Robert Crais - The Watchman

“It’s me.”

Pike slipped the key into the deadbolt as he said it, and knew by the feel that the deadbolt wasn’t locked. Pike pushed open the door.

“Larkin.”

Cole, Bud, and Barkley clumped up onto the porch, coming inside as Pike called out.

“ Larkin! ”

Barkley said, “Larkin, are you here?”

Pike glanced at Cole, then Cole went to the kitchen while Pike checked her room and the bath. Her things were untouched, nothing was amiss, no signs of a struggle-it was two nights ago all over again. Larkin was gone.

Barkley put his hands on his hips, frowning.

“I thought she was supposed to be here.”

Pike was already heading to the door when a young voice called from outside-

“Yo, bro! Bro!”

Adam was on the front lawn, barefoot and wet from his car. He was shading his eyes from the sun, but Pike knew he had seen something, and knew it was bad.

“Everything right over here, yo? Mona, she okay?”

“She isn’t here. You see where she went?”

Cole, Bud, and Barkley had all come out. They clustered behind Pike on the porch.

Adam said, “Off with some cats. Wasn’t that stalker dude, was it?”

Barkley said, “What stalker? What’s he talking about?”

Pike hopped from the porch. Bud joined him, and Cole gimped down the steps. The milky sky had grown blinding, even through Pike’s shades.

Pike said, “Someone picked her up?”

“She seemed cool with it, yo? Else we woulda said something.”

Cole worked to relax the boy.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. Say what happened.”

“We were right here. She didn’t call out or act like anything was wrong. They just got in the car.”

“How long ago?”

“Half hour, maybe, somethin’ like that. We were just soapin’ up.”

Bud stepped in closer, looking like a street cop even in the nice suit, but Pike could see he was tense. The white air seemed electric now with Larkin’s absence.

“You get a clear look at these people and their car? What about your friend?”

“Thas my cousin, Garo. Yeah, we both saw. Coupla Latin cats and a white dude. Real sugar ride. Not my style, but sweet-one of those big-ass American cars all chopped down with the low seats.”

“A lowrider?”

“Yeah, like that. I don’t know the make, but it was sweet. Midnight black, chrome dubs-”

Pike said, “You get the tag?”

“Sorry, bro.”

Bud headed for Garo as Pike unfolded the Interpol photo of Khali Vahnich. Adam nodded.

“Thas him, yo. That the stalker dude?”

Cole made a soft hiss.

“Jesus Christ. How did he find her? How could he find her here?”

Pike felt as if he had failed. He thought back to the dance club. Maybe it happened then. Maybe she had been recognized, and he had missed the tail.

Barkley called from the porch.

“Does he know where she is or not? Can someone tell me, please?”

Pike looked at the little house he had shared with Larkin Barkley, then went to the center of the street. He did it without thinking and wasn’t sure why. The black lowrider wasn’t going to be at the end of the block, and visible tire trails weren’t going to be scribed in the street, but maybe that’s why he went. Something deep in the DNA pushing him forward. Something primitive making him hunt.

Pike closed his eyes. He had kept her safe for five days, but now he had lost her. Larkin Conner Barkley was gone.

Something touched his back.

Pike opened his eyes and saw Cole.

“We’ll find her.”

Pike stared into Cole’s eyes and saw shadows behind the comfort. Two small reflections, Joe Pikes staring back.

Pike’s cell phone buzzed. Pike checked the number, but didn’t recognize it. He answered anyway. The timing was too damnably perfect for it to be anyone else.

“Pike.”

“I want the money.”

Pike had heard the soft accent before. It was Khali Vahnich.

Pike kept his voice even. His heart rate gave a bump, but he did not want Khali Vahnich to know he was scared.

“My friend is alive and unharmed?”

“For a while. Then we will see. To whom am I speaking?”

Pike motioned to Cole it was Vahnich, then hurried back to the house. He wanted silence so he could hear Vahnich clearly, and a pen to make notes. Confusion and mistakes would kill her as quickly as panic.

Pike said, “Put her on.”

Inside, Pike went directly to the papers and pens spread over the dining table. He copied the incoming call number.

Vahnich sounded offended.

“She is fine. I will only kill her if I do not get the money.”

“This conversation ends unless I know she’s alive.”

Cole and Barkley had followed him inside, Barkley hearing enough to realize what was happening. He stomped forward as if he wanted the phone.

“Is this about Larkin? Is she dead?”

Pike motioned for silence. Cole clamped a hand over Barkley’s mouth. Barkley struggled, but Cole whispered into his ear and he calmed.

“Put her on, Vahnich. Put her on or go away.”

Pike focused on the call. He covered his free ear and listened for background noises that might identify Vahnich’s location. He heard voices, but nothing that suggested the location. Then Larkin came on the line. She sounded fine.

“Joe?”

“I’m coming.”

“I’m okay-”

Pike heard a thump as if the phone had been dropped. Larkin shouted something Pike didn’t understand, then shrieked, but the shriek cut off. Vahnich came back on the line.

“Are you pleased to hear her living? Is this what you wanted?”

Pike hesitated. Keeping his voice level was more difficult this time. He nodded to let Cole and Barkley know she was alive.

“Yes. We only talk if she’s alive.”

“To whom am I speaking?”

“Her bodyguard.”

“Let me speak with her father.”

“You’ll speak only to me. Everything goes through me.”

“No more of this, then. Her father will transfer the money and we can be done. I will give you the account number and access codes.”

“Wait-listen-Kline took your money. He transferred the money out of the country. We don’t know where he is.”

“This is not my problem.”

The front door opened, and Bud burst in. Cole immediately motioned him silent. Bud nodded, but went to the table and began to scratch a note.

Pike watched it all, but stayed with Vahnich.

“The Kings must have told you what happened before you killed them. This was Kline’s deal. Barkley had nothing to do with this.”

“I will tell you something. This money, it is not mine. Dangerous people entrusted it to me, and they look to me for its return. They do not care where it comes from.”

Vahnich had made a mistake. That was the problem with talking, and Vahnich had been talking a lot. He had been trying to persuade, which meant he did not feel he could command. Pitman had been wrong about everything, but Pike had been wrong, too-Vahnich and his hit teams had never been trying to kill the girl; they had been trying to kidnap her so she could be used as leverage. The people who fronted the money wanted it back, and Vahnich was trying to save his own life. His fear could be used to buy Larkin time or manipulate Vahnich into another mistake.

Pike said, “How about if we help you find Kline? We’ll work together.”

Vahnich laughed.

“Of course we would. No, I think that would leave me in a weak position. I think now I am strong.”

Bud turned with his note and held it for Pike to see. SHE CALLED HIM. USED NEIGHBOR PHONE.

The list of call numbers was still on the table. Larkin had found the calls between Vahnich and Kline, and had called him. Pike pointed at her father for Bud to show him the note.