Dammit, why didnt you call me? Didnt you know Id be worried?
I didnt want to talk to He unzipped her bag. Will you pack? I want you out of here.
The DNA profile isnt done yet. Gary found out the lab could escalate the process, but Joe hasnt come with the comparison samples and Gary says it wont
I dont give a damn, he said harshly. Youre out of it.
Thats going to be hard to do. Did you hear about Abdul Jamal?
On the radio coming down.
She watched him take an armful of underthings out of the bureau drawer and drop them into the bag. His clothes were rumpled and grass-stained and there was a scratch on his forearm. Im not going anywhere until you talk to me.
Then Ill pack for you and dump you in the car with the rest of the luggage.
Stop mishandling my property and look at me, dammit.
He slowly turned to look at her.
She stiffened when she saw his face. Jesus, she whispered. What happened, Logan?
Gils dead. His movement was jerky uncoordi-nated, as he flung more clothes from a drawer onto the bed. Shot. I dont think they even meant to kill him. They were just firing warning shots. But now hes dead. He threw clothes into the duffel. I left him in a boathouse near the river. Im sure you wont approve, considering how you feel. No home for Gil. I just left him and took off running.
Gil, she repeated numbly.
He was born near Mobile. I think he has a brother. Maybe later we can
Shut up. She grabbed his arms. Shut up, Logan.
He was joking before it happened. He said he was safe because hed taken his bullet for the month. He was wrong. He wasnt safe. He didnt know what hit him. He just
Im sorry. God, Im so sorry. Without thinking she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him. His body felt stiff and unrelenting, his muscles locked against her. I know he was your friend.
Thats more than I know. If he was my friend, would I have let him run the risks he did?
You tried to persuade him not to meet with Maren. We both tried. He wouldnt listen.
I could have stopped him. But I knew there was a chance he was right about Maren. I could have knocked him on the head or gone by myself. I didnt have to let him go.
Dear heaven, he was hurting and she couldnt reach him. It wasnt your fault. It was Gils decision. You couldnt know that
Bullshit. He pushed her away. Finish packing. Im getting you out of here.
And where am I supposed to be going?
Anywhere away from here. Ill put you on a boat to Timbuktu.
No. She crossed her arms over her chest. Not now. Youre too upset to be reasonable. We need to talk about this.
Pack. Theres nothing to talk about.
Were going to talk. Lets get out of here. She headed for the door. The emotion in the room was so thick, she felt as if she was suffocating. And, it would be better if she could get him away from that damn packing he was obsessing about. Ive been cooped up in here all day. Take me for a drive.
Im not going
Yes, you are. She grabbed Bens case, threw open the door, and glanced over her shoulder. Which car?
He was silent.
Which car, Logan?
The beige Taurus.
She moved toward the car parked across the lot. He reached it before she did. She waited for him to unlock the door.
His lips curved in a sardonic smile as he reached for Bens case. And everywhere that Eve goes, the skull is sure to follow, he murmured, then put the case in the backseat. But then I told you to never leave it alone, didnt I? Even though it makes you an automatic target.
Do you think Id pay any attention to what you said if I didnt think it was the right thing to do? Not likely, Logan.
As soon as they got into the car, she said, Drive.
Where?
I dont care. She leaned back in the seat. As long as its nowhere you can put me on a boat to Timbuktu.
Im not going to change my mind.
And Im not going to try to argue with you when youve probably been planning this all the way from Washington. Just drive.
He drove. He didnt speak for the next thirty min-utes. May I go back now?
