“So he played right into her hands.”
“For her, it was a no-lose scenario. He’d either get killed in the escape attempt or he’d make it out and come after her. And she’d be ready for him. She’s not afraid of him—but it had to be on her terms, when she could control the circumstances. Being larger and stronger, he’s dangerous—so she’s got to be smarter.”
“She’s definitely smarter. Formidable. She manipulated all of us. Did such a great job that no one saw what was really going on.”
Vail pulled out her phone and called Curtis. “You guys find her?”
“Almost there. You still have a reading on her?”
Vail pulled out the device. “No. Shit—even if she ditched it, it should still be transmitting, right?”
“How the hell should I know?”
Dammit. Vail ground her molars. “I’m gonna have a friend of mine—Aaron Uziel—email you a link to download the app to your phone so you can track it in real time in case she hasn’t found it. Hang on a second.”
Vail pulled her Samsung away from her ear and texted both Uzi and Curtis, making the request preceded by the word “URGENT” in caps.
“Install the app,” she told Curtis. “And let me know what happens when you get there.” She hung up and began pacing, trying to clear her mind, refocus on Underwood. “Why kidnap you? Why keep you alive?”
Underwood was quiet a long moment.
Vail stopped, then turned her head slowly to face Underwood. “Because you helped her.”
He looked away. “Not willingly.”
“Of course not.” Vail glared at him, waiting for him to elaborate. “But you did help her.”
“She took Rusty and put him in her basement, hooked up that internet camera and put it on the screen in my ‘prison cell.’ Constant inducement to do what she wanted.”
“Or she wouldn’t go over there and feed him.”
“Worse. She’d make me watch while she killed him. And I fully believed her when she said she’d do it. After reading Rhonda’s diary entries, after realizing who I was dealing with, I had zero doubt she would follow through on that threat. After my wife died, Rusty’s been … he’s been my life. I couldn’t let her hurt him in any way.”
Vail thought of Hershey. She could not fault Underwood.
“I told her things to do that would shield her from your scrutiny,” Underwood said. “Ways to stage the crime scenes. But I didn’t give her everything she wanted.”
“The clues you left me. To read your books so I’d figure out what she was up to.” She shook her head. “But I didn’t catch on, not fast enough.”
“You eventually got it. You read the cases.”
The cases. Vail thought a moment, then stood up as she replayed a conversation in her mind.
Underwood watched her a moment. “This isn’t over, is it?”
She turned to face him. “Not by a long shot.”
59
Vail started for the door, trying to work it through her mind.
Underwood was right behind her. “What’s wrong?”
“There was a case—one of the agents I assigned to read your books called me before I came looking for you. The killer went after the cop’s kid.”
“Fernandez. He’d killed four children. The fifth one he kidnapped was the detective’s, who was working the case. Does Curtis have any kids in the area?”
“No.” Vail quickened her pace, running toward, and then up, the stairs.
Underwood followed. “Where are you going?”
“I know where she’s headed. She’s going after my son.”
“How would she know how to find him?”
Because I told her.
Vail ran out the front door and down the steps, not even thinking about slipping on the ice. Not thinking about anything other than getting to Jonathan. She sprinted to her car, suddenly realizing Underwood was right behind her as she fumbled for the remote, attempting to unlock the door.
He took it and hit the correct button. She grabbed the key fob back and got in. Underwood jumped into the Honda’s passenger seat as she turned the engine over.
“I’ll kill her, Thomas,” she said as she accelerated hard away from the curb. “I’ll kill her.”
“Your son’s gonna be fine.”
Vail was comforted—slightly—by his words. But she knew they were just that. Words. Without any power behind them. Well, perhaps faith. Is that enough?
Vail pulled out her cell and handed it to Underwood. “Call Jonathan. Look in the call log.”
Underwood made the call, then swiveled it away from his mouth. “Voice mail.” He pulled it back to his lips. “Jonathan, call your mother immediately. Very important.”
Vail clenched her jaw and shook her head. “She hurts him, I’ll hunt her down, anywhere in the world, if it’s the last thing I do.” Thoughts of Uzi and DeSantos and their OPSIG black ops buddies flashed through her mind. Would they do that for me?
“Karen,” Underwood said firmly. “He’s going to be okay.”