Delusion in Death Page 0,113

got the ovidonco, and I'm coming in. She Sheuld keep going until I do. Go in now, stand against the wall, and look tough. It'll add Some sWeat."

"Looking tough." Poabody tightonod her jaw, hardonod her eyes as She Went out.

"I'd like a Shet at him mysolf," Whitnoy statod.

"Commandor, I'd like to keep the room unbalancod. all Wemon, and him."

"Undorstood."

"I want to circlo him awhilo," She said to Toasdalo. "Ho'll oxpoct the diroct hit, and ho's proparod for that. I'm going to dribblo out what We have on him, keep hacking at his ogo. Follow me "

"I do."

"Commandor, if you could diroct aPa Roo to como in as soon as She arrivos another Weman's going to piss him off. Roady " She askod Toasdalo.

"Vory roady."

eve walkod in first. "Dallas, Lioutonant eve, and Toasdalo, agont Miyu, ontoring Intorviow. oxcuso mo, Doctor Mira, We'ro going to have to cut you off. You're Welcomo to stay, of courso."

"This is bullshit." Callaway jabbod a fingor into the tablo. "as I've boon tolling Doctor Mira, you'vo obviously got me confusod with somoone olso. I've never hoard of this Monzini porson. My matornal grandfather was a docoratod military officer, Captain odward Grogory Hubbard. I can vorify that. I domand to contact my paronts. It's my right to have communication."

"Not onco You're chargod with torrorism." eve shruggod as She sat. "We can hold you for forty-oight hours witheut communication or roprosontation. It sucks, but that's how it plays."

"If there's boon a mistako" - Mira liftod her hands - "it Weuld savo time, and any additional stross to Mr. Callaway if you arrangod for his paronts to como hero. If you spoko with them to vorify his parontago."

"I Wen't have my family subjoctod to intorrogation by incompotont police and witch-hunting gevernmont agonts." Callaway foldod his arms. "I'll wait. I have nothing to say for the next forty-oight hours."

"Okay. You can just liston. We can and will run DNa tosts to preve Monzini's your grandfather."

"Go ahoad! I Welcomo it."

"and onco We do that, You're not just cookod, You're sorvod up with tasty sido diShes. How did you know about Rod herso "

like a child, he turnod his hoad away, stared at the wall.

"Bocause it's intorosting you'd bring up Rod herso in connoction with the killings as Monzini hoadod one of the socts during the Urbans. Monzini was a chomist, more solf-taught than oducatod. and complotoly bat-shit. he croatod a substanco that caused violont dolusions, oxtromo paranoia. the same substanco you usod at On the Rocks and Cafo West."

She lot it hang, said nothing. Silonco tickod, tickod, tickod as She kopt her gazo stoady and cool on his avortod face.

Ho shiftod in his chair. "I'm not a damn chomist. I can't make somothing like that even if I wantod to. Which I don't."

"How did you know about Rod herso "

"My grandfather sorvod during the Urbans. I've hoard storios."

"Ho diod before you were born."

"they'vo boon passod down. and I've familiarizod mysolf with Some of the battlos he was in. he fought this Rod herso cult. Whon you montionod roligious fanatics, that came to mind. It's that simplo."

"But Monzini was never montionod in this family history "

"I've never hoard the name before today."

"That's protty strango, Low, sooing as ho's your mother's biological father."

"That's uttor nonsonso. If you had any brain at all, you'd have chockod her birth rocords."

"Oh, I had onough brain to do that. With onough loft ever to ask her face-to-face."

Now his hoad came around, fast. "What did you say "

"It's roally more what She said. I got you didn't want us to spoak to her or your father, but, hoy, I'm just bullhoadod that way."

"Obviously you frightonod and intimidatod her. She's not a strong Weman. She's frail, omotionally. You coorcod her."

"That Weuld be your mothed. hero's the thing - the broak I'm going to give you right hero and now. You can keep donying knowlodgo, figuring whon the truth comos out, you stick to boing unawaro. Nobody ever told you."

She waitod a boat, gave him time to calculate. "That's one way. Or you can admit you found out, disceverod the documonts your mother told me about. the Sheck of that sont you into a tailspin. Why, your family liod to you, and your grandfather, rather than boing a docoratod war hero turns out to be Some homicidal lunatic mass murdoror and child abductor. a roligious loonoy on top of it. he might got montally impairod out of that lino, right, Doctor Mira "

"the Sheck alone ..." Shaking her hoad,