House of Bathory(90)
Daisy scrambled to her feet, running back to Larson. “Are you OK?”
“Who is that freak?”
“That’s what I want to know. He just kidnapped that girl.”
Larson looked at her, dazed from his hard fall to the asphalt. He put his hand out, grasping her fingers.
“Look, Daisy! You are bleeding, too.”
Daisy looked at her fingers, split open from prying the license plate loose. She searched the wet asphalt as she knelt by Larson. The cell phone wasn’t there, it hadn’t been jarred loose.
“I’m OK,” Daisy said, and she smiled grimly.
It was time to call her sister. She had the GPS tracking in formation.
Chapter 75
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
DECEMBER 26, 2010
The cell phone connection was not good in the little café, one of the few still open in the early morning hours before dawn. Daisy was distracted by the echo of her own voice as she told John about the kidnapping of Lubena.
“Bathory? Daisy, are you sure it was Bathory?”
“Absolutely. A guy got shot by this weird fucker.”
John exhaled.
“Betsy never wanted to put you into danger. You chose to follow her.”
“Our destinies are intertwined.”
“Oh, horseshit, Daisy,” said John. “Stop saying that! That’s putting Betsy in a compromising position.”
“What is she saying, John?”
John shook his head at Betsy, scowling.
“We want you to stay in the pension. We want you safe.”
“Well, that’s not going to happen. I’ve got a tracer on that limo.”
“What?”
“I stuck my other cell phone—the one my dad gave me, with the GPS—behind the license plate. I’m going to track that fucker wherever he goes. And I am going to turn it over to the police. He put a man in the hospital a few hours ago.”
“No. No, you can’t do that, Daisy.”
“Why the hell not? He kidnapped a girl—”
“Because—” John looked at Betsy. “Because it will put Betsy’s mother in danger.”
“John!”
“I have to tell her.”
“Hey, tell Betsy not to worry,” said Daisy. “Tell her I already know that her mom’s been reported missing at the American Embassy. And I know she is publishing a book on Countess Bathory—”
“How did—”
“If you want the GPS information, I’ll give it to you,” said Daisy. “They’re headed north.”
“Where?” said John.
“How do I know? They’re still traveling. But if you want to know where they finally stop, and you don’t want the police involved, let me help you. I can meet up with you or I’m going by myself. I know they’re probably headed for Poprad Presov. That’s up on the border of Poland. I can fly there. Poprad Tatry airport. But there’s not another flight until the day after tomorrow. I’d get in at 2:00 in the afternoon.”
There was silence on the phone line. Then John finally spoke.
“We’ll pick you up at the airport,” he said. “We’ll make our way up north.”
Daisy smiled, her cheekbones touching the iPhone’s screen.
“See you there. Tell Betsy we’re all in this together.”
John sighed. “I don’t think that’s what she needs to hear right now.”
Chapter 76
POPRAD, SLOVAKIA
DECEMBER 26, 2010
The highway was icy and snow-blown. Huge snowplows burrowed through, plowing a path that John could follow. The storm had let up and a majestic range of mountains rose high on the horizon.
“Gorgeous,” murmured John. “Not the Rockies, but certainly beautiful. Saw-toothed.”
Betsy pressed her lips together tight, leaving them bloodless.
“Never realized they had mountains like this in Eastern Europe,” said John. “I hear the skiing is pretty good—”
“I don’t give a flying fuck about the skiing!” shouted Betsy, ex ploding.
“OK, OK! Calm down.”
They passed a red-roofed hotel, built in the spa fashion of a century ago. Steam rose from its thermal pools.
John sighed. “You know, we could—”
“You can drive a little faster now,” said Betsy, her back tensing. “It isn’t snowing that hard.”
“Daisy won’t be here until the day after tomorrow,” said John. “What’s the hurry?”
“My mother! That’s the hurry. Daisy could text coordinates to us, couldn’t she?”
John shot her a look.
“It wouldn’t make any difference, Bets. We really need to take a day to rest up. You are going to eat something, relax, and take a sleeping pill. You haven’t slept in days.”