But Kevin’s dreams had died, murdered by those bastards who had killed him and thrown him into the fires of that furnace.

No, his final dream had not died, she had not permitted it to be destroyed. It had just been put on hold until the time was right.

And that visit from Jane MacGuire had been the signal that the time was most certainly right.

Her cell phone rang, and she went back into the bedroom to pick it up from the bedside table. She grimaced as she checked the ID. James Doane. It was the second time he’d called in the last hour, and she’d ignored the first one. It was always best to keep the upper hand with him. She’d learned that during their first year of marriage and had kept the reins firm and taut.

But it was time to make sure he wasn’t doing anything that would jeopardize her own plans. She answered the call. “Do you have Zander yet? Thanks to you, everything is falling apart with the life I’ve built over the years. I won’t have it be for nothing, James.”

“Not yet. I’ve been busy.” He added sourly, “It’s your fault. I told you that we have to arrange to have those devices activated. I’ve been scrambling to set it up with Cartland.” He added harshly, “And going at it blind. He keeps asking where Kevin hid those devices, and I have to put him off. When are you going to tell me?”

“Soon. Has Cartland arranged for my passport and line of credit at a bank in Samoa?”

“Yes.” He added with barely contained anger, “You’re treating me with no respect, Harriet. Kevin would not like that. He’d be angry with you.”

“How would you know? You never really knew him. In any disagreement between us, Kevin always took my side. He thought I was right, and you were wrong.” She said coldly, “And the only reason he tolerated you at all was that you helped him with those disgusting episodes with the little girls. It was so dangerous for Kevin, and yet you encouraged him. I’ve never forgiven you for that, James. I knew that someday they’d find out about him and that he’d have to have somewhere to run. You forced me to leave him, so that I could prepare a hiding place and an escape route for him. Do you know how I hated to leave him?”

“You told Kevin often enough,” he said bitterly. “How you were sacrificing yourself for him. How you’d always keep him safe.”

“It was a sacrifice. And he loved me all the more for it. You may have given him what he wanted, but, in the end, he trusted me. He confided in me, let me help him, accepted my suggestions.” She paused. “He even let me choose where those nukes were going to be hidden. You should have heard him laugh when I told him where I thought he should put each one. He said that it was just like me to choose—” She broke off. “But he never told you, did he?”

“He was going to do it.”

“Maybe. If he thought you could help him.”

“I was closer to Kevin than you ever were. I’m still close to him.”

James was getting defiant, and she should not have been this argumentative. It wasn’t to her advantage to make him angry. She was just frustrated that Jane MacGuire had forced her to make a move so quickly. “I won’t argue with you about who Kevin loved more. That’s all in the past. What’s important is making sure that Kevin is properly revenged. I want Zander dead.”

“Zander’s death isn’t enough. I always told you that those cities should be Kevin’s funeral pyre.”

“Then give me what I want and need. And I’ll give you what you want. Have you forgotten that’s how your arrangements with me always have to go forward?”

“How can I be sure that you’ll do it? You can say that safe in your little cave in Muncie.”

“I’m not in Muncie any longer. I had to leave. I’m in Chicago. That’s why I have to make sure that you arranged for me to get out of the country the minute we’re finished with Zander.” She paused. “You didn’t tell me that Kevin had a journal. Why?”

Silence. “How did you find out about the journal?”

“I had a visit from Jane MacGuire. She was asking about it.”

“What? Did she mention me?”

“Don’t panic. She didn’t say anything to indicate that she thought you or Eve Duncan were still alive. She was very emotional about Duncan’s death, and I got the impression it was a personal mission to try to keep any more deaths from happening. She seemed focused on this journal and the damage it could do. At one point, I asked her if she worked for Venable. She said she didn’t, and I believed her. But she was damned determined.”

He muttered a curse. “Why would she come to you?”

“I have no idea. Obviously, Kevin didn’t go into deep detail about the location of the nukes in this journal since you still have no idea where they are.”

“No, but I know that he must have mentioned them somewhere in it. He told me that he had to make sure that his secrets were secure if the journal fell into the wrong hands. He gave me his journal before he went back to Pakistan because he knew I’d keep it safe. After he was killed, I read the journal cover to cover and couldn’t find a hint.” He said in frustration. “But they’ve got to be there.”

“Keep it safe? And instead you let those bastards who killed him take the journal away from you.” She barely managed to keep the contempt from her tone. “Perhaps you shouldn’t worry too much. There was probably nothing of importance in that journal. He might just have wanted to make you feel happier and part of the operation. He knew that you were jealous of how much he let me be involved in his affairs.” She added, “But perhaps you should let me read it to be sure. I assume you have a copy?”

“Of course.”

“But you’re not going to let me read it.”

“No, Kevin gave me the journal. I won’t share it with you.”

“I believe you’re lying to me. You don’t have another copy.” She suddenly laughed. “Or it could be that you won’t let me read it because he said nice things about me.”

“He barely mentioned you.”

“But when he did, it was complimentary.”

“He was always besotted with you.”

“So were you at one time.” Before Kevin had been born, and she had focused all her attention on her son. Why not? James had always been just someone to use. She had created this child, and he had seemed totally her own from the moment she had looked at him in the hospital. She had concentrated on charming and making him love her with his whole heart, closing out everyone else around her. And James had accepted the rejection because he, too, had fallen under Kevin’s spell. “But I won’t insist on seeing the journal if you assure me there’s nothing in it that would appear suspicious.”

“He talks a lot about the little girls.”

James had only said that because he’d known it would annoy her. “That’s nothing. It won’t affect the current operation.”

“Where are those nukes hidden, Harriet? I want the location and the code to set them off. Answer me, dammit.”

“You’ll not get an answer until I’m ready to give it. Tell Cartland I want him to fly here and meet me in front of the Lakeside Marriott at ten tomorrow morning. He’s to have my documents and the bank line of credit. The moment I have them in my hands, I’ll take him on a little trip downtown to show him why he should cooperate with me.”

“Cooperate with us.” He paused. “Is it the detonator? You’ve never told me if Kevin gave you the detonator.”

“You didn’t need to know. You still don’t need to know.”

“He should have given it to me. Do you have it, dammit?”

“I know where to get it.”

“Is that what you’re going to show Cartland tomorrow? Are you going to give him the detonator?”

“No, I’m going to offer him something he may find almost as persuasive. And when I do retrieve the detonator, I have no intention of turning it over to either you or Cartland. I won’t give up control. Besides, I may require an act of good faith from him. I haven’t decided yet.” She paused. “You should be happy that I want everything to move quickly. I want this over within the next two days. I don’t like the idea that Jane MacGuire had the nerve to confront me.” She added harshly, “I won’t let them destroy me as they did my Kevin. I’ve waited years for you to locate his killer and make all your fine plans. So far, I’ve seen nothing but failure. I’m not waiting any longer. Zander is going to die. And I’m going to be there to see it happen. The minute Zander is dead, I’ll give you the location and code to set off the bombs. Then I’m on the first plane out of the country, and you can set loose Cartland and all his al-Qaeda friends to claim responsibility. But first things first, James.”