Kaiser smiled. “The next one will be live.”
He did not doubt her prediction.
“Do you have any idea the situation you’ve placed me in,” she said to him. “Pauline Daniels will probably never speak to me again.”
“Are they aware of my listening in on your calls?”
“They found your little device in my backyard.”
Panic surged through him as he thought about the two men sent to retrieve the equipment. Were agents waiting for them?
“Shirley, you must listen to me. There is more at stake here than your pride. The entire weight of the U.S. government has been brought to bear on me and my associates. I need allies, not more enemies. It’s long past time for me to divorce my wife. Having you here full time would be most pleasant.” He paused. “For us both, I hope.”
He had to contact Knox and deal with the situation in Virginia. That had now become even more critical than what was happening in Nova Scotia.
“You honestly think that would sway me?” she said. “A promise of marriage? I don’t need a husband, Quentin.”
“What do you need?”
“How about an answer to a question. Are you holding a woman prisoner here named Stephanie Nelle?”
He considered lying, but again decided against it. “She is part of that enemy. Sent here to destroy us. I captured her in self-defense.”
“I’m not asking you to justify it, Quentin. I simply want to know if she’s here.”
Alarm bells rang in his brain.
How would she know to ask that question?
Only one way. Someone told her. Someone in the know. If she wasn’t naked he’d be worried she was wired. Her clothing and overnight bag were not a concern either since they were in the next room, a closed door between here and there.
“Shirley, you must understand that these are extraordinary times. I did what I had to do. You would have done the same. In fact, is that not what you are doing now? Defending yourself, however you can.”
CASSIOPEIA WANTED TO ARGUE WITH EDWIN DAVIS BUT KNEW that she had to trust both his and Cotton’s instincts.
But there was still a problem.
“We need to contact Kaiser,” she said to Davis.
“I’m not sure that’s possible. What are we going to do? Call her?”
“Not us. But there’s someone who could make the call.”
She saw that he understood.
Davis found his phone and dialed.