Margaret looked away. “I heard him.”
“But you don’t believe him.”
“If Nalchek was a holier-than-thou type like that pastor Joe was talking about, I’d have more trouble. But he’s very human, and people make mistakes. I believe Nalchek’s capable of everything and anything. Just as we all are if the circumstances fall into line.”
Eve’s brows rose. “You appear to have made a study of him.”
Margaret shook her head. “Sometimes, I don’t think I know him at all. But I do know he’s very human.”
CALIFORNIA PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTER
Joe opened his eyes when Eve pulled back the sheet and slipped into the hospital bed. “Hi, I wasn’t sure that you’d be coming back here tonight. I thought you’d go to your hotel.”
“You thought wrong. I dropped Margaret at the hotel and came to you.” She kicked off her shoes and pulled the sheet over both of them. “And if the nurse tries to kick me out, I’ll tell her I’m in dire need of therapy, and you’re the only one who has the qualifications.”
“What type of therapy?”
“Not the one you’re thinking about. I’m not an exhibitionist. Though I would never be ashamed of anything we do together. It’s all good. Would you?”
He pulled her close and cradled her head against his shoulder. “Hell, no,” he said gruffly. “I feel sorry for anyone who’s missing out on what we have.” He brushed his lips against her temple. “What therapy?”
“It’s hard being away from you. It’s harder not to be able to say yes, to not give you anything you want.”
“You didn’t show it.”
“But you knew it. If you didn’t after all this time together, then we’d have a serious problem.”
“And the therapy you require?”
“Just this. Just to know that no matter how much we disagree, in the end, this is the only thing that’s important.”
He was silent. “You’re not going to get your way if I see a danger, Eve.”
“And I’ll do exactly what I told you I’d do.” Her voice was low. “And tomorrow night, I’ll come back to you like this and you’ll hold me and everything but what’s between us will fade away. Isn’t that true?”
He was silent again. Then he chuckled. “Who am I to deny you therapy? I seem to need it myself.”
“Say it, Joe.”
“Words?” His voice was silken soft. “Yes, it’s true. In the end, everything else just fades away…” He kissed her, then abruptly sat up in bed. “Turn on the lights.”
“What?” she said, startled.
“Do it. In the end everything else fades away. But this isn’t the end, and I have to fill you in.”
She was gazing at him in bewilderment as she got up and turned on the lights. “What are you up to?”
“Doing the only thing you allowed me to do. Pull up that chair.” He took his yellow pad from the bedside table. “I think I’ve got most of it figured out.” He showed her a pad full of notes and crossed-out sentences and questions. “Though there are a few things that didn’t make sense.”
“I can’t make sense of any of it.”
“Okay, take it from the beginning as I did. Walsh. What do we know about him? Yes, he’s a child killer, but what else?”
“You know the answer. Burglar, murderer, human trafficker, drug dealer, and who knows what—”
“Stop right there. Human trafficking. That’s the only crime most likely to connect to Jenny or any other child if you rule out serial killer. We’ve both noticed that Walsh is different; he’s in control, and though he enjoys the kill, he doesn’t let it rule him. He’s an enforcer, and he lived a good life obeying the Castino family. He wouldn’t let a careless, self-indulgent kill interfere with that life.”
“Human trafficking … You’re saying he kidnapped Jenny and was going to sell her?”
“That was my first thought.” He shook his head. “But everything connected to her death is too complicated. Why kill her instead of sell her?”