'And Bonnie is the magic word, isn't it?'
'You meant me to think that you'd lead me to Bonnie.'
'Then I'll have to do it, won't I? I have to keep my word.' He paused. 'But is bringing your little girl's body home worth your life? That's the question. It will be interesting to find out.'
'Tell me where she is,' she said unevenly.
'In time. But first we have to come to an agreement. Clayborne Forest was entertaining, but it began to annoy me toward the end. No police. No FBI. The moment I see any signs of the law I'm gone and your chance of getting Bonnie back is zilch. Do you understand?'
'Where is Bonnie?'
'Of course, you can bring Quinn. He's been on my preferred list from the beginning. And who is Montalvo?'
He wasn't going to give up. 'A friend.'
'Who can keep you safe? Now I wonder who would be able to… Ah, I think I know. There was another man in that forest who was woods-savvy besides your Joe Quinn. I had to use all my wits to avoid him a few times. He was very stimulating.' He was silent a moment. 'But I really don't want you to be kept safe, Eve. I want you to feel vulnerable. I may have to seriously target this Montalvo. You know, I've already begun to miss the little communications I've been sending you. I'm sure they had a wonderfully powerful effect.'
'A stake through the heart of an innocent man would have a powerful effect on anyone, you bastard.'
'
'You're not in control.'
'Of course I am. Now, here's the way it's going to be. In a few days I'll give you the approximate location of where to find your Bonnie. You go after her and if you find Bonnie and I don't manage to kill you, then you win the game.'
'And how do I know that Bonnie is where you say she'll be?'
'Oh, you don't. I may decide to make a few dry runs before I tell you the right location.'
'While you get to take potshots at me on the chance that you've told me the truth. That's ridiculous.'
'No, it's the prerogative of the one in control. I'm sure Quinn is certain he's capable of protecting you from me. He might even be able to do it. Take it or leave it.'
'I'll have to think about it.'
'By all means, just sit twiddling your thumbs in your cottage as you did in that hotel room in Bloomburg. In the meantime I'll be composing the next note I'm going to send you. Let's see, his name is Montalvo…'
He hung up the phone.
Her heart was beating hard, fast, and her hand was shaking as she pressed the button. Kistle would do it, she thought. He would kill Montalvo just to prove he could. He wasn't really worried about Montalvo as a threat. His ego was too great to admit anyone was a danger to him.
It was stupid to worry about Montalvo. No one was better at taking care of himself. But, dammit, how could she not worry when the danger to him came from helping her?
She had to see Joe. She had to tell him about the call from Kistle. He had said he wasn't close, but Joe would know if that could be true.
She jumped to her feet and ran down the steps. Joe and Toby were on their way back, but she couldn't wait. She started down the path toward him.
'YOU TELL HIM NO,' JOE SAID flatly. 'You sit tight and let him come to you.'
'Is it true? Could he monitor my call from a good distance away or is he right on top of us?'
'He could do it with a high-tech scanner.'
'He doesn't have my cell number.'
'He doesn't have to zero in on a number. He can do a general scan until he locates the phone he wants. But he probably does have your number now after he monitored you.'
'Shit.'
'I can get a block put on the phones by tomorrow.'
'Good. Do it.'
'But we can't take a chance he's telling the truth about keeping his distance. I'll call in some security boys to make sure the cottage is guarded. And I'll check out the woods myself.'
'Okay,' she said absently. Then she quickly shook her head. 'No, he'd regard a security team in the same light as the police. He said no police.'
'Too bad. We'll do what we have to do to keep you alive. He's not in control unless we give him the reins.'
'You're wrong,' she said quietly. 'He's in control because he has something I want more than anything.'
'For God's sake, Eve,' he said through his teeth. 'We're not even sure he's the one who killed Bonnie.'
'There's a damn good chance. You think so too.'
'Not enough to risk your neck.' He was staring at her expression. 'I can't believe it. You're going to play the bastard's game.'
'Maybe. I don't know. I have to think about it.'
'No, you stay here.'
'Listen to me, Joe.' She turned to face him. 'One thing that son of a bitch said was true. I can't sit on my duff and wait for things to happen. This is really my fight and I have to be involved as more than a rooting section. I didn't want to be in the way in Clayborne Forest, but maybe if I'd been on the scene, he'd have gone after me instead of those deputies and we'd have been able to catch him.'
'And maybe you'd have been the one with the stake in your heart.'
She shook her head. 'He doesn't want to kill me immediately or he wouldn't have set up this elaborate baiting. He wants to be entertained.'
'And you're going to let him torture you to amuse him.'
'No, but I want Bonnie. I'm willing to take a chance to get her.' She looked away from him. 'But it should be my risk, not yours. I don't have the right to ask that of you.'
'You're closing me out?'
'I don't want to be responsible for-'
'Screw it,' he said harshly. 'Do you think I'd let you go up against him alone? I may think you're nuts, but I couldn't do that.'
'You've been with me all the way, but I thought…' Lord, this was difficult. 'It's too hard for you now. You told me how you feel about Bonnie. I don't want you doing anything you're going to regret.'
'I don't have any choice. I'd regret it more if I let him kill you. Go in the house.' He strode away from her. 'I'll check out the woods.'
She watched helplessly as he disappeared into the woods. He was angry and frustrated and the bridge they had been building over the breach between them had collapsed. Damn Kistle. Damn her own obsession that was going to pull Joe into danger again.
Okay, she knew she had to do it and Joe refused to be left behind. It was going to happen. Now, how could she make it any more likely that they'd come out of this alive?
JOE DIDN'T COME BACK UNTIL dark and then he went immediately to the bedroom and took a shower.
'No sign of him?' she asked when he came into the living room.
'No,' he said curtly. 'You were right. He's not ready to play yet.'
'There's stew in the refrigerator. Are you hungry?'
'No, I'll eat later.' He went out on the porch.
She hesitated before following him. The tension was back and what she was going to say to him wasn't going to make him any more pleased. There was no use putting it off. He'd be pissed no matter when she told him.
She opened the screen door and went out on the porch. 'I need to talk to you, Joe. I've been thinking.'
He turned to face her. 'Tell me you've changed your mind.'
She shook her head and drew a deep breath. 'I'm going to call Montalvo.'
He stiffened. 'What the hell.'
