“He may not know where to find her,” Stang said quietly. “I told you, he went hunting.”
“But you think that he had an idea where to find Doane. She’s with Doane, dammit.”
Stang was silent.
“Answer me, Stang.”
“I’m thinking about it. Zander would look upon it as a betrayal and he doesn’t tolerate traitors. He always expects to be betrayed, but he’d still tend to set an example. I’ve lasted this long because he has a minimum degree of trust in me.”
“Which must make your life hell.”
“Sometimes.”
“Then why do you stay? Venable says you could get a job anywhere, that you’re some kind of financial genius.”
“I have reasons.”
“Your brother, Sean?”
Stang went rigid. “You know about Sean?”
“Venable has as big a report on you as he does Zander. On the plane here, I accessed every bit of information I could on both of you.”
“Very clever. Just what I’d do. I’d bet there wasn’t much on Zander.”
“No, even Venable couldn’t pull more than a few lines on him.” He paused. “But on you…”
“I’m very ordinary.” He smiled. “Just your typical genius next door. All brain but with no larger-than-life characteristics. I’ll leave that to you … and Zander.”
“You can’t compare me to Zander.”
“Yes, I can. I see a few similarities. You will, too, once you make his acquaintance. But only a few, he’s something of an enigma.”
“And so are you. For instance, you were born Colin Daklow, in South Africa of American parents, missionaries who ran a medical facility there. You had an older brother, Sean, with whom you were very close. He was a doctor at the hospital. You spent most of your time in New York. First at Harvard and then at Merrill Lynch. You were the golden boy there, but you still made frequent trips back to South Africa. You and your family were very close.” He paused. “But you weren’t there when the village and hospital were attacked by rebel insurgents who killed your parents and fatally injured your brother Sean. He died two hours after you saw him the morning you flew back there from New York.”
“I asked the doctors why they couldn’t save him,” Stang said. “Until I saw what they had done to him. Then I only hoped he’d die quickly.” His lips tightened. “Butchers.”
“Then you buried your dead and went back to the U.S.,” Joe said. “But not to Merrill Lynch. You disappeared for a while. To grieve, Stang?”
“Yes, and to think.”
“About the reports that the South African government was sending you about the suspicions that Lee Zander had somehow been involved in that massacre?”
Stang was silent.
“The nurses at the hospital filled out a report stating that Sean was coherent and talking before his death. What did your brother say to you before he died?”
For a moment Joe wasn’t sure Stang was going to answer. Then Stang said slowly, “He made me promise that I would never leave Zander until the day he died.”
“Yet there was no proof,” Joe said. “But it must have been agonizing to know that Zander would probably never face punishment for those killings. It was about that time that you changed your name and purchased an entire new identity on the black market.”
“Yes.” He took a sip of his scotch. “It’s remarkably easy if the money is available, and money has never been a problem for me.”
“Then you hunted down Zander and applied for a job. I presume to look for your opportunity.”
“It’s always a mistake to presume anything, Detective. Since you are a law-enforcement officer, I’m sure you’re aware of that.” He put his glass down on the table. “And I’d like you to dispense with this raking over very painful coals. I still find the memories excruciating.”
“I can see that you would,” he added harshly. “Evidently your opportunity never came. Well, make it happen now. Walk away from Zander and help me. Help Eve.”
He didn’t speak for a moment. “I think I’d like Eve Duncan. I’d look at her photo and see … I don’t know.” He shrugged. “She reminded me of my mother and father, and Sean and all those other foolish souls who let themselves be butchered. Some people take, some people give. The ones who give shouldn’t suffer, but they do.”
“Then help me,” Joe said urgently. “Zander is bound to find out about who you are eventually. Walk away from him now.”
Stang smiled faintly. “I think Zander knew who I was before he even hired me. I know he knew a few months later. He doesn’t take chances without knowing all the details about the people surrounding him.”
“Then why the hell would he keep you near him?”
Stang shook his head. “Enigma. I believe he enjoys the risk. He works hard at protecting himself, but lately I’ve wondered if he doesn’t really care whether he dies or not.”
“Like Eve,” Joe muttered. He hadn’t meant that to come out. Eve never said anything, but he knew that she would not be sorry to go to her Bonnie. But not yet, dammit. He wouldn’t let her go yet.
“Eve? Maybe that’s what I saw when I was looking at her photo,” Stang said quietly. “A reflection of Zander.”
“That’s not what you saw,” Joe said. “Eve will fight. Eve will have a good life ahead of her if we give her a chance.” He took a step nearer. “If you give her a chance. Where did Zander go hunting?”
“I don’t know.” He held up his hand as Joe opened his lips to speak. “But I may be able to point you in the right direction.”
“Talk.”
“Zander expected Doane to contact him, so he had his phone bugged and an expert on hand to monitor any transmissions and try to trace it.”
“Did he call him?”
“Yes, and the night he left, I know that he made a call to verify that the trace had been effective.” He paused. “I don’t know if he got an actual trace. I wouldn’t think so since he was in hunt mode. Maybe a tower, though.”
“What tower?”
He shook his head. “Guesswork. You need to talk to the source.”
“Who is the source?”
“Zander uses a man named Donald Weiner. He’s very, very good. And he’s completely discreet when it comes to Zander.” He grimaced. “You won’t find many of his associates alive who aren’t discreet.”
Joe typed the name into his phone. “Telephone number?”
“You’re not listening. He wouldn’t answer any calls from numbers with which he’s not familiar.”
“I’ll call on Zander’s house phone.”
Stang shook his head. “Zander calls from his cell.”
“Roadblocks.”
“That’s the way Zander likes it.”
“How do I get to—”
“If he knows you’re looking for him, he’ll take off and go underground. We’ll have to go to see him personally.”
“We?”
Stang shrugged. “He knows I work for Zander. It might help.”
“Where does Weiner live?”
“About four hours’ drive from here. On the other side of the city. We’ll take my car.” He went to the closet and took out his coat and a muffler. “We’d better get started.”
“Why are you doing this, Stang? It’s far from being discreet, and you said Zander didn’t forgive indiscretions. Are you breaking with him?”
“And lose this fine job? No, I can’t do that. I told you, I made a promise. But I believe this time Zander may be acting a little indiscreetly himself. Who knows? It might strike him as amusing. One can never tell with Zander.” He shrugged into his coat and turned toward the door. “Besides, I like your Eve’s face.” He opened the door. “Better bundle up if it wouldn’t offend your macho image. It’s turned very cold in the past few hours.”
CHAPTER
13
Rio Grande Forest
Colorado
DEAR GOD, IT WAS cold.
The rain was spiking hard against Eve’s face and body, and her hair was clinging to her neck like coiled snakes. At first, the rain had felt almost warm in contrast to the icy waters of the stream. It did not feel warm now. The wind ripping out of the abyss was whip-sharp, taking her breath away.