And the fact that he could not be approached without knowing about it at least twenty minutes in advance. He’d ordered that Nate Queen pass through the first barricade without a challenge, but no one got past the gates without being searched.
“You’re completely paranoid, do you know that?” Queen asked irritably from the door. “And I didn’t appreciate the body search.”
“You should expect paranoia.” Gallo turned to face him. “I have a mental problem. Haven’t you heard?”
“Oh, I’ve heard,” Queen said as he came into the study. “You’ve caused me nothing but problems. And you’re going to cause me more, aren’t you?”
“Probably.”
“I didn’t have to come here. You could have talked to me on the phone.”
“But then I wouldn’t have been able to see your expression. You’ve lied to me before, Queen. I needed to know that I had a chance to catch you in one if you tried it again.”
“Paranoia,” Queen repeated. “I didn’t tell Catherine Ling anything. I’ve just been setting her up for a regretful refusal. She’s stirring up too much shit for me to totally ignore her. It seems Eve Duncan is a good friend, and she’s trying to help her.”
“I found out that much for myself. How close is Catherine Ling coming?”
Queen hesitated. “Close. But we’ll take care of it.”
“I might have to take care of it myself.”
“No!” Queen said. “Stay away from her. She’s CIA.”
Gallo smiled. “Do you think that would make a difference to me?” He could see the anger and frustration in Queen’s face. But there was also the fear. Gallo made sure that the fear was always there. It was easy. All he had to do was look at them and let them see. “All your tight little agencies and bureaus with all their rules. They make me sick.”
“You’re already sick.” He was silent a moment, gathering his arguments. “Look, you do anything to a CIA agent, and it will be twice as hard for me to protect you.”
“Do you protect me, Queen? It’s rather like a wolf protecting a sheep, isn’t it?”
“You’re no sheep,” Queen said roughly. “And I’ve protected you for years, and you know it. You made sure of that.”
“Now how could I intimidate a powerful colonel with Army Intelligence?” He tilted his head, pretending to think. “Maybe because it gave you the opportunity to position yourselves outside my lair to wait for me to make a mistake?”
“That’s a possibility,” Queen said. “I’d like nothing better than to bring you down, Gallo.” He was clearly trying to overcome his anger. “Be reasonable. Let me handle this. You don’t want the CIA on your ass.”
Gallo shrugged. “Why do you say that? I don’t care, Queen.”
Queen shook his head. “I can see that you don’t. That’s why you should have been exterminated years ago.”
“A lot of people agree with you. I assure you that it’s not from lack of trying. From the moment I was born until your appearance in my life.”
“Let me handle it,” Queen repeated. “Leave Catherine Ling and Eve Duncan alone.”
“I’ll think about it.” He turned back to the window. “You may go now, Queen.”
“May? You arrogant bastard.”
“I can afford to be arrogant. You’re on my turf.”
“You’d be arrogant anyway, you crazy, murdering, son of a bitch.” The door slammed behind him.
Should he go after him, Gallo wondered idly. It wasn’t good to let Queen’s fear of him dissipate when it took very little to reinforce it.
No, it wasn’t necessary, and he wasn’t in the mood. He could deal with Queen at any time. Queen might have thought it was pure arrogance when he’d dismissed him so summarily, but he did have some thinking to do.
He gazed out at the mountains. He must think clearly and carefully and not let emotion get in the way. Queen might think he was a cold-blooded killer to be exterminated, but the emotion was definitely there. He did not feel cold.
He was eager.
For the prospect of the deaths and torment that might come? That would be Queen’s interpretation.
Or eager for something else?
Either way, it was not a decision to be taken lightly.
* * *
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” JOE was standing behind Eve in the porch doorway. “You look like you’re communing with the moon.”
“Maybe I would if I thought it would do any good. I was only getting some air.” She turned and came toward him. “I just finished talking to Montalvo.”
“I was about to call him myself.”
Which only showed Eve Joe’s sense of urgency. Montalvo and Joe were on guarded terms most of the time. She could see that tension now. “Now you don’t have to do it.”
“Did Montalvo offer to come and help you?” he asked. “It wouldn’t surprise me.”
She didn’t answer directly. “I don’t need anything but information from Montalvo. He couldn’t give me much.” She handed him her telephone. “A photo of Paul Black. Montalvo still hasn’t been able to get a lead on his current whereabouts.”
Joe glanced at the photo. “I’ll give it to Venable in case he doesn’t have it yet.”
“And there’s nothing in Black’s report that indicates he ever had a partner or even an associate. He was never in the service, and how that report from him on John Gallo ever got into Agency files is a mystery.”
“It seems everything about John Gallo is a mystery.” He handed her back the phone. “Except to you, Eve.”
She stiffened. “How can you say that? The John Gallo I knew doesn’t exist any longer. Any more than the girl I was back then exists.”
“That’s right, you told me that, didn’t you.” He turned. “I admit I’m very interested to meet John Gallo.”
And she hadn’t told him that Catherine might have a possible location on him. Her decision had evidently been made. “He may not be Bonnie’s killer. Catherine wasn’t sure.”
He went back into the house. “I’ll still be interested to meet him.”
Should she stay out here and wait for Catherine’s call or go in and go to bed?
She hesitated before following Joe inside. She’d let him have a little time to himself, then she had to talk to him. She was going to make him more angry and resentful before this was over, but she didn’t want the strain to go on right now. She wanted to be close to him and try to make him understand.
Make him understand that sixteen-year-old Eve? He’d already told her that he couldn’t comprehend her motives because that girl wasn’t the same person he knew.
Then talk to him, make him understand.
Joe was already in bed by the time she came into the bedroom. He was naked as usual, the sheet flung carelessly over his body.
“No call from Catherine?” he asked.
She shook her head and went into the bathroom. “I’m not waiting up for it.”
He was still lying in bed, his arm beneath his head, when she came out a few minutes later. His muscles were tense, his face without expression. “But you wanted to wait up for it, didn’t you? You just thought it would be more diplomatic to soothe the savage.”
“When have you known me to be diplomatic? Particularly with you. Our lives are based on being painfully up-front with each other.” She got into bed. “And you’re not a savage … most of the time.”
“You see, you know me very well,” he said mockingly. “All my moods, faults, and virtues. You know what I am and what I can be.”
“Not necessarily. If you’re claiming to be predictable, it’s far from the truth. You change, you surprise me.”
“Do I?” He paused. “But not as much as you surprise me. This one threw me into the stratosphere.”
“It wasn’t a surprise that I deliberately sprang on you. I was just as shocked as you were. Probably more.”
“And you’re straining at the leash to go on the hunt again.” He was staring into the darkness. “And I’m the leash, aren’t I? You want to break free and go find Paul Black … and Gallo.”
“I don’t regard you as some kind of restraint, Joe. You’ve always helped me.” Be honest. “It’s just that this time I’d feel more guilt if anything happened to you.” She wearily shook her head. “Or maybe not. I always worry that I’m going to get you killed when I’m the only one who should be putting her life on the line. Perhaps this time it just seems different.”