Chasing the Night - Iris Johansen [11]
“Unbalanced,” she repeated. “That’s a polite way of saying nuts. And you expect me to deal with her? Oh no, she’s one of your people. You take care of it. My schedule is jam-packed. I have no time for this.”
“I told you, I’m out of it. It’s between the two of you now.”
“You said you didn’t want to turn me over to the wolf. You were talking about her, weren’t you?”
“Yes, I should have said she-wolf, shouldn’t I? I was hoping to persuade you to do the job and not have any contact with her. It would have been better for you.”
“I’m not going to have any contact with that woman. As soon as I can, I’m going to send her on her way.”
“I hope you do turn her down. I made a bargain with her, but I’m backpedaling as fast as I can. If she gets what she wants, she’s going to cause me a lot of headaches.”
“I don’t care about your bargains. If you’re not going to help, tell me how to make her leave.”
“Listen to her. Say no. Make her believe it. She’s no real threat. Not to you.”
“Easy words. She’s not easy. I can tell.”
“Oh, you recognized a kindred spirit? I admit I noticed a few similarities myself.”
She ignored those words. “Tell me how to get through to her. I have to know about her if I’m going to find a way to handle her. Tell me about Catherine Ling.”
“How much?”
“Everything.”
“I don’t know everything. I had to depend on Catherine to tell me about her early years. There weren’t any records. She’s illegitimate. Her father was an American soldier based in Saigon. Her mother was a half-Korean, half-Russian prostitute and took Catherine to Hong Kong when she was four. She died two years later, and Catherine was left alone to try to survive on the streets. She survived very well. She was smart, and her instincts were excellent. Some of the things she learned during those years were amazing, and completely illegal and immoral.”
“Considering how she broke into my house that doesn’t surprise me.”
“Anyway, she managed to sort it all out and avoided the worst pitfalls of prostitution and drugs. Probably because she came to realize that the most valuable commodity in Hong Kong was information. She taught herself to be fluent in eight languages and made herself an expert on selling and buying. From the criminal underbelly to high-end political secrets, she became the person to go to. That’s where she first came onto our radar.”
“I can see how she would come to your attention,” Eve said dryly.
“Oh, she did. She was only seventeen and a complete tigress. She did a few contract jobs for us, and I was very impressed. I recruited her. I had her trained by one of our best agents. In the last twelve years I’ve sent her all over the world, and she’s been a remarkable asset. I couldn’t ask for a more competent operative.”
“Until she became ‘unbalanced’?”
“Everyone has a few problems to overcome. Once she works through this patch, she’ll be as valuable to me as ever.”
“You’re incredible.”
“No, I just do my job in the best way I can.” He paused. “Tell her no. Don’t get involved, Eve.” He hung up the phone.
She didn’t understand that last command. She had no intention of getting involved. Considering the circumstances, she didn’t see how Venable could think she was in any danger of giving in to anything that Catherine Ling asked of her.
She jammed her phone back in her pocket. What to do? Venable had been of no real help. He had given her a little insight into the woman’s character, but revealed no vulnerabilities. She had obviously developed scar tissue over all the pain of her childhood if she’d become the power house Venable described.
Listen to her.
She hesitated, thinking.
Oh, what the hell. It was either violence or persuasion.
It might end up either, or both.
She strode toward the door and threw it open.
Catherine Ling didn’t move, but Eve could sense a subtle change, an increased alertness. She was ready to spring or defend herself from attack.
Good Lord, the woman was beautiful. Eve had been in such emotional turmoil, she had only been vaguely aware of Catherine