is paying your blood money, isn’t she? You just said that you’d blown your deal by killing Rick Avery.”
“That was your fault. If you’d driven out of the driveway right away, I wouldn’t have had to kill him. He was going to cause trouble. I had both of you where I wanted you, and I wasn’t about to let him ruin everything.”
“And you panicked.”
“I don’t panic, bitch.”
“You killed him, didn’t you? Now you’re not going to get any more cash from her. Let us go.”
“I might still be able to negotiate with her. It depends if her love for her son is greater than her love for herself. I’d bet on her loving herself more.” He shrugged. “And, if I’m wrong, there are other satisfactions. You’re a rare prize, Eve Duncan. I was hoping to have Quinn present to participate, and that might still be an option. That would be the best scenario.”
She heard a sudden rustling, slithering sound.
Drogan chuckled. “Mama Zela agrees with me.” He held up a small cage. “She likes to perform to an audience.”
A snake. He had a snake in that cage.
Eve had a sudden memory of that part of his dossier.
His mother’s skeleton was found years later buried in a coffin with a snake wrapped around her throat.
Mama Zela was his mother’s name. And he called this snake Mama Zela. It seemed hideous that he’d name a snake after the mother he’d murdered.
She was shuddering. The idea filled her with horror. Don’t let him see it. He would feed on her fear as that snake had fed on his mother.
But he’d already sensed it. “You’ll be braver than my mother,” he said softly as he opened the car door and gestured with the gun for them to get out. “She couldn’t believe that it could happen to her, that I’d actually do it. She kept screaming for me to let her out.”
That brought a picture to mind that was even more vivid. She didn’t answer him.
He didn’t like that response. “But everyone breaks in the end. When they realize no one is going to save them. You’ll beg me just as she did.”
“Go to hell.”
He laughed. “Oh, you’ll pay for that.” He glanced at Beth, who was sitting frozen, her eyes fixed straight ahead in shock. “Or she will. I’m still annoyed with her. Quinn’s interference just managed to shift the principal emphasis.”
“You killed Rick,” Beth said numbly. “How could you do that?”
He didn’t answer.
Eve reached out and took Beth’s hand in silent support.
“How touching,” Drogan said. “You’ve obviously become very close. Maybe I should put both of you in the same coffin. I’ll have to think about it…”
* * *
KENDRA WAS KNEELING in the driveway beside the crumpled figure of a man when Joe’s car screeched to a stop in front of the Malibu cottage. She looked up as he jumped out and ran toward her. “Eve?”
She shook her head. “Not here. Neither is Beth. I got here ten minutes ago, and all I found was him.” She nodded at the dead man. “It’s Rick Avery.”
Joe nodded jerkily. “Evidently, the trap didn’t go as planned.” Keep cool. Keep calm. He wouldn’t get anywhere if he panicked. “But he didn’t kill either Eve or Beth. Maybe Drogan had plans, too. He was angry as hell when he phoned me yesterday.” Better not to think of that vicious malice toward Eve now. “Where’s Newell?”
“He took off to check out the houses in the neighborhood and see if he could find any trace of Drogan. I wanted to stay here and look around.”
“What did you find out?”
She shook her head.
“Don’t tell me that,” he said through set teeth. “I know what you can do. This is Eve. You’ve got to—”
“Shut up, Joe,” she said curtly. “I know you’re hurting. But I’m not perfect, and I can’t pull something out of the air if it’s not there. Do you think I don’t want to—”
“Sorry.” He cut her off and reached for his phone. “I’ll call the local police and report Avery’s murder. We can at least set them moving on his trail.” He talked briefly to 911 and hung up. “You said you’d been here ten minutes? There aren’t any neighbors or curiosity seekers around. That bullet in his skull must have come from a gun with a silencer.”
Kendra nodded. “Possibly. But I think he may have improvised this time. Maybe wrapped his gun in rags or a towel to muffle the sound.”