“Doane has left the safe house.”
“And?”
“He’s abducted a woman, and she may be in danger.”
“You told me that Doane wasn’t like his son.”
“I told you as far as I could tell there was a good possibility,” Venable said. “I believe I was wrong. Even if not as bad, he certainly is very dangerous. He killed one of my agents, who was protecting Eve Duncan.”
“More killing.” Tarther was silent. “If he’s like his son, did he help Kevin Relling kill my Dany?”
“No, he wasn’t in Europe at that time. We know that for certain. I told you so when we arranged protection for Doane. You wouldn’t have asked me to give Doane protection if there had been any hint that was true.”
“Things seem to be changing. I had to make sure that had not changed.” His gaze swung back to Venable. “Did you get the disk?”
It was the question he had known was coming and one he did not want to answer. “No, sir, I did not.”
“Then we have to assume he will use it. Have you protected my men?”
“I’m in the process now, sir.” He paused. “My bet is that Doane is going to be occupied in the immediate future and won’t make an attempt to release any information. There’s still an opportunity to get the disk back. But I had to tell you that I’ll have to pull out all the stops when I go after Doane. I can’t have any more lives lost.”
“I know. But my men’s lives are at stake, too. Why do you think I sent you to shelter that monster’s father? All I wanted to do was forget that he existed and brought Kevin Relling into the world. Instead, I woke every day with the knowledge we had no proof that the apple had not fallen far from the tree. I don’t want it to be for nothing, Venable.”
“I’ll try to take him alive,” Venable said grimly. “And if I do, I guarantee you’ll have that disk.”
“Just save my men.”
“I’ll do everything I can, sir.”
“I know you will,” Tarther leaned back and wearily closed his eyes. “You’re a good man, Venable.”
“If I were that good, Doane wouldn’t have slipped away.”
Tarther’s eyes opened, and he smiled faintly. “Now you’re doing it. Another ambush, Venable. What might have been? That’s the cruelest ambush of all.” His gaze went to the strawberry patch he’d been weeding. “Every year I put in strawberries. My Dany loved strawberries. They would make her mouth red, and she’d rub it against my cheek and laugh. I loved her, Venable.”
“I know you did, General.”
“She appeared in my life when I was near the end of my career and cynical and discouraged beyond belief. I never wanted a child. I was going to pay off her mother and send them both away. What would I do with a little girl? I was nearing sixty, and it would be foolish to take on that kind of responsibility. I was a hard-bitten military man who had done his duty all his life and had no wish to be anything else.” He shook his head. “Yet I could see the world around me going to hell, and I couldn’t seem to stop it. The last thing I wanted was for my Dany to come into that world. But when she came, she changed everything.”
“I understand that children have a habit of doing that.”
“You don’t have any children do you, Venable?”
“No, sir. I’ve never seemed to have the time to think about a family.”
“Take the time. Nothing else is worth thinking about. Not a career, or ideology, or saving the world. I never realized what an empty life I had before Dany. She was a miracle.” He shook his head. “But I didn’t recognize how fragile a miracle could be. I should have spent more time with her. I was always too busy. I thought I’d have more time later. I should have protected her. I never dreamed … but it happened. I thought I’d never forgive myself.” His gaze stayed on the green stems in the rich brown earth. “I pray every day that she’ll forgive me.”
“I’m sure she has, sir.”
“How do you know? I don’t.” His lips tightened. “But lately, I’ve felt that maybe she has forgiven me. I’ve felt her close to me. Sometimes, I imagine I hear her laugh. Or maybe it’s not imagination. What do you think, Venable?”
“I don’t think it matters, General. Not if it’s there for you.”
“You’re probably right. I feel her most when I come out here to this little patch to garden. I find myself hurrying like a young boy down the path because I know maybe she’s waiting.” He nodded slowly. “And I’m waiting, too. We’re just waiting to be together.”
Venable cleared his throat. “Then I’ll go and let you get back to your gardening.” He got to his feet. “I’m sorry to bring you bad news, sir. I’ll let you know of any updates.”
“Do that.” He got up from his chair and moved the few yards to the strawberry patch. “But all I ask is that you protect my men. Find the disk.”
“I’ll find it, General. Oh, and I wanted you to know I’ve assigned an agent to the house to protect you.”
The general stopped and looked over his shoulder. “I’d forgotten that I might be a target. Yes, one thing does lead to another, doesn’t it?” His smile was curiously thoughtful. “Thank you, Venable. And don’t worry about me. I have an idea it’s all going to work out for the best.” He fell to his knees and started to weed again. “Good-bye, my friend.”
Venable hesitated, watching him. The general had already closed him out, his expression absorbed. There was a patience, a methodical movement, a rhythm, to every motion, as if he was devoting every cell of his body to the simple task.
But it wasn’t simple at all, Venable realized. He was preparing a gift for his Dany while he waited for her.
And Venable found it too private a gift to watch the giving. “Good-bye, sir.”
He turned and left the garden.
Lake Cottage
“WHY WOULDN’T YOU LET JANE come along?” Margaret hurried to keep pace with Joe as he strode through the woods. “If I can help, it’s just a matter of concentration on my part. It doesn’t matter how many people are around.”
“It matters that Jane would be hovering over you, trying to keep me from damaging your delicate sensibilities.”
“They’re not delicate.” Margaret made a face. “Nothing about me is fragile or delicate. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m sturdy, and I bounce. Though I can see why you’d think Jane would make that judgment. She’s tough, but I seem to have that effect on her.”
“You saved her Toby. Jane is very careful about giving her affection, but she loves that dog. That probably has something to do with it.” He studied her coolly. “And you’re … disarming.”
She nodded. “Yeah, most people think that. I think it’s because what you see is what you get.” She grinned. “And do I disarm you, Detective Quinn?”
“Joe.” He shook his head. “I can’t afford to be disarmed by anyone or anything right now. All I’m concerned about is whether you can produce results. You may prove valuable, or you may be a bust. I have a little time before Venable gets here, and I’m using it to see if you’ll be of any use to Eve. Nothing else matters.”
“I’d have to be deaf and blind not to have gathered that.” Her brows rose. “And you’re willing to bet on a wild card.”
“I’m willing to bet on anything or anyone,” he said bluntly. “I’ve seen and experienced weirder things than a kid who is a dog whisperer. I don’t expect anything. Prove me wrong.”
“I’m not a kid. And I don’t expect anything, either. I just hope.”
“Is that how it always works?”
“Not always. Sometimes I have somewhere to start, as I did when I was trying to find out what happened to Toby. And I had support and an intelligent animal who’d had contact with people and could translate his experience for me. That’s not always the case. Particularly when I may have to deal with wild, not domestic, animals. Then I have to fumble around and try to interpret.”
“How long have you known you could do this?”
“All my life. But I was five years old before I realized that other people couldn’t do the same thing. The sounds and thoughts and impressions were all around me, and I thought they were there for everyone. Then one day I told my father that our neighbor’s dog, Brandy, told me that she was sick and there was something hurting her stomach.”