Thinking of Seth brought on an uneasy pang of guilt. She'd promised to tell him every move she made, but the request was bossy and paranoid. He was tied up inspecting the inventory system today anyway, so why distress him? She couldn't afford to waste her energy in a dispute over being accompanied or not. Besides, her errands were innocuous enough. It wasn't like she was meeting a stranger at midnight under a bridge.
Seth's protective instincts made her feel cuddled and cherished, but he had a life, and far better things to do with his time than tag around after her. She had to be bold, to catch this new wave of courage and momentum and ride it for as far as it would take her.
The Muzak version of “Silver Bells” abruptly clicked off. “This is Bill Haley's office “ a woman said. “How can I help you?”
“My name is Raine Cameron. I'm calling with some questions about a case that Mr. Haley was working on some years ago, involving Peter Marat Lazar, in August of 1985.”
“And what is the nature of your interest in the case?”
Raine floundered for a second, and then followed her instincts, as she had last night with Seth. “I'm Peter Lazar's daughter.”
“Hold on,” the woman instructed.
Raine clutched the phone, her head spinning. She had spoken the truth, for the first time in seventeen years, to a faceless woman on the telephone. Now three people on earth, including her mother and Dr. Fischer, knew her true identity. When Bill Haley knew, it would be four.
The Muzak version of “White Christmas” clicked off. “Mr. Haley would be glad to talk to you. When can you come?”
“Right now?”
“That's doable. Hurry, though. He has a meeting at twelve-thirty.”
Her hands shook as she scribbled down the directions. She was electrified by the thought that there might come a day when she would no longer have to lie to anyone about anything.
Oh, God, it was going to feel wonderful.
He would never have thought that angel face capable of lying. The painful, exposed honesty trembling in her voice last night; he'd bought it completely. This was the kind of stuff that happened to a guy when he started thinking with his dick. Other men were used to it, maybe. For him, it was an unpleasant novelty.
He dialed McCloud, staring at the cluster of signals on the beacon display screen. Raine was not safely ensconced in the Lazar Import & Export corporate office. She was on southbound 1-5, moving through Shoreline. He'd stopped at Oak Terrace to grab some fresh clothes and equipment, and punched up the beacon display to check on her. So he could relax. Hah.
McCloud picked up on the third ring. “Why didn't you call me when she skipped out?” Seth snarled.
“Because you were busy, and I had the situation under control,” Connor said calmly. “At least until just now.”
“Yeah? What's that supposed to mean?”
“It means that Rained been holding out on you, buddy. I just talked to Davy. Nobody by the name of Peter Marat has ever worked for Victor Lazar.” Connor clucked his tongue. “I'd hold off on the wedding invitations until you figure out what she's up to.”
“You are annoying the shit out of me, McCloud.”
“That's my specialty. Back to your blonde. I've been chasing her around all morning. Her first visit was to a retired doctor named Serena Fischer. Davy checked her out, tells me that Fischer is a GP who used to practice in Severin Bay. She was there for about twenty minutes.”
“Now what is she doing?”
'This is the interesting part I tuned in to her cell phone. She's going to see my boss. She's on her way to Bill Haley’s office right now.”
Seth's mouth fell open.
“She's that good, huh?” Connor's voice was coolly speculative. “Been spilling tales while you've been boning Blondie, Seth?”
“Fuck, no.” He was too stupefied to be angered by the accusation.
“Hmm. You're never going to guess what else she said to Donna, when she called the Cave. You sitting down?”
“Don't be coy,” Seth snarled.
“She said she was Peter Lazar's daughter. Peter.. .Marat... Lazar. Congratulations, Mackey. You've been giving the high hard one to Victor Lazar's niece.”
An icy claw gripped Seth's gut, and squeezed. He sat down. Hard.
Connor's voice was relentlessly matter of fact. “Davy ran another check. It all happened pretty much like Raine said, except for the trifling detail of the last name. Victor's younger brother Peter drowned in ‘85. He had a daughter, name of Katerina. The kid and her mom skipped the country and haven't been heard from since.”
Connor paused, expectant, but Seth was struck speechless.
He grunted and went on. 'That's not all. Sean tailed Lazar’s Mercedes around all morning, listening to his cell phone. There's going to be one of those depraved VIP shindigs out at Stone Island tonight. Victor's been calling members of his club of illicit collectors, plus his favorite exclusive escort service, for the late-night entertainment. Sounds like a big deal. It'll be interesting to see who comes “
Seth struggled to follow him. “Uh, yeah. Real interesting.”
“And the most interesting tidbit of all was a phone call to Lazar's supposedly secure private line in his office. Love that little drop-in bug you slipped into his phone. Davy monitored a twenty-five second phone call from an unidentified person who simply said that the meeting for the 'heart of darkness' would be on Monday morning.”
Seth rubbed his hands over his stinging eyes. “No location?”
“Nope. Bummer. Mystery caller said more details would be forthcoming.”
“Shit” Seth muttered.
“Yeah. We're going to have to improvise, like I always figured. Anyhow, back to Blondie. I can't follow her to the Cave. I'm no good for covert surveillance down there. I've asked Sean to cover—”
“I'm on my way,” he cut in. “Don't let her out of your sight.”
“But she knows you,” Connor objected. “She doesn't know Sean. Come on, Seth—”
“She won't see me.” He cut the connection and shoved the phone into his pocket with trembling hands. He had to play it cool. No red haze. It would run him off the rails, and he would be fucked.
Victor Lazar's niece. Holy shit.
Right now would be a good time for his inner cyborg to take over and run the show, but there was nothing left of him but a pile of parts. Circuits blown, wires smoking, all tangled together with flesh and bone and pulsing blood. Raine Cameron Lazar had taken him to pieces.
“Lucky that you came when you did,” Bill Haley told her. “I'm retiring, you see. This time next week, I'll be salmon fishing up in the Inside Passage. Please, sit down.”
'Congratulations on your retirement. I'm glad I caught you,” Raine said. Bill Haley was a twinkling-eyed man in his sixties, with chubby, Santa Claus cheeks, bushy brows and curly iron-gray hair.
“No need to prove that you are who you say you are,” he said. “Damn, but you look a lot like your mom,”
“I've been hearing that a lot lately” Raine said.
He steepled his fingers together and gave her an affable smile. “So, Ms. Cameron. What is it that you think I can do for you?”
I heard that you took an interest in my father's death,” she said. “I'd like to know why.”
Haley's smile faded quickly. “You don't remember much of that time, huh? How old were you? Nine, ten?”
“Almost eleven,” Raine said. “And I remember just enough to make me really nervous.”
Bill Haley studied her face. “You should be nervous,” he said bluntly. “It was very convenient for Victor Lazar that his brother had that accident Victor had his fingers in all sorts of pies back then. Peter had finally agreed to testify against him.” Haley tapped his pen against the desk, studying her reaction. His eyes no longer seemed to twinkle. They had taken on a sharp, metallic glint.