“That may solve the first part of the puzzle. Now we just have to figure out who the third person involved was.”
“And find Byron Heuse before he recruits replacements.”
Chapter 33
Later that week, Garrett watched through the limousine window as his father’s private plane landed at the airport. As soon as the aircraft came to a stop, his driver pulled forward and parked next to it. A moment later, Garrett watched Tim O’Donnell escort his wife, Lauren, down onto the tarmac.
Heedless of the reporters that had been constantly following him since his arrival in Calene, Garrett stepped out of the car to greet his friends.
“When you said you would take care of our travel arrangements, I thought you meant that you would send us a couple of plane tickets.” Lauren moved forward and gave Garrett a hug.
“The plane was in Washington anyway,” Garrett commented as he shook Tim’s hand.
“Well, we appreciate it,” Lauren told him, avoiding mentioning the reason the plane had ended up in Washington in the first place. She climbed into the back of the limo and waited until Tim and Garrett were settled before she asked, “Are you going to tell me what happened with the American girl? Tim won’t tell me anything.”
Garrett turned to Tim. “Did you tell her I got baptized?”
“Yes. And I’m so happy for you! But how did you manage to keep this juicy bit of info from the press?” Lauren asked incredulously. “Nothing has been in the newspapers at all about you being associated with the Church.”
“Believe me, that hasn’t been easy.”
“What about the girl? Is there any hope you’ll get back together?”
Garrett shook his head. “I may need a miracle on that one.”
Tim studied him for a moment. “I hope it turns out the way you want.”
“So do I.”
* * *
Janessa leaned over her worktable where she had spread out the museums’ security logs. Since Garrett had told her of Pierre Dumond’s arrest, something had been nagging at her. She couldn’t reconcile the man she had met with a thief, and she definitely couldn’t see him involved in an organization that would kill to obtain its objectives. She also couldn’t understand why he had sent the art experts to the chateau to discover more forgeries unless he was innocent.
If she looked at the evidence like a prosecutor, the case was tight. Dumond had been in the right places at the right times to steal the works of art in question. His access code had been identified as the only one used in three of the thefts.
From a defensive point of view, no one had seen him take anything from the museums. His lifestyle had not changed significantly over the past several years, and none of the money filtering through the numbered account in the Cayman Islands could be traced to him in any way. Withdrawals from the account had been made in person over the years, mostly in cash, but no one in the bank could ever recall seeing Dumond.
Another thing that bothered her was the Tuesday meetings. Passport records had indicated that Byron Heuse, the art dealer, had not been in Meridia on any of the dates in question. Logically, that meant that Dumond had been the other man present, yet Signora Manero had said that the other man was younger than Lord Tratte. Dumond was actually a bit older than Tratte.
She peeked out the door of her office into the living room when she heard her door open. Queen Marta entered, followed by Prince Stefano.
“How are you holding up, dear?” Queen Marta asked as Janessa moved into the living room.
“A little stir-crazy, but other than that I’m fine.” Janessa motioned for them to sit down.
Stefano nodded at her office as he sat. “I see you are still working hard.”
“I just can’t believe that Pierre Dumond is guilty.” Janessa shrugged her shoulders. “If someone else managed to get his access code, he truly may be as innocent as he says he is.”
“Securing his access code would not be an easy feat,” Stefano told her with an air of authority. “The access codes are changed every six months. Three different codes were used in the thefts, all belonging to Dumond.”
“Enough about that for the moment,” Queen Marta interrupted. “I’m afraid we still have a lot of details to see to for the upcoming festivities. Patrice told me that you needed to speak to me about the caterers.”
Janessa nodded. “I think some of their personnel are switching the paintings here at the chateau.”
She went on to explain about Patrice’s observations and the plans to increase the surveillance areas in the chateau.
Stefano’s dark eyes sharpened as he considered the possibilities. “So most likely the caterers are bringing in the forgeries with their uniforms and then sneaking the originals out in the hanging bag Patrice mentioned.”
“Right. The man, Roberto Lumere, is our main suspect, but when the police went to his home to question him, he and his wife weren’t there.” Janessa shrugged. “Of course, there is also the possibility that a guest has been orchestrating the thefts for the past several years.”
“Pierre Dumond has been a frequent guest since he took over the museum in Bellamo,” Marta said now, concern and regret filling her voice.
“Yes, but he has been here for nearly ten years. The thefts didn’t begin until three years ago,” Janessa pointed out. “I can’t find anything in his background that indicates a significant change that would cause him to abandon his integrity and start a life of crime.”
“Garrett is supposed to be sitting in on the interrogations today,” Stefano told her. “Maybe the detectives will have some luck in uncovering some new information.”
Stefano stood and leaned over to kiss his mother’s cheek. “I need to get back to Calene. If all goes well, we will see you tomorrow.”
“Just as long as you are here for the welcoming luncheon,” Queen Marta told him. As soon as he left, she turned back to Janessa. “Now, why don’t you tell me what is really happening between you and
my son.”
Janessa’s jaw tightened, and she knew she couldn’t talk about this, not yet anyway. “I’m afraid I’m not destined to live in your world.”
“Nonsense,” Queen Marta said.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I really don’t want to talk about this, please.”
Marta studied her a moment and gave a subtle nod. Her tone was compassionate as she said, “I want you to know that I would gladly welcome you to our family, and my husband has come to feel the same way.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
With a brisk nod, the queen changed the subject. “Now, bring me up to date on the preparations for the gala, and we’ll see what still needs to be done.”
* * *
Friday morning Janessa met with Levi after he made a final check of the new security equipment. Alan and Max had already completed their sweep of the chateau, and they were now positioned at the front gate, where all vehicles would be inspected before proceeding forward.
Shortly before eleven o’clock, Janessa moved into the security office so she could help monitor the video feed from the chateau’s security cameras and the new surveillance equipment that had been placed around the kitchen, dining room, and parlor.
Once she was satisfied that all of the monitors were functioning properly, she called Martino. “When is King Eduard expected to arrive?”
“Any minute,” Martino told her. “The queen should also be arriving within the next ten minutes.”
An alarm went off in her head. “Where is the queen?”
“She went into Bellamo about two hours ago. She said something about checking on the dessert menu.”
“Has anyone heard from her since she left?” Janessa fought the rising panic.
“No, signorina.”
“Call Enrico,” Janessa instructed. “I want to know exactly where the queen is.”
“Of course,” Martino agreed, his normally formal tone softening with concern.
Behind her, Levi stood abruptly
. “What’s going on?”
“The queen went to the caterers two hours ago to finalize the dessert menu, but Patrice took care of that last week.” Janessa pressed the number for the queen’s cell phone, her tension rising. “She’s not answering.”
“How do you want to play this?” Levi asked.
“Start a location trace on any calls made from the queen’s phone just in case,” Janessa said as her phone rang.
Martino’s voice was filled with anguish when he gave her the news. “Enrico is not answering his phone. Neither are the queen’s bodyguards.”
Janessa hung up her phone and looked at Levi. “Enrico and the guards aren’t answering. Call the police and send them to the caterers, and get me some backup. You just became command central.”
Heedless of who might see her, Janessa raced out of the chateau to the garage. She grabbed a set of keys out of the case on the wall and clicked the lock button to figure out which car they belonged to. She had just cleared the gate when she saw a limousine approaching. Realizing it was Garrett, she picked up her phone and pressed speed dial.
Garrett picked up on the first ring. “I just saw you drive by. Where are you going?”
“I’m going to the village.” Urgency filled her voice. “Your mother left a couple of hours ago. I’m sorry, Garrett. No one told me she was leaving.”
“I don’t understand,” Garrett said. “Where did she go?”
“The caterers.” Janessa took a deep breath. “Garrett, I’m worried. She and Enrico aren’t answering their phones.”
“I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”
“Garrett, hurry.”
Chapter 34
Queen Marta tapped her pen on the notepad in front of her. She had spoken to the florists, the caterers, and the musicians. Everything was ready. Janessa and Patrice had done an adequate job filling in for her preparing for the gala, and over the past few days she had been able to finalize the last details over the phone.
The extra security had been somewhat burdensome, but at times these things couldn’t be avoided. She had hoped to find out what had transpired between Janessa and Garrett, but to her knowledge neither one had confided to anyone what had caused both of them to be so on edge. All she knew was that if the tension didn’t ease soon, someone was going to snap.
The call from the caterer had come at the ideal time. She had been looking for an excuse to get out of the chateau for a while, and a drive to the village had been the perfect opportunity. She hadn’t planned on taking quite so long, but it had seemed silly not to check on the other details while she was there. Besides, she knew that the staff at the chateau had everything under control for the upcoming luncheon.
She looked out the window, expecting to see the Mediterranean. Instead, all she saw were trees. Surprised that they hadn’t arrived at the chateau by now, she pressed the button to lower the window that separated her from the driver.
“Driver, where are we?”
“We’ll be arriving shortly, Your Majesty.”
Marta’s eyes narrowed when the driver turned his head enough for her to see his profile. This was not the same man who had driven her into the village. “Where is Enrico?”
“He wasn’t feeling well. I am his replacement.”
Marta thought back to when she had entered the limo, wondering how she hadn’t noticed the change before. She remembered the window between her and the driver being up when she had entered the limo, which wasn’t unusual, but she recalled that one of the caterers had opened the door for her and helped her inside instead of her driver. Suddenly uneasy, she glanced behind her, surprised to see that her security detail was not following them.
Marta took a calming breath and forced an air of authority into her voice. “We’ve been driving for twenty minutes. We should have arrived by now.”
“The road to the chateau was blocked by an accident. We are circling around to come in from the other side.”
With that, the driver closed the window between them. Queen Marta’s eyes widened with shock. The window between her and the driver was always to remain in her control. The fact that he had closed it without her instructing him to do so was a complete breach of etiquette. She replayed her meeting with the caterers, now realizing how odd it was that the owner had not been there but had instead left two of her servers in charge.
Concerned that everything was not what it appeared to be, she retrieved her cell phone from her bag. She noticed that she had forgotten to turn the ringer back on after her meeting and quickly dialed her husband’s number. Relief flowed through her when she heard his voice.
“Don’t worry, darling. We are pulling up to the chateau now.”
“Was the road blocked?” Marta asked, her heart racing.
“What road?”
“Eduard, something is wrong.” Marta fought to maintain control. “My driver said that the road to the chateau was blocked and that he is going the long way.”
“Where are you now?”
“All I see are trees.” She shifted to look behind her, unable to even identify what direction she was traveling in. “I was in Bellamo. We left about twenty or thirty minutes ago.”
“Everything is going to be okay,” Eduard assured her, though she could hear the strain in his voice. “I want you to keep this line open, but don’t let your driver know you’re on the phone.”
“Eduard, I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Eduard’s voice wavered. “I’ll see you soon. Now hide your phone, but keep it turned on.”
“Okay.”
Marta started to put the phone back in her purse when suddenly the limousine came to a screeching halt. She fell forward, crying out as the back door was yanked open and a man leaned inside.
“I’ll take that.” He grabbed the phone out of Marta’s hand and held it up to his ear. “If you want to see the queen alive again, it’s going to cost you fifty million dollars. I’ll be in touch.”
“Now, I think it’s time we got reacquainted.” He slid into the back seat with the queen as her eyes widened with recognition. A moment later they were on their way once more.
* * *
Two police cars and an ambulance were already at the caterers when Garrett arrived just moments after Janessa. Enrico was sitting on the curb, and an ambulance attendant was examining a wound on the back of his head.
“What happened?” Garrett asked as he rushed forward to where Janessa was standing beside two of the police officers.
“I am so sorry, Your Highness.” Enrico started to stand, but the ambulance attendant held him in place and shined a light in his eyes. The attendant looked up at Garrett, his expression serious. “We need to get him to the hospital.”
As Garrett nodded in agreement, a police officer moved forward. “Someone hit him from behind and tied him up in the storeroom.” The officer hesitated a moment before dealing the worst of the news. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but the limousine is missing, and no one has seen the queen since she arrived in town earlier this morning.”
“Where are her guards?” Garrett asked, his lips pressing into a thin line.
“Three of them are inside being treated by the paramedics. It appears that they were drugged.” The officer hesitated a moment before adding, “I’m sorry, but the other guard was already dead when we arrived. It appears he was shot in the back.”
Garrett let the reality seep in. His mother’s guards had been neutralized, and she was being held hostage by men who clearly would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. He couldn’t contemplate what they might want just yet. As waves of fear and frustration rolled through him, he raked his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes against reality. He anticipated the call he must now make to his father, not sure he could voice the words. He pulled the phone from his pocket, surprised when it rang and his father’s number was listed on the caller ID.
“Dad—”
“Garrett, your mother has been kidnapped.”
“
I know.” Garrett took a deep breath. “We are at the caterers where she was abducted.”
“The ransom is fifty million dollars.” The king’s voice was hard, and fury vibrated through the line. He relayed the information his wife had given him, as well as the fact that she had been heading inland.
Garrett turned as he heard a car drive away, and his eyes widened when he saw Janessa speeding away.
“Garrett, come home now,” King Eduard commanded. “I want you at the chateau.”
Not wanting to argue, Garrett simply said, “I’ll talk to you in a few minutes.”
Garrett hung up and then turned to the ambulance attendant that approached.
The attendant’s voice was serious when he spoke. “Your driver is showing signs of severe trauma. Is there anyone we should call?”
“I’ll take care of it.” Garrett signaled to one of the police officers as the attendant crossed to the ambulance. “Please go to the chateau and escort Patrice Saldera to the hospital. She’s my driver’s wife.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
With a nod, Garrett returned to his car. Trying to push aside his concern for Enrico, he ignored his father’s request and headed away from the chateau.
* * *
Janessa took the curve as fast as the car would allow. Her cell phone sat on the seat next to her on speaker with Levi on the other end. She couldn’t think about what the queen was going through right now. She had to stay focused on the task at hand—finding her.
She had seen Garrett’s frustration, the helplessness he had tried so hard to fight when they had discovered that his mother was missing. She hated herself for adding to his aggravation by leaving him behind, but she assured herself that she had no other choice. She couldn’t put Garrett in danger or allow his presence to jeopardize his mother’s safety. She had to do what she knew best, and that was to work with the US military, not the Meridian authorities.
A trace of a call made from the queen’s cell phone had narrowed down her position, as had the antitheft device on her limousine. Unfortunately, the cell phone had remained silent for the past fifteen minutes, and the limousine had come to a stop, probably abandoned.
Royal Target Page 22
