Page 39 of Shadow of Death
“Was he the same man as the priest who was going to kill you?”
“I don’t...know. The priest—or whatever—was a guy they called Mateus. And no, he had blue eyes. I never heard him speak, so I don’t know if he had an accent. I think he was white. Oh!”
“Oh?”
“I do remember something!” she said excitedly.
“And what is that?”
“He smelled like that new stuff—there’s an up-and-coming designer who has a sports clothing line out—an aftershave, lotion, and men’s cologne. I know the scent because Vinnie got a bottle from his girlfriend and it’s really nice stuff. Yes! He smelled just like Vinnie. Oh!” She stopped speaking, staring at Amy again. “But he wasn’t Vinnie—not to worry. I mean, there is no way, and I didn’t mean to imply that. Vinnie has dark brown eyes and he’s a cool looking guy with a really mixed ethnicity—his skin is dark and his eyes are brown and it would have been almost impossible for him to have left the bar, gotten a hoodie and a van, and... Vinnie is the best guy in the world.”
“Okay, thank you. We will talk to Vinnie, of course—bearing in mind he’s the best guy in the world. He might have seen something you didn’t,” Amy explained quickly. “And you knowing that scent might prove to be important, so thank you for that, too.” Amy hesitated. “Is there anything else, anything at all that you can remember?”
Magda was thoughtful but then shook her head. She looked at Amy. “Thank you! Thank you so much for saving my life!”
“Thank you so much for being so strong and making it!” Amy told her, placing one of her cards on the bedside table. “If you think of anything—if you need anything, anything at all—call me. And don’t be afraid to get some rest. We’re going to have a guard outside your room.”
“Thank you,” Magda whispered again.
“You just get well.”
“I will. And...well, thank you for...for thinking my life was worth saving. I mean, to some people, maybe I would be a horrible person. A stripper. But let me tell you. I work with people who tip in restaurants, who are kind, who give to others... Strippers aren’t evil, no matter what those crazy people think!”
“Magda, please, don’t worry. None of us think badly of you. We just want to catch the people who are doing this.”
Amy smiled and managed to leave at last, but she hesitated in the hall, not seeing an officer or agent to watch over the room. Then her phone rang and she answered it quickly. Andy Mason was on the line.
“Amy, everything moving along all right with the young woman?”
“Hi, Andy, she’s going to be all right other than the trauma. We need to get to the club where she was working and have agents get their hands on the security tapes. She went to the bar for a soda before she headed out, and that soda was apparently spiked when she walked away from the bar for a minute to take a phone call. Also, she helped as far as whoever picked her up was white and had green eyes. She recognized his scent—a new designer scent—because the bartender uses it, but the bartender was not the guy who snatched her off the street.”
“Still might have been involved.”
“Hell, Andy, half the country could be involved in this. I haven’t spoken to Hunter yet. How did it go on the cliffs?”
“Well, you and Hunter both fired your weapons today in fatal confrontations. You can speak with the shrink one session after the other, though, of course, both were good shootings, shootings that saved the lives of the innocent. But while you’re at the hospital, a woman was shot trying to protect her kid when he was threatened. We’ve—”
“Hunter shot a woman who was trying to protect her child?” Amy interrupted incredulously.
“No, Hunter shot the man who shot the woman. My point is the woman—Peggy Johnston—is at the hospital where you are now. From what I understand, she’s a total basket case. Apparently, the entire group there was a cult convinced that the Apocalypse is coming—and that the only way to save sinners is to drink their blood or eat their flesh to help take the sins from them. The black horse’s rider carries the scales, and those who help cleanse others of their sins will be blessed in Heaven. Anyway, we’ve got the father under arrest, and Hunter is coming in with the boy. A friend of mine from children’s services is on the way. A good woman. This is a kid who is going to need help.”
“I can imagine,” Amy murmured softly.
“Before you leave—”
“Right. There is supposed to be an agent here watching over Magda.”
“Odin Thompson. On his way. He just texted he’s reached the hospital, and he’ll be tagged later by second shift. Amy, don’t worry. She won’t be left unprotected. But once Odin arrives, I want you to check with the doctor and find out how the woman who was shot on the cliffs is doing. It would be nice to tell the kid that even if his mother is a totally delusional nutcase, she’s alive and healing.”
“What will happen with these people, Andy? Can this be real? Can people really believe this?”
“Do all of them believe it? I’m thinking not. For some, it’s a plan, part of an agenda we’re not seeing yet. But we’ve seen it time and again. Peoplecanbe convinced to believe just about anything.”
“You’re right,” Amy murmured. “I’ll see the doctor. I believe I already know her.”
As she spoke, she saw a tall squarely muscled man in a dark blue suit coming her way.
“Does Odin appear as powerful as a Sherman tank?” she asked Andy softly.
