Chasing the Night

Chapter 4

“I’ve scanned in Luke’s photo.” Eve looked up from her computer. “It’s good that it’s a frontal shot. It will help with the progression. But I need more than this.”

“I know. Family members. I don’t have much that you can use.” She slipped from her stool. “I’ll be right back. I left an envelope in my rental car.” She ran out of the house and down the steps. She was back in a few minutes and handed Eve a large manila envelope. “The photos are all of my husband Terry’s family. I don’t know anything about my mother’s background. I tried to trace my father, but I haven’t been able to find out anything about him. Not even his name.”

“That’s not good.”

“I tried,” she said fiercely. “I can’t help it that I was dropped into this world and everyone just walked away. It’s not my fault, and it’s not Luke’s. Work with it.”

“I will. It just makes it more difficult. What do you know about age progression?”

“Only that it’s easier if you have a battery of photos from both sides of the family. I tried to give it to you. It just wasn’t happening.”

“The reason that we like to compare the child’s photo with any available photos of family members is that there may be a resemblance to the features of a grandparent or uncle or another relative that’s stronger than to the parents. And if we had a photograph of any of them at the same age as Luke, eleven, it could help.”

“But maybe not. My husband always said Luke looked like me.”

Eve gazed at the photo of Luke on the screen. Beautiful, faintly tilted dark eyes with long eyelashes. The lips appeared close to the same shape. She couldn’t tell about the cheekbones. Luke had too much baby fat for her to be able to determine the shape.

“Well?”

“There is a strong resemblance, but we can’t be sure that it will still be noticeable at his present age. The shape of the face changes.”

“We can’t be sure of anything. But it’s something to work with.”

Eve nodded. “But this is Luke at two. When a child is born, the bones of the skull and neck are not nearly complete. The growth process doesn’t complete until a person is twenty-five or older.”

“So?”

“The proportional changes in the amount of the lower face are fundamental. Young children’s faces grow downward and forward. The forehead changes from a bulbous look to an upright and flattened appearance. The lower half of the face drifts downward and either forward or outward. The upper and lower jaws are constantly increasing in size and changing form. They become more prominent and-”

“You’re telling me all the difficulties. Can you override them?”

“I can only try.” She opened the envelope and spread the photos on the table. “Which one was your husband?”

“The man in the brown bomber jacket. He doesn’t look anything like Luke.”

“I can see that.” The man in the photo was tall, broad-shouldered, and had thinning gray hair. “He was quite a bit older than you.”

“Sixty-two, but age doesn’t matter.”

Sixty-two to Catherine’s seventeen.

“It doesn’t matter,” Catherine repeated. “Age is only a number. Venable sent me to Terry as a mentor when I first joined the CIA, and he taught me, guided me, he even saved my life once. He was very good to me. That’s the only thing that was important.”

“Your relationship is your own business. I was just surprised.”

“He was kind, we were partners, he gave me a child. Infinite riches. How could I ask for more?”

Didn’t every woman deserve a young and heady passion at least once in her life? “He has a nice face.” She went to another picture. “Who is the child?”

“Terry, at age six. The other picture is his mother, Gail. She doesn’t look like Luke either. So you may be stuck with me. I was four when that picture of me was taken in Shanghai. My mother had to furnish it for the entry papers.”

Eve picked up the photo of Catherine. It was amazingly similar to the photo on the computer screen before her. The child Catherine was thinner, her manner solemn and a little defiant, but the resemblance was unmistakable.

“Will it help?” Catherine asked.

“Yes, I think it will. I don’t know how much.” She bent forward and began to run feature programs on the photo of Luke before her. “Let me go to work.”

“I won’t bother you.” Catherine was once more gazing down at Cindy’s bones. “If I can do anything more to-”

“I’ll let you know.” Eve was staring at the lower part of Luke’s face. Such an enchanting child, full of life and mischief. Some of the magic of early childhood would fade when she added years to his picture.

Catherine had missed that magic, she thought suddenly. How she must have loved this child. She would have regretted every year that passed and cheated her of those beloved changes. Eve had had Bonnie for seven years, and she had memories of every single one. Catherine had nothing past that second birthday.

Time to get to work.

Eleven. She had to clear her mind of that wonderfully engaging two-year-old and think eleven…

It was close to five when Joe walked into the cottage. Eve had called him back and explained briefly what had occurred since he had left, and he had been royally pissed. Now she took one look at his expression and murmured to Catherine, “You said you were ready to face responsibility for your actions? Here it comes.”

Catherine sat up straighter on her stool, her gaze on Joe Quinn. “Will it upset you? I can handle him alone.”

“Indeed?” Joe asked silkily.

“It won’t upset me,” Eve said. “It will interest me.”

Catherine slipped from the stool and moved across the room to stand before Joe. “You’re angry. I had to do it, you know. I had to get Eve alone to talk to her. You had to be removed.”

“You’re damn right I’m angry. You interfered with my life and my job. You broke into my home. You somehow managed to brainwash Eve into doing your job. Get the hell out of here.”

“If that’s what you want. But Eve is going to help me. We both know she always keeps her word. And I’m helping her, too. It will be easier for her if I stay here until it’s done.” She moistened her lips. “It won’t be long. Eve says that two or three days, and she’ll have the progression completed. I won’t get in your way. I’ve brought a tent and sleeping bag. I’ll camp out in the woods until she’s finished. The minute she stops for the day, I’m out of your house and won’t come back until the morning.”

He stared at her without speaking.

“I’ve heard that she cares about you. She’s stayed with you a long time, so that must be true. I always knew that you could be the one who would get in my way. You might be able to persuade her to not help me.” She looked him in the eye. “But I don’t think you will. She hasn’t had any luck finding her own child. She has a chance to help find mine. That would have to make her feel a sort of healing. I’d think that you’d want that.” Her voice lowered. “I don’t care how you feel about me. Yes, I’m selfish and self-serving, but I’m not hurting her. Just let me stay for a little while.”

Joe didn’t speak for a moment, and his gaze never left Catherine’s face. “Eve?”

“Her son was only two when he was ripped away from her. He deserves to come home.” She paused. “And he could be alive, Joe. Maybe for once the bad guy hasn’t triumphed. She’s right, I need this.”

Joe muttered a curse and turned on his heel. “Okay, you’ve got it. Just don’t let her pull you into anything else.” He headed for the bedroom. “And you will sleep in your tent and stay out of my hair, Catherine. I won’t have you insinuating your way into my house. Once the progression is over, you’re out.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Once I know what my son looks like, I’ll be out of here and on the hunt.” She turned back to the worktable. “Thank you, Detective Quinn.”

Her only answer was the slamming of the bedroom door.

“When he cools down, I could ask him to let you sleep on the couch,” Eve offered.

Catherine shook her head. “I’m lucky that he’s being as generous as he is. I won’t push my luck.” She sat back down on her stool. “I’ve found three pieces that I think fit together.” She picked up a tiny sliver of bone. “And I believe this one may be part of the nasal area…” She looked up at Eve across the table. “Is it too early for me to ask how you’re doing on the progression?”

“Much too early.”

“May I ask about the procedure?”

Eve shrugged. “I work differently from most other forensic artists. Particularly when children are involved. I can’t just dive in and combine all the changes that happen year by year and go to the final product. I have to do a complete progression at several growth stages and gradually build them to the present age. It’s more work, and Venable’s techs would probably say it’s unnecessary. But maybe it’s because I’m not as experienced as they are. It’s necessary for me.” She met Catherine’s gaze. “So if you have any objections, voice them now, and we’ll stop.”

“No objections. Only one request.”

“What request?”

“Will you save every stage progression you do of Luke for me?” She tried to smile, but her lips were trembling. “I want to see how he grew, how he changed. It will be like having a collection of school photos of him.” Her smile faded. “School photos. Such an ordinary thing. It wouldn’t have been ordinary to me, Eve.”

“No, I can see it wouldn’t,” Eve said gently. “I’ll save them and print them out for you. I won’t be doing every year, but you’ll be able to grasp the changes.”

“Thank you.” She looked down at the bones again. “I was just curious. I’ll let you work now.”

Curious and desperately reaching out for memories of which she’d been cheated, Eve thought.

Catherine changed the subject. “You know, this Cindy puzzle is every bit as difficult as I thought it was going to be.” She grimaced as she looked back at the skull on her screen. “And I don’t think it would help if I’d worked with skulls and bones for years as you have. It’s just hit-or-miss.”

Eve nodded. “Which is why I agreed to let you try your luck. You have the same determination and motivation that I have. It’s not based on the same foundation, but the result could be identical. I hope it will be.”

Catherine was frowning, her tongue touching her upper lip as she tried another fragment of bone. “I hope so, too…”

Eve knew that Joe was not asleep when she took off her terry robe and slipped into bed.

“It’s almost two in the morning,” he said gruffly. “She’s a demanding bitch, isn’t she?”

“You know better than that.” She cuddled closer to him. She loved the feel of him. Everything about Joe was warm and strong and hard. “No one pushes me but me. I wanted to get through the first transition to age three.”

“Did you do it?”

“Yes. Actually, it was easier for me than for Catherine. She’s going to have severe eyestrain from working on Cindy tonight. But she managed to get the shards of the upper-right cheekbone in place.”

“I can’t say I feel sorry for her.”

“I know. I don’t blame you. What she did was arrogant and done with all the finesse of a bulldozer.”

“I won’t say she was without finesse. It takes a certain amount of cleverness to be able to manage all the details of pulling the right strings at the precinct not only to set up a false crime scene, but arrange for me specifically to be called in for it.”

“She’s experienced. After all, she’s CIA.”

“And if there weren’t a kid involved, you’d have kicked her out.”

“Yes. I found I couldn’t do it.”

“Because she made you bleed, then gave you a bandage of hope to soothe the wound. I told you she was clever.” He pulled her closer. “But there wasn’t any way I could take that hope away from either of you. That’s why I didn’t toss her ass in the lake.” His lips brushed her temple. “But it’s still an option I’m leaving open.”

“Me, too.” But that option was gradually fading into the shadows the more she worked with Catherine Ling. “But I think she’d swim to the surface and be back on our porch an hour later. She’s going to do anything she has to do to get her son back.” She whispered, “I have to help her, Joe. I’ll show you the photo of Luke tomorrow. I’ve never seen a sweeter, more beautiful child. So full of life. The more I work on the progression, the closer I feel to him.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

She knew what he meant. It was a valid concern. She had told Catherine that she would only do the progression, and then go back to her own work. But she was being pulled deeper into Catherine’s emotions, Catherine’s obsession.

“She only asked me to show her what Luke looks like now. That’s not so much.”

“And I’ll be right here to make sure that she doesn’t try to persuade you to do anything else.” He kissed her hard. “Don’t close me away from you. I felt like an outsider when I came in tonight and saw the two of you working together. I could almost see the bond that was meshing, forming between you. I was jealous. And it scared the hell out of me. Because I can’t fight it. I haven’t lost a child. I can sympathize, but not empathize. I’m already working my way through your feelings for Bonnie. I’m not ready to deal with another lost child, whether he’s dead or alive.”

“I’m not asking you to deal with Luke.”

“No, but it will happen if you become involved. I can’t do anything else. After all these years, you should know that by now.”

Yes, she knew it. They had been together since the week that her Bonnie was kidnapped, and he had been her salvation, pushing back the darkness. Since that nightmare period, they’d had a relationship as stormy as it was loving. At times she hadn’t been sure it would survive. “Joe, if you-”

He kissed her again, smothering the words she had been about to speak. “No, I don’t want to argue. I’ve had my say. I just want you to know how I feel.”

“Duly noted.” Her hands slid around him, and her nails bit teasingly into the back of his neck. “I like the way you feel. Emotionally…” She ran her tongue over his lower lip. “Physically.” She pushed him over and climbed on top of him. “Sexually. Oh, yes, most definitely sexually.”

He inhaled sharply as her hands moved over him. “Are you trying to distract me?”

“Hell, yes. You’re being too intense. I’m dealing with enough intensity. Am I succeeding?”

He smiled as his hands closed on her breasts. “Without a shadow of a doubt.”

Venable called Eve just after noon the following afternoon. “How is your collaboration with my pet she-wolf coming along?”

“Very well. And I don’t have time to talk to you unless you have something to contribute.” She gazed at Catherine. “Would you like to speak to Catherine?”

“No, I’d just like you to give her a message. Tell her that I kept my word. The Rakovac file should be on her e-mail.”

“Tell her yourself. You may be fond of secrets and playing people against each other, but I like things out in the open. I’m putting you on speaker.” She turned to Catherine as she pressed the button. “Venable says you have a document on your e-mail.”

Catherine tensed. “The file, Venable?”

“I told you I’d get it for you,” Venable said sourly. “And I put my ass on the line with the director to keep my word. He was having second thoughts.”

“The entire file?”

“Surveillance on Rakovac from the week that your son was taken.” He paused. “You’re not going to be pleased. I told you at the time that we had no visual confirmation on Luke. I didn’t lie to you.”

“But he had to have some contact with him. I heard him crying on that first call. Rakovac mentioned things that he did in other calls.”

“And we both know the bastard could have been stringing you along,” Venable said bluntly. “Luke could have been killed right after that first call.”

“No question. But if he wasn’t, and Luke is alive, there might be something in those surveillance records that will give me some direction.”

“Well, go damn carefully. I don’t want you blowing our relationship with him until we’re ready to pounce. You owe me that much.”

“Screw you. I don’t owe you anything.”

“I kept your son alive. I was always a presence reminding Rakovac how dangerous it would be to go too far. It had to have had an effect.”

“Maybe. Neither of us knows whether that’s true.”

“But you’re being positive. That’s what this is all about.” His voice harshened. “Look, you’ll see by the info on the last section of that file that it’s not only the Company that is working at parting ways. Rakovac is going down a path that’s dangerous for all of us. He’s left his apartment in Moscow and dropped off our radar. We’re trying to find him, too. We’re going to have to handle him very delicately until we get to a point where we can get rid of him.”

Catherine’s eyes widened. “You’re going to kill him.”

“It’s quite likely it will be necessary. If we can’t work it any other way.”

“You can’t do that. Not yet.”

“It’s not going to happen tomorrow. All I’m asking is that you keep it slow and easy and not cause us to have to move prematurely.”

Catherine drew a deep breath. “I’ll think about it. I can’t promise. I’ve waited too long.”

“Then I may have to work at slowing you down myself,” he murmured. “I’ll have to see what roadblocks I can toss in your path. I know you may not believe it, but I’m on your side, Catherine. I’ve always wanted the best for you.”

“Listen to me.” Catherine’s voice was shaking. “You’re telling me that there’s going to be an explosion between you and Rakovac, and it might be soon. I know him. If Luke is alive and has even a tiny bit of security now, that will vanish in a heartbeat the minute Rakovac breaks with Washington. I have to get him away before that happens.”

“But what if you’re the one who causes it to happen?” Venable asked softly. “If you’re clumsy, you might push Rakovac into making the break before any of us are ready. Slowly and delicately, Catherine.”

“I can’t-” She stopped. “I’ll try to not rupture your precious alliance with Rakovac before you’re ready. Hell, I may even act as a diversion. But you can’t kill Rakovac until I’ve found Luke. Do you understand? My son could be lost forever.”

“We’ve always tried to keep Luke safe for you,” he said. “Eve, you can see that the situation is very difficult. I repeat, it would be wise of you and Joe to stay out of it.” He added wearily, “No one is trying to victimize Catherine. We’re just trying to do our jobs.” He hung up.

“Slow and easy,” Catherine repeated bitterly, as Eve pressed the disconnect. “When that’s what I’ve been doing for nine years. And now he wants me to stand by while they kill Rakovac. Do you know how long I’ve wanted Rakovac dead? I would have found a way to kill him myself if I hadn’t been afraid I’d lose my link to my son. It’s not going to happen. I won’t permit it.”

“You’re upset,” Eve said quietly. “Why don’t you go out on the porch and relax for a while.”

“No.” Catherine turned back to the worktable. “I have work to do. I promised you. We have an agreement.”

“It won’t hurt to take a break. Don’t you want to read that file?”

“I’ll do it after we finish for the day.” She smiled grimly. “That phone call may have been one of the roadblocks Venable was talking about putting in my way. He knew it would upset me.”

“And slow you down.”

She nodded. “You heard more than you wanted to hear, didn’t you? You may not like secrets, but it’s sometimes safer to not be privy to them.”

Eve shook her head. “I don’t like cocoons. I’ll take honesty every time.”

Catherine stared at her for a moment. “I’m grateful, you know. Ask me anything. I’ll do it.”

Eve smiled. “I’ll think about it.”

Catherine nodded. “In the meantime, no secrets. I promise. It will be difficult for me. I’ve lived with secrets and deceptions all my life.”

“Catherine, I don’t want to invade your privacy.”

She shrugged. “It’s the only gift I can give you right now.” She turned back to the worktable. “I’m better now. My hands aren’t shaking any longer. I can go back to work.”

But Catherine was still in an emotional tailspin. She needed a major distraction. “I’m not ready yet.” Eve got up and headed for the kitchenette. “I want a cup of coffee. What about you?”

“I don’t need it.”

No, Catherine wouldn’t admit to any weakness. “But do you want it?” Eve asked.

Catherine hesitated, then slowly nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

Eve nodded as she pressed the coffee button. “Drag your stool around to my computer. I might as well go over the transitions I’ve completed while we take a break.”

Catherine’s eyes lit with eagerness. “Are you that close?”

“I have two more transitions before I reach the final stage.” She filled Catherine’s cup. “But I’m far enough along that you may find it interesting.”

“Oh, yes. I’ll definitely find it interesting.” She smiled ruefully. “I’m like a kid waiting for the gates of Disney World to open.”

Eve crossed the room and handed Catherine her coffee before sitting down on her stool. “I only hope my work isn’t as fantasy-based as Disney. I did the best I could.”

“Show me.”

“I was going to skip age three, but a lot happens in that year.” She pulled up the first transition of Luke at age three. “Do you see that the eyes are slightly more elongated and less rounded? The interorbital distance is almost established. The cranium had expanded to accommodate the growing brain. Look at the teeth. The maxilla and mandible have become larger and widened to allow room for his deciduous teeth.”

“Deciduous?”

“Baby teeth. The changes are subtle but important.”

“He already looks different. Beautiful…but different.”

“Your Luke was a baby. That doesn’t last long.”

“No.”

Eve saved the transition and brought up the second one. “Luke, age five.”

“Dear God.”

“He doesn’t have a button nose any longer, the bridge of the nose rises up and lifts some of the excess skin from the medial corners of the eyes. His chin has taken shape. His face continues to elongate, the nose lengthens. The growth pattern of the hair should have become established. I kept it fine and silky and as dark as yours. I figured that there was a good chance that would be a constant.”

“Constant?” She cleared her throat. “There doesn’t seem to be much else that’s constant in this progression. I knew in my mind that he would change, but it’s still coming as a shock.”

“Do you want me to stop? You said you wanted to see all the transitions.”

“I did. I do. But it’s not school photos. It hurts.” She swallowed. “Go ahead.”

She brought up the next progression. “One more. Luke, age eight. The forehead has become less prominent and bulbous-looking. But the principal changes involve the nose. The bridge continues to rise, and the nostril size and nose width increase a little. The forms of the lower cartilages of the nose become apparent, and the tip takes shape. He now has a mixture of permanent and baby teeth, and his mouth has widened to accept them.” She turned to Catherine. “That’s all I have right now. I’ll do one transition at age nine and the final one at eleven.”

Catherine didn’t answer, still staring at the photo on the screen.

“Catherine?”

“I’ve missed so much.”

“So has he.”

She nodded. “He won’t have any memory of me, will he?”

“Perhaps. Some memories are said to go back to the womb.”

“I don’t give a damn about all that womb business. I just want him to remember that I love him. What could he think? One moment I was there, and the next I’d just disappeared. He wouldn’t understand.” Her voice was hoarse. “Sometimes I have nightmares of Luke running in the dark searching for me. I keep calling him, but he doesn’t hear me.”

Eve could feel her own throat tighten with pain at the words. It came close to her own experience with her own loss. She’d had dreams of Bonnie, lost, frightened, when her daughter had first been taken. She would wake up sobbing, reaching out desperately for her little girl, who would never return. “I can’t tell you what Luke will remember. I only know that if you love someone enough, it goes on forever. Maybe he loved you that much, Catherine.”

Catherine didn’t answer for a moment. “Maybe. He was only two, just a baby. But maybe.” She lifted her shoulders as if shrugging off a weight. “We have to get back to work.” She stood up and took her stool back to her former position across the worktable. “When will you be finished?”

“Tomorrow, if all goes well.” She finished her coffee and set the cup on the worktable. “And I believe it’s going well. I feel as if I’m beginning to know your Luke.”

“Better than I do. He’s almost a stranger.”

“This has shaken you.” Eve asked quietly, “Do you still want me to save those progressions for you?”

“Of course. I want you to print all of them out and let me look at them and get used to each one. Yes, it hurts. But maybe it won’t after a little while. I don’t think that it will.” She looked at Eve. “I had a dream, a memory. You’re bringing that memory to life. It’s like…birth.”

“A midwife, I’m not,” Eve said. “I’m just a professional doing my job. If I do a good job, then we’ll both be happy.” She looked away from Catherine. “Now quit slacking and get to work. Actually, you’re doing a pretty good job with those bones. I couldn’t do better.”

“That’s a rare compliment. It takes concentration and patience. I’ve developed both of those qualities over the years. I told you I’d be good at this.”

“You are. Now let’s both get busy. I want to at least start this progression before Joe gets home. I want to have dinner with him. I get caught up in my work too often, and it’s not healthy for our relationship. Would you like to join us?”

Catherine shook her head. “I don’t want to intrude any more than I have already. Your Joe Quinn would not appreciate it.”

“You’re probably right. He’s not unreasonable, but he’s stubborn. Sometimes it takes time for him to come around.”

“I’ve heard a lot about him from Venable. The SEALs, the FBI, and he’s supposed to be a straight shooter. I think I could like him.” She shrugged. “If I ever got the chance…”

“I saw Catherine sitting outside her tent down by the lake,” Joe said as he came into the cottage. “She was reading something and pretty deep into it. I don’t think she even heard me drive up.”

“I’d bet she was aware of everything going on around her. She’s sharp, Joe.” Eve glanced at him. His brown hair was tousled, and there were a few dark drops on his khaki jacket. “Has the rain started? It’s supposed to be a downpour.”

“It’s only sprinkling, but the wind is up.” He took off his jacket. “I thought you’d be working late again.”

“Maybe after dinner. I wanted to spend some time with you.”

“I’m flattered,” he said. “And?”

He knew her so well. “I wanted to give Catherine time to get away by herself. She had an upsetting call from Venable today.”

“News about her son?”

“Not directly. But she was definitely distracted when you drove up. Venable e-mailed her the Rakovac surveillance file.” She went to the oven and pulled out the casserole. “Get out the rolls, will you?”

He didn’t move. “That report on Rakovac I requested came in this afternoon. He’s a very nasty customer.”

“I knew that from the moment Catherine told me about his kidnapping Luke. He would have had to be a monster. I didn’t need an official report.” She smiled at him over her shoulder. “Though I’m very interested in what you’ve found out.”

“That’s right, you believe everything Catherine tells you,” he said dryly as he got the rolls out of the bread drawer and put them on a plate. “I shouldn’t expect anything else. You’re thinking with your emotions where she’s concerned.”

“No, where Luke’s concerned.” She put the casserole on the table. “But I don’t think that she could lie to me if it was anything pertaining to her son. I’d know if it was the truth.”

“That bond again,” Joe said.

“Yes, I won’t deny it. It wouldn’t be honest, and I’m always honest with you, Joe.”

“It’s a dangerous bond, Eve.” He sat down in his chair at the table. “It doesn’t surprise me that Rakovac has been torturing Catherine for nine years. He’s slightly unhinged, and he’s become an expert at inflicting pain. He grew up in the Georgian town of Tiflis and joined the fighting against the Ossetians when he was only twelve. Not that he was into the cause itself. It was an opportunity to make contacts and pull himself out of the poverty into which he was born. He was involved in several ambushes and massacres. Some involving women and children. There’s a story about him burying a mother and four children alive because the father wouldn’t give him information. At nineteen, he went to Moscow and established himself with the mafia. He rose quickly in the underworld and bought, sold, and blackmailed himself into a position of power.” He paused. “Power is everything to him. He’s a complete megalomaniac. I can see that when Catherine came close to toppling him from the top of his mountain that he would go bonkers. He’s probably enjoyed every minute of the torment he’s put her through. Judging by his profile, he won’t ever stop.”

“Then who can blame Catherine for trying to put an end to it now.” Eve sat down and shook out her napkin. “Particularly since Luke may be caught in the middle if the CIA and Rakovac part ways.” She picked up her fork. “Venable as much as admitted that Rakovac may soon be a CIA target.”

Joe gave a low whistle. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving. But unless they manage to put him down with no advance knowledge, he could cause a hell of a lot of damage.”

“That’s what Catherine believes. She doesn’t want Luke caught in the blast.” She started to eat. “She’s trying to find some clue to Luke’s whereabouts in that file. Venable wasn’t encouraging about it.”

“And what if she does find something?” Joe asked. “What’s it going to mean to you?”

“I’ll be glad for her,” Eve said quietly. “That’s all, Joe. I’m helping her all I can with the age progression. The rest is up to her.” She smiled. “You don’t look relieved.”

“I am…for now.” He picked up his fork. “But I also know how events can change intentions. I wanted to hear you say it. I’ve been watching you weave back and forth like a cobra with a snake charmer.”

She chuckled. “You’re calling me a snake? Not complimentary. And Catherine is making no attempt to charm me.”

“I wasn’t referring to Catherine as the charmer with the power,” Joe said quietly. “It’s the boy. He’s holding you captive with a fascination far stronger than anyone else could ever have.”

She couldn’t argue. Every moment she spent working on Luke’s age progressions was drawing her close to him. She was always involved with her reconstructions, but this was different. This was like living with a child, watching him grow beneath her fingers. It was almost as if Luke were becoming her child. “I can’t help it. I don’t want to help it. I have the feeling the more I become involved with Luke, the closer I can make these progressions. There’s nothing more important right now.”

“Look, I understand.” Joe leaned toward her across the table. “I even understand Catherine Ling. But I’m damn well going to stand between you and any involvement with Luke and Catherine. I won’t have Rakovac bring you down, too.” He leaned back. “That’s all I have to say.”

“And it’s nothing that I didn’t expect to hear.” She tilted her head, studying him. “I think you’re beginning to like Catherine.”

He sighed. “Is that all you got out of my little speech? I don’t know Catherine well enough to like her. I prefer not to get to know her that well. I admire her endurance and strength and cleverness. I’m wary of her desperation and total ruthlessness where her son is concerned. That’s a mixed bag of emotions if I ever heard of one. Now may we talk about something else?”

She nodded. “By all means.” She gazed out the window as rolling thunder came from the east. “The forecast is for rain all night. Catherine would be more comfortable in here.”

“I’m sure she’s accustomed to that tent. She’s one tough cookie.”

Eve didn’t answer.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Joe pushed back his chair. “Okay, I’ll go get her out of her tent and bring her into the house.” He headed for the door. “Heat up the casserole. She might as well have dinner with us.”