Body of Lies (23 page)

“And that’s why you killed Jennings, too?”

“At first, I was only going to use him to throw the Cabal off my trail and onto Simmons. I was going to get him to ID the skull, and then blow it up and have Hebert blamed. But I could tell Jennings was getting too close to knowing about Hebert’s plans for Boca Raton. I needed to stop him in his tracks.”

“So many deaths.” Eve shook her head. “Why the hell didn’t you just take your fuel cell and leave the country? Work on it somewhere else?”

“Because I realized after the Cabal tried to kill me that they would never stop. That they’d find a way to bury me, the way they buried Simmons and his invention.” His lips tightened. “Do you know what a miracle that fuel cell would have been? How many millions of people it would have helped? It would have cleaned up our planet. But the Cabal wouldn’t let us do it. We were interfering in their profits, their control. They crushed us the way they crushed every other advancement that got in their way.” Bently smiled bitterly. “Think about it. How many marvels of invention have you read about that just disappeared from view? Do you remember reading about the car down in Daytona with a super-efficient electric engine that met all the problems posed by the environmentalists? It was bought by Detroit and never heard about again. The inventors are always bought out, or scared out, or held up to ridicule by the media, consumer groups, or the government. They fade away as if they had never been. Well, Simmons and I weren’t going to fade away. I had the funds and he had the fuel cell. We were going to make final refinements, and then I’d contact a few influential backers and we’d be on our way.”

“Until Hebert set off that explosion.”

He nodded. “Simmons was killed instantly. I was burned, but I crawled out into the mud and put out the flames. Etienne found me there.”

“And helped you?”

“He took me to a shack in Houma and nursed me for months. I had plenty of money in a safe on the island, but he was afraid to call in a doctor. I almost died several times. When I was on the mend, I tried to think what was best to do. I wanted to try to continue Simmons’s work, but it was too dangerous to confront the Cabal alone. Then the solution occurred to me: the media. What would a secret society fear most? The light of public attention glaring on them. I had Etienne phone Bill Nathan and ask him to meet me in secret, because I thought he’d be sympathetic to my cause.”

“He wasn’t?”

“Oh, he was sympathetic, as long as there was no risk involved. He was a miserable coward. I knew he’d probably go straight from me to Melton. I couldn’t let him do that. Not after all I’d suffered.”

“You killed him and took his identity.”

“It wasn’t too difficult. He was divorced and worked freelance, so he moved around the state a lot. I had a few facial burns and had to have plastic surgery anyway. I had Etienne buy a phony driver’s license and passport for me, and I went to Antigua and had some work done. Nathan and I had similar features that only had to be made more similar.”

“And you had the plastic skull made there?”

“No, that was later. After I failed to remove you from the picture, I realized it might be necessary.”

“Might? I can’t imagine you taking anything for granted. I’d bet you planned every detail.”

“Well, I did know buying the fuel-cell components might attract attention. I knew enough about Simmons’s invention to complete it, but I had to be prepared, in case the Cabal became dubious about my demise.”

“Prepared to blow me up?”

“If the bomb wasn’t used for you, I thought it might be a nice gift to give to the Cabal at their next meeting. But, as it happened, circumstances dictated that I use it in another way. Jennings. Kismet.”

“Murder.”

“Call it what you like. I was doing what I had to do to survive and bring something decent into the world.” He shrugged. “The Cabal taught me that I couldn’t be squeamish about the means of doing it.”

“So you became like them.”

“No!” Bently tried to temper the violence of his voice. “I gave up my wife and my children and a life I loved because I wanted to help the world become a better place. The Cabal tried to butcher me, and then made me hide like a wounded animal. I didn’t even dare go home because I knew they’d target my family. Every act of violence I’ve committed is their fault.”

Eve shook her head. “Murder is murder.”

“It’s easy for you to say. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.”

“You sound like Hebert. In your way you’re as twisted as he was. And you brainwashed Etienne until he was willing to do anything you told him to.”

“Not anything. I couldn’t persuade him not to take Simmons’s skull to Jules. He was a simple soul; he wanted to please all of us.”

“You knew Jules would kill him.”

“If he hadn’t, I would have had to do it myself. That’s why I followed Etienne to Baton Rouge. I couldn’t risk him talking.”

She shook her head in amazement. “You’re incredible. He saved your life. If you were there on the spot, you could have helped him.”

His lips tightened. “But I needed the time. After Etienne told me what was going to happen here, I knew that opportunity was knocking. The only way to guarantee that the Cabal couldn’t stop the research was to bring them down. And the only way to get them all was to make sure they gathered in one place like the vultures they are.” His gaze went to the concrete building. “And now I have them all in there, roosting. Fifty-three of the most powerful and egocentric bastards on the face of the earth.”

“They won’t be there for long. Joe’s calling the Secret Service man he talked to this afternoon. He asked Pete Wilson to be on the alert.”

“I’m surprised he left you alone with me for the great confrontation.”

“He didn’t know about the confrontation. He thought I was just going to play along with you until the Secret Service came.”

Bently smiled. “But you wanted some other recordings to give to the law, besides those of the Cabal. You’ve been getting our little conversation on tape, haven’t you?”

“If you guessed, why did you talk to me?”

“Because I don’t care. It’s not going to matter. I have a boat waiting at a dock near here. I’ll be on it and heading to a lab I have set up in the Caribbean. I watched Simmons every minute while he was creating the fuel cell. I can re-create his invention. Besides, you deserved to have some answers after all your hard work.”

“Christ, I’m pointing this gun at you. It will matter. You’d have to be nuts not to—”

“Eve.” The door had swung open and Joe stood in the doorway of the van. He resignedly shook his head as he stared at the gun in her hand. “I was a little worried about this happening.”

“So you rushed back to safeguard the lady,” Bently said. “And is the Secret Service on its way?”

Joe nodded. “Ten minutes, tops.”

“Do you really think those Secret Service agents will do anything about the Cabal? No way. Hell, the Cabal will say they’re having a private memorial for Copeland, and the authorities will question them very respectfully and then go away with apologies.”

“But they’ll know who was there. We’ll have tapes and videos. They’ll all be marked men. The Secret Society will no longer be secret. It’s hard to organize the kind of power plays they’ve been doing when everybody suspects them. That bright light will push them out into the open.”

“Spotlights don’t last forever.”

“Nothing lasts forever,” Eve said.

“You’re wrong. One thing is very permanent indeed.” Bently looked back at the concrete building. “I became very skilled with explosives during my recuperation period. Etienne was an excellent teacher. He’d learned from a master. He knew how to rig bombs and place them where they’d go undetected. Do you know there are even ways to mask the scent from dogs? He was very proud of his knowledge.”

Eve tensed as she realized he wasn’t talking about the explosive in the skull. “You’re bluffing. There was no way you could get near that building with all the guards.”

“But the guards weren’t here three weeks ago.”

God, all the half-lies, half-truths. “Etienne told you exactly where the meeting was being held.”

Bently nodded. “Did I forget to mention that? When you figured everything else out, I would have thought you’d guess.”

She headed for the door. “For God’s sake, you’re going to—”

The tech van rocked as the night exploded.

The gun flew out of Eve’s hand as she was hurled against the wall and the van lurched drunkenly. Joe was thrown backward from the door to the ground, stunning him.

Bently was already at the door as Eve straightened. He glanced back over his shoulder, his face alight with fierce satisfaction. “Death is forever, Eve. Nothing is more permanent. No more Cabal.”

Then he was gone.

She grabbed up the gun, tore across the van and out the door.

“Stay here.” Joe was shaking his head to clear it as he got to his feet. “I’ll get him.”

“Dear God.” Eve stopped in shock as she saw the remains of the concrete building. What was left of the concrete was spread in huge chunks about the grounds; the remainder of the structure was enveloped in flames.

She tore her gaze away. Bently.

He was racing toward the drainage ditch. She started after him.

Joe was ahead of her, closing on Bently at a dead run.

Bently waded through the ditch. He was out and plunging into the brush.

Joe glanced over his shoulder at her. “Dammit, I told you to stay in the van. He could have set another—”

The earth heaved as another explosion rocked the concrete building. Concrete flew in all directions like deadly shrapnel.

“Down,”
Joe yelled.

Eve dropped to the ground as concrete missiles speared the air. Jesus, it was like being in the middle of an erupting volcano. She lifted her head, and her skin stung as a barrage of small rocks hit her face. “Joe, are you—

“Joe!”

Chapter 21

Joe was lying crumpled on the dirt. He wasn’t moving.

She raced across the intervening ground and dropped to her knees beside him. “Joe.”

Pale. Eyes closed. A cut bleeding at his temple. Was he breathing? He had to be breathing.

“Joe. You talk to me. Do you hear? You
talk
to me.”

He didn’t open his eyes.

Oh, God, don’t let him die.

She reached into her pocket to get her cell phone. 911. Call 911.

Headlights.

A line of cars were pulling up in front of the burning naval air station. Secret Service.

Forget them.

Call 911 for Joe.

Joe’s eyes opened. “Hi. You . . . okay?”

Eve nodded. “And so are you. Concussion.” She tried to smile. “You scared me. You wouldn’t wake up. It’s been two days.”

He reached out and took her hand. “Sorry.”

“You should be.”

“Won’t happen again.” His eyes started to close. “Sleepy . . .”

“Then go to sleep.”

“You going to stay here?”

“You bet.”

“Bently?” His eyes were open again. “Did he get away?”

“He got to his boat and out on the ocean. After I told the Secret Service he planned to escape that way, they called in the Coast Guard. They intercepted him later that night.”

Joe searched Eve’s expression. “And?”

“The boat blew up before they could board it.”

“Suicide?”

She nodded. “It’s just as well the Secret Service didn’t have to deal with him. They’re having enough trouble trying to explain the deaths of all those power brokers.”

“All dead?”

“They didn’t have a chance. The authorities are even having trouble identifying most of them.”

“Did it cause you any trouble?”

“Are you kidding? This thing is massive. Secret Service questioned me for a solid five hours. The FBI for another three. You’ll be on the carpet, too. Thank God, we had the surveillance tapes.”

Joe yawned. “As soon as I wake up I’ll talk to them, make sure they don’t bother you anymore.”

“Joe, I’m handling it.”

“A little help won’t hurt . . .”

“Go back to sleep.”

“Something’s wrong.” His gaze was searching her face. “You’re not telling me everything.”

“I told you everything that’s been happening.”

“No, I mean with you. You’re worrying about something. What’s bothering you?”

“I’m not worrying about—” Eve met his gaze. “It’s what Bently said. He wondered why we hadn’t figured out that he’d lie about Etienne not telling him the location of the meeting. I was wondering if somewhere in my subconscious I did figure it out, and just ignored it.” She looked down at their joined hands. “The Cabal deserved to be destroyed, and we couldn’t be sure that exposing them would be enough. Did I close my eyes and let Bently blow them up?”

“Bullshit.”

“Did I, Joe?”

“No, you didn’t.” His answer was absolutely certain. “I know you. There were so many lies, red herrings, and half-truths floating around that this one got lost in the shuffle for you. As much as you might have wanted the Cabal to disappear, you couldn’t do it. Death is the enemy for you. You fight it every single day.” He lifted her hand and kissed the palm. “So forget it, okay?”

Eve moistened her lips. “Okay.”

“Good.” Joe’s eyes closed. “Then let me go to sleep so I can get enough strength to tackle those Secret Service assholes . . .”

“They’re not assholes. They’re just doing their—”

He was already asleep.

Eve sat there, holding his hand, staring at his face.

She was at peace again. Another gift from Joe.

But he had spoken only of her own lack of guilt, she realized suddenly. He didn’t say that
he
hadn’t figured out that Bently might have known enough to set a death trap. Joe was one of the smartest men she had ever known, and he had a memory like a steel trap. Had he known there was a possibility the Cabal would not survive the night?

Her hand tightened on Joe’s.

It was a question she knew she’d never ask him.

“So Bently is dead,” Galen repeated thoughtfully. “ ‘Down to the sea in ships . . .’ ”

“We’ll be back at the cottage tomorrow,” Eve said. “The questioning isn’t over, but they’re going to let us go home.”

“Jane will be jumping up and down with joy. Is Quinn okay?”

“Headache. But that’s to be expected.”

“If I’d been there, it wouldn’t have happened. You should take it as a lesson learned.”

“I take it as another example of your inflated ego.”

Galen chuckled. “Maybe. Are you going to call Jane, or shall I?”

“I will.”

“Dammit, I wanted to do something to get into her good graces. She might be so happy she’d forget she considers me an ass.”

Eve smiled. “Jane’s always been a girl of impeccable judgment.”

“Cruelty, thy name is Eve.”

“I have to go down to the precinct right away. They’re feeling very cheated they don’t know as much as the Feds.” Joe put their bags inside the cottage. “Will you be okay?”

“Of course.”

“Try to rest.”

“I’m not the one who got knocked on the head.” Her gaze wandered over the lake to the scorched trees where Jennings had died and then, compulsively, to Bonnie’s hill.

“Shit.” Joe’s gaze had followed Eve’s. “I know, dammit. No more threat, no more sword hanging over us, and everything is coming back to you. I knew it would happen. It’s always going to be here.”

“What do you want me to do? I can’t forget it, Joe.”

“I’m not an idiot. It’s got to be faced. Just do me a favor,” Joe said. “Don’t think. Don’t make any decisions. You’re tired. Just try to live in the present until I get these next few days of red tape over with and we can talk.”

She nodded. “I’ll try.”

He started down the steps. “And I’ll pick up Jane, your Mom, and Toby on my way home tonight. They should keep you too busy to think of anything but them.”

Eve took one last look at the hill as he drove off. She had hoped the pain would go away, but it still lingered. Keep your promise, she told herself as she went inside. Don’t think. Just live in the moment. It was the best advice she—

There was a note propped on the coffee table.

Eve,

I had a few things to tie up. I’ll call you.

Tell Jane I didn’t run away because she intimidated me.

She doesn’t scare me . . . much.

Galen

She smiled as she put down the note. A few things to tie up? Now what the hell was that rascal up to. . . .

It was two days later that Eve got the call from Galen.

“Where the hell are you?”

“I’ve been busy. I just thought I’d fill you in. I’ve called Hughes and told him he’s to stay with you and maintain protective surveillance until the end of the week. That should keep some of the media away. Have you brought Jane back home?”

“Yes. I brought her and Mom back to the cottage.” Eve’s gaze shifted to Jane and Toby playing outside by the lake. “She couldn’t be happier. Where are you, Galen?”

“Barbados. I felt the need for a vacation.”

“Out of the blue?”

“My last job was very exhausting. You’re not an easy woman to work with, Eve.”

“Why are you in Barbados?”

“The sun. I got a little chill in my bones while I was at your lake.”

“Galen.”

He was silent a moment. “My suspicious nature. I don’t think Bently was the type to commit suicide. And I found it very convenient that his death took place in the middle of the ocean, where his remains couldn’t be retrieved.”

“You believe he staged it.”

“He’s very, very smart. He would have to be, to fool me into thinking he was an ass.”

“Your pride is hurt.”

“Well, maybe. I’m just exploring possibilities. He got rid of the Cabal, his primary threat. He was obsessed with the idea of that fuel cell, and he told you he knew enough to put it together himself. Why not fake his own death to make sure he had the opportunity to work on it?”

“You believe Simmons’s fuel cell may become a reality someday?”

“We’ll have to see, won’t we? At any rate, I don’t think Bently’s any threat to you. You’re off his radar now. I’m just going to poke around and see what I can find out down here.”

“And what if you find him?”

“I’ll make a decision then. I don’t believe in throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”

“When will you be back?”

“Not for awhile. You’re on your own. Well, not on your own. You’ll always have Quinn. How’s he doing?”

“Okay, I guess. I’ve scarcely seen him since we got back. He’s been closeted with the Secret Service and the FBI from morning to night.”

“Drudgery. I don’t envy him. I like the easy life. If I don’t find Bently, I may go on a real vacation. Then I’m going to get on with my life. I highly recommend it. Why don’t you do the same?” He hung up.

Annoying bastard, Eve thought crossly as she pressed the disconnect. She had actually been stupid enough to worry about Galen for the past couple days. She should have known he’d pop up like some zany jack-in-the-box.

His lack of certainty about Bently’s death was a little far out, but not totally crazy. Bently had actually told her about the boat and his preparations to get away.

So that she could tell the authorities and set his real plan in motion?

Let Galen worry about it. Eve and her family were safe, and she didn’t want to think about Bently. She agreed with Galen that if Bently was alive, there was no reason for him to target her or Joe.

She moved onto the porch and stood looking out at the lake. The water looked beautiful and serene today. If she hadn’t known Hughes and his men were moving discreetly around the property, it would have reminded her of the time before she had gotten that DNA report.

Her gaze lifted across the lake to the hill. Would she ever be able to look at that grave again without remembering Jules Hebert and his death in those swamps? Or that gravestone with her Bonnie’s name crossed out and smeared with ugly red paint?

Get on with your life,
Galen had said.

Sometimes things get in the way and you forget who you are and what you do.

Why did those words of Jane’s suddenly pop into her head? They had been spoken when Jane had been trying to convince her to go after Hebert, and had nothing to do with—

She stiffened in shock. “Dear God . . .”

She slowly moved down the porch steps.

Jane was sitting on the porch swing when Joe got home from the precinct. Toby was curled up at her feet.

“You must have worn him out.” Joe bent down and petted him. The dog raised his head, lazily licking the back of Joe’s hand. “I’ve never seen Toby this quiet.”

“Yeah. He runs until he’s ready to drop and then he collapses. Stop that, Toby. You’re getting his hand all wet.” She was frowning. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Problems? Why didn’t you call me?”

“Eve didn’t want me to.”

He stiffened. “Eve?” His gaze flew to the front door of the cottage. “What happened? Did she leave?”

Jane shook her head. “She just wanted me to give you a message. She wants you to go up to the grave.”

“What?”

“That’s what she said. She left the cottage over an hour ago. I asked her if she wanted me to go up there with her, and she said no.”

“You’re sure she went to the grave?” His gaze shifted to the hill. “Did she give any reason?”

Jane shook her head.

“How did she look?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell what Eve’s thinking. She didn’t look mad, but she wasn’t smiling. I don’t know, Joe.”

“Then I guess I’d better go see for myself.” He turned and started down the steps.

Jane’s voice followed him. “I hope everything’s okay, Joe.”

“Me, too.” He started down the path around the lake. “Me, too . . .”

Eve was standing beside the grave, staring down at the tombstone.

“Eve?”

She didn’t look at him. “There are still the faintest traces of that red paint. I thought we’d gotten it all off.”

“I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“No, it doesn’t make any difference.”

Silence.

“Why are you here, Eve?”

“I had to get my head straight. I thought I’d better do it here.”

“It has to hurt to see that tombstone.”

“Of course it does.”

“And makes you even more bitter toward me.”

“A little.”

“Only a little?”

Eve’s gaze lifted to meet his. “I’m trying to be honest with you. Galen called today. He’s in Barbados.”

“Doing what?”

“He thinks maybe Bently staged his own death. He’s looking around.” She studied Joe. “You’re not surprised?”

“I considered the possibility, and was tempted to go down and scout around. I decided my priority was here.”

“Galen says even if he’s alive, he thinks we’re off his radar.” She paused. “And he recommended that I get on with my life.”

“And what did you say?”

“I didn’t get a chance to say anything.” Eve looked back at the tombstone. “But it rang a bell. And then I remembered something Jane said when she was trying to talk me out of hiding. She said everything was getting in my way and making me forget who I really was and what I did. That struck a note, too. I’ve been running around, hurt and angry and so defensive I blocked out everything else.”

“Who could blame you?”

“I blame me,” she said fiercely. “I felt so much the victim that I forgot about who I really am and what I do.” She gestured to the tombstone. “I only thought about Bonnie. I never thought about that little girl we buried in her place. She was one of the lost ones, and I didn’t even think about her.”

“You couldn’t be expected to—”

“Bull. I made the choice years ago that if I couldn’t help Bonnie, I could at least help the parents of other lost and murdered children. I’ve devoted years to doing that, and yet I allowed myself to be derailed because I felt so sorry for myself. The little girl in this grave was about the same age as Bonnie. She had everything to live for, and it was taken away from her.” Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “And I never thought about her. I had no right to be that selfish just because I was hurting.”