Night and Day (20 page)

“I doubt it. Time will be at a premium then. She'll want to have plans in place.” He bent and kissed her. “Let me know. I'm going to the north bank to try out the new lights MacDuff received last night.”

“I will.” She watched him walk down the bank and disappear into the mist. “Joe is becoming almost as obsessed with breaking through that mist as MacDuff. I should have known that he'd be caught up in the fever. It's too much of a challenge.”

“For all of us,” Jane said quietly, her gaze on the mist.

“I've noticed that you've been spending quite a bit of time there, too.” Eve was gazing curiously at her. “And I don't believe that you're helping those men rig those poles with those super-duper lights.”

Jane shook her head. “But I watch them do it sometimes. Most of the time I just walk or sit and look out at the mist.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I don't know. I guess I feel … comfortable there.”

“In blinding fog, on a bank where you can't see what's land or water?”

“I said I didn't know. And you can tell land from water. You only have to listen and feel all the textures of grass and earth and leaves. It's all there waiting for you.”

“You do realize that sounds a little strange.”

She nodded. “But then this entire hunt for Cira's treasure has been bizarre, hasn't it? Let's face it, this current hunt through the mist may be strange, but look at what preceded it. As I said, we've all been caught. It could be that's what Cira wanted.” She smiled, and she got to her feet. “And, after that equally bizarre remark, I believe I'll follow Joe into the mist and think about Cira and her son and wonder what she has in store for us.” Her smile became mischievous. “And you called me reasonable and practical? That should show you how far I've gone beyond the pale.” She waved and sauntered down the bank.

Eve watched her disappear from view. It was true that emotions and conflict had dominated all their lives recently, but there had also been growth and healing and love. Jane had started to put the tragedy of Trevor's death behind her and was beginning to live again. She was changing and questioning with every passing day. Eve could not know what Cara was going through right now, but she had found the friend of a lifetime in Jock, and a home and love with Eve and Joe. As for Eve, she had a son who cared enough to send her a message of comfort by Bonnie, the beloved.

Not so bad, Michael. We can get through this as long as we remember—She had a sudden thought. Did you have anything to do with all this sweetness and light I'm feeling all of a sudden?

Warmth. Mischief. Humor.

That's no answer. I'm clearly going to have to watch out for you.

But what a wonderful gift to have the knowledge that he was here with her, even if he was trying to control her thought processes to keep her happy.

We'll have a discussion about this later. I have a right to—

Her phone rang, jarring her out of the warmth that was Michael.

Natalie. Like ice water being thrown on her, freezing out everything else.

“I thought you were going to arrange an exchange soon,” Eve said when she picked up the call. “I told you I was having trouble holding off MacDuff from—”

“It wasn't convenient. I decided I didn't have to rush to make it easier for you. Not after I read the dossier on you that one of Daddy's employees put together.”

“Dossier?” Eve repeated warily.

“You don't like that, do you? Well, I felt it was necessary to know you very well, Eve. I needed to know everything about you that could affect me in any way. We had such a brief acquaintance that I was uneasy. I felt I had a good grasp on your character, but I had to be sure.”

“How clever of you.”

“I
am
clever. All the men in my life have underestimated me, but I don't believe you did.”

“And what did you find out of any value about me?”

“That you're smart and strong and stubborn. But you also have faults. You're soft, very soft. I knew that, of course. Your attitude toward Cara is amazingly weak and without reason. I couldn't see why anyone that strong would allow herself to give up so much to keep a child you scarcely know alive.” Her tone was completely without inflection. “After all, she has no real value to you.”

“She has a value. But you wouldn't understand.”

“I hope not. Because I'm not in the least soft, nor will I ever be.”

“That's no surprise. And how did reading your report on me help you to plan the exchange? Did it make you trust me?”

“Oh, no, that would have been a total disappointment. I fully believe that you would cheat me of my gold if you could. Because you think I'm bad, and so it would be morally right to do it. You appear to be all into morally right. Though you've tottered on the edge of legally right a few times. Surprising, since your lover is a detective. But you're so emotional about keeping Cara alive that there's no way that you'd risk her life to keep that treasure.” She paused. “And you're so strong that you'll find a way to get around MacDuff's stubborn insistence on keeping part of my gold. You won't allow him to get in the way of saving Cara. So you see, I know you very well now. I can block any move you make that's not to my advantage.”

“You've referred to Cira's treasure as ‘my gold' a couple times in this conversation. You're already considering it's yours, but it won't be yours until you tell me how I can get Cara back.”

“I was getting to that. Day after tomorrow is good for me. You'll deliver the chest to Drostkey Park at the carousel at 4
P.M
.”

“Is that Moscow? I thought you might want to make the exchange here in Scotland.”

“Why? I want to hold all the cards. Drostkey Park. Don't worry, you'll actually see her on that carousel. After I check the contents of the chest, I'll have Cara brought to you. Does that sound reasonable?”

“It depends on the circumstances. You could have the park packed with Kaskov's men.”

“No, I'm trying to leave my father out of this transaction. It could prove awkward for me. That's why I set the exchange up in a park that caters to children. Though I admit it does have a Catherine the Great theme that appealed to me. But I can tell him that Cara was intrigued by the music on the carousel. But even if my father's not involved, you can be certain that I'll still be very secure. And I'm sure that Detective Quinn will make it as safe as possible for you.” She paused. “Because you
must
be there for the exchange, Eve. That's part of the deal.”

“I won't object. I want to be there.”

“Good. Then we're in agreement. I'll see you day after tomorrow.”

Eve's hand was shaking as she pressed the disconnect.

Day after tomorrow.

It had to be some kind of trap, either for them, or Cara, or both.

But there had to be a way of springing the trap before it caught them. Or maybe turning the trap against Natalie. They'd have to work until they found that way.

Drostkey Park.

Day after tomorrow.

Cira's treasure chest …

She'd already started preparing the contents of that chest, but now it was necessary to make sure it would pass at least a cursory inspection.

And how to be certain Cara would be safe while all this was going on?

She started to dial Joe.

*   *   *

“Day after tomorrow,” Joe repeated. “It's not much time to complete setting up, but we'll make it do.” He and Jane had only been back at camp for thirty minutes, but he was already thinking, making plans, looking for ways and means. “The first thing we need is a complete plan of Drostkey Park and that carousel area. The second thing is a way to extricate Cara if Natalie decides that what we're offering her is bogus.”

“Which it is,” Jane said. “But it's not likely she'd risk an extended examination of the contents of the chest we show her while she's in a public place. She'll know that we may want to take any opportunity to snatch Cara away.”

“Not we, Jane,” Eve said quietly. “You're not going to be there.”

“The hell I'm not,” Jane said. “I won't let you go into that park to face that Medusa without me. I can help, dammit.”

“Yes, you can. But not in that park.” Eve had known this would be coming, and she had already marshaled her arguments. “Look, Natalie knows all about me now. And she thinks I'm very soft. She also knows about you and how I feel about you. The first thing she'd do if she felt threatened or suspicious would be to try to take out someone I love. I won't provide her with a target that could hurt not only you but me.” She paused. “And maybe Cara.”

“But I want to—” She stopped as she met Eve's eyes. “Okay, I won't go into the park. How close can I get, and what can I do to help?”

“We'll work it out.” She smiled. “But there's something you can do even before we head for Russia. We're going to need an authentic-looking chest in which to put Cira's ‘treasure.' She held up a finger. “One. In order for it to logically withstand the wear and tear of centuries, it will probably have to be of metal of some sort. Two. A false bottom so that we don't have to completely fill it with coins. We're going to have enough trouble getting sufficient coins to fool Natalie into releasing Cara. Three. It has to look aged and absolutely genuine. You're a phenomenal artist. Can you do all that?”

“Of course I can do it,” Jane said curtly. “I'll head for Edinburgh right away. I don't work in metal, but I can pull in a couple of my friends who work in mixed media and metal. I can do the rest. It won't be easy to do it in the time frame you've given me, but I'll have it ready for you.” She frowned. “But you're not going to be able to transport a chest like that without comment. We'll build a wood chest to put it in.”

“Fine,” Joe said. “But I guarantee we're not going to be going through customs. We'll be sliding in and out of Moscow with lightning speed.”

“We hope,” Eve said.

“I'm still going with you.” Jane's jaw set. “Find me something to do.”

“You can be the getaway driver,” Joe said with a grimace. “That's far enough away to keep Eve comfortable, and it may turn out to be a key position.”

“You don't think Natalie will go through with the exchange?”

“She may do it. She wants Cira's gold very much,” Eve said. “I hope she does. She may let us have Cara, then go after her later when she feels safer.” She shook her head. “But she
will
go after her. She's always felt she had to protect herself from anyone's finding out that she'd arranged for the kidnapping and killing of Jenny and Cara. That won't change.”

“It might,” Joe said. “It could change in Drostkey Park.”

“No, Joe.” She knew what he was saying. “It's not about Natalie. It's about getting Cara away from her and bringing her home.”

He shrugged. “We don't know how things will go down. I'm just saying that I wouldn't hesitate to take her out of the picture if things don't go as we hope.” He turned to go to the tent. “But we'll pretend that all will go as we intend it to. I'm going to set up transport and get those maps of Drostkey Park.”

*   *   *

“Drostkey Park,” Jock repeated slowly. “It's a strange place to set up an exchange. You do realize that it might be bogus, Eve.”

“Of course, I do. But it's the best opportunity we'll have. It gets Cara outside those gates of Kaskov's estate and away from most of his men. It's a public place, and it would be hard to stage anything … violent.”

“No, it wouldn't. You can kill anywhere, anytime. You just have to make preparations.”

“We're making our own preparations. Cara is going to be in that park, and we're going to take her,” Eve said grimly. “Joe arranged for us to fly into Cadzav Airport on the south side of Moscow. It's a small airport used by smugglers and drug dealers who pay the government to look the other way. After we have Cara, we'll be on that plane within thirty minutes.”

“If you're allowed to get out of Drostkey Park.”

“Joe will be making plans to make sure we do.”

“You trust Quinn implicitly. I'm impressed.”

“Of course I trust him.” She paused. “I don't expect you to trust him. You don't really trust anyone, Jock. But he won't let anything happen to Cara. I want you to know that.”

“I know that Quinn is very good, but he has one fault in a situation like this.”

“And what is that?”

“He's not willing to make necessary sacrifices to get the job done.”

“I don't know what you mean.”

“Think about it. It will come to you.” He added, “But you didn't only call to tell me that you'd arranged your exchange and tell me the details. You want something from me.”

“I want you not to make any move that would spoil the exchange.”

“And what else?”

“I want you to be in that park watching to make sure that Cara is safe.”

He laughed. “You know very well I'll be there. No question.”

“And the exchange?”

“I've never objected to anything that would keep Cara safer than I could.”

“That's not an answer.”

“I'll let you have your chance. But I'll prepare for it not to be a success.”

“Fair enough.”

“And you have to prepare for it, too.” His voice was steel hard. “You want me in that park to watch and keep her safe while those negotiations are going on. If I do see something I don't like, I'll act on it. I'll act fast and hard, and you may not know what's happening. But if something, anything, goes down that doesn't seem right, or you don't understand, you don't question. You and Quinn get out of that park and head toward the airport.”