She tensed.
“Answer it,” Trevor said from across the room. “You know what to say.”
Yes, she knew. She'd rehearsed it enough mentally since she'd blown that other opportunity. She pressed the talk button. “Aldo?”
“You've been waiting for my call? That's good. That's the way it should be. I've been waiting a long time for you. Years.”
“You can wait forever. It won't do you any good. I'm too close. In another two days you can kill all the women with my face on earth and I'll still survive. My face will be everywhere.”
There was a silence. “Two days? That's not the truth. You told me only two days ago that Duncan had only started the reconstruction and that you needed—”
“Two days is a long time for Eve when she's motivated. And you can bet that I motivated her. I was hoping you'd believe you had all the time in the world so we could complete our plans. Trevor managed to get the reporters from all the major newspapers to commit to the great unveiling. Eve's doing a wonderful job. The face of the reconstruction looks young and strong and when I look at it I see myself.”
“You see the devil.”
“No, you see the devil. I see life and power enough to rid myself of enemies like you.”
“You'll never rid yourself of me. I'm your nemesis.”
“You're a poor, pitiful pervert who has delusions of grandeur.”
“You're not going to make me angry again.” He was silent a moment. “Where is this photo shoot going to take place?”
She waited a moment before saying, “Here at the library in the villa, of course. At nine o'clock in the evening, day after tomorrow.” She tried to make her tone mocking. “You have an invitation. Don't you want to see the huge splash the reconstruction makes?”
“You're lying. It's not going to be at the villa.”
“No? Then where is it going to be held?”
“Did you think I wouldn't find all that equipment at the vomitorium?”
“Dear me, you must have been doing a little spying. You're right, of course. We think the photo shoot will be much more effective down in the tunnels. That should be to your advantage if you decide to join us.”
“Do you think I don't know you'll all be waiting for me?”
“All? I don't need anyone else to rid myself of vermin like you. But I'll be waiting for you. I need to destroy you before you destroy me.”
“I won't be there. I'm not a fool.”
“But you're a coward.” She paused. “Okay, don't come to the press conference. I'll meet you at the vomitorium tomorrow night at nine o'clock. I'll have Trevor take down the coffin with the reconstruction and then leave. You'll have us both, if you're man enough to kill me and destroy the skeleton.”
“Tomorrow night.”
“Tempted? No skeleton for the press conference the next night and you rid yourself of me.”
“It's a trick.”
“If it is, are you clever enough to turn it against me? I don't think you are. You won't be there. You'll be too frightened. You know I've beaten you all your life. I took away your father. I took away your childhood and now I'm going to show you what a sniveling failure you really—”
“Shut up.”
“Why should I? You're nothing. You're weak. I don't have to have help to crush you.”
“No, you're so proud of yourself.” He sneered. “You've been preparing yourself to meet all comers. Do you still have that thirty-two Smith and Wesson Quinn gave you?”
She was silent, surprised.
“See? I know everything about you. I know you can fire a gun and you were issued a hunting license when you were sixteen. The computer is a wonderful source of information and I even know the name of the firing range where Joe Quinn took you to teach you.”
“If you're so sure that destiny is on your side, then that shouldn't bother you. Don't you think you're smart enough to find out if there's anyone down there but me?”
“Of course I am.”
“Did that sting? Good. You deserve it. Poor bastard, afraid of a seventeen-year-old girl.”
“I'm not afraid.”
“Admit it. You're out of your league, Aldo. I'll be there tomorrow night. Come or don't come. I don't care. I'll have a chance to kill you another day. But this is your last chance. After that press conference it won't matter if you destroy the reconstruction. I'll live on forever.”
“No! It won't happen and I won't be taunted by you.”
“Then don't come. Read about it in the newspapers.” She hung up, drew a deep breath, and looked at Trevor. “How did I do?”
“You could have fooled me,” Trevor said.
She shook her head. “He was very wary.” She paused. “I keep thinking about that video of him in the vomitorium. He looked so triumphant, so at home in that tunnel.” She shivered. “I felt caught, smothered, down there. And you said they were like a maze.”
“But you're not going to have to know anything about the tunnels. And remember, Aldo is in the same boat as you are. He's not familiar with the Via Spagnola tunnels. Even if he's been doing some tentative exploring, it would take months to learn them without a map.”
“Do you think he'll come?”
“If he can find an advantage, if he can see any way he can kill you and survive.”
“It won't be easy. He's going to be suspicious. He knows you and Joe will be trying to trap him.”
“But you threw down the ultimate challenge and he's just nuts enough to try to do it. Isn't that what we've been counting on?”
Madness and that sick hunger to kill. “Yes.”
“And he'll be down there checking out the immediate area. He won't find anything but what we want him to find. Our principal advantage is the temptation you offer and his desperation at the thought of Cira becoming a household name. If anything will draw him out of his hole into the open that will be it.”
She tried to think, mentally going over the conversation word for word. “I have to look vulnerable. He's not going to show his face if I show up armed to the teeth.”
His lips tightened. “There's no way you're going down there without a weapon.”
“Do you think I'm crazy? But no jacket or pockets that could hide a weapon.” She repeated, “I've got to look vulnerable. You'll have to plant a gun somewhere I can get to it fast.”
He thought about it. “Underneath the red velvet throw. Lower right-hand corner as you come out of the tunnel. It will only take you seconds to get to it. And we'll plant another in the coffin itself. Just in case.”
Just in case something went wrong. She didn't want to consider that possibility. “Tomorrow night.” She tried to keep her voice even. “After all this time it seems impossible it's finally—”
“Stop thinking about it,” he said roughly. “If you're going to opt out, do it. I did the best I could but I don't like it. You'll be lucky if we don't get you killed.”
“You don't have to like it. All you have to do is protect Joe and Eve.” She paused. “You keep trying to talk me out of this. You seem . . . torn. Maybe it wasn't only the money. Perhaps this Pietro did mean something to you.”
“How kind of you to grant that I have a few human feelings.”
“How am I supposed to know what you're feeling when you don't let anyone see them? Was it the gold or was it Pietro Tatligno?”
“The gold, of course.”
“Damn you, talk to me.”
“What do you want from me?” His lips twisted. “Do you want me to tell you that Pietro saved my ass in Colombia? That he was the only person I ever knew that I felt I could trust? That he was closer than a brother to me?”
“Was he?” she whispered.
