t going as smoothly as he’d planned and he didn’t like it.
Royd?
Christ, he hoped not. He didn’t need to have to contend with that bastard at this crucial time.
Okay, assume Royd wasn’t on the scene and muddying the waters. Assume the woman and her son were dead, as he’d told Boch.
Try to get confirmation.
He looked down at his notebook, underlined the last name on the list.
Dave Edmunds.
Royd had put the Hunan chicken on two paper plates on the small table by the window and he was pouring wine into a second glass when Sophie came into the room. “I bought red wine. Is that okay with you?”
She nodded. “But I’d rather have coffee.”
“I’ll make a pot later.” He gestured to a chair. “It’s supermarket vino and you won’t be able to tolerate more than two glasses anyway. I assure you I’m not trying to make you drunk.”
“I didn’t think you were.”
“No?” His lips twisted. “I believe everything I do or say may be suspect. I detect a certain wariness. Sometimes I act on impulse, but I’m not going to jump you.”
“Because I’m too important to you to draw Sanborne and Boch.”
“That’s right.” He smiled. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have a chance.”
She sat down and picked up her fork. “I’d have a chance. Jock was a very good instructor.”
He chuckled. “Then I’ll definitely keep my distance.” He sipped his wine. “I’ve heard Jock is a veritable wonder.”
She glanced up and frowned. “You’re acting—I don’t remember you laughing before.”
“Maybe I’m trying to put you at your ease so that I can pounce.”
She studied him. “Are you?”
He shrugged. “Or it could be that Kelly finally called me and I know that he’s not dead meat. I realize you think I’m a callous son of a bitch, but I don’t like the idea of anyone I send into the fray biting it.”
“But you sent him anyway.”
“Yes.” He looked at her over the rim of his glass. “Just as I’d send you.”
“Good.” She took another bite. “What did Kelly say?”
“That he hadn’t found the records but he was still trying. He’s going to call me later tonight.”
“It may not be in the file room. Sanborne could have it in his safe at home.”
“Perhaps. But I’d bet he’d want it where the security is top notch, and that’s the facility.”
“It will probably still be kept in a safe.”
“Kelly can get into most safes, given enough time.”
She remembered how easily Royd had gotten past the locks in her house. “How convenient. Even if Kelly finds it, he may not recognize the disk,” she said quietly. “Unless he’s a chemistry major. Sanborne labeled all his sensitive disks with code numbers. And that formula is very complicated and involved. He’ll need help.”
“What are you saying?”
“Can Kelly get me into the facility?”
He went still. “No way,” he said flatly.
“No way, he can’t get me in? Or no way, you don’t want me to do it.”
“Both.”
“Ask him if he can do it.”
He muttered an oath. “You’re going to walk into the lion’s mouth when we’re trying to keep you away from Sanborne so that he won’t cut your throat?”
“We need that disk. It’s one of the prime objectives. You know that.”
“And I’ll get it.”
“But you may be running out of time. You said it would be harder if he gets the entire facility moved offshore.”
“No,” he said firmly. “We’ll let Kelly do his job.”
“Ask him how I can get in. He must know where every security camera in the facility is located, since he works in the video-surveillance room. He could never have gotten near any sensitive files if he hadn’t known how to temporarily take out those cameras.”
“But once you’re in the areas they can only be accessed by thumbprint.”
“I know that. But Kelly managed to bypass it, if he got you information about me.”
“He switched his print record in the computer with that of one of the scientists who was on vacation for a few days. He had to replace it almost immediately.”
“If he did it once, he can do it again. Or manage some other way. Ask him.”
“We don’t need you there. Describe Sanborne’s encoding marks on the label.”
She was silent.
“We have to work together, Sophie.”
“Unless you’re the one who wants to work alone,” she said dryly. “You wouldn’t think twice about leaving me out in the cold.”
He was silent a moment. “Maybe. What does it matter if I can get the job done?”
“It matters. You said ‘if,’ and that’s the key word. I’ve given up too much to throw everything in your court.” She finished her meal and lifted the glass to her lips. “I want to move. I want my son back.”
He gazed at her for a long moment and then shrugged. “I’ll ask Kelly. You’re right, why should I stop you? You seem to want to get yourself killed.”
“When will you call him?”
“I’ll phone him now.” He stood up and took out his phone. “Have another glass of wine. I’m going to walk around outside for a while. I need some air.”
“What are you going to say to him that I can’t hear?”
“I’m going to ask him how good a chance you’re going to have if he does get you in. And if I don’t like the odds, you’re not going anywhere.” The door shut behind him.
She sat there for a few minutes and then went to stand at the window. Royd was pacing back and forth in the parking lot, talking on his cell phone. She hadn’t expected that reaction from him. She had thought he’d keep his promise to protect her but his response to her going into the facility had been both negative and violent. Perhaps she didn’t know Royd as well as she’d thought. She’d thought his single-minded passion to get Sanborne and Boch would overshadow and choke every other facet of his personality. But the more she was with him, the more sides to his character he revealed.
Like lust, she thought. Not that that should have surprised her. He was an obviously virile man and sex ruled the world. She should have been more amazed at the fact that he cared about the safety of Kelly, an employee. He’d told her that Kelly had to take his chances, but his attitude was clearly not as callous as it seemed on the surface.
Royd was still talking and she was becoming impatient. She hated standing here waiting for him to come back. She hated not being in control. Well, there was one area where she was in control. She turned and strode across the room to the desk where she’d left her cell phone in her handbag.
