Read Night's Pawn for Free Online

not know, knew my name well enough to tell you someone had been looking for me?"
    Teek laughed. "One of my employment criteria is the ability to memorize lists of names. People I keep track of."
    "Great."
    "Nick thinks she was a streeter, or close to it. She asked if he'd seen you lately, and he said no, never having had."
    "Good," Chase said.
    "I'll feed you the security camera recording. You can take it from there," Teek said. "Just tell me when."
    Chase picked up the remote and told the telecom to accept the data signal when Teek sent. "Go ahead."
    Teek leaned forward, pressed a button, and the red words "Receiving Data" began to flash across the bottom of Chase's screen.
    "That's it," Teek said.
    "Thanks." The words turned green and disappeared.
    Teek nodded. "Anytime. Call me if you need anything."
    "I will do that, my friend. Thanks again." Chase flicked the remote at Teek's image, turning his face back into the flat black of the screen. By the time he'd hung up, the telecom had automatically decompressed the trideo data into usable form. He told the unit to play it.
    The camera angle was high and to the right of the bar's outer door. Chase hadn't noticed it before. Next time he would look. The image was clean and sharp, even in the low evening light. High-quality. Thank you, Teek.
    Even with the good image, it was hard to see the girl. Her body language, which was contradictory, placed her somewhere between eighteen and thirty. His guess was closer to the former. In her green minidress, black sheer stockings, and half-calf boots, she was dressed for success, if turning tricks was the career path of choice. Her auburn hair was cut short and she wore a shoulder bag that could have been holding anything. The way the front wave of her hair fell it was tough to see her face.
    "Can I help you?" came a voice through the cheap speaker. It must have been Nick; William was never that polite.
    "Yes, I'm scanning for Simon Church," she said, her voice a little deeper than what he'd expected and with the trace of a British accent.
    "I'm sorry I don't know the man." Gracias , Nick.
    "I'd heard he was hereabouts some."
    "Told you I don't know 'im."
    "Older, I guess by now, big shoulders, dark hair."
    "You just described my mother."
    "He's an old term—chummer—of mine. Lots ago."
    "Look, chica, I told you I don't know the man."
    She looked down and away from the camera, and Chase still hadn't gotten a good view of her face. There was, however, a gnawing familiarity. When she looked back at the door, the movement of her head tossed her hair away from her face for just a moment. It was still too brief for him to make her out, but he knew he could reverse the recording and still-frame it, so he let it run.
    "Sure, sure. If he shows, tell him Cara was looking for him. I need some help. I've got a room at the Caina, Eighth and Fiftieth. Okay?"
    "Whatever."
    "Great. Thanks." She stepped away and the recording ended.
    Chase didn't need to check, but wanted to. Older by now, she said. Older by twelve years. The recording ran back to the turn of her head and he froze the picture. The image was clear enough that he could zoom in until only her face was visible.
    When Chase looked at pictures of himself from twelve years ago, he saw very little difference. Most of the changes from ages twenty-seven to forty-one happened under the skin, normally invisible but painfully present at inopportune moments. It was different with Cara. The only similarities were a certain posture, the movement of a hand, her mother's eyes, her father's tone. She'd been only eight years old the last time Chase had seen her. Twelve years from being an eight-year-old was a lot longer.
    He remembered, the memories coming back sharp and fresh.
    She runs at him, clothes dirty and torn from her slide down the hill. She's smiling, though, ignoring the scrapes and the trickle of blood running down her arm. "That way?" she asks, giggling for punctuation.
    He shakes his head and