Thirteen. Unexpected appearances. Establishment of sense of captor’s omnipresence.
At six-thirty my cell phone rang.
The voice gave me that heart-plunge you feel diving on a roller coaster.
“‘D’ wants you.” Female. Strongly accented English.
“Anique?”
“She needs help.”
“I’m glad you called.” I kept my tone casual. “We’re very concerned about you.”
“‘D’ wouldn’t stay at that hospital.”
“Are you all right?”
“‘D’ may harm herself.”
“Where are you?”
“Home.”
Where was home for Pomerleau? Mascouche? Pointe-St-Charles?
“You’re safe?”
“‘D’ wants you.”
“Tell me where.” I grabbed a pen.
“De Sebastopol.”
“But we checked the house,” I blurted.
Dead silence.
Stupid! Stupid!
“We were worried about you,” I said.
“Come alone.”
“I’ll bring Detective Ryan.”
“No!”
“You can trust Ryan. He’s a kind man.”
“No men.” Tight.
“I’m on my way.”
I started to punch in Ryan’s number, then stopped.
35
I DISCONNECTED AND STARED AT THE PHONE, MY MIND RACING through a million what-ifs.
What if I phoned Ryan? Claudel? Charbonneau? Feldman? I wanted support.
What if I raced to de Sebastopol? These women had to be retrieved.
Pomerleau had requested that I come alone. No men. From all I’d read, that made sense. She and McGee had suffered years of abuse at male hands.
Emotions battled inside me. Anger. Loathing. Compassion. Urgency.
All three detectives would be furious if I went on my own.
He could wait outside.
Again, I started to punch Ryan’s number. Again, I stopped.
What if Ryan insisted on escorting me inside?
McGee and Pomerleau obviously had a hidey-hole in that house. Ryan’s presence might drive them back underground. Might shatter their trust in me. Maybe they weren’t even there, but would provide further instructions only if I arrived alone. A police net around the whole neighborhood would be too obvious.
In my mind, I heard McGee’s terrified pleas, felt her grip on my arm, saw the desperate hope in her eyes.
Guilt and self-blame hopped into my thinking.
I’d been unable to calm McGee at the hospital. If anything, I’d increased her alarm.
What if Ryan’s presence panicked her again?
I lurched to my feet. Yanked my jacket from its peg.
This time I’d do as she asked. I owed it to her. To them.
A new thought stopped me cold.
