Button saw Futardo, face dripping red, leaning out her window as she struggled to fire again.

The fake Jack Straw calmly picked up Kenny’s weapon, and shot her twice more through the glass.

Button tried to grab the man’s legs, but his arms wouldn’t move. He tried to shout for help, but all he managed was a bubbly grunt.

Then the fake Straw looked down at him again, aimed his weapon, and fired.

Chapter 42

42

This is Bill Rainey. You know me as Wilson Smith.”

Pike cranked the Jeep, ready to roll.

“I know who you are. Where is she?”

“I need your help.”

“Where is she?”

“You really know who I am?”

“William Allan Rainey. Her name is Rose Platt. Where is she?”

“I dunno.”

“Is she alive?”

“Yeah, I guess, but he’ll kill her.”

Rainey hiccupped, but Pike realized it was a sob. Rainey was crying.

“Don’t guess. Do you know if she’s alive?”

“Are the police on me?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck!”

“Is she alive?”

“Jesus FUCK!”

Pike gave Rainey ten seconds of silence. Rainey was coming apart, but Pike needed him to calm down and think.

“You want me to call you Bill or Wilson?”

“I don’t give a shit. Whatever. He has her.”

“What does he look like?”

“I dunno. All these years, and I’ve never seen him. We’ve been runnin’, man. He killed Rose’s old boyfriend. He got my sister, my ex-wife—Jesus, he keeps coming.”

“Why me?”

“What?”

“Why did you call me?”

Now Rainey was silent, but the silence was good. The silence meant he was thinking.

“I can’t call the police.”

“Call them.”

“I can’t. You see what these Bolivians are like? How long would I last in prison? How long would she? I call the police now, it’s killin’ both of us later.”

Pike gave him more silence, so Rainey filled it.

“You’re a mercenary, right? I’ll pay you.”

“Twelve million dollars?”

Rainey laughed.

“Who told you that, the police? Is that what they think I got?”

“Yes.”

“They’re full of shit. It was eight-point-two.”

“All right. You’ll pay me eight-point-two?”

“It’s gone. I’ll give you everything I have left. Three hundred forty-two thousand and change.”

“Don’t want it.”

“Cash. Tax free. It’s yours.”

“Don’t want it.”

Rainey fell into a deeper silence.

“I can’t do it myself. I dunno. I had to ask.”

“Why’d you kill Azzara and Eschuara?”

“Hell, you do know it all.”

“I saw you at Azzara’s. I followed you to the jet.”

“She was right about you.”

Pike wondered what he meant, but kept pressing forward.

“Why’d you kill them? They wouldn’t help?”

“They wanted me to leave. They were taking me to Mexico or some bullshit like that. I couldn’t leave without her. I love her, man.”