and crashed immediately. Five hours was good.
Alice's eyes opened wide again. She was certain that she'd just heard something. She slipped out of bed and walked to the bedroom door, which she always kept open so she could hear Patrick, and peered into the front room. Nothing seemed out of place.
The only part of the apartment she couldn't see was the kitchen, which was at the back. She edged along the wall. As soon as she turned the corner Alice saw that the back door was open.
The moment Flynn's partner took a step into Alice Cummings's apartment, a sixth sense warned her of danger. She was half turned when a damp ether-soaked cloth pressed across her mouth and nose and a muscular arm circled her chest, pinning her arms to her side. She tried to kick free as she was hoisted off her feet. She knew she only had moments before she passed out. In desperation she raised her heel and jammed it down on her attacker's instep. He swore, but his grip did not weaken. As she was dragged back across the lawn she saw the stars swirling above her, twisting in faster circles.
Alice froze at the entrance to the kitchen. Was someone in her house? Was Patrick safe? She switched on a light as she rushed to his room. His door was open. She stopped at the railing to his crib. He was curled on his side, breathing fitfully but sound asleep.
Relieved, Alice checked the rest of the small apartment. When she returned to the kitchen a cold wind swept through the door. She shivered as she pushed it shut. Then she turned the lights off so she could see outside, pressing her nose to the kitchen window to see every inch of the yard and beyond. She saw nothing strange. But someone had definitely tried to get in. Why had they left? Who had they been?
Chapter Fifty-One.
Kate tried to keep her face neutral when the police guard showed her into Daniel's hospital room. There were bruises on her face and the gash on her cheek had required stitches. But Daniel's injuries had been far more severe.
'You look awful,' she said.
'Gee thanks,' he said, his voice subdued by painkillers. 'You look pretty ugly yourself.'
Kate smiled, relieved that he could joke. 'That picked my spirits up.' She sat down next to Daniel's bed. 'Now I'm going to pick up yours. Amanda and I had a long talk with Mike Greene. I think we convinced him that Flynn framed you. Amanda is pretty certain your case will be dismissed by the time you're discharged. Also, Alice Cummings is okay. When the police got to her house she told them that someone tried to break in. Her back door was wide open. But nothing happened.'
Suddenly Daniel grimaced. Kate took his hand. 'Are you okay?'
'Yeah. My meds must be wearing off. But I'll be fine. The bullets went through my small bowel. I only had to have minor surgery. I should be out of here in a few days.'
'Charging Flynn's gun was very brave. You saved my life.'
Daniel smiled. 'Turnabout is fair play. Besides, I wasn't worried. I remembered what you said.'
Kate looked confused. 'About what?'
'You know, about how being shot in real life is different from TV. Flynn's gun was a twenty-two. I knew it wouldn't pack the wallop of a larger-caliber gun, and I knew you knew all that judo stuff.' Daniel shrugged. 'I figured I'd get in a few good punches to soften him up and you'd finish him off and call the medics.'
Kate looked horrified. 'You idiot. That only works if you're shot in the body. You'd be dead if Flynn had shot you in the head.'
Daniel's eyes widened in mock horror. 'You never told me that,' he said. Then he laughed.
Kate shook her head. 'You really are hopeless. I'm going to have to stick around to baby-sit you.'
Billie Brewster knocked on the door.
'Thought I'd drop by and see how you're doing,' she said.
'What happened with Webster?' Kate asked. Then she turned back to Daniel. 'Billie questioned her today.'
'Either she's innocent or she's got ice water for blood,' Billie said.
'Did you hit her with the photographs?'
'She's sticking with the story she told you. She denies having anything to do with fixing cases for Flynn and she's got an answer for everything.'
Billie suddenly remembered the envelope she was carrying. 'By the way, I got this in the mail. It's Bernier's photograph. Flynn is in it, but Webster isn't. I thought you might be able to tell me who the woman is.'
Kate took out the photograph. Daniel leaned over to see it.
'Oh, shit,' Kate said, and she suddenly knew why Gene Arnold had almost fainted when he saw Claude Bernier's photograph.
Chapter Fifty-Two.
Anna Cordova escorted Kate Ross and Billie Brewster across the terrace to the poolside table where Martin Alvarez was waiting. Alvarez stood as Kate introduced the detective.
'Claude Bernier finally sent us a copy of the photograph that Gene Arnold bought in New York. Flynn is in it, and we've identified the woman he's with.'
'Really. Who is she?'
'Renee Gilchrist, a secretary at Reed, Briggs,' Kate said. 'Flynn represented the plaintiffs in a number of lawsuits that my firm was defending. We think that Gilchrist was working with Flynn to fix those cases.'
'What does she say about that?' Alvarez asked.
'We haven't been able to ask her,' Billie answered. 'She disappeared the same day that Flynn was killed.'
'That would certainly indicate guilt, wouldn't it?' Alvarez said.
'It's definitely suspicious.'
'Do you think this woman was involved in Gene's murder?'
'Yes, we do,' Billie said. 'That's why we're here. Kate has a theory about why Mr. Arnold was killed and she thinks you can help us find out if it's correct.'
Alvarez spread his hands. 'Anything I can do . . .'
Kate took Bernier's photograph out of the envelope she was holding and set it on the table. Alvarez showed no emotion as he studied the photograph.
'Is that Melissa Arnold, Gene's wife?' Kate asked. 'The woman who was supposed to have been kidnapped and murdered seven years ago?'
Alvarez nodded slowly. His eyes never left the photograph.
'Here's what Billie and I think happened,' Kate said. 'When the FBI botched the arrest at the drop site, McCann got away with the ransom money, but Lester Dobbs was arrested. Dobbs cut a deal and named McCann, the only other person in the plot that he could identify. McCann was arrested quickly, but not before he hid the ransom money.
'I'm guessing that McCann refused to tell Melissa where the money was unless she got him out of jail. There was also the threat that he would cut a deal to save himself. That's when Melissa conceived the brilliant idea of faking her kidnapping.
'Looking back, Melissa had to have been involved. When she faked her own kidnapping, she only asked for seventy-five thousand dollars, instead of the million dollars she asked from you. Seventy-five grand was an amount that Gene Arnold could cover from his retirement account. Melissa would have known Arnold's financial situation.'
'Of course,' Billie interjected, 'Melissa's kidnapping was only a smoke screen to cover up the real reason for her plan: the destruction of her court reporter notes, which would force the judge to order a new trial. After she murdered Lester Dobbs, the court had to let McCann out of jail and she was able to kill the only witness who could identify her and get away with the money. No one thought Flynn was involved, so he was home free. Even McCann might not have known. And no one was looking for Melissa, because everyone thought that she had suffered the same fate as your wife.
'Then Mr. Arnold saw Melissa and Flynn in Bernier's photograph and flew to Portland. He phoned Flynn from his hotel the day he landed. Flynn or Melissa killed him and burned the body in the lab.'
Alvarez shook his head. 'I can't believe it, but it must be true.'
Kate studied him carefully. She was certain that her news had not come as a surprise.
