Robert Walker - Extreme Instinct

"Harry Furth and the actress we hired to mimic you received a call detailing the burning death of a woman there at the El Tovar. We contacted the local sheriff's office there, and they confirmed that there had been a fire death at the El Tovar. That's when we sent separate telegrams to you and John Thorpe there."

"John got word early, but my message got held up, I'm afraid."

"So, then you've seen the body at the canyon? Is it part of the string?"

"It most definitely is, yes."

"We have the killer's own voice clearly now on tape then. We can assume it's him. He speaks to you directly."

"Bloody bastard. What does he say?"

"More than enough to nail him to the cross."

"And he thinks I'm still there, in Vegas, then."

"Ahhh, not exactly. He somehow figured out our ruse, I'm afraid. Good news is, he doesn't know where you are."

"That is good news." Jessica then repeated herself, asking, "What does he say on the tape?"

"Enough to hang himself many times over. Care to hear it?"

She braced herself. "Go ahead. Play it."

Bishop fiddled with the machine at the other end for a moment before the chilling voice of the killer came over the line, saying, "I'm sorry I couldn't reach you earlier, Dr. Coran. I did so want your… participation.''

"What is it you want?" asked the actress playing her.

"I've taken the liberty of sending another evil soul to her reward. I'd hoped to contact you so that you could share the moment with us, but unfortunately, that was not to be. Fate stepped in."

"What do you mean by us"! Who are you and who is this us?"

Either the actress was good, or Furth was feeding her questions to ask the killer. Either way, she sounded an exact duplicate of Jessica's voice.

"Us, me, number two, the malicious fraud bitch, my god, and you, Doctor, you," replied the monster.

"Charon… we know you want our help, Charon."

He laughed and said. "You think yourself clever, Doctor, but you are an ignorant creature, unaware of your own nature. Charon is no longer here with us! I am Nessus now."

"All right, then, Nessus. Why are you doing this?"

"Telephoning you?"

"Killing innocent people!"

"No one is innocent."

"Why must you call me, report to me?"

Jessica thought it the question of the hour, the same question Repasi was asking.

"I only do my lord's bidding for all of us."

"Why are you calling me? What have I ever done to you?"

"You've offended my god."

"Who is?" The actress had been coached well to keep the killer on the line as long as possible, and since she had no emotional interest invested, she was able to remain far more calm than Jessica had been capable of, Jessica believed.

"What god is that?" she urged him on and awaited an answer, but when none came, she added, "Won't you tell me?" The actress's voice was close, near identical to Jessica's own, but perhaps due to her calmness, somehow the killer detected the subterfuge.

"Wait a minute, you're not Dr. Coran. Who the fuck is this?'' He slammed down the receiver.

"That's it," said Warren, coming back on the line now.

"Did Harry Furth get a fix on where the call originated from?"

"He did, and that's why I've been so frantic to get in touch with you all day."

"So, where did it come from?"

"Are you sitting down?"

"I am."

"Two hours from Page."

"Here Page?"

"Arizona, yes. Someplace called Long Valley Junction. Between Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon."

"He was only two hours ahead of J. T. and me at six this morning?"

"It would appear so, yes, but the route he's taking remains a mystery."

She gasped into the receiver.

"You okay, Jess?"

''Any leads from the call? Anybody know what the hell he means by Charon and now by calling himself Ness-it, Ness-what?''

"Nessus, and no, but we do know he paid for the call with Chris Lorentian's phone card."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"I'm flying up there."

"Not on my account."

"This business began in my jurisdiction. I've got every reason to pursue it with you."

She unnecessarily shrugged. "I've never known you to do anything but what you intended. If you intend coming, come ahead. I won't argue, but it's getting a bit crowded here."

"What do you mean, 'crowded'?"

"The Arizona guys, Karl Repasi, J. T., me, and now you."

"Oh, yeah. I see what you mean."

''Repasi says he has your blessings coming here to Page… claims he simply wants to help us out, forensically speaking. Then he attacks me."

"Out to prove himself better than you or something? I'm sorry. I had no idea."

''J. T. warned me to be wary of him. J. T. questioned Karl's motives from the start."

"And you?"

"Right now I've got my hands full with a killer. I can't worry about what's in Karl's head."

"Just the same, I'm going to join you as soon as I can."

"As I said, you're quite welcome here."

"I've listened to every one of the tapes Harry Furth created from your phone tap, Jess, and this guy scares the hell out of me. Just listening to him… and me in a safe, well-lit office… Well, it honestly has taken its toll on me. Harry and I have listened to the tapes at every speed, and Harry has separated out the back-scatter noises in the earlier tape."

"And?"

''Harry tells me that much of the back-scatter noise before the roar of the fire engulfs every other noise is of two distinct sounds."

"Yes, go on, Warren."

"One is of a… a moaning, groaning as if of a sexual nature and a click-zip, click-zip sound, a noise we've duplicated as-"

"A camera, the self-developing kind, right?"

"Yeah, but how did you know?"

"Found a scrap of processing paper at the El Tovar scene."

"Jess, this madman could be there in Page, in the lodge with you right this moment. You may want to sleep with that Browning of yours tonight, but I'm flying up first thing in the morning."

"One consolation," she said.

"What's that?"

"We're closer on his trail than I'd thought. And if he figures I'm on his trail, if he knows I'm here, perhaps he'll make the mistake of coming back this way to make contact with me again."

"You need to get that phone bugged."

"I will, as soon as possible."

When she hung up, Jessica felt her heart sink. Just moments before, she'd felt safe here at the Wahweap Lodge, subconsciously telling herself, At least the creep won't be telephoning you anymore. He can't know where you are.

Jessica had been feeling both relief and guilt- over the fact that she would not be getting another phone call from the Phantom. If and when he did call again, someone else, the actress hired by Bishop and Furth in Vegas, would be having to deal with it, answering the phone calls of a maniacal killer. But now she didn't even have this cushion.

These thoughts flowed through her weary mind riverlike when suddenly the phone under her fingertips shrieked to life. She didn't want to answer; didn't want to chance its being the monster.

She no longer felt safe at her bedside here at Lake Powell's Wahweap Lodge.

Finally, on the third ring, she said aloud to herself, "It's got to be Eriq Santiva or someone else connected with the case."

She lifted the receiver and tentatively spoke into it, saying, "Hello, this is Dr. Coran."

"Jess?" The voice instantly put her at ease. It belonged to psychic and coagent, Dr. Kim Desinor, calling from Quantico, Virginia.

"Kim? It's so wonderful to hear from you!" Kim hadn't any idea how wonderful, she thought.

"I'm just reassuring myself you're all right out there. I'm astonished about what's going on out there, and frankly, I don't like it, not one damned bit."

"Eriq forwarded your reading of the situation. It's much appreciated."