Liar Liar - James Patterson Page 0,19

A cop who took it personally. She’d been abrasive in the beginning. Almost rude. But Bonnie had grown to love the woman who’d solved her case.

Bonnie had seen something about Harry and that serial killer running around Sydney in the news a week earlier. She turned into the hall, hardly focusing on the man on the doorstep, her mind whirling.

“Oh, God,” Bonnie said, her hand at her throat. “Yes, come in, come in.”

The man followed her into the kitchen. She went to the sink and filled herself a glass of water. The shock of it all—remembering the rape, remembering Harry and those dark days during the investigation and trial. Bonnie told herself that those memories were where the fear was coming from. But as she looked over at the stranger in her kitchen doorway, the fear refused to go away.

She swallowed painfully. “Is Harry okay? She’s…she’s on that serial-killer case, isn’t she? Something about her brother.”

“Tell me about Harry.” The man dragged a stool out from under the marble bench, blocking the door. He sat on it and folded his thick arms.

Bonnie felt hot all over. Her heartbeat was thumping in her ears.

“Can we go outside?” Bonnie asked. “I just need some air.”

The smile he’d flashed on the front doorstep was nowhere in sight now.

“I’m sorry,” she said for some reason. “What did you say your name was again?”

He didn’t answer. Just sat there, staring at her. Bonnie had backed into the corner of the kitchen.

“I’m…” She rubbed her arms. “I’m uncomfortable with this. I’d like to go outside. I’d like to—”

“Bonnie,” he said.

Her hand fluttered of its own volition toward the knife block on the countertop, instinct taking over. He watched coldly as she grabbed the biggest handle.

“Bonnie,” Regan said, “don’t be stupid.”

Chapter 26

WHITT FOUND CHIEF MORRIS just outside his office, standing with a group of beat cops consulting a map. They seemed to be planning a cordon around Kings Cross. He tapped Pops on the shoulder.

“Harry’s just called me,” he said.

A bigger man whirled around, and Whitt stepped back to allow Deputy Commissioner Woods more space.

“Harriet Blue is in contact with you?” Woods seemed almost insulted. “I assume you told Detective Blue to surrender herself into custody immediately?”

Whitt explained the phone call, deciding to look at Chief Morris instead.

“She’s rerouting her line,” Whitt said. “I checked with IT before I came up here. Her calls are basically untraceable. She bounces her signal around a bunch of towers and networks, and doesn’t stay on the line long enough for the signal to settle and for us to get a location. It’s likely that’s what Regan is doing to her.”

“Regan Banks is calling Harriet Blue?” Woods sneered. “This is exactly as I was saying, Morris.”

“It was the first time she’s called me,” Whitt said nervously. “She may call again.”

“All right.” Woods filled his barrel chest with air. “This is good news. You’ll divert your line to the command-center phone, Detective Whittacker. I’ll be taking all calls from Detective Blue from now on.”

“I’m not sure that’s the smartest idea,” Pops intervened. “If Harry calls and it’s not Whitt, she’ll hang up and she won’t call back. We need to keep the communication channels open. If Regan’s talking to her, and she’s talking to us, we have some chance of anticipating where Regan will be.”

“No, thanks, Morris.” Woods put his palm out toward Whitt, waiting for him to give up his phone. “I’m not relying on a rogue detective to intermediate communications with a killer. Give it to me, Whittacker.”

Whitt gripped the phone by his side. “I think I agree with Chief Morris.”

“I don’t give a rat’s arse who you agree with, Detective,” Woods said quietly. “I’m giving you a direct order to hand over that phone so that your line can be diverted to—”

“It’s my personal phone,” Whitt said carefully. “I don’t have to surrender it to you. Not without Harriet having been charged with a crime. Not without you having secured a warrant to listen to my personal calls. Legally, I don’t have to do it, sir.”

Deputy Commissioner Woods dropped his hand and straightened. Whitt thought he heard the dull click of the bigger man’s teeth locking together in his powerful jaws. Pops clapped Whitt on the shoulder, hoping, it seemed, to signal the end of the conversation. He went back to the map, and Whitt tried to turn away, but Woods stopped him in his tracks.

“Whittacker,” he said, “I read about you when they asked me to take over