“Spit it out, Richard.”
“The State Department is conducting the investigation into the matter, into the part we all played in it.”
“That's why we've been ordered back to D.C.”
“And apparently Darwin's flight on an Oregon field office jet was ordered directly to D.C.”
“Explains why Santiva wants us in D.C.”
“Towne's expecting Darwin to join us here.”
“Yeah, he's going to be disappointed.”
“Oregon really must have Towne back and soon. It's all a great embarrassment to them.”
The couple smiled across at one another. Jessica said, “We pulled off the bait and switch of the decade, I think.”
“I dare say so.”
Jessica's phone rang and she opened the cover and answered. “Yes, right,” she began, “hello.” There only came an eerie silence. “Is anyone there?”
“'Dr. Coran?”
She recognized the chilling voice.
“It's me again, Jessica.”
He even sounds like Matisak now, she thought, now that I know the truth.
“I'm sorry… who is it?” she stalled for time.
“Your favorite prey. By now you and everyone else chasing me knows who I am.”
“Giles? Gahran is it you?” She waved and pointed her finger at the phone to indicate to Richard that she had him on the line. Richard was already on his phone calling their carrier for a trace. A satellite trace was difficult and took time, but Jessica had anticipated this possibility, knowing he still had Agent Amanda Petersaul's cell phone. Jessica had alerted her carrier to the possibility, too, and they were on speed dial on Richard's companion phone.
“Where are you calling from, Giles?”
“Wouldn't you like to know. And you may call me Mr. Matisak now, Giles Matisak. Really, it's a good righteous fit, my new skin. Shedding the old one has been liberating. Feels right in this skin. It suits me.”
She took a stab at a hunch, picturing him atop of the Navy Pier Ferris wheel. She discussed it openly, asking him what he thought he was doing tossing out all those news clippings and serial killer playing cards, autopsy photos and police reports. “Liberating yourself from that damnable box and its contents? Why don't you go beyond the box, really liberate yourself, Giles?”
“Too late for that. I am born in my father's image. I look like him, even think like him.”
“No, Giles, it isn't you. It's only your mother's inculcations you're acting on, as you always have, and Giles, get this.”
“What, Dr. J?”
“We ran a DNA match and-”
“I know, saved that poor Devil on death row. I heard on CNN. His life was courageously won.”
“You don't understand. We ran a scan on Matisak's DNA and compared it to yours, and guess what, Giles?”
“You're lying.”
“What possible reason would I have to lie about such a thing, Giles?”
“I don't know… going to have to figure that one. Pretty sneaky of you… to throw a curve like that at me. Likely your way to keep me on the line while your partner runs a trace.”
“No, I just wanted to know the truth. How about you? You interested at all in the truth of your lineage?”
“Bullshit. You're bullshitting me.”
“Well, look, if you're not going to get to the point, Giles, and just run up Petersaul's minutes, I'm hanging up.”
“Agent Petersaul? Amanda need not worry about Cingular now.”
“You talk like Amanda's dead.”
“And you want me to believe Amanda's still alive?” He laughed. “Let the games begin.”
“She is quite alive and recuperating. Took all you could dish out and still survived. Oughta build a new reality TV show around this woman.”
“Survived?”
“Yes.”
“The first ever to survive my interest in a spinal cord.”
Jessica replied through gritted teeth. “What do you think? That she's going to die just because you want her to?”
“I think she did die. I had gotten too far on her when I was interrupted by headlights I thought belonged to you.”
“Petersaul survived. Now, Giles, let's talk about how you want to give yourself up so that no one else gets hurt-including you-since every cop and FBI agent in Chicago is gunning for you.”
“No, Dr. Coran, let's talk about you coming to my showing.”
“Really? You want me to come to see your art?”
“It's good… very good.”
“I'm sure it is. You forget, I've seen your sketches.”
“My worst day, my worst piece of art is far better than that prick Orion's junk. My art does not rely on smoke'n mirrors, special effects'n strobe lights'n all that shit. My work has character… backbone, you might say.”
Jessica immediately realized now what he was doing with the stolen racks of bones. “Your art… is… it is built upon the bones of your victims?”
“The centerpiece of each sculpture, yes. A must-see.”
“Then I must see it. When and where?”
“Not so fast. First off, you come alone.”
“That flies in the face of all my training and experience, Giles.”
“You want the son of Matisak, don't you?”
“There's no scientific proof, Giles, that Matthew Matisak was your father.”
“What're you saying?” This had not once occurred to him ever. Getting the showing at Cafe Avanti might not seem like much of a showing, not to an Orion perhaps, but it had given him the courage to open and digest all that Mother had left him by way of his father. “Why would Mother lie about… about a thing like that, Dr. Coran. One good reason. Give me one good reason.”
“Your mother might've had it all wrong, despite what she convinced you and herself of.”
“That's truly insane, Dr. Coran. Are you simply afraid to face the facts?”
“Like you?” she softly taunted. “Tell me where to be and when, Giles, and I promise you, I will come alone.”
“Our little rendezvous… a kind of reunion. Old Dad picked you over Mom, didn't he? Gee-whiz, Pop wanted to go off into eternity with you and leave us to fend for ourselves. I read about his fixation and how he cornered you in New Orleans, how the roof caved in on him, and you got the upper hand, or rather fate in the shape of one big- assed nasty hook took care of Poppa.”
“That's right, and I watched him squirm on that hook.”
“Are we on, Doctor?”
“Will you tell me where you are, Giles?”
“No… No… I gotta think this thing through.”
“Your showing, Giles. Where is it happening? I want to see your work and to finally meet you.”
He hung up.
She cursed. “Bastard.”
“Appropriate word in this case,” replied Sharpe, snapping his own phone shut. “But Jess, we've got his signal location via satellite. Hurry!”
She followed him out to a waiting car. From the car, they radioed Laughlin that they had a fix on Gahran's location.
