The sentry

42

This is Bill Rainey. You know me as Wilson Smith."

Pike cranked the Jeep, ready to roll.

"I know who you are. Where is she?"

"I need your help."

"Where is she?"

"You really know who I am?"

"William Allan Rainey. Her name is Rose Platt. Where is she?"

"I dunno."

"Is she alive?"

"Yeah, I guess, but he'll kill her."

Rainey hiccupped, but Pike realized it was a sob. Rainey was crying.

"Don't guess. Do you know if she's alive?"

"Are the police on me?"

"Yes."

"Fuck!"

"Is she alive?"

"Jesus FUCK!"

Pike gave Rainey ten seconds of silence. Rainey was coming apart, but Pike needed him to calm down and think.

"You want me to call you Bill or Wilson?"

"I don't give a shit. Whatever. He has her."

"What does he look like?"

"I dunno. All these years, and I've never seen him. We've been runnin', man. He killed Rose's old boyfriend. He got my sister, my ex-wife-Jesus, he keeps coming."

"Why me?"

"What?"

"Why did you call me?"

Now Rainey was silent, but the silence was good. The silence meant he was thinking.

"I can't call the police."

"Call them."

"I can't. You see what these Bolivians are like? How long would I last in prison? How long would she? I call the police now, it's killin' both of us later."

Pike gave him more silence, so Rainey filled it.

"You're a mercenary, right? I'll pay you."

"Twelve million dollars?"

Rainey laughed.

"Who told you that, the police? Is that what they think I got?"

"Yes."

"They're full of shit. It was eight-point-two."

"All right. You'll pay me eight-point-two?"

"It's gone. I'll give you everything I have left. Three hundred forty-two thousand and change."

"Don't want it."

"Cash. Tax free. It's yours."

"Don't want it."

Rainey fell into a deeper silence.

"I can't do it myself. I dunno. I had to ask."

"Why'd you kill Azzara and Eschuara?"

"Hell, you do know it all."

"I saw you at Azzara's. I followed you to the jet."

"She was right about you."

Pike wondered what he meant, but kept pressing forward.

"Why'd you kill them? They wouldn't help?"

"They wanted me to leave. They were taking me to Mexico or some bullshit like that. I couldn't leave without her. I love her, man."

Pike took a slow breath. Rainey was calm and controlled now, comfortable with the talking, so Pike asked again.

"Do you know for sure that she is alive?"

"She was alive as of, lessee, sixteen minutes ago. That's when she left the last message."

Pike checked the time. It was 4:22 P.M.

"She's leaving messages?"

"I guess he doesn't want me to know what he sounds like. I don't answer the damned phone, man. I'm scared to. This is the only way I can stall him. He doesn't know if I'm getting the messages or not. But I gotta call soon-"

"Why?"

"She said I gotta call at six. He must be gettin' pissed off, not being able to reach me. I don't call at six, she says he'll kill her."

One hour, thirty-eight minutes away.

"If you call at six, what will happen?"

"He'll probably tell me what he wants."

Pike went through the call he received when Dru pretended she was talking to Rainey. She had begged Rainey to give up the money.

"He wants the money."

"He'll say he wants it, but that's bullshit. The Bolivians want us dead. That's all they care about."

Pike checked the time. One hour, thirty-seven minutes away.

"How many messages has she left?"

"Three. She's called three times."

"You have them?"

"Yeah."

Pike wanted to hear her voice.

"Where are you?"

"Ah, right now? I'm in Hollywood. I'm behind a restaurant here, what is it, Musso and Frank?"

Pike thought he understood how the killer would play it, and began to develop a plan. He calced the drive time between where he was now and where he wanted to be, then told William Allan Rainey where to meet him at exactly 5:30. This would give Pike time to pick up a few things and call Elvis Cole. When they moved, they would have to move fast. They had to be ready.

Rainey said, "You're gonna help?"

"Yes."

"What are you going to do?"

"Sell you."