where are you?”
“About forty miles west of Rome. I couldn’t stick around the cathedral. The police would have checked me out and gotten that warrant on me from Wisconsin.”
“No, that would have been a nightmare waiting to happen. We’ll meet you, and- No, Joe is shaking his head. He wants to go to the cathedral and talk to that priest. He said if the priest knows anything about where to find Danner, he’ll choke it out of him if he has to. He can drop me off somewhere to rendezvous with you and go on there without me. The minute we find out anything about Eve from Venable or the priest, we’ll take off on the trail. I’ll call you when we get closer, and you can give me exact directions.” She hung up.
Gallo pressed the disconnect.
As usual, after talking to Catherine, he felt as if he’d had a shot of adrenaline. She always cut through every emotion that got in the way of accomplishing what needed to be done.
He needed that shot of pure, clear energy right now.
He needed Catherine Ling.
CHAPTER 11
“ARE YOU OKAY, JOE?” CATHERINE shot a glance at Joe’s face after she hung up the phone. His expression was grimmer than she’d ever seen it. Who could blame him? She was feeling pretty damn grim herself. “We’ve got a start. The priest may remember something.”
“And he may not. If he does, he’s going to tell me. No, I’m not okay. I want to kill Gallo.”
“Yet either one of us might have done the same thing. There didn’t seem a very big risk.”
“That doesn’t help.”
“Because you’re feeling and not thinking. Like Gallo.”
“And you’re defending him.”
“It was clear he didn’t want anyone to defend him. He’s piling enough guilt on himself to sink the
“I know that.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel. “But it’s easier to imagine taking Gallo apart limb by limb than it is to imagine what could be happening to Eve.”
Catherine knew what he meant. She was blocking out all thought of the threat aimed at Eve. “As I said, we have the priest. And if Gallo can contact Danner, we have a chance he’ll have enough influence to shift the scales. Father Barnabas said Danner loves Gallo.”
“If we can contact the bastard.” His lips tightened. “And if Gallo can stop worrying about him instead of Eve.”
“Gallo will do everything he can to find Eve.”
“So you’re going to join him and shepherd him in the right direction?”
She shook her head. “There’s no shepherding Gallo. I’m going to join him for two reasons. There’s no use both of us hovering over Father Barnabas and trying to prod him. I’d just be spinning my wheels. Gallo and I are both trained hunters. I’m CIA, and he was a Ranger. If Venable or you can give us a lead, then we can get on the trail.”
“And leave me out?”
She smiled faintly. “Are you kidding? A two-prong attack is always more effective. You know that, too, or you wouldn’t be heading for the cathedral when you want to go directly after Danner and grab Eve from him.” Her smile faded. “But I’ll have Danner’s affection for Gallo to use against him, and I’d do it, Joe.”
“If Gallo will let you.”
She shook her head. “I’d do it. That bastard had no right to take Eve. We have to get her back.” She met Joe’s eyes. “Alive. We’ll get her back alive, Joe.”
He didn’t answer.
“Joe?”
“I’m not sure, Catherine,” he said thickly. “I’m not sure how this is going to end. I just know I’m scared shitless.”
And so was Catherine, but she couldn’t admit it right now. Keep busy. She reached for her phone. “I’ll call Venable and get him working on that GPS. If that doesn’t work, I know Eve will find a way to let us know where she’s located or where she’s going.”
“You have a lot of faith in her.”
“Of course, and so do you. Eve can do anything she wants to do.”
He didn’t speak for a moment. “You’re right, and that’s what’s scaring me.” He added somberly, “Anything she wants to do.”
“WE’VE BEEN DRIVING IN circles.” Eve broke the tense silence that had stretched between her and Danner for the past two hours. She was gazing out of the window of the truck. “Just where are we going, Danner?”
“I have to be sure we’re not followed. A diversionary tactic,” Danner said. “I’m not afraid of the police. I can handle them. But you came to the church with John. He mustn’t be part of this.”
“Because you don’t want him to know what you are?”
He looked at her. “Are you trying to make me angry? You can’t do it by throwing John in my face. He’s always been the best part of my life.”
“I know you loved him.”
“Not past tense. I do love him.”
“He loved you, too.” She paused and then said deliberately, “Of course, he didn’t know you were a murderer.”
“Yes, he did. I killed in the military, and I never tried to hide it from him. I served my country, and he was proud of me.”
“But were you proud?”
“I served my country.”
“You didn’t answer me.”
“I don’t have to answer you. Why should I? I won’t make excuses. I don’t have to talk to you at all.”
She ignored the reply, and went on, “You might have felt like a patriot for a while but that changed, didn’t it? Your psychiatrist who first examined you after you came back from Syria said that something happened that tipped the scales and sent you off the track. What was it?”
“Why are you asking me all these questions? What do you care? That has nothing to do with what’s happening now. Do you think that we’re going to form some kind of bond? You’ll be disappointed. I can’t afford to do that.”
She nodded. “I could have formed a bond with the man who came to see me and Bonnie when she was just a baby. I felt sorry for you. I wanted to help you. All I saw in you was sorrow, not rage. What happened, Danner?”
“Shut up. I don’t need your help. I didn’t then, I don’t now. You’re the one who needs help.”
Her gaze searched his face. “Why, Danner?”
“Can’t you see? Are you stupid? You’re sitting there, with your hands tied, and you know what I am.” His gaze searched her face. “And you keep asking me questions. Why aren’t you afraid?”
“Do you want me to be afraid?”
“I want you to stop asking me questions.”
“You don’t have to answer them.” She looked down at the ropes binding her wrists in front of her. “No, I’m not afraid. But being tied does make me feel helpless. I suppose that increases your sense of power.”
“Yeah, it does.”
