“We’re heading toward town right now,” Eve told Joe after she had filled him in on what had happened to Elena Delaney. “Margaret is checking Google, but I don’t think she’s finding anything. I talked to the police at the crash scene, and they’d never heard of a cave in that area. It must not be well-known. I thought I’d let you have a go at checking on it. We need all the help we can get.”
“And I’m so conveniently on the sidelines.” He followed immediately. “That’s not fair. I’ll get to work on it immediately. You’re right, we’re heading for the homestretch, and there’s no way Walsh will get there before us.”
“Thanks, Joe.”
“Is that all you need?”
“Yes.” She paused. “No. It was bad seeing Elena—I felt helpless. I’m missing you right now. I wanted to hear your voice. I wanted to be with you.”
“You’re always with me.”
“Yeah, I know. Keep in touch.” She hung up.
Joe slowly pressed the disconnect. Eve felt safe saying she wanted to be with him when she was almost two hours away, and she had arranged roadblocks to keep him here.
Sorry, Eve. Homestretch.
He sat up in bed and threw his sheet aside.
First, get to Carmel in the quickest way possible.
He was dialing his phone as he started dressing.
“Nalchek. I need you to do something for me.”
“Forget it,” he said curtly. “I don’t have the time. I’m driving toward Carmel and trying to—”
“I know what you’re trying to do. I need one phone call from you, then I’ll leave you alone.”
“You’ll not get it. I’m busy and—”
“I want you to set up a helicopter to bring me down there right away.”
“What? You think I can just blink my eyes and arrange for a helicopter?”
“Probably. You have connections. You did very well when you got those police helicopters so quickly to us in Tahoe.”
“That was different.”
“Then consider it a challenge.”
“No.”
“Yes. Or we’ll discuss Bryland Medical, and I don’t think you want to waste time on that at the moment.”
Silence. “You’ve been digging hard and deep.”
“And I’d just finished putting together the pieces before Eve called me. But I’m willing to put it aside until we take out Walsh.” Joe’s tone hardened. “Get me the helicopter. And while you’re at it, get rid of that guard in the hall, or I’ll do it myself.”
Nalchek didn’t answer for another moment. “I’ll get it for you. Why should I worry about you killing yourself? That’s Eve’s job, and she’ll probably kill you herself when she finds out what you’re doing.”
“I’ll be out of here and downstairs on the street in ten minutes. Call me and tell me where to pick up the helicopter.” He hung up.
Eve wouldn’t kill him, but she would probably find a way to punish him, Joe thought ruefully. But as long as he didn’t pull those stitches and bleed to death, she would eventually forgive him. It would be worth the risk.
Homestretch.
*
Eve, Margaret, and Nalchek pulled off the road and climbed out of the car. They were on the southern end of the scenic seventeen-mile drive, which offered some of the most stunning views of the Pacific Ocean Eve had ever seen. But now it looked anything but beautiful to her. The crashing waves were ominous, threatening. Jagged rocks jutted from the water like fingers clawing desperately upward. Dark clouds billowed offshore, pulsing with electrical energy.
Margaret pulled her sweater closer around her. “The birds have all gone. Look around.”
Birds. Eve’s mind went instantly to the vultures wheeling over Elena’s poor broken body.
Margaret knew what Eve was thinking and shook her head.
Nalchek turned toward Margaret. “And what does that have to do with anything?”
“There’s a storm coming, and they know it.” Margaret nodded to the clouds offshore. “It’s going to be a big one.”