And you buried it again here. Thats why you covered all these graves with flowers. You wanted to erase any sign the grave had been disturbed.
He nodded as he kept on digging. Theres an old saying that the best place to hide anything is in plain sight, but I admit Im too anal to just leave it at that. I had Mark install an alarm that would go off if the box is touched, and I had him turn it off when I was in the house just now.
And you must have substituted another skull in that coffin in the cornfield. She glanced at the name on the tombstone. Was it Randolph Barretts?
No, Barretts only temporarily sharing his quar-ters. He died when he was sixty-four. I wanted a younger skull, so I bought one from a medical school in Germany.
Her head was whirling. Wait a minute. Why? Why have you gone to all this trouble?
I knew theyd tumble to what I was doing even-tually and that I might need a diversion. I hoped I wouldnt have to use it. I tried every way I could not to tip my hand, but something must have gone wrong. You hadnt even started the project. Things were moving too fast and I had to throw them off the track.
What do you mean, moving too fast? I dont know what the hell youre talking about.
You dont have to know. Its safer for you if you dont. He threw down his shovel, bent, and picked up the square lead box hed uncovered. All you have to do is the job I paid you for.
I dont have to know? Shock reverberated through her as all the implications of his deception hit home. Why, you son of a bitch.
Maybe. He set the box aside and began shovel-ing the dirt back into the grave. But it doesnt change anything.
It changes everything. Her voice was shaking with anger. You took me out there to that damn cornfield, knowing it was for nothing.
It wasnt for nothing. They knew you were on the job and I needed you there for window dressing to make the trip more convincing.
And almost got me killed.
Sorry. I cut it a little close.
Sorry? Is that all youve got to say? What about Gil Price? He was shot. He was trying to save that skull for you and it wasnt even the right one.
I hate to disappoint you. I know you want to pile all the guilt you can on my shoulders, but Gil knew exactly what he was doing. He arranged for the pur-chase of the skull for me.
He knew? Im the only one who was left in the dark?
Yes. He put the shovel down and drew the pallet of carnations over it and the grave. I wouldnt have let him walk into something like that without warning him.
But you let me walk into it.
You were supposed to be a bystander. Gil was going to participate. I didnt know youd be forced to
Bystander. She was growing more furious by the second. You set me up. I wondered why you wanted me there, but I didnt think it was to use me as bait.
The skull was the bait. As I said, you were there to make it all credible. I needed to make sure that theyd think our trip had enough significance for them to follow us.
You wanted them to chase us. You wanted them to get close enough so there would be a valid excuse for shoving that coffin out the limo.
He nodded. They had to believe that only des-peration would force me to give up the skull. I was planning on being the one to toss out the coffin, but then Gil was hurt and I had to drive.
And Gil told me to do it. Christ, you even ar-gued with me.
I figured it was the quickest way to get you to do it. You were angry enough with me to do anything I didnt want you to do.
And you would have risked letting Gil and me die to fool them.
I was in that car too.
If you want to commit suicide, thats your busi-ness. You had no right to endanger anyone else.
I thought it was the only solution.
Solution? My God, youre so obsessed with your damn politics, you were willing to stage a charade that could have killed all of us.
I needed to buy you some time.
Well, then, you did it for nothing. Her eyes blazed at him. If you think Id touch this job now, youre crazy. Id like to strangle you and bury you here beside Randolph Barrett. She whirled away from him. No, Id like to bury you somewhere no one would ever find you. You deserve it, you callous bastard.
Eve.
She ignored him as she started down the hill.
You have a perfect right to be angry with me, but there are things for you to consider. Will you let me clarify the situation so that you
She continued to ignore him and speeded up her pace. Manipulative son of a bitch. Crazy, conniving bastard.
She met Margaret on the stairs as she headed for her room. Gils asleep. I think
Arrange a car and a flight for me, she said curtly. Im out of here.
Oops. I gather John wasnt very persuasive. She grimaced. Cant say I blame you, but you really can trust John to
Forget it. Make that flight the next one out.
Ill have to check with John.
Get me out of here or Ill walk to Atlanta. She slammed the door of her room, flipped on the light, and moved toward the closet. She dragged her suit-case out, tossed it on the bed, and headed for the bureau.
You do have to listen to me, Logan said quietly from the doorway. I know its difficult to see things clearly when youre this upset, but I cant let you leave until you know what youre facing.
Im not interested in anything you have to say. She threw an armful of underthings into the suitcase. Why should I? Theyd probably be lies. Your credi-bility with me is the pits. You deceived me and you nearly got me killed.
But you werent killed. Getting you killed is the last thing I want.
She went back to the bureau and opened another drawer.
Okay, lets explore the situation. You didnt think what I wanted you to do was dangerous enough to cause anyone serious problems. It seems you were wrong. They wanted the skull enough to kill for it. Therefore, they think its as important as I do.
She dumped the contents of the second drawer into the suitcase. Its not Kennedy.
Then prove it to them. Prove it to both of us.
Screw you. I dont have to prove anything to anyone.
Im afraid you do.
She whirled to face him. The hell I do.
You do if you want to keep alive. He paused. And keep your mother alive.
She stiffened. Are you threatening me?
Me? No way. Im just telling you how it is. The situations escalated to the point where you have only two options. Prove Im right and let me go after the bastards with evidence. Prove me wrong and you can go to the media and get everyone off your back. He looked directly into her eyes. Because the alternative is to have them go after you and put you down. They wont care if Donnellis story is true or not. They wont want to take the chance.
I can get police protection.
That might help for a while. But its not a per-manent solution.
I can have Joe drag your ass in for questioning. I can tell them everything.
And Ill find a way to walk out, smelling like a rose. Thats what lawyers are for. He added soberly, I dont want to fight you, Eve. I want to keep you alive.
Bull. You want exactly what youve wanted from the beginning.
Yes, but one doesnt rule out the other. What happened at your lab was a warning, but what hap-pened tonight showed theyve pulled the gloves off.
Maybe.
Listen, think about it. He studied her face and then shook his head. Im not getting through to you, am I? Okay, I didnt want to tell you, but other wit-nesses are already being eliminated. Three people have been killed in the last few days.