She closed the bedroom door and leaned back against it.
She should call Mark, but she needed a little time to recover. She still felt sick about Fay Sugarton. Barbara Eisley couldn’t be blamed for being angry.
She went to the window and looked down at the park across the street. It was dark now and the street lamps cast pools of light on the trees. The night shadows seemed threatening.
Are you down there, Dom? Are you watching, you bastard? Her digital phone rang.
Joe? Spiro?
Her phone rang again.
She pulled it out of her purse. 'Hello.”
The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
Page 112 of 286
“How are you getting along with little Janie?”
“You son of a bitch.'
'I was sorry I couldn’t stay around to see your meeting, but the timing was a little tight. I didn’t even get a chance to see the kid at close quarters.'
'So you killed Fay Sugarton instead.'
'You make me sound like a blunderer. There was no instead about it. I had no intention of killing the child yet. Fay Sugarton was the target.'
'For God’s sake, why?'
'You and Jane couldn’t bond while Sugarton was around. So she had to be taken out of the way. How do you like our little girl?'
'I don’t. She tried to brain me with a baseball bat.'
'That wouldn’t deter you. You probably admire her spirit. I don’t think I could have chosen better.'
'You made a lousy choice. She’s nothing like Bonnie.”
“She’ll begin to grow on you.'
'She won’t have the chance. It won’t work. She’s not with me.”
“I know. We’ll have to take care of that, won’t we? It’s not what I had in mind at all. Go get her from welfare, Eve.'
'It’s impossible.'
'She has to be with you. You’ll have to find a way to make that happen.”
“You’re not listening. They’ll toss me in jail if I even go near her.' A silence. 'Perhaps I’m not making myself clear. Either get her out of that welfare house or I’ll go in after her. I’ll give you twenty-four hours.'
Panic soared through her. 'I don’t even know where she is.”
“Find out. Think about it. You have contacts. There’s always a way. I’d find a way.'
'There’s security. You’d never get near her. They’d catch you.'
“I’d get near her. All it would take is one careless moment, one bored or disgruntled employee.'
The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
Page 113 of 286
'I don’t care anything about that child. I could never feel the slightest affection for—'
'Yes, you could. You just have to get to know her. You’ve spent years trying to protect and find children you never knew. Now I’ve given you one of your own. The potential is mind-boggling.'
'I’m calling the police as soon as I hang up.'
'And seal Jane’s fate? It would, you know. I’d never stop trying. If I can’t find a way to do it right now, I’ll wait. A week, a month, a year. It’s amazing how the passing of time makes everything easier for me. People forget, people lower their guard… and you wouldn’t be close enough to her to stop me. Twenty-four hours, Eve.' He hung up.
He was crazy, Eve thought. Eisley had said no one could get into that welfare facility.
But Eve herself had doubted it.
All it would take is one careless moment, one bored or disgruntled employee. Wasn’t that what Eve had been afraid of all along? Wasn’t that why she had been urging Eisley to let her take Jane?
Her throat tightened as fear raced through her. He would do it. Christ, he would find a way to kill Jane if she didn’t get her out of the facility.
She only had twenty-four hours.
Joe. She had to call Joe.
She was halfway through his number when she hung up. What was she doing? Was she really going to ask him to compromise his job by kidnapping a child from under the nose of welfare?
But she needed him.
