Blind Alley - Iris Johansen [62]
“He'll think I'm afraid.”
“I don't care.”
“I care.” She could feel her throat tighten as she looked at Eve. Lord, this was hard. “I love you, Eve. I never want to do anything that will make you unhappy.”
“Then take it off.”
She shook her head. “You're wrong. We can't give in to him. I might even be able to draw him out and into making a mistake if I annoy him enough. Otherwise, if I take one step back, he'll take one step forward. And I won't be backed into a corner where he can hack my face off.” She saw Eve flinch and she hurried on, “I'm sorry. But that's what he wants. He wants me scared and on my knees. We can't give him that.”
“I'm not going to give him you either. Why don't—” Eve closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. “I'm wasting my time.” She opened her eyes and added wearily, “And maybe you're right. I don't know. But I do know if you're going to wave that ring under Aldo's nose we're going to make sure that you're as safe as you can be.” She headed for the phone. “I'm calling Joe. Take that ring off, get the digital camera, and take pictures of it so that he can try to locate who sold it to Aldo.”
“Eve—”
“I'm not angry with you.” Eve picked up the phone. “I'm just tired and frustrated and I want this maniac caught before he drives all of us crazy.” She smiled. “And, no, I'm not saying you're crazy. Obstinate, opinionated, yes. Now go take those photos.”
TWELVE
You're wrong, Jane,” Joe said curtly. “You're playing his game.”
“No, I'd be playing his game if I hid the ring away.” She met his gaze. “And you know it. You just don't want me to take chances. There's an opportunity here. If I was anyone else, you'd admit it.” She held out her hand. “Do you think I want to wear it? It makes me sick to my stomach. But it's the right thing to do.” She tossed the packet of photos down on the coffee table in front of him. “There are enough photos to start a search for the seller. Trevor said that he may have gotten the ring in Italy years ago.”
“We'll see.” His lips twisted. “As far as we know he didn't give any of the other victims jewelry. If he's been carrying it around that long evidently you're considered special.”
She made a face. “If I'm special, it's because I'm not a victim. And I won't be.”
“We hope,” Eve said.
“Think positive.” Jane moved toward her bedroom. “I'm going to bed now. If I stay here, you'll try to argue me out of it and that's not going to happen. It will only be hurtful. Good night, Joe.”
“Running away isn't going to stop me from—” He muttered a curse as her bedroom door closed gently but firmly behind her. “You talk her out of it, Eve. She listens to you.”
“I tried,” Eve said quietly. “She's not listening to anyone now. She thinks she's right and she's sticking to it.”
“She's only a kid, dammit.”
“Really? I believe we had this discussion weeks ago and you were telling me that she's never really been a kid and that was okay.”
“That was before we knew Aldo was on the scene. It's not okay now.”
“Too late.” Eve's faint smile was sad. “We might have had a chance of bringing a little springtime into her life before this happened, but not now. She's changed.”
“She's just gotten more obstinate.”
Eve shook her head. “She's formed. I've been watching it happen. She reminds me of one of my reconstructions. I work and I work and I know somewhere beneath my fingers everything is there but it's not ready to come out. Then all of a sudden, it all comes together.”
Joe was looking at her with a frown and she tried again. “It's like placing a fine piece of pottery in a kiln. When it goes in, it's soft and still malleable. When it comes out, everything has been burned away but what it is and is going to be forever. Aldo did that to her.” Her lips tightened. “May he burn in hell.”
“I'll second that.” Joe looked down at the photos. “He may not be close enough to her to know she's flaunting that thing.”
Eve raised her brows.
“Okay, wishful thinking.” He picked up the photos. “I'll fax these to the department and get busy on trying