I have to face, I’ll have to be strong enough to take it. Perhaps I had to learn something about myself before I could bring her home. Perhaps I had to learn about you, Joe. I think I learned a lot about both of us when I was waiting for you to wake in ICU.”
“And are you ready now?”
“I think so.” Her hand reached for his and clasped it tightly. “We’ll have to see, won’t we? Lord, I hope I’m ready, Joe.”
“THEY’RE COMING.” Catherine turned away from the window. “At least, I think they are. I can barely see the headlights in the fog. They should be here in a couple minutes.” She leveled a glance at Gallo. “And, no matter what Joe says or does, you’re not to respond with any antagonism, do you understand?”
“I understand that you’re expecting a lot from me.” He got up from the chair and crossed to the window. “I believe you’re talking about diplomacy. We both know that’s not my forte.”
No, it wasn’t, and she could already see that familiar trace of recklessness in his face. “I’m not having it, Gallo. Joe was the victim, and you can be patient if he’s pissed at you.”
“And if I’m not, then you’ll go after me yourself. I believe you’re proving that you’re protective of more people than your son,” Gallo said. “But I admit I like it better when it’s me you’re protecting.” He watched Joe and Eve get out of the car. “Do you want me to go and greet them?”
And watch Eve have to handle the confrontation between the two men who had shaped her life? Catherine was already at the front door and throwing it open. “Come in out of this mess,” she called. “I wish I could offer you a cup of coffee, Eve. But we’re limited to bouillon.” She made a face. “Not even good bouillon.” She turned to Joe. “You look wonderful.” She gave him an appraising glance. “Maybe you’ve lost a little weight. But I knew you’d make it.”
“That’s more than I did.” Eve gave her a quick hug. “And you’ve lost a pound or two yourself since I last saw you.”
“I kept her on the run,” Gallo said from where he stood by the window. “But no more than she did me.” His gaze shifted to Eve’s face. “Hello, Eve.”
She stiffened. “Hello, John.”
Joe stepped quickly forward. “Gallo.”
Gallo’s expression was wary. “Hello, Quinn. Am I going to have problems with you?”
“I’m not sure,” Joe said coolly. “You deserve them. You’ve been getting in my way since the moment you decided to come back into Eve’s life.”
The two men were like two lions, arching, frozen in place but ready to attack, Catherine thought. She took a step forward, then stopped. They’d have to work it out for themselves sometime. It might as well be now.
But Gallo had seen that movement from the corner of his eye. “Catherine says I have to be diplomatic since I’m the one who has been causing all the trouble. She’s about to step in and take me out.”
“I’d be glad to save her the trouble.” Then Joe glanced at Eve. “But you may not be important enough for me to be bothered with right now, Gallo.”
Oh, shit. Catherine saw that flicker of recklessness appear in Gallo’s expression again.
He said, “Perhaps I could up the ante, and that would make you think I’m-”
“Stop it.” Eve stepped forward between the two men and faced Gallo. “Catherine said that Jacobs knows who killed Bonnie. That’s all I care about. If you love Bonnie as much as you say, then that’s all that you should care about, too.” She paused. “I thought it was you, John. I’m still not certain it’s not. Prove it to me.”
“Yes, prove it to her, Gallo,” Joe said. “I think we need to talk to Jacobs.”
“Fine,” Catherine said. “We’ve been waiting for you.” She turned toward the stairs. “If you want to ask Jacobs questions, then come upstairs and do it. Maybe you’ll have more luck than we did.”
Gallo hesitated and gestured toward the stairs. “By all means, I was looking forward to questioning the bastard myself, but I’ll forgo the pleasure. Catherine has already pointed out that I need to be kind and diplomatic to guests.”
“And you’re doing what she wants.” Eve was gazing at him searchingly as she started up the stairs. “I find that curious.”
“Do you?” He smiled. “But can’t you see I’m terrified of your friend Catherine?”
Catherine made a rude sound. “Shut up, Gallo.” She turned to Joe. “Jacobs is going to cause us trouble. I hope he’ll be more cooperative now that he’s had time to think.”
“He’ll be cooperative,” Joe said grimly as he moved past her up the stairs. “Tell me what he’s told you so far. No, on second thought, let me start fresh.”
“Lord, it’s chilly up here.” Eve shuddered as they reached the bedroom door. “What are you doing, Catherine? Are you trying to freeze information out of him?”
Catherine frowned. “It wasn’t this chilly before.” She opened the door. “I don’t know why it would-”
“Dear God!” Eve took a step back, her gaze on the bed. “Catherine?”
Catherine’s gaze followed Eve’s. She went rigid. “No. Eve, no. We didn’t- Gallo!”
There was water on the floor around the bed.
Jacobs was still bound, spread-eagled on the bed.
And there was a knife sticking upright in his chest.
“Shit!” Gallo pushed by them and ran to the bed. Jacobs’s mouth was still taped, and his eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling. Gallo checked the pulse in his throat, but they all knew it wasn’t necessary. “Dead. But how the hell-”
“The window.” The sheer white drapes were blowing from the open window, and Catherine was there in a heartbeat. “We were downstairs. He had to have come in the window.”
Dammit, she could see nothing through the heavy fog.
But she could hear something.
The splash of water being moved, the sound of suction in the mud…
“He’s in the bayou!”
“Heading south.” Gallo had already swung his legs over the sill and was climbing hand over hand down the side of house to the roof of the porch.
Gallo might think he was Spider-Man, but she’d make almost as good time going down to the front door and wouldn’t risk falling and breaking her neck, Catherine thought. She turned and was running out the room when Joe grabbed her arm and spun her around.
“One question,” he said.
“I don’t have
“You have time for this one.” His glance shifted to Jacobs. “This isn’t some con you set up to convince us that Gallo was innocent? He didn’t get overenthusiastic and stick that knife in Jacobs?”
Her eyes widened. “I wouldn’t do that, Joe.”
His expression didn’t lose its hardness. “I wouldn’t think that you would, but I wouldn’t think you’d be so dedicated to exonerating Gallo either. I don’t know what’s going on with you, Catherine.”
She tore herself away from him, her eyes blazing. “And you think because he once managed to convince Eve that he was the sun and the moon, that he’d dazzle me so that I’d lie for him? No way, Joe. He didn’t kill Jacobs, and neither did I. We were both downstairs waiting for you. Whoever did this must have followed us from the casino.” She turned on her heel. “And now I’m going to go into that bayou and try to catch the son of a bitch.”
“Go on,” Joe said quietly. “Eve and I will be right behind you as soon as I figure out which-”
But she didn’t hear the rest because she was already down the stairs and throwing up the front door.
Swirling fog.
Dampness.
And the sudden splash of movement in the bayou.
“Gallo!”
“Here.”
He was already in the water.
