“Still in Vancouver, I think,” Joe said. “I’ve been trying to get a cell number to phone her. I should be getting a call with the info anytime now.”

“We probably don’t have a chance that she’ll talk to us,” Eve said. “Her lips have been sealed about what happened at that chalet all these years. Nelda has been very careful to make sure that there have been no leaks.”

“But the situation is changed,” Joe said. “Nelda was content to pay for silence as long as she could keep the status quo, but Beth blew that to hell. Now Nelda’s scrambling for damage control. When we tell Cara about Gelber’s death and Drogan’s killings, she might be uneasy enough to turn her back on Nelda. She must know by now how ruthless Nelda can be.”

It made sense, Eve realized, and the thought brought a ripple of hope. “Then we might get a statement from her that would substantiate the fact that Beth was railroaded into that hospital. It would help keep the authorities from throwing her back in there and ask questions later. We both know that would be their first reaction. Ever since I realized that threat was hovering over her, I’ve been worrying about it.”

“I know you have.” Joe reached out and gently touched her cheek. “And I can’t say that there’s no basis for worry. A history of mental illness is an easy out for law enforcement. I have to admit it would influence me.”

“But Cara Sandler could help. Keep on her Joe.” She got to her feet. “Now I’m going upstairs to give my copy of this session to Beth. It’s time she read it.”

“It may not do any good,” Newell said. “She doesn’t remember any of its happening. Gelber saw to that.”

“I don’t care. It could trigger something. She deserves us letting her be part of this. It’s her past, her life.” She added fiercely, “We’ve been sitting here trying to puzzle everything out as if Beth was the mental incompetent they tried to convince everyone she was. She’s not incompetent. She’s smart and she’s able to—” She broke off. “Sorry. You know that without my preaching at you. It’s just that I feel as if everything is closing in on us, on her. Nelda is weaving a giant web and blocking every way for Beth to get out.” She headed for the sliding glass doors. “And I’m not even sure that I want Beth to remember those sessions with Gelber. That trigger I was talking about could be the one that causes her to go through that damn torture. Gelber was very thorough and efficient about making sure that it was firmly in place. I don’t know what the hell kind of damage is still lingering after all those years. What if her breathing shuts down, and I can’t stop its happening the way Gelber did?”

“You could opt out of letting her read it,” Newell said. “I would.”

“No, I’d want to know everything, whatever the risk. I think she would, too.” She went into the house and up the stairs to Beth’s bedroom.

She hesitated at the door, then knocked. “Beth.”

“Hi.” Beth threw open the door. “I slept longer than I thought, and I just got out of the shower. I couldn’t sleep in that bed, so I moved to the rocking chair and—” She stopped, her gaze on Eve’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you want a list? Present or past?” Eve handed her Gelber’s notes. “Gelber’s interview with you regarding that last night at the lodge before your accident. It’s very revealing … and horrible. I want you to read it.”

“Of course. I want to read it.” She frowned. “You read it? Why didn’t you let me read it first?”

“Newell said that you’d have a problem with it.” She sat down in the rocking chair. “I agree with him, but I’m not sure what kind of problem, so I’m going to stay here until you’re finished. Then we’ll talk.”

Beth sat down on the bed, leaned back against the headboard, and curled her feet beneath her. “You’re very grim.”

“It’s the way I feel at the moment. Why not? The situation is grim and getting grimmer.” She leaned back in the rocking chair. “Just read those pages, Beth.”

*   *   *

“DON’T TELL ME TO HURRY,” Drogan said harshly, his gaze on the Spanish-style house down the block. “Dammit, I can’t get to Beth Avery right now. I’m working on it, but she has Quinn, Eve Duncan, and Newell practically on top of her. It’s going to take a little time.”

“I don’t have time, Drogan,” Nelda said coldly. “And neither do you. I told you when I contacted you that if I upped the stakes, I’d expect you to perform accordingly. So far, I’ve had no problem with you except for a certain rudeness and a lack of alacrity in obeying my orders. Because of your slowness, I had to enlist other help to speed things along. But I can accept that if we can bring this to a swift close.”

“It’s not as if I’m not doing even more than you could expect of me. I gave you Gelber. I’ll give you Beth Avery, too, if you can find a way for me to get her away from Quinn and the others. Of course, I could blow that whole damn house to hell and gone and get rid of all of them, but you said no publicity where she was concerned.”

“No, that would be totally unacceptable. I’ve paid you a good deal of money. It’s really not my job to make it easy for you, Drogan.”

“But you will. Because you’ll do anything to have this over quickly. It’s too inconvenient for you.”

“You have monumental nerve to believe you can judge what I will or will not do.” She was silent for a moment, thinking. “There may be a way. I don’t want to do it, but I may be able to make it work. I have both Quinn’s and Duncan’s telephone numbers. But do you have a way to contact Beth directly?”

“No, she got rid of the phone Newell gave her after I called her that first time.”

“We may still be able to work through Duncan. I’ll have to think about it. It’s all in the positioning. Don’t make a move. I’ll get back to you.” She hung up.

“Did you hear that?” Drogan murmured as he looked down at the small metal container on the seat beside him. “It’s all in the positioning, Mama Zela. You know about positioning, don’t you?”

He smiled as he heard the familiar slither within the case. He had chosen well. This Mama Zela was restless and eager to strike. It was his habit to call all the snake gods by his mother’s name whenever he decided a death deserved the proper ritual. Sometimes, as he watched with fascination a snake writhe and strike, he wondered if his mother had come back to earth and could truly be one of the snakes he used to kill. It wouldn’t surprise him. His mother had been as vicious and full of poison as a rattlesnake until the day he had shoved the bitch into that coffin and given her the snake to keep her company. The idea of her coming back as a serpent amused him; he liked the idea of being able to keep her caged up and made to do his bidding. “Don’t be impatient, Mama. I’ll have plenty of work for you soon,” he whispered. “Everything is ready. We only have to wait until that other bitch comes through with what I need. We don’t get the chance of doing kills the way we want them very often, do we? But this is worth a little time and risk.” His hand stroked the smooth metal of the case. “You’re going to like Eve Duncan, dear Mama Zela.”

*   *   *

“WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY?” Beth asked as she closed the last page. “You’re looking at me as if you think I’m going to explode or something.”

“I didn’t know what you were going to do,” Eve said. “But I thought there would be more response than this. I was more upset than you are.”

“I’m upset. I think it’s terrible. But it’s as if it happened to someone else. I can’t remember it, Eve.” She moistened her lips. “And how can I believe it if I don’t remember it?”

“You don’t believe it happened?”

“I think some of it might have been true.”

“Why not all of it?”

“The part about Rick and that young girl. It’s … ugly. I won’t believe he’d do that kind of thing. Rick isn’t like that.”

“Isn’t he? You must have noticed that he was attracted to young girls. What about your friends? Didn’t he ever comment on them? Didn’t you notice that he liked to be around them?”