Page 8 (1/2)
FOURTEEN
COPENHAGEN
12:15 PM
DOMINICK SABRE KNEW THAT THE NEXT HOUR WOULD BE critical He’d already watched on the Copenhagen television stations as the shooting at Kronborg Slot was reported Which meant Malone and his ex-ere now on the move He’d finally heard frolad he’d followed orders
He checked his watch, then stepped from the front parlor to the back bedrooed to take the boy at school, using official credentials and tough talk, all supposedly in the naovernment Within two hours they’d left Atlanta on a charter flight Pam Malone was approached while they were en route and told precisely what to do All reports painted her as a difficult wo to her son had ensured that she’d do exactly what they wanted
He opened the bedroom door and crafted a smile on his face "Wanted to let you know that we heard from your dad"
The boy was perched by thereading a book Yesterday he’d asked for several voluhtened at the news about his father "He okay?"
"Doing fine And he was grateful we had you with us Your mom is with him, too"
"Moht her over"
"That’s a first She’s never been here" The boy paused "Her andabout Malone’s"Why’s that?"
"Divorce They haven’t lived together in a long time"
"That hard on you?"
Gary seee, lanky, with a head of auburn hair Cotton Malone was a study in contrast Fair-skinned, thick-li of the father in the boy’s face or countenance
"It’d be better if they were together But I understand why they’re not"
"Good you understand You have a level head"
Gary smiled "That’s what my dad always says You know hiether for years"
"What’s happening here? Why aer?"
"I can’t talk about it But so to come after you and your mom, so we stepped in to protect you" He could see that the explanation didn’t seem to totally satisfy
"But overnment anymore"
"Unfortunately his enemies don’t care about that They just want to cause him pain"
"This is all really weird"
He forced a smile "Part of the business, I’m afraid"
"You have any kids?"
He wondered about the boy’s interest "No Never been married"
"You see my job" He motioned and said, "You work out?"
"I play baseball Season’s been over awhile, though But I wouldn’ta few"
"Hard to do in Denmark Baseball is not the national pastime here"
"I’ve visited the past two summers I really like it"
"That the time you spend with your dad?"
Gary nodded "About the only chance we get together But that’s okay I’lad he lives here It ain sensed so "Does it make you happy?"
"Sometimes Other tiht about living with him?"
The boy’s face scrunched with concern "That would kill my mom She wouldn’t want me to do that"
"Sometimes you have to do what you have to do"
"I’ve thought about it"
He grinned "Don’t think too hard And try not to be bored"
"I ht"
He’d heard enough The boy was pacified He wouldn’t be a problem, at least not for the next hour, which was all Sabre would need
After that, it wouldn’t matter what Gary Malone did
So he stepped toward the door and said, "Not to worry I’ to be over soon"
MALONE STOOD ON THE STREETS OF HELSINGØR AND WATCHED the cafe A steady strea at atable, sipping fro Pam, he assu She’d better be When this guy made his move, they’d only have one chance If his adversaries were somewhere nearby, and he firht be his only route to them
Pam’s appearance in Denmark had rattled him But then she’d always had that effect Once, love and respect bound theht that the case; now only Gary drew theether
His ust About Gary
"After years of lying to me, you want to be fair?"
"You were no saint yourself years ago, Cotton"
"And youhell because of it"
She shrugged "I had an indiscretion of "
"I told you everything"
"No, Cotton I caught you"
"But you let me think Gary was mine"
"He is In every way except blood"
"That the way you rationalize it?"
"I don’t have to I just thought you should know the truth I should have told you last year e divorced"
"How do you know he’s not my son?"
"Cotton, run tests I don’t care Just know you’re not Gary’s father Do with the information what you please"
"Does he know?"
"Of course not That’s between him and you He’ll never hear it froer that had flooded hiht also explain why they were no longer together He’d lost his father young but had been raised by abut tur emotions who’d operated a day care center She’d squandered the faers were her weakness She never could resist the as they told her exactly what she wanted to hear Pa soul who cared far more about radio-controlled airplanes than his wife and three children He’d labored for forty years at an ice cream cone factory, a salaried eer Loyalty mixed with a false sense of contentment-that had been his father-in-law up to the day that a three-pack-a-day cigarette habit finally stopped his heart
Until they met, Pam had known little love or security Miserly with eiven far less than she deer His own e,and no one could ever be counted on
Not s, or husbands
All of the a baby out of wedlock and never telling her husband he was not the father She see the price of that failure
He ought to cut her soain, and she wasn’t willing-at least not yet-to deal
The shooter disappeared from the
Malone’s attention snapped back to the cafe
He watched as theand headed toward his parked car, clih the alley, and spotted Pam
He crossed the street and juet ready"
"Me? Why don’t you drive?"
"No time Here he cohway that paralleled the shore and speed past
"Go," he urged