The Collector
Page 96
“It may not be immediate.”
“The least you can do after browbeating me into three bags of clothes is hold off on the engagement sex until after we celebrate.”
“You’re right. I was being selfish. Why don’t we—”
Lila grabbed her arm. “Julie, look!”
“What? Where?”
“There, up ahead. Just turning down that— Come on.”
Snagging Julie’s hand, Lila began to run.
“What? What? What?”
“It’s the woman, the HAG—Jai Maddok. I think.”
“Lila, it can’t be. Slow down.”
But Lila bolted across the cobblestones, turned the corner—caught just another glimpse. “It’s her. Take these.” She shoved the bags at Julie. “I’m going after her.”
“No, you’re not.” Julie used superior size to block Lila’s path. “First, it’s not her because how could it be? And if it is her, you’re not going after her alone.”
“I’m just going to make sure—and see where she’s going. I’m going.” Smaller, but wilier, Lila feinted, ducked and skimmed by Julie’s block.
“Oh, for God’s sake.” Hampered by a half dozen bags, Julie scrambled behind her—and dug out her phone on the run.
“Luke, I’m chasing Lila, and she thinks she’s chasing the killer. The woman. She’s too fast for me, I can’t— I don’t know where I am. Where am I? She’s running into a piazza, a big one. I’m dodging tourists. It’s . . . it’s the one with the fountain—Neptune. Luke, I’m going to lose her in a minute, she’s fast. Piazza della Signoria! I see Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus. Hurry.”
Julie did her best, racing by the fountain, but Lila had too great a lead.
Twenty-three
Lila slowed her pace, slipped behind a statue. The woman she was pursuing walked at a steady clip—with purpose. It was Jai Maddok, she was sure of it. The way the woman moved, her height, the hair, the body type. Lila came out of cover, put on her sunglasses, blended with a tour group, then broke free, closing a little more distance as her quarry moved through wide, columned arches, beyond what she knew from previous visits led to the street.
Lila knew exactly where she was.
She followed her onto the street, trying to keep what she estimated to be half a block between them. If the woman turned, looked, it would be either fight or flight. She’d decide if and when.
But Jai continued to stride, turned another corner, moved steadily down another street. And into an elegant old building.
Private residences—flats, Lila determined—and dug out her phone to key in the address. As she did, it rang.
“Where the hell are you?” Ash demanded.
“I’m standing on Via della Condotta near the Piazza della Signoria. I just saw Jai Maddok go inside a building. Apartments, I think.”
“Start back to the piazza. Now. I’m coming your way.”
“Sure. We can—” She winced as he cut her off. “Ouch,” she murmured, and after a last glance at the building, started back to the square.
She saw him coming, decided “ouch” wasn’t going to cover it. The raw, roiling fury on his face closed the distance and slapped her like a backhand.
“What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking hey, there’s the woman who wants what we have and doesn’t mind killing for it.”
He gripped her arm, began to quick-walk her back the way they’d come. “Ease off, Ashton.”
“Don’t even think about telling me to ease off. I leave you alone for one afternoon, and you go haring off after someone who tried to kill you? Or you think it’s her.”
“It was her. And the more important thing is, what’s she doing here? How did she know we’re here, because it’s not a damn coincidence.”
“No, the important thing is you taking an idiotic risk like this. What if she’d come after you again?”
“She’d have to catch me first, and I’ve already proven I’m faster. And this time, I’d take her by surprise, not the other way around. And she didn’t see me. I wanted to see where she went, and I did. I have an address. You’d have done exactly the same thing.”
“You can’t run off on your own. She’s already hurt you once. I have to be able to trust you, Lila.”
Like he was speaking to a wayward child, Lila thought, and felt her hackles rise. “It’s not a matter of trust—don’t put it like that. I saw her, saw an opportunity. I took it. And I have an address—did you hear me? I know where she is right now.”
“Did you see her face?”
“Enough of it. I’m not stupid enough to confront her directly. I saw enough of her face. Add her height, her shape, the hair, the way she moves. She followed us. We should’ve been looking over our shoulder after all.”
“Thank God!” Julie pushed from her perch at the Fountain of Neptune, rushed forward to throw her arms around Lila. Then she pulled back, gave Lila a shake. “Are you crazy?”
“No, and I’m sorry I ditched you, but I needed to keep up with her.”
“You’re not allowed to scare me like that. You’re not allowed, Lila.”
“I’m sorry. I’m fine.” But she caught Luke’s eye. “You’re pissed at me, too,” she realized, and let out a breath. “Okay, three against one, I have to bow to the majority. I’m sorry. I hate knowing I upset my three favorite people. You’re mad and upset, but can’t we put that to the side for just a minute, and call the police? I know the current whereabouts of a wanted criminal—internationally wanted.”
Saying nothing, Ash pulled out his phone. Lila started to speak, but he just paced away.
“He was out of his mind,” Luke told her. “You didn’t answer your phone, we didn’t know where you were or if you were all right.”
“I didn’t hear it. It was in my purse, and it’s noisy. I took it out to key in the address, and I answered as soon as I heard it ring. I’m sorry.”
Ash stepped back. “Give me the address.”
The minute she relayed it, he walked away again.
“Does he stay this mad for long?” she asked Luke.
“The least you can do after browbeating me into three bags of clothes is hold off on the engagement sex until after we celebrate.”
“You’re right. I was being selfish. Why don’t we—”
Lila grabbed her arm. “Julie, look!”
“What? Where?”
“There, up ahead. Just turning down that— Come on.”
Snagging Julie’s hand, Lila began to run.
“What? What? What?”
“It’s the woman, the HAG—Jai Maddok. I think.”
“Lila, it can’t be. Slow down.”
But Lila bolted across the cobblestones, turned the corner—caught just another glimpse. “It’s her. Take these.” She shoved the bags at Julie. “I’m going after her.”
“No, you’re not.” Julie used superior size to block Lila’s path. “First, it’s not her because how could it be? And if it is her, you’re not going after her alone.”
“I’m just going to make sure—and see where she’s going. I’m going.” Smaller, but wilier, Lila feinted, ducked and skimmed by Julie’s block.
“Oh, for God’s sake.” Hampered by a half dozen bags, Julie scrambled behind her—and dug out her phone on the run.
“Luke, I’m chasing Lila, and she thinks she’s chasing the killer. The woman. She’s too fast for me, I can’t— I don’t know where I am. Where am I? She’s running into a piazza, a big one. I’m dodging tourists. It’s . . . it’s the one with the fountain—Neptune. Luke, I’m going to lose her in a minute, she’s fast. Piazza della Signoria! I see Bandinelli’s Hercules and Cacus. Hurry.”
Julie did her best, racing by the fountain, but Lila had too great a lead.
Twenty-three
Lila slowed her pace, slipped behind a statue. The woman she was pursuing walked at a steady clip—with purpose. It was Jai Maddok, she was sure of it. The way the woman moved, her height, the hair, the body type. Lila came out of cover, put on her sunglasses, blended with a tour group, then broke free, closing a little more distance as her quarry moved through wide, columned arches, beyond what she knew from previous visits led to the street.
Lila knew exactly where she was.
She followed her onto the street, trying to keep what she estimated to be half a block between them. If the woman turned, looked, it would be either fight or flight. She’d decide if and when.
But Jai continued to stride, turned another corner, moved steadily down another street. And into an elegant old building.
Private residences—flats, Lila determined—and dug out her phone to key in the address. As she did, it rang.
“Where the hell are you?” Ash demanded.
“I’m standing on Via della Condotta near the Piazza della Signoria. I just saw Jai Maddok go inside a building. Apartments, I think.”
“Start back to the piazza. Now. I’m coming your way.”
“Sure. We can—” She winced as he cut her off. “Ouch,” she murmured, and after a last glance at the building, started back to the square.
She saw him coming, decided “ouch” wasn’t going to cover it. The raw, roiling fury on his face closed the distance and slapped her like a backhand.
“What the hell were you thinking?”
“I was thinking hey, there’s the woman who wants what we have and doesn’t mind killing for it.”
He gripped her arm, began to quick-walk her back the way they’d come. “Ease off, Ashton.”
“Don’t even think about telling me to ease off. I leave you alone for one afternoon, and you go haring off after someone who tried to kill you? Or you think it’s her.”
“It was her. And the more important thing is, what’s she doing here? How did she know we’re here, because it’s not a damn coincidence.”
“No, the important thing is you taking an idiotic risk like this. What if she’d come after you again?”
“She’d have to catch me first, and I’ve already proven I’m faster. And this time, I’d take her by surprise, not the other way around. And she didn’t see me. I wanted to see where she went, and I did. I have an address. You’d have done exactly the same thing.”
“You can’t run off on your own. She’s already hurt you once. I have to be able to trust you, Lila.”
Like he was speaking to a wayward child, Lila thought, and felt her hackles rise. “It’s not a matter of trust—don’t put it like that. I saw her, saw an opportunity. I took it. And I have an address—did you hear me? I know where she is right now.”
“Did you see her face?”
“Enough of it. I’m not stupid enough to confront her directly. I saw enough of her face. Add her height, her shape, the hair, the way she moves. She followed us. We should’ve been looking over our shoulder after all.”
“Thank God!” Julie pushed from her perch at the Fountain of Neptune, rushed forward to throw her arms around Lila. Then she pulled back, gave Lila a shake. “Are you crazy?”
“No, and I’m sorry I ditched you, but I needed to keep up with her.”
“You’re not allowed to scare me like that. You’re not allowed, Lila.”
“I’m sorry. I’m fine.” But she caught Luke’s eye. “You’re pissed at me, too,” she realized, and let out a breath. “Okay, three against one, I have to bow to the majority. I’m sorry. I hate knowing I upset my three favorite people. You’re mad and upset, but can’t we put that to the side for just a minute, and call the police? I know the current whereabouts of a wanted criminal—internationally wanted.”
Saying nothing, Ash pulled out his phone. Lila started to speak, but he just paced away.
“He was out of his mind,” Luke told her. “You didn’t answer your phone, we didn’t know where you were or if you were all right.”
“I didn’t hear it. It was in my purse, and it’s noisy. I took it out to key in the address, and I answered as soon as I heard it ring. I’m sorry.”
Ash stepped back. “Give me the address.”
The minute she relayed it, he walked away again.
“Does he stay this mad for long?” she asked Luke.
