Read Online Nemesis by Bill Pronzini - Free Book Online

about the recorder. She had lied; he was sure of it. He wondered if her claim that she didn’t make friends easily had been a lie, too. And her apparent blandness and loneliness a front. For all he knew she had dozens of sexual partners and came on to every man who interested her, including the hired help.
    Some package, Verity Daniels. Lackluster on the outside, a tangle of contradictions, neuroses, hidden facets on the inside. Trying to unravel that tangle was like trying to reach inside an unfamiliar machine, grab a handful of twisted-up wires, and sort them out blind.
    *   *   *
    She called again at 11:45 on Friday morning. But this time it was business.
    â€œI just heard from him,” she said in a voice that wobbled a little. “My God, you should have heard the names he called me. Awful, disgusting names.”
    â€œWhy the abuse?”
    Heavy breath, as if sucked in hard through her teeth. “The police … he thinks I went to the police. He said that’s why he didn’t meet me at Baker Beach, because he knew he’d be walking into a trap.”
    Runyon said, “He couldn’t know I was there. Testing you, trying to scare you even more.”
    â€œWell, he succeeded. God!”
    â€œWhat did you say to him?”
    â€œI told him he was wrong, I didn’t go to the police—I followed his instructions, went to the beach alone with the money. He called me more names. He said I’d better be telling the truth because if he found out I wasn’t he’d … he’d kill me.”
    Not good. Might be an empty threat, part of the design to exert more pressure … if simple extortion was his game. Blackmailers as a breed were generally nonviolent, menacing words their only weapons. But if the perp was driven by some personal motive such as revenge, the threat could be genuine. Had to be taken seriously, in any event.
    He asked, “Then what?”
    â€œHe demanded I bring him the money today. No police, no tricks … or else.”
    â€œBaker Beach again?”
    â€œNo. Lands End. I’m to wait at an overlook on the Coastal Trail a quarter mile from the Fort Miley parking lot, where you can see what’s left of old wrecked steamships. Does that mean anything to you?”
    â€œNo, but there are maps. What time?”
    â€œFive-thirty. He’s being very careful this time, he said. If he doesn’t meet me by five-thirty-five, I’m to walk along the trail to where stairs lead up to the Veterans Administration Hospital and wait there.”
    Which meant the perp would be watching the overlook for any signs of police presence, and if he wasn’t satisfied, he’d either make the meet at the stairs or somewhere between. Probably the latter.
    â€œThis time he wants the money in a backpack,” Ms. Daniels said. “I don’t have a backpack, I’ll have to go out and buy one.…”
    â€œAll right. Did the conversation get recorded this time?”
    â€œUm, no. No, it didn’t. But it wasn’t my fault.”
    Runyon waited.
    â€œHe didn’t call on my home phone,” she said. “He called my cell. Because the landline might be bugged, he said. How he got that number, too … I don’t know. How could he know so much about me?”
    Take her at her word, there wasn’t anything else he could do. He said flatly, “We’ll find out when we catch him.”
    â€œSo you will be there? At Lands End? I don’t think I could go through with this if you weren’t.…”
    â€œI’ll be there. Same instructions as before—don’t look for me, don’t pay any attention if you see me. And don’t forget to take the Q-Phone with you.”
    â€œI won’t.” She drew another sighing breath. “Jake … about last night. I’m sorry I bothered you, really I am. It’s just that I was feeling so nervous, so