“John Gallo was nineteen, and he wasn’t a CIA agent. He was just a kid right out of basic who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“A very lethal kid. A month after he was in basic training, they tapped him for Ranger training. That’s what he was doing in Asia. He was a natural. He’d not only been trained by his uncle, but he had an aptitude that was remarkable.” She paused. “That was why they sent him to North Korea on a special mission. A hush-hush assignment that was very politically incorrect. He and two other Rangers parachuted into the country to spy on a fledgling nuclear facility. Strictly against the diplomatic policy at the time. The government had promised North Korea that they would not violate their borders in any way. They had orders to bring back photos and any other information they could gather.”

“Where he died.”

“No, where he was betrayed and captured by the North Koreans. The other two Rangers were killed, and he was thrown into prison. He was there for six years before he managed to escape.”

“And the government covered it up?” Eve shook her head dazedly. “No, that didn’t happen. It’s too bizarre. That notification nearly broke his uncle.”

“It’s true nevertheless.”

“It has to be someone else. You’ve got the wrong information. How did you dig this up anyway?”

“I called in favors. I checked every agency and source I had available, then I made Venable check all of his. Someone did a massive cover-up of everything concerning John Gallo. Even though I was able to break through the curtain, I barely managed to skim the tip of the iceberg.” She paused. “But he was out of that North Korean prison before Bonnie was kidnapped. And he was seen in Atlanta about that time.”

“No.” Her voice was shaking. “He didn’t know anything about Bonnie. He would have no reason to hurt her.”

“But would he have had reason to hurt you? That’s what a lot of family killings are all about.”

“He would have had to hate me. He didn’t hate me.”

“How do you know how his mind was twisted in that prison? He was tortured, solitary confinement, starvation. Six years of that kind of treatment could unbalance anyone. He was in a mental hospital in Tokyo for months after he escaped.”

She closed her eyes. “Dear God, you’re scaring me, Catherine.”

“Why? I didn’t go to all this trouble just to hand you a name and go on my way. We can find him. I’ll find him for you, Eve.”

“I don’t want it to be him.” She opened her eyes. “I’ve always thought Bonnie’s killer was some faceless monster. That’s easier to accept than his being someone I know.” She made a helpless gesture. “Know? Someone I went to bed with. Someone who gave me my Bonnie.” She shook her head in wonder. “And then took her away? How can I believe that?”

“I didn’t say it was a sure bet,” Catherine said. “I said that it was a strong possibility.”

“It’s one I can’t cope with.” Her voice was shaking. “I swore I’d always protect Bonnie, and it was terrible when she was taken. It was my duty to make sure she was safe and I failed her. But if it was someone I knew, then it’s even worse. Maybe I could have sensed it, done something to—”

“You’re not thinking straight,” Catherine said. “You didn’t even know he was alive.”

“I still can’t accept that he is.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “You’re right. I’m not able to put anything in perspective right now. I have to think…”

“First, you have to believe me when I say that everything I’ve told you is true. I wouldn’t have brought all of this down on you if I hadn’t been certain.” Catherine handed her a cup of coffee. “Then you have to tell me what you want me to do about it.”

“I believe that you think it’s true.” Eve lifted the cup to her lips. “But the investigation surrounding Bonnie was extensive. I told them who Bonnie’s father was. Wouldn’t they have found out that John Gallo wasn’t dead?”

“I’m sure they checked. I told you, massive cover-up. The Army didn’t want anyone to know John Gallo was alive.”

“Why?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t found that out yet. It had to be something more than an illicit special ops mission if they were willing to protect him from a high-profile murder investigation.”

She shivered. “They suspected he might have killed Bonnie and they’d still protect him? A man who would kill a child? No one would do anything that horrible.”

“I’ve seen dirtier cover-ups.”

Anger was suddenly searing through Eve. “No you haven’t,” she said fiercely. “There’s nothing more horrible than Bonnie’s death or the man who caused it.”

“Sorry. You’re right.” She studied Eve’s face. “You’re ready to go out and kill someone yourself. That’s good. I’d rather have you on the warpath than in pain. Now drink your coffee, and let’s find a way to get to the bottom of this.”

She took a swallow of coffee. It was hot and strong and helped to relieve the chill. “You say John Gallo was seen here in Atlanta about the time Bonnie was kidnapped. How do you know?”

“There was a written notation in one of the Army Intelligence files on Gallo by an informant who mentioned that Gallo was here during that period.”

“And who was this witness?”

“Paul Black.”

Eve stiffened. “What?”

Catherine nodded. “The man your friend Montalvo told you was a prime suspect in your daughter’s murder. He gave you three names. Two didn’t pan out, and you were preparing to go after the third. Paul Black.”

Shock after shock. “And he was testifying against John Gallo? What was their connection?”

Catherine shrugged. “Another blank. But I’ll find out.”

“No, I’ll find out.” Eve took another drink of coffee and put the cup down with a click on the bar. “Because I’m going after Gallo and making him tell me everything that happened when he came to Atlanta that month.” Her eyes narrowed on Catherine’s face. “And you knew that would be my reaction. You wouldn’t leave me up in the air for long. You’ve got an idea where John Gallo is right now?”

Catherine nodded. “I should know very soon. I squeezed someone in Army Intelligence, and he’s going to see if he can give me a lead. It’s a Colonel Queen, and he didn’t like it one bit that I’d managed to unearth all of this.” She hesitated. “But are you sure that you want to do this yourself? Is it going to be difficult for you? I wasn’t sure how you felt about John Gallo.”

Neither was Eve. It had always been a complex relationship and, now that she knew there might be a possibility of his involvement in Bonnie’s death, that complexity had deadly overtones. “Do you mean am I going to be sentimental about dealing with him? It was sex all the way. He kept me dizzy the entire time we were together.” She smiled coldly. “No, I won’t hesitate just because I was a teenage kid who couldn’t control her hormones. And if I find out he killed my Bonnie, I’ll cut his heart out.”

Catherine blinked. “Well, that certainly defines the situation. It’s hard for me to picture you like that. I’ve never had that experience.”

Eve knew that to be true. Catherine was the widow of a May-December marriage. She had been seventeen when she married her sixty-two-year-old mentor. “I can’t picture myself like that any longer, either. That girl doesn’t exist anymore.”

“I just hope that Joe realizes that she doesn’t,” Catherine said.

Joe.

Eve had been so whiplashed by her feelings about Catherine’s news, which had blown her away, that she had not thought of how it would affect Joe. She could only hope it wouldn’t be a springboard to more tension between them. Catherine was right; she had never spoken to Joe about John Gallo because he was already far in her past when she and Joe had met. Their love affair had become a passionate relationship that had gone on for years, with no other interest for either of them.

Except for Bonnie. She had always been there between them.