Bloodline by F. Paul Wilson Page A

sure he'd killed Gerhard. He hoped when the cops worked the murder scene they'd come up with something to connect him. If not, maybe Jack would drop a dime and help them along.
    One thing he knew, this was no guy to be messing around with an eighteen-year-old girl. Jack had never met Dawn Pickering but he'd decided to help Christy build a wall between her daughter and Bethlehem.
    As for the doc… he'd take him to his car. That would create another deposit to his good-will account in the Bank of Levy. He might need to draw on that someday.
    On the ride back he let Levy use the phone to call his wife to reassure her that he was fine and would be home soon. After that he pressed the guy for more information but could pry loose nothing about Bethlehem.
    On the subject of his research, however, Levy was a little more forthcoming. But not much.
    "It involves genetics."
    "Looking for an insanity gene?" Jack couldn't resist: "Or creating mutants' ?"
    "Don't be silly. They're not insane—at least not most of them. We're not altering genes or rearranging them or doing anything but studying them—lots ot looking but no touching. Our findings, when we finally publish them, will have global repercussions."
    Oh, no. Another one like Hank Thompson and his Kick .
    "Don't tell me: You're gonna change the world."
    Levy shook his head. "Not the world, just the way people see themselves and others. I'm talking a paradigm shift."
    "Fine. But how does that prevent you from calling in the locals to take care of Bethlehem."
    "It does. Trust me, it just does."
    That was just it though: Jack didn't trust him.
    Levy wouldn't say much else for the rest of the trip. Jack eventually dropped him at the rest stop. Levy's car was where he'd left it.
    "I'm here," he said, staring at his car as if he'd never expected to see it again. "I'm really here." He turned to Jack and extended his hand. "I don't know how to thank you, Mister Robertson."
    "It's John, but most people call me Jack." He pressed one of his cards into Levy's hand. "You take that, and you call me if you ever want to talk about Jerry Bethlehem."
    The number connected to one of Jack's voice mail accounts.
    "I will."
    They both knew that was a lie, but Jack was doing a bread-upon-the-water thing here.
    He pulled his Glock and Levy shrank back against the door.
    "Wh-what are you doing?"
    "Making sure there are no surprises waiting for you in the back seat."
    He got out and checked the Infiniti—unlocked and empty. A set of keys and a cell phone lay on the front seat. He motioned Levy over.
    "Pop the trunk for me."
    Levy reached inside and hit a button. The lid popped open—empty.
    "Okay, doc. I guess you're home free. Your guy is probably still headed south, blissfully unaware he's got an empty trunk. But just to be safe, be sure to keep your doors locked and give your garage a good once-over before you get out of your car."
    Levy nodded. "I'll do that. And thanks again."
    "Yeah."
    He watched Levy drive out of the rest stop to make sure no one was following him, then he headed back toward the city.
    One strange night.
    Lots of questions raised, few answered. But the question was what to say to Christy.
    He could scare the hell out of her by telling her about Gerhard's murder and Levy's abduction. But without proof, what would that do to drive a wedge between Dawn and Bethlehem? Might have the opposite effect. If Dawn couldn't or wouldn't believe her snookums capable of such things, it might push her closer than ever to Bethlehem and drive the wedge between her and her mother instead.
    Still, Christy had a right to know that her instincts had been dead on the money. But if Levy wasn't pressing charges, and if the police found nothing to connect Bethlehem to Gerhard, she'd have nothing to back up her claims. She'd sound like an overprotective, possessive, paranoid madwoman. Hell, the cops hadn't even released news of Gerhard's death yet. Jack wondered about that, but figured they might want to