The Perfect Witness by Iris Johansen
“They cared about you.”
“I know that. They said we were a family. Do you know what that meant to me? I’d never had a family. Not really. You may have persuaded them to take me into their home, but they did much more.” She drew a ragged breath. “And now it’s payback time. I have to give back. They wanted the man who killed their son to be given his just punishment? Okay, I’ll do it. I don’t care about your ledger or your fine Devanez family. As far as I’m concerned, it’s all about Lee and Natalie. How convenient that I suddenly have a reason to give you what you want from me.”
“Not fair, Allie.”
“I guess not.” She looked down at the computer. “I’m trying, but I’m not going to be able to shed the suspicion and wariness overnight. I know I’m going to have to work with you now. But my only protection against you seemed to be Lee and Natalie and the defensiveness that I’d developed.” She pointed to the jungle area outside Dar es Salaam. “I don’t know anything about jungles. I’ll need to know about them, won’t I? Why didn’t you teach me?”
“I couldn’t teach you everything.” He smiled faintly. “As you pointed out to me, you had a life to live. You did very well with what I did throw at you.”
“I haven’t done any physical training for two months. I need to do that.”
“My last report said that you were very competent.”
“I want to be more than competent. I can’t fail because I’m not prepared for Praland.”
“It may not come down to that kind of battle, Allie.”
“And it might. You need to work with me every day while we have the chance,” she said fiercely. “I don’t know anything about this bastard you’re throwing at me. I’m feeling helpless. I’m not going to stay that way. I thought I was preparing myself for Camano. Now this Praland has to come first.”
“And you made the decision.”
“No, I didn’t. Lee and Natalie made the decision. They wanted to have him brought down. It’s the last gift I can give them. But I have to be ready.”
“Easy. I’ll work with you. We just may not have much time.”
“It will have to be enough.” Her gaze shifted to look out the window. “And who are we supposed to be meeting in London? You were entirely too vague.”
“Sorry. It’s a habit I’ve had to cultivate over the years. Most of the family prefer not to be identified or even placed at a given location. I generally try to accommodate them.”
“Family? Devanez?”
“Yes. My family,” he said quietly. “And they mean as much to me as Lee and Natalie did to you.”
“Do they?” She frowned thoughtfully. “I’ve been thinking of the Devanez clan as some kind of extensive…” She didn’t know what words to use. “It sounds as if they’re pulling strings and trying to manipulate the world to suit themselves. That’s not how I think of family.”
“A family is made up of individuals. They are what they are. The Devanezes just have a different set of challenges.”
“And which Devanez member am I going to have to meet in London?” she asked warily.
“A very important one. Renata Wilger is booked at the Windsor Hotel. She’s been very anxious to meet you for a number of years. I’ve been holding her at bay from coming to Flagstaff and trying to take you away from me.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s the Keeper of the Ledger. I told you there’s always a family member in charge of the gathering of information and keeping records. In this case, she pretty well runs both the operation and the family. Renata Wilger was chosen when she was only a teenager, and she was in charge of it when Praland stole it. She’s been frantic to get it back. She feels that everything Praland has done since he took it is her responsibility.”
“The Keeper of the Ledger. It sounds like some kind of fantasy movie like Lord of the Rings.” She made a face. “And I’m not liking the idea of this Renata Wilger wanting to hijack me. I can see why you’d claim the Devanezes as your family. The family traits are beginning to emerge.”
“Give us a chance. We might grow on you.”
“I doubt that. But I have to give you a chance. I’ve been backed into a corner. I have no choice.”
“No, you don’t.” His lips tightened. “But I’ll make it up to you. I’ll keep my promise, Allie.”
She didn’t reply.
He muttered a curse. “And I’ll find a way to keep you safe.” The words were vibrating with power, and his entire body was taut, every muscle corded and sparking with intensity. She could feel that vibration in her wrists, in the palms of her hands, in the swelling of her breasts. She had to force herself to look away from him.
He sounded as if he meant what he said, but she couldn’t count on anyone but herself. He’d made it clear he was loyal to the Devanez family, and his whole concentration and effort had been to bring her to this point to help them. She was as alone as she’d always been before Lee and Natalie.
Her gaze returned to the map. “Do you have a floor plan for this palace?”
“Yes.” He took out his phone. “I’ll send it to your e-mail. I bribed a servant to get it for me when I was trying to free Simon. I’d even had him dig a tunnel from the outer wall to the dungeon.” He added bitterly, “But I never got a chance to use it. Praland had Simon on display in the courtyard when I heard his screams.” He was sending the e-mail. “It should still be pretty much the same.”
“Good. We have a long time before we get to London. I want to memorize it.” She opened the document and studied the palace. “It’s pretty spread out, isn’t it? That’s okay. I’ll still be able to do it. Concentration. Isn’t that what you always told me when you were teaching me to block? You’ve got to concentrate, Allie.”
“That’s what I told you.” He leaned back in his chair, his gaze on her face. “And you always gave me what I wanted. Well, maybe not what I wanted. But what was good for you at the time.”
She had a fleeting memory of those hours of emotion, sensuality, and desperation. She quickly veered away. Don’t think of the way she’d felt about him during those months. He had meant too much to her at the time, but she had managed to walk away to a new life.
Now that life, too, was over. She had to do what was needed, then walk away again.
She could feel his gaze on her face.
Ignore him. Ignore what she was feeling. Think of this palace on the screen before her and the monster who inhabited it.
Or that woman, Renata Wilger, who was waiting for her in London to try to force her to give the Devanez family what it needed.
She could imagine the toughness and hardness of a woman who had been chosen as Keeper of the Ledger. But she wouldn’t be intimidated by her. She had only one focus, and that was the funeral. After that, she’d worry about the ledger and what it meant to Praland’s targets and those poor children he was holding captive.
Screw Renata Wilger.
CHAPTER NINE
“OH, FOR GOD’S SAKE, MANDAK. She’s not much more than a child,” Renata Wilger said in disgust, as her gaze raked Allie’s face. “And she’s pale and fragile as a ghost. You told me you’d been training her.”
“Back off, Renata,” Mandak said quietly. “She’s no child, and she’s had a hell of a lot to deal with lately.”
“Including rudeness from a woman I don’t know and have no intention of getting to know,” Allie said coldly. In spite of Renata’s rudeness, her appearance didn’t reflect the hardness Allie had expected. Renata Wilger was small, red-haired, slim, and in her late twenties or early thirties. She seemed to radiate passion and force that was sweeping in intensity. Allie found herself having to brace against that intensity. “And I don’t give a damn about your precious ledger. I have my own agenda. I’ll do what Lee and Natalie would want me to do, then I’m gone.”
Renata Wilger’s brows rose. “She might do after all,” she said slowly. “At least, she’s not a wimp. But I still think you should have turned her over to me in the
“I would have cut my throat,” Allie said with precision. “It was bad enough having Mandak hovering over me.” She turned to leave the hotel room. “Now I’ll wait in the lobby and let you talk about me.”
“Wait.” Renata Wilger hesitated. “Okay, I was rude. I suppose I should apologize. But I’ve been waiting for a long time, and you’re not what I expected. You look … soft. Praland is probably going to be able to chew you up and spit you out.” Her lips thinned. “And that means the killing goes on, and so will the kidnapping of those kids.”
The hideous thought of the condition of those children rescued from the bordellos that Mandak had told her about caused Allie’s anger to ebb. “I’m not soft. And no one is going to chew me up and spit me out.”
“I’ll vouch for that,” Mandak said dryly.
“Maybe not.” Renata gestured to a chair. “Sit down, Allie. We have to talk.”
“No, we don’t.”
“Did I shoot myself in the foot, Mandak?” Renata asked ruefully.
“Probably. But she’ll listen if you can convince her that it’s to her advantage.”
“It is to your advantage,” she said to Allie. “I originally set up this meeting because I wanted to have a look at you, but we seem to have another problem.” She glanced at Mandak. “I just got a report from Paris. We think Praland managed to break the tracking code on your phone sometime within the last two months.”
Mandak went still. “Shit.”
“You know he’s been trying for years, but our techs say they think he was able to hit the right tower last month. He may have been able to track you to Flagstaff.”
Mandak muttered a curse. “Then why the hell didn’t he come after me? It’s what he’s been wanting for years. He’s been threatening me every time he’s phoned me with one of his damn updates.”
“That’s what we’ve been wanting to know,” Renata said grimly. “Why wait? Why not send in one of his death squads?”
“I can’t figure it out,” Mandak said slowly. “Of course, he wouldn’t find it as easy operating in the U.S. as it is on his home turf. He avoids it whenever he can. But Praland is nothing if not determined, and he can be tricky as hell. So the question is, how did he plan on taking me out?”
Allie was gazing at both of them in frustration. “What is this all about?”
“Didn’t Mandak tell you?” Renata asked. “Praland wasn’t pleased about Mandak’s getting close enough to do that mercy killing on Simon. He believed he’d been humiliated. He put a bounty on Mandak’s head. And every year that Mandak survived, the bounty has gone up. How high is it now, Mandak?”
He shrugged. “That’s not important. It hasn’t gotten in the way of my work.”
“No, he didn’t tell me,” Allie said. “But he did say that he wanted our presence in Tanzania to be kept quiet. I didn’t realize what the urgency was about.”
“It would have been urgent regardless,” Mandak said. “But I thought that if I was spotted in Dar es Salaam, the fact that I had you with me would send up a red flag. Praland would start asking questions about you.” He met her eyes. “And he moves in the kinds of circles where he would get the answers.”
“You mean he’d find out that I’m a possible threat to him?” she asked curtly. “But then that was only a matter of time, right?”
“I was hoping for the element of surprise.”
“But not expecting it. You always thought I might be a target.”
“Do you expect me to deny it? Yes, I always thought that might happen.” He turned to Renata. “So have you been searching for answers? You’ve obviously been privy to this information longer than I have.”
“Not much longer,” Renata said. “I got word right after you left Las Vegas. I wish I’d heard before everything blew up, and the Walbergs were killed.” She turned to Allie. “I’m sorry for your loss. They were fine people.”
“Yes, they were. Exceptional people. And they didn’t deserve to die.”
“We’re all agreed on that.” Renata turned back to Mandak. “I have another coded phone ready for you. Get rid of the one you have. When was the last time you used it?”
“Only a few local calls that last day in Las Vegas. And a call to Dantlow. Sean set up the transport of the ashes and our own flight, so that shouldn’t have been traced. I was in Las Vegas for days, and no one tried to hit me. Again, why not?” His voice was tense. “And those days probably put Sean Donavel in major jeopardy.”
“I’ve already pulled him out of Las Vegas,” Renata said. “The moment I got confirmation that your phone had been accessed, I called him personally and told him that he was to leave Las Vegas and go to Monte Carlo.” She made a face. “He had no quarrel with that reassignment.”
“I imagine that’s true,” Mandak said dryly. “As long as he was kept in his comfort zone. Anything else?”
She shook her head. “I’ve just been trying to put all the pieces together and fill in some very intriguing blanks.” She looked him directly in the eye. “But you’re very, very smart, Mandak. Perhaps the most intelligent and innovative man in the Devanez group. I’m sure you’re going to try to do the same thing as I am once I leave you to it. Suppose we meet here for dinner and discuss what we’ve come up with?” She opened the door for them and handed a key to Mandak. “I’ve taken a room for you two doors down. I’ll order dinner for seven. That should give us a chance to explore a few possibilities.” She turned to Allie. “I probably handled you all wrong, but this new threat to Mandak has me ready to explode. Do you know what kind of risk he runs whenever he goes out on one of his searches? If the family member he’s trying to help is a name in that book, there’s every chance that Praland’s men might be there, too. Praland has owned that book for the past eight years.”
Allie’s gaze was on the other woman’s face. “And it’s driving you crazy. Mandak tried to explain that to me. But I didn’t realize how extensive your involvement went.”
“Everything that happens to do with that book is my responsibility. And Mandak has been like a brother to me all these years. It kills me to think of Praland going after him. What Praland did to Simon would be child’s play compared to the torture he’d hand out to Mandak if he ever caught him.”
“That’s not going to happen, Renata,” Mandak said quietly.
“No, it’s not. Because we’re not going to let it.” She gestured impatiently with her hand. “And you don’t understand any of it, Allie. All you know is that you’ve been caught in the middle and can’t get out.”
“I can get out,” Allie said. “All I have to do is walk away. Lee and Natalie might have wanted me to do that. But that’s not an option for me any longer. I have to give them what they wanted for their Simon.” She went past Renata and out into the hall. “That’s all I can concentrate on right now. You do what you have to do to protect each other and your wonderful ledger. All I ask is that you get me in a position where I can try to read Praland, then get me out. After that, it’s up to Mandak.” She glanced at him. “Knowing you, I don’t believe Praland will last long once he doesn’t have the protection of that book.”
“Only a heartbeat,” Renata called grimly as she closed the door. “Count on it.”
“Less.” Mandak had caught up with Allie and was unlocking the hotel-room door. “I’ve been waiting a long time.” He pushed open the door and stepped aside for Allie to enter. “And I have a long, bloody list with Praland’s name on it.”
“And one of them is Simon Walberg. That name belongs to me, too.” She went to the window and looked down at the street below. It was a gray day, but there was bustle and life on those streets. London. She hadn’t paid much attention on the drive from the airport, but she was remotely aware that the city had a distinct flavor. “Lee used to get some of his first editions at a bookstore on Hanover Street. He’d get so excited when they came by UPS. I remember the stamps…” She looked over her shoulder as she heard him pick up the house p
“Just calling room service to send up coffee and sandwiches. You didn’t eat anything on the plane.” He spoke briefly into the phone, then hung up. “Why don’t you go into the bedroom and rest? The coffee should be here soon.”
“I’ll just go to the bathroom and splash some water on my face.” She moved toward the bathroom door. “I feel gritty. And I need to clear my head after dealing with your Renata Wilger.”
“She’s not mine. She’s purely her own person. What did you think of her?”
“At first, I wanted to sock her.”
“And then?”
“And then I began to see that she was very human. I still wanted to sock her, but I could see where she was coming from.” She paused at the bathroom door. “She appears to be a cross between a high-powered CEO and an FBI special agent.”
He smiled. “Funny you should say that. Renata’s cousin, Marc, raised her and trained her as Keeper and he was a special agent with Israeli intelligence.”
“It shows.” She paused. “I expected her to be tough, and she is. I didn’t expect her to be so … intense. She really cares about you.”
“We’re family,” he said simply as he dropped down in the chair beside the desk. “It’s goes with the territory. I believe you’ve come to realize that. Now go and splash your face and try to get Renata out of your mind. It probably won’t be possible. She tends to dominate.”
“She doesn’t dominate you.”
He smiled. “Sure she does. Didn’t you hear her tell me to put my thinking cap on and figure out what Praland’s up to? I have every intention of doing just that while I’m waiting for room service to come knocking.”
“Really?” Her brows lifted. “I know Renata seems to have a good deal of faith in you, but you’re not allowing yourself much time.”
“I’ve already started.” His smile faded. “In fact, I’m halfway there. I’ve just got to get the possibilities in line.”
And the possibilities evidently were not pleasant. Allie could sense the edge, the sharpness, beneath that expression. “Whatever. That’s between you and Renata. I’ve told you my focus.” She went into the bathroom and closed the door.