Shes through listening, Logan said. Now, you and Pilton take off.
Pilton deserves a bonus, you know, Margaret pointed out. He never figured hed be a fugitive when he took the job. The police will be looking for him.
Then give him a bonus.
A big bonus. Hes been a good
Wheres Fiskes car? Eve asked suddenly. Did you find it?
Pilton found it. It was parked in the driveway of an empty rental property about two miles from our cottage.
Did you clean it out?
Clean as a whistle. We dumped everything from the glove compartment and the trunk into garbage bags. Then I drove the car to the airport and left it in the long-term lot.
Where are the bags?
In the back of the van.
Eve moved toward the van. Lets get them, Logan.
Margaret watched them toss the garbage bags into the backseat of their car. You think he had something important?
I dont know, Eve said. Probably not, since he was a professional. But we dont have any other leads.
Be careful with that bigger bag. There was enough firepower in Fiskes trunk to start a small war, Margaret said as she climbed back in the van. A rifle, two handguns, shells, a few boxes that con-tained some kind of electronic bugging equipment. He didnt believe in traveling light. She smiled grimly at them. Good luck. Be sure you keep alive, John. The bonus Im going to charge you for my part in this mess is going to make Piltons look sick.
Eve was already crawling into the backseat as Piltons van left the parking lot. Ill look through the bags. You drive. She opened the bigger bag first. What did she know about weapons? That she didnt like them, that they frightened her, that to her they represented only violence and horror.
But they hadnt frightened Fiske. He had used these weapons. They wouldnt frighten Lisa Chadbourne. She had ordered their use.
Eve put her forefinger on the barrel of the rifle. The metal was warm, smooth, almost pleasing to the touch. Somehow she had expected it to be cold. Find anything? Logan asked.
Nothing she had wanted to find. Not yet.
I bet there wont be any way to trace those guns to Lisa Chadbourne.
I know. Lisa would leave no trail that could lead back to her. Eves search was probably hopeless.
To lose hope was to admit defeat. Shed be damned if shed lose hope.
She pushed the first bag aside and started on the second. Rental car papers in a green folder, a first-class ticket to Washington on Delta Airlines, an air-line schedule, a few receipts from restaurants, two in Atlanta, one in Bainbridge.
Bainbridge.
Dont think about Bainbridge. Dont think about the motel room where Gary had died.
A folded piece of paper. Another receipt?
She unfolded the paper.
She went rigid.
A list of several names. Some typewritten, some inked in.
Her own name, Logans, Joes, her mothers
And two other names that caused her eyes to widen in shock.
My God.
She forced herself to continue down the list.
Gary Kessler. Neatly crossed off.
She stared down blindly at Garys name.
Just another name on the list.
Gil had said Fiske was obsessed with neatness and efficiency. So kill a man and cross him off the list.
What is it? Logan was looking at her face in the rearview mirror.
A list. Garys name. She folded the paper and stuffed it into her purse. Shed look at it again later and think about it harder. It hurt too much just then. She went through the other papers. Nothing else of interest. Find us a place to stop.
A motel?
No, theyll be looking for us in this area. Shell wonder why she hasnt heard from Fiske and there will be discreet inquiries. Theyll find out about Joe.
Joe.
