to reach the rental house. The fog had returned and was layering a thick blanket that made driving a nightmare.
“I’d swear we’ve been driving along this bayou for the last hour,” Catherine said. “It seems as if the road is going in circles along this swamp.”
“No, the land is in the shape of a hook. The house is in the curve of the hook, and the road continues on from there. It should be right around the next bend. Yes, there it is.”
“At last.”
The large cedar house was no more than thirty years old but, as Gallo had said, it hovered close to one of the bayous. The surrounding trees were over a century old and draped in Spanish moss that added a touch of ancient decadence.
“What is this place? Where are you taking me?” Jacobs screamed from the backseat. It wasn’t the first time. Catherine had profoundly regretted the potion hadn’t lasted longer. She had given him another injection about an hour ago, but she hadn’t wanted to make it too strong. She didn’t want to knock him out for too long. “You can’t get away with this.” Jacobs started cursing again. “The police are looking for you, Gallo. Do you think that you can just walk into my life and kidnap me?”
“It seems that’s what we did,” Gallo said. “So I guess the answer is yes.” He pulled into the driveway of the house. “Quiet down, Jacobs, you’re beginning to annoy me. You don’t want to do that. You and Queen have told me for years how unstable I am. You used that for your own benefit, but you were careful to make sure that it was never turned on you.”
Jacobs was silent a moment, fuming. “It wasn’t my fault. Queen was always the one who ran the show. You can’t blame me.”
“Oh, I think he can,” Catherine said. “Did you step forward and tell anyone when they threw Gallo into that North Korean prison? And when he escaped, did you try to stop Queen from sending him out on suicide missions? No, you were sitting fat and happy, pulling in your share of the profits.”
“I’m not talking to you, bitch,” Jacobs said venomously. “Queen and I knew you were going to be trouble. Everything was going fine until you started digging.”
“Be polite.” Gallo got out of the car. “I’ve never told you exactly what those bastards did to me in that prison, but I’m tempted to show you.” He opened the rear door and pulled Jacobs out. “I have a number of questions to ask you. If you answer, you may live.”
“We can make a deal.” Jacobs moistened his lips. “Let me go. What do you care about me? It was Queen who caused all your problems. Look, I have all kinds of contacts. I know every important drug dealer in the Middle East. You may have money, but I can make you richer.”
“We’ll talk about it.” Gallo pushed him toward the front door. “The key is supposed to be in a lockbox under the fourth windowsill, Catherine.” He glanced at her and saw that she hadn’t moved. “Catherine?”
Her head was lifted as she gazed out at the fog-shrouded bayou.
“Catherine,” he repeated.
She shook her head as if to clear it. “It’s… eerie here. For a minute I thought-” She turned away and moved quickly toward the house. “Fourth window.” She retrieved the key and opened the front door. “Pretty obvious. It’s a wonder that the place hasn’t been burgled or trashed.”
“It’s fairly isolated.” He pushed Jacobs ahead of him. “I’ll take him to a bedroom and secure him. Then we’ll let him be alone for a while to anticipate.” He added softly, “That was one of the techniques I became very familiar with while I was in prison. It always heightened the pain to have to look forward to it first for a time.”
“You won’t have to hurt me. I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” Jacobs said. “But you have to remember, Queen was always the one who called the shots.”
“That’s hard for me to remember.” Gallo was pushing him up the stairs. “Isn’t a silent partner just as guilty? The only difference is the lack of guts in execution.”
Catherine stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched until they disappeared around the landing.
Gallo was furious. She shivered as she remembered his expression as he had taken Jacobs upstairs. His lips had been set, his eyes glittering and reckless. She had been looking upon the capture and questioning of Jacobs as a job, a project. She had forgotten all that Gallo had suffered at Jacobs’s hands. Jacobs might be backpedaling and trying to absolve himself, but he was as guilty as his partner. Considering all that Gallo had suffered, it might be hard for her to defuse that rage.
And did she want to do it? She was beginning to be angry as well. Gallo had not deserved the atrocities he had experienced. Someone should pay.
But the reason they were here wasn’t so that Gallo could get his revenge.
She turned away and looked around the living room. Flowered wallpaper, an ornate wood fireplace, and furniture draped in sheets. The house had obviously not been rented in a long time. She went over to the window and gazed out at the bayou.
Fog. Moss draped trees. Shadows.
She tensed. Shadows. Of course, there were shadows. It was foggy as hell out there. Nothing was clear or defined.
“I tied him spread-eagled on that big four-poster bed in the master bedroom.” Gallo was coming back down the stairs. “Nothing makes you feel more vulnerable than being in that position. Trust me, I’ve been there.”
“And you’d hate to be vulnerable.” Her gaze was still fixed on the bayou. “But now you have a chance to get your own back.”
“I thought that was bothering you.” He was suddenly standing behind her at the window. “You’re afraid of what I’m going to do to him.”
“Not afraid. I can understand. When I killed the man who kidnapped my son, I wanted the pain to last forever. But how you feel could get in the way.”
“I won’t let it. But not because I’m getting soft and mushy about the possibility of making him hurt. I’d relish it. But you’re in this with me now, and it’s disturbing you. He’s right about one thing, he was never a prime player in any of this. If I find he has nothing to do with Bonnie’s death, I suppose I can tolerate having him tossed into a federal prison for the rest of his life.”
She turned to look at him. “I’m surprised.”
“So am I.” He paused. “Will it be hard? Hell, yes. I could lose control. Keep an eye on me.”
“I will.”
He chuckled. “Not if you keep staring out at that bayou.” His smile faded. “You’ve been- What’s wrong, Catherine?”
“I don’t know.” She shivered. “I just feel as if someone was watching me. Someone or something. It’s probably nothing. Who could be here? We weren’t followed?”
He shook his head. “Not unless they were damn good. They would have had to have been tailing us from the casino. It’s not likely.”
“Imagination?” She tried to smile. “It’s a setting that would spark all kinds of fantasies, isn’t it? From vampires to alligators crawling up out of the bayou to devour us. I was even remembering that movie about a vampire who lived in the swamps. Shall we go looking for him?” She looked him up and down. “You look like you belong in a vampire movie.” She had changed her clothes, but he had only taken off his jacket and tie and rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. The civilized clothes made the huge bowie knife he had sheathed at his waist appear even more barbaric.
He wasn’t returning her smile. “I’ve seen how true your instincts can be. You’re fairly remarkable.” He turned and headed for the front door. “I think I’ll take a turn around the property and see if I see anything. Why don’t you go locate the kitchen and see if you can find any tea or coffee? Maybe something hot will chase away the vampires.”
The door closed behind him.
GALLO RETURNED ABOUT THIRTY minutes later. “Catherine.”
“Here. The kitchen is down the hall and to the right,” she called.
He appeared at the door a minute later. “I didn’t see anything or anyone. No vampires, no alligators.”
