“You can rinse out your mouth later.” A loop of amber gurgled from the spout. “Take a drink. You’ll need it.”
“Need it Why What’s going on Why’d you have to get me away from the others”
“There’s been a complication.” Cain handed him the snifter. “Cheers.”
Charles hesitated, then decided he really did need the drink. Seeing Wald’s face shot off-tasting the sprinkle of blood—
Abruptly his knees threatened to unlock. He sank into the nearest chair and tipped the snifter to his lips.
A slow burn trickled down his throat. He let his head fall back.
“Complication,” he whispered.
“Yeah.”
“Is it the patrolwoman”
“She’s not a problem.”
“Where is she, anyway”
“The lake.”
It took a moment for the words to register. Then Charles snapped forward. “Dead”
“Very.”
“Damn it.” Brandy sloshed in the pearl-shaped glass. “That was totally unnecessary.”
“I decide what’s necessary, Mr. Kent.” Cain said it with a peculiar emphasis.
“The woman was unconscious, for God’s sake. She was handcuffed and disarmed, no threat whatsoever.”
“She was a cop. I hate cops.”
Charles looked away, not wanting to see Cain, not wanting even to be here.
“Bad enough with just one,” he breathed, “but … two of them.” He drained the snifter. “You know what they do to cop killers”
“One cop or two-it’s death row either way.” Cain smiled. “Anyway, you’re the one who gave the signal.”
The signal. Four words: Take care of it.
Out of earshot of the others, Cain had told him to say those words if somehow the patrol officers were surreptitiously alerted to what was going on. Charles had worked the signal into his conversation as the cops headed for the foyer, raising his voice to be sure Cain’s thugs in the closet could hear.
So yes, he’d known the ambush would take place. But he hadn’t thought either of the officers would be killed.
Had he
He wasn’t sure. He didn’t know what he’d expected.
Anyway, it was too late now.
His hand shook as he offered Cain the empty glass. “More.”
“That was enough.”
“I’ve been on seltzer water all night, passing it off as vodka and soda. You’re the one who wanted me to start drinking for real.”
“And now I want you to stop.”
The snifter made a dull thump as Charles set it down on the rosewood table.
“If it’s not the patrolwoman,” he whispered, “then what You don’t seem to be having any trouble trashing my house. And you got the safe open.”
“Eventually. Your daughter was less than cooperative.”
“You didn’t hurt her”
“Just had to raise my voice a little.”
“You should have used me.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
Charles was surprised to hear Cain say that. They had argued the point at length.
Both had agreed that every detail of the breakin had to be carried out as if Cain had no inside information. For that reason Charles had not supplied Cain with house keys or told him the alarm-system access code. Instead Cain had pirated the code with a digital decrypter, which he’d conveniently left in place to be discovered by the police.
Cain hadn’t been given the combination of the safe either. For realism he would obtain it openly from some member of the Kent household, who would later include that detail in an official statement.
Charles had thought he should be selected. Cain had held out for Ally, saying that an honest witness would provide more persuasive testimony. As a lawyer, Charles knew this to be true and finally had yielded.
Barbara, of course, had never been an option. She would not be making any statements to anybody after tonight.
“If Ally did what you wanted,” Charles said slowly, “what the hell’s the problem Why’s she in her bedroom and not in the closet with the rest of us”
“She hasn’t been harmed.”
“Barbara doesn’t know that. She’s practically hysterical. The agreement was that after Ally gave you the combination, you’d have her join us. Then you’d take Barbara and Judy-“
“I’m familiar with our agreement.”
“So what’s the delay You can’t keep us in there all night. Danforth’s already talking about breaking out. The guy’s a hothead, and he’s had too much to drink. Your people shouldn’t have pushed him around; it got him worked up. And killing that cop-“
“Forget the goddamned cops.”
Suddenly Cain was leaning over the armchair. Charles stared into his eyes and saw hardness and madness there.
“We got ourselves a situation, Mr. Kent. Involving your precious daughter.”
Charles coughed, a light, almost dainty sound. “What … what about her”
“She saw my face.”
25
Sixteen years had passed since Trish earned a Girl Scout Brownie Try-It patch by tying square knots, but there were some skills a person never forgot.
With her knife she cut a coil of nylon dock line into shorter segments. She bound her arrestee’s hands and feet, trussing him like a turkey, then gagged him with the ski mask from his pants pocket.
Her hands were the only part of her that still trembled, rattling the links of the handcuff chain. The nausea and the worst of the shaking had passed quickly enough, leaving her numb and drained.
It seemed difficult to concentrate, to get her mind in gear. What was she supposed to do next No situation remotely like this had been covered at the academy.
Well, come on, it wasn’t rocket science. She had to get help. That was the logical next step. Get help.
But how
Wald had said the Kent house was the only residence on the lake. The lightless sweep of hillsides around her seemed to confirm it.
She remembered passing trailers and mobile homes on the drive up, but the nearest ones were three or four miles away. Even to reach the road she would have to cut through the woods, impenetrable to someone who didn’t know the trails, or through the Kent property, fenced and gated and patrolled.
Could she call for help somehow Her radio had been confiscated, and the killer’s was gone. Lost in the lake, presumably.
She could check out the two sport boats. There might be a portable hailer aboard.
Before looking, she emptied the young man’s pockets, hopeful of finding a handcuff key.
There was none. All he had was a six-inch flashlight and a pair of lightweight, folded binoculars, remarkably compact. The flash was water resistant; she rotated the bezel switch, and a bright beam of light appeared.
She scanned his gun belt. No key holder. No cuff case.
For the moment she was stuck with the handcuffs. Grin and bear it. At least she was alive.
