“Jeez, I can’t believe this! I can’t believe you know who the Shepherd is and you won’t tell me!” She sounded frightened, almost pathetic.

“It’s safer this way.” He waited a couple beats, as if mulling something. “I think, for now, you should check in to a hotel. Keep a low profile. Why don’t you pack a few things in an overnight bag, then let’s get out of here.”

Chapter 44

Assessment

They didn’t speak again until their cars were parked in the lot of one of the big chain hotels on the I-88 service road.

It was nearly seven-thirty, and the late-March dusk had turned into night. The lot’s stark lights had come on, creating a visual atmosphere that was neither darkness nor daylight—perhaps what daylight might be like on a planet whose sun was a chilly blue and all the colors were faded and cold.

Kim had joined Gurney in the front seat of the Outback to discuss their “performance” and its potential impact on its presumed audience. Kim was the first to raise a practical question. “Do you think the Shepherd will swallow the bait?”

“Bottom line, yes. He may be suspicious. He’s probably the kind of person who’s suspicious of everything. But he’ll have to do something. And to do something, he’ll have to show up. In the scenario we laid out, the risk of doing nothing would be bigger than the risk of taking action. He’ll understand that. He’s a very logical guy.”

“So you think we did okay?”

“You did more than okay. You seemed very much yourself. Now, listen to me: Spend tonight in this hotel. Don’t open your door for anyone. Not under any circumstances. If anyone tries to persuade you to open the door, you get security on the phone immediately. Okay? Call me in the morning.”

“Are we ever going to be safe?”

Gurney smiled. “I think so. I’m hoping we’ll all be perfectly safe after tomorrow night.”

Kim was biting her lower lip. “What are you going to do?”

Gurney leaned back, gazing out at the parking lot’s bilious lighting. “My plan is to let the Good Shepherd step forward and hang himself. But that’s tomorrow night. Tonight the plan is to go home, go to bed, and get the sleep I haven’t gotten for two days.”

Kim nodded. “Okay.” She paused. “Well, I’d better get myself a room.” She picked up her shoulder bag, got out of the car, and went into the hotel.

After watching Kim disappear into the hotel lobby, Gurney got out of his car, walked around to the rear, lay down on his back, and reached underneath. Without much trouble, he managed to remove the GPS tracker from the bumper support. Back in his seat, he opened the device with a small screwdriver and disconnected its battery.