Dark Tribute--An Eve Duncan Novel

by Iris Johansen

  She paused. “I’m not Marian. You want me to play? I’ll play what I like and how I like. You shouldn’t care, you said we were both amateurs, didn’t you?” She started to play the Tchaikovsky again. “You want me to look the way I did at the concert? I played the Tchaikovsky.”

  Just try to get away from him. Let the music take her to that magic place that had always been her joy and her solace. She could see how tense and resistant he was. She half expected him to step forward and strike her again.

  It didn’t happen. She didn’t look at him, but she was vaguely aware that he was just standing there, listening. Then she wasn’t aware of him at all, he vanished as the music swept her away.

  Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Dvorak. Then, exquisite, exciting Vivaldi. The music rose, fell, surrounding her, completing her …

  Then she went back to the Tchaikovsky and began again.

  “Stop it!” Svardak stepped forward and tore the violin away from her and threw it on her lap. “It’s ugly. It’s an abomination.”

  “Is it?” She was breathing hard, she could feel the heat in her cheeks as she stared defiantly up at him. “What a liar you are. You know it’s not ugly. I can see it in your face. You liked it.”

  “I was only letting it go on to get what I wanted from you,” he said hoarsely. He was taking photo after photo of her at top speed. But Cara saw with shock that his hands were shaking. “But I couldn’t let you do that Tchaikovsky again. You’re too … flamboyant and personal. She would have hated it.”

  “Anna?” Her gaze was watching him, assessing. “Then she was also a liar. Music is personal. Music is supposed to reach out, raise the spirits of those listening, not glorify the artist.”

  Her head snapped back as his hand lashed out and cracked against her cheek. “She didn’t lie. He was the one who was wrong. We were right to do what we did.”

  She ignored the pain but had to wait a few seconds until the dizziness disappeared. “Really?” She had to be careful now, she told herself. She might have gone too far. He was very close to losing control. She had just been caught up in the exhilaration of the moment and the knowledge that Svardak might not be quite as committed to his weird fantasy as she’d thought. But if he wasn’t, the idea that he’d already killed Marian to serve it was even more terrible. “Would you like to tell me about it?”

  “Why should I? You’re nothing.” He was putting the handcuffs back on her. “You’ll know soon enough. I’ve decided to let Kaskov see more than a photo tomorrow.” He jerked her across the room, then outside. “In the meantime, I don’t even want to be in the same house with you. Just looking at you I’d hear that hideous music.” He was dragging her toward the pine tree overlooking the abyss. “You can stay out here today and commune with Marian.” He’d already rigged a chain around the tree, to which he fastened the cuffs. “While I go through those photos and choose the best one to send Kaskov tonight. It has to be just right.”

  “It’s still daylight. Aren’t you afraid someone will see me out here?”

  “Not at all. The trees are so thick on this cliff that you couldn’t be seen from a plane. I’ve leased the lands all around here and, as you’ve seen, I have guards stationed here and also along the paths down to that canyon. No trespassers allowed.” He looked back over his shoulder with a malicious smile. “Unless I choose to permit it. Did I forget to tell you that I gave the guards a photo of Joe Quinn and told them he’d be my special guest if he stopped by to see me?”

  “Yes, you must have left that out.” Don’t let him see the shock and fear. “But you said you weren’t worried about my being seen by anyone, so I won’t worry about Joe.”

  He didn’t like that she could tell. His smile didn’t waver, but there was a flicker of impatience on his face. “Worry about him. Arrangements can always be made.”

  He disappeared into the cabin.

  Terror. Breathe deep. Look straight ahead and don’t let him see the fear. She could tell he was feeding on every sign that the torture he was inflicting was working. She allowed herself a few moments before she relaxed and sank back against the tree in case he was still watching her. She must not show weakness, or it would destroy anything she’d accomplished in establishing herself as an equal foe to him. She could take the punishment as long as it made him believe he still had a battle to win. Once he thought that she’d capitulated and was no longer worthy of him, it would become much more dangerous for her.

  And dangerous for Joe, Svardak would search for more entertaining ways to make her to come to heel, and he thought he already had one in Joe Quinn.

  For God’s sake, stay away from here, Joe.

  * * *

  “Where the hell have you been?” Joe said as he saw Jock striding across the parking lot of the Mountain Stream Diner toward his rental car. “I’ve been waiting half the day for you.”

  “Be quiet, Joe. I was busy. I decided not to stop in the middle of it.” Jock opened the car door and dropped down in the passenger seat. “I might have found her.”

  Joe tensed. “Cara? Where?”

  Jock was taking out a map from his jacket pocket. “The general area is a canyon about fifteen miles from Coal Town. Mountains all around and very rough country. The canyon sits in the middle of a mountain on one side and a cliff that curves in a half circle on the other. Svardak would need privacy if he held Marian Napier there for over a month. Not an area where hunters and climbers would be permitted.” He pointed at the canyon, and then the mountain and steep cliff shadowing the valley below. “I called Palik and had him check out real-estate transactions in the Coal Town area for the last six months. While I was waiting, I took a hike to look at the canyon myself. It was definitely a possible.”

  “What did Palik say?”

  “A six-month lease on the entire canyon and mountain area was taken out three months ago, supposedly by a Canadian real-estate company that wanted to explore setting up a tourist and spa resort. Palik said it was going to take him at least a week to dig up the true leasers because the paperwork is buried very deep.” He smiled bitterly. “He suggested my expertise might prove more effective than his to get it done. I told him that he’d have it for me tomorrow morning together with a complete map of that canyon, or I’d pay him a visit.”

  “I imagine that will make it happen,” Joe said. “But are there any other prospects we can check out in the meantime?”

  “Not ones that are nearly as likely.” He folded up the map and stuck it back in his pocket. “And how do we know the deadline I gave won’t be too late? I’m going back and do some more reconnoitering tonight. I just came back to get you.”

  “You could have told me where this canyon was located and have me meet you.”

  “I was afraid you’d do some exploring on your own. You’re almost as hungry as I am to get your hands on the son of a bitch. There are supposed to be guards watching Cara.”

  “And you want to be in control,” Joe said. “No way.”

  “I will be in control,” Jock’s said coolly. “Svardak will be in touch with Kaskov, and Kaskov will be in touch with me. He’s refused to deal with anyone but me. Which means that I could disappear and leave you out of it entirely. I didn’t choose to do that, Joe. I didn’t have to call you and tell you where to come. I did it because I thought you’d be of value. You’re good, and you’re smart. I’m a loner, but I would rather have you beside me than anyone else. I’ll listen to you, I’ll respect you. But I have to know that you won’t do anything that will ruin my play. The minute I see a sign of it, I’ll walk away from you.”

  The bastard meant it, Joe could see with frustration. “You know I won’t let you walk away from me. Did you consider that if you’re not right about the canyon, it might be too late for Cara.”

  “Yes,” he said hoarsely, “she’ll die. It will be entirely my fault and no one else’s. But that’s the way it’s been from the beginning.”

  “Bullshit. It will be Svardak’s fault. But if you want the blam
e, you’ll have to stand in line. Even Michael is thinking that he might be responsible. Which makes me want to kill Svardak even more if that’s possible. Michael’s only ten years old.”

  “Why would Michael—” Jock broke off as his cell phone rang. “Kaskov.” He pressed the access, then the speaker. “Talk to me, Kaskov.”

  “You talk to me,” Kaskov said. “I’m beginning to lose faith in you, Gavin. Have you located her?”

  “Maybe. I might be close.”

  “Which for you means that you’re very close.”

  “But I’m not sure, and I should be sure. Do I have time to verify before I go in? Why are you calling me?”

  “Because I received a photo tonight. Not in the mail, as usual, but on my computer. He’s evidently in a hurry.”

  Jock’s hand clenched on his phone. “Then I don’t have time.”

  “You might, he’s not in enough of a hurry to not twist the knife. He’s going to let me talk to Cara tomorrow night on Skype. I told you I thought he’d probably do that. He’s been waiting a long time for the opportunity.” He paused. “If you still want to monitor the Skype, you’ll have to come back here. I’m sure that Svardak thinks of me as a huge tarantula sitting in my luxurious office in Moscow. If I came to you out in the mountains, it would spoil the illusion, and he might take alarm. Seven tomorrow night.”

  “I’ll be there unless I locate her and find a way to take her before that time.” He added harshly as he had another thought, “But the asshole has had her for two days, and we’ve all agreed he’s a monster. I don’t even know if she’ll be well enough to travel.”

  “Oh, I’d be very surprised if she wasn’t able to travel,” Kaskov said dryly. “I’ll send you the photo.” He hung up.

  The next moment, Jock’s phone pinged as the photo was transmitted.

  Joe looked over Jock’s shoulder as he pulled up Cara’s photo. “Holy shit…”

  Cara was sitting in a chair in front of a fireplace. Her hair was slightly tousled, and she was wearing a red blouse that echoed the vibrance of the flames. There was a violin lying across her lap that he recognized as her Amati. Her chin was lifted and she looked more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. Beautiful … and different. There was usually a gentleness, a warmth, that illuminated her features. He didn’t see that now. She looked totally defiant and challenging as she stared up at the camera. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glittering, and she appeared ready to leap out of the chair on the attack.

  “I see what Kaskov meant,” Joe said slowly. “She doesn’t look like a victim. Svardak hasn’t done too much damage.”

  “Yes, he has,” Jock said, his expression frozen as he stared at the photo. “He’s done a hell of a lot of damage. He’s hurt her. He’s made her—” He broke off and drew a deep breath. “But you’re right, if nothing else happens to her before we get to her, she’ll be able to travel through those mountains.” He scanned the photo. “There’s a bruise on her left temple that appears fairly recent, and she probably has others that we can’t see. Her wrists seem to be chafed; he probably keeps her tied when he doesn’t want to show her off. That’s all that’s on the surface. Everything else is buried inside.”

  “Naturally, she’s under severe stress, Jock,” he said quietly. “That doesn’t mean she won’t bounce back once we get her away from him. She’s very strong.”

  “I know how strong she is.” He added jerkily, “But he’s doing something to her. No one knows better than I do how a soul can be twisted and tortured until you can’t recognize it as belonging to you. I won’t have it happen to her.”

  “He’s not Thomas Reilly, Jock. He might be a monster, but he doesn’t possess the drive and focus of your particular demon. He’s crazy, not a ruthless sociopath.”

  “Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. Sometimes it doesn’t matter. Either way, I have to keep him from touching her again.” He jammed his phone in his pocket. “Start the car, Joe. We’re heading for Lost Canyon. Svardak is giving Kaskov a brief reprieve, but we don’t how long that will last after that Skype tomorrow night. We’ve got to know everything there is to know about how to get to her and what kind of obstacles we’re going to have to face to take her away from him. Edding told his mistress there were at least half a dozen other men on Svardak’s payroll in this area, but there may be more. We’ll have to verify numbers and locations.”

  Joe said grimly, “And find out if you’re even right about Lost Canyon.” He took out his phone. “But you’ll have to wait a few minutes before we take off. I promised I’d call Eve the minute I knew anything, and I’ve already had to keep her waiting all day. I need to give her some kind of progress report that sounds hopeful if I’m going to keep her at home and not running here at top speed. Right now, it could go either way.” He started to dial. “So I’m going to tell her that we received the photo and, no matter what you think, Cara looks relatively unharmed to me. And I’m definitely not going to tell her that this trip to Lost Canyon could be a wild-goose chase.”

  “Tell her what you like,” Jock said curtly. “Your opinion. And we won’t know if it’s a wild-goose chase until you get us to Lost Canyon. So make your call, dammit.”

  LAKE COTTAGE 4:35 A.M.

  “Where are you?” Eve asked, when Joe answered his phone later that night. “I’ve been worried. You said you’d call when you got to Lost Canyon. No call. And I haven’t been able to get through to you for hours.”

  “I told you I’d be in the mountains, and I’m getting lousy cell reception. I was going to call you when I got to a clear area. I’m heading down the mountain now.” He paused. “Is everything all right?”

  “Why shouldn’t it be?” Eve asked. “I’m not the one climbing mountains in the middle of the night. Why are you doing it? Tell me it’s Cara.”

  Silence. “It could be Cara. I hate to admit that Jock may be right again, but it looks like he might.”

  Eve felt a rush of relief. “Thank God. You found her?”

  “We’re not near that far along. We split up when we got to the canyon, I took the mountainside, and he took the cliff. I’ve found signs of three recent camps being struck next to the trail leading up the mountain. Plus one cigarette butt near the last campfire together with a shoe print, size eleven. Whoever has been up here has been moving camps frequently and trying to clean up after themselves.”

  “Could Cara have been in the camp?”

  “Possibly. But there would probably have been more signs. And I found only the one shoe print. It looks more like sentries or lookouts keeping a sharp eye on the canyon for intruders. But that’s not entirely discouraging.”

  “What did Jock find?”

  “I have no idea. Before my cell cut out, he was saying that he was sure he was onto something. I guess I’ll find out when I get down.” He added grimly, “Providing he shows up where we agreed to meet. There’s no telling with Jock. If he found a lead, he might have decided to follow it and leave me trailing behind. No one could call him a team player.”

  She could tell that he was tired and frustrated. “But no one could say that he isn’t extraordinary at what he does. Give him a break, Joe.”

  “I’d like to break his neck.” He paused. “It’s probably better we’re at the opposite sides of the canyon. But don’t worry, I won’t throw him off a cliff until we find Cara.”

  “He’s probably thinking the same about you. Two alpha males should definitely give each other space.” She was silent, then said, “Or call in a referee to strike a balance.”

  “No, Eve.”

  “I agree, I’ll have to find a much more useful role to play, but I know I belong there with you. Things are starting to happen now. I won’t get in the way, but get used to the idea, Joe.” She went on quickly, “I told Michael that I was hoping that we’d get Cara back before I had to take him to drop him off with Catherine, but that was wishful thinking. I knew it when I said it. We’ll leave for Catherine’s when Michael wakes up this m
orning.”

  “Shit!”

  “I have to be there for her. You know I do. I’ve waited as long as I can.”

  Silence. “She wouldn’t want you here. She wouldn’t want you near Svardak. And I sure as hell want you to stay away from him. There’s no way I can talk you out of it?”

  “I don’t want you there either. Neither one of us is going to get what we want.” She didn’t wait for him to reply. “Make a reservation for me at the nearest hotel to Lost Canyon and text me the address. I’ll call you as soon as I know what time I’ll be arriving. I’ll probably be driving from Louisville. It’s not that far, and it will be quicker than trying to get a flight to a town somewhere near Coal Town.”

  “You know I’d rather you took all the time in the world. I’m tempted to call Catherine and try to persuade her to keep you with her.”

  “She wouldn’t do it.”

  “I know. Okay, I’ll make your reservation. I haven’t checked in anywhere yet. Jock is pushing so hard I’m not even sure he’s slept since Cara was taken. I thought I’d end up in a sleeping bag in the mountains or curled up in the car for a quick nap.”

  “And I might go along with that, but let’s try for a hotel room.” She had to end this call. She had made him worried and unhappy, and she hated it. “An occasional shower would be nice.” She paused. “I love you, Joe.”

  “Then stay home.” Then he sighed. “I love you, too. I’ll let you know if we find out anything else.” He ended the call.

  Done. She slipped her phone into the pocket of her robe and stared out at the lake. She had been wrestling with the decision since Jock had told Joe that Kaskov had given him a solid lead to where they could find Cara. Everything had been so much easier before Michael had come into their lives. It had become a balancing act to care for him yet do her duty to Jane and Cara. But in this case, she had no choice but to put Michael behind Cara. The stakes were too dangerously high.

  The decision was made. Stop brooding about it and start preparing to put it into motion. She turned and headed across the porch for the door. Pack a bag for Michael and her own duffel. Make a pot of coffee to get enough caffeine in her system to help get through a sleepless night and the journey to come.