“Not when he set you up to do this job?”
“No, he didn’t mention anything.”
Gallo looked at Catherine. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know. I think he’s telling the truth.”
“I’m not sure.” His grasp tightened on the knife.
Nixon gasped. “Let me go. I’ll find out for sure and set him up for you. What good is it going to do you to slit my throat?”
“Good point,” Catherine said. “Let him make a call and see if Jacobs trusts him enough to tell him what we need to know.”
“Pity.” Gallo took the knife away and got to his feet. “I was beginning to enjoy myself.”
Nixon hurriedly sat up. “You’ll let me go if I get you what you want?”
“I didn’t say that,” Gallo said.
“We don’t need him. He’s not going to call Jacobs back and tip our hand.” She stared Nixon in the eye. “Because he knows we’d be after him and never give up. It wouldn’t be good business, would it, Nixon?”
“No.” He moistened his lips. “I don’t care about Jacobs. Why should I?”
“You shouldn’t care. As I said, it’s not good business.” She backed away from him. “Get in your car and turn the speaker on your phone so that Gallo can hear loud and clear.” She turned to Gallo. “I’ll take a turn around the parking lot and make sure that we haven’t disturbed any of the hotel employees or guests while you keep Nixon company.”
“Why should they be disturbed? I was very quiet. He didn’t even scream.” He opened the driver’s door and smiled. “But I agree that I should be the one to babysit him. We’ve grown so close we’re almost like family.”
“Family? Maybe the Borgias.” She moved away from the car and strolled across the parking lot. She doubted if their encounter with Nixon had attracted attention. It had seemed to go on for a long time, but it had actually taken only a few moments. It was the middle of the night, but there was always the chance that someone had glanced out the window. Or that a motel employee had come out for a cigarette. At any rate, she had to check out possible problems before they erupted to become real problems.
They had to move fast to find Jacobs and certainly didn’t need trouble with the police.
She was striding back to the Mercedes ten minutes later. Nixon was just hanging up his cell phone. She glanced at Gallo. “Well?”
“New Orleans. Cadalon Casino,” Gallo said. “He was on his way to the airport. Jacobs promised Nixon that he’d have his blood money by day after tomorrow.” He added, “Actually, Nixon handled it very well. He displayed a wonderful mixture of greed and venom. Jacobs didn’t suspect a thing.”
“You said I could go,” Nixon said. “You know where Jacobs is heading. I did everything you asked.”
“That’s true,” Gallo said. “But it was really Catherine who said we’d let you go. I really don’t approve of-”
“Let him go,” Catherine said. “We don’t have time to deal with him.”
Gallo shrugged. “Whatever you say.” He stepped back and gestured to Nixon. “Run along. Frankly, I’d make time to deal with you, but if we experience any backlash, I may still get my way.”
Nixon muttered a curse, but he was frantically starting the car and screeching out of the parking space.
Gallo was gazing regretfully after him. “You know that he’ll come after us eventually?”
“But it will take time for him to get over the first intimidation,” Catherine said. “You frightened him.” She turned away as Nixon peeled out of the parking lot. “I can see why Queen thought you were so valuable when you worked for him as a special agent. He said that there were moments when you were like an ancient Viking with the bloodlust on you. He called you a berserker. You can be-” She stopped, searching for the right word.
“Frightening?” He fell into step with her as she moved toward the glass door. “Did I frighten you, Catherine?”
“No.” She opened the door. “But I found it interesting to watch you. I couldn’t decide whether you were bluffing or if you really wanted to kill him.”
“I don’t bluff. Nixon is scum. Would I have cut his throat?” He smiled recklessly. “You seem to think I’m better than I think I am. So I believe I’ll let you wonder.”
“You’re good with a knife. Is that your weapon of choice?”
“I find it effective. Most people have experience with being cut and fear it. Guns are more impersonal. What about you?”
“Sometimes a knife is necessary, but I prefer being impersonal.” She added, “Except when I’m dealing with someone I hate.”
“Like Rakovac?”
She nodded. “I would have made him suffer as much as a victim of the Spanish Inquisition if I’d had the time. I wanted to take it slow.”
“If you run across a similar situation, let me know. I’ve learned a lot from personal experience about the methods the Inquisition used in that period. I’ll be glad to share.” He started up the stairs. “I’ll call and make our airline reservations to New Orleans.”
He stopped before entering his room. “Nixon should really have been eliminated. You know it as well as I do. It goes against your professionalism and my good judgment. Why?”
Because she hadn’t wanted to see Gallo do it. Yes, Nixon was scum and would cause them trouble, but she was holding on to her faith in Gallo by a very tentative grip. She had not been shocked by Gallo’s savagery, but it had made her wary.
“Never mind.” His gaze was on her face. “I think I know.” He shrugged. “I couldn’t expect anything else.”
“No, you couldn’t.” She went next door to her own room. “I should be ready to go in ten minutes. But I’m going to call Venable and tell him where we’re going and see if he can pave the way for us.”
“Good idea. Fifteen minutes then.”
But there was a missed call on her phone when she picked up her cell to call Venable.
Eve.
She stiffened, then drew a deep breath.
She pressed the return call. “I just got your call. Did I wake you?”
“No. We’re not doing much sleeping right now.” Eve was silent. “You said to start with the premise that we were wrong about Gallo being guilty and work from there.”
“But can you do that, Eve?”
“I’m trying. Joe says that we should trust you. That wasn’t easy for him.” She paused. “And either way, it’s not easy for me. I trusted Gallo, and it hurt me to think that I’d been a fool. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons that I was so stubborn about not changing my mind when you were defending him.”
“I can understand that,” Catherine said. “And I can’t tell you I’m 100 percent sure that I’m right. How can I be when Gallo isn’t even sure? But I’m 75 percent sure, and before I’m done, I’m going to know.”
“You’re going after Thomas Jacobs.”
“You bet I am. I see you put two and two together.”
“Joe and I decided he would be one of the only people who would know for certain why Queen hired Paul Black to take the blame for Bonnie’s killing. And we tracked you to the Chicago airport and found out that there was a flight to the East Coast about the time I talked to you on the phone.” She added. “Nonstop to Washington, D.C. Have you contacted Jacobs yet?”
“Not yet. We think he’s on a flight to New Orleans. We’re going to be right behind him.” She hesitated, then asked the question. “What are you going to do, Eve?”
“You mean am I going to notify the police that they can pick up Gallo in New Orleans?” she asked. “No, Joe said I should trust you. Dear God, I want to trust you, Catherine. And I want to trust Gallo.” She drew a shaky breath. “Joe left the hospital this morning. I’m going to talk to him now, but I think he’s going to agree that we’re not going to let the police interfere with what’s between us. I imagine we’ll see you in New Orleans.”
“I’m glad, Eve.”
“Don’t be too happy. When Joe came out of his coma, he said he thought we were heading toward the end, that Bonnie told him that was happening. But I just don’t know.” Her voice was uneven. “What I’m feeling is too damn tentative. I’m wobbling back and forth like a weather vane.”
“What about Jane? Is she coming?”
“No, she’s mad as hell, but I won’t let her run the risk.”