of people who know too much. So if the sculptors goodhellip; two days?
It depends if he works on a cast of the skull or the skull itself. And if hes willing to push himself.
He wont have to push himself, Timwick will be doing it for him. Whos good enough?
There are only four or five top forensic sculptors in the country.
So I found out when I was searching for one. My attorney had an easy job gathering the shortlist.
She opened the lead box. I wish to hell youd picked someone else.
But youre the best. I had to have the best. Whos second best?
Simon Doprel. He has the touch.
Touch?
She shrugged. You do the measuring and the judgment calls, but when you get down to the final stages of the sculpting, its pretty much instinct. Its as if you feel whats right and wrong. Some of us have it, some dont.
Interesting. He grimaced. And maybe a little eerie.
Dont be stupid, she said coldly. Its a talent, not some kind of paranormal idiocy.
And Doprel has it too?
Yes. She carefully lifted the scorched skull out of the box. Caucasian. Male. Facial bones almost en-tirely intact. A good portion of the back of the skull was missing.
Not very pretty, is he? Logan said.
You wouldnt be pretty either if youd gone through what he did. Donnelli was lucky. The brain could have blown forward instead of backward and then there wouldnt have been any blackmailhellip; or any reconstruction.
The fire caused the brain to explode?
She nodded. It happens almost all the time with fire victims.
He went back to the previous conversation. So Doprel would be a reasonable first choice?
If Timwick could get him. Most of his work is done for the NYPD.
Timwick can get him. He looked at the skull. Two days, Eve. Please.
It will get done when it gets done. Dont worry, Im not going to waste time. I want this over. She moved over to the pedestal and placed the skull in the center. Now, get out of here. Ive got measuring to do and I have to concentrate.
Yes, maam. A few moments later the door closed.
She hadnt taken her eyes away from the skull. Shut Logan out. Dont let anything get in the way. Every measurement had to be exact.
But not yet. First she had to establish a link, just as she usually did. It was probably going to be harder since this was an adult and not a child. She had to re-member that he was also a lost one. She measured dif-ferent parts of the cranium and wrote the numbers down on her pad. Youre not who he says you are, but that doesnt matter. Youre important in your own right, Jimmy.
Jimmy? Where had that come from?
It could be Jimmy Hoffa or some Mafia goon.
Grinning, she remembered the reasons she had told Logan she shouldnt take the job.
But here she was doing it.
And Jimmy was as good a name as any.
Im going to do all kinds of undignified things to you, but its all for a good cause, Jimmy, she mur-mured. Just hang in there with me, okay?
CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND
TUESDAY EVENING
Ive no time for this, Timwick, Simon Doprel said. Youve pulled me away from an important case thats going to trial next month. Find someone else.
Its only a few days. You agreed to do it.
I didnt agree to leave New York and come down here to the country. Your men practically kidnapped me. Why couldnt you bring the skull to me?
It had to be kept confidential. Dont back out now. Finding out if this is the terrorist weve been looking for is more important than a murder case.
Whats the Treasury Department doing chasing terrorists? Simon asked sourly.
We always get involved if the threat concerns the White House. If you need anything, just ask Fiske. Hell be closer than your shadow until you finish the job. Timwick smiled. We want to make you as comfortable as we can while youre with us. He walked out of the room and closed the door.
It was just as well Doprel was so reluctant to do the job, he thought grimly. He would work at top speed, and speed was what they needed.
When Timwick had been told how the skull had been tossed from the limo, hed been immediately suspicious. The retrieval might have been a little too easy. Fear for their lives could have made Logan sacri-fice the skull, but it might also have been a diversion. Why not take out the skull before throwing out the coffin? Panic?
