Sidney Sheldon's Chasing Tomorrow (Tracy Whitney #2)(64)

The elevator hit the ground. Tracy felt her knees start to give way. She leaned against the table for support.

“I sent you pictures. Check your phone. They talked for about half an hour and then went back to his hotel together. Elizabeth’s planning a hit on Bianca Berkeley. It looks like Jeff’s involved. Can you open the pictures?”

Silence.

“Tracy? Are you there?”

“Yes.” Tracy’s voice came out high-pitched and strangled. “I’m here. Go on.”

Jean filled her in on the events of this afternoon. The two men at Barneys. His certainty that Bianca Berkeley was the target and that the heist would go down at the Winter Ball, just like Gunther Hartog predicted. And his growing suspicion of Jeff Stevens.

“She was in his hotel for an hour. She left first, then he did. I followed him.”

“Where did he go?” Tracy asked calmly.

“He went to the Meatpacking District and picked up a hooker.”

Tracy’s heart cracked. She felt as if she were having an out-of-body experience. She looked at her son, hanging glass reindeer figurines onto the Christmas tree. Carols were playing in the next room. Jean Rizzo’s voice didn’t belong in this picture. Nor did Jeff.

I came here to escape him, to escape that life.

Anger overwhelmed her. Wild, irrational anger.

How dare Jeff work with Elizabeth! How dare he sleep with prostitutes! How dare he still have the power to hurt me, after all these years!


And yet another part of her felt protective of Jeff and furious with Jean Rizzo.

Why was Jean telling her these things? Why did he keep pouring poison back into her life?

“What do you want, Jean?” Her voice was cold. “Why did you call me?”

“I want you to come to New York.”

Tracy laughed bitterly. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s Christmas.”

“I need you. You know Jeff Stevens better than anyone.”

“Not anymore I don’t.”

“Aren’t you listening to me?” Jean’s voice rose in frustration. “Something’s going down here, Tracy! The Winter Ball is happening in less than a week. Elizabeth and Jeff are planning something together, something big. There may be others involved, a gang, I don’t know. Jeff’s already seeing hookers. He’s getting excited, aroused. His adrenaline’s up . . . This time next week, if we don’t do something, another girl could be dead.”

“Hold on a minute.” Tracy dropped her voice to a whisper. “Am I hearing you right? You think Jeff’s the Bible Killer?”

“I think it’s a serious possibility.”

Tracy shook her head. Is this a nightmare? Is this conversation even real, or am I going to wake up in a minute and laugh?

“You’re out of your mind.”

“Then come to New York and help me. Help Jeff. Prove me wrong.”

“Are you deaf? I’m not coming to New York. That wasn’t part of our deal.”

“Tracy, you get on a plane!” Jean was yelling now. “Do you hear me? You get on a plane or I will tell your son the truth.”

Tracy hung up. She unplugged the phone from the wall. On the counter, her cell phone was flashing red.

Jean’s photos.

Jeff and Elizabeth.

Together.

Tracy picked it up and turned it off. Her hands trembled as if she were disarming a bomb.

“Mom?” Nicholas’s voice drifted through from the living room. “Are you done? Come and help me.”

Tears stung the back of Tracy’s eyes. “I’m coming, honey.”

IT WAS MIDNIGHT, BUT Jean Rizzo was too wired to sleep. He was wide-awake when his phone rang.

“Do you really believe Jeff’s involved in these killings?”

Tracy sounded as tired as he was.

“I don’t know. Do you really believe he isn’t?”

Tracy didn’t answer. The truth was she didn’t know what to believe anymore. She just wanted this nightmare to be over.

“There’s a flight leaving Denver tomorrow at noon. You can pick up your ticket at the American Airlines desk.”

“And you can kiss my ass. I already told you. I’m happy to help and advise you if I can. But I have a life here. I am not coming to New York.”

“Mmm-hmm,” said Jean.

“It’s Christmas!”

“So everyone keeps telling me.”

“I mean it, Rizzo. I’m calling your bluff. I am not coming to New York.”





CHAPTER 17



WELCOME TO NEW YORK!”

Jean Rizzo met Tracy at JFK with a beaming smile.

“I’m so glad you decided to come.”

“I didn’t ‘decide to come.’ You blackmailed me.”

“Oh, now, now. Let’s not squabble.” Jean nudged her in the ribs jokingly. “It’ll do you good to get out of Steamboat. Small-town life can get so boring, don’t you think?”

“I guess you’d know all about boring. Being Canadian and all.” Tracy smiled sarcastically.

They ordered coffee at an airport café.

“Let’s talk about ground rules,” said Tracy.

“Do we have to?”