Stalemate

'My God, you're sadistic.'

'No, I'm desperate. This is no game to me. I have to have you. You do this for me and I promise I'll find your little girl.'

'And if I don't?'

'I've stacked the situation with good and bad cards. It's up to you how I play them.'

'I'm responsible? Don't lay your blame on me.'

'I'd never do that. I take total responsibility for everything I do. I'm going to hang up now so that you can consider the gift I've offered you.'

'A gift has no strings.'

'True. Good-bye, Eve. I'll be-'

'How long have you known about Palker?'

'I found out last night.'

'And why didn't you call me then?'

'Why don't you tell me, Eve?'

'You didn't want to keep me in suspense. Your ego would have told you to call me as soon as possible so that you would have at least come closer to your deadline.'

'Really?'

'Really.'

'Then why didn't I do it?'

'Joe. You knew Joe wouldn't be home at this time of day. You didn't want him to hear what you said to me before. You don't want him to know now.'

'Very good. You are coming to know me.'

'Not enough. How many people did you pay off to keep any information about you buried as deep as that man you killed and threw in the ground?'

'A good many. I'm flattered you've been interested enough to try. And, as I told you before, this is between the two of us. I'm sure Joe Quinn has been putting up roadblocks since the moment I called you. He gets in the way. You know that as well as I do. I can't have him doing that. He stands over you like a guardian angel protecting you from my devilish ways.'

'He's a good man and I listen to his advice.'

'I know. That's one of the things I've had to overcome. But I have overcome it, haven't I? When all is said and done, you don't care if you're being wise. You don't care if there's danger. You're tired and hurting and you want your heart eased of pain.' His voice lowered to soft urgency. 'I'll give you that ease, Eve. Come to me. Help me and I'll help you.'

Christ, she was bending, yielding to his words as if he were indeed Lucifer tempting her with untold riches.

But the riches were not unspecified; she knew exactly what she would get from him.

'Call me when you're ready to come and I'll make arrangements.' He hung up.

Dear God.

She rose to her feet and went to the window to look out at the lake.

Help me and I'll help you.

Lord, she did need help. She needed someone to tell her she was crazy to be drawn into the web Montalvo had woven. Yet that was what Joe had been doing all along and she had been ignoring him, fighting him.

Because she didn't want to be saved. From the moment he had mentioned Bonnie she had wanted to risk everything for the chance that Montalvo was not lying to her. Somewhere deep within her she had desperately wanted Montalvo to be successful in finding out Marty's identity and locating his killer. If he could do it once, he might be able to do it twice.

And he had done what he had promised. He had met the test.

Help me and I'll help you.

She closed her eyes as the words repeated over and over in her mind.

Help me and I'll-

Her eyes flicked open and she turned away from the lake. There was no need to dwell on Montalvo's words. They had already done their work. He hadn't even had to be particularly persuasive after the first attempt. It had been overkill. On a subconscious level she had been persuading herself these last days.

And there was no question in her mind or heart that she was going to let Montalvo help her find Bonnie.

She phoned Montalvo back thirty minutes later. 'I'm coming. But on my terms, not yours.'

'What terms?'

'You're not sending any plane for me. I'll arrange with the CIA to bring me to you.'

'Agreed.'

'And you'll have Gonzales and his family waiting when I get off the plane and they'll board it and the CIA will fly them out of Colombia.'

'Agreed.'

'And you won't wait until I finish the job to get your people working on finding my daughter. You'll start at once.'

'Agreed. Anything else?'

'No.' She paused. 'I'm good, but I'm not a miracle worker. I may not be able to do what you wish. I'm bargaining for the attempt, not the success.'

'I've seen your work. At times you come very close to miracles.'

'I mean it, Montalvo.'

He didn't speak for a moment. 'As long as I feel you're giving it your best effort, I won't quarrel with you.'

'I can't do anything else but my best. It's the only way I work. One other thing. Joe Quinn.'

'He can't come with you.'

'I don't want him to come with me. I may be willing to risk my own neck with you, but I won't risk Joe's. But he's not going to see it my way. I need a promise from you. Under no circumstances will you harm my family, particularly Joe. No matter what he does, what he says, how much trouble you believe he's going to cause, you will not hurt Joe Quinn.'

'That may be a most difficult condition. I've checked his background. Police, FBI, ex-SEAL. He could cause a disturbance.'

'You're damn right he could. Ask me if I care. Give me your promise.'

'Would you trust my word?'

'Probably not. But if I make it a part of the bargain you'd know it was a deal breaker.'

'I do keep my word. It's one of my eccentricities.'

'We'll see. Give me your promise. I want the words.'

He sighed. 'Under no circumstances will I harm your admirable Joe Quinn. Satisfied?'

'No, I'm not satisfied about anything connected with this. I'm just trying to minimize the damage.'

'And you've done a good job. I'd expect nothing less of you.' His voice became