Fire Brand (City of Dragons Book 6)

by Val St. Crowe

“You helped her, Sierra,” said Lachlan, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You have a kind heart. Deep down, you really do care. But there’s so much suffering in the world, and you have to do your part to stop it. That’s who you are.”

  Sierra bit down on her lip. “That is who I am.” Her voice wavered, like she might start crying.

  “Exactly,” said Lachlan. “That’s why you became a nurse in the first place. To help people.”

  “I did,” said Sierra. She buried her face in her hands. “I can’t talk about this.”

  “You can,” said Lachlan. “I’ll understand. Trust me.”

  She shook her head, not looking up.

  “Hey,” said Lachlan, his voice going even lower and softer, until it was a purr. “Maybe I can start talking about it, and you can tell me when I go wrong?”

  “No,” said Sierra, raising her face. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Althea was a patient like any other. You wanted to help her. You had helped others. She came to hospice, because hospice is a place where people come to die. You helped her die. That was your job. That was what you always did.”

  Sierra turned to him. She clenched her hands into fists. “Yes. Yes, but…”

  “But this time, someone saw what you did,” said Lachlan. “And the other times—”

  “No, I never did it any other time,” said Sierra. “It was the only time. And it was only because she asked me.”

  “Asked you?” I spoke up.

  “Oh, God,” said Sierra. “What am I saying?’ She got off the couch.

  Lachlan got up too. He caught her by the elbow. “Who asked you? Althea asked you?”

  “Yes,” said Sierra. “She said she would do it herself, but that she couldn’t. She was too weak. She was always in pain or else doped up, and she said she couldn’t make heads or tails of what was even real anymore. She felt like she was disattached, like there was a string between her head and her body. She said that she wanted one day clear, without any meds at all, and then she wanted me to inject enough into her I.V. that it would kill her. And I said no. I took the Hippocratic Oath. I’m supposed to preserve life. But she wouldn’t stop asking about it. She begged me. And she sobbed. And she begged and begged. And finally… I don’t know. She was so pitiful. She was in so much pain.” Sierra put a hand to her mouth.

  Lachlan nodded slowly. “So, you helped her commit suicide.”

  Sierra started to sob. “I killed her.”

  Lachlan held out his arms to her.

  She walked into them. “Are you going to arrest me?”

  “Did you kill Beckett too?”

  She pulled back. “What? Of course not. I told you, it was only ever once. It was only ever Althea. And I regret it every day. I know it’s what she wanted, but I have nightmares sometimes, and I feel so guilty.” Then she was crying again.

  Lachlan shot me a look.

  I shrugged a little—barely perceptibly. Did we believe her? If only there was someone who could verify or deny her story. Then we’d know for sure.

  Sierra hugged herself. “She wanted it, I know. Her family knew, but they couldn’t do it for her. Her daughter said she couldn’t bear it, and she thanked me for doing it, but I…” She shook her head. “I wish I hadn’t. I wish I hadn’t.”

  Hmm. Althea’s daughter knew?

  * * *

  “Hello?” The woman at the door looked friendly but confused. She hadn’t been expecting us.

  “Whitney Larsen?” asked Lachlan.

  “That’s me,” she said. “I’m sorry, was there something you needed?”

  “I’m Detective Lachlan Flint, and this is my associate Penny Caspian,” said Lachlan. “We were wondering if we could talk to you for a moment.”

  “Detective?” she said. “Like the police.”

  “That’s right.” Lachlan flashed her his badge.

  “Oh, well, I guess you should come in.”

  “We don’t want to impose,” said Lachlan. “This should only take a moment. It’s a bit of a sensitive subject, however.”

  “Sensitive?” She looked worried. “Well, I won’t have a sensitive conversation on my doorstep. I can’t do that. Come in.” She opened the door wider.

  We stepped inside the foyer of her house. The floor was white. The steps leading to the upper level were white. There were white lilies in a basket at the foot of the steps. The house looked elegant and clean.

  I felt bad that we’d invaded to ask her questions about something she probably didn’t want to talk about.

  “We’re here about a woman named Sierra Johnson,” said Lachlan.

  “Oh, of course,” said Whitney. “She was my mother’s nurse.”

  “You remember her?” said Lachlan.

  “Oh, at the end, I was on a first-name basis with everyone who gave my mother care,” said Whitney. “She had cancer. It was awful. It kept spreading. All over her body. It was in her bones by the end.”

  I winced. “How terrible. We’re so sorry.”

  “Deepest condolences,” said Lachlan.

  Whitney went on as if she hadn’t heard. “It wouldn’t kill her, you know. It just kept spreading and spreading and eating her alive. But she couldn’t rest. She was in so much pain, she wasn’t even herself anymore. She would lie in her hospital bed and scream at us that she couldn’t handle it anymore. She’d yell, ‘Kill me. Kill me.’ She was cruel and angry and…” Whitney stopped herself, hand on her own chest. “Oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t go on that way. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “I’m very sorry for what you went through,” said Lachlan. “My mother had cancer as well. But, um, she went quickly.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” said Whitney. “But, um, maybe there’s some comfort in that.”

  Lachlan nodded slowly. “Maybe. Uh, I have to ask you a difficult question, Ms. Larsen, and I want to preface it by assuring you that I’m not pursuing any wrongdoing in your mother’s case.”

  “Case?” she said. “My mother has a case?”

  “No,” said Lachlan. “Not anymore. It was closed, yes?”

  “That’s right,” said Whitney, who suddenly looked wary.

  Lachlan nodded. “I just need to confirm something that Sierra Johnson told us about what she did for your mother. It’s for a completely different case. That’s what I’m interested in. I promise you that you can be truthful with me and there will be no repercussions for you.”

  “You’re frightening me, Detective.”

  “Did Sierra Johnson help your mother die? And was that the wish of your mother and also you and your family?”

  Whitney put her hand on her chest. “You want me to come out and say that?”

  “You could nod,” said Lachlan.

  Whitney drew in a breath. And then she bobbed her head up and down.

  “Thank you,” said Lachlan.

  “I think you should go,” said Whitney.

  “We’re very sorry,” I whispered.

  And we headed for the door.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “So, anyway,” said Lachlan, “I guess that leaves us Rowan Lynch and Paloma Stanley.” We were coming home after work. We’d managed to make it back during late afternoon to have time with Wyatt tonight.

  I opened the door to our apartment. “And Henry Gilbert.”

  Lachlan went through into the living room, taking off his jacket. “Right, but he’d be working with Paloma.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” I took off my jacket too. I hung it up on a rack next to the door. “Well, where do we go from here? I mean, how are we going to get Paloma to talk to us? After that incident with the handkerchief, I doubt she’s going to be forthcoming.”

  “Yeah,” said Lachlan, “and there’s the pesky little problem of motive with her. Why’d she do it? We don’t know anything there. Maybe that’s because there’s nothing to know.”

  “Well, with Rowan it’s not that different,” I said. “She didn’t seem angry with Beckett at all. We bot
h agreed that she seemed to be too cheery about it all, but that’s not hard evidence.”

  “Right,” said Lachlan. “What I wouldn’t give for the syringe with fingerprints on it.”

  “We should be so lucky,” I said.

  “If it was Paloma, and she did it, then why did she insist on the autopsy?” said Lachlan. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

  “No,” I said. “Because she controlled it that way. If she hadn’t asked for the autopsy, maybe she would have gotten away with it. But maybe not. Maybe it would have been discovered. This way, she made sure that she didn’t look guilty. Because who would purposefully uncover evidence of their own crime?”

  “That’s devious,” said Lachlan. “But I have to admit it might make sense.” He cocked his head at me. “Have you completely given up on Sierra as a suspect?”

  “Well, not completely, but she doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would kill Beckett. And she’s definitely not an angel of death or whatever you called her.” I went over to the living room and sat down on the couch. “You?”

  “She’s not at the top of the list for me anymore,” he said.

  I sighed. “You want to go down to Vivica’s and get Wyatt?”

  Lachlan checked the clock on the wall. “Isn’t he still napping right now?”

  I peered at it. “Yeah, I guess he is. But he’s going to be up in like five minutes.”

  Lachlan sat down next to me on the couch. “Well, then let’s relax for five minutes.”

  I laughed softly, leaning my head back on the back of the couch. “Sounds good.” I shut my eyes.

  We were quiet.

  I wasn’t even thinking anything. My mind was blissfully blank. I could probably fall asleep like this, right here.

  There was a knock on the door.

  I sat up, opening my eyes.

  Lachlan got up off the couch. “I got it. You stay here.”

  I yawned.

  Lachlan opened the door.

  It was Scott.

  “Hey,” said Lachlan. “How are you?”

  “Can I come in?” said Scott.

  “Sure,” said Lachlan, opening the door wider.

  Scott came into the apartment. He stepped into the middle of the living room and simply stood there, hands on his hips.

  I gestured to the easy chair. “You want to sit down?”

  “No,” said Scott.

  I raised my eyebrows. “No?”

  “I came in here to give you a piece of my mind,” said Scott, “and I’m not going to be able to summon up the righteous anger if I sit down.”

  I stood up. “You’re angry? What are you angry about?”

  “Well, I appreciate that you two stopped those things—whatever they were—from Eaglelinx, but we both know that’s not going to be the end. They’ll keep on coming and they won’t stop until they’ve killed Asia and me. They’ll do it, too. They don’t have any qualms about snuffing people out.”

  I crossed to him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to stop Eaglelinx. We’re going to fix all of this.”

  “Definitely,” said Lachlan, who was by my side now.

  Scott shook me off. “When? Have you made any progress on that front?”

  “Well, um…” I laced my fingers together. “We’re trying to solve a murder at work—”

  “I’m going to be murdered if you don’t do something,” he said. “Look, Felicity says that I just need to trust you, and that it will all work out. But I’m not convinced, I have to tell you. All I really want to do right now is gather up Asia and run. I want to get as far away from Eaglelinx as I can. Maybe far away from the ocean, too. Maybe somewhere in the middle of some landlocked state in the center of the country or something. I don’t know. But I don’t feel as though I can wait much longer.”

  “Scott—”

  “No,” he said. “Let me finish. Listen, if you don’t have time to deal with this, that’s fine. I get it. You don’t owe me and my daughter anything. So, if you can’t stop Eaglelinx, then we’ll go. We’ll pack up and leave, and then we won’t be your problem anymore.”

  I sighed. “Sit down.”

  He hesitated. And then, seemingly deflated, he did sit down.

  I sat down on the couch. Lachlan sat next to me.

  “Maybe we’ve been trying to do too much,” I said, looking up at Lachlan. “Between going up to Connecticut and trying to solve the case and finding time for Wyatt, we’ve been letting this Eaglelinx thing slide.”

  Lachlan shook his head. “No, Penny, it’s my fault.” He turned to Scott. “You want to blame someone? Blame me. She was all about trying to get something done on the Eaglelinx front, and I convinced her we should try to solve the case first, so that we’d have that out of the way. But we’re not as close to solving it as I might have hoped.”

  “Unless we find the smoking gun or something,” I said.

  “Smoking syringe,” said Lachlan.

  Scott pressed his lips together.

  “But anyway,” said Lachlan, “the point is that I want to apologize. Penny and I understand. We have a child. If Wyatt is in danger, we move heaven and earth to protect him. That’s always our first priority. And protecting Asia is clearly yours. You’re probably going out of your mind.”

  “I’m fine,” said Scott, but his voice wasn’t strong.

  “Don’t leave,” I said. “Give us some time. We’ll see what we can do to try to figure out how to deal with the Eaglelinx problem.”

  “At least give us until Thanksgiving,” said Lachlan. “That was what Penny told you, right? That we were going to have it done by then?”

  Scott heaved in a breath and then let it out. “Yeah, okay. Okay. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” said Lachlan. “And we’ll keep you up to date on whatever it is that we find out.”

  * * *

  That evening, I spent time combing through Eaglelinx’s list of employees again, and this time, I found a Tess. But I could see why I hadn’t found her before. She was listed under one of the managing directors, her name indented about five spaces, with the words, Executive Assistant underneath. All of the managing directors had an executive assistant listed under their names. I was guessing it meant that she was a really important secretary. Hadn’t Vivica said that Tess was a secretary?

  Anyway, there she was. Tess Frazier. And there was the number for her office.

  I dialed the number on a whim. It was too late to call her at the office now, at least I thought it was. It was later than normal business hours. I’d just got Wyatt down to sleep. But I thought maybe she’d leave another contact number on her answering machine. A cell or something like that.

  The phone rang about four times.

  I waited for the answering machine to kick on.

  But then it seemed to switch gears somehow, and it started to ring again. I was pretty sure my call had been forwarded somewhere.

  “Erica Brewer’s office,” a voice cheerily answered.

  “Tess Frazier?” I said.

  “Oh, no,” said the voice. “This is Candy. I took Tess’s place after she got sent to Whitborn.”

  “Whitborn?” I said. “Is that another branch of Eaglelinx.”

  “Not quite,” said Candy. “It’s a facility for people with mental illnesses.”

  “Really?” I said. “Do you have any idea why she was sent there?”

  “No, I mean, she seemed fine at first, but then she went to a meeting with the Executive Board, and she sort of lost it. I’m sorry, who is this? I’m happy to help with official business. That’s why I forward calls to my personal cell after hours. But if you don’t have anything you need from Ms. Brewer, then I don’t know if I can help you.”

  “Actually, you’ve been very helpful,” I said. Whitborn, huh?

  * * *

  Tess Frazier looked as though she’d been given every tranquilizer in the entire hospital. She sat in a wheelchair, her brown hair hanging in limp strings aro
und her face. Her eyes stared blankly at nothing.

  The nurse who’d escorted us in smiled at Lachlan and me. “Enjoy your visit with your cousin. I know she’s happy to see you.”

  Okay, so I’d lied to get in. They said only family was allowed. I said that I was her cousin and that Lachlan was my husband, and that we were all very close. I’d been worried that Tess would dispute our story, but I shouldn’t have. She didn’t look like she talked much.

  “Uh.” I turned to the nurse. “Is she always like this?”

  “Like what?” said the nurse.

  “Like… unresponsive,” I said.

  “Haven’t you been to see her before?”

  I didn’t say anything.

  The nurse patted Tess on the hand. “Hey, sweetie. You got some visitors. Isn’t that nice?”

  Tess blinked.

  The nurse smiled at us again. “I’ll just let the three of you catch up, then.” She walked off.

  Lachlan and I exchanged a glance.

  Then we pulled up chairs from a nearby table and sat down close to Tess.

  “Hi, Tess,” I said. “We were wondering if we could ask you some questions.”

  Tess blinked again.

  “Can you say something?” I asked. “Just let us know you’re in there?” I chuckled weakly.

  Nothing from Tess. Not even a blink.

  I licked my lips. Okay, well, might as well just dive right in. “We’re here about the Executive Board. We understand you saw them.”

  Tess’s body didn’t move, but her eyes did. They flicked over to stare at me. The effect was unsettling. I scooted back into my chair. “Tess?” I whispered.

  Her lips parted. “Dark,” she whispered. “Dark water. Churning surf. Big waves. Sharp teeth. Tearing claws. Coming for me.”

  “No, you’re safe,” I said, reaching for her.

  Abruptly, she curled up into a ball. She let out a high-pitched whine. “Coming for me,” she said in a thin, high voice. “Always coming.”

  Damn it. I’d upset her. I started to reach for her again.

  Lachlan beat me to it. He turned her wheelchair so that she was facing him. “Tess?” he said.

  “Coming for me,” said Tess, hugging herself tightly.

  “It’s all right, Tess,” said Lachlan, in his hypnotizing Texan drawl. “Calm down, there, okay?” His voice was pleasant and comforting, with a hint of amusement in it, as if he had a joke he wanted to let her in on.