Had he been able to see more than the love that bound Bonnie and her together? Had he seen a guideline that Bonnie had drawn for him? Eve had been totally shocked that he had been able to see Bonnie. Bonnie had come to her and to Gallo and to Joe and no one else. Not even Jane. It was reasonable to guess that it was the love that had drawn her to them. The love was always there and clearly visible when she was with Bonnie.
But Danner felt no love. He was afraid of Bonnie. He only wanted to get rid of her.
And offering Eve up as a sacrificial offering was the way he planned on doing it. He thought that was what Bonnie wanted. Yet Bonnie had always told Eve that she had to wait, that they couldn’t be together because it wasn’t her time.
But had Eve’s time come now? Was that why Danner was seeing Bonnie?
Too many questions. Perhaps she was reaching too deep. Outside of scientific medical knowledge of hallucinations, there were also stories that the insane sometimes saw visions and spirits not visible to normal people. At any rate, Danner was not going to answer any more of her probes right now. She was lucky she had managed to get as much information as she had from him.
Or maybe not so lucky. He was becoming too human to her. Yes, there was no doubt he had moments of sanity as well as madness. Yes, there had been reasons that had caused him to slip into that half-world. But you could not forgive evil as great as the killing of Bonnie because of what had happened to him. It was better that she only thought of him as the monster who could have murdered her Bonnie.
She could call him mad, but she could not call him a monster until she knew for certain that he had killed her daughter. He had refused to say the words, dammit.
But it had to be him, and she would know everything before she was through.
She started to push after him through the heavy brush.
* * *
“THEY BUILT A FIRE HERE,” Gallo said as he knelt beside the huge oak tree.
“How long ago?” Catherine asked.
He studied the grass and the drying mud beside the ashes. “Six, maybe seven hours ago.”
Catherine frowned. “That’s a big lead.”
He nodded. “But at least he’s stopping to rest on occasion. That will lose him time.” He looked up at Catherine. “And he’s still got Eve with him.”
And that was a circumstance beyond price, Catherine thought. Every time she caught sight of Eve’s tracks after a period of losing the trail, she felt a surge of profound relief. This terrain was rough as hell and hard to get through. Who the hell knew if Danner would get impatient with dragging Eve with him and decide to dispose of her.
She stood up. “Let’s get going. We’ve lost too much time on that last—” Her phone rang. “It’s Joe.” She punched the button. “We haven’t caught up with them yet, Joe. But Danner still has Eve with him. Are you still at the church?”
“No, I’m at the Rainbow Connection. A youth rescue camp at Bradburg near the Alabama border. Father Barnabas said that Danner went to work for the organization because of its location. He said he had to be near ‘the child.’”
She stiffened. “What?” She pressed up the volume. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“This is only a slim lead. If you can track him, then that was our best bet.”
“But it was a lead to where he might be heading. Where is this Bradburg?”
“A couple hours’ drive from Atlanta, near Columbus, Georgia.”
Gallo was already pushing buttons on the apps on his iPhone. He glanced up at her. “We’re heading in the general direction. If he doesn’t change course, it could be his destination.”
She shook her head. “Joe said the camp was close, not his destination.” She spoke into the phone. “Doesn’t anyone know anything about Danner down there?”
“His job was to take kids hiking and canoeing. He did what he was supposed to do and didn’t cause any trouble. He was a loner. Every week or so, he would take off and go camping for a few days.”
“Where?”
“No one seems to know. Like I said, he was a loner.”
“Wasn’t anyone curious, dammit?”
“No one I’ve found so far. I’ve talked to several of the employees and counselors and not come up with anything. I still have a few to question.”
And if they knew anything, Joe would get the information, she knew. He would be relentless. “Then we’ll keep on the trail. At least we know what may be his general direction. It would help if we could tighten a noose around him from both directions. Let us know.” She hung up and turned to Gallo. “How long will it take to get to this Bradford?”
“In this kind of heavy brush? At least another day. Providing that’s where he’s headed.” He glanced at the app again. “And providing that he doesn’t veer off course and head for Florida. It’s only guesswork by Father Barnabas that he’d head in that direction.”
Catherine agreed with him, but at least they had another possibility if they lost Danner in these woods.
No, they wouldn’t lose him. That wasn’t an option. She moved toward the trail. “We’ll check his movements every few hours and compare it to the destination on the map in the apps. Maybe it will give us some indication.”
“You know he could cut back to the road and hijack a car?”
“But that would be hard with Eve in tow. And he evidently intends to keep her with him.”
“Thank God.”
She glanced back at him. “That sounded pretty profound. You’re losing your faith in Danner’s innocence?”
“I didn’t say that.” He was silent, then said, “I want to believe he’s still the man who was my friend as a boy. I just can’t afford to let anyone else be hurt because I want it to be true. I wasn’t lying to Quinn.” He met her gaze. “Every act I do from now on will be based on the idea that my uncle wants to kill Eve. If I have to do it, I’ll take him out.”
And it was tearing him apart, Catherine could see. But there was no doubt in her mind that he meant every word he said. He was tough and hard-edged and he’d smother any hint of softness now that he’d made his decision.
But that didn’t mean that decision would necessarily have to become reality.
She glanced away from him. “You never can tell, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
He must have caught something in her tone. His gaze was suddenly narrowed on her face. “And that means?”
“Nothing.”
“I think it does.” His lips were suddenly indented with the faintest smile. “My God, Catherine, I believe you’re planning on offering me a bizarre gift … of sorts. Incredible.”
“I’m not planning anything. Sometimes, things happen.”
“And that happening might include your taking out my uncle so that I don’t have to do it. You’d do that for me?”
“It has nothing to do with you,” she said crisply. “All of this is about Eve and for Eve. It’s probably in the cards for Danner to be eliminated, so that Eve can live. I’d be more efficient in doing that since I don’t have any emotional baggage. Why should you do something that could scar you for the rest of your life? It would be easier for me. Do you know how many kills I have?”
“I imagine the number is formidable.”
“It can be an ugly world, and I’m an agent. I do what my job calls for me to do. Do I like it? No, but I believe it’s worthwhile.”
“And do you believe I’m worthwhile, Catherine?”
“The truth? Worthwhile to me? I’m not sure. But I want you to live, so that I can find out. And I don’t want you to make stupid mistakes and get yourself killed because you hesitate when you should move.”
“I won’t hesitate. That’s over, Catherine. I’ll handle this. Back off.”
She shrugged. “We’ll see how it plays out.” She turned away. “But don’t flatter yourself that I’d do it for you. It would be for Eve … and for me.”
He chuckled. “And that flatters me enormously. I can do without your making this huge sacrifice to keep me from undergoing all this mental and emotional suffering. I like the idea much more of your selfishly trying to keep me balanced in case you can make use of me.”
She had thought he’d feel that way. It was much better that she kept the situation on that level. She could be as honest as she could with him as long as it did not make her vulnerable.