No One to Trust - Iris Johansen [81]
Chavez was right. Judd needed to be done with these negotiations. Galen and Elena had almost caught him last night at the carnival. He was lucky that Barry had not seen them. He needed the money. He needed to be rid of the kid.
So what to do?
Chavez thought he knew what his decision would be. Was he right?
Betrayal and murder …
15
“What are we waiting for? Judd’s not going to call.” Elena stood at the window gazing blindly out at the lake. “I think we should go to Miami to get Chavez.”
“Let’s give it just a little more time.”
“He said he’d call yesterday and he didn’t do it.” Her hand clutched the curtain so tightly that her knuckles turned white. “He’s made his deal with Chavez and he’s going to turn over Barry. We have to stop him.”
“Wait until noon and then we’ll take off. We may be in a better position here to intercept him. He or Barry may drop—”
“No.” She turned and headed for the front door. “He can call us on the road. I’m too frightened to—”
The house phone rang.
She jumped for it. “Hello.”
“Is Galen on the line?” Judd asked.
“He will be in a minute. Let me talk to Barry.”
“After we finish. He’s fine.”
“How do I know that? You promised Chavez you’d send him a picture of a dead boy.”
“He told you that? He’ll evidently do anything to hurt you.”
“Was it a lie?”
He didn’t answer immediately. “No.”
“You son of a bitch.”
“At times,” Judd said. “But it’s not kind of you to say so when I’m calling to give you an opportunity.”
“What kind of opportunity?” Galen had picked up the extension.
“To get her son back.”
Elena stiffened. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’ve made a deal with Chavez. I get my money. He gets Barry. But the terms of delivery are in my court.”
“Go on.”
“I’ve told Chavez that he has to do the delivery himself. He brings the money, I turn over Barry. No escort or I don’t deal.”
“And you think he’ll abide by it?”
“Probably not. I’ll do a little scouting ahead of time to make sure I’m safe.”
“And where do we come in?”
“I’ll tell you where and when. You come after I’ve got my money and take Barry away from him. Simple.”
“Too simple,” Galen said. “It smells like a trap.”
“Or a bad conscience trying to do the right thing,” Judd said. “You take your choice.”
“Trap,” Elena said.
“I’ll call you tonight with the time and place. Barry will be there. I’m sure he’ll hope to see you.” He called, “Barry, your mother wants to talk to you.”
“Galen, it’s a trap, isn’t it?” She hung up after talking to Barry and walked into the kitchen. “That tricky bastard.”
“Probably.” He hung up the extension. “But it’s also an opportunity, just as Judd said. I don’t doubt Barry will be there. It’s the only bait that would work.”
“And Chavez will have his men there.”
“Almost certainly. It’s very risky.” He smiled faintly. “But it’s not going to stop you from going, is it?”
Even the slimmest chance to get Barry back? “Hell, no.”
“Then we wait for Judd to tell us where and when.”
Judd called at nine-forty that evening.
“Tomorrow night. In the glade at the top of Blackjack Mountain. One A.M.”
“If this is the trap I think it is, I’m going to hunt you down and draw and quarter you,” Galen said.
“Don’t you think I know that? You have to do what you have to do. I can’t guarantee the unpredictable, and everything about this delivery is unpredictable.”
“Including you.”
“Including me.” Judd hung up.
“That sounded like a warning,” Elena said.
“Who the hell knows?” Galen moved toward the desk in the living room. “We need to take a look at a state map and find Blackjack Mountain. We have some reconnoitering to do before tomorrow night.”
She followed him and watched as he took out the map and looked up Blackjack Mountain. “It’s about forty-five miles north of the city off Highway 76. I don’t see any nearby towns. Evidently Judd wanted his meeting isolated enough not to disturb the neighbors.”
She nodded. “We’re not going to have much