“Laymon, Dryer, Adair…and Brad,” she said wearily. “But that doesn’t mean anything,” she added quickly. “There were dozens of workers around, too. Dozens of grad students, some of the development company people…tons of people.”
He just stared at her. “All right. I’m not going to bring this to the attention of the police until I have a chance to speak with Brad myself.” He looked up at Adam. “I’m assuming you have a lot of connections in the area where Leslie, Laymon and Brad were last working. Do you think you could have some of them look into Brad Verdun’s movements while he was working down there?”
“I think I can manage that, yes,” Adam said. There was a strange smile curving his lip. Joe might have startled him with the question, but he didn’t bat an eye. Leslie could tell that he did think it ironic that Joe had apparently weighed and judged him so quickly, and that he was glad he had been approved.
“So for the moment, you’re not going to turn Brad in, and you won’t strong-arm him, you’ll just talk to him, okay?” Leslie asked.
Joe arched a brow. “Okay.”
“But you’d like to, right?”
“Yes,” Joe admitted.
“Then how about driving Adam and Nikki to their hotel so they can check out and come stay with me instead?”
“What about you? Where will you be while I’m playing chauffeur?”
“I can just wait here, at Hastings House.”
“No way am I leaving you alone.”
She smiled. “Okay, I’ll come, too.”
The drive was nice. The windows were down as they shot up Sixth Avenue, making for a nice breeze, and the city was beautiful by night. At the hotel, Joe left his car right in front, after tipping a young man heavily to see that it went around the block a few times and then came back.
Adam was fond of old places, so they had intended to stay at the Algonquin. Joe and Leslie sat in the comfortable lounge while they were waiting for the other two to repack and check out. He smiled at her ruefully. “So…do you see Dorothy Parker or any of her circle anywhere?” he asked lightly.
“Look over there.”
“Who is it?”
“Lori Newman, the new Broadway sensation,” Leslie said, smiling. But then she grew serious. “Joe…I know this sounds strange, but I’m absolutely convinced Genevieve O’Brien is alive.”
“I feel it, too. That’s exactly why I’m so frustrated. I don’t believe that she’s going to stay alive much longer. That’s why I’ve got to find her soon, before he…” His voice trailed off as he considered the cost of failure.
“It isn’t Brad. Trust me, along with everything else, he really isn’t clever enough to pull something like this off.”
Joe actually smiled.
Leslie hesitated. “I saw her, Joe. Tonight.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It was strange. When I touched Eileen’s hand tonight…” She stopped, wincing. “I saw her…in a vision, I guess you’d say. She was alive. But she was desperately trying to do something…escape, maybe. She had to give up. She didn’t have the strength to keep going.”
He just stared at her. “You…had a vision?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what it was, exactly. But tonight, when I touched Eileen, it was almost as if I could reach out and touch Genevieve.”
“If only you could,” he mused softly.
“May I take that picture? The one you showed me with her—and Brad—in it?” Leslie asked. “I’m sure you have other copies.”
He nodded. “Sure.”
Adam and Nikki reappeared, and they headed outside as a group.
“Think that kid is coming back with your car?” Nikki teased Joe.
“Sure hope so.”
But the young man, who in fact worked for the hotel, returned the car in less than two minutes. Traffic was light, and the drive back to Hastings House was quick.
Despite Adam and Nikki’s presence, Joe came inside with them. Leslie was surprised when he walked through the house, upstairs and downstairs, then went back to the servants’ pantry and down to the basement.
Adam and Nikki had already gone upstairs to get settled. Leslie waited for him in the servants’ pantry. As she did, she looked around. It was amazing. If she hadn’t been here herself when the room exploded into fire and splinters, she would never suspect now that any such thing had ever happened.
Joe came back up the stairs.
“Empty?”
“To my eyes,” he said quietly.
Hands on his hips, he turned away from her, staring thoughtfully at the hatch. She stood behind him, slipping her arms around him, leaning her head against his back.
“Thank you.”
“Hey, ma’am, anything I can do,” he murmured.
He turned. His eyes searched hers out as he lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger. His head bent.
She thought he was going to kiss her full on the lips. She didn’t know what she felt, what she would do.
But his lips landed lightly on her forehead, instead. “Leslie, I’m begging you, for the love of God, be careful.” He backed away and looked at her. “I don’t get visions, but I do get hunches. And I feel nervous as hell right now.”