Middle Of Nowhere

C H A P T E R

55

"L isten up," a stranger's voice demanded over Boldt's cellular phone. He had been expecting the report from Gaynes. The ferry had slowed and was nudging toward the small but well-lighted dock at Winslow. "Badge number six five six four. Your partner, Matthews. Right?"

"I'm a lieutenant. I don't have a partner. Who is this?" Boldt said. He already had LaMoia's attention. He gestured toward the phone and pointed back into the dark of the Sound, toward the city, and LaMoia got the idea; the sergeant pulled out his own phone and made the call to Gaynes. Boldt placed his thumb over the phone's talk hole and whispered, "It could be Daffy's, it could be his."

"Got it!" LaMoia said.

Flek announced into Boldt's ear, "I've got her badge in my hand or I wouldn't know the number. Right? Even a dumb cop can figure that out. You want her alive, you come get her alone. That's the deal. And believe me, I'll know if you're alone or not. And if not, then not. No second chances. A hunter'll find her in a couple years."

Boldt pushed the phone's antenna down, held the device away from his mouth and said, "You're breaking up . . . I can't hear you. Hang on—" He disconnected the call.

While Boldt was still staring at the phone, secondguessing himself, LaMoia, with Gaynes on the line, said, "What's up?"

"I hung up on him before he could give me the drop point."

"You what!?" LaMoia hissed through his teeth loudly enough to attract attention.

The ferry gently bumped the dock and weary passengers headed toward the exits.

"Osbourne requires fifteen minutes to triangulate the call. I'm trying to buy Daphne some time."

"Or get her killed."

"I'm aware of the stakes, John."

"Jesus, Sarge, I don't know."

"Tell Gaynes that Osbourne has to kill all the towers over here, or at least effect a circuit busy on my line." He repeated strongly, "Circuit busy—not line busy. I don't want Flek thinking it's me. I want him blaming the system." As Boldt's phone rang again, he glared at his sergeant. "Now, John! Now!"

LaMoia relayed the message into his phone.

His ringing phone in hand, Boldt, already moving toward an exit, shouted back, "I'm going below decks for the interference. Handle that and hurry it up. We're out of here!"

"And make it fast!" LaMoia said into his phone. "I don't care what he says—he's got to do it. The guy is threatening to kill Matthews. No, you heard right!" He added harshly, "Now, Bobbie. Now! And if there's any way to keep my phone working, do it!"