Part 12 (2/2)

”The chief of detectives in D.C. says otherwise, Dr. Cross. I called him him when I read you were involved with the Casanova case.” when I read you were involved with the Casanova case.”

The Jefe strikes again, I thought. My old boss in D.C., George Pittman, was a complete a.s.shole, who also wasn't a fan of mine. ”I wrote a book about Gary Soneji,” I said. ”Past tense. I needed to get it out of my system. Trust me, I'm-” I thought. My old boss in D.C., George Pittman, was a complete a.s.shole, who also wasn't a fan of mine. ”I wrote a book about Gary Soneji,” I said. ”Past tense. I needed to get it out of my system. Trust me, I'm-”

”History!”

Beth Lieberman hung up on me. Bang!

”Son of a b.i.t.c.h,” I muttered into the dead receiver in my hand. I dialed the paper again. This time I got a secretary on the line. ”I'm sorry, Ms. Lieberman has left for the day,” she said in a staccato cadence.

I was a little hot. ”She must have left in the ten seconds ten seconds it just took me to get reconnected. Please put Ms. Lieberman back on the phone. I know she's there. Put her on now.” it just took me to get reconnected. Please put Ms. Lieberman back on the phone. I know she's there. Put her on now.”

The secretary also hung up on me.

”You're a son of a b.i.t.c.h, too!” I said to the dead phone line. ”Dammit all to h.e.l.l.”

I was getting noncooperation in two cities on the same case now. The infuriating part was that I thought I might be on to something. Was there some kind of bizarre connection between Casanova and the killer on the West Coast? How could the Gentleman Caller possibly know about Naomi? Did he know about me as well? How could the Gentleman Caller possibly know about Naomi? Did he know about me as well?

It was just a hunch so far, but much too good to brush aside. I called the editor in chief at the Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. It was easier to get through to the big man than it was to his reporter. The editor's a.s.sistant was a male. His phone voice was crisp, efficient, but as pleasant as Sunday brunch at the Ritz-Carlton in D.C. It was easier to get through to the big man than it was to his reporter. The editor's a.s.sistant was a male. His phone voice was crisp, efficient, but as pleasant as Sunday brunch at the Ritz-Carlton in D.C.

I told him that I was Dr. Alex Cross, that I'd been involved in the Gary Soneji investigation, and that I had some important information on the Gentleman Caller case. Two-thirds of that was absolutely true.

”I'll tell Mr. Hills,” the a.s.sistant informed me, still sounding as if he were pleased as punch to hear from me. I was thinking it would be nifty to have an a.s.sistant like that.

It didn't take long for the editor in chief to come on the phone himself. ”Alex Cross,” he said, ”Dan Hills. I read about you during the Soneji manhunt. Glad to take your call, especially if you have something for us on this messy affair.”

As I talked to Dan Hills, I pictured a big man in his late forties. Tough enough, but California-dapper at the same time. Pinstriped s.h.i.+rt with the sleeves rolled to the elbow. Hand-painted tie. Stanford all the way. He asked me to call him Dan. Okay, I could do that. He seemed like a nice guy. Probably had a Pulitzer or two.

I told him about Naomi, and my involvement with the Casanova case in North Carolina. I also told him about the Naomi entry in the L.A. diaries.

”I'm sorry about your niece's disappearance,” Dan Hills said. ”I can imagine what you're going through.” There was a pause over the line. I was afraid that Dan was about to be either politically or socially correct with me. ”Beth Lieberman is a good young reporter,” he went on. ”She's tough, but she's professional. This is a big story for her, and for us as well.”

”Listen,” I cut off Hills-I had to. ”Naomi wrote me a letter almost every week that she was in school. I saved those letters, all of them. I helped to bring her up. We're close. That That means a lot to me.” means a lot to me.”

”I hear you. I'll see what I can do. No promises, though.”

”No promises, Dan.”

Good to his word, Dan Hills called me back at the FBI offices within the hour. ”Well, we had a meeting of the minds out here,” he told me. ”I talked to Beth. As you can imagine, this puts both of us in a tough spot.”

”I understand what you're telling me,” I said. I was cus.h.i.+oning myself for a soft blow, but I got something else.

”There are mentions of Casanova in the unedited versions of the diaries that the Gentleman sent her. It sounds like the two of them could be could be talking, even sharing exploits. Almost as if they're friends. It seems like they're communicating for some reason.” talking, even sharing exploits. Almost as if they're friends. It seems like they're communicating for some reason.”

Bingo!

The monsters were communicating.

Now I thought I knew what the FBI had been keeping secret, what they were afraid would come out in the open.

There were coast-to-coast serial killers.

Chapter 44.

RUN! GO! Just run your b.u.t.t off! Get the h.e.l.l out of here now! Just run your b.u.t.t off! Get the h.e.l.l out of here now!

Kate McTiernan staggered and weaved out through the heavy wooden door he had left open behind him.

She didn't know how badly Casanova was hurt. Escape was her only thought. Go now! Get away from him while you can. Go now! Get away from him while you can.

Her mind was playing tricks on her. Confusing images came and went, without making the proper connections. The drug, whatever it was, was taking its full toll. She was disoriented.

Kate touched her face, and realized her cheeks were wet. Was she crying? She couldn't even tell that for sure.

She was barely able to climb a steep wooden stairway outside her door. Was it heading to another floor? Had she just come up these stairs? She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember anything. She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember anything.

She was hopelessly bewildered and confused now. Had she really knocked Casanova down, or was she hallucinating?

Was he coming after her? Was he racing up the stairs behind her right now? Blood was roaring in her ears. She felt dizzy enough to fall down.

Naomi, Melissa Stanfield, Christa Akers. Where were they being held? Where were they being held?

Kate was having tremendous difficulty navigating her way through the house. She weaved like a drunken person down the long hallway. What kind of strange structure was she in? It looked looked like a house. The walls were new, freshly built, but what kind of house was this? like a house. The walls were new, freshly built, but what kind of house was this?

”Naomi!” she called out, but her voice barely made a sound. She couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus for more than a few seconds. Who was Naomi? Who was Naomi? She couldn't remember exactly. She couldn't remember exactly.

She stopped and pulled hard on a doork.n.o.b. The door wouldn't open for her. Why was the door locked? What on earth was she looking for? What was she doing here? The drugs wouldn't allow her to think in straight lines.

I'm going into shock, trauma, she thought. She felt so cold and numb now. Everything that could gallop was galloping out of control inside her head. she thought. She felt so cold and numb now. Everything that could gallop was galloping out of control inside her head.

He's coming to kill me. He's coming from behind!

Escape! she commanded herself. Find the way out. Focus on that! Bring back help. she commanded herself. Find the way out. Focus on that! Bring back help.

She came to another flight of wooden stairs that looked ancient, almost from another era. Dirt was caked on the stairway. Soil. Little rocks and gla.s.s fragments. These were really old stairs. Not like the new wood inside.

Kate couldn't keep her balance any longer. She pitched forward suddenly and almost hit her chin on the second stair. She kept crawling, scrabbling, up the stairs. She was on her knees. Climbing stairs. Toward what? An attic? Where would she end up? Would he be there, waiting for her with the paralyzing stun gun and the syringe?

Suddenly she was outside! outside! She was actually out of the house! She had made it somehow. She was actually out of the house! She had made it somehow.

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