"No," Ron said flatly. "I won’t have Sandra involved in any illegal activities. Take the kids to the police."
"I can’t do that. I told you —" Eve stopped and drew a deep breath. "I’m not asking you to accept Jane. That might put you both in danger. But Dom has no interest in Mike, or he would have killed him when he had the chance. I just need someone to take care of him until I can work my way through this mess."
"He’s a runaway. There are serious repercussions for not returning him to his parents."
"For God’s sake, according to Jane he’s been on the street for days and no one’s reported him missing. Do you think his parents care?"
"It’s against the law."
And who should know better than a lawyer! "I need help, Ron.”
“I can see you do, but Sandra is my concern. I’d like to help, but I can’t afford to let her—"
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"We’ll do it." Her mother stood in the doorway. "Stop being a protective ass, Ron."
He turned to face her. "How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough." She came toward them. "Do you think Eve would have come here if she’d had any other choice?"
"Let me take care of this, Sandra."
She shook her head. "That little boy is scared. We’re not going to toss him back to his parents, and I’m not going to send Eve away when she needs me. I did that too many times when she was a kid." She paused. "But she’s not your daughter. I can take Mike back to my own house."
He scowled. "The hell you will."
"Believe it." Her tone was quiet but firm. "We’ve been very happy, but there’s more to my life than just you, Ron."
"Harboring a runaway is illegal, and I won’t have you—"
"Did I ever tell you how many times Eve ran away when I was on crack?" She looked at Eve. "He doesn’t mean to be hard. He’s just never been there."
"I don’t want to mess up anything for you, Mom."
"If taking a kid in from the cold can mess up what Ron and I have, then it’s not worth keeping."
She turned back to Ron. "Is it?"
He stared at her for a moment, and then he gave a faint smile. "Damn you, Sandra." He shrugged. "Okay, you win. We tell the neighbors he’s my brother’s kid visiting from Charlotte."
Relief surged through Eve. "Thank you."
Sandra shook her head. "You’re so stubborn about standing alone and not letting anyone help you. It’s nice to be able to do something for you."
Eve warily glanced at Ron.
"It’s okay. I don’t like it, but it’s okay." He slipped his arm around Sandra’s waist. "But you stay away from her until this bastard is behind bars. Do you hear me? I won’t have Sandra in danger."
"I didn’t intend anything else. Keep your digital phone on, Mom. I’ll call periodically to make sure everything’s okay." She stood up. "Now I’ll go and find Jane and get out of here."
"I’m ready." Jane stood in the doorway. "Mike’s having another pancake, Mrs. Duncan. You’d better stop him or he’ll have a bellyache tonight."
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"Another? Good heavens, he’s already had six." Sandra hurried toward the kitchen.
Jane came forward. "We should leave now. I’ve explained things to Mike, but he may make a fuss if he starts thinking about me leaving." She looked at Ron. "You take good care of him. He may be scared of you at first. His father is big like you."
"I’ll take care of him."
She studied him. "You don’t want to do it." She turned to Eve. "Maybe we shouldn’t—"
"I said I’ll take care of him," Ron said testily. "I don’t have to like it. I promised and I’ll do it."
Jane was still frowning.
Christ, she had to get her out of there. "Come on, Jane." She pushed her toward the front door.
"They’ll be better off alone."
"I’m not sure that—"
Eve pulled her out into the hall and closed the door. "He’ll be fine. Mom will take care of him."
"She doesn’t cook very well. The pancakes were runny."
"Cooking isn’t one of her talents. But she’s a good person. You’d like her if you got to know her."
"I do like her. She’s sort of like… Fay.”
“And Fay was very protective, wasn’t she?”
“Yes." Another silence. "That man.”
“He’s a nice guy. He won’t hurt Mike.”
“I don’t like him."
Eve had liked him a lot better the first time she’d met him. But, no one was perfect, and she should be glad he was protective of Sandra. "He’s worried about my mother. Do you think I’d leave him if I wasn’t certain?"
Jane stared at her with a frown and finally shook her head. "I guess not. Where are we going?"
“Someplace out of town where we can find a motel and get some sleep. I’m tired, aren’t you?"
"Yes."
Eve could see Jane was exhausted. Her face was pinched and pale with strain and yet she had The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
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doggedly held on until Mike was settled.
She was silent until they got into the elevator. "Why?" she whispered. "Why is it happening?"
"I’ll tell you, but not now. Trust me.”
“Why should I?"
What could she say? After what Jane had gone through in the last twenty-four hours, why should she trust anyone? "I don’t know. I’m not sure if I’d trust anyone either. I guess because I’m your best bet."
"That’s not saying much."
Frustration made Eve speak sharply. "Well, it’s all you’ll get from me. It’s all I can give you."
"You don’t have to get nasty."
"Yes, I do. I feel nasty. I’m mad as hell and I don’t need—" She bit her lower lip. "Sorry. Things are piling up on me."
Jane was silent until they reached the front entrance of the apartment building. "It’s okay. I’d rather you be nasty and honest. I hate those soppy caseworkers who ooze all over me."
As a child, Eve had hated them too, but as an adult she felt bound to defend them. "They want only to do their—" Oh, what the devil. She was too tired for hypocrisy. "I promise I’ll never ooze." She opened the back door of the car. "Jump in. We have to get out of here."
Mark looked over his shoulder at them. "I see we’ve lost one of our orphans.”
“Mom will take care of him."
"So where to now?"
"Away from here. Fast. One of the first things the police will do to find me is talk to Mom.
We’re lucky we got here before they did. Go somewhere outside the city. A motel."
"Any preference?"
She shoot her head. "Somewhere safe.”
“Safe from Dom or safe from Joe Quinn?"
Joe.
Mark’s narrowed gaze met hers in the rearview mirror. "Joe will find you, Eve." She knew he would. It was only a matter of time. So she had to take advantage of that time. "I’ll deal with The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
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Joe later."
He gave a low whistle. "Better you than me."
How could Mark not understand the risk to Joe’s career if he helped Eve now? She needed to call Joe at least one more time. She had to tell him about the scrawl on the cardboard box and the bone. Perhaps Dom had left some scrap of evidence.
He had made no detectable mistakes so far.
But wasn’t he showing signs of recklessness? Mere hours after killing Fay Sugarton, he risked discovery by planting that bone only blocks from the crime scene.
Maybe he wasn’t invulnerable. Maybe this time he’d left a clue to his identity. So call Joe, take the flak, and tell him.
Mark Grunard drove them to a Motel 6 near Elijay, Georgia. He arranged for a single room for himself and a double for Eve and Jane.