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Clete wondered how Bondurant had come by that information, but he knew it was pointless to ask. “Last night I talked to Dex Leopold. He’s the ramrod there now. I’ve put him on notice that she better come back to me safe and sound.”

Bondurant snuffled with scorn, then leaned across the table. “Did you believe anything that Barrie and I told you about Vanessa’s pregnancy and the baby’s so-called SIDS?”

Being the politician he was, Clete held his silence.

“If you think there’s any truth to what we told you, do you believe David will let it go now? You know him better than anyone, Clete, so what do you think? If he did in fact smother Vanessa’s baby, do you think there’s a ghost of a chance that he’s going to let her live to tell about it?”

Clete mentally debated the question, although the answer was terrifyingly simple. “What do you want?” he repeated brusquely.

“Freedom to move around without fear of being apprehended. I don’t care how you do it, get me out of hock with the FBI.”

“How do you propose I—”

“Don’t pull that shit with me. You’ll think of something, and you’ll be convincing. Tell them you were grossly misunderstood, misquoted, misled. Make something up, but make it believable. Get them off my tail. In return, you’ll get Vanessa back.”

“I’ll get her back anyway.”

“The question is whether you’ll get her back alive.”

“David wouldn’t dare go that far. I’ve put him on notice too.”

“All the more reason for us to act quickly.”

“I’ll do my own acting, thank you.”

“Okay, have it your way. But there’s one more thing you should know. Spence hasn’t mysteriously disappeared. He’s alive and well and in Washington.”

“The hell you say! I thought you killed him.”

“Well, I didn’t, although I might live just long enough to regret it. He’s back. I’ve seen his handiwork. Do you think he and David will allow the FBI boys to interrogate me? Never. They’ll try and kill me first.”

“So it’s your own skin you’re bargaining for, not Vanessa’s.”

That shot caused a glint of anger to appear in the other man’s eyes, but he kept his cool. “Spence won’t stay invisible forever. He’ll materialize. When he does, they’ll publicize it and have a good laugh at your expense. You’ll look like a doddering old fool for raising a false alarm. Yancey and the FBI will denounce you for meddling and dragging them into a farce.

“After that, who’s going to believe you when you blame David for whatever misfortune befalls Vanessa? No one. You’ll be written off as delusional and senile. David will have won on all accounts.”

“You’re lying.” Bondurant didn’t honor the accusation with a denial, merely stared at Clete with those cold blue eyes. “I told David last night why I called Yancey and got the investigation going. If Spence was still alive, he would have told me.”

“Would he? Or is he setting you up?” Bondurant leaned slightly forward again. “Cagey as you are, Clete, I’m sure you’ve cooked up a delicious plan to destroy David for killing your grandson, but your way will take time, and time is something we don’t have.”

The man was making sense, but Clete wasn’t ready to concede. “What if I don’t do as you ask?”

“Then good luck. You’re on your own.”

“I’ve been doing things on my own for a damn long time. I have a pretty good track record.”

“Then why isn’t Vanessa here with you now instead of locked away in some hospital, incommunicado, under the watch and care of David’s lap-puppy George Allan?”

It was a good question. Clete had no answer for it. Still, it was hard for him to back down. Retraction wasn’t in his nature.

“You’re bluffing. You want Vanessa safely back as much as I do. With or without my intervention, you would fight off the FBI and anybody else to storm the castle and rescue her.”

“Maybe once. Not anymore.”

“Got another girl, huh? Barrie Travis?”

Clete didn’t expect him to rise to the bait, and he didn’t. “In many ways, Vanessa is a delightful woman. But she’s selfish.”