him he has to talk to you.”
“Yes, you do. I have to hear his voice, and he has to mention something to me that no one but the two of us would know.”
“That should be no trouble. There are so many secrets that exist between a couple with your history. All he’d have to do is mention one episode.” His voice was annoyed. “I did think that pain was the answer. He has amazing endurance. I’ll just have to work out some other way. I have a few ideas.”
“Let him go. You know the entire police force will be hunting for you. Cops look out for their own.”
“It will be too late for Quinn. No, you’re his only hope. Make up your mind to it.” He paused. “Is Caleb there with you?”
“Yes.”
“I thought as much. Tell him I’m not afraid of him any longer. Soon I’ll be able to meet him face-to-face.” He added, “I’m going to hang up now. I have to get busy finding a way to convince Quinn to do as I wish. I think I’ve found the key to him.”
“Don’t hurt him. I won’t do anything you want me to do if I find out you’ve hurt him again.”
“I told you, I’m going down another road. Good-bye, Eve. You’ll hear from me soon.” He hung up.
“He sounded so smug,” Eve said as she pressed the disconnect. “And confident. He’s so damn sure of himself.” She turned to Jane and Caleb. “But I think Joe must be alive. Jelak wouldn’t be going to these lengths if he had nothing with which to bargain. He didn’t even try to bluff.”
Caleb nodded. “He has Quinn. But we have a little time to find him and try to set up a trap before Jelak goes for the jugular.” He grimaced. “That was purely unintentional. I would never be so insensitive.”
“You’d have to be as much a monster as Jelak to be that callous,” Eve said. “And I’d like to know how you think you’re going to use that time Jelak has given us.”
Caleb was heading for the door. “As I told Jane, I’m working on it. I’ll let you know when I do.”
“I’VE TOLD YOU ALL I KNOW, Senator.” Gary Schindler’s lips thinned as he gazed at Norris lying in the hospital bed. “It’s not as if we’re not looking for Joe. He’s a veteran of the department. Hell, I’ve worked with him myself for years. The whole department is using every means we have to locate him.”
“Like you’ve used every means to find Jelak before this,” Norris said curtly. “He’s still out there killing young girls like Nancy Jo. He shot me. He shot Joe Quinn. If there’s a chance that Quinn is still alive, then you go out and find him.”
“Get off my back,” Schindler suddenly said harshly. “I’m doing what I can, and nothing you can say will get me to do anything differently. We’ve all volunteered to work extra shifts to try to get a lead, any lead.” He turned on his heel. “If you want a whipping boy, go call one of those pretty-boy aides in the hall.”
“Detective.”
Schindler looked over his shoulder. “I mean it, Senator.”
Norris nodded. “I know you do.” He leaned wearily back against the pillows. “I’m feeling very ineffectual at the moment, and I’m taking it out on you. I believe in payback, and there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do. Quinn saved my life.”
“Do you think you’re special?” Schindler said. “He saved my neck two years ago when we were taking down a drug dealer. My daughter, Cindy, would have been an orphan and grown up alone in this shitty world.”
Norris didn’t speak for a moment. “That would have been a terrible thing. It is a shitty world that can kill young girls. If I could go back in time, I’d surround Nancy Jo with an army every time she set foot out the door.” He lifted his hand to his eyes. “I’m sorry. If you need extra labor, I’m putting everyone on my staff at your disposal. All you need to do is call.”
“Thanks. I may take you up on it.”
Norris closed his eyes as Schindler left the room.
A shitty world, he thought. He’d thought he was cynical before Nancy Jo’s death, but now he realized there had always been that streak of idealism present. He’d had dreams of changing the world. Or, at least, the corruption that was stagnating Washington.
Dreams.
They hadn’t stopped Quinn from being attacked and probably killed.
They hadn’t kept that ravening beast from murdering Nancy Jo.
Screw dreams.
He could feel the moisture sting his eyes. Dammit, it was here again; the pain, the disbelief, the loneliness.
Nancy Jo . . .
Oh, God, the loneliness.
No, not loneliness, he realized suddenly.
Comfort. Warmth. Laughter.
Nancy Jo telling him that horrible pun she’d heard at summer camp.
Nancy Jo lolling with him on the beach last summer, not talking, just sitting in silent companionship as the sun went down.
Nancy Jo standing beside him when he’d been sworn in as senator, her eyes glowing with pride.
Those memories should have been agonizing. Why weren’t they?
