Tough Customer

The only difference between him now and his sudden appearance in her bathroom last Friday night was that his head had been shaved. It was as slick as a billiard ball.

He spun her around and pulled her arm behind her back, then linked her wrists together with the handcuffs. He pushed her forward, forcing her to stumble ahead of him along the pier toward the house.

'Who are you?'

'I'm Oren, silly, who do you think?'

'You're dead.'

'Wrong. Dead men don't have boners like the one I've got from seeing your stiff nipples.'

'You must be Oren,' she said. 'That's the kind of juvenile, off-color remark that's typical of you.'

He hammered the butt of the pistol against her temple. She hadn't seen it coming, and the pain was intense. It caused her to drop to her knees. They landed hard. She crumpled forward. Her stomach heaved. She tasted bile in her mouth and had to spit it out in order to gasp in pain. He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. Blood ran into her eye.

'Now see what you made me do?' he cooed. 'It's that snotty attitude that got you into this situation in the first place, Berry. You've got only yourself to blame.'

He hauled her to her feet. She swayed, half blinded with the pain in her head as well as the blood that trickled into her eye. All her loathing and hatred for him and the things he'd done boiled over. 'Fuck you.'

He laughed, unfazed. 'Possibly. I haven't decided yet. You look like the very devil just now. No temptation at all. But I'll think about it. I promise I will. In the meantime, your mother will do nicely. You can watch,' he said, as though he'd just thought up a fun, new game. 'Then you can watch me kill her. Only then, Berry, will I begin to deal with you.'

'He's a twin!'

'What?'

'A twin. Identical twin.'

Ski sat bolt upright in his desk chair.

Through the phone, Dodge's breathing sounded like he'd been heaving hay bales. He was gasping each breath, but he made himself heard. 'I went to that place where his mother is at. Nurse there told me Mrs. Starks had twin sons. Bookends.'

'Fuck!'

'Tell me. The guy we pulled outta that swamp is Oren's twin brother, Carl. I'd stake my balls on it.'

'Shit!'

'Something was hinky. I knew it, just didn't know what.'

'We thought it was off. The Oren that Berry described didn't fit with somebody who'd hide in the Thicket.'

'Makes sense now. It wasn't Oren.'

'But he was the mastermind.'

'That's what I think.'

'Which means--'

'He'll come after Berry.'

'I'm on it.' Ski rounded his desk. 'Where are you?'

'Blasting through Houston. I'll be there quick as I can.'

Ski didn't waste time thanking him. He disconnected and began shouting the names of other deputies who were in the squad room. Simultaneously he punched in the telephone number of the lake house. Caroline answered.

'Caroline, Ski. Where's Berry?'

'Uh ... you woke me up. I--'

'You need to find her.'

'She mentioned earlier she might go for a swim.'

'If she's out, get her in. Stay inside the house and set the alarm. Keep the pistol on hand.' He covered the mouthpiece and said to the men who'd assembled around him, 'Stand by. New development in the Starks case.' Then he addressed Caroline, who, fully awake now, was demanding to know what was going on.

'Oren Starks is alive.'

'What?'

'The man who died was his identical twin.'

'What!'

'Dodge went to Houston, to the facility where his mother is a resident. He talked to a nurse and she told him. That's all I know.'

'Where's Dodge?'

'Racing back. Alert Berry. Okay?'

'Of course, yes.'

'And, Caroline?'

'Yes?'

'Call me as soon as you're both safely inside. I've got some calls to make, but if you beep in, I'll answer. Don't forget.'

'I promise.'

Ski clicked off and addressed the deputies grouped around him. 'I want one of the launches on the lake ASAP, patrolling that inlet where Mrs. King's house is.'

'I thought the asshole was dead.'

'His twin brother is dead. He's still unaccounted for, still considered armed and dangerous.'

He assigned special tasks and ordered the dispatcher to put out the word. 'City police, DPS, Rangers, FBI, everybody, got it?'

'Got it.'

He personally placed calls to the detectives in Houston. Rodney Allen was unavailable, but Ski talked to Somerville, who was no more gregarious than before. He listened to Ski's remarkable update without emotion or comment, then said, 'I'll inform Detective Allen. We'll check out Oren Starks's residence, put out an APB.'

'One more thing.'

'Yes?'

'Tell Allen it was Dodge Hanley who cracked it.'

After breaking off the connection, Ski unlocked the department's gun cabinet and took out a high-powered rifle with a scope. Stevens, who was on the phone, raised his eyebrows as Ski walked past his desk, the rifle on his shoulder.

'Bringing out the heavy artillery, Ski?'

'You bet your ass.'

Caroline came racing into the kitchen just as Oren shoved Berry headlong through the back door. Caroline screamed and rushed forward to help her daughter, who had fallen hard, banging her shoulder against the floor.

Oren thrust the pistol into Caroline's belly. 'Drop the phone! Drop the phone!'

'Mother, do it! I'm okay. Do as he says.'