That was her plan.
A wave of sorrow hit her. She knew Rick would be insane with worry. He was probably blaming himself. She wished there was a way to reassure him.
Hurry up in there.
Josie opened the bathroom door to find Cummings waiting, gun still drawn. There is no way out of here, of course, he said. Ill give you a complete tour. That way, you wont waste the precious remaining hours of your life looking for a way to outsmart me.
Sounds fun. Josie noticed how Cummings eyed her injured wrists and looked away quickly, as if the sight disturbed him.
Josie decided to keep him talking. So, you were expecting me?
I was expecting your boyfriend, actually. But I decided youd be more fun.
What did you shoot me up with? Josie pointed to the back of her leg.
Just a generic animal tranquilizer I purchased off the Internet. You shouldnt have any long-term side effectsnot that youll need to worry about that. He smiled and used his gun to herd her into the other room.
You must be famished. I know I am.
Rick rubbed Genghis behind the ears, comforted by the warm weight of the dogs body up against his legs. Taking advantage of the moment of privacy, Rick bent down and buried his nose in the dogs fur, inhaling the mellow sweetness of Josies scent. He wondered how long her essence would cling to the dogs woolly coat.
He gathered all the strength left inside him, and willed himself not to break down.
Teeny quietly entered the study. Gwen wants to talk to you.
I cant stand to look at her, Rick said, his face still buried in Genghiss curls. Get her out of here as soon as possible.
Shes giving the FBI some decent information, Teeny continued.
Apparently, Cummings came to her place wearing a mustache, wig, and ball cap. She described his clothes in detail. And based on what Gwens said, it sounds like hes carrying a 45.-caliber semiautomatic.
Rick looked up. Does Gwen know where he is?
No, Teeny said.
Then shes useless. Rick straightened up in the leather chair.
Teeny had the saddest look on his face. She wants to apologize.
Not necessary.
The door opened. Gwen stepped in. /Who does she think she is?/ Rick averted his eyes.
I am truly sorry, she whispered. What I did was selfish, conceited, and petty. I have no excuse.
Forget this, Gwen, Teeny said. I think you should go.
Wait. Rick stood up, noticing for the first time that Gwen looked like hell. Her head was bowed in shame. Hed never seen her with a single hair out of place, let alone a disheveled mess. She seemed more human to him this way.
Rick sighed, closing his eyes from the weight of the truth. Thats all any of them werehuman. And to be human was to be a fuckup just waiting to happen. All of them. Without exception.
Damn you, Gwen, he said.
She nodded, the tears coming. I dont expect you to forgive me. Ill never forgive myself. She turned to go.
Rick cursed under his breath. He must be crazy. Come here, he said. She turned to him and he opened his arms to her. He patted her on the back as she sobbed.
I didnt want anyone to get hurt! Gwen wailed. Oh, my God! I am so sorry!
Teenys eyes were huge as he looked down on the unlikely drama. Rick managed a weak smile, then pushed Gwen away. Hed suddenly thought of something so obvious it was ridiculous.
Hey, Gwen, how did Cummings know he could come to you?
Gwen blinked. He wrote me before Margot died. He said he was interested in a mutually beneficial business arrangement. Gwens eyes flashed to Teeny. I decided not to tell you.
Jesus, Teeny whispered.
Here. Gwen dug into the front pocket of her sweatpants and handed Rick a business card. After you told me you were in love with Josie, I left a message at this number. I wanted to make you pay.
With his eyes locked on Gwens, Ricks hand shot up into the air, the card trapped between two of his fingers. Teeny snatched it and ran out the room.
He stared at her, shaking his head slowly.
You probably hate me, she said.
I dont, Rick said, suddenly exhausted down to the marrow of his bones.
Nothing good ever comes of it.
By the time the sun came up, Josie had quite a few things figured out.
First, she knew she was stuck like a bug in a glass jar. All doors were locked solid with numeric keypads and pass codes. All the windows had been welded shut and coated on the outside with an opaque film that kept her from getting a sense of her location. She couldnt even tell if she was on a ground floor or twenty stories up. Shed seen Cummings carrying a small flip phone in his pocket, but otherwise there were no telephones, no computers, no way to reach the outside world. Even the TV in her suite had no live signaljust a DVD player and a stack of movies.
Also, it was obvious to Josie that Bennett Cummings wasnt a hardened criminal, and certainly not a natural-born kidnapper. Bennett couldnt bear to look at the red marks on her wrists. With each mention of how he planned to shoot her, he sounded more and more like a bad actor in a low-budget movie, like he had to impress himself with his diabolical plan as much as he needed to impress Josie. Cummings was nervous. Hed had about six drinks the night before, and he paced for hours. Josie watched him from a crack in her bedroom door.
But there was one other thing she sensedBennett Cummings was stuck, never allowing himself to grieve the loss of his daughter. Josie had spent the last eight years looking into the face of grief, so she knew what she was talking about. He was still so angry he couldnt see straight, and he thought revenge against Rick would make his loss easier to bear. It didnt work like that, of course, but you couldnt tell that to someone when they were caught up in their hate the way Cummings was.
Josie couldnt help but wonder if this whole mess might have been avoided if Bennett Cummings had found a way to grieve. Thats when it hit hermaybe conversation would be the only weapon shed need.
I hope youre not planning a doomed escape attempt. Cummings said that as he walked from the kitchen and dining areas of the house to where Josie sat in the fancy living room. He handed her a to-go cup of convenience-store coffee.
Josie looked around her. The place was something out of /Architectural Digest/. Josie figured that if she had to be kidnapped, this was a swanky way to be imprisonedmodern, sleek furniture, bamboo floors, geometric art, a slate waterfall built right smack in the middle of the room. It would probably be stunning if the sun were allowed to shine through the huge windows.
Josie studied Cummings as he walked toward her and took a seat in a matching leather and chrome chair. He seemed tired.
Im not planning my escape, Mr. Cummings, she said. I was just thinking of Margot.
His eyes flew wide. She saw his pulse beat against the thinning skin of his throat. Shes not yours to think about, he snapped. You do not have permission to do so.
Josie shrugged. Its just that the only things I know about her is what Rick told me. I was just wondering what kind of person she was.
Cummings glared at her. He was a very smart man. Josie suddenly questioned her approach.
She was beautiful. Intelligent. Funny. And then, after your boyfriend got through with her, she was sad, limp, gray, and brain-dead. He produced a sneer. Any more questions?
Josie swallowed. Do you have any pictures of her with you?
He didnt move. He didnt answer.