Page 403 of Under Her Skin

Jackson was quiet for a long moment. “You know how this will end eventually, don’t you, Amalia? Your blood on myhands.”

She nodded. “Iknow.”

He released her, and she stepped back, pulling her robe on. Would he go for it? Ama realized she was holding herbreath.

Jackson nodded. “I’ll think aboutit.”

“Thankyou.”

When Jackson had gone,Selima came out of the bathroom, tears streaming down her face. She had obviously beenlistening.

“I’m not leavingyou.”

Ama nodded. “Yes, youare. Selima, look …this is the only way. You’re my best chance. If you can lead the police here, or at least tell them anything, I might have a chance. Otherwise, last night proved to me one thing: Jackson doesn’t intend to let me go alive. Ever. But you do get the chance tolive.”

Her voice broke, and Selima came to her. “I won’t leave you,” she repeated through hersobs.

Ama hugged her tightly. “Youhaveto …you have to tell Enda that I love him. That I’ll love him forever. Please, Selima …please do this forme.”

Acouple of hours later,Jackson returned with two guards and the doctor in tow. The doctor gave Ama a strange look, but Jackson didn’t notice. “You have a deal, Ama. You,” he looked at Selima. “The doctor is here to give you something for the journey. Don’t worry. It’s just a sedative. Can’t have you picking out details to help identify this place. My men will take you to a hospital, where you will ask to talk to the press so that Ama can see you’re safe. Say your goodbyes,ladies.”

Ama hugged her sobbing sister. “Live well, Selima, for me. Tell Enda I love him and that I don’t regret a moment withhim.”

After a few minutes, Jackson got impatient. “Enough.Doctor!”

The doctor injected Selima and Ama held her hand as she passed out. She looked at the two men. “Please take care ofher.”

One of them nodded and the other stood stone-faced. Ama kissed her sister’s forehead, and the men carried Selima out. Ama was terrified, then, that Jackson would go back on his word and he saw it on her face. “We had an agreement, Ama. Your sister will besafe.”

And for some reason, she believed him. She sat down heavily on the bed and felt exhausted. The doctor looked at her and felt her forehead. “You’re running a temperature. Maybe I should check your woundout.”

Jackson nodded. “I’ll give you ten minutes, Doc. Do whatever sheneeds.”

He left them alone. The doctor helped her out of her dress and winced when he saw the new wounds. “I don’t have long, but I will take care of these.” He leaned in closer. “My dear, I must tell you. I ran the blood tests. There is a slight infection, but nothing that won’t be knocked out by the antibiotics. There is something else. You are pregnant, mydear.”

Inca,still confined to a wheelchair, asked Vanni to roll her towards Enda’s study. When she got there, the two men were still locked in discussion over a map of California. They looked up as she was rolledin.

“Thanks, Vanni,” Inca smiled at her nurse, who grinned and went out of the room. Inca waved a couple of photos at Enda. “Enda, these came from the fire-damaged stuff. Can you tell me where theyare?”

He took the old, faded, and damaged Polaroid from her and studied it. One showed a field and trees, the sun scorched. The other a set of stepping stones across a small creek. Enda frowned. “I don’t know, Inca.Why?”

“I’m thinking—is it somewhere Jackson went as a kid? The photos are old and faded, but I was just wondering if it’s somewhere Jackson feels close to, or has good memories of, he might …” She trailed off as she looked at the skepticism on their faces. “I know. I’m reaching, but, for the love of God, he has to besomewhere.”

Raff went to his wife and hugged her. “Any idea is good at this stage,Bella. Sorry if we seemed a littleoff.”

Enda nodded. “Agreed. Anything is good now. Olivier will be here soon; we’ll ask him if he can tell usanything.

Two hours later,Olivier was nodding his head. “Yeah …this was a place our mom used to take us when she wanted to get us away from all the ‘opulence,’ as she put it, and let us be normal kids for once. She used to make us fish in the creek and hike through the hills. We always loved those days out; believe it or not, it was the one time that Jackson and I actually gotalong.”

Enda tried not to get too excited. He exchanged a look with Inca. “Where isit?”

“Out in Fresno County, near a place called Humphrey’s Station.” Olivier finally got it. He looked between the three of them. “Really? You think he could bethere?”

“It’s a possibility,” Enda said. “At this moment, I’ll take anylead.”

“We have some men in the area, scouring it, and I mean, practically inch-by-inch. There must be some evidence of him being there if we’reright.”

Suddenly the door burst open and Vanni came in. “Mr. Gallo, please, thetelevision…”