Paradox

by Catherine Coulter

  “Okay, Leigh, you leave the post office, and you walk into the alley. I want you to see everything on a different level, look at yourself, keep your senses wide open.”

  “Yes.”

  “Why the alley?”

  “I didn’t want anyone to overhear.” She added matter-of-factly, “They’d think I was crazy as well as stupid.”

  Sala asked, “What do you see in the alley?”

  “She has her cell phone in her hand. No, it’s me, of course, it’s Leigh and I have my cell phone. My palms are sweaty. I’m so afraid I might say something wrong or stupid to the hotline person and they’ll be mad at me and hang up on me. I’d put the hotline number into my phone so I wouldn’t forget it. A man answered, and I told him I knew about Mr. Henry’s Star of David belt buckle, told him I was breaking a promise and he had to tell me what to do. I could hear the excitement in the agent’s voice, like he thought he might have hit the jackpot with me.

  “He asked me for my full name, but I couldn’t tell him, simply couldn’t get it out. That was the old me, of course. That was Gunny. Thinking about the secret, how mother had always said keeping a secret was sacred, and she—I—froze. Then a monstrous pain in the back of my head, and I woke up after surgery in the ICU.” Leigh was quiet a moment, then said in a voice filled with wonder, “Gummy bears—I told the agent about Mr. Henry giving me gummy bears.”

  Lulie took her hand, lightly stroked her long, slender fingers. Leigh wore only one ring, the gold Celtic knot on her pinkie finger.

  “Go back to the alley now, Leigh, before you were struck,” Savich said. “You’re outside yourself. You’re now an observer, reporting on what you see, what you hear. Look around you. You see yourself, but what else? A shadow? Someone at the other end of the alley? Do you hear something? A shuffling sound, footsteps?”

  Leigh closed her eyes. “She doesn’t hear anything, but she feels something’s close, something worries her. Yes, she hears light footsteps, coming from behind her, coming toward her.”

  “Do they sound like a man’s or a woman’s footsteps?” Sala asked.

  Leigh’s smooth, serene face changed into an impatient frown and her voice became annoyed, clipped. “They sounded a little like high heels, Agent Porto, but if I knew that for sure, I would have told you.”

  Lulie grinned, couldn’t help it. She whispered to Ty, “That’s my girl.”

  Ty smiled. “No, that’s her mother.”

  When it was obvious the well was dry, Savich nodded to Dr. Hicks, who took Leigh’s hand.

  “Leigh, it’s me, Dr. Hicks. I want you to tell me something. When you were thinking back in time, you spoke many times of yourself as Gunny, as if she were a different person. Can you explain that to me?”

  Leigh looked thoughtful, as if considering an interesting experience. “I know full well Gunny is me and I’m Gunny, but I’m not really, am I? My eyes see differently now, more like yours do, Dr. Hicks.”

  Dr. Hicks said, “A lovely way to say it. When you wake up, Leigh, you will continue to feel no pain. You will remember everything. Three, two, one. Wake up, Leigh.”

  Leigh’s eyes opened. She looked thoughtfully at each person in the room, then turned back to Dr. Hicks. “How is it possible? I don’t have any pain at all. And I remember your telling me I wouldn’t.”

  “Think of me as your own personal magician,” Dr. Hicks said.

  “Will you marry me, Dr. Hicks?”

  “If my wife ever leaves me, I’m yours. Now, do you remember which guitar Elvis traded in for his new Martin D-18?”

  “Of course, in Memphis in 1955, he traded in his Martin 000-18. To be able to impersonate the King. That’s amazing. I want to come and see you perform.”

  He leaned down and lightly kissed her cheek. “I’ll be sure to let you know about my next Elvis gig. You’re an amazing young woman. I’m very glad I met you and I look forward to seeing what you make of your life from here on out.”

  65

  * * *

  FORT PESSEL, VIRGINIA

  THURSDAY AFTERNOON

  I didn’t want to come back to this pissant town, Victor. Nothing good ever happened here, well, except you came.

  “I had to beg my parents to leave me here. You remember I couldn’t stand to be around them, with my old man knocking my mother around and the stupid woman never doing a thing about it. And then my dad wanted to move back to Jordan to be with his fricking foreign relatives? Can you imagine what that would have been like? For me, an American? Even your mama hitting me on the head with a hammer wasn’t as bad as staying with those two pathetic losers.”

  You hit me sometimes, Victor.

  “Only when you riled me, Lissy. You know I never hit you hard. Now, you said you hurt really bad after Cindy kicked you in the belly, right in the staples. We need to get you some pain pills, and this is as good a place as any, plus I know where old Mrs. Kougar keeps them.”

  You can’t waltz into Kougar’s Pharmacy like you did last time, Victor. Don’t you remember how she showed up and nearly shot you?

  “Yeah, yeah, she surprised me. I still got you pain meds, enough to last you, didn’t I? We’ll hunker down at your mom’s house and wait until it’s dark. Maybe we can stay until they stop looking for us. I looked up the house on the Internet. No one’s bought it, so the bank still owns it. It’s all empty, waiting for us.”

  Listen, Victor, I want to go with you to the pharmacy when the old witch is still there. You can tie her up, and we’ll take the pills and listen to her whine and threaten and then WHAM! I’ll shoot her old head off, watch her few brains run all over.

  “It’s broad daylight, Lissy. There’ll be people in and out until she closes.”

  Didn’t matter last time, did it? She came back after closing and nearly killed you. She deserves to have her brains splatted. I deserve to be the one to do it. Hey, you hear that siren, Victor?

  “Don’t speed up, Lissy! We’re only a couple of young people driving around. The cops aren’t after us here. Listen, they’re peeling off. Go slow, now. Head for your mom’s house.”

  Yeah, all right. We can lie low for a while. I’ll take the meds and feel better. But you know that little bitch Cindy described our car to the cops, maybe she even got the license plate. So you know Savich is looking for us.

  “Sure, let him look. Why would he come down here? They’ll go haring around some other state parks. Look, Lissy, I know we need another car, but I’m running a little short on cash. Everything I had to do in Washington to get Savich’s house plans, all that research on how to disable that alarm of his, the bomb and the gun, all the Willicott arrangements, the two cars I bought—it cost a whole lot.”

  That’s easy, Victor. Let’s steal us a car, no more shelling out our money to buy another butt-ugly one. Maybe this time we can spot a nice little Fiat. I like racing stripes, you know that.

  “It’s way too dangerous. I’ve still got enough money to buy another car, but I’d like to have a cushion left. Don’t forget we’ll need enough of a stake for a new life, Lissy. It would be easier if you told me where your mama hid the bank robbery money.”

  She was silent, then, You swear if I tell you, we can go kill Riley?

  “You’re not thinking, Lissy. You know it’s too dangerous for us in Washington right now. We’ve got to wait. I’ll go to the Boggert Used Cars here in Fort Pessel, buy another car there.”

  You never told me where you got all the cash. A whole buttload. Where’d you get it, Victor?

  “I’ll tell you after you tell me where the robbery money is hidden.”

  Silence, then, Okay, maybe. We’ll get some pain meds for me tonight.

  “Yes, but no more killing, Lissy, so that means I’ll go alone. You can’t control yourself, so you’ll wait in the car or at your mom’s house.”

  Can we sleep in the house, not outside like last night?

  “I don’t see why not. You can keep your clothes on, you know I don’t like seeing those ugly stap
les.”

  66

  * * *

  GEORGETOWN

  THURSDAY AFTERNOON

  Savich sat quietly in the Volvo, waiting for Sherlock to get some aspirin at the CVS across the street. He was thinking about the agent Victor had shot in Fort Pessel two and a half years ago. Cawley James had been lucky.

  It was now down to a manhunt. Savich knew to his gut where Victor was going next. If he was wrong, so be it. It wouldn’t matter in the long run.

  He pulled out his cell and called Agent Reed, one of the three FBI agents stationed at the Smiley house in Fort Pessel, for an update.

  “Todd, Savich here. Talk to me.”

  “The three of us are in place at the Smiley house, with me inside, two outside surveilling the grounds. You know the house is on a cul-de-sac bordering on a mostly maple and oak forest, lots of places to hide. The house is pretty ramshackle, looks every bit like no one’s lived here since Jennifer Smiley went down in that last bank robbery. The bank repossessed the house and owns it now.

  “We’re on it, Savich. All of us remember what happened last time, when Cawley James got shot. What I don’t get is why you think Victor’s coming back here.”

  Savich said, “I think he was headed to Fort Pessel all along. He still needs the money he thinks is buried there, or he’d have been long gone by now. He’ll have to dump the Chrysler, buy another car, or steal it. I called the local dealerships, and I’ve got the local police chief on alert for any stolen vehicle reports. Can’t be sure which way Victor will go.” Which way Lissy will make him go. Savich wondered if he should tell the hard-nosed agent, a fifteen-year veteran known as Black ’n’ White in his field office because he never saw any grays in life, that he was looking not only for Victor but for Lissy sharing his body with him, probably appearing whenever she wished, or whenever Victor needed her to. Since Todd knew Lissy was dead, Savich could see him staring at his cell, wondering if Savich was losing it. Savich settled on, “Reed? Be careful. Victor isn’t known for crazy violence, but he can change in a flash. As if he flips a switch, he morphs in an instant.”

  Agent Todd Reed was silent, thinking about what Savich had said. Victor could morph, get violent? Well, of course he could. He said, “Well, I’ve found most criminals can become crazy violent or not, depending on the circumstances.”

  “Yes, but Victor is different. Believe me on this, Reed. You might not know until it’s too late, so be ready. Don’t hesitate like Cawley did. I’ve seen Victor turn on a dime, trust me. No one wants history to repeat itself. He was in Winslow and it’s only a three-hour drive to Fort Pessel. If that’s his destination, he could already be there, so be on the lookout.”

  “We’ll be ready. I went over myself earlier to the two local used car dealerships here in Fort Pessel, not a surprise there’s only two since more folks are shopping online nowadays. They’ll call me if they have a dull brown Chrysler 300 LX come in. And I’ll check in with Chief Wen.”

  “He remembers what happened the last time we tried to get Victor there in Fort Pessel. Yes, call him as a courtesy. Remind him to keep this quiet. Call me if you spot Victor, Todd, and don’t forget the access road behind the Smiley house.”

  “We’ve got everything covered. Don’t worry, Savich.”

  When Sherlock came back to the Volvo, a small bag in her hand from the pharmacy, he said, “You okay?”

  “Sure, I already popped a couple of aspirin.” She paused. “I was thinking it was a lovely day to see another part of the country, like Fort Pessel. What do you think?”

  Sometimes it was scary how well she knew him. “I figure we can be there by dark.”

  “Onward, then.” Sherlock leaned her head back against the seat rest and said, “Did you tell Todd we’re coming?”

  “No, but we spoke and I gave him lots of warnings. Sherlock, remember when Cindy kicked Victor and he screamed about her kicking the staples?”

  “Yes, but I guess Lissy was the one who screamed it. I see where you’re going with this.” She said thoughtfully, “Last time Lissy was in pain, Victor robbed a local Fort Pessel pharmacy for meds. Are you having Todd cover the local pharmacy?”

  Savich shifted the Volvo into gear and eased onto the highway. “It’s more important to keep the Smiley house well covered.” He gave her a crooked grin. “And we could be totally off base. It’s only a guess, really. You and I will check out the pharmacy.”

  She leaned over, kissed him, and gave a big yawn. “Wake me when we get there.”

  67

  * * *

  FORT PESSEL

  THURSDAY AFTERNOON

  You’re being butt-stupid, Victor. Worry, worry, worry, that’s all you do. There’s no reason for the Feds to be at Mama’s house, not this time around.

  “We didn’t think they’d be here last time, either, but they were. We nearly got caught. We were lucky. This time I’m not going to take any chances. Now shut up, Lissy. I’m going to be very careful. The FBI isn’t stupid, Savich isn’t stupid. I have this feeling he knows Fort Pessel is where we’re headed.”

  Yeah, okay, you’re right. This time. I should have shot that teasing bitch Cindy the minute we stepped in her dippy apartment, put a bullet between her slut eyes. Then she wouldn’t have seen our car and we wouldn’t need a new one again.

  “But you didn’t do that, did you?”

  She got me good, I’ll admit it. You realize she came onto you only because she wanted your money, Victor. Why do you think she took you to her apartment? Guys are so easy.

  “Yeah, I guess we are.” He laughed. “And proud of it.”

  Well, my fault, I shouldn’t have missed when I shot at her. The bitch. You know, I didn’t hit her because I hurt so bad. Victor, I really need those pain pills.

  “I know, Lissy, I know. As soon as it’s dark, as soon as Old Lady Kougar closes the pharmacy, I’ll get them for you. Try to relax, okay?”

  Victor drove slowly. He’d heard her moan quietly in her sleep. He knew she hurt and he hated it. He hadn’t known she’d go after Cindy, but he should have. Violence was like meth to her. She was an addict, she craved it, and this time she’d paid for it. Who would have guessed Cindy could kick like that? And she’d gotten him good, too, right in the groin, knocked him silly.

  He turned onto the single-lane access road that ran along the forest line and eventually behind the Smiley property. He’d rarely seen anybody else drive this road. Still, he was careful. He saw the potholes were bigger since the last time he was here, the forest encroaching nearly to the asphalt. It was where he’d parked when he and Lissy had first come back for the bank robbery money, before they’d faced down Savich and Sherlock and he’d believed his life was over. Victor shook his head. He didn’t want to remember, didn’t want to think about what had happened that day, how his life had simply exploded. Only it hadn’t, not really. His life had become his again, with Lissy. Things would be different this time, and everything would turn out fine. He’d planned through each step since he’d escaped from that psych hospital. Well, there’d been some mistakes along the way, sure, but he was done with that.

  Victor realized he no longer wanted vengeance against Savich. There were many more important things for him and Lissy now. It simply wasn’t worth taking the risk. But he also knew Lissy wouldn’t let him leave until she killed Buzz Riley. That was all right, he could live with that. It was so important to her to avenge her mama. But then that would be the end of it. They’d be on their way to Montana, a nice long road trip. Maybe they’d go to Big Sky, buy a small piece of land, and have enough money left over for a good start. He didn’t know what they’d do, but it didn’t matter, the dream of the future warmed him, centered him. But first he had to find the money, even if Lissy wouldn’t tell him where her mama had hidden it. He had to find that ledger, he knew to his gut it would give the hiding place.

  He saw no one on the access road, not FBI, not any locals. He parked the Chrysler off the narrow road, maybe a mile from the Sm
iley house, and said quietly to Lissy, “I want you to stay here and keep quiet. I’m going to take a good look around, make sure everything’s safe for us.”

  Take a gun, Victor. If you see anyone hanging around, you gotta shoot ’em before they get you. You’ve got to come back to me.

  She didn’t realize he’d taken the gun from her when she was asleep. He wouldn’t tell her, either. He would be careful, but there’d be no shooting, not if he could help it. Lissy was the one who loved guns and killing. He didn’t mind, everyone loved something.

  Before he got out of the car, he said, “Of course I’ll come back.” At least in Montana, she could shoot bears or whatever there was out there in the Wild West, and no one would care. He quietly closed the car door and stood perfectly still for a moment, letting the July heat seep into him, the endless summer humidity flood him like a shower. He heard birds, some scurrying forest animals, probably squirrels, maybe foxes.

  He remembered Agent Porto at Lake Massey and shook his head at how lucky that man was to be alive. Of course Victor would have shot him if he’d had to. Sure, he would. Hadn’t he killed the bitch lawyer? Whacked her over the head, dumped her overboard? He didn’t feel much of anything about that now, except maybe relief it was over and he’d done it all himself, without Lissy hissing in his ear, trying to take over. He wouldn’t have gone out of his way to kill her if it hadn’t been worth it. All that money waved in his face. Of course he’d agreed. He’d told her the truth once they were in the boat and she was rowing him out onto the lake. He remembered the strange look she got on her face. Well, she was dead and gone now, no use thinking about it.