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Of course he would pick up on that.  There is something I want to talk to you about, she admitted.
 But I thought maybe we could get settled in first. She saw the stubborn set to his jaw.  I m guessing
you re not so keen on that plan.
He took her by the hand and led her through the kitchen and into the great room.  Good guess. He
gestured for her to take a seat on the couch.
 How come every time we have one of these conversations, I feel like I should be in a room with a
two-way mirror and a bright light shining in my face?
 Then I ll spare you the usual interrogation tactics and get right down to it, Jack said.  Is it us?
 Is what us?
 Whatever s bothering you is it about us?
Cameron looked at him strangely.  Of course not this was probably the most incredible weekend
of my life. Why would I suddenly have a problem with us?
She saw the tension drain out of Jack s face. He took a seat on the couch next to her.  Oh. Good.
He grinned and threw his arm along the back of the couch, getting comfortable.  Me, too, you know.
The most incredible weekend part.
 But you re still not going to like what I have to say.
Glowering ensued.
 Do I get the bright light now? Cameron asked teasingly.
 I think I might skip the light and go straight to that paper clip technique we discussed earlier if you
don t start talking.
 Just promise me that you ll consider everything I have to say before you answer.
Jack looked her over with his dark, predatory eyes.  All right, he finally agreed.
Cameron tucked her knees underneath her.  I m obviously very worried about the Robards
investigation. This is a strain on me, on you, and it puts everyone I know at risk. I know your team is
doing all they can, but nobody s come up with anything so far.
She could tell from the way Jack s jaw twitched that he didn t like being reminded of this.
 I hate that the ball is all in this asshole s court, and that I pretty much just have to sit here and
wonder if he s going to come after me again.
Cameron could tell from Jack s expression that he liked being reminded of that even less.
 But maybe there s a way we can control the situation, she said.
 How do you propose we do that? Jack asked.
 That s what I was thinking about in the car. And I might ve come up with something. We figured
out that there s a leak perhaps we can use that to our advantage. We know that the killer knew how
to avoid the hotel cameras. But what if we spread the word that you guys have identified a guest who
was using a camcorder in the Peninsula that evening maybe for a vacation or a bachelor party,
something like that. You let it be known that this guest caught on tape a man wearing a gray hooded T-
shirt, blazer, and jeans, exiting the hotel shortly after Mandy s murder. You say that the FBI crime lab
is trying to enhance the tape to come up with an image of the guy s face, and that you re hopeful you ll
be able to identify him soon. Hopefully word will spread to the right person.
Jack got up from the couch. Odd that she d ever found him hard to read because right then she had
absolutely no problem seeing how much he disliked this idea.
 You know as well as I do that a man exiting the hotel wearing a gray hooded T-shirt around the
time of the murder means nothing by itself, Jack said.  You are the one who can tie that person to the
murder. The only one. And the killer knows that. So what you re really suggesting is that we give
Mandy Robards s murderer extra incentive to get you out of the picture.
 I m suggesting we motivate the murderer to make a move that we will be prepared for.
 Cut the crap you want me to use you as bait. You want me to provoke this guy into attacking you
again.
 I think it s an option we need to think about, yes.
 No.
 You said you would consider everything before you answered.
 It s been considered. Jack stared her right in the eyes.  And I will spend the next twenty years
sleeping on your floor before I ever willingly put you in danger.
Hearing that, Cameron got up from the couch and walked over.  After this weekend, I probably
wouldn t make you sleep on the floor, you know.
But Jack wasn t in the mood for teasing. He moved away from her, over by the window.  I m
serious about this, Cameron.
 With you covering me, and a team of FBI agents who we d set up in advance, don t you think I d
be safe? If you came to me as a prosecutor, this is exactly the type of operation I d approve.
Particularly with such a high-profile crime.
 If I came to you as a prosecutor, you would ask me about the risks. And I would tell you that no
one, including me, can ever guarantee safety in an operation like this. I can take those risks with other
people. But not with you.
His words hung in the air between them. Cameron finally spoke first.
 I agreed that you re in charge. So if you don t think this is a good idea, I ll drop it. For now, she
added. She knew he wanted to be all moody and broody right then, but too bad she wasn t going to
let him.  I can t promise I won t bring this up again in the future, though. I can be kind of fussy about
these things when I want to be.
She caught the glimmer of amusement in Jack s eyes.
 When did you ever actually agree that I was in charge? he asked.  I think I missed that.
 It was more of an implied consent. I didn t reject the concept the two times you brought it up.
He shook his head.  You are such a lawyer. He looked out the window and sighed.  I do think it s
a good idea, Cameron. And I want this to be over just as much as you do. He turned back to the
window, gazing out as he thought things through. He ran his hand over his mouth.  I don t know,
maybe if we could find a look-alike . . . some female agent who looks like you, who I could station in
this house in your place . . .
He turned around.  Maybe if  He stopped suddenly, presumably seeing the look on her face.
 What? What s wrong?
It was the thing he d done right then. When he d run his hand over his mouth.
It struck Cameron the piece she d been missing all this time about the night of Mandy Robards s
murder. There d been something in that moment when she d seen the killer through the peephole as
he d left Mandy s room, something she d never been able to put her finger on.
It was the way his blazer had pulled tight across his shoulders as he d reached forward to push
open the stairwell door. There d been a faint imprint underneath his blazer, the same kind she d just
seen underneath Jack s blazer when he had reached up to rub his mouth.
Cameron stared at Jack in surprise.
 I don t know if this means anything . . . but I m pretty sure the guy who killed Mandy Robards was
wearing a gun the night he strangled her.
Twenty-seven
IT TOOK JACK a moment to process what Cameron had just said.
 A gun? What makes you think that? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]