Countdown - Iris Johansen [68]
“And if you wanted to fool Venable, you’re capable of doing it with no problem. I’ve seen you in action.”
“Now you’ve spoiled it.”
“Live with it.” She paused. “Who knows about Venable?”
“No one but Bartlett, Brenner, and MacDuff. Do you think I’d let the whole world know that I was dealing with the CIA? The more people who know, the greater the chance of a leak.”
“Well, Eve and Joe are going to know it.”
“Then they’d better be damn discreet about it.”
“You know they will.” She headed for the door. “Make your call. I have to get back to Mario.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s not going to be allowed to blame you and curl up in a ball and shut out the rest of the world. It’s too important that he finish those scrolls. I’m going to make sure he does it.”
His brows lifted. “What determination.”
“You’re damn right.” She looked him in the eye as she opened the door. “I’m an American, Trevor. No bastard is going to blow up any city, town, or podunk junction in my country. Not if I can help it. You play all the games you like as long as it doesn’t interfere with that. But it’s no game to me. Grozak’s going down.”
I told you I didn’t want you here,” Mario said as she came into his room. “You have no heart.”
“But I have a brain and I’m using it. Which is a hell of a lot better than you’re doing.” She sat down in the chair across from him. “I’d like to be gentle and patient with you but there’s no time. I can’t let you go on feeling sorry for yourself. There’s too much work to do.”
“I don’t work for Trevor anymore.”
“Okay, then work for yourself. Don’t let that bastard get away with what he did to your father.”
“It was Trevor’s fault.”
She studied his expression. “You don’t believe that.” She added deliberately, “And you don’t believe it was the man who beheaded your father that’s responsible.”
“Of course I do.”
“No.” Say it. Cruel or not. It had to be said or Mario would continue to hide from the truth. “You think it was your fault. You think you should never have taken the job. Or if you did, you should have told Trevor about your father.”
“No!”
“Maybe it’s true, but you’ll have to decide that for yourself. You thought your father wouldn’t be in danger, but were you fooling yourself? I don’t know. All I know is that the man’s dead and you should be ready to avenge him instead of blaming everyone in sight, including yourself.”
“Get out of here.” His voice broke. “It’s lies.”
“It’s truth.” She stood up. “And I believe you’re man enough to face it. I’m going into the next room to sit in my corner and look at the statue of Cira and wait for you to come in and start working again.”
“I won’t come.”
“You’ll come. Because it’s the right thing to do. There aren’t many things that are right in this mess, but you have the chance to do one of them.” She started for the door. “If you find what Trevor is looking for, those murderers who killed that helpless old man won’t win.”
“Lies . . .”
She opened the door. “I’ll be waiting.”
She was still sitting in the chair in the corner when Mario’s door opened four hours later.
He stood in the doorway. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Not when it’s important. And this couldn’t be more important.”
“Why? To get Trevor what he wants?”
“In this case what Trevor wants is what we all should want.” She paused. “And it’s important that you see things clearly for your own sake. Even if it hurts.”
“Oh, it does.” He came toward her. “Damn you, Jane.” As he drew close to her, she could see his dark eyes glistening with tears. “Damn you.” He fell to his knees in front of her chair and buried his face in her lap. “I’m not ever going to forgive you.”
“That’s okay.” She gently stroked his hair. She felt an aching maternal tenderness. “Everything will be okay, Mario.”
“No, it won’t.” He lifted his head, and the desolation in his expression made her ache with sympathy. “Because I’m lying. It’s not you I’m not going to forgive. I . . . killed him, Jane.”
“No, you didn’t. Grozak killed him.”
“I should have— Trevor told me there was a threat but I didn’t believe it would affect anyone but me.