“We think the owner was. That’s his wife over there.” He pointed at an ambulance attendant trying to console a middle-aged woman nearby. Her face was stained with tears and soot.
“I want to talk to her.” Garrett nodded toward the woman. “Do you know her name?”
“Signora Manero.”
Janessa slipped her hand into Garrett’s and gave it a comforting squeeze. “I’ll come with you.”
Garrett nodded. When the woman saw him approach, she blinked hard as though trying to ascertain if the prince really was coming toward her. Despite the tears streaming down her face, she dipped into a curtsey. “Your Highness.”
“Signora Manero, I am so sorry for your loss.” Garrett pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and passed it to her. He led her to the back of the ambulance, then sat next to her and held her hand as she continued to weep.
When at last the woman’s tears slowed, Garrett asked quietly, “Can you tell me what happened?”
“I went to my sister’s. I go to her house for dinner when my husband has business meetings.” She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. “We heard an explosion, and when we got here, everything was burning.”
“Did he often have meetings at night?” Janessa asked, stepping out of the background for the first time.
“Once a month. Always the first Tuesday.”
Garrett glanced down at Janessa, cueing in to her suspicions. “Do you know who he met with?”
“He said he was meeting with his suppliers.” The woman paused, her eyes lighting with sudden clarity. “The strange thing is, they didn’t look like they worked in the gas industry. Last month I forgot my purse at the station, and when I returned for it, my husband was talking to two men and a woman. Both of the men were wearing expensive suits, and I remember thinking how young the woman was to be at the meeting.” The tears started flowing again. “Alberto was upset that I had interrupted.”
“Don’t think about that now,” Janessa said, her voice soothing. “Is your sister here?”
The ambulance attendant stepped forward. “She is calling Signora Manero’s children.”
Garrett spoke to the ambulance attendant now. “You will see to her needs?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Garrett conveyed his condolences once more before leading Janessa back to where he had left the car. He vaguely noticed his security men standing a short distance away. “I want to go down to the beach. We might be able to see more from there.”
Janessa nodded, shifting around the barricade. They made their way between a clothing store and a restaurant down to the seawall. The flames were no longer visible, now smoldering beneath the constant spray of water. For the first time, they were able to see two boats that were also on fire and a fireboat that was moving in to contend with the smaller blaze.
“Do you think it was an accident?” Garrett asked, his eyes burning from the smoke.
“It’s too soon to tell.” Janessa shrugged. “The explosions could have been caused by something igniting the gasoline.”
“Or someone could have detonated the gasoline.”
“No one will be able to determine anything until morning,” Janessa said. “We just need to make sure the area is secure, in case there’s any evidence to find.”
“The police will see to it,” Garrett agreed.
“I know it’s a difficult time for Signora Manero, but we also need the descriptions of the people who were meeting with Signore Manero.”
Garrett nodded in agreement. “It looks like the police are working on that right now. I should get you back to the palace.”
Janessa started to protest, then seemed to think better of it and sighed. “Do you think it would be okay if we came back in the morning before we left for the chateau?”
“I’ll check with the fire chief before we leave.” Garrett took her hand to lead her back to the car.
He opened her car door, helping her inside before moving to speak with the fire chief. A moment later he returned and climbed in behind the wheel. “The fire chief said we can come back tomorrow. They will start their investigation as soon as they have enough light.”
“I hope they’ll be able to find some answers,” Janessa said, glancing back at the smoldering fire.
“Me too,” Garrett agreed before lapsing into silence for the rest of the drive.
As he finished parking next to the garage, Janessa reached over and laid a hand on his.
“Are you okay?” Concern filled her voice.
Garrett looked down at her hand covering his. It was a simple gesture and surprisingly soothing. “Not really, but I think you understand.” He climbed from the car and went around to open her door. “When something like this happens, I feel so helpless.”
“It’s difficult, isn’t it? Having the responsibility for so many people and knowing that there are times when nothing you do will protect them.” Janessa stepped out of the car, and the two of them started toward the house.
“I should have been able to do something.”
“You comforted a widow when she needed comfort the most.” Janessa took his hand and squeezed it. “There was nothing more you could do.”
“We have to find out who did this,” Garrett insisted.
“We will.” Janessa nodded. “When the smoke settles, we’ll find out exactly what happened.”
* * *
Janessa packed the last of her things and zipped her suitcase shut. She had hardly slept due to the events of the previous evening tumbling through her head. The gas station fire should be a routine matter for the local authorities to handle, but the possibility of its being connected with the embassy bombing nagged at her. She was certain Garrett felt
it too.
She tried to concentrate on what needed to be done and how her government might be able to help. It was easier than thinking about what had happened right before the fire.
Dropping onto the window seat, she stared out at the cloudy day. Garrett’s words kept replaying in her mind. Each time she wondered if she was just reading too much into them. He’d said he had feelings for her, but she still wondered exactly what that meant. Could it be possible, she asked herself, for Garrett to fall in love with her? Or had he said the same thing to the dozens of other women he had been photographed with over the years? He seemed so sincere that she was beginning to believe that his feelings for her might actually be genuine.
Wearily, she leaned her head against the window. The real question was, what was she going to do about her own feelings? Everything in her demanded that she settle for nothing less than a temple marriage. Her heart simply wasn’t listening.
A knock on the door sent her heart racing. Expecting to see Garrett on the other side, she pulled the door open to find the queen there instead.
“Are you all packed?” Queen Marta asked as she entered the room.
“Yes. I was going to stop in the village this morning before we leave to see if there have been any new developments.”
“Garrett already left with Frederick Donovan, our country’s director of security.” Marta took a seat and motioned for Janessa to do the same. “Since Garrett has already met the widow, he wanted to stay for a day or two until everything settles.”
Annoyance and frustration shot through Janessa. Garrett had left without her. “Perhaps I should postpone my appointment with the caterers,” she suggested.
“No.” Queen Marta shook her head. “I know you want to be part of the investigation, but we need you at the chateau. I’m not happy that Garrett is insisting on working with Frederick on this, and I certainly don’t want the press to see both of you involved. Remember, if the public sees you going about your duties as hostess, no one will suspect that you are anything but what you appear to be.”
Janessa closed her eyes a moment before nodding in agreement.
“Good,” Marta said as a knock came at the door. “Now that we have that settled, let’s get through this fitting so y
ou can be on your way.”
Janessa sighed. “I’d rather dig through ashes.”
“So would I.”
* * *
Janessa moved up the steps of the chateau as Martino opened the front door. As always, his tone was formal and aloof when he spoke to her. “Welcome back.”
“Thank you, Martino.” Janessa walked into the parlor, for once relieved to know that the staff would see to her bags. “Have the caterers arrived yet?”
“They are in the dining room,” he told her. “Today you will finalize the menu, so they brought samples.”
Wearily, she leaned against the arm of a sofa. “Could you please ask Patrice to join me? I have the queen’s notes, but I’d like to have Patrice’s opinion as well.”
“Of course.” Martino took a step toward the door before turning back to her. Surprisingly, his tone softened fractionally as he asked, “Are you all right?”
Janessa nodded and gave him a weary smile. “I’m just tired.”
Five minutes later, she no longer had time to be tired. The caterers bustled around, offering her tastes of various items, noting how much should be prepared, and determining how and when each item would be served. Patrice, who thankfully was well experienced in both protocol and menu selection, was a tremendous help.
Two hours later, when the caterers left, Janessa turned to Patrice. “Thank you so much for your help. I never could have done it without you. I guess making these decisions is just business as usual for you.”
“This is the first time, actually,” Patrice told her with a smile. “Never before have I been consulted on the menu.”
Janessa looked at her, surprised. “I suppose the queen didn’t want to pull you away from your other duties. As long as you’re willing, I have every intention of relying on your expertise.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Patrice moved to the door. “Do you want me to fix you some lunch?”
“I don’t think I could eat another bite,” Janessa said, laying a hand on her stomach. She lowered her voice and peeked through the door to make sure the caterers were indeed gone. “By the way, I much prefer your quiche Florentine.”
Patrice laughed. “So do I.”
Chapter 18
Rain drizzled down onto the blackened earth by the seashore. Garrett stood beneath an umbrella, listening to the fire investigator’s initial report. Arson was not a common crime in Meridia, but the investigator’s findings left little doubt. He was certain that the fire had been deliberate.
The positive press from the day before about his engagement to Janessa had taken a back seat to last night’s tragedy. Today’s headlines were filled with news of the gas station fire as well as reminders of the embassy bombing two weeks before. With the gala less than a month away, security concerns were once again increasing.
The fire the night before had originated at one of the gasoline holding tanks. Records indicated that Alberto Manero had passed a safety inspection six weeks earlier. The possibility of an accidental fire starting there was basically nonexistent.
A visit to Manero’s widow had revealed minimal information about the people Manero had met with. His wife had described the woman as young and beautiful with dark hair. The men had worn expensive suits, and one was middle-aged while the other she guessed to be a bit younger. Beyond that she could remember little except that they had been meeting on the first Tuesday of each month for the past several years.
Neighboring shopkeepers had not noticed anyone near the gas station the night before, and only one body had been recovered from the fire. Some subtle probing into Manero’s bank accounts revealed nothing unusual. By the same token, no record of any consistent business dealings existed either. His supplier had been the same since before he had taken over the business from his father. His clients were simply the residents and tourists in the village. The people he had been meeting with each month were a complete mystery.
After the investigator finished briefing Garrett and Frederick Donovan, Meridia’s director of security, Garrett instructed his driver to take him to the American Embassy, where he asked to meet with Tony Coletto. According to Frederick, Coletto was the man the Americans had sent to investigate the bombings. Their sources revealed that Coletto had been with the CIA for the majority of his working career, specializing in terrorist activity.
As soon as Garrett was shown into Coletto’s office, he got straight to the point. “I hope your government can help us with a small matter in the embassy bombing investigation.”
“What do you need?” Coletto asked, leaning forward in his seat, looking puzzled.
“I want you to see if you can find any offshore bank accounts for Alberto Manero.”
“Forgive me, but I wasn’t aware that you were involved in the embassy bombing investigation. I have been dealing with your director of security up until now,” Coletto said.
“I realize that. In fact, I met with Frederick this morning regarding the fire last night. He agrees that this information may be crucial to the investigation,” Garrett told him.
“You can’t possibly think that a gas station fire has anything to do with the embassy bombing.”
“I don’t know.” Garrett shrugged. “I just know that this village hasn’t had a fire in nearly ten years. Now we’ve had two in less than a month.”
“Do you know how the fire started?”
“It started at one of the holding tanks.” Garrett tapped a finger on the arm of his chair, studying Coletto. “I looked over the reports
on Manero’s bank account records. Something doesn’t add up, particularly the reason behind a so-called business meeting he had each month. I can only assume that he was involved in something besides selling gasoline.”
“I’ll send this request to the CIA. It may take some time, but we’ll do what we can.”
“Thank you.” Garrett nodded. “Have you had any new developments on the bombing?”
Coletto shook his head. “Logically, a terrorist group should be responsible. Unfortunately, we can’t find any evidence to substantiate that theory. In fact, each day we seem to uncover more evidence against the possibility.”
“Who would gain from the mere appearance of a terrorist attack?” Garrett wondered.
“If you figure that out, let me know.”
* * *
“Who authorized you to discuss our naval base with the royal family?” The US ambassador’s voice boomed over the phone line, and Janessa held the phone an inch from her ear to protect her hearing. She’d been doing so well managing to stay out of trouble since arriving in Meridia. That was before Stefano had decided to have a chat with Aaron Mitchell, the US ambassador in Meridia.
“Sir, I did not engage in any negotiations nor official discussions with the royal family,” Janessa said, trying to keep her voice calm. “It was an unplanned disclosure but truly seemed to be in our country’s best interest.”
“It’s not your place to judge that. You were out of line, Rogers. I might even go so far as to say it was a complete breach of security. If I have my way, you will be on your way home before the day is over.”
“Surely you don’t think that’s wise,” Janessa managed, trying to ignore the panic rising in her stomach. “My position is far too public for me to leave, and I believe the royal family wishes for me to complete my duties here.”
“No one is irreplaceable,” Ambassador Mitchell insisted loudly right before hanging up the phone.
Wearily, Janessa set down the phone and rubbed her fingers against the throbbing at her temples. She knew she should go talk to Levi about a backup plan in case the ambassador was successful in sending her home, but she couldn’t bring herself to face the possibility quite yet.
She considered wryly what Garrett would think if she were sent home. This would be the second time since she met him. She hoped he would understand that, once again, her actions didn’t warrant such extreme punishment. She was still annoyed that he had gone to meet with the fire inspector witho
ut her, but she pushed that aside and picked up the phone. Though Garrett had given her his phone numbers before she arrived in Meridia, she had never before considered using them.
The phone rang several times before Garrett answered with a breathless hello.
“Garrett? It’s Janessa,” she started, annoyed when her voice wavered. She took a deep breath and forced the words out. “I was hoping you could help me with something.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Not exactly.” She took another deep breath. “The US ambassador here wants to send me home.” Before he could ask any questions, she rushed on. “Apparently your brother commented on my naval proposal, and the ambassador believes that I have breached security.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Garrett insisted. “My family has already been briefed several times regarding the US naval base.”
“I know.” Janessa made a frustrated gesture with her free hand. “Garrett, I’m not sure what to do. I don’t know how someone else could replace me at this point.”
“Janessa, no one is going to replace you,” Garrett assured her. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you.” Janessa let herself slide down onto the sofa as she cradled the phone between her shoulder and her ear. “I’m sorry I had to bother you with this.”
“It’s not a bother. I was going to call you anyway to let you know I got the fire chief’s report today,” he told her. “The evidence suggests that it was arson.”
“You already suspected as much,” Janessa commented, fighting back the frustration that she wasn’t able to be more involved. “Are there any leads as to who is responsible?”
“Not yet. We have a couple of suspicions we’re looking into,” Garrett said. “I’ll give you the details when I see you.”
“Do you know when you’re coming back yet?”
“Tomorrow, I hope,” he replied. A bit of mischief laced his voice when he added, “By the way, my mother offered to send her designer out to the chateau. She thought you should probably have another fitting or two for your ball gown.”
“Maybe I should let the ambassador send me home after all.”
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