“And I suppose you have an idea what that will be?”

“No, but I’m working on it.” Galen glanced at the sketch. “He knows a lot about you, and he’ll be digging out everything he can about me. So we start on that basis.” His gaze shifted to the door leading down to the scullery. “And the fact that Eve won’t budge again until Victor is finished. Is she always this single-minded?”

“Usually more. She’s been distracted on this one. But she won’t allow that to continue for long.”

“Tough to live with. Is it worth it?”

“It’s worth it.” Joe added deliberately, “When trouble-making assholes don’t get in the way. I’m having enough problems without you causing more.” Galen chuckled. “I’ll try to restrain myself. Most of the pleasure has gone out of it, anyway.” His smile faded. “The only weak link I can see is Jane and her grandmother, and you seem to have taken precautions there. Are you sure it will be enough?”

“Atlanta police are very good, and they’ll be extra careful since Jane’s mine.

They’re going to call me if there’s anything the slightest suspicious.”

“Good, then I reckon you’ve done pretty well so far. But today is another day.” He started up the stairs to the second floor. “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to get to work.”

A final jab, Joe thought, as he watched Galen disappear down the second-floor hall. At least, he hoped it was final. There was no time for personal duels now. Logan had tremendous respect for Galen, but Joe would judge for himself. Galen was tottering perilously on the line between the straight and narrow and the criminal underbelly, and Joe wasn’t comfortable with that. Not when he was around Eve. Yet Galen seemed to know what he was doing. He’d gotten them out of Baton Rouge and provided Eve with this safe house.

And now it was Quinn’s job to keep Eve safe, and he wouldn’t do it by standing here worrying about Sean Galen. He strode toward the library to call Jennings at the FBI and light a fire under him.

FBI HEADQUARTERS

WASHINGTON, D.C.

“Interesting.” Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Rusk leaned back in his chair and gazed thoughtfully at Jennings. “You think the Cabal actually exists?” Jennings shrugged. “Considering the other information that’s been trickling in, I’d say there’s a chance. I think we need to dig, and dig deep.” Rusk nodded. “My ass would be on the line if we didn’t check everything out thoroughly. Take the next flight to Boca Raton.”

“I don’t have lead one.”

“Then look the town over and see what you can come up with. It can’t hurt.

Sometimes things jump out at you.”

Jennings nodded. “I have to fly to Atlanta first and set up protection for Duncan’s daughter.”

“Right, I’ll send McMillan to head that team. Get in and get out. Boca Raton may be more important.”

Jennings grimaced. “Eve Duncan doesn’t think so.” Neither did he. Boca Raton probably was going to be a blind alley. “I might be of more use in Atlanta. I’ll be blundering in the dark in Boca Raton.”

“You’re a fine agent, Jennings,” Rusk said. “And you have damn good instincts.

I’ve seen you pull some amazing rabbits out of the proverbial hat. I want you in Boca.” It was no use arguing with Rusk. He was not only the boss; he was usually on target. Though God knows this might be the exception. Jennings turned and headed for the door. “Whatever you say.”

ATLANTA

It might have to be the little girl after all, Jules thought sadly.

He watched Jane MacGuire running down the path through Piedmont Park after her puppy. Her grandmother, Sandra Duncan, was helplessly laughing as she ran after them.

The death of the mother might bring Eve Duncan out of hiding, but a threat to a child always had more impact. Particularly in Eve Duncan’s case.

His phone rang.

“We’ve located one of Galen’s contacts in New Orleans,” Melton said when he picked up. “There’s a possibility Galen may have a house near there.”

“How near?”

“He doesn’t know. He says Galen’s a secretive bastard. He thinks within a two-hour drive. I’m working on it. He gave me a solid lead where to start checking paperwork.”

“Then put more people on it. Send teams to every city courthouse within that two-hour radius. I have to know—”

A squad car cruised slowly by.

He hung up and ducked deeper in the shadows of the oak tree where he was standing. It was the third time in the last half hour, and it couldn’t be a coincidence.

He had also spotted that gray-haired jogger in the green sweatshirt outside the child’s school. Quinn had called out his old friends at the police department to watch the little girl. It would make Hebert’s task more difficult.

But not impossible.

NEW ORLEANS

“May I come in?” Bill Nathan stood hesitantly at the bottom of the scullery steps.

Eve didn’t look up. “No, I’m busy.”

“I’ll only be a minute.”

Eve breathed an exasperated sigh. “What is it?”

“I’ve decided I should help you.”

“What?”

“Well, I’m here, but Galen and Quinn don’t think I’m qualified to help them. The most I’ve been able to get them to let me do is go to the supermarket and buy groceries.” He grimaced. “So I thought I’d stay down here and protect you.”

“Protect me? I don’t need you.”

“You never can tell.” Nathan scowled. “I wouldn’t get in your way.”

“You’d talk to me.”

“I can be quiet.” He paused and then said grudgingly, “Please.”

“Why?” Eve carefully smoothed clay over Victor’s mid-therum area. “You obviously disapprove of my doing the reconstruction.”

“I don’t disapprove. I just think you’re taking a big chance. I went to a lot of trouble to try to save you, and I don’t want my efforts wasted.” His gaze went to Victor. “But I want to know if this is Bently as much as you do.”

“Your news story.”

“I’m not apologizing for that. It’s my job.”

“Did Joe tell you about Jennings’s fuel-cell theory?”

“Yeah. It makes sense.” He paused. “There’s another reason I kept pushing for Bently’s case to remain open months after his disappearance. He was fighting for something I believed in, and it made me mad as hell that the special interest groups had him taken out. Do you know there’s a dead spot in the Gulf of Mexico fifty miles wide, where the Mississippi empties into it? The fertilizer in the river sucks up the oxygen and nothing can live. And do you remember the oil spill in the gulf ten years ago? I covered it for the paper. It made me sick. All the birds and fish that died, smothered by the oil slick. When I was a boy, I used to go fishing in the gulf with my grandfather…” He shook his head. “I thought it was a memory that couldn’t be spoiled no matter how long I lived. I was wrong.” He grimaced. “I want my kids to grow up with clean air and clean water and some of the beauty that I knew. Bently wanted that, too, and was fighting for it. It’s not right he ended up like this.” Eve stared at him in surprise. It seemed beneath that surly facade Nathan had a soft side. It was clear he meant every word he said.

“What are you looking at?” he asked gruffly. “Is it so weird that I don’t want the earth to get any crummier than it is now?”

“No, it’s not weird,” she said gently. “I live on one of the most beautiful lakes you could ever hope to see. I wouldn’t want anything to spoil it, either.”

“Okay, then, we’re kindred spirits.” Nathan plopped down in the easy chair by the fire. “So is it all right if I stay and kind of watch out for you? I’m getting bored as hell waiting around for something to happen. I want to do something.”

“I don’t need—” Oh, what the hell. His intentions were good, and he was obviously at loose ends. “If you don’t bother me.”

“I won’t.” He took out a paperback from his back pocket. “You work, I read.” He opened the book. “Forget I’m here.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” Concentrate. Forget about Nathan and Jules and Joe and everything else troubling.