Silver Linings

right now. Memories of the horror that had awaited her when she had walked into Paul Cormier's white mansion were vivid in her mind.
    No, she told herself, it would be all right. She was not about to walk into another death scene.
    But the gnawing anxiety was getting stronger. For a second she considered turning the key in the ignition and driving back into town. But she knew she had to look inside the cottage to reassure herself that Hugh or Silk was not lying dead on the floor within. She had to know .
    Mattie forced herself to get out of the Jeep and walk to the front door. She had the spare key Hugh had given her in her hand, but the instant she slid it into the lock, she knew she didn't need it. The door was open.
    Literally sick with anticipation, Mattie pushed open the door and stared into the empty front room.
    She exhaled slowly when she realized there were no dead bodies on the floor. Of course, that still left the bedroom.
    Mattie walked slowly through the eerily empty cottage. There was no evidence that Hugh had been here recently—no coffee cup in the sink, nothing in the refrigerator.
    She was beginning to think that Hugh had never come back to St. Gabriel at all. That meant he had probably gone to Hades or even directly into Purgatory. And apparently Silk had joined him.
    She was too late. Rainbird's trap had closed.
    Mattie opened the bedroom door and found herself looking straight into the barrel of a gun.
    “About time you got here, lady.”
    For an instant she could not breathe. She had been so grateful the house didn't contain any dead bodies that she had not even stopped to think it might contain a few live ones.
    She went very still and looked up into the face of the young man holding the weapon. He was not very tall, but he was heavily built and had a cruel mouth and eyes that had probably never been innocent. He was dressed in military boots and khakis, and he held the gun as if he was very accustomed to it. As she stared at him he made a show of flicking the briefest of glances at his stainless-steel wristwatch.
    “Who are you?” Mattie managed in a tight voice.
    “You can call me Goody. I work for someone who wants to meet you, Miss Sharpe. That's all you need to know.”
    “What have you done with Hugh and Silk?”
    “Me?” The thin brows rose. “Why, nothing. Yet. But they'll be taken care of soon enough. Let's go.” He used the gun to motion her back down the hall. “Move it, lady. We've got a plane to catch.”
    “I'm not going anywhere with you.”
    The man grinned. “That's what you think. You got two choices, lady. Either you walk outside to the Jeep, or I knock you unconscious and carry you out. Take your pick.”
    “What if I don't like the options?”
    “They're the only ones you've got.”
    Mattie looked at him and believed every word he was saying. She turned and walked slowly down the hall and outside to the Jeep. Goody stayed three steps behind her all the way.
    “You drive,” Goody said, glancing once more at his watch.
    “How did you know I was coming here to the cottage?” Mattie asked as she struggled once more with the gears.
    “We knew several hours ago that Mortinson had bungled the operation in Seattle. He didn't report in on time, so he's out of the picture. Christ, the man must have been a complete idiot not to be able to take out one whore and pick you up.”
    “That's what Mortinson was supposed to do? Kill my friend and kidnap me?”
    The man scowled, looking as if he was afraid he'd said too much. “Forget it. Doesn't matter now. You're here, just like we figured you'd be when we found out you'd left Seattle. We knew we couldn't grab you in the St. Gabe airport terminal or near it. Abbott's got too many friends on the island, and they all know you belong to him. Someone would have noticed.”
    “Yes.” Mattie's mouth was dry.
    “I figured you'd check his house sooner or later, so that's where I waited for you. Now, let's move this bucket a little faster. I'm in kind of a hurry.”
    “Don't you think someone at the airport might notice the gun?” Mattie struggled with the gears and backed slowly out of the drive.
    “No one will be close enough to see us. When you get to the airport, drive straight out onto the service road that parallels the runway. The plane will be waiting.”
    It was.
    Everything went just as Goody had told her it would. The Cessna was at the end of the runway. No one appeared to notice the two people who parked the