secret lover but not the killer and he’s ready to come out of hiding.”
“Then why not just go to the police?” Jack persisted. “And why noon today? Why the rush?”
“I guess he’s anxious to get this over with,” Denny said, getting more angry at Jack’s butting in.
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” Jack noted. “That he wants to get it over with. But you have to ask yourself, why would he take the chance of showing up today in broad daylight?”
“Because he thinks she already knows him,” Denny said impatiently. “He needs to find out just what she does know, who she’s told and what she wants for her silence.”
“Blackmail.” Jack shook his head. “I don’t like anything about this.”
“I think you’ve already made that abundantly clear,” Denny said. “But like I told you. Karen will be protected. We’re going to wire her for sound. We’ll be able to hear her as well as talk to her all the time it’s going down. She will stay a safe distance away, under wraps. All she has to do is say, ‘It’s him,’ and we move in. Simple.”
These kinds of things were never that simple. “What if he hangs back looking for her, hoping for an opening with a high-caliber rifle?”
“Look, Jack, I hate to pull rank on you, but you’reinterfering in my investigation. I’m asking you to stay out of it. If you don’t—”
“I want him there,” Karen said.
They both turned to look at her. Jack had almost forgotten she was there. He suspected Denny had, as well. But Jack hadn’t forgotten that she hadn’t wanted to lean on him. What had changed?
“I want Jack at the meeting,” she repeated. “If it’s what he wants.”
Jack smiled. “Nothing would have kept me away, anyway.”
Denny raked a hand through his dark hair. “He’s off duty, the same as a civilian, Karen. He has no business or authority—”
“If he’s not there, I won’t be, either,” she said, getting to her feet.
Denny’s jaw tensed. He studied her for a moment, then gave her one of his killer smiles. “This is your show, sweetheart.”
F ROM HER BIRD’S-EYE VIEW , Karen glanced at the small Mexican food restaurant across the street and tried to still the butterflies as big as vultures circling in her stomach.
“How are you doing?” Jack asked softly into her earpiece.
Jack had left to take his position somewhere down on the street soon after she’d been wired. He’d said he wanted to check out the equipment. Karen knew he had to keep his distance because of his probation. But she also suspected it was more than that. He would want toposition himself where he could stop this stakeout if he felt he needed to.
Denny stood nearby looking out the same window, at the same café, waiting, just like her.
“Fine,” she said.
“It’s not too late to back out,” Jack said quietly.
Denny looked over at her and shook his head. “Guy just doesn’t quit, does he?”
“I’m fine,” she repeated. “Let’s just hope this is the one.” She tried to still the trembling in her hands as she studied the diners at the café through the high-powered binoculars. She wasn’t looking forward to doing this again tonight if this wasn’t the right man.
The café was small, with just a few tables inside and a half-dozen patio tables with umbrellas outside. Right now, most of the tables were filled.
Denny glanced at his watch. “Twelve noon. Do you see anyone who looks even vaguely familiar?”
She shook her head. She’d been watching the café since a quarter after eleven but she hadn’t seen anyone who looked familiar. The place was busy, but no man came in alone, waiting for her.
“I’m going down there,” Denny said. “Let us know if you see anyone who could be the guy.”
She nodded and continued to scan the tables through the binoculars. Another five minutes passed. “Maybe he’s not going to show,” she said, then realized a half-dozen cops were listening to her.
Every
“Then why not just go to the police?” Jack persisted. “And why noon today? Why the rush?”
“I guess he’s anxious to get this over with,” Denny said, getting more angry at Jack’s butting in.
“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” Jack noted. “That he wants to get it over with. But you have to ask yourself, why would he take the chance of showing up today in broad daylight?”
“Because he thinks she already knows him,” Denny said impatiently. “He needs to find out just what she does know, who she’s told and what she wants for her silence.”
“Blackmail.” Jack shook his head. “I don’t like anything about this.”
“I think you’ve already made that abundantly clear,” Denny said. “But like I told you. Karen will be protected. We’re going to wire her for sound. We’ll be able to hear her as well as talk to her all the time it’s going down. She will stay a safe distance away, under wraps. All she has to do is say, ‘It’s him,’ and we move in. Simple.”
These kinds of things were never that simple. “What if he hangs back looking for her, hoping for an opening with a high-caliber rifle?”
“Look, Jack, I hate to pull rank on you, but you’reinterfering in my investigation. I’m asking you to stay out of it. If you don’t—”
“I want him there,” Karen said.
They both turned to look at her. Jack had almost forgotten she was there. He suspected Denny had, as well. But Jack hadn’t forgotten that she hadn’t wanted to lean on him. What had changed?
“I want Jack at the meeting,” she repeated. “If it’s what he wants.”
Jack smiled. “Nothing would have kept me away, anyway.”
Denny raked a hand through his dark hair. “He’s off duty, the same as a civilian, Karen. He has no business or authority—”
“If he’s not there, I won’t be, either,” she said, getting to her feet.
Denny’s jaw tensed. He studied her for a moment, then gave her one of his killer smiles. “This is your show, sweetheart.”
F ROM HER BIRD’S-EYE VIEW , Karen glanced at the small Mexican food restaurant across the street and tried to still the butterflies as big as vultures circling in her stomach.
“How are you doing?” Jack asked softly into her earpiece.
Jack had left to take his position somewhere down on the street soon after she’d been wired. He’d said he wanted to check out the equipment. Karen knew he had to keep his distance because of his probation. But she also suspected it was more than that. He would want toposition himself where he could stop this stakeout if he felt he needed to.
Denny stood nearby looking out the same window, at the same café, waiting, just like her.
“Fine,” she said.
“It’s not too late to back out,” Jack said quietly.
Denny looked over at her and shook his head. “Guy just doesn’t quit, does he?”
“I’m fine,” she repeated. “Let’s just hope this is the one.” She tried to still the trembling in her hands as she studied the diners at the café through the high-powered binoculars. She wasn’t looking forward to doing this again tonight if this wasn’t the right man.
The café was small, with just a few tables inside and a half-dozen patio tables with umbrellas outside. Right now, most of the tables were filled.
Denny glanced at his watch. “Twelve noon. Do you see anyone who looks even vaguely familiar?”
She shook her head. She’d been watching the café since a quarter after eleven but she hadn’t seen anyone who looked familiar. The place was busy, but no man came in alone, waiting for her.
“I’m going down there,” Denny said. “Let us know if you see anyone who could be the guy.”
She nodded and continued to scan the tables through the binoculars. Another five minutes passed. “Maybe he’s not going to show,” she said, then realized a half-dozen cops were listening to her.
Every
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