AMY INTERVIEWED Julie for an hour and a half. Betsy came out of the bedroom midway through the interview and joined Joe and me on the deck. Her fingernails were painted in half a dozen different colors; Amy packed plenty of nail polish in that enormous purse. Joe found an old Frisbee in the cottage, and we tossed it around with Betsy while Amy and Julie finished up inside. The air was cool-frigid compared to South Carolina-but not as bad as it had been when I left the city. Maybe winter was going to lose this battle after all. Around one that afternoon, Amy came out and motioned for me to join her on the deck. I tossed the Frisbee to Joe and jogged up the steps.
“Huge, Lincoln,” Amy said when I reached her. “Absolutely huge. This is the story of my dreams.” She was smiling widely.
“Glad I could help, Ace. Only problem is, you can’t write it for tomorrow.”
She frowned. “How long do I have to sit on it?”
“At least another day. Joe and I have to sort out a few things before you can run it. Before you even can mention it to your editors.”
“What things?”
“We’re going to see Dainius Belov.”
She raised her eyebrows and folded her arms across her chest. “You’re kidding, right? Or are you just suicidal?”
“I don’t think we’ve got much to fear from Belov. Remember, it was his son they killed. Joe and I are guessing old Dainius is awfully interested in finding out who murdered his kid. We’re counting on a little cooperation in exchange for a copy of the tape.”
“You’re giving him a copy of the tape?”
I nodded. “That’s where you come in. Do you guys have equipment for that sort of thing?”
“Yes.”
“Good. We’re going to need a copy of the murder tape, and you probably should make a copy of your interview tape as well. Leave copies of both tucked away someplace safe, and then bring me back one copy of the murder tape and the original.”
“Sure thing, boss. The technology guys won’t want to leave me alone while I’m copying the tapes, but that’s nothing I can’t get past using my feminine wiles.”
“Feminine wiles,” I said. “Uh-huh.”
She winked at me. “There’s nothing more fun than being a tease.”
Julie stepped out on the deck behind us and smiled at me. “Is my daughter driving Mr. Pritchard crazy yet?”
“He’s been crazy for years, Julie. She can’t do any more harm to him.”
Amy poked my chest with her finger. “All right, I’m outta here. But I need that tape if you want me to make a copy of it.”
I went down to the Contour and took the tape out from under the driver’s seat where I’d stashed it. I didn’t like handing it over to Amy; the thing attracted danger and death like a James Bond car. But I needed a copy.
“Keep this damn thing out of sight,” I said. “Can you bring the copies back out tonight, or is that a problem?”
“It’s a long drive, but I’ll do it.” She opened her car door but didn’t get in. “How long has it been since you slept, Lincoln?”
“A few hours, at least.”
“Go to bed, stud. You’ll need some energy when you’re arrested.”
She left, and I walked back up the steps and onto the deck. Joe was still playing with Betsy in the yard. I sat down at the picnic table beside Julie and shook my head.
“He looks like a doting grandpa out there. Amazing.”
She laughed. “He seems more taken with my daughter than he is with me, that’s for sure.”
“Don’t let his attitude bother you. He just wants to handle the situation in the way he thinks best.”
She looked at me. “Do you think I’m a fool, Lincoln?”
“For trying to run on your own?” I shrugged. “I don’t know, Julie. I’d like to work things out so you didn’t have to run at all. But I don’t see that happening. If you stay in town, you’re taking a huge risk. In general, I’d advise you to let the professionals help you hide, but Wayne was a professional, and you seem to think he had things pretty well planned.”
“He did.”
“Do you have enough money?”
She smiled. “We’ve got plenty of money. Wayne put all our money into an offshore account, and then he put some of Hubbard’s money into it as well. It was Hubbard’s payoff for Wayne keeping his mouth shut.”
I didn’t ask how much money it was. It was probably quite a lot. I yawned, and Julie frowned.
“You still haven’t slept, have you?”
I shook my head.
“Go inside and lie down,” she ordered. “Your partner is here to keep us safe. You need to sleep.”
I started to object but then thought better of it. I did need sleep, and as long as Joe was here there was no point in continuing to exhaust myself. I told Julie I’d take a nap, and then I went down to talk to Joe.
“I’m going to grab a few hours of sleep,” I said. “Think you can keep them safe while I do?”
“Can’t do a much worse job than you have,” he said. “Go sleep. When you wake up, I’ll drive back into the city and see if I can arrange a meeting with Belov.”
I went inside and lay down on a narrow, musty bed. The door was closed, but the sounds of Julie’s voice and Betsy’s laugh were with me as I fell asleep.
When I woke again the room was dark. I rolled onto my side and looked at the window, saw nothing but shadows outside. I looked at my watch. Almost seven. I’d slept for nearly six hours. I climbed out of the bed, pulled my pants and T-shirt back on, and went into the living room. Joe, Julie, and Betsy were sitting at the small square table in the kitchen with a pile of playing cards in front of them.
“Hi, Lincoln!” Betsy waved at me. “We’re playing Go Fish. Wanna play?”
I looked at Joe. “Go Fish?”
He grunted. “It’s more intense than I expected.”
“I keep beating him,” Betsy said, and Joe shot her a sour look that made her laugh. I caught Julie’s eye and grinned. Joe Pritchard and his new best friend Betsy. How adorable.
I sat in the living room while they finished their game, and then Joe came out to join me.
“About time you got up, Sleeping Beauty. I was running out of games to play with the kid. If you’d slept any longer, I was going to teach her how to clean a handgun.”
“Lovely.”
“I’m going to head back to the city now,” he said. “It’s going to take some time to get in touch with Belov. When I do reach him, he may want to meet with us immediately, or he may want to do it tomorrow.”
“Try for tomorrow,” I said. “I don’t want to leave Julie and Betsy alone.”
“Okay. But with a guy like Belov, there’s no dictating the schedule. If he says to meet him at midnight at home plate in Jacobs Field, we’re going to meet him at midnight at home plate in Jacobs Field. Understand?”
“Yeah. Hey, did Gellino leave any food in this dump?” My brain might have taken six hours off, but my stomach hadn’t forgotten that my last meal had been nearly ten hours earlier.
“Not much, but Lois Lane is bringing food with her.”
“She is?”
“Yeah, she called while you were asleep, and I answered your phone. She said she made copies of the tapes, and she’ll be out here in about twenty minutes. I told her to be sure no one’s following her. I’m not expecting anyone will be, but it doesn’t hurt to watch your back.”
Joe left, and Amy arrived shortly after. She brought a pizza with her, which made Betsy’s day. I carried wood in from the pile under the deck and started a fire, and the four of us sat beside it, eating the pizza and playing silly card games. The night before, I’d been exchanging gunfire with professional killers and dangling from a seventh-floor balcony; now I was chaperoning a Girl Scout slumber party. The varied experiences of a professional detective. And to think, some men are car salesmen or accountants. What a bore.
Amy left around nine, and I promised to call her the next morning with more information on our plans and when she could run the story. At ten, Joe called.
“If you’ve got a copy of the tape, I’ve got Belov,” he said.
“Amy brought them by. When and where do we meet Belov?”
“Tomorrow morning. And you’ll love the place.”
“Where?”
“Inside Tower City Mall, next to the fountain.”
“You’re kidding me. The city’s most dangerous gangster wants to meet us in the mall?”
“Uh-huh. My guess is we won’t stay there long, though. He probably wants to start in a public place so he can be sure we aren’t setting him up. Once we show, I imagine his thugs will send us elsewhere to meet him.”
“Great. You know our last meeting like this didn’t go so well.” I closed my eyes and saw that red dot on Hartwick’s chest again.
“Yeah. But in this case, if anyone dies, it’ll probably be us.”
“A comfort,” I said, “that’s what you are.”
“Speaking of comfort, I just got a call from Tim Eggers. You’re wanted for questioning by police in South Carolina, and now our old friends at CPD would love to chat with you, as well.”
“They can wait.”
“Uh-huh. The good news is, the Russians must have taken the body with them, because the South Carolina cops have no idea anyone was killed.”
“That is good news.”
“Thought you’d like it. We’re supposed to meet Belov at nine. You want to leave the woman and girl alone, or should I call Kinkaid?”
I thought about it. “I’ve got a better idea,” I said. “Why don’t you bring John Weston out?”
“Weston? Why the hell would I do that?”
“We are still working for him,” I said, “although in all the chaos that’s been kind of easy to forget. Julie wants to see him again before she pulls her vanishing act, so tomorrow morning will be as good a time as any.”
“Okay, I’ll call Weston tomorrow morning and drive him out. The old man’s going to be beside himself. Once we’ve met with Belov, we need to get Julie to some sort of police presence. Any ideas on who that should be?”
“Yes,” I said. “James Sellers told me there was a prosecutor who had handled quite a few cases with the Russians. I think she’d probably be the best bet. Once we’ve met with Belov, I’ll get in touch with her.”
“Okay. I’ll be out to the cottage tomorrow around eight, hopefully with Old Man Weston riding beside me.”
“Was that your partner?” Julie asked, stepping out onto the deck after I’d hung up with Joe.
“Yes.” I told her about our meeting with Belov and what we hoped it would accomplish. “He’s a dangerous, powerful man,” I said. “If he doesn’t want you to be harmed, it could mean a lot.”
“I plan to be far, far away from all of them anyhow.”
“I know, Julie, but it can’t hurt to have Belov on our side. He’s the man in charge.”
She sat down on the picnic table and motioned for me to join her. She was wearing an oversized sweatshirt that said myrtle beach, and she had the sleeves pulled down over her hands, trying to keep warm. I’d finally pulled a jacket on over my T-shirt. The night air was cool and fresh, laden with the scent of pine needles.
“Will I talk to the police tomorrow?” she asked after I’d sat down beside her.
“Yes. After Joe and I meet with Belov, I’m going to get in touch with a prosecutor who has some experience with this sort of case. I’m expecting she’ll be a little more understanding of your fears and safety concerns than others might be.”
“All right.”
“I told my partner to bring your father-in-law out tomorrow morning,” I said. “Is that okay?”
“John? Wow.” She exhaled loudly and closed her eyes. “Yes, it’s okay. I need to see him before we leave.” She opened her eyes again, and there was surprise and recognition in them. “He doesn’t even know we’re alive, does he?”
It’s amazing how some people can lose sight of the things that matter most to others. I shook my head. “No, Julie, he doesn’t.”
For a while we sat in silence, and then she had another question. “You’re very close to Amy, aren’t you?”
I shrugged. “Why do you ask?”
“There’s just something in the way you interact with her, that’s all. Both her and your partner… you just seem to let your guard down with them. It’s the first time I’ve seen you do that. I figure you must be close with your partner if you were willing to go into business with him, and if you act similarly around Amy, you must be pretty close to her, too.”
I looked out at the dark pond. The water was still covered by a thin layer of ice, and it looked as black and smooth as a freshly paved stretch ofasphalt.
“I’m probably closer to Amy than she realizes,” I said. “Last summer, when I was just drifting along without any purpose, and pretty content to remain miserable, she forced me out of it.”
Julie tilted her head to the side, her face half obscured by the shadows. “Explain.”
I told her about my dismissal from the police department. I hadn’t shared the story with her yet, and she listened with interest.
“After that, I was a little lost,” I said. “Hell, I was very lost. My life had been made up of two parts: work and my fiancée, Karen. Then they were both gone. I used what little money I had to buy a rundown gym on the west side, and I just faded out of my old life. I didn’t keep in contact with anyone from the department except for Joe, who wouldn’t let me avoid him. I worked at the gym during the day, worked out in the evenings, and sat home alone and brooded with the rest of my time. I was listless. Then a guy who went to my gym was murdered, and Amy showed up on my doorstep asking questions and insisting I help her look into it. She was a real pain in the ass, but she was relentless. Eventually, I gave in. Somewhere along the line, I found my way again. Joe saw the change in me, saw how revitalized I was by having a case again, and asked me to go into business with him. I agreed, he retired, and here we are,” I concluded. “Amy played a pretty big part in getting me back on my feet, which is sort of funny, considering I was a stranger to her. And, I have to admit, a bit ofan asshole to her at first.”
“I see,” Julie said. Then, after a pause, “I’m glad I asked that question, Lincoln. I found out a lot more about you.”
“Scary stuff, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not. And I’m sorry about what happened, about how you lost your job. It sounds like this Karen woman really let you down.” The corner of her mouth twitched in a cold smile. “I know what that feels like.”
“No,” I said, and shook my head. “What happened to me happens to a thousand guys every day. Most of them handle it better, that’s all. What happened to you is an entirely different circumstance. Don’t compare the two.”
“All right.”
I turned to her and moved slightly closer on the wooden bench. “You amaze me,” I said. “You know that? The way you’re facing all of this, it’s incredible. You must be terrified at the idea of leaving your old life behind, but you’re determined to do it because it’s the best thing for Betsy.”
“I am terrified, though,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “I’m scared to death, Lincoln. And I’ve never been more lonely.”
I put my hand on her arm. “You’re not alone, Julie. As long as I can help you, I’m going to be here trying to do it.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
She leaned forward and looked into my eyes. Her face was so beautiful that I was almost nervous when she put it that close to mine.
“Then come with us, Lincoln.”
I stared at her. “Come with you?”
She laughed, and her cheeks flushed slightly. “This is an absurd request. There’s no way you can accept it, and I know that, but I’m going to ask anyhow, so you can decline it, and we can move on. Come with us, Lincoln. I’ve got a beautiful, safe place to raise my daughter, and I have plenty of money. I don’t want to have to raise her alone, though. I don’t want to be alone.”
“Julie, you’ve known me for less than three days.”
She nodded. “And yet I’m asking you. Shouldn’t that tell you something?”
Yes, I thought, it should. But what?
I sat stupidly on the hard wooden bench of the picnic table, fumbling for a response. I had to tell her she was crazy, of course. But I didn’t.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I should never have asked such a thing. It’s absurd, and it’s certainly not fair to you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Remember when I told you in the car that what happened in the whirlpool last night was a mistake?”
“Yes.”
“Well,” she said, “this was not a mistake.” She leaned in and kissed me softly on the mouth, holding the kiss for a while, and then pulled away. As attracted as I had been to her the previous night, it couldn’t touch what I felt for her then.
After a while we left the picnic table and moved to one of the wooden lounge chairs. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but at least we could lean back in it. Julie curled against me, and I held her as we sat there and let the night pass. It grew later, and the air grew colder, but we didn’t leave the deck, not wanting to give up the night any quicker than we had to.