want me to do at the earliest possible opportunity.” Eve shook her head. “I can almost see why you decided to set up this elaborate charade. You needed to hold all the cards possible to even think I might do it.”
“And even then I knew you might tell me to go to hell,” she said soberly. “I only hoped that you’d remember that Varak had created all this carnage. He should pay for it, Eve. And he shouldn’t get a chance to do it again.” She looked at the reconstruction of Amari. “Those villages were helpless before his militia. They were savage. Varak even hung some of the body parts in the trees…”
Eve flinched. “Shock value, Jill?”
“Anything I can do.” She got to her feet. “I’m sorry I wasn’t completely honest with you. You know everything now. I’m praying that you won’t let my duplicity affect your decision. Let me know what you’re going to do, and I’ll make it easy for you.” She grimaced. “Unless a miracle happens, and you decide to help us. Then I can’t promise it will be easy, only that we’ll try to keep you safe.” She headed for the door, then stopped before she opened it. “No, I still wasn’t totally honest. I’d better tell you all of it. Even though it’s going to make you even angrier. After I decided it had to be you who did Varak’s reconstruction, I told Novak what he had to do. We had to get rid of Joe Quinn, so Novak pulled strings with some bigwigs in London and got the Scotland Yard seminar pushed up so that it would fit in with our plans.”
“What?” Eve’s eyes widened. “You went to those lengths?”
“You love Quinn,” she said soberly. “You were right when you said I’d probed every facet of your life. That was a very big part. The chances were very slim that you’d leave him unless the circumstances were right.”
“You’re damn right.”
“Your Michael was easier. Novak just had to find a conveniently located dig in the U.K. and send Jane MacGuire folders that described it with glowing references to how healthy and fun it was for children. Jane doesn’t see your son that often. She grabbed at the chance to give him a treat like that.”
“And you did your research and knew that Jane had gone on digs before.”
She nodded jerkily. “I had to make sure that if I took you away, it would be worthwhile for them. You had to be certain they were safe and happy.”
“How very kind,” Eve said sarcastically.
“No, completely selfish. I interfered in your life. I had to do it in the most painless way possible. You have a right to be furious about that, too.” She paused. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t thought that it was necessary. We can’t let a Robaku happen ever again.”
Then she was gone.
Leaving Eve alone with her confusion and anger…and terror. She didn’t know how long she sat there just trying to comprehend all that she had been told. At least ten, fifteen minutes passed while she struggled to understand both the horror of the possibility Jill had shown her and this feeling of betrayal and being used.
She closed her eyes and let the emotions flow over her, not trying to sort them out yet. She could still see Jill’s face before her. She’d looked like a little girl sitting on the floor at Eve’s feet, her blue eyes big and so full of fear yet terribly earnest as she tried to do what she’d thought was honorable and right.
She would not feel sorry for her, Eve thought fiercely. Jill had been totally manipulative and moved them all around like chess pieces to get what she wanted. It didn’t matter that she’d thought she was doing it to keep that monster from getting away to strike again.
But how could it not matter? It was what Eve did every day of her life. Bring the children home so that monsters would be punished and not be free to kill again.
But she did not lie or cheat or use anyone else to do what had to be done. There was no question what she should do now that she knew why Jill had brought her here.
“Are you okay?”
Her eyes flew open, and she saw a tall man wearing a black-leather jacket standing in the doorway. She had never seen him before. “Who are you?”