Part 18 (2/2)
”No, thank you,” James said with steady courtesy. He looked down at Annie, dismissing Susan, and said, ”It's late. We need to find a place to stay.”
”Yeah,” Annie agreed. ”Let's see about getting a hotel. Come on, Kay.”
As they walked away she was uncomfortably aware of Susan Takahas.h.i.+, watching them through narrowed eyes.
They took Kay's car, since it already had Clark's car seat installed. At any rate, Kay's Volvo station wagon had considerably more room in it than Annie's Mini. James sat in the front seat. If the car wasn't big enough to allow him to precisely stretch out his long legs, at least they weren't drawn up to his chin.
Annie sat in the back seat, next to Clark, and marveled at the baby's ability to go to sleep almost the
precise instant the car began to move.
”I don't like the way that Susan Takahas.h.i.+ looked at you,” she said. ”I think she's going to make trouble.”
”You're paranoid,” Kay said dismissively.
”I am not. She was staring at James like she wanted to have him for breakfast. She's got the hots for him.”
”Hots'” James echoed in puzzlement. He was wearing a navy blue s.h.i.+rt one of the reporters at the fire
had given him, and despite his tousled mane of hair and soot-streaked skin he looked fabulous, just as he always did. Any woman in her right mind would have the hots for him, Annie thought.
”Never mind,” Kay said. ”Annie is getting paranoid. If she was looking at him oddly, Ann, it's because
she scents a story, not because she wants to jump his bones.”
”That's not particularly rea.s.suring,” Annie said. ”The last thing I want is Susan Takahas.h.i.+ on the trail of James' story.”
”It'd make her career if she found out the truth about James, that's for sure,” Kay agreed.
”Yeah, well, I don't want James to be the story that launches her to the big time.” Annie heaved a sigh.
”Actually'.” Kay turned her head and glanced at James for a moment. ”What if we did tell her about James'”
”Say what'”
Kay shrugged, her eyes back on the road. ”Think about it, Annie. We're being chased by crazy people who want to kill us. If we tell the authorities about James, go public with all of this, maybe they'll leave us alone.”
”That would probably discourage the Bureau,” James agreed. ”Yes, but it would mean James would be taken apart. I don't think there's any way James could come out of it intact.” ”If we were to publicize the problem, however,” James said, ”only one of us would be at risk, rather than all four of us. I believe the suggestion has merit.” ”No.” Kay shook her head. ”Annie's right. We need to come up with a solution that doesn't involve any of us winding up in pieces. But in the meantime, the Bureau is on our tails.” She glanced at James again. ”James, do you think there's the slightest chance the fire was an accident'”
Annie did not miss the subtle change in her att.i.tude toward James. She spoke to him as if he were a person. Apparently the incident with the baby had altered her thinking. ”I'm not sure it makes sense that the Bureau set it,” Annie said. ”Wouldn't they have known you'd smell it before anyone else in the building' You'd be more likely to get out alive than anyone else.”
”That is a reasonable point,” James admitted. ”There is a chance it was an accident. But it is rather unlikely, considering that the fire began in an unoccupied unit that just happened to be right next to yours.”
”Why such a little fire'” Kay asked. ”Couldn't they bomb the building if they wanted to'”
”They would have a difficult time making it look like an accident. They are trying not to alter history.”
”And yet they were willing to fire at us with a ray gun,” Annie said.
”Dekka is ' not totally rational,” James replied, and Annie thought wryly that was the biggest d.a.m.n
understatement she'd ever heard. Dekka was a psycho, pure and simple. ”I believe she lost control of herself in the heat of the moment.”
”So you think this fire was set by what's his name, the other guy.”
”Gar'” James hesitated, then shook his head. ”I find it difficult to believe that Gar would deliberately set a fire that might kill innocent people.”
”Dekka again, then.”
”Yes, I suspect so. But in a slightly more rational moment, evidently.”
”d.a.m.n.” Kay blew out a breath of exasperation. ”That woman is really out for blood.” She slid a sideways glance at James and grinned wryly. ”Or in your case, machine oil, I guess.”
James seemed taken aback by the friendliness in her voice. ”She wishes to destroy me,” he agreed. ”She will stop at nothing.”
”Yeah, like killing a whole bunch of innocent people in the process. The woman is as warm and cuddly
as a barracuda.”
”Fortunately no one was killed. This time.” James stared into the darkness beyond the car windows.
”Next time we may not be so fortunate.”
The despondency in his voice caught Annie's attention. ”James'” she said suspiciously. ”What are you
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