Iris Johansen - Eve

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

Malua, Samoa

Present day

TWO MINUTES.

The explosive was in place beneath the back veranda of the house. The charge set.

Agent Art Benkman slid behind the garden wall that surrounded the pool and house and waited.

No mistakes this time. His superior wouldnt tolerate another near miss. It had been made clear that Black must be destroyed. He was a monster who knew too much.

No, hed seen Paul Black go into the house an hour ago. It was the best time for the kill. Only one person in the house besides that son of a bitch. A housekeeper who occupied the end bedroom of the rambling bungalow. Hed seen her light go out two hours ago. Shed be asleep by now.

Good night.

And good-bye.

No one would survive this blast. Hed had to be sure.

One minute.

The flames from the blast would probably reach the top of those palm trees hovering over the roof.

Ive got you, Black, he murmured. Burn in

Pain.

He was flipped over and was looking up at the man who had sent the needle-sharp stiletto deep into his back.

Black. But it couldnt be Paul Black. He was in the house.

No, he was here. That dark, devils face

Who sent you? Black asked. Who told you I was here? He was searching in Benkmans pockets, pulling out his wallet and the e-mail that hed received two days ago. He glanced at it and smiled. Very explicit. And you obeyed blindly like a good agent? Never mind. You dont have to answer. I dont need you now.

Kill you Benkman whispered. I have to

Die, Black supplied as he picked up Benkman as if he were a child. Thats all you have to do. He was carrying him over to the house. How do you feel about cremation?

No! He started to struggle as panic overcame pain. Dont leave me here. Its going to

Blow? Black dropped him on the floor of the great room. In about forty seconds. He looked down at him. Why dont you see if you can make it through the French doors and out onto the terrace? You might survive then. He turned and strolled out of the house.

Bastard.

Benkman rolled over and started to crawl toward the French doors.

Pain.

The blood was pouring out of the wound as he moved.

Weak.

The blood was slippery

He was dying.

No, hed be okay. He was always okay. He just had to get out of this damn house.

So slow. He was moving so slow.

He reached the French doors. Now crawl out onto the veranda. He was almost there

And then he saw Black standing by the garden wall and watching him. He was smiling.

He tapped his watch.

Too late, Benkman realized frantically. He was too late. Time had run out.

Dont leave me! he howled. Get me out of

The house exploded and became an inferno.

* * *

HERES THE REPORT, SIR. Shall I call Atlanta and give it to her?

Venable scowled as he looked down at the report that Agent David Harley had put in front of him. This inquiry was shaping up to be a king-size headache. Why had he become involved in this mess?

He knew the answer. He liked Joe Quinn and Eve Duncan, and they had helped the CIA on many occasions. When Catherine Ling had asked him to pull strings and get this report concerning the death of Eves daughter, hed thought it might be a way to pay back.

He wasnt sure that would be true any longer. Eve Duncan was very fragile where anything connected to her murdered daughter, Bonnie, was concerned.

Is anything wrong? Agent Harley asked. I used three sources. It all checked out. And Catherine Ling is usually very accurate.

And Harley would be careful, Venable thought. He was new, but he was eager and conscientious.

No, Im sure you verified it correctly. He shrugged. I can just see a blowup looming on the horizon.

But Catherine Lings e-mail said that

I know. Venable held up his hand to stop him. Harley had met Catherine Ling only once, but he had been dazzled by her. Most men had the same response to Catherine. She was not only a top CIA agent, but she was part Caucasian, part Asian, and was one of the most gorgeous and exotic women Venable had ever met. Catherine may be accurate, but that doesnt mean she might not trigger an explosion. Shes ramming her way through every source I have to get that information, and shes not going to stop.

Eve Duncan, Harley repeated tentatively, glancing at the report. Ive heard of her. I saw some photos. Skulls and stuff. Shes a forensic sculptor, isnt she?

Have a little respect. Shes the forensic sculptor, Venable said. Shes probably the best forensic sculptor in the world. Every police department in the country is standing in line to get her to work on their cold cases involving skeletal remains. Totally dedicated.

Not totally. Harley smiled. I read that report. Shes been living with her lover police detective, Joe Quinn, for a number of years. In real life, she obviously prefers a warm body to those skeletons.

Hes a good guy, Venable said. And tough as hell. Hes an ex-SEAL. As I said, have a little respect, or you might regret it. Hes been with Eve since her daughter Bonnie was kidnapped by a serial killer years ago. The kid was only seven years old, and it nearly destroyed Eve.

I can see how it might be traumatic. Was she murdered?

Almost certainly. Though Bonnies body was never recovered and the real killer never arrested. Thats why Eve went back to school to become a forensic sculptor, to help bring other lost children home. But Eves been on the hunt for Bonnies killer all these years.

My wifes pregnant and should be delivering my son any day, Harley said. I dont know what Id do if anything happened to him.

Go on the hunt, Venable said. As Eve Duncan is doing. As Joe Quinn is doing.

What about you, Agent Venable? Do you have any children?

Venable shook his head. Divorced. No kids. I have a job. A family would get in the way. He tapped the report. And Eve Duncan is a prime example of why I should stay that way. Finding her daughters killer has become an obsession thats dominating everything and everyone around her. Including me. He swore beneath his breath. Catherine Ling should have stayed out of it. But no, she thinks that she can straighten out the entire world if she puts her mind to it.

Shes very clever, Harley said. It could happen, sir.

Are we expecting any more info?

Harley shook his head. Those are the only sources you asked me to tap.

And the sources Catherine Ling had asked Venable to tap. She had known exactly what shed wanted. Hed asked her to wait for these reports before she went to Eve Duncan with the information, but he couldnt be sure that shed do it. Catherine marched to her own drummer and had been so on edge that shed wanted to get the confrontation over. That was always Catherines way. Bold, up-front, on the attack.

That had been Eves method of handling problems, too. It was one reason why the two women had become close friends.

Ill be glad to call Agent Ling and give her the information on this report for you, Harley offered.

I bet you would, Venable murmured. But I think Id better handle this myself. You cant expect a straightforward response from Catherine on this particular matter.

It seems pretty cut-and-dried to me.

Does it? He was tempted to let Harley contact Catherine and have her interrogate him. If he thought she would become his new best friend, he was going to be sadly disappointed. She was going to want every detail so that she could mull the pros and cons, and she would be firing questions like a machine gun. It wasnt often that Catherine formed a friendship with anyone, but she genuinely liked Eve Duncan, and she wanted every detail to be absolutely correct. No, Ill talk to her.