Her hand tightened on Joe’s.

It was a question she knew she’d never ask him.

“So Bently is dead,” Galen repeated thoughtfully. “ ‘Down to the sea in ships…’ ‘

“We’ll be back at the cottage tomorrow,” Eve said. “The questioning isn’t over, but they’re going to let us go home.”

“Jane will be jumping up and down with joy. Is Quinn okay?”

“Headache. But that’s to be expected.”

“If I’d been there, it wouldn’t have happened. You should take it as a lesson learned.”

“I take it as another example of your inflated ego.” Galen chuckled. “Maybe. Are you going to call Jane, or shall I?”

“I will.”

“Dammit, I wanted to do something to get into her good graces. She might be so happy she’d forget she considers me an ass.”

Eve smiled. “Jane’s always been a girl of impeccable judgment.”

“Cruelty, thy name is Eve.”

“I have to go down to the precinct right away. They’re feeling very cheated they don’t know as much as the Feds.” Joe put their bags inside the cottage. “Will you be okay?”

“Of course.”

“Try to rest.”

“I’m not the one who got knocked on the head.” Her gaze wandered over the lake to the scorched trees where Jennings had died and then, compulsively, to Bonnie’s hill.

“Shit.” Joe’s gaze had followed Eve’s. “I know, dammit. No more threat, no more sword hanging over us, and everything is coming back to you. I knew it would happen. It’s always going to be here.”

“What do you want me to do? I can’t forget it, Joe.”

“I’m not an idiot. It’s got to be faced. Just do me a favor,” Joe said. “Don’t think.

Don’t make any decisions. You’re tired. Just try to live in the present until I get these next few days of red tape over with and we can talk.” She nodded. “I’ll try.”

He started down the steps. “And I’ll pick up Jane, your Mom, and Toby on my way home tonight. They should keep you too busy to think of anything but them.” Eve took one last look at the hill as he drove off. She had hoped the pain would go away, but it still lingered. Keep your promise, she told herself as she went inside.

Don’t think. Just live in the moment. It was the best advice she—

There was a note propped on the coffee table.

Eve,

I had a few things to tie up.

I’ll call you. Tell Jane I didn’t run away because she intimidated me.

She doesn’t scare me… much.

Galen

She smiled as she put down the note. A few things to tie up? Now what the hell was that rascal up to…

It was two days later that Eve got the call from Galen.

“Where the hell are you?”

“I’ve been busy. I just thought I’d fill you in. I’ve called Hughes and told him he’s to stay with you and maintain protective surveillance until the end of the week. That should keep some of the media away. Have you brought Jane back home?”

“Yes. I brought her and Mom back to the cottage.” Eve’s gaze shifted to Jane and Toby playing outside by the lake. “She couldn’t be happier. Where are you, Galen?”

“Barbados. I felt the need for a vacation.”

“Out of the blue?”

“My last job was very exhausting. You’re not an easy woman to work with, Eve.”

“Why are you in Barbados?”

“The sun. I got a little chill in my bones while I was at your lake.”

“Galen.”

He was silent a moment. “My suspicious nature. I don’t think Bently was the type to commit suicide. And I found it very convenient that his death took place in the middle of the ocean, where his remains couldn’t be retrieved.”

“You believe he staged it.”

“He’s very, very smart. He would have to be, to fool me into thinking he was an ass.”

“Your pride is hurt.”

“Well, maybe. I’m just exploring possibilities. He got rid of the Cabal, his primary threat. He was obsessed with the idea of that fuel cell, and he told you he knew enough to put it together himself. Why not fake his own death to make sure he had the opportunity to work on it?”

“You believe Simmons’s fuel cell may become a reality someday?”

“We’ll have to see, won’t we? At any rate, I don’t think Bently’s any threat to you.

You’re off his radar now. I’m just going to poke around and see what I can find out down here.”

“And what if you find him?”

“I’ll make a decision then. I don’t believe in throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”

“When will you be back?”

“Not for awhile. You’re on your own. Well, not on your own. You’ll always have Quinn. How’s he doing?”

“Okay, I guess. I’ve scarcely seen him since we got back. He’s been closeted with the Secret Service and the FBI from morning to night.”

“Drudgery. I don’t envy him. I like the easy life. If I don’t find Bently, I may go on a real vacation. Then I’m going to get on with my life. I highly recommend it. Why don’t you do the same?” He hung up.

Annoying bastard, Eve thought crossly as she pressed the disconnect. She had actually been stupid enough to worry about Galen for the past couple days. She should have known he’d pop up like some zany jack-in-the-box.

His lack of certainty about Bently’s death was a little far out, but not totally crazy.

Bently had actually told her about the boat and his preparations to get away.

So that she could tell the authorities and set his real plan in motion?

Let Galen worry about it. Eve and her family were safe, and she didn’t want to think about Bently. She agreed with Galen that if Bently was alive, there was no reason for him to target her or Joe.

She moved onto the porch and stood looking out at the lake. The water looked beautiful and serene today. If she hadn’t known Hughes and his men were moving discreetly around the property, it would have reminded her of the time before she had gotten that DNA report.

Her gaze lifted across the lake to the hill. Would she ever be able to look at that grave again without remembering Jules Hebert and his death in those swamps? Or that gravestone with her Bonnie’s name crossed out and smeared with ugly red paint?

Get on with your life, Galen had said.

Sometimes things get in the way and you forget who you are and what you do.

Why did those words of Jane’s suddenly pop into her head? They had been spoken when Jane had been trying to convince her to go after Hebert, and had nothing to do with—

She stiffened in shock. “Dear God…”

She slowly moved down the porch steps.

Jane was sitting on the porch swing when Joe got home from the precinct. Toby was curled up at her feet.

“You must have worn him out.” Joe bent down and petted him. The dog raised his head, lazily licking the back of Joe’s hand. “I’ve never seen Toby this quiet.”

“Yeah. He runs until he’s ready to drop and then he collapses. Stop that, Toby.

You’re getting his hand all wet.” She was frowning. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Problems? Why didn’t you call me?”

“Eve didn’t want me to.”

He stiffened. “Eve?” His gaze flew to the front door of the cottage. “What happened? Did she leave?”

Jane shook her head. “She just wanted me to give you a message. She wants you to go up to the grave.”

“What?”

“That’s what she said. She left the cottage over an hour ago. I asked her if she wanted me to go up there with her, and she said no.”

“You’re sure she went to the grave?” His gaze shifted to the hill. “Did she give any reason?”

Jane shook her head.

“How did she look?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell what Eve’s thinking. She didn’t look mad, but she wasn’t smiling. I don’t know, Joe.”

“Then I guess I’d better go see for myself.” He turned and started down the steps.

Jane’s voice followed him. “I hope everything’s okay, Joe.”

“Me, too.” He started down the path around the lake. “Me, too…” Eve was standing beside the grave, staring down at the tombstone.

“Eve?”

She didn’t look at him. “There are still the faintest traces of that red paint. I thought we’d gotten it all off.”