Jack-in-the-Box by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone [Johnstone, William W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2016-06-23T04:00:00+00:00

18

“Phillip thought you and Debeau and Detective Weaver were all against him,” Sam told Sheela Harte. He was sitting in her office, both of them preparing to go to Connecticut. To view the body.

The law firm personnel had immediately closed the office, many of them not believing the tragedy had happened. The office would not reopen until after the first of the year.

“I sensed that from talking to him,” she said. “The. . . last time I spoke with him. Phillip was under terrible pressure from Nora. He was a strong man—a very strong man, mentally and physically—but no one mortal is strong enough to fight Satan alone.”

“If you had known Phillip as I did, you would have known he would try. There was no backup in the man. None at all.”

“Yes. I saw that.”

“All right, Sheela. We’ve cleared the air. Now would you please level with me?”

She sighed heavily and stared at him. “First I’ll tell you what Joe said about it. He said to plead with you to leave the city. Get out for a time. You’re in very grave danger here, Sam.”

“The best friend I ever had in this world is dead,” Sam said. “I’m not running. I’ll see this through if it kills me.”

“Nora might well kill us all, Sam. I’m . . . not at all certain you fully understand what we’re up against. Nora’s powers are awesome. I can’t stress that enough.”

“I’m staying.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “All right, Sam. Well, there isn’t that much more to tell. As far as I know, the coming together of Phillip, Joe, and Paul Weaver was pure coincidence. I know Paul because I’ve used his services before. Joe had met him several years back. Paul told me late last night he didn’t want Phillip too deeply involved because Phillip was a lawyer.”

Sam cocked his head. “What’s that got to do with it?”

“I’m coming to that. I said coincidence. Perhaps it wasn’t that at all. I’m wondering about that. Perhaps a . . . higher power brought us all together. I don’t know.”

“God?”

“Yes.”

“You leaning toward that supposition?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Perhaps you’re right. How am I in danger, Sheela? Because I’m a Jew?”

“Yes. That’s one of the reasons. The other is that to Nora, you’re the enemy. Weaver is a Nazi hunter. He has devoted a lot of free work in searching down old Nazis and bringing them to justice. In a manner of speaking.”

Sam grunted. “Reading between the lines, I would have to say that Paul Weaver doesn’t always operate within the limits of the law.”

“That is correct. And that is the reason he wanted Phillip kept somewhat in the dark. Paul knows—as does any reasonably astute person who doesn’t live in a cave in Tibet—about the resurgence of Nazism in this area over the past few years. He believes Otto Gunsche is here, directing the operation behind the scenes, so to speak.”

When he heard that, Sam knew nothing could make him run away. Not now. “Including this . . .

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