“For now,” Savannah said. “For now.”
“But it’s disgusting. The Vandermeer name isworthsomething.”
“No,” Sam corrected. “The Vandermeermoneyis worth something. Our guy doesn’t give a damn about the name.”
“Is there a difference? Name, money, power—it’s all tied together. The Vandermeers have been a force in this state for a good, long time. They don’t deserve this.”
Savannah put a hand on her arm. “Careful, Suse.”
“Of what?” Susan asked haughtily.
“Of me,” Sam said tightly. “You’re talking nonsense. What makes you think the Vandermeers should be exempt from crime just because they have money or power? You think that the poor schnook who works his butt off in a factory sixty hours a week and still can’t make ends meet—you think he deserves to be victimized any more than the Vandermeers? No one deserves it, but it happens.”
“The Vandermeers contribute more than their share in taxesandto charity.”
Sam laughed at that.
“There must be something that can be done!” she cried.
“Someone to call?” he taunted. “Someone to pull a string here or there? Someone to fix things so no one’s inconvenienced and the whole thing just goes away? Sorry, sweetheart, but life doesn’t always work that way.”
“It isn’t fair,” Susan told him. When she saw no sympathy forthcoming, she turned on Savannah. “It isn’t fair.”
“No.”
“Doesn’t it infuriate you?”
“All the time.”
“Still, you do it. Day in, day out you play the game. It’s like cops and robbers, with only one side following the rules. The robbers come and go as they please. They do whatever they want.” She made a choking sound. “And to think I envied you your job. If this is the kind of excitement you thrive on—”
“I don’t thrive on it,” Savannah bit back. “I’m as worried as you are.”
“You don’t look it.”
“It’s myjobnot to look it.”
“She’s worried,” Sam assured Susan. “She’s got sunken eyes, just like you.” He was looking from one sister’s face to the other’s. “So there’s a resemblance after all. Sunken eyes.”
“Those are shadows,” Savannah informed him dryly. “Tension shadows.”
Susan glared at him. “That was just what I needed. Thanks.”
Savannah gave her arm a squeeze, then turned to Hank, who, after nearly two days with Susan and Sam, had learned to stand out of the line of fire. “Will’s taking care of things with the insurance company, I gather.”
Hank nodded. “In the kitchen.”
She looked back at Sam. “Do we let him go alone tonight?”
Sam shrugged. “We could scatter a few winos around to relay info, but the guy’s apt to smell a rat. The construction site is usually deserted after five. We can post a few unmarked cars at random spots on the chance he’ll pass them. It’d be nice to get a make on his vehicle and there won’t be much traffic, but that can work against us, too. If our guy catches wind of a tail, Megan could be in trouble. So we’ll have to be careful. Our first priority is to get her back in one piece. Once we’ve done that, her kidnappers are free game.”
Susan snorted. “It’ll be too late then.”
“No. Megan may be able to help us.”
“Oh? If I were a kidnapper planning something as neatly as this one did, I’d make sure the victim didn’t see or hear a thing.”
Savannah responded. “They’ll make a mistake, Suse. Somewhere along the line, they’ll make a mistake.”
