XIV
DANA ANDMATTBAKER were in the conference room at WTN.
«Ralph Benjamin was in France visiting his son,» Dana was explaining. «One day his briefcase disappeared from his hotel room. It reappeared the next day, but his passport was missing. Matt, the man who stole it and took Benjamin's identity and told the police he was a witness to the accident is the man who murdered Paul Winthrop.»
Matt Baker was silent for a long time. When he spoke he said, «It's time to call the police in on this, Dana. If you're right, we're looking for someone who cold-bloodedly murdered six people. I don't want you to be number seven. Elliot is worried about you, too. He thinks you're getting in too deep.»
«We can't bring the police in yet,» Dana protested. «Everything is circumstantial. We have no proof. We have no idea who the killer is, and we have no motive.»
«I have a bad feeling about this. It's getting too dangerous. I don't want anything to happen to you.»
«I don't either,» Dana said earnestly.
«What's your next step?»
«Finding out what really happened to Julie Winthrop.»
«The operation was a success.»
Rachel opened her eyes slowly. She was lying in a sterile white hospital bed. Her eyes focused blearily on Jeff. «Is it gone?»
«Rachel—»
«I'm afraid to feel.» She was fighting back tears. «I'm not a woman anymore. No man will ever love me.»
He took her trembling hands in his. «You're wrong. I never loved you because of your breasts, Rachel. I loved you because of who you are, a warm, wonderful human being.»
Rachel managed a tiny smile. «We really did love each other, didn't we, Jeff?»
«Yes.»
«I wish…» She looked down at her chest, and her face constricted.
«We'll talk about this later.»
She squeezed his hand harder. «I don't want to be alone, Jeff. Not until this is all over. Please don't leave me.»
«Rachel, I have to—»
«Not yet. I don't know what I'll do if you leave.»
A nurse came into the hospital room. «Would you excuse us, Mr. Connors?»
Rachel did not want to let go of Jeff's hand. «Don't go.»
«I'll be back.»
Late that evening Dana's cell phone rang. She rushed across the room to pick it up. «Dana.» It was Jeff.
She felt a little thrill when she heard his voice. «Hello. How are you, darling?»
«I'm fine.»
«How is Rachel?»
«The operation went well, but Rachel's suicidal.»
«Jeff—a woman can't judge herself by her breasts or—»
«I know, but Rachel is not your average woman. She's been judged by her looks since she was fifteen. She's one of the highest-paid models in the world. Now she thinks all that is over for her. She feels like a freak. She believes she has nothing more to live for.»
«What are you going to do?»
«I'll stay with her for a few more days and help her get settled in her home. I talked to the doctor. He's still waiting for the test results to see whether they got it all. They think they'll need to follow up with chemotherapy treatments.»
There was nothing Dana could say.
«I miss you,» Jeff said.
«I miss you, my dearest. I have some Christmas presents for you.»
«Hold them for me.»
«I will.»
«Are you wiped out from all the traveling?»
«Not yet.»
«Make sure you leave your cell phone turned on,» Jeff said. «I plan to make some obscene phone calls.»
Dana smiled. «Promise?»
«Promise. Take care of yourself, darling.»
«You, too.» The conversation was over. Dana hung up and sat there for a long time, thinking about Jeff and Rachel. She got up and went into the kitchen.
Mrs. Daley was saying to Kemal, «More pancakes, darlin'?»
«Yes, thank you.»
Dana stood there watching the two of them. In the short time Mrs. Daley had been there, Kemal had changed so much. He was calm and relaxed and happy. Dana felt a sharp pang of jealousy. Maybe I'm the wrong person for him. Guiltily, she remembered her long days and late nights at the television studio. Maybe someone like Mrs. Daley should have adopted him. She shook herself out of it. What's the matter with me? Kemal loves me.
Dana sat down at the table. «Still enjoying the new school?»
«It's cool.»
Dana took his hand. «Kemal, I'm afraid I'm going to have to go away again.»
He said indifferently, «That's okay.»
The pang of jealousy came back.
«Where are you off to now, Miss Evans?» Mrs. Daley asked.
«Alaska.»
Mrs. Daley was thoughtful for a moment. «Watch out for those grizzly bears,» she advised.
The flight from Washington to Juneau, Alaska, took nine hours, with a stopover in Seattle. Inside the Juneau airport, Dana walked over to the car-rental counter.
«My name is Dana Evans. I—»
«Yes, Miss Evans. We have a nice Land Rover for you. Stall ten. Just sign here.»
The clerk handed her the keys and Dana walked around to the lot in back of the building. There were a dozen cars in numbered stalls. Dana walked over to stall ten. A man was kneeling in back of the car, working on the tailpipe of a white Land Rover. He looked up as Dana approached.
«Just tightening the tailpipe, miss. You're all set.» He rose.
«Thank you,» Dana said.
He watched her drive away.
In the basement of a government building, a man was looking at a digital map on a computer. He watched the white Land Rover make a right turn.
«The subject is heading for Starr Hill.»
Juneau was a surprise to Dana. At first sight, it appeared to be a large city, but the narrow, winding streets gave Alaska's capital city the small-town atmosphere of a village nestled in the middle of an ice-age wilderness.
Dana checked into the popular Inn at the Waterfront, a former brothel located in the center of town.
