Savich said, “Wait. Neither of you is going anywhere. You know very well that Makepeace is probably waiting there with a scoped rifle. No, you’re staying right here.” Savich went into command mode. “Ruth, Dix, you guys head down to Palo Alto. Sherlock and I will follow once I’ve made some calls and gotten as much protection as I can.”
Ten minutes later, Dix and Ruth were on 280 South headed to Palo Alto.
In the Sherlock home entrance hall, not a foot from the front door, Julia stood toe-to-toe with Cheney. “I’m not staying all snug and hidden in the Sherlocks’ damned gym. I’m coming with you and Sherlock and Dillon.”
“No, you’re not, Julia. And don’t even think about comparing yourself to Sherlock. You’re a woman like she is, I’ll go along with that, but she’s a professional, and she’s trained to kick butt. It would be incredibly stupid for you to show up at that hotel. He’s after you, he wants to kill you. I’m not about to take the chance.
Forget it.”
“He’s after you too, Cheney,” Savich said mildly. “I would be if you’d stuck your nose in my business as many times as you have and beaten me. No, both of you are staying right here. Captain Paulette just pulled up. You two tell him what’s going on. I’ve got phone calls to make.”
Cheney and Julia continued to argue. “He’s down in Palo Alto, waiting for us to show.”
“For all you know, he’s off trying to kill the mayor.”
“Don’t be cute. Look, Julia, if I have to tie you down, I will.”
“Or the two of you could pay a nice visit to the gym downstairs again,” Sherlock said.
Savich said, “Listen, when we’ve gotten Kathryn Golden back, all of us need to meet at Julia’s house. We need to find August Ransom’s journals. Just be patient. Sherlock, we’re outta here.”
A minute later, they were on the road in the judge’s black Beemer.
Frank said to Cheney, “If they get the psychic safe and everyone’s back up here, I’ll get everything ready to go—I’m thinking a couple of undercover cops, no SWAT, that’s overkill, what with Makepeace in Palo Alto.”
“You know the available resources better than I do,” Cheney said.
Forty minutes later, Savich dialed Dix’s phone from the car. “You there yet?”
“Yeah, we just drove up.”
“Okay, you’re going to meet a Lieutenant Ramirez of the Palo Alto PD. I told him a good bit, but not all of it.”
Dix said, “It’s obvious Ramirez has already set things up here. He’s got plainclothes cops searching around the hotel. We were talking—what if Makepeace is setting a trap in some other way?”
A bomb, Savich thought, Dix meant a bomb. He said slowly, “Makepeace would have to have contacts to purchase explosives, if that’s what you’re thinking. It could be anything. Tell Ramirez to be very careful.”
‘All light. The doorman’s looking nervous. He knows something’s going on. Can’t anybody keep a lid on things?”
“You know that’s impossible. You keep your eyes open, Dix.”
Savich heard Dix speaking, and then Ruth said something to the valet.
Dix said, “Okay, we’re walking into the lobby. There’s Ramirez, trying to look like he’s waiting for his damned luggage or something. He might as well be wearing a sign around his neck that says
Savich didn’t even bother to question himself about it. He simply thought,
Savich was disgusted with himself. Why had he believed for a single instant that she’d heard him?
He pictured Makepeace jumping out of the elevator at them, mowing them down, and dialed Dix’s cell again. He couldn’t help it, he had to talk to him again. He pressed harder on the accelerator. The Beemer shot forward. They were still about a half hour away.
Dix said, “Savich, stop your worrying. We’re being very careful, everyone is. No sign yet of Makepeace. We’re going into the room now.” Savich heard a door open.
“We’re in the room. Kathryn Golden’s in the middle of the room, tied to a chair. She’s gagged. Let me get to her, just a second—”
“Dix—”
Savich heard a loud explosion.
He frantically dialed Dix’s cell again.
There was no answer.
He dialed Ruth’s cell.
He got voice mail.
There was no answer.
CHAPTER 48
A frightened young voice answered on the tenth ring at the Mariner Hotel. “I’m sorry, but I can’t talk to you. There’s been an explosion, someone tried to blow up the hotel. I’ve got—”
