She nodded. “And took Eve. She’ll be grateful that you’re going to help us.”
His expression clouded. “I have to find her. Bonnie trusted me to take care of her.”
“We’ll find her.” She hoped she sounded confident. At the moment, she was closer to desperation. “Let’s take the eyebrows first. Were they thick, thin?”
“Thick and kinda bushy.”
“Dark, light, gray?”
“Dark … with gray stuff in them.”
“He was older?”
“Not real old. Just not young.”
This might not be easy. She hadn’t signed on for easy, she told herself in self-disgust. She’d told Joe she could do the job better than his artists, and she’d do it. “Straight across or arched?” When he didn’t answer, she looked up to see his gaze on her face. “Ben?”
“It’s going to be okay,” he said gently. “You’re going to let Bonnie close to you. She told me so.”
He was back on the subject of dreams and ghosts and drifting away from her. She smiled. “Just now?”
“No, I wasn’t sure that I should tell you. Bonnie wasn’t happy about it. She wanted there to be joy. She didn’t want it that way…”
What way? Why would there be no happiness?
Eve?
She kept her smile firmly in place in spite of the icy tension that gripped her. Ignore it. Concentrate on reality and leave the dreams to others. “It will probably be fine. Bonnie and I haven’t gotten together so far, and we’ve managed splendidly.” She looked back down at the sketch. “Straight eyebrows or arched, Ben? I’ll draw both and let you choose.”
* * *
“ARE YOU ALMOST FINISHED?”
Jane looked up to see Joe standing in the doorway. Something was wrong. She could see the tension that was electrifying him. “Yes. We’d have finished before this, but the nose was a little hard for us. Do you need me?”
“I can wait a few minutes.”
He didn’t want to disturb Ben, she guessed with relief, but he didn’t want to wait, either. It must not have been anything directly threatening to Eve, or he would not have cared who would be disturbed. “I think we’re done.” She closed her sketchbook and smiled at Ben. “But Ben was very good. He remembered everything about the man beautifully. He has a fine memory.” She made a face. “Except that this man has all the menace of Peter Pan or Santa Claus. It’s hard to believe that this guy could have clobbered you, Ben.”
“I didn’t expect it. He looked like Mr. Drury.”
She got to her feet. “You keep saying that. But when I tried to draw Mr. Drury, they didn’t look a bit alike. Thanks for helping me out, Ben. If you remember anything else, call me, and I’ll come back.”
“I won’t call you back. That’s the man.” He watched her move toward the door. “You’ll know him when you see him.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“Jane.”
She looked back over her shoulder.
Ben was staring at her, his blue eyes were shining, but his expression was troubled. “You mustn’t let it hurt you too much. It’s not the end, you know. It goes on.”
She froze. What did he mean?
Eve?
She knew she wasn’t going to ask him. His mind was full of dreams and ghosts and things that might not exist and probably wouldn’t happen. She’d have to accept all those elements as valid, and she couldn’t do that. She’d face and conquer any threat to Eve, but she wouldn’t be intimidated by this boy at the mere possibility of that danger. “I’m not going to be hurt,” she told him firmly. “Everything is going to turn out fine now that we have this sketch. You just rest now, Ben.” She smiled and followed Joe from the room.
Her smile vanished as she whirled to face him. “What’s wrong, Joe?”
“Plenty. But not anything to scare you. Venable called me, and we definitely can’t trace that phone call from Eve.”
She searched his expression. “That’s not all.”
“No,” he said curtly. “Venable’s agents have located what might be a grave deep in the woods. They’ve started to excavate it.”
“He thinks it might be Tad Dukes, the CIA agent who was watching Eve?”
“He hopes not. But there’s a good chance. Either him or the farmer he stole the truck from. I need to get out there right away.” His lips tightened. “If it is Dukes, then it might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”
“What?”
“Venable takes care of his agents. He’s not going to like the idea that he sent one to his death. I may not have to force Venable to talk.” He held out his hand. “Let me see that sketch.”