“Let me talk to him,” Coltrane said.
“I don’t know the address here. I wasn’t looking when…”
“I need to ask him something.” Coltrane held out his hand.
“Just a second, Walt.” Tash gave him the phone.
Coltrane felt the heat from her hand on it. He smelled her lingering fragrance. “It’s Mitch Coltrane.”
A dead silence was followed by Walt’s husky voice saying, “The son of a bitch poured gasoline through the metal bars in front of Tash’s house and set fire to the garden.”
Coltrane tensed.
“The fumes were everywhere. If I hadn’t stopped by to see if everything was okay, the house would have been destroyed,” Walt said. “I phoned the fire department and used a garden hose to wet down the house until help arrived. It was damned close for a while.”
“Gasoline?”
“That tells you something?” Walt asked.
“I once helped put a stalker in jail by taking his photograph while he poured gasoline on a woman’s lawn.”
“Well, too bad you didn’t stay here instead of driving to Los Angeles. You might have gotten his picture,” Walt said sarcastically.
Coltrane ignored it.
“What’s your address?” Walt asked. “I’ll come get Tash and make sure she spends the night somewhere safe.”
“Are you using a cellular phone?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. What difference does it-”
“A couple of years ago, in Beirut, a man who knows about these things told me never to say anything important on cellular phones. It’s too easy to eavesdrop on conversations over them. I’ll bring Tash back tomorrow morning. But thinking of Ilkovic reminds me of something else. Did you ever have Tash’s house checked for hidden microphones?”
“What?”
“Ilkovic specialized in planting bugs. That was how he anticipated my movements, by overhearing my conversations,” Coltrane said. “Do you suppose this jerk knows all about Tash’s movements because he planted bugs in her house? That would be one way for him to learn her new telephone numbers – when the service person told her what they were, she wasn’t the only one listening.”
More dead silence. “Christ.”
“You didn’t check for bugs?” Coltrane asked.
“I’m sure as hell going to.”
“And after that, I’ll bring Tash back.” He gave the phone to her.
But Tash didn’t raise it to her ear. She just kept staring at Coltrane. “Microphones? You honestly think there might be…”
“Tash? Are you there?” Walt asked faintly from the phone.
Slowly, she raised it. “Walt, I don’t feel up to talking right now. But thanks for everything. I’m really grateful… No, stay there. I’ll be fine. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She pressed a button on the phone and put the phone back into her bag.
Neither spoke for a moment.
“Microphones in my house?”
“It’s a possibility. It has to be checked.”
“But the house has an alarm system. How would he get in to plant the microphones?”
“Before this started, did you have any maintenance work done around the house?”
“The carpeting was put in recently. You don’t suppose…”
Coltrane spread his hands.
“Jesus, I feel so… violated.”
“I’ve been there. I know what you mean.”
“Do you think he set the fire to pay me back for trying to trap him today? Or did he figure out I drove away with you and he was jealous?”
“I was sure he couldn’t have known you were in the car,” Coltrane said. “But…”
“What is it?”
“I’m a little late wondering about the possibility of hidden microphones. If your house is bugged, he would have overheard us planning how to hide you in the car. I’m sorry. I might have made a mistake.”
“I’m not into blaming people. You did your best.” Tash controlled a shudder. “On the positive side, he couldn’t have followed us and at the same time have started the fire. So we know I’m safe for now.” She looked at him. “Can you recommend a hotel in the area?”
“One.”
She waited for the name.
“Right here,” Coltrane said. “There’s a guest bedroom. I’ve got plenty of spare toothbrushes. If I can fit into one of your robes, I know you can fit into one of mine.”
“I couldn’t impose.”
“Why not? Because you barely know me?”
Tash shrugged.
“In the last few hours, I’d say we’d gotten to know each other fairly well.” Coltrane locked the door to the vault.
“After going through those photographs? I suppose you’re right.”
They started up the stairs.
“Look, I made a killer marinara sauce last night,” Coltrane said. “There was plenty left over. I can cook up more pasta and-”
Another shrill noise startled them. They froze at the top of the stairs into the living room.
But this time the sound wasn’t from the phone in Tash’s purse. It came from the doorbell.
Coltrane frowned. “Who would that be?”
“Are you expecting anyone?”
“No. Sometimes Randolph Packard’s assistant drops by, but he has a key, and he usually just lets himself in. Maybe he’s decided to be polite and ring the doorbell.”
With the second jangle of the doorbell, Tash looked more uneasy.
“It’ll be fine. No one knows you’re here,” Coltrane said.
But he himself did not feel assured. He went to the door, looked through its peephole, and felt something inside him contract when he saw who it was.
Oh no, he thought.
He was tempted not to open it, but he couldn’t be certain that his and Tash’s voice hadn’t carried faintly to the person on the other side. Preparing himself, he gripped the dead bolt’s knob, turned it, opened the door, and tried not to look self-conscious when he smiled at Jennifer.
15
“HEY, WHAT A SURPRISE,” Coltrane said.
“Surprise?” Jennifer looked confused. She still wore her black Armani dress. The same pearl earrings and necklace highlighted it, glinting from the outdoor lights. “You didn’t get the message I left on your answering machine?”
“I just came in awhile ago. I haven’t had a chance to listen to my messages.” Coltrane remained at the partially opened door. “What have you got there?”
She held a cardboard box that contained several Tupperware bowls, each covered with a plastic lid. “New Year’s dinner. There was plenty of food left over at my parents’ house, and I wasn’t sure how much you would have gotten to eat when you visited Greg’s widow this afternoon. So I thought I’d bring you a care package.”
“That was really thoughtful.”
“But it’s getting heavy. You’d better move out of the way so I can bring it in.”
“Ah… sure. I’m so surprised to… Here, let me help.”
Coltrane reached to take the box from her. His movement opened the door wider, causing Jennifer’s previous look of confusion to become one of concern as she glanced past him.
“Oh… I beg your pardon. I didn’t know you had company.”
Tash had remained standing at the top of the living room stairs.
“Well, a couple of things happened today, and…” Coltrane didn’t know how to get out of the sentence. “Jennifer, I’d like you to meet Tash Adler.”
“Hello.” Jennifer had trouble saying the word.
“Tash, this is my friend Jennifer Lane.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Smiling, Tash came down the stairs.
By then, Coltrane had overcome his awkwardness enough to finish taking the box from Jennifer. Her hands were free, but she waited a moment before she gripped the hand Tash offered.
“You look awfully familiar,” Jennifer said, then frowned toward Coltrane. “I don’t understand.”
“Familiar?” Tash looked puzzled.
“Jennifer knows about the photographs,” Coltrane explained.