by Alexa Verde
“That’s because I knew you well.”
“Instead of being beautiful, I’d rather be loved,” Julia said so low she barely heard herself. But by the way his eyes widened for a moment, she knew he’d heard her.
Gradually, the purr of the motor and the movement of the car lulled her to sleep…
***
Ivan stole a glance at Julia, and gentleness stirred inside him. She looked so peaceful and lovely in her sleep. He hadn’t been nice to her after Seth’s death, and still she’d forgiven him. She had kindness, courage, and beauty, but he sensed an invisible wall between them. He slowed down as he changed lanes.
Ivan suppressed the urge to touch Julia’s porcelain skin, afraid he’d wake her up. But soon he’d have no choice but to wake her up. According to the road sign, they were only fifteen miles away from Rios Azules. They’d be home soon.
His heart squeezed. He’d enjoyed these minutes with her by his side more than he should have. He was falling for her again, and this time there would be no way back.
His phone rang. Julia stirred and opened her eyes.
Ivan answered, irked that the call had woken her up. “Hello, Aidan.”
“I talked to Gallagher’s lawyer. At first, he didn’t want to provide any information, so it took me a while. Finally, he said that Hank Gallagher called him the day he died and asked for a meeting. Mr. Gallagher wanted to change his will,” Aidan said.
Ivan tensed. “Do you know what kind of changes he wanted to make?”
“The meeting never happened. During the phone conversation, Gallagher only said he wanted to leave a large portion of his inheritance to his son. The problem is, he has no sons we know of.”
“Thank you. I owe you.” Ivan slowed down around a curve. “What about the alibis I asked you to check?”
“Both women have alibis for the time of Seth’s death.”
“Thanks.” Ivan disconnected.
Julia threw him a curious glance. He gave her a shortened version of Aidan’s words.
“Do you think Blake McDougal might be Gallagher’s son? Judging by pictures, there’s a lot of resemblance. And did Mrs. Gallagher know about the possible change of will?” Julia stared out the window.
“If she did, that gives Mrs. Gallagher a motive to kill her husband. As for killing Seth, maybe he started suspecting her. Besides, she might’ve wanted Seth’s spot for her favorite nephew. It looked like Seth let his killer inside, so it was someone he knew and trusted. Mrs. Gallagher fits this profile. She also had the opportunity to give her husband a double dosage of medicine, then come close to him to push him into the swimming pool. All this makes her a suspect.”
Julia shook her head. “Honestly, she seems too fragile to commit murder.”
“Firing a gun of a small caliber wouldn’t take much strength. And if Gallagher was weakened by disease, it wouldn’t require much to push him into a swimming pool. She could even have an accomplice, her nephew, for example.”
“Then why did she bring up my father’s death? Why invite me to stay at her place?” Julia asked.
“The first one was probably to distract us. The latter one would be to be able to get rid of you if needed. We don’t have any proof to our suspicions, so these are only speculations.”
Julia tapped on the door handle in thought. Seth had always spoken highly of Mrs. Gallagher. Julia couldn’t wrap her mind around the possibility of her being a murderer.
Ivan glanced in the rearview mirror, watching out for a red SUV or a black sedan with tinted windows, as he’d done during his entire way back to Rios Azules. No such car was in sight, but he frowned at the rapidly approaching black truck. The vehicle was easily visible as traffic was slow on this part of the road.
His instincts went on high alert, and he sped up. Still, the distance between him and the black truck seemed to be getting shorter by the moment.
Ivan grabbed his phone and reported the situation to his boss.
Julia glanced back. “Are we in danger?”
Ivan turned on the left turn signal to mislead the tail, if this was a tail, and took the nearest exit to the right. His pulse quickened. “It’s possible. When I ask you to duck, please do it.” He sent her a quick glance.
She nodded.
The black vehicle followed him.
Ivan’s muscles tensed. He changed lanes and made several turns, paying close attention to the rearview mirror. He breathed easier when the black vehicle wasn’t following them any longer. He made about ten turns to make sure they weren’t followed.
Then he called his supervisor again, gave an update, and pulled into the library parking lot. Adrenaline still pumped blood fast in his veins, and he took a deep breath.
Ivan wasn’t afraid for himself, but he was terrified to lose Julia.
***
Ivan stretched after spending almost four hours at the library looking though old newspapers. It probably wasn’t such a great idea. So far they hadn’t come across any pictures with teardrop earrings.
“Time to go?” he asked Julia.
Her face was shadowed with disappointment. It looked like she hadn’t come across anything useful, either. Julia nodded. “As it is, we’re the last patrons in the library for today.”
It was a good thing one of the Danger Girls, Soledad O’Hara, used to be a librarian before deciding to paint oil landscapes and portraits full-time. Soledad had made a call to the library manager. The old lady had kindly let Ivan and Julia stay longer than business hours under the condition they’d call her when they were done.
Ivan’s intuition sent him a warning, and he stilled, then looked around the empty library. Listening intently, he lifted his hand, hoping Julia would understand his gesture as a request not to move.
Julia froze, fear in her eyes. For a moment, everything was silent. And then… was it a hushed footstep?
“Hide,” he mouthed to Julia. “I’ll check this.”
Her eyes widened slightly, but she nodded and slid behind the desk.
His every cell on high alert, Ivan moved stealthily and cleared the room in the direction of the exit. On the way, he sent Aidan a text, requesting backup.
Then the lights went out.
A surge of adrenaline shot through his blood. Everything inside him screamed to get back to Julia and shield her from danger. But Ivan forced himself to stay motionless and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. He watched for any movement, anything that would let him know the direction the perp was coming from. Julia hadn’t screamed when the lights had gone out, so her location hadn’t been revealed.
Good.
Shots thundered in the air.
Chapter Fourteen
Ivan fired immediately in the direction the shots came from, the fire exit. The sound of footsteps was followed by the creak of the door being opened and then closed.
Ivan rushed to the door and flung it open. A red SUV was disappearing in the distance. His first impulse was to follow it. But what if it was a diversion and there was another perp in the library, hunting for Julia? Ivan doubted it, but he couldn’t risk her life.
In a split-second decision, he chose to stay in the library to make sure Julia was okay. He slid his hand along the wall and turned on the switch. Light flooded the room. It seemed to be empty, but he did a fast sweep and headed toward Julia’s hiding place.
As soon as Ivan saw she was fine, a mountain fell off his shoulders. The wail of sirens signaled that his backup was close.
Her eyes were wide, and she trembled slightly.
Without a second thought, Ivan gathered her in his arms for a brief moment. “It’s going to be all right.”
She leaned into him, and an unexpected wave of tenderness swept over him. But he couldn’t linger, no matter how much he wanted to.
“I’ll be right back.” He bolted outside.
But of course, the perp was long gone. Ivan stifled a twinge of disappointment and rushed inside the library.
Worry and guilt squeezed his r
ib cage. He’d let the criminal get away again. His gaze swept over the room, taking in the perp’s escape route. With Ivan being off duty, Aidan would have to be the one to process the scene. But considering Ivan had discharged his weapon, his boss would demand an explanation.
Ivan walked to Julia, who crouched behind the desk, as the wail of the sirens stopped nearby. He had a gut feeling the perp was getting desperate.
Ivan couldn’t imagine his life without Julia.
She meant too much to him.
***
Two hours later, Julia snuggled in her favorite blanket as she curled comfortably on her couch. She’d given her statement to Aidan at the library, but Ivan had needed to go to the police station to write reports, and his boss hadn’t been taking no for an answer. After some arguing, she’d talked Ivan into leaving her at home for the time being. Julia did need to look through family albums in search for the mysterious earring.
Sure enough, he’d checked inside and outside of her house, waited for Lydia and Mari to arrive, and had made sure Julia had locked the door behind him. Soledad had just caught a flu and had been coughing and sneezing profusely. She’d been willing to come over, but Julia had thanked her and refused the offer, afraid to have sick Soledad anywhere near pregnant Mari.
After about half an hour at Julia’s place, Mari’s stomach had started to act up, and Julia had asked Lydia to take Mari home. Luke had been at work, and Mari didn’t want to worry him.
Julia sighed. Urged by concern for her friend, she texted Lydia.
How’s Mari?
Her phone beeped with an answer.
Better. I’m coming over.
Julia frowned and sent a text to Lydia.
No. Stay with Mari to make sure she’s okay. If she gets worse, call Luke despite her protests. Ivan should be back soon. I’ll be fine.
Her phone beeped several times.
Okay. I’ll try to talk Mari into going to a doctor when she wakes up. She’s asleep now. Soledad is drinking hot tea, sending her regards, and calling all of us germaphobes. I’ll be at your place as soon as I possibly can. Be very careful. Call me or Ivan if you hear anything suspicious.
Julia replied with Thanks, then turned her attention to her family album.
A melancholic mood took over Julia as she leafed through the pages. Her heart squeezed as she gently touched the few photos of when she was little and their family was complete. Love shone in the eyes of her father and her mother, and happy smiles brightened the faces of all of them.
Then everything changed when Julia was five.
There was no more father in the pictures, and her mother’s eyes dimmed. With each page, there were fewer and fewer pictures with her mom. Photos with the Danger Girls, then with Ivan and sometimes with Seth, took their place.
Julia had a nagging feeling she’d missed something. She returned to the beginning of the album. In her nostalgia for happier times, she’d concentrated on the pictures with her father and mother and didn’t pay much attention to other people in the photos. Julia zoomed in on a gathering for her father’s birthday. She ran calculations. She’d been only four years old at the time.
Many guests gathered around the large table, and she looked carefully over every one of them until her gaze stopped on a particular guest. A teardrop earring sparkled in her ear. Julia stilled. Was it the same earring? She couldn’t be sure. And she’d never suspect that person.
Betrayal cut deep, but Julia couldn’t let herself give in to despair. She had to keep her cool and let Ivan know about her discovery.
A squeak of the door being opened made her jump from her chair. She froze at the sight of Blake, who entered her house. Goose bumps erupted over her skin.
Blake’s expression was grim, and he had a gun in his hands. A gun that was pointed at her.
Dear Lord, I don’t understand this. I was sure my attacker was a different person. Please save me. In Jesus’s holy name. Amen.
Julia frantically searched for a way out. How could she be so wrong about Blake? It simply didn’t make sense.
Barbara slid in the open door, holding a small gun in her hands. “Looks like I showed up just in time.”
Blake glanced in Barbara’s direction. Probably using his moment’s distraction, Barbara fired. Julia flinched as the shot split the air. Blake slumped to the ground. Terrified, Julia drew a shaky breath.
Was Blake dead or only wounded? She needed to see if there was a way to help him. But the fierce gaze of Barbara’s eyes kept her glued to her place.
Julia said a silent prayer for Blake.
“You rescued me, Barbara. Thank you!” Julia infused her voice with gratitude and relief. She suppressed shudders that threatened to rack her body.
Barbara nodded, her features relaxing somewhat. “Of course. He’d have shot you if not for me.”
“Exactly.” Hope entered Julia’s heart.
Then Barbara glanced at the couch, where the photo album was left, and her eyes hardened again. She pointed the gun at Julia. “Don’t try to deceive me. You figured it out, didn’t you?”
Julia’s heart sank to her feet. She lifted her arms in surrender. She had to do something, or she’d be dead soon.
Blake had dropped his gun while falling. But the weapon was far away from Julia. From her current place, she couldn’t get to it without Barbara noticing.
“What are you talking about? Blake came here to kill me. Like you said, you arrived just in time.” Julia licked her dry lips. Her mouth felt like the Sahara Desert.
“Are you taking me for a fool?” Barbara sneered. “You’ve seen the photo with the earring. The same earring I lost the day when… Well, never mind. And you’re looking differently at me now. There’s fear in your eyes instead of admiration. You were never a good liar.”
Blood turned to ice in Julia’s veins. Barbara wouldn’t hesitate to shoot her, just like she’d shot Blake. Julia’s only hope to survive was to keep Barbara talking until Julia could to reach for Blake’s gun. Or maybe she could stall until Ivan showed up. If he showed up… Julia pushed the thought aside. Ivan would come through for her. He always did.
Barbara seemed to be a narcissist, so Julia needed to play on that.
“I’d never take you for a fool. And I still admire you,” Julia said with as much assurance as she could muster. “You had to be very clever and resourceful to do what you did without anyone suspecting. You got away with three murders!”
“I’ll get away with five, yours included.” Barbara shrugged nonchalantly, but her smug expression told Julia she might take the bait.
Julia trembled inside, but she had to appear calm. She had to have a clear mind to find ways to keep Barbara talking. Julia silently said a prayer, asking God to help her.
“You’re smart enough for that,” Julia said quickly. “You followed Blake and figured he came here to warn me. You saw a convenient way to eliminate both of us. What were you going to say to the police? That you entered my place and saw Blake shoot me? He turned the gun at you, and you had to shoot him in self-defense?”
“Wow, Julia, you figured out your own murder. I’d applaud you if my hands weren’t occupied.” Barbara’s smile had a scary edge to it.
Julia shuddered inside. “On the contrary, I should be applauding you. What about Hank Gallagher’s murder? Were you the one who called with the threats, pretending to be Rowena?”
Barbara nodded. “That wasn’t difficult. I wanted to throw the blame on her, in case anyone suspected foul play in his death. Of course, my voice was different, but many years had passed since he’d talked to the real Rowena, and I happen to be good at making voice impressions. Then I heard Hank wanted to make peace with Rowena and give his son part of the inheritance. I had to act fast. I knew what medications he was taking. After all, I prescribed them. Slipping an extra dose of pills into his drink to make him groggy and then push him into the pool wasn’t that difficult for me.”
Julia dared to move an inch closer to Blake’s bo
dy. “Were you the one who pushed me down the stairs? You broke into my house at night. You started the fire at the inn. You shot at Ivan’s car. You tried to drive us off the road. You attacked us at the library. All that was you, right? It appeared to be done by a team of people. And you’ve done it alone? Wow!” Julia coated her voice with disbelief.
Barbara lifted her chin. Her hands with the gun lowered a fraction. “You forgot about some things. Pushing you down the stairs was a crime of opportunity. But exchanging cookies with the ones containing peanuts and stealing your EpiPen took some planning. I stole keys from your purse in one of my many visits, made copies, and returned the originals without you even noticing. Therefore, entering your house wasn’t an issue.”
“What about the fire at the Rios Azules Inn?” Julia felt indignation rising inside her. Innocent people could’ve died in the fire!
Barbara shrugged. “It got out of hand. I didn’t think it would become so large so quickly. I just wanted to smoke you out of the room. That gave me the opportunity to inject you with the sedative propofol. It wouldn’t show up in tests for narcotics. It got you to the hospital, where I thought you’d be in my power. But Ivan didn’t leave you for a moment, except when Lydia visited you. Your Danger Girls and stepsisters stood in my way, too, showing up all the time. I poisoned the food, but you didn’t eat it.”
Julia prayed while Barbara listed her so-called accomplishments.
“You incited Ivan’s father to follow me, didn’t you? You reminded him why he should wish me harm.”
“I certainly did. It didn’t take much effort on my part. He also agreed to influence public opinion that you should be blamed for Seth’s death. I pulled some strings, too.” Barbara smiled again. She seemed to enjoy having power over Julia.
Julia fully intended to use that. She shifted another inch closer to Blake. “You’re great at manipulating people.”
Barbara’s smile turned smug again, and the weapon lowered another fraction. “I sure am. I figured quickly how to use your reputation as a heartbreaker to my advantage. Surprisingly, many people still stood by your side, no matter what I did. Can’t win them all, I suppose.”
