The Night Killer

have well-disciplined staff,” said Liam.
    “You haven’t been with us long,” said Neva, grinning.
    “This diary looks completely authentic,” said David. “Korey could be great in the forgery business.”
    “It looks like we’re good to go,” said Liam.
    Diane had a thought that hit her like dry ice in her stomach.
    “You all right?” said David, reaching his hand out.
    “I don’t know why I didn’t think of this. He’s not going to contact me by phone, or some way we can talk. How stupid of me. It will be the same way as before. He’ll have Andie read instructions. I won’t have a chance to talk to him, to tell him I need to make sure Andie is alive.” Diane put her hands to her eyes and pressed. “Oh, shit, I’ve calculated this all wrong. Oh, damn. We need to have his name or we’re lost.” She looked at each of them as it dawned on them. Liam looked defeated. They all did.
    “You’re right. If we don’t know who it is, we have no chance,” said Liam.
    “Then we’ll find out,” said David.
    Diane heard her e- mail ding. David had filtered her e-mail so that only the messages from the killer came to this computer. There it was. Maybe it was another stall.
    Diane went to the computer and opened the e- mail. Another video. It was Andie, still bound to the chair. This time dressed in the bloodstained Vitruvian Man T-shirt. She read a statement.
    “ ‘Time’s up. See, I’m taking good care of her. But I’m tired of playing with her little ol’ thing. If you want her back, do exactly what I say. If I see the police or anyone but you, Diane Fallon, I’ll kill the little bitch. You know I will.’ ”
    The words were strange coming out of Andie’s mouth. She looked defeated, like the rest of them, as she gave Diane instructions to a location deep in the woods.
    “Damn it,” said Diane. “Time’s up and we don’t know who has Andie.”

Chapter 56
    Diane slumped into a chair and wanted to cry. I don’t have time to cry , she thought, and straightened up.
    “My only choice now is to go to the location and hope Andie will be there and I can get her out,” she said.
    “I’ll go too,” said Liam.
    “I don’t want him to see anyone with me,” said Diane.
    “He won’t see me,” said Liam.
    “It will still be daylight,” said Diane.
    “He won’t see me,” said Liam.
    Jin had apparently seen all the body language through the glass as he was sorting through the junk from the woods. He came out of the workroom and they quickly filled him in on the newest video.
    Jin took in a deep breath. “We can still do this,” he said. “We’ve been in worse spots.”
    “Have we?” said Izzy.
    “Sure. Remember when Neva was stuck between the rocks in the cave and gravity was slowly sucking her down and Mike was shot and a killer was after them and Diane? That was pretty bad,” said Jin.
    “That was before my time here,” said Izzy. “But you’re right; that sounds pretty bad.”
    “I’ll get you a satellite phone,” said David. “Get your gun and load it. Take extra ammo. I’ll help you load a backpack. Wear your caving clothes. That’s what you’re most comfortable in. You’ve got the diary and that’s what he wants. Don’t take it in with you. In fact, let Liam have it. Do your negotiating on the spot.”
    Diane nodded. Strange, she was starting to feel the fear ebbing away. Good. She hated the way fear made her feel.
    “He’s keeping Andie in a cave. I’ve figured that out from the acoustics,” said David. “If he is killed and she’s in there, we’ll find her. We know every cave in the area. This is doable.” David looked at Diane, his dark eyes boring into her as if he were trying to send her strength.
    “I agree. It’s doable,” said Diane. “Mike, Neva, Jin, go to King Cave and salt it. That may be the only place you’ll be able to catch up with him if he gets his hands on the diary.”
    Neva looked at her, wide-eyed. What Diane was saying was that she would be dead. He would have killed her. That was what Neva was thinking—the others too. She could see it in their faces. This was the backup plan in case Diane failed.
    “Damn it, if we only knew who it is,” said Diane.
    “We do,” said Frank, standing up from the computer where he had been working.
    “I thought you’d fallen asleep,” said Izzy.
    Diane’s pulse quickened. Frank had figured it out. Maybe they did have a chance.
    “You know? Who? How do you know?” said