Abandon - Carla Neggers [54]
He walked down the center aisle and crossed in front of the stage to a side entrance. Cal, visibly pale, reluctantly joined him.
“You’ve got nerve.” Benton’s voice was a low hiss, and he glanced behind him, as if making sure no one could see them together. “What are you doing here?”
Jesse shrugged, enjoying Cal’s discomfort. “Sorry I missed the discussion. All finished now? No book signing?”
“I don’t have a book.”
“Your fellow panelists do.”
“We’re not here to sell books.” Cal’s biting sarcasm and unrelenting arrogance were, Jesse figured, a fairly transparent attempt to conceal his fear. “You shouldn’t have come.”
“Caught you by surprise, did I? I just want five minutes of your time. You and I have unfinished business.”
Another panel member squeezed past them, saying good-night and complimenting Cal on his portion of the talk. Cal managed to return the compliment, but when the other man was out of earshot, he growled to Jesse, “Not here.”
Amused by his discomfort, Jesse walked down the corridor to a corner and stood in front of a window overlooking a courtyard, where students, divided into small knots, ran through the rain. “Decent crowd for a hot summer night,” Jesse said mildly. “They’re all summer students?”
“Not all—most. They’re participating in a special six-week program. As if you give a damn. Where’s Harris? I haven’t seen him in a week.”
“Missing him, are you?”
“He’s a coward. He’s probably gone into hiding until you and I have sorted things out ourselves. Unless you…” Cal narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps I should just call the police and let them find Harris.”
Jesse withdrew his cell phone from his pants pocket and held it out. “Go right ahead. I’ll wait.”
Cal took in a breath, held it, then exhaled with a huff. “Bastard. You’d better hope no one with a cell phone is taking a picture of us right now. A stranger coming up to me. Tempting.”
“You have to love Washington,” Jesse said. “Afraid you’re under surveillance?”
“By whom? I’ve done nothing.”
“You know Harris went to the feds.”
The last color drained from Cal’s face. He cleared his throat and looked out the window evasively. “I don’t have any control over him. He’s as slimy as you are. I want to be rid of you both.”
“We make a nice trio, don’t we? Our mutual friend met with the FBI last week. With a Special Agent Andrew Rook.”
“If Harris gave the FBI anything, they’d be on us by now.”
“I heard the feds searched his house today.”
That got Cal’s attention. “Harris’s house?”
“Apparently, they’re getting worried about him.”
“Fine,” Cal said, rallying. “If he got cold feet and took off, that buys us more time to conclude our arrangements. The feds can spin their wheels looking for him all they want. They have no cause to dip into my affairs. And they don’t even know you exist.”
Jesse pressed a fingertip to the window, as if trying to touch a raindrop.
Cal gulped in a quick breath. “Go to Mexico, Jesse. Don’t risk Harris ratting you out to the FBI—never mind what I have on you. I can’t put you in prison. They can. Get out of Washington.” He was on a roll now, almost arrogant again. “Once I’m confident you’re holding up your end of our deal, I’ll hold up mine. I’ll wire you the money. I’ll stay out of your life.”
“What about my identity, Cal? Can you wire me that?”
“Your ‘identity,’ Jesse, is my insurance policy that you don’t ever darken my door again.” Cal gave him a cold look. “Did you have anything to do with the attack on Mackenzie Stewart in New Hampshire?”
“What attack, Cal?”
His face reddened, anger mixing with the arrogance now. “The police say a deranged drifter knifed her and another woman, in two separate attacks.”
“Do I look like a deranged drifter?”
Cal’s shoulders seemed to slump, as if he couldn’t maintain the arrogant-Washington-insider act another second, and he shook his head. “If Harris is playing games with the FBI, why don’t you and I just back off and leave each other alone? Call it a draw, Jesse. You have your leverage against me. I have mine against