Blind Alley - Iris Johansen [45]
He didn't answer. “And what good would a name do Scotland Yard? He was using fake ID and there was no way of using his friends or family to get to him. Aldo was a loner.”
“Descriptions. They could have run photos of him in the newspapers.”
“Aldo wanted to be an actor. He studied costume and makeup in Rome before his father jerked him away to the excavation. That's one of the reasons why he was difficult to trace when he started his killing spree. He's an expert at disguise. He's an expert at quite a few things. He's really brilliant.”
“You're making excuses.”
“No, I'm giving you reasons.” He shrugged. “But you're right. From your point of view I did everything wrong.”
“Because you wanted to catch Aldo yourself,” Jane said.
“Of course. I told you. He has to die.”
The matter-of-factness of the words sent a chill through Jane. He was right, he'd said those words before but in this moment they seemed more real, more frightening. Before she'd been excited, challenged, confident. She didn't feel confident now. She felt shaken, as if her entire world had been sent spinning.
“Why?” Joe asked.
“What?” Trevor's gaze was on Jane's face again. “Oh, because he deserves it. Why else?” He turned away. “She's had enough. Take her back to the cottage. I'll contact you later.”
“I want to know—”
“She's had enough,” Trevor repeated over his shoulder. “You'll get your answers but not until she's able to absorb them.”
“I'm fine,” Jane said. She was being stupid. Get a grip.
“Yes, you are,” Trevor said. “But there's no immediate urgency. You need time to digest what I've told you.”
“You haven't told me anything. This tunnel, where is it?”
He was striding away from them. “Later.”
“Where is it? You tell me now.”
“Don't get upset. I've no intention of keeping secrets. Well, perhaps a few. But that isn't one of them.” He'd already reached the trees. “Herculaneum.”
NINE
Cira.
Dead over two thousand years.
Herculaneum.
“Go lie down.” Eve's worried gaze was on Jane's face. “You're white as a sheet. Maybe Trevor was right to tell us to get you home.”
“Stop fretting. There's nothing wrong with me.” She gave her the ghost of a smile. “And Joe doesn't think he was right.” She glanced at Joe, who'd been on the phone with the department since they'd arrived back at the cottage, giving Christy the info Trevor had divulged about Guido Manza. “He hates delays. He doesn't like to be teased and then have the rug yanked from under him. He likes everything laid out in crystal-clear order.” She made a face. “And you can't say that anything Trevor told us was clear-cut.”
“It was clear enough to upset you.” She paused. “You nearly went into shock when Trevor mentioned that name.” She repeated it slowly, “Cira. And the tunnel was a little too coincid—”
“I don't want to talk about it.” Jane turned quickly away. She had to get out of here. She was holding on to her composure by main force. “Maybe I am a little tired. I'll go rest until it's time to fix dinner.”
“You can't run away from me, Jane. I'll let you delay but not bury whatever is bothering you.”
“I know that.” She headed down the hall. “But it would help if I knew what was bothering me. Right now, I'm all mixed up.”
“You're not alone. Trevor dropped a bomb and then just walked away. It's no wonder Joe's upset.”
“Herculaneum . . .” She frowned. “It's familiar, but where the devil is Herculaneum?”
“Italy,” Eve said. “It was destroyed by the Vesuvius eruption at the same time as Pompeii.”
“Weird.” Jane opened her bedroom door. “I'm sure Trevor won't leave us hanging long. I'll talk to you later.” She leaned back against the door as she closed it behind her. Dear God, her knees felt like spaghetti. She hated to feel this weak.
And there was no reason for it. It could be a coincidence.
Yeah, sure. Cira was such a common name.
Then what other explanation? She was dreaming about a woman who'd been dead two thousand years? She immediately rejected the thought. There was nothing ancient about the thinking processes of the Cira she knew. She'd never even questioned