A Face to Die For Page 2

  “After you brushed the snow job aside and let me see what I really had to do,” she said dryly. “It took me a while to forgive you for that.”

  “But you did forgive me, and I promised I’d never do it again.” Jill sat down on the bank of the creek and crossed her legs. “And I won’t, Eve.”

  “But there’s a reason why you suddenly hopped a plane to see me when Novak told you I was here?”

  “I had a few days before I have to fly to Paris to cover a conference.” She took another drink. “And I did want to see you. It’s been too long.”

  “But?”

  “It did seem to be a stroke of fate.” She smiled. “You were here, almost where I needed you, when I’d thought you were still in Atlanta. How could I not accept that we’d been brought together again for a purpose?”

  Eve made a rude noise. “You’ve been spending too much time in those musty tombs.”

  “Maybe.” Jill laughed. “But it sounded pretty good, didn’t it?”

  “Of course it did. You were always a great storyteller.”

  “And you just told me that Gila was your last reconstruction on this job.” She snapped her fingers. “Stroke of fate.”

  Eve chuckled. “You’re impossible.” Her smile faded as she searched Jill’s expression. “But you’re only half joking, aren’t you? What are you up to, Jill?”

  She didn’t speak for a moment. “I have a friend who is in trouble, and it’s a very complicated problem.” She paused. “And I need you to do the job that you do best.”

  “Forensic sculpting?” She tensed. “Why? You know DNA always rules. Get someone else, Jill. I have enough complications in my life right now. The last time I agreed to help you, it almost started a revolution.”

  “But it didn’t, and this isn’t the same thing. I promise. All I want you to do is listen to me and then let me introduce you to my friend.” She added coaxingly, “I’m not going to insist. But if you decided to do it, it will be something different for you, and you’ll be doing good for so many people.”

  “That’s what you said when I came here to reconstruct those twenty-seven schoolchildren.”

  “Did you regret it?”

  “You know I didn’t.”

  “Then listen to me.” She finished her water and got to her feet. “But not now. I can see you bracing to turn me down. I’ll give you until tomorrow to prepare yourself. Have dinner with me then. I’m going to dinner with Novak tonight. I’d have to talk to him about this anyway.”

  “You do?” Eve repeated warily. Besides being Jill’s lover, Jed Novak was CIA, and he practically ran everything to do with the Company and law enforcement in Maldara. “Why?”

  “I just want some advice.” Jill made a face. “And I haven’t seen him for over a month. He wasn’t able to get to Cairo as we planned. Juggling two careers can really suck in a relationship.”

  “Tell me about it,” Eve said. “Try juggling two continents.”

  “But you’ll have dinner with me tomorrow evening? You can always say no when I start my pitch.”

  “And I probably will.”

  “We’ll see.” She reached down and pulled Eve to her feet. “I’m going to offer you something absolutely unique. The least it will do is intrigue you. Think about that until we’re together again.” She was walking down the path toward where she’d parked her car. “And remember the good we managed to do when you gave in to me the last time.” She waved at Eve as she got into the driver’s seat. “Tomorrow!”

  Eve shook her head ruefully as she watched Jill drive down the village road toward the main highway. She probably wouldn’t be able to stop herself from thinking about those weeks with Jill she’d experienced a few years ago. Everything she had said was true: She couldn’t regret it. But Jill’s profession as a reporter led her into situations that were both dangerous and sometimes bizarre, not to mention tragic. She didn’t need that in her life right now. She and Joe were having enough trouble making their actions appear understated and totally normal so they wouldn’t attract undue attention.

  Which reminded her that it was almost time to call Joe now. She wasn’t looking forward to it. He wasn’t going to like the news that Jill was back in their lives again.

  * * *

  Jill waited until she’d reached the road to Jokan before she called Novak. “I’ve left Eve and I’m on my way to the hotel. I dropped a few teasers, but I’m holding off until tomorrow to talk to her. It doesn’t look promising.”

  “I wonder why,” he said dryly. “She’s always had excellent good sense, and you knew it was iffy.”

  “But I promised Riley I’d try to persuade Eve to at least listen to her proposition.” She added, “It might help if you volunteered to go along.”

  “I told you that I couldn’t leave Maldara right now.” He stopped a moment, then said impatiently, “Okay. Okay. I’ll try to get someone else who might fit the bill. I’ll make a few calls. There’s one person who might be interested.” He added, “But I have no intention of discussing this anymore tonight. It’s been too damn long since I saw you.”

  “That’s what I told Eve. I can’t wait. Make reservations at my hotel for dinner and give me time to change. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

  He chuckled. “It’s a deal. I’m on my way.” He ended the call.

  Jill smiled and instinctively pressed the accelerator. Time to forget everything but Novak and what she felt for him. She’d started the ball rolling today, but life was more than ancient artifacts and centuries-old tombs and she intended to explore every bit of it tonight.

  * * *

  What the hell!

  Novak frowned impatiently but then fifteen minutes later he pulled his SUV over to the side of the road and reached for his phone. Okay, he’d told Jill that he wasn’t going to let her involve him with her attempt to help her friend at the moment, but he had an idea he was already involved. At any rate, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to put it out of his mind until he found a way to strike a balance that would keep Riley and Eve as safe as possible if Jill did manage to talk Eve into listening to her.

  So get it over with and make the call. Cade could sometimes be difficult, and who knew where the hell he was right now.

  He quickly placed the call to Morgan Cade and waited for him to pick up.

  “Novak?” Cade’s voice was wary as he answered. “I haven’t heard from you since Nigeria. That was three years ago. Are you still in Maldara?”

  “Yes. Where are you now?”

  “My place outside London. But I’m leaving for Morocco tomorrow.”

  “I don’t think so. I believe you’d enjoy Azerbaijan more.”

  Silence. “I have a commitment in Morocco.”

  “They’ll wait for you. Everyone always waits for you, Cade. You’re the golden boy.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Of course you are,” he said mockingly. “One of the richest men on the planet. Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. Famous environmentalist and archaeologist. We’re all in awe of you. Tell me, who did you have to bribe to get those elephants into the UK?”

  “What do you want, Novak?” Cade asked bluntly.

  “Just thought I’d touch base. Is Jon Kirby still with you? I have such fond memories of that son of a bitch.”

  “He was only obeying my orders.” Cade repeated, “What do you want?”

  “You owe me for Nigeria.”

  “I’ll pay you when I get back from Morocco.”

  “That might not be in time. I’m not sure what’s going down there.”

  “Then you have no business trying to pull me into this.”

  “But I thought of you immediately when I was told about the magnificent artifacts just waiting for you in Azerbaijan.”

  “What artifacts?”

  “Curious? Of course you are. Jewels and vases and ancient treasures that you’d find interesting. You wouldn’t even have to locate them yourself. Your partner has already done all the initial work.”

  “Partner?”

  “I’ll explain later. I’m sure that the project will intrigue you enough so that you’ll agree it’s worth your while.”

  “I’m not intrigued yet.”

  “Then I’ll have to add the pièce de résistance.” Novak waited a moment before saying softly, “Ralph Dakar is after the artifacts, too. He’s in Azerbaijan now. You’re bound to run into him at some point in the next few weeks.”

  “Dakar?” Cade repeated. He muttered a curse. “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure. I’ve heard you’ve been searching for him. Now are you intrigued?”

  “Talk to me,” he said harshly. “I want to know every damn thing.”

  “I don’t have time. I have an engagement. I just wanted to catch you before you took off again for parts unknown. I thought you’d need time to prepare. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Cade was silent. Then he said, “You’re enjoying this.”

  “A little. Those two nights in the jungle in Nigeria were hellish. You wouldn’t give up.”

  “But I got what I wanted, and now you’ll get what you want. But not if you leave me hanging like this. I’ll walk away and head for Azerbaijan on my own.” He continued brusquely, “At least you’re going to tell me about this partner you’re wishing on me. Name?”

  “Riley Smith. She has excellent credentials, and I’ve been assured she’ll be of value to you. Have Kirby check up on her. I’m hanging up now.”

  “Go ahead. That will be enough to get me started. Call me tomorrow.” Cade cut the connection.

  Mission accomplished, Novak thought grimly as he drove back onto the road. But bringing Cade into the picture might be a mistake even if he was lethal enough to handle Dakar. He’d learned just how intense he could be in Nigeria. Still, it was too late now to step back. He could imagine Cade exploding into action the minute after he’d hung up the phone…

  * * *

  Cambry House

  Wildlife Harbor Sanctuary

  Outside London

  “Cancel Morocco, Kirby,” Cade Morgan said as he strode into the library. “We’re heading for Azerbaijan tomorrow.”

  “Why the hell?” Kirby looked up from the tiger cub he was feeding. “I thought you wanted to zero in on that merchant in the bazaar. I was looking forward to it.” He gave the tiger’s throat a last affectionate rub and got to his feet. “What’s in Azerbaijan that’s worth canceling that scumbag Hamad?”

  “Dakar.”

  Kirby whirled to face him. “Shit! How do you know?”

  “Novak. He wants payment for Nigeria.”

  “I don’t blame him. It was rough as hell. But he waited long enough.”

  “I knew it was only a matter of time. He wanted to make it worth his while.” He added grimly, “And he wanted to make sure he’d have something to dangle that would bring me into line. I wonder how long he’s known Dakar was in Azerbaijan.”

  “We can eliminate Novak. I can trace Dakar for you now that we have a general direction.”

  “No, I owe him. And he dangled not only Dakar but some exceptional artifacts that the bastard is going after.” He was suddenly grinning recklessly. “There’s nothing I’d like better than taking a prize like that away from Dakar before I cut his throat.”

  “So what do you want from me?” Kirby asked.

  “I’ve changed my mind, don’t cancel Morocco. I don’t want Hamad to be able to operate one more day either. Just get Brandwick to bring in his team to go after those poachers. Then get Lewis and the crew ready and secure the sanctuary.” He made a face. “And I want a report on a woman called Riley Smith whom Novak promises me will be just the partner I need. That’s all I’ll know about her until tomorrow morning. It would help if I knew if that artifact she’s going after is worth my while. Try to get ahead of the game. See if I can buy her out or find a way to neutralize her until I can get rid of Dakar.”

  “You don’t want much,” Kirby said sourly.

  “Stop complaining. Even Novak trusts you. He told me to have you check her out.” He glanced back at the tiger at Kirby’s feet. “And I told you not to make a house pet of that tiger. He’s getting too old for that. He’s happier outside.”

  “He’s got a couple more months. He likes it in the house. He thinks this mansion just might be worthy of him,” Kirby added slyly as he was reaching for his phone. “And at least he’s not an elephant like that baby you brought back from Nairobi…”

  * * *

  Eve’s Workshop

  Robaku

  “Jill didn’t give you even a hint what she was going to ask you to do?” Joe asked Eve impatiently after she’d finished telling him about the reporter’s visit. “You should have pinned her down.”

  “As you would have?” Eve asked. “She took me off guard. And okay, I was glad to see her again. It took me back to that time when we were fighting a common battle. I’ve always liked and respected her.”

  “When you weren’t having to make sure she didn’t cause you major trouble.”

  “I never worried about that. When she found out that I might be in danger, she always looked out for me. You saw that, Joe.”

  “Yeah,” he said grudgingly. “And I liked her, too.” He added harshly, “But I don’t like the fact she just dropped in on you at the worst possible time.”

  “It might not be the absolute worst time,” she said quietly. “I finished Gila today. My job here is over. That means I’ll have to be looking for another logical reason why I need to stay away from the U.S.”

  He muttered a low oath. “You could come here to Scotland, dammit.”

  “We discussed that and decided an occasional visit would be safe, but if I settled there with you for any length of time, it would send up a red flag. It would look like I was trying to avoid him.”

  “Well, what else are we doing? Son of a bitch!”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s killing me, too. I haven’t seen you or Michael for two months.” She leaned wearily back in her chair. “But you know as well as I do that Adam Madlock’s men have extensive dossiers on both of us. They know our past and present, and probably have psychological mock-ups that tell them which way we’ll jump. We do the wrong thing, and they’ll zero in on us.”

  He was cursing again. “Screw Madlock.”

  “I agree. Or something much worse. But we can’t do that, either. Adam Madlock has too much power. Now stop raving and let’s talk through this.”

  “We can’t talk through it. Jill didn’t give you any information we could latch on to.” Joe paused. “Sorry. I’m just afraid she’s going to spring something on you that will scare the hell out of me, and I won’t be able to do anything because I’ll be stuck here.” His voice roughened. “And I love you and miss you, and I’ve been wondering if all this is worth it.”

  “You know it is. If there’s anything in the world worth it, it’s what we’re doing. We’ve just got to stick with it. It can’t last much longer.” She drew a deep breath. “Let’s talk about something else. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Michael since I congratulated him on his soccer game a couple nights ago. How is he?”

  “Missing you, too. Doing well in his classes. Zooming on his computer with his friends back home in Atlanta. Caleb and Jane are taking him up to their house in the mountains this weekend.”

  “And how are you?”

  “Grouchy as a bear. I’ve turned into a complete workaholic.” He added thickly, “And I need you.”

  “Me, too.” She was getting teary-eyed. She had to hang up. “I’ve got to package up Gila and arrange for her to be picked up. I’ll call you tomorrow night after I talk to Jill.”

  “That’s a plan. And don’t let her talk you into anything.”

  “She promised it wouldn’t be like last time. I believe her.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of. Good night, love.”

  Eve ended the call. She sat there a moment looking at her phone. She was tempted to call him back and tell him that she was going to be on the first flight tomorrow to Edinburgh. She could be careful. She needed her family. Surely if she stayed only a week or so, it wouldn’t start any conjecture stirring in the White House.

  She would think about it.

  But right now she had to box Gila and send her to the northern province. Because the work she did was also a deeply ingrained need that was almost a passion. That was why she had chosen to come here when she and Joe had decided it would be wise to leave their lake home. It would be the natural thing for her to go back to the profession she loved so much.

  None of Madlock’s men would question that decision.

  But would they question it if she abandoned her work now as if it had no value? Yet Joe and Michael had value, too, and she desperately wanted to be with them.

  Tomorrow, she thought wearily. Think about it tomorrow. Nothing was really pushing her one way or the other.

  Jill had just been joking when she’d called her visit to Eve a stroke of fate.

  * * *

  Cambry House

  Wildlife Harbor Sanctuary

  Outside London

  Next Day

  10:40 A.M.

  “You’re not going to be able to buy Riley Smith,” Kirby said as he came into the library the next morning. “I thought we might have a chance when I found out her connection with Dan Smith. He’s her uncle, and he’s been involved in everything from artifact smuggling to confidence games in both Africa and Europe for the last twenty years.” He threw down the Riley Smith dossier on the desk in front of Cade and then dropped down in a chair across from him. “He’s been picked up but never charged in half a dozen countries. Probably because he’s smart as a whip, and he was never shy about mentioning his older brother, Professor Edmund Randolph Smith, as a character reference.”

  “Was the professor getting a cut of the loot?” Cade frowned. “No, I think I’ve heard of Edmund Smith. He’s well respected as an archaeologist. Maybe he was just a dupe? Almost every family has a black sheep…”