“That’s interesting,” James said when Nelda left them. “Eat, Sally. That’s right. You’re perfect, but I’d be worried for you in a strong wind.”
“I used to run every day,” she said. “I used to be strong.”
“You will be again. Just stick with me.”
“I can’t imagine running in Los Angeles. All I ever see is pictures of horrible fog and cars stacked up on the freeways.”
“I live in a canyon. It’s got healthy air and I run there as well.”
“Somehow I can’t imagine you living in Southern California. You just don’t seem the type. Does your ex-wife still live there?”
“No, Teresa is back east. She married a crook, interestingly enough. I hope she doesn’t have kids with the guy. Their genetic potential is hair-raising.”
She laughed, actually laughed. It felt as wonderful to her as it felt to James hearing it.
“You have any idea how beautiful you are, Sally?”
Her fork stilled over the meat loaf. “You’re into crazy freaks?”
“If you ever say anything like that again, you’ll piss me off. When I get pissed off I do strange things, like take off all my clothes and chase ducks in the park.” The tension fell away from her. He had no idea why he’d told her she was beautiful; it had just slipped out. Actually, she was more than beautiful-she was warm and caring, even while she was living this nightmare. He wished he knew what to do.
“You said you didn’t remember about that night your father was killed. Do you have other gaps in your memory?”
“Yes. Sometimes when I think about that place, very sharp memories will come to me, but I couldn’t swear if they are truly memories or just weird images stewed up by my brain. I remember everything very clearly until about six months ago.”
“What happened six months ago?”
“That’s when everything went dim.”
“What happened six months ago?”
“Senator Bainbridge retired suddenly, and I was out of a job. I remember that I was going to interview with Senator Irwin, but I never got to his office.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. I remember it was a sunny day. I was singing. The top was down on my Mustang. The air was sharp and warm.” She paused, frowning, then shrugged. “I always sang when the top was down. I don’t remember anything else, but I know I never saw Senator Irwin.”
She said nothing more. She was eating her meat loaf. She probably didn’t realize she was eating, but he wanted her to keep at it. He guessed he wanted her to eat more than he wanted her to talk. At least for now. What the hell had happened?
James paid their bill and walked outside while Sally went to the women’s room. He wondered how he was going to keep his hands off her when they got back to his tower bedroom.
12
HE HEARD A whisper of sound that didn’t belong in that small narrow space beside the Hinterlands. He turned around, wondering if Sally had come out of the cafe without his seeing her. That was when he heard it again. There it was, just a whisper of sound. He pivoted quickly on his heel, his hand inside his jacket on the butt of his German SIG-sauer, a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol that fit his hand and his personality perfectly. He was at one with that pistol, as he’d never been with any other before in his professional life. He was pulling it out, smooth and quick, but still, he was too late. The blow struck him just over his left ear. He went down without a sound.
“James?” Sally stuck her head out the door of the cafe. There was no one around. She waved to Nelda, then turned back. Where was James? She frowned and stepped down. She heard a whisper of sound that didn’t seem like it belonged. She wheeled about to look in that sliver of space beside the building.
What she saw was James lying on his side on the ground, a trickle of blood trailing down his cheek toward his chin. She yelled his name and skidded onto her knees beside him, snaking him, then drawing back. She sucked in her breath. Gently she laid her fingers on the pulse in his throat. It was strong and slow. Thank God, he was all right. What was going on here? But then she knew.