Body of Lies

“I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“No, it doesn’t make any difference.”

Silence.

“Why are you here, Eve?”

“I had to get my head straight. I thought I’d better do it here.”

“It has to hurt to see that tombstone.”

“Of course it does.”

“And makes you even more bitter toward me.”

“A little.”

“Only a little?”

Eve’s gaze lifted to meet his. “I’m trying to be honest with you. Galen called today. He’s in Barbados.”

“Doing what?”

“He thinks maybe Bently staged his own death. He’s looking around.” She studied Joe. “You’re not surprised?”

“I considered the possibility, and was tempted to go down and scout around. I decided my priority was here.”

“Galen says even if he’s alive, he thinks we’re off his radar.” She paused. “And he recommended that I get on with my life.”

“And what did you say?”

“I didn’t get a chance to say anything.” Eve looked back at the tombstone. “But it rang a bell. And then I remembered something Jane said when she was trying to talk me out of hiding. She said everything was getting in my way and making me forget who I really was and what I did. That struck a note, too. I’ve been ru

“Who could blame you?”

“I blame me,” she said fiercely. “I felt so much the victim that I forgot about who I really am and what I do.” She gestured to the tombstone. “I only thought about Bo

“You couldn’t be expected to—”

“Bull. I made the choice years ago that if I couldn’t help Bo

“And I never thought about her. I had no right to be that selfish just because I was hurting.”

“You weren’t selfish. If you need to blame someone, blame me.”

“I’m tired of blaming you.”

Joe smiled. “Then I’m not about to urge you to do it. I know when I’ve gotten a break.” His smile faded as his gaze went to the tombstone. “So why did you want me to come up here?”

“Because I wanted to know how I’d feel if I stood here with you.” He stiffened. “How do you feel?”

“Sad. Regretful. Scarred.”

“And what does that mean?”

“It means you made a mistake and it hurt me terribly. It means I probably made a few mistakes myself. It means I have to heal and it will take some time.” Eve met his gaze. “But I don’t want to do it alone. I want you with me. Whether it hurts or not, I can’t imagine life without you.”

“Hallelujah,” he whispered.

“I don’t promise you everything will be the same. But then you said you weren’t sure you wanted it that way.”

“I would have taken it.” Joe moved to stand beside her, but not touching her. “Tell me what you want from me.”

“I want you to have this little girl disinterred. I’m going to do a reconstruction on her. Then I want you to help me find out who she is.”

“Done.”

“And I’m going to find my Bo

“For God’s sake, of course I will.” He paused. “I’ve never stopped looking. I’ve followed up on every report, every lead, even after I paid to have that DNA report sent to you.”

She went still. “You didn’t tell me that.”

“I didn’t think you were in the mood to believe me.”

“Maybe I wasn’t. Would you have told me if you’d found her?” He smiled crookedly. “I asked myself that a thousand times. I think I would. I hope I would. I can’t guarantee it.”

“I hope you would, too. Because I want to trust you again, Joe.”

“You already trust me. You just have to recognize that you do. Why else would you agree to start again?”

“Because I love you so much that life’s not worth a damn without you,” she said simply. “In spite of everything that’s happened, that’s the bottom line.” Joe drew a deep breath and held out his hand to her. “Yeah, that’s the bottom line.”

Eve hesitated, then slowly reached out and took his hand.

Strength. Comfort. Love. His touch was so familiar, and yet it had an element now that was tentative and entirely new.

Rebirth? Maybe.

Whatever it was, like Joe, she’d take it.

Her hand tightened around his as she turned away from the grave. “We’d better get back to Jane. I think she was worried.”

“I know she was.” Joe walked beside her toward the path. “She was afraid you were going to ditch me. She was probably concerned about who would get custody of Toby.”

“Don’t be silly. Jane would get custody even if she had to run away from home with that dog.” She suddenly stopped to look back over her shoulder at the grave she had called Bo

“Okay?” Joe asked gently.

She was begi

Epilogue

« ^

“I like the name Sally,” Bo

Eve looked over her shoulder to see Bo

“Why not?” Bo

“I’m not superstitious.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’ve just learned not to take chances, brat.”

“Sally’s fine. Her daddy gave her a car and she almost died in an auto accident last year.

But she’s getting well.”

“I don’t call that exactly fine.”

“Well, she would have been happier on this side, but she’s still fine.”

“And I can’t relate to your notion of a happy little afterlife, either.”

“I know. It’s out of your realm of experience. That’s why you’re so determined to find me.”

“Don’t be patronizing. I’m still your mother.”

“Yes, you are.” Bo

“We’re working it out.”

“Yes.” Bo

“Feel what?”

“A sort of glow, a serenity …”

“Oh, give me a break.”

“Have I embarrassed you? Serves you right for being such a cynic.” Her glance shifted to Sally. “I hope you’re able to bring her home. She’s been lost a long time.”

“How long?”

“Longer than me. Have you heard anything from Galen?”

“No, have you?”

“Do you mean, is he dead? I don’t think so.”

“I shouldn’t have asked. I don’t know why it even bothers me. He’s a law unto himself. I refuse to worry about him.”

Bo

“Is that supposed to prove you’re clairvoyant? She teaches him a new trick every other day.”

“Well, I thought I’d try. You’re a tough sell. By the time they come in that door, you’ll have persuaded yourself that you’ve just woken from a nap and started working on Sally again.“

“Which is probably what happened.” She could hear Toby scrambling up the porch steps and then shaking his coat. “He sounds like he’s been in the water. We can’t keep him dry. He refuses to stay out of the lake. The rascal’s full of the devil.”