Sorry, nothing seems very funny to me right now.
Me neither. Ill try to be there tomorrow. Take care of yourself.
Joe. She stopped him before he could hang up. Have you called Diane?
Before I left Atlanta.
Shell be worried about you. Im feeling guilty enough about involving you. I dont want to send her off the deep end too.
Ill call her.
Now?
Now, dammit. He ended the call.
She put the phone back on the table. At least Joe was safe and behaving with his usual protectiveness. Tomorrow hed be here and shed once more feel that sense of homecoming that was always present when she was with Joe.
Now she had only to wait for Logan to call and tell her he and Gil were okay.
Call her, Joe thought. You promised Eve youd call Diane. Now do it.
He dialed his home number and Diane picked up immediately.
Hi, babe, just thought Id check in. How are you doing?
Where are you, Joe?
I told you, out of town on a case. I should be able to wrap it up pretty soon.
What case?
Nothing youd be interested in.
Oh, I think Id be interested. Her tone was hard. Do you think Im stupid, Joe? Im tired of pre-tending Im blind. All this stuff on television. Its Eve, isnt it?
He was silent. He knew she wasnt stupid, but hed hoped shed pretend the problem didnt exist, as she usually did with issues that made her uncomfortable.
Isnt it?
Yes.
Its gone too far, Joe. Her voice was shaking. How long do you think I can put up with this? We have a good life and youre risking everything we have for her. Is she worth it?
You know I cant turn my back on her.
Oh, I know that. Nobody knows it better. I thought I could take it, but she dominates your god-damned life. Just why the hell did you marry me, Joe?
Youre upset. Well talk about this when I come home.
If you come home. If she doesnt get you killed. Diane slammed down the phone.
Jesus, hed made a mess of it. Why had he thought the marriage would work? Hed given her everything he could, everything hed thought she wanted. Hed tried to balance honesty with kindness, but Diane had pride, and no matter how he tried to avoid inflicting pain, it was inevitable. Everything Diane had said was true. She had every right to wonder why he had married her.
He hoped she never found out.
EIGHTEEN
The scent of the damp, mossy riverbank hit Logan as soon as he got out of the car. The smell of earth re- minded him of the cornfield in Maryland.
Not a particularly happy memory, Logan thought. A successful diversion, but he still remembered Eves face when she found out hed used her as bait.
Smells good, doesnt it? Gil breathed deeply as he started to walk toward the river. Reminds me of home.
The area appeared deserted and, at least, Gil had chosen a meeting place with no trees or cover. The gulf? Youre from Mobile, arent you?
A little town outside Mobile.
Deep South.
Where else did you think I learned to love Garth Brooks?
Logans gaze raked the bank. It should be therehellip; God, he wished there were moonlight. But you tell me country is universal.
But every universe has to have a home planet. He glanced at Logan. Relax. Its going to be okay. No one can approach us without us seeing them. If anyone but Maren shows we can take off.
And if were cut off from the car?
We can always swim.
Ive got a better idea. He breathed a sigh of re-lief as the moon came out from behind the clouds and he saw the gleam of stainless steel. I rented a speed-boat and arranged to have it brought downriver and staked out over there.
