He hung up.
Dear God, she was shaking.
She reached out and grabbed the wrought-iron post of the arbor to steady herself. Ugliness. Madness. Death.
Terror.
Her heart was beating hard, painfully hard.
Eve. Joe. Trevor.
God help her, Eve . . .
“Jane?”
She looked over her shoulder to see Trevor coming down the path from the house.
“What's wrong?”
She shook her head.
“What's wrong, dammit?” He reached out and grabbed her shoulders. “I was keeping an eye on you from the house and I saw you reach out and grab that fence as if it were a lifeline.”
“Phone call,” she said numbly. “Jesus, Eve.”
“The call was from Eve?”
“Aldo.”
He stiffened. “What?”
“He said he'd call me. We were expecting it. I just didn't—” She tried to pull away. “Let me go.”
“When you finish telling me what the hell's happening.”
“Aldo.”
“What did he say?”
“Too much.” She moistened her lips. “He's really nuts. And I'm worse. I fouled up. I was going to try to set him up but then I lost him. I let him see . . . I blew it. I got so scared and he could tell.” Her hands clenched into fists but she couldn't stop the trembling. “He could tell and now he'll do it. But I can't let him. It's my fault. I won't let him near her, not a—”
“Jane, shut up. Do you want me to slap you?”
She looked up at him in shock. “You do and I'll kick you so hard in the nuts, you'll be a soprano.”
“Okay, you're back to normal.” His hands loosened on her shoulders. “Come on and sit down on the bench and get your breath.”
She'd already gotten her breath back but she still couldn't control the shaking. She sat down and crossed her arms over her chest. “I'm not back to normal. I'm scared and sick and I want to be alone. Go away.”
“The hell I will. When you're ready to talk to me, I'm going to be here.”
Oh, let him stay. It didn't matter. Give him what he wanted. She took a deep breath. “He's going to kill her. It doesn't matter if he kills me first. He's going to kill her anyway.”
“Eve?”
“Eve and Joe and you. But he got a good deal of pleasure out of telling me how he was going to kill Eve.” Her nails dug into her palms. “I won't let him do it. I'll keep her safe.”
“Jane, Eve knew there was a certain amount of danger when she decided to come here. You knew it too.”
“But I didn't know that he'd make her a target. I thought he'd focus on me. All his other victims were women with my face. How was I to know he'd decide everyone I was close to had to die? He even wants to kill you.”
“I'm flattered he thinks you'd care, but he had his reasons to kill me before you came on the scene.”
“He had no reason to kill Eve or Joe.”
“Aldo's phone call actually changed nothing, Jane. He made a few threats and tried to panic you.”
“He did panic me.” But the terror was beginning to ebb and she could think again. “And he enjoyed it. He caught me off guard and I let him see how much he could hurt me.”
“Okay, but you didn't blow it completely. Right? You didn't set him up, but he's going to call again?”
“He said he was.” She added bitterly, “He enjoyed it so much that he probably won't want to wait to do it again.”
“Then you can see that this call basically changed nothing.”
“You're wrong. I didn't realize to what extent I was risking Eve and Joe. I do now. And I made it worse for them by letting Aldo know how much they meant to me.” Her lips tightened. “And that makes everything different. We've got to keep Eve and Joe safe.”
“We'll do our best.”
“That's not good enough.” She stood up. “You were right to treat me like an idiot schoolgirl. I should have been able to fool him, turn him in another direction. But I didn't. I was so scared that I couldn't think fast enough. I'm not waiting around for him to come after Eve.”
“Eve won't be down in the tunnel with us and she'll have protection here at the villa.”
She whirled on him. “And what if he kills me? Do you guarantee that he won't get past her security and slice her to ribbons? He's not going to hurt Eve. He's not even going to get close to her,” she said fiercely. “Do you have any idea how much I care about her?”
“I think I do,” he said gently.
“Then you should know that I'll never let that piece of filth within a mile of her. So if you want Aldo, you'd better make me a promise. No matter what happens, you're going to keep Eve and Joe from being hurt. I don't care if Aldo gets away. I don't care if you think I'm in danger. Nothing happens to them.”
“That's a difficult promise to make but I'll do my best.”
“
“I promise.” His smile was twisted. “And I guess I should feel fortunate you don't care enough about me to demand the same promise about my safety.”
“You can take care of yourself. You weren't pulled into this like Eve and Joe. Besides, it's all about Aldo with you.”
“Of course. What else? It's all about Aldo.”
What's wrong with her?” Bartlett asked as he met Trevor at the French doors. “She looked like she'd run into Godzilla.”
“Close. She got a phone call from Aldo.”
Bartlett's eyes widened. “Indeed.”
Trevor nodded jerkily. “And he scared the hell out of her.”
“That doesn't really compute,” Bartlett said. “Jane doesn't scare easily.”
“She does when it concerns Eve and Joe Quinn. Evidently Aldo's threats were specific and very ugly.”
“I see.” Bartlett nodded gravely. “Yes, that would tip her over the edge. She's very wary of most people but Eve and Joe are her entire world.”
“She made me promise to keep them safe. How the hell am I going to do that in a situation like this?”
“I'm sure you'll find a way. Ever since we met, you've been juggling ideas and possibilities and twisting events to suit yourself. It's automatic with you.” He smiled. “I find it quite exhausting to watch since my mind doesn't have that capability. But whatever you decide I'm going to have a part in it. I notice that I've been left out in the cold in all this planning that's going on. It hurts my feelings.” He added quietly, “I won't get in your way but I'm tired of hovering on the edge. I have to help.”
“I told you that you were to stay here and protect Eve.”
“Quinn's arranged security for her that's much more qualified than I am.”
“According to Jane, she can't have too much.”
“I'm going with you.”
“Bartlett, I don't need you to—” He stopped and shrugged. “Come ahead. Why shouldn't I risk your neck, too? I'm putting everyone else on the chopping block.”
“Dear me, you are having guilty twinges, aren't you? May I point out that I'm a grown man with free choice? And you told me that it was Jane who concocted the plan to use herself as bait.”
“But I gave her the rope to stake herself out for him.” He turned on his heel. “Oh, what the hell. Why should a bastard like me give a damn? Do what you like.”
