this meant. “Then you’re saying .. . ?”
“I’m saying that somebody else wants you dead.”
“Who? Who?” She almost shouted this at him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
Faith abruptly stood and stared into the fire. The shadows of the
flames lapped against her face. When she spoke her voice was calm,
almost resigned. “Do you see your daughter much?”
“Not much. Why?”
“I thought marriage and kids could wait. And then months turned to
years and years to decades. And now this.”
“You’re not in your golden years yet.”
She looked at him. “Can you tell me I’ll be alive tomorrow, a week
from tomorrow?”
“Nobody has that guarantee. We can always go to the FBI, and now maybe
we should.”
“I can’t do that. Not after what you’ve just told me.”
He stood and gripped her shoulder. “What are you talking about?”
She moved away from him. “The FBI won’t let me bring Danny in. Either
he goes to jail or I do. When I thought he was behind trying to have
me killed, I probably would have gone back and testified. But I can’t
do that now. I can’t be part of him going to prison.”
“If there hadn’t been an attempt on your life, what were you going to
do?”
“I was going to give them an ultimatum. If they wanted my cooperation,
then Danny would have to be given immunity.”
“And if they turned you down, like they did?”
“Then Danny and I would have been long gone. Somehow.” She stared
directly at him. “I’m not going back. For a lot of reasons. Not
wanting to die being right at the top.”
“And exactly where the hell does that leave me?”
“This isn’t such a bad place, is it?” Faith said weakly.
“Are you crazy? We can’t stay here forever.”
“Then we better think of another place to run to.”
“And what about my home? My life? I do have a family. Do you expect
me to just kiss it all good-bye?”
“Whoever wants me dead will assume you know everything I do. You won’t
be safe.”
“That’s my decision, not yours.”
“I’m sorry, Lee. I never thought anyone else would be dragged into
this. Especially not someone like you.”
“There has to be another way.”
She headed for the stairs. “I’m very, very tired. And what else is
there to talk about?”
“Dammit, I can’t just walk away and start over.”
Faith was halfway up the stairs. She stopped, turned and looked down
at him.
“Do you think things will look better in the morning?” she asked.
“No,” said Lee frankly.
“Which is why there’s nothing left for us to talk about. Good
night.”
“Why do I think you made your decision not to go back a long time ago?
Like the minute you met me.”
“Lee-”
“You sucker me into going with you, pull that stupid stunt at the
airport and now I’m trapped too. Thanks a helluva lot, lady.”
“I didn’t plan it like this! You’re wrong.”
“And you really expect me to believe you?”
“What do you want me to say?”
Lee stared up at her. “Granted it’s not much, but I like my life,
Faith.”
“I’m sorry.” She fled upstairs.
CHAPTER 33
LEE GRABBED A SIX-PACK OF RED DOG from the refrigerator and slammed the
side door on his way out. He stopped at the Honda, wondering whether
he should just climb on the big machine and run until his gas, money or
sanity were gone. Then another possibility occurred to him. He could
go to the Feds alone. Turn Faith in and claim ignorance about all of
this. And he was ignorant. He hadn’t done anything wrong. And he
owed the woman nothing. In fact, she had been a source of misery,
terror and near-death experiences. Turning her in should be an easy
decision. So why the hell wasn’t it?
He went out the rear gate and onto the walkway leading past the dunes.
Lee intended to go down to the sand, watch the ocean and drink beer
until either his mind ceased to function or he came up with a brilliant
plan that would save them both. Or at least him. For some reason, he