Black Widow by Randy Wayne White

Author:Randy Wayne White
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Doc (Fictitious character), Thrillers, Crime, Suicidal behavior, Florida, Fiction, Marine biologists, Computer crimes, Suspense, Windward Islands (West Indies), Suspense fiction, Ford, Extortion
ISBN: 9780425226704
Publisher: Berkley Books
Published: 2009-03-03T19:58:05.209255+00:00

20

SENEGAL FIRTH’S LITTLE PROBLEM had nothing to do with the photos published in a French magazine. Her problem was that a hidden camera had filmed her during an “injudicious evening” inside the mountain villa she’d rented while vacationing alone on Saint Arc less than a year ago.

The blackmailer had contacted her a month before the elections and threatened to send a copy of the video to her husband, another to the London Times, and also to post it on Internet pornography sites if she didn’t pay four million pounds into a Bank of Aruba account.

“It’s the same blackmailer who went after your goddaughter,” Sir James said. “Same modus operandi. I’m assembling a list of victims. Senny certainly was not the first, and your goddaughter will not be the last. That’s why we have to nail the buggers to the wall and cut their heads off.”

The woman said, “Hooker,” with an expression of distaste. “No need to be gruesome, is there?”

Montbard said, “There’s every reason to be gruesome. We are dealing with people who are absolutely ruthless. Ford? Tell her what would’ve happened to those four American women last night if you hadn’t come along.”

I said, “Honestly? I think the women would’ve scared the guys off without my help. They were a tough bunch.”

“Frighten three men who were armed with knives? Please.”

Senegal looked sickened, asking, “Men with knives?” as Montbard said, “Bullocks. I saw what happened with my own eyes. If you won’t tell her, I will.”

He did, minus a few details I hadn’t shared with him last night on Jade Mountain as he’d sipped his third whiskey, and I’d switched from Singapore Slings to the local Piton Beer over ice.

When he was done, Firth said, “They would’ve murdered the women? You’re serious.”

I weighed the probabilities before saying, “Were they capable of murder? That’s tough to say. Murder’s the sort of thing that’s easy to talk about, but very few people can actually do.”

“Do you really believe that?”

I looked at Sir James to see his reaction—it would tell me a lot about him. I realized he was looking at me for the same reason. “Dr. Ford clearly has some knowledge of the subject—” The man cleared his throat. “—the academic sort, of course. The military has done studies. In the second war, fewer than twenty percent of our boys could bring themselves to pull the trigger even when under attack. One percent of our pilots accounted for forty percent of enemy planes shot down. It’s a rare bird who can truly do the deed. But some people seem born to it.”

I looked at Senegal. “Maybe they were. From what I overheard, it wouldn’t be the first time. I think it would’ve depended on how the women reacted. Sexual predators in a pack behave differently than a predator operating alone.”

“That’s true,” she said, interested, but also evaluating my words—she was the expert, not me. She’d helped draft laws on the subject.

“Packs target the weak. If the women had tried to humor them, we might be reading about a multiple homicide in tomorrow’s paper.

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