Iris Johansen - Eve

And she would probably not have faced the finality of that realization at this time, she thought as she closed the bathroom door behind her. She was having enough difficulty sorting out her emotions where Gallo was concerned. Passion? No, both of them were keeping the passion that had been the core of their former relationship at bay. It was memory, and Bonnie that had formed the new bond.

And, great heavens, what a strong bond it was proving to be.

“YOUR PHONE HAS BEEN RINGING,” John said, as she came out of the bathroom thirty minutes later. “Four times. Someone is very persistent.”

She moved over to the nightstand where she had left her phone on vibrate. She frowned as she looked at the ID.

“Quinn?”

“No.” Joe had called her only the one time yesterday, and when she hadn’t answered, had not called again. “It’s Catherine Ling.”

“I caught sight of her for a moment at the compound, and I’ve read her dossier. She’s… unusual.”

“Unique,” Eve said absently. She hadn’t intended to answer Catherine, either. It had been possible Catherine might feel obligated to act for Joe.

The cell began to ring again.

“She’s not taking no for an answer.”

And Catherine would not be so urgent unless there was good reason.

Eve answered. “Hello, Catherine.”

“It’s about time,” Catherine said. “I told you that I was on your side no matter if I thought you were being led down the garden path.”

“Why are you calling?”

“Because I thought you needed to be warned that some heavy stuff was coming your way.” She paused. “Are you with Gallo?”

“Yes.”

“Has he been with you since before nine last evening?”

“Yes.”

“Then it couldn’t have been him. Put your phone on speaker. He should probably hear this.”

Eve flipped the SPEAKER button. “Go ahead.”

“I’m at St. Louis County Hospital. Judy Clark just came out of surgery.”

Gallo stiffened. “What the hell?”

“Stab wound to the abdomen. She’s in ICU now. She may make it, but they’re still not sure, and I couldn’t wait to try to get an ID from her. Black isn’t going to wait for long to get in touch with you.”

“My God,” Eve whispered. “Black?”

“That’s my guess. I can’t confirm.” She added bluntly, “I thought there was a possibility it might be you, Gallo.”

“She’s my friend,” he said through his teeth.

“Is she? I don’t know if you’re capable of having friends. You haven’t shown any sign of thinking about anyone but yourself. At any rate, your friends seem to end up-” She stopped. “That’s not important right now. I’m just pissed because I’m feeling helpless.”

“Catherine, how did you find out about Judy?” Eve asked.

“I found them when I was tracking you down and went to her mother’s house in St. Louis.” Catherine’s words were now coming tersely. “Her mother’s throat was cut. Judy Clark was pinned to the table with a butcher knife. I think he left her alive on purpose. He wanted her to send a message. He took her little girl.”

“Cara?” John said.

“Cara Clark, six years old. I told the police, and they searched the neighborhood. They always search the neighborhoods first. As if they’re going to find the kid wandering around when I told them that he- They did the same thing when my Luke disappeared.”

“No sign of her?” John asked.

“I told you. Judy said he took her. Or maybe I didn’t.” She added wearily, “She was still conscious, and she made me promise… I’m not behaving very professionally, am I? When I was checking her bedroom, it brought back too many memories. Those bastards always target the kids.” She drew a deep breath. “And this time he’s doing something else. This son of a bitch is targeting you, Eve. He wants to have a weapon, and he can’t be sure that Gallo would respond to a threat, but anyone who has researched you would know that you would be vulnerable. He may be trying to get at Gallo through you.”

“You’re wrong,” John said. “If it’s Black, he’d know that he could strike at me that way.”

“I don’t know what’s between the two of you, and I don’t care. All I care about is that little girl and Eve. You’ve got something he wants. Give it to him. But we have to get that little girl away from him first. Eve, tell me where you are. I’m coming to join you.”

“No, Catherine.”

“Don’t tell me no,” she said fiercely. “And don’t try to close me out. I have a hunch that everything that happened here is going to play out with you and Gallo. Judy Clark made me promise to find her little girl, and I’m going to do it. I just hope I find her alive. You’re so busy trying to protect Joe and me and the whole damn world that you’re forgetting we have a stake in this. I’ll let you deal with Joe on your own, but you’re not going to stand in my way. Tell me where you are. Joe said you flew to Milwaukee. Are you still there?”

She should hang up and try to keep Catherine out of it, Eve thought. But Catherine was already deeply involved because Eve had made that attempt. Now that a child was at risk, there would be no way to keep her on the sidelines.

And Eve wasn’t sure she had the right to do it. Everyone should do everything they could to bring that child home. “I’m in Milwaukee. Marriott. Room 1505.”

“But we may not stay here,” John said.

“Then let me know as soon as you leave.” Catherine hung up.

“She’s a tiger,” John said.

“More than you know.” Eve shoved her phone in her pocket. “And there wasn’t a chance in hell of keeping her out of it now.” She was stunned, the full impact of Catherine’s words hitting home. “It takes a lot to shock her or blow her cool. The attack on Judy and her mother must have been hideous.”

John didn’t answer.

Eve glanced at him and stiffened with shock. His expression had changed, hardened. His eyes were glittering and wild in his taut face. But it wasn’t only his expression, but the aura of sheer rage that surrounded him. She had never seen anything like it in her life. She took an involuntary step back. “John?”

He whirled away from her. “Don’t talk to me.” His voice was hoarse, almost guttural. “Give me a minute.”

She watched him walk to the window and stand with his back to her. The line of his spine was almost painfully stiff, as if he was striving not to let loose that rage.

Berserk.

She remembered Hanks’s words describing John Gallo when he lost control. This had to be what he had meant. The rage was being contained, but just the intensity of the emotion and the violence hovering on the brink were frightening. She could imagine how terrifying he would be if he did lose control.

He didn’t speak for a few minutes. “I’m sorry.” His back was still turned to her, and his words were halting. “I didn’t want you to see me like this. I told you that I wasn’t always stable. I get… angry.”

An understatement. “I can see that you do.”

“Judy has been with me for three years. I like her. I didn’t think that she’d be hurt if I gave her a job. I should have been more careful.”

“How could you know that Black would target her? You said that you had been chasing Black for years. There was no way you could know that he would appear in your life with no warning. Queen had to have been the one who triggered all of this. Stop kicking yourself and put the blame where it belongs.”

“Oh, I’m willing to share the blame.” He turned around to face her. His face was still pale; but the wildness was only a shadow, not a living presence. “It’s time I put an end to Queen. He’s not going to be of use to me any longer. He’s brought me Paul Black and all the ugliness that means. He had to have given the info about Judy’s mother to Black. I’m going to have to pull Queen into the circle.”