“I just received a call from Warden Salazar at San Quentin. He had a request and decided to go through me.” He paused. “Colby wants to talk to you one more time before the execution.”
“No!”
“I told Salazar that would be your answer. He said it was his duty to make the request from a condemned prisoner. Colby dies tomorrow night, you know.”
“I could hardly forget.”
“Salazar said he refuses to see any family members but he’s been spending a lot of time with the chaplain during the last few days. A couple times he’s even requested to be taken to the chapel for prayer.”
“What?”
“Well, you know the old saying about there not being any atheists in a foxhole. Colby may be running scared.”
“Or he may be playing games.”
“Possibly.” He hesitated. “But what if he’s had a true change of heart? This might be an opportunity.”
“Or it might be a chance for him to rip me to pieces one last time.”
“That could be true.” He lowered his voice. “But do you want to refuse, then later wonder if you’d done the right thing? There’s a lot in the balance.”
“Leave her alone, Griffin,” Lynch said roughly. “You saw what he did to her before.”
“Hello, Lynch,” Griffin said. “It’s her choice, after all. Stay out of it. Kendra?”
“I’m not going to fly up there and let him—”
“That wouldn’t be necessary,” Griffin said. “Salazar has arranged a Skype with your computer. Colby is waiting for the connection. Just a few minutes of conversation, then you can hang up. You’ll be in total control.”
“No one is ever in total control with Colby. He only waits until you turn your back, and he springs.” She was starting to shake at the thought. She made an effort at control. “He wants to see if he can make me afraid.” Oh God, and she was afraid. “It’s all a big con game.”
“Then the answer is no?”
“Of course it’s—” She closed her eyes. Don’t give in to him. Stand your ground.
“Don’t do it,” Lynch said.
“Shut up.” She opened her eyes. “Dammit, I have to do it. Because there’s a million-to-one chance Griffin might be right. I have to let Colby take one more shot at me to make sure.” She spoke into the phone. “Set it up. Give me five minutes.” She hung up.
“You’ll regret this,” Lynch said.
“Probably.” She drank the rest of her wine in two swallows. She wished she had another one. She was probably going to need it. No, she had to have a clear mind. “But it has to be done.” She sat down on the couch and took her computer out of her bag and set it up on the coffee table. “So either be quiet or sit down in that chair across the room and commune with your humongous poster of Ashley while I get this over with.”
He stood looking at her for a moment, then went across the room and sat down.
She sat there, taking deep breaths, waiting.
The computer sounded. She accessed the call.
Salazar’s face filled the computer screen. “I appreciate your consideration in doing this, Dr. Michaels. I know how difficult it is for you.”
“No, you don’t. But that’s okay, I agreed to do it.” She shook her head wearily. “God knows why. Hope springs eternal. Griffin asked if I might regret saying no, and I couldn’t answer him. I know that you’re only doing your job, Warden. But do you honestly think Colby has seen the light?”
“I have no idea,” Salazar said. “He’s certainly been displaying the signs of a man seeking salvation. I’ve seen other condemned men who have searched desperately for forgiveness during these last few days. It’s not my place to judge.”
“And whose place is it?”
“It seems it’s yours, Dr. Michaels. Are you ready to speak to him?”
“No. Yes. Go ahead.”
The next moment, Colby’s face replaced Salazar’s on her screen. “Hello, Kendra. It’s kind of you to take the time to speak to me. I know you must be very busy.” His small, pointed teeth showed in a smile. “While I’m not busy at all. I’m taking the time to look back and inward.”
“Either way, you’re seeing nothing but a horrible festering.”
“Is that any way to talk to a man who is seeking forgiveness for his sins?”
“Bullshit.” She drew a deep breath. “Why did you ask to speak to me?”
“Why, you were the one who stopped me from committing even more sins. I wanted to thank you.” He leaned forward, and said softly, “We’ve been together on a great journey. I somehow feel that even after the good warden shoots me with his poison that we’ll still be together. Our story will continue into the afterlife.”
“You’re crazy.”
“I think about you all the time. Do you know what I remember most? That gully and your hitting me with that stone.” He chuckled. “I want you to remember the gully, too, Kendra. It’s important.”
“It’s the past, and I’ll forget it as soon as they put you to death.”
“No, don’t do that. As I said, it’s important.”
“The only thing that’s important is that you tell me where I can find that bastard you sent out to do your murders. If you’re repentant, give me his name.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He smiled. “I can hardly be blamed for some copycat trying to best my record. If you find out who he is, have him call me, and I’ll tell him the error of his ways.”
“I might do that.” She stared him in the eye. “Because we’re very close to getting him, Colby. It might even be before they execute you. I’d like you to know that your pupil will be following you to the grave. Your legacy will be over.”
“Are you bluffing?” His face was without expression, but she could sense a minute change in his demeanor. “It doesn’t matter if you are or not. After all, tomorrow night this talk of legacies will be settled one way or the other. I’ll have gone on to that other place.”
“Hell.”
“It’s possible, if hell exists.”
“If it didn’t, God would create one for you.”
“But what about forgiveness?”
His tone was solemn, but she knew he was mocking her. “I’m done with talking to you, Colby. I’m hanging up.”
He nodded. “I’m ready for you to do that now. I just had to see you one more time and speak to you. It was important to me. Important to both of us.”
“The only thing important is that after tomorrow, I’ll be able to erase you from my life.” She hung up.
She was shaking. She turned off the computer and shoved it across the coffee table, rejecting it. She wanted a total disconnect. She felt somehow that he was still there, waiting for her to open the laptop so he could pounce.
“A total waste.” Lynch was suddenly beside her on the couch, pulling her into his arms. “Salazar should have told him to go screw himself.”
“He couldn’t do that.” Her voice was muffled against his shoulder. “Don’t you know we have a merciful justice system even to those who don’t know the meaning of mercy?” She should push him away, but she wasn’t going to do it. She needed his strength right now. “Salazar had to go by the rules. I’m the only one who could say no to Colby. I didn’t do it.”
“I hate to say I told you so. But if I don’t, you might ignore my sage advice again.”
“Bastard.”
“All Colby wanted to do was taunt you, to get his final jab before he bowed out.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I guess that was what he wanted. He’s crazy, and he’s obsessed with me. He kept talking about the gully … But he didn’t really do anything but reminisce and—you heard him.”
“Yes, I heard him.” His arms tightened around her. “I wanted to kill him. I didn’t want him to have even twenty-four hours more of life.”
“Neither did I,” she whispered. “I know that I couldn’t be safer with him shut away in that prison, but he frightens me. He’s always frightened me. Do you know, it’s said everyone has a nemesis. If that’s true, Colby is mine.”
“Not true. A nemesis is unconquerable. You’ve conquered Colby.”
“Have I? He doesn’t think so.”
Lynch cursed low and fluently. “That’s because he’s trying to use Myatt against you in some way. It won’t do him any good. We’ll get Myatt soon, and Colby will die tomorrow night. No more nemesis.”