by Nora Roberts
it.”
“Tell you what. We’ll watch this all the way through on our honeymoon.” “On our—”
“We’ll get into that later.” While Julia was trying to decide if she’d just received a proposal, Paul zipped through the film. “I want a close-up. Come on, Charlie. There.” On the single triumphant word he hit the freeze. Charlie Gray, his hair slicked back, his mouth quirked in a self-deprecating grin, looked back at them.
“Oh, my God, Paul.” Julia’s fingers dug into his shoulder like wires. “She has his eyes.”
Mouth grim, Paul flicked off the set. “Let’s go talk to Travers.”
Dorothy Travers shuffled from room to room in the empty house, chasing dust, polishing glass, building hate.
Anthony Kincade had killed any chance she might have had for believing in a healthy relationship with a man. So she had focused all her love on two people. Her poor son who still called her Mommy, and Eve.
There hadn’t been anything sexual in her love for Eve. She’d been done with sex before Kincade had been done with her. Eve had been sister, mother, daughter to her. Though Travers was fond of her own family, having Eve cut out of her life left her with such pain she could tolerate it only by coating it with bitterness.
When she saw Julia walk into the house, she lurched forward, hands extended and curled like claws. “Murdering bitch. I’ll kill you for showing your face here.”
Paul caught her, struggled her beefy arms back. “Stop it. Dammit, Travers. Julia owns this house.”
“I’ll see her in hell before she steps foot in it.” Tears gushed out of her eyes as she fought to free herself. “She broke her heart, and when that wasn’t enough, she killed her.”
“Listen to me. Drake’s been murdered.”
Travers stopped struggling long enough to catch her breath. “Drake. Dead?”
“He was shot. We found him late last night. We have a witness who saw him, here, on the estate the day Eve was killed. Travers, the security had been shut off. Drake climbed over the wall.”
“You’re trying to tell me that Drake killed Eve?”
He had her attention now, but loosened his hold only slightly. “No, but he saw who did. That’s why he’s dead.”
Travers’s gaze scraped back to Julia. “If she could kill her own mother, she could kill her cousin.”
“She didn’t kill Drake. She was with me. She was with me all night.”
The lines around Travers’s face only deepened. “She’s blinded you. Blinded you with sex.” “I want you to listen to me.” “Not while she’s in this house.”
“I’ll wait outside.” Julia shook her head before Paul could protest. “It’s all right. It’ll be better that way.”
When Julia had closed the door behind her, Travers relaxed. “How could you sleep with that whore?” The minute Paul released her she groped in her pocket for a tissue. “I thought Eve meant something to you.”
“You know she did. Come in here and sit down, we need to talk.” Once he had settled her in the parlor, he crouched at her feet. “I need you to tell me about Charlie Gray’s daughter.”
Something flashed in Travers’s eyes before she lowered them. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Eve knew. She trusted you more than anyone. She would have told you.”
“If she trusted me, why didn’t she tell me she was sick?” Overwhelmed with grief, she buried her face in her hands. “That she was dying.”
“Because she loved you. And because she didn’t want what time she had left to be marred with pity or regrets.”
“Even that was taken from her. That little bit of time.”
“That’s right. I want whoever took that from her to pay every bit as much as you. It wasn’t Julia.” He gripped her hands before she could push him away. “But it was someone she loved, someone she’d taken into her life. She found Charlie’s daughter, didn’t she, Travers?”
“Yes.”
The sun was bouncing off the deep blue water of the pool. The ripples caused by the fountain that still fed it widened, and spread and vanished. Julia wondered who would swim there again. If anyone would shuck off their suit, stand under that rush of water, and laugh.
She had an urge to do it herself, quickly, while she was alone, to pay homage to someone she had loved very briefly.
Instead, she watched a hummingbird, a small bright missile, flash above the water, then hover and drink from a vivid red petunia. “Julia.”
The smile that had started to curve her lips froze. She felt her heart leap and lodge in her throat. Very slowly, very carefully, she relaxed the fingers that had tensed into fists, and calling on whatever skill had passed from Eve’s blood to hers, turned to face Charlie Gray’s daughter.
“Nina. I didn’t realize you were here. I thought you’d moved out.”
“Almost. I just had a few more things to pack up. It’s amazing how much you accumulate in fifteen years. You’ve heard about Drake.”
“Yes. Why don’t we go inside? Paul’s here.”
“I know.” Nina let out a quick breath that caught like a sob. “I heard him and Travers. She didn’t realize I’d come in earlier and gone upstairs. None of this should have happened. None of it.” She reached into her buff-colored envelope bag and pulled out a .32. Sun hit chrome and dazzled. “I wish I could have found another way, Julia. I really do.”
Finding herself facing a gun brought on more anger than fear. She didn’t consider herself invincible. A part of her mind acknowledged that the bullet could rip through her, cut off her life. But the way the threat was offered, the incredible politeness of it, buried any thought of caution.
“You can stand there and apologize to me as if you’d forgotten a luncheon date. Sweet Jesus, Nina, you killed her.”
“It wasn’t something I planned.” Her tone was only mildly irritated as she pressed a hand between her breasts. “God knows I did everything I could to reason with her. I asked, I pleaded, I sent the notes to try to scare her. When I saw that wasn’t going to work, I sent more notes to you. I even hired someone to tamper with the plane.”
Somewhere in the garden, a bird began to sing. “You tried to kill me.”
“No, no. I know what a good pilot Jack is, and my instructions were very specific. It was meant to scare you, to make you see how important it was that the book research stopped.”
“Because of your father.”
“Partly.” Her lashes lowered, but Julia could still see the glint of her eyes through them. “Eve ruined his life, ended his life. I hated her for that for a long time. But it became impossible to keep hating her when she did so much to help me. I cared very, very deeply for Eve, Julia. I tried to forgive her. You have to believe me.”
“Believe you? You murdered her, then were willing to stand back and watch me hang for it.”
Nina’s mouth firmed. “One of the first things Eve taught me was survival. Whatever the price, I’m going to get through this.”
“Paul knows, and Travers. The police are already checking on Charlene Gray.”
“I’ll be gone long before they link her to Nina Soloman.” She glanced back at the house, satisfied that Paul and Travers were still talking. “I haven’t had much time to work this out, but there seems to be only one way.”
“Killing me.”
“It has to look like suicide. We’ll take a walk down to the guest house. Returning to the scene—the police ought to like that. You’ll write a note confessing to killing Eve, and Drake. This is the gun I used. It isn’t registered or traceable to me. I can promise to make it quick. I was trained by the best.” She gestured with the gun. “Hurry along, Julia. If Paul comes out, I’ll have to kill him too. Then Travers. You’ll have a regular bloodbath laid at your door.”
The hummingbird streaked from the blossom, bulleted over the water. It was that vibrant flash of red, and the unexpected rage leaping at her that had Nina stumbling back a pace, had her first shot going wide. Thrust for
ward by a blind, titanic fury, Julia rammed into her, striking out with a force that threw them both off balance and into the pool.
Tangled together, they plunged to the bottom. Buoyancy had them surfacing as they kicked and clawed and gagged on water. Julia didn’t hear her own howl of rage as her hair was viciously pulled. The pain dimmed her vision, sharpened her fury. For an instant she saw Nina’s face, diamond glints of water sprinkled over it. Then her hands clamped around Nina’s throat and squeezed. Her lungs gulped in air automatically before she was dragged under again.
Through the veil of water she could see Nina’s eyes, the wild panic in them. She had the satisfaction of watching them snap closed as her fist made a slow sweep through the water to plow into Nina’s stomach. Her own head rapped hard against the bottom, forcing her to clamp her teeth on the need to cry out. Lights danced behind her eyes as she twisted and shot her leg out to kick vulnerable flesh. Scratches and bruises were ignored, but the ringing in her ears, the burning in her chest, had her fighting her way back to the surface for more air.
Shouts and screams echoed in her head as she dived forward, catching hold of Nina’s blouse as Nina tried to thrash her way to the side. Water dripped from Julia’s cheeks, ran from her eyes. She didn’t know when the sobs had begun. “Bitch,” she said between her teeth. Swinging back, she rammed fist into face, then yanked her up by the hair to hit her again.
“Stop. Come on, baby, stop.” Struggling to tread water and hold on to her, Paul grabbed at her arm. “She’s out cold.” He hooked an arm under Nina’s chin to keep her from sinking under. “She scratched you. Your face.”
Julia sniffed and wiped at the mix of water and blood. “She fights like a girl.”
He wanted to laugh at the chilly derisiveness in her voice. “Travers is calling the cops. Can you get to the side on your own?”
“Yeah.” The moment she had, she began to retch.
Without a backward glance, Paul left Nina unconscious on the pool apron and went to Julia.
“Get rid of it,” he said quietly, holding her head in his trembling hands. “You swallowed more than your share. That’s a girl.” He stroked and soothed as her choking turned to labored breathing. “That’s the first time I’ve seen you in action, champ.” He pulled her up against him and just held on. “Bloody amazon. Remind me not to tick you off.”
Julia sucked in air and felt it burn her ravaged throat. “She had a gun.”
“It’s okay.” His hold on her tightened spasmodically. “I’ve got it now. Let’s get you inside.”
“I’ll take her.” Grim-faced, Travers swooped down on Julia with a huge bath towel. “You watch that one. You come with me now.” She wrapped her big arm around Julia’s waist. “I’m going to get you some dry clothes and fix you a nice cup of tea.”
Paul wiped the water from his face and watched Travers lead Eve’s daughter into the house. Then he rose to see to Charlie’s.
• • •
Swathed in one of Eve’s flowing silk robes, bolstered by tea spiked with brandy, Julia rested against the pile of pillows Travers had plumped around her.
“I haven’t felt so pampered since I was twelve and broke my wrist roller skating.”
“It helps Travers deal with the guilt.” Paul stopped pacing to light a cigar.
“She doesn’t have anything to feel guilty about. She believed I’d done it. Christ, there were moments I almost believed it myself.” She shifted, winced.
“You should let me call the doctor, Jules.”
“The paramedics already cleared me,” she reminded him. “Scratches and bruises.”
“And a gunshot wound.”
She glanced down at her arm where it was bandaged just above the elbow. “Gosh, Rocky, it’s just a scratch.” When he didn’t smile, she reached out her hand. “Really, Paul, it’s a graze, just like in the movies. The little bite she landed on my shoulder hurts worse.” Grimacing, she touched it gingerly. “I just want to stay right here, with you.”
“Shove up,” he ordered, sitting by her hip when she made room. He took her hand between both of his, then brought it to his lips. “You sure know how to scare the life out of a man, Jules. When I heard that gunshot, I lost five years.”
“If you kiss me, I’ll do my best to give them back to you.”
He bent down to her, intending to keep the kiss light. But she wrapped her arms around him, drew him in. With a low sound of desperation he hauled her against him and poured all of his needs, his gratitude, his promises into that one meeting of lips.
“Hate to interrupt,” Frank said from the doorway.
Paul didn’t glance around, but brushed his mouth over the scratches on Julia’s cheeks. “Then don’t.”
“Sorry, pal, it’s official. Miss Summers, I’m here to inform you that all charges against you have been dropped.”
Paul felt her shudder. Her hand had fisted against his shirt as he looked up at Frank. “Sure, after she collared the killer for you.”
“Shut up, Winthrop. And to offer an official apology for the ordeal you’ve experienced. Can I have one of those sandwiches? I’m starved.”
Paul glanced at the plate of cold cuts Travers had left on the table. “Take it to go.”
“No, Paul.” Julia pushed him away far enough to sit up. “I need to know why. I have to know what she meant by some of the things she said. She’s talked to you, hasn’t she?”
“Yeah, she talked.” Frank bent over to build a huge sandwich of chilled ham, salami, chicken breast, topped with three cheeses and thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes. “She knew we had her. Got anything to drink with this?”
“Try the bar,” Paul told him.
Impatient, Julia got up to fetch him a soft drink herself. “When she talked about killing me, she said she’d make it quick. That she’d been taught by the best. Do you know who she meant?”
Frank took the bottle she offered and nodded. “Michael Delrickio.”
“Delrickio? Nina was involved with Delrickio?”
“That’s how Eve met her,” Paul said. “Sit down. I’ll tell you what Travers told me.”
“I think I’d better.” Unconsciously she took the chair under Eve’s portrait.
“It seems Nina’s background wasn’t quite what she’d led you to believe. It hadn’t been poor, but it had been abusive. Her father had left her mother a sizable bequest. But it wasn’t enough to buy off hate. Nina’s mother took out that hate on the child—physically, emotionally. And there was a stepfather for a while. All of that was true. What she left out was the fact that her mother tried to poison her against Eve, telling Nina how she’d betrayed Charlie, caused his death. When Nina left home at sixteen, she was very confused, very vulnerable. She worked the streets for a while, then went to Vegas. She worked a floor show and turned tricks. That was where she met Delrickio. She’d have been about twenty then, sharp as a tack. He saw potential and began using her as a hostess for his more important clients. They had an affair that went on for several years. Somewhere along the line she fell for him. She didn’t want to entertain his clients anymore. She wanted a straight job, and some sort of commitment from him.”
“The lady showed real poor taste,” Frank said over a mouthful of sandwich. “And poor judgment. Delrickio kept her in Vegas, and when she caused a scene, he had one of his boys teach her a lesson. That quieted her down for a while. The way she tells it, she still had a thing for him, couldn’t let go. She found out he was boffing some other babe and she went after her, cut her up some. Delrickio liked her initiative, and strung her along.”
“Then Eve came into the picture,” Paul put in. He stroked a hand up and down Julia’s arm, slowly, rhythmically, as if he were afraid to break contact. “This time it was Delrickio who fell hard. When Nina wouldn’t shake loose, he had some of his muscle try to convince her. Eve got wind of it, and since she’d just found out—through Priest—how far Delrickio would go, she went to see Nina herself. Nina was in the hospital, pretty r
acked up, and the whole thing spilled out of her.”
“And when Eve found out she was Charlie’s daughter,” Julia said quietly, “she brought her here.”
“That’s right.” Paul looked up at the portrait. “She gave Nina a fresh start, friendship, had Kenneth train her. And for all the years in between, Eve lied for her. When Eve decided she wanted to clean up the lies, that she wanted the truth to be part of her legacy, Nina panicked. Eve promised she would wait until she trusted you before she told you everything, but she felt Charlie deserved honesty. And she reasoned with Nina that she was a symbol of how far a woman could come.”
“Nina couldn’t handle it,” Frank continued. “She liked the image she’d developed. The cool, competent career woman. She didn’t want all of her upper class contacts to know she’d been a whore for a Mafia don. She didn’t plan to kill Eve, not consciously, but when she found out she’d put the whole story down on tape and was going to give it to you, she snapped. The rest is easy.”
“She followed Eve down to the guest house,” Julia murmured. “They argued. She picked up the poker, hit her. Nina would have been scared then, but very organized. She’d have wiped her prints
