He nodded. “Two years ago I had a visit from a delivery boy younger than you who tried to toss an envelope full of it in my face.”
“Risky. He must have been very brave.”
“Yes, but then so are you.”
“No I’m not. I’m scared to death.”
“I know. That means nothing.” He looked beyond her shoulder as the door opened behind her. “Just a precaution, Nikolai. Don’t hurt her yet. Check that pouch on the floor.”
Nikolai moved swiftly past her. “A weapon?”
“No,” Darcy said. “It’s just a— Oh, for heaven’s sake, see for yourself.”
“I will.” Nikolai cautiously slit the doeskin material of the pouch. “Something … black, sir.” He spread the sides of the pouch and examined the interior. Then he carefully lifted the mound out of the pouch. “Very soft … and malleable.” He frowned as he shook it out. “I don’t see any threat.”
“It’s a wig,” Darcy said with exasperation. “No anthrax, no gun, just a wig. I just wanted to show it to you. I’ve always believed in show-and-tell to get what I want. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea this time. Now will you stop pointing that gun at me?”
“What shall I do?” Nikolai asked, holding the wig gingerly. “She’s one of them. And she doesn’t appear to necessarily be a very—”
“You can leave,” Kaskov said. “As I said, just a precaution. Give her the wig, Nikolai.”
Nikolai handed Darcy the wig. “It was not wise,” he told her soberly. Then he was gone.
Darcy expelled the breath she’d been holding. “You made a big fuss for nothing.” Her fingers were digging into the thick black mass of the wig. “Though I guess I might have deserved it, considering who you are.”
“You were overconfident and it might have come from that beauty and charisma. But as Nikolai said, it was not wise. We’ve seen too many threats clothed in both of those qualities.” He put away his gun. “Now either leave or tell me why you have that wig in your hand.”
“I’m not about to leave after I’ve gone through all this.” She was swiftly and skillfully tucking her blond hair beneath the brunette wig. “Show-and-tell.” She smoothed the dark hair back and tidied it. “Long, dark, shiny. I wouldn’t fool anyone close-up, but we’re about the same size. From a distance it could work.”
“What could work?”
“Cara. If the hair’s right, you’d be surprised how many people would accept that I was her. The makeup would have to be just about perfect. But I’ve had lots of experience with that.”
“And?”
“You could use me,” she said simply. “You’re sitting back here and waiting and watching until the time is right to make your move. Then you’ll go after Norwalk yourself. From what I’ve been told, you like to be in control, so that won’t be long. I don’t believe you’d ever use Cara as bait, but it would be one way of trapping him. He wants to kill her to hurt you. I could put myself into a vulnerable position and let him find me.”
“And risk him blowing you away before I blow him away?”
“It is a risk, particularly since you don’t care if he does it. But Cara would care, so I might be okay. You seem to value what she thinks.”
“Bait.” He savored the word. “Why come to me? Why not go to Quinn or Gavin?”
“They wouldn’t let me do it. They care if I live or die. And Eve only wants to protect and heal me. So it has to be you.”
He was silent. “You must want this very much. Why?”
“You know why.” She met his eyes. “I may seem to be the least important person in this game Norwalk’s playing, but I’ll bet you know everything that’s happened to me just in case it might prove useful. Well, I’ve given you a reason to pay attention to me. I can be useful. Set it up, and just give me the chance. I won’t fail you.” Then she was suddenly smiling as she tore off the wig and fluffed her hair. “Now I’ll let you go back to listening to Cara. She’s wonderful tonight. I’m sorry that I took so much of your time, but part of that was your fault. I had no idea you were so paranoid.”
“Don’t push it,” he said dryly. “You were very close. Get out of here.”
“I’m gone.” She opened the door, then stood there, staring straight ahead, not looking back at him. “I can’t let him go on living,” she said in a low voice. “Please, let me help.”
Then she was out of the study and running down the hall toward the staircase.
It was done.
Now all she could do was wait for Kaskov or for some other opportunity to present itself …
CHAPTER
15
LOST CYPRESS BAYOU
PIERRE LADEAU SWAMP TOURS
FEED THE ALLIGATORS
Eve gazed up at the crudely painted sign nailed to an ancient oak tree. And then looked at the broken-down shack several yards away. “Not exactly a high-class operation. What are we doing here, Jock?”
“I have no idea.” His gaze went to the dock, where an airboat and two motorboats were anchored. “But those boats are in good condition. And this is where Donal Macvey had those Home Depot supplies delivered. It’s obvious that they weren’t used here, and Ladeau isn’t trying to hide.” He gazed out at the dark waters of the bayou that stretched into the distance, then turned and headed for the shack. “Let’s see if we can find this Pierre Ladeau and ask him.”
“Ask me what?” A stocky man with curly dark hair and round face stepped out of the trees a few yards away. He was thirtysomething and wearing jeans and a red short-sleeved tee shirt with an alligator on the front. He smiled cheerfully. “You want to go on a tour?” His Cajun accent was as broad as that smile. “It’s a little late in the day, but I can set you up for tomorrow.” His voice lowered dramatically. “Or if you pay me extra, I’ll think about a night tour. Did you know that the alligator eyes show up as pure red in the dark? It’s something to tell your kids when you get home.”
“No tour,” Joe said. “You took delivery of a shipment of supplies from Home Depot a few weeks ago. It was purchased by a Donal Macvey, but you accepted the merchandise a few days later. Tell us about it.”
Ladeau’s smile faded. “No tour?” He looked at them in disappointment. “Are you cops or something? I thought that guy was a little shady.” He added quickly, “Not that I did anything illegal. Strictly business, you understand.”
“No, we don’t understand,” Jock said. “Make us understand. Tell us about him.”
He shrugged. “This Macvey just showed up one day and said that he’d pay top dollar if I’d accept a delivery for him and rent him my airboat to transport the shipment into the bayou. What could I say? It wasn’t as if I was accepting drugs or anything like that. It was Home Depot for God’s sake.”
“Where did he take those supplies?”
“How do I know? I helped him load, but I didn’t go with him.” He frowned. “And maybe you don’t have any right to question me anyway. Show me your ID.”
“We have the right,” Eve took a step closer to him, and said fiercely, “It’s you who don’t have the right to say no to us, Ladeau. You’re helping to protect a monster. I want to know where Macvey went in the bayou that day. You will tell me.”
Ladeau looked taken aback, but he managed to smile at her. “I don’t have to tell you anything pretty lady. My cousin, Philip, is a lawyer on Canal Street, and all I have to do is give him a call and—”
“That’s assuming that you have fingers left to punch in his number.” Jock was suddenly between him and Eve. “Look at me. What do you think your chances are that will be true if you don’t tell me what I need to know?”
“Threats? My cousin says that’s—” He broke off as he met Jock’s eyes. He moistened his lips. “You’re no cop.”
“I never said I was. I’m someone who needs information. Where did Macvey go?”
“I don’t know. An island on one of the swamps out there, I guess. Why else would he need all that wood? But how could I know which one? Do you know how many bayous can be reached from this point? That’s why I set up my business here. Some of them are pure wilderness, nothing but winding waterways, alligators, and snakes. You can start off going into one bayou and end up in another.”