I’d slipped past the coffee-shop window a couple of times to reassure myself the man hadn’t left. But there he was, either determined to read that paper from cover to cover, or waiting for someone.

Evelyn had expected me to pick her up twenty minutes ago. Had I been in active pursuit of a potential killer, I could be forgiven for not swinging by to grab her. But now, hiding in the shadows, I had no excuse…beyond the fact that I hadn’t ruled her out as a suspect.

If I called and said, “Hey, I’m across the road from a guy who tried to kill me,” she could tell him to sneak out and finish the job. Or come and do it herself. And that’s why I needed to phone her—to test my suspicions.

Evelyn picked up on the first ring.

“There better be a good excuse for this,” she said before I could get a word out. “I’m freezing my ass off out here.”

“You’d better get inside,” I whispered. “Find someplace warm. I—”

“What? Talk into the mouthpiece, Dee. That’s what it’s there for.”

“I’m whispering—”

“What?”

A notch higher. “I need to be quiet.”

“Oh.” A pause. “Wait, let me see if I can adjust the volume on this thing.” Pause. “There. Now, what’s going on? Is there a problem? Did you get to see Volkv?”

“No.”

“No to what? No, there’s not a problem? Or no, you didn’t see Volkv?”

I considered hanging up but, after another check of the street, I said, “Someone tried to stop me. Permanently.”

“Christ, Dee, you’ve been hanging around Jack too long. Speak in full sentences. Someone tried to—” She stopped. “Shit. Where are you?”

“Following him. He’s having coffee.”

“Good, good. How long has he been there?”

“Almost an hour.”

“He’ll be waiting to make his call, then. To report his failure. Where exactly are you?”

I gave her the name of the town and coffee shop.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-TWO

It took Evelyn twenty minutes to arrive.

“Still there?” she whispered as she crept up the alley toward me.

“I think so. I’ve done three walk-bys, but I’m afraid of being too obvious.”

“I’ll take a turn, then. What am I looking for?”

I described him. She nodded and headed for the street.

Two minutes later, as she headed back toward me, the coffee shop door opened and the man walked out. I slipped back into the shadows. As soon as Evelyn appeared at the corner, I waved her over.

“He’s—” I whispered.

“Yes, I know. Stay—”

I swung past her, slid to the end of the alley and pulled the compact from my pocket. Through it, I watched the man stride into a phone booth. He dropped his briefcase, picked up the receiver and dialed.

Evelyn appeared at my side.