“It will be challenging enough. I told Joe and Eve I’d be at the Run. They’re not going to be pleased when they find out I’m not there.”

“And why aren’t you there? What is this all about?”

“I told you, I know a way to find Weismann.”

“What way?”

“Actually, I think I know someone who can find him.”

“With practically no information?”

“I think it’s possible.”

“Interesting. Who?”

“His name is Seth Caleb.”

“CIA? FBI?”

“No.”

“A private detective?”

“No.”

He looked at her inquiringly.

How to explain Seth Caleb? She had known it was going to be difficult. That was why she had not wanted MacDuff on the scene. Even with Jock, it was better not to go into great depth now. “He’s a hunter.”

“What kind of hunter? Animal? Big game?”

“Oh, yes. Very big game. He’s… unusual.”

“And how did you come to meet this… hunter?”

“Several weeks before I came to Paris, Eve and Joe were trying to capture a serial killer, Jelak. They thought he might have been the one who murdered her daughter, Bonnie, years ago. Caleb was after the same man. We formed a sort of uneasy alliance until they caught Jelak. Caleb was extraordinary.”

“Extraordinary. Unusual. Not common descriptions, are they?” His gaze narrowed on her face. “But you don’t want to tell me why this hunter is capable of finding Weismann.”

“Not until I’m sure that Caleb will help me.”

“Money?”

“No, Caleb has plenty of money.” She shook her head. “Just let me call him and talk to him. I don’t want to keep anything from you, Jock. Caleb is hard to explain, and I don’t want to waste time until I know that he’ll come.”

“Then I’ll try to be patient.” He smiled faintly. “One of those words that you don’t like again. But I have no quarrel with it.” He pressed the accelerator. “But I’d better lose the man who is following us so that you can make your call.”

“Someone is-” Of course she would be followed. She had just been so absorbed she had not thought of the possibility. “Can you lose him?”

“No problem. It will just take a little while. But it would be best if you don’t use your phone. The Sang Noir may have the souls of beasts, but they’re techno-savvy. We wouldn’t want your ‘hunter’ to be taken down before he could come to your rescue.”

“You’re telling me that they could be monitoring my cell?”

“They have the right equipment if they’re within a hundred yards.”

“And they could know that Eve and Joe are on their way to MacDuff’s Run?”

“Yes, but MacDuff has already arranged to have them watched until they’re safely within the gates.”

Relief surged through her. “Then get me away from them. I have to call Caleb.”

AN HOUR LATER JOCK PULLED into the parking lot of the Bleinart Inn, a small stone hotel some distance south of Paris. “This should be safe enough. We’ve lost our tail.”

“I’d say that you would have managed to lose anyone following us,” she said dryly. “I’m dizzy from all those blasted turns.”

“I’m very good at losing anyone after me. It was part of my training.” His lips twisted. “What good is an assassin if he can be traced?” He turned off the ignition. “This place looks decent enough. I’ll go inside and check us in. That will allow you to have privacy for your call.”

“Thank you, Jock.”

“The sooner you make the call, the sooner I’ll know what this is all about.” He got out of the car and grabbed the suitcases. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”

She hesitated as she pulled out her phone. It wasn’t a call that she wanted to make. Seth Caleb had always been an unknown quantity to her. She had known him for only a matter of days while he was on the hunt for a serial killer who had threatened Eve. Yet their time together had been filled with darkness and a disquieting fascination.

Darkness.

Yes, that described Caleb. The darkness of the unknown, of violence, of death, of power. A few weeks ago, when he had left Eve’s lake cottage, Jane had been glad to see him go. She had felt as if she had stood on the edge of an active volcano and looked down into the fiery depths. But then she had been permitted to walk away.

Permitted? Why had that word occurred to her? She ruled her own life. Caleb had no control of her.

But if she’d wanted him to go away, why had she kept his cell number in her phone?

Because there was sometimes a use for darkness and the people who dealt in it.

So stop analyzing my motives. I’ve already made my decision. Call Seth Caleb.

She dialed his number.

He answered the phone on the second ring. “Surprise. Surprise. What’s wrong, Jane?”

“Why do you think there’s something wrong? You told me you couldn’t read minds.”

“I can’t. But you’ve always been wary of me. And rightly so. It would take a serious problem to nudge you into calling. Is it Eve?”

“No. Yes. It may be trouble for Eve unless I can get a handle on this.”

“And you think I can help you. Why?”

“You’re a hunter. I need to find a man. Quickly.”

“I assume you want him alive?”

“Of course.”

“There’s no ‘of course’ about it. Most of the people I hunt I don’t allow to live.”

She smothered the tingle of shock at the carelessness of the statement. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t known that about him. “I need information, not for you to kill the bastard.”

He chuckled. “And I was looking forward to giving you a gift of that magnitude. Not his head on a platter? Since the moment I met you, I knew that it would take something extraordinary to impress you. Information is too easy.”

“Not this time. I’ve had enough of decapitated-” She had to stop as memories flooded back to her. She had to steady her voice. “All I want is for you to find Ted Weismann so that I can question him. Will you do it?”

He was silent a moment. “Decapitated… You picked up on that too soon. I wonder why? I think that perhaps there may be an opportunity in this to impress you after all.”

“No, I don’t want you involved in anything but the search. I don’t want to be responsible. It’s ugly, Caleb.”

“I’m used to ugly,” he said. “And I’m touched that you’re trying to protect me. And you won’t be responsible. If I want to do you a favor, then I’ll do it. It’s always my choice, Jane.”

“I don’t want a favor,” Jane said. “Favors always have to be returned, and I’ve never been able to trust you not to have a hidden agenda.”

“That’s because you’re so clever. Of course I do.”

“Set a price, Caleb.”

“I’ll think about it,” he said. “In the meantime, I think I should get to work and try to find this Weismann. What can you tell me about him that might help?”

“Not much. He belonged to Sang Noir, a murder-for-hire group, but he’s now on the run. He was with their cell headquarters in Rome until the past few days. He’s manipulative, money-hungry, and doesn’t give a damn who dies as long as he can squeeze enough cash out of Venable.”

“Venable. CIA?”

“You know him?”

“No, I’ve heard of him. But our paths have never crossed. Over the years I’ve dealt with any number of intelligence agencies. They’re a rich source to tap for information. I would probably have gotten around to Venable eventually.” His tone was thoughtful. “Sang Noir. I did have an encounter with them several years ago. I was forced to remove one of their members. Well, not exactly forced, it was a pleasure.”

“Then I’m surprised you’re not on their hit list.”

“They had no idea I had anything to do with it. I made sure it looked like natural causes. Poor man had a brain hemorrhage.”

She shivered. The casualness of his tone was chilling, but no more than the possibility that he could cause those hemorrhages. It shouldn’t have bothered her. Knowing what she did about the Sang Noir, she knew the man had probably deserved death.

“Get over it, Jane,” Caleb said softly. “You came to me. Accept me for what I am.”