Iris Johansen - Stalemate

"Poison?"

"Miguel Vicente prepares her meals."

Diaz muttered a curse. "If Duarte hadn't blundered, she would have been dead and we wouldn't be having this problem. Luck has been on Montalvo's side since this began."

"Luck can change. All we need is an opening," Nekmon said. "I've called Phoenix and they say that they're questioning the local hotel people. Jane MacGuire can't have just disappeared into the sunset. Someone must have seen the car. Perhaps gotten a license number. All I need is a number and we can call that senator you have in your pocket and ask him to send a tracer through the highway patrol and try to locate the car."

"In the meantime Eve Duncan finishes the reconstruction."

"Not necessarily. The parking garage has video cameras. If they used the garage, we may have her. I have someone working on that angle right now." His lips tightened. "It's much cleaner and more efficient than using that African snake shaman. I knew it wouldn't work."

"It could have worked." Diaz scowled. "And I dislike people who tell me 'I told you so.' You might remember that, Nekmon."

"No offense. Shall I continue hunting for Jane MacGuire?"

"Of course. Do everything you can," Diaz said. "I'm getting very tired of being bested by that son of a bitch. I think I'll have to make an example of Jane MacGuire to show the Duncan woman who has the power here."

"An excellent idea. As you wish."

"You're damned right. Everything is as I wish. That's as it should be." He went to the window and gazed down at the cemetery in the village. The moonlight was glimmering on the tomb where his mother was buried. What a fool she had been. She had never understood how special he was. From the time he was a small child she had told him to listen to the priests, to be humble and he would grow in stature and glory. She didn't understand a man had to grab both for himself. He would have made a queen of her if she'd realized that his destiny was not to be trifled with. Instead, she had betrayed and tried to destroy him.

And he'd had to destroy her.

You see, Mother? I'm a king now and I take whatever I wish. I kill who I wish. I'm above the priests, above your God.

And I'm alive and you're dead and moldering in the earth.

"You're smiling," Nekmon said. "Did I miss something?"

"I was just wondering when I get my hands on Eve Duncan if I should make her do a reconstruction of my dear mother. Do you think my sweet madre's skull would be a nice decoration for my desk?"

She heard the door of the library open and then close but she didn't look up from the reconstruction. "I'm still doing the basic work, Montalvo. I won't be ready for the final for another few hours. You're wasting your time."

"I have time to waste."

Joe.

She whirled to see Joe carefully seating himself in the chair next to the door. He was fully dressed in khakis and a dark shirt. He appeared thinner and he was pale but other than that he looked almost normal. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"It was time." His jaw tightened. "Past time. It was my first journey and I made it. Though those stairs were a bitch."

"They'll be worse going up."

"Then I'll have your guard dog outside give me a hand. All I needed to know was that I could make it."

"You should be in bed."

"And you should be at home doing reconstructions for local police departments. Neither of us are doing what we're supposed to do. So we're canceling each other out." His gaze fastened on the reconstruction. "It's going fast. She's not difficult?"

"Not so far."

"And you believe she's Montalvo's wife?"

"You know I don't allow myself to believe anything. She could be Nalia."

"What if she's not? Are you going to stay here until he finds another skull, and then another?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead."

"Because you want her to be Nalia Armandariz. She's the key to all your dreams." He pushed himself forward and then with difficulty started to pull himself up out of the chair.

She instinctively moved forward to help him but was stopped by his sharp "No!"

She kept coming but halted in shock at the icy glance he gave her. "Let me help, Joe."

"I have to do it myself." He pulled himself to his feet. "This afternoon will be better. Tomorrow I'll be almost well."

"Bullshit."

"Your confidence is inspiring."

"You're a stubborn asshole and you're scaring me to death."

"Not enough to get you out of here."

"I need to finish this-"

"Is everything okay?" Montalvo had come into the library and was staring warily at Joe. "Miguel was concerned when he saw you come into the library, Quinn. You didn't look well."

"But he didn't try to stop me. I understand from Galen that he's the guardian at the gates."

"Naturally he wouldn't attempt to do anything that would hurt you."

"Because I'm not able to defend myself?"

Montalvo smiled. "He wouldn't make that mistake. As I said, he was just concerned." He turned to Eve. "You look worried. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No."

"Then I'll leave." He met and held her gaze. "But you know that you only have to tell me and it will be done."

She nodded jerkily. "I know that." Her glance shifted back to Joe and she found his narrowed eyes going from her to Montalvo and back again. "Joe and I will work out our own problems."

"Certainly. I only thought I'd offer." Montalvo turned and headed for the door. "Call me if you change your mind."

"Yes, I'm sure she will," Joe murmured as the door closed behind Montalvo. He moved toward the door. "I'll let you get back to work. I wouldn't want to disturb you."

"You did disturb me. How could I help but be disturbed? You scare me, Joe."

"Good. At least, you don't pity me. That would drive me nuts."

She flinched as the door slammed behind him. His response had been every bit as volatile as she'd known it would be. He was walking on the edge and might fall off at any step. She had ached to help him, soothe him, but the price was too high. She would have had to give up her chance for Bonnie.

She turned and went back to the dais. The only way she could help either one of them was to finish the reconstruction and move on. If she worked fast enough, she might be able to save them both before their relationship became tattered beyond repair.

"We're going to go for the big prize soon, Nalia," she whispered. "I'm getting ready for it and I hope you are. I'm going to need your help…"

"Need a shoulder to lean on?" Galen was standing at the bottom of the staircase when Joe came out of the library. "That's a lot of stairs for a crotchety bloke like-" He broke off and gave a low whistle. "Just joking, man."

"It wasn't funny," Joe said through his teeth. "I won't be helpless. I won't be weak." He started up the staircase, clinging to the banister with one hand. "And I can make it up by myself."

"Whatever." Galen was slowly climbing the stairs beside him. "But if you don't mind, I think I'll come along to pick up the pieces if your legs give out."

"They won't give out."

"I believe you. Whatever happened in that library gave you a massive shot of adrenaline."

"You bet it did."

"I saw Montalvo come out before you. Did you argue with him?"

"Hell, no. He's too clever to quarrel with an injured man." He didn't look at Galen as he said between his teeth, "Why didn't you tell me he was trying to get Eve into bed?"

"Is he?"

"Don't give me that bullshit. You notice everything. There's something going on between them that a blind man could see."

"I haven't seen them together very much."

And Joe wished he hadn't seen that last interchange of glances between Montalvo and Eve. It had not only been full of understanding but also intimacy. No, it was good that he had seen what was happening even if it hurt. Eve would never be unfaithful to him because of a sexual attraction. With Eve it would have to involve all the emotions and it hadn't reached that point with Montalvo yet.