"There's always an excuse and there's always a mistake."
"Enough!"
"You're right. It is enough. Leave her be for now. That was clearly a failed experiment. Focus on the project."
Rikard restrained himself from physically attacking the man. He would determine what he would focus on, not some self-important egotist with no practical experience in killing or death. "You and I both know you don't really make the decisions here."
"Is that a challenge?"
Rikard raised an eyebrow. "Not by me. But I'll leave her alone when I hear from the person who actually captains this ship." He poured tea into a small glass cup. "Unless you want to make it a challenge."
He watched the man's Adam's apple bob before he said, "Keep your phone nearby."
¯¯¯¯
CHAPTER 27
JAMES set a plate of chicken salad in front of Melody then took a seat directly across from her. They held hands as they blessed the meal. She groaned as she lifted her fork. "I can't believe how sore I am. I forgot I even had this many muscles."
"You'll probably be rather limber by the end of your tour." He smiled as he took a bite. "I'm looking forward to that."
Melody snorted and attacked her food with gusto. "What day are you planning to leave for Tokyo?" she asked him.
"Probably Thursday. I'm going to end up being there for the better part of a week."
"I leave on Wednesday," she noted.
"I know. That's why I'm going Thursday." He took a drink of his tea. "Where to next?"
"Jacksonville, Florida. I have a show there Friday night." She dished more salad onto her plate. "You know what I like most about you, James?"
He sat back in his chair, enjoying watching her eat with such enthusiasm. "Tell me what you like most about me, Melody."
She pointed her fork at him. "You probably think I'm going to say your good looks, your charm, or your mind."
"My minty fresh breath?" He added.
Melody shook her head. "None of that. It's what you can do to pasta that really has me hooked."
"You mean my looks have nothing to do with it?"
"Well, they're a bonus." She cleaned off her second helping, and considered a third, but decided to wait a while. "What did you do while I slept all day?"
"I read reports," he announced dramatically. "It was everything I expected. I laughed, I cried."
"You know something? My job is much less boring than yours."
"To you, maybe. There isn't enough money in the world to pay me to do what you do." He set aside his clean plate, and decided to come out with it. "Want to take a ride over to Pine Mountain?"
"Sure, why?"
"Angela's mother lives there," he said, waiting for — something.
"That's a great idea. Are we coming back tonight, or do I need to pack some clothes?"
He looked at her for a long time, feeling the pull of her eyes before he stopped himself. He shook his head. "Will you ever cease to amaze me?"
"I certainly hope not." She pushed away from the table and hugged him from behind his chair. Breathing in the scent of his after shave, she kissed the top of his head. "You haven't answered my question."
¯¯¯¯
"JAMES, what a pleasure. Please come in," his former mother-in-law greeted as she held open the door. She held her hand out to Melody. "Diane Simmons, dear, welcome."
"Melody Ma— Montgomery. It's nice to meet you," she said as she stepped into the house. Jen took a chair on the front porch.
"Sit down, sit down. I'm so happy you came," she said as she led them into her living room. "Would you like some tea?"
"That would be wonderful," Melody said. She looked around the comfortable room, liking the homey décor. The knickknacks were a mixture of priceless antiques and thrift store bargains, and framed photographs took up any extra space they could. One picture on the mantel above the fireplace caught her attention, and she got up to look closer. It was a picture of James and Angela standing with their arms around each other next to a rosebush. She looked back at James, whose expression was unreadable. "Angela was very beautiful," she said.
He didn't respond, just inclined his head, watching her. She walked around the room, looking at the pictures on the walls. "She was an only child. That's so sad. This house was made for grandchildren to run through it." She said it quietly, almost to herself, but James heard her anyway.
Diane came back to the room carrying a tray with a teapot and cups, and set it on the coffee table. She poured cups and passed them out, then sat in a chair and looked at James. "I looked in the attic and found several boxes that I didn't even know were there. She must have brought them by the week that I was at my sister's. The timing would have been right."
"May I take them with me?" he asked her.
"Of course. I should have looked through all the stuff I have and given you some, anyway. I know the fire destroyed everything you had. But you've never asked, and when I see you we get so busy just talking I always forget." She pulled a tissue out of her pocket and quickly wiped her eyes. "Melody, I enjoy your music. I had been hoping that James would bring you by while you were here."
"I have been so busy prepping for last night's concert that I never thought to see if we could meet," she said. "James has told me that you two get together as often as possible."
"James and Kurt kind of adopted me after Angela died. She was all I had. I would have been to Kurt's wedding, but my sister broke her hip and I've just returned." She took a sip of her tea. "You two were on the cover of People Magazine yesterday, kissing in front of that kids' home that you took all those presents to." She grinned before she dug through a stack of magazines on the table next to her chair. "Here it is."
She handed the magazine over to Melody, who saw the cover and started laughing. She turned to the page that held the story, and did a quick read of it. "Well, my plot worked," she said, handing it over to James. "There isn't one mention of me losing my temper to that reporter. Just bios of you and me, the story about our donations, and something about your Japan merger."
James frowned as he read the story. "No one knows about that," he said. "We don't announce it until tomorrow."
"Maybe someone leaked it," she said.
"Maybe." He finished reading the story, then handed the magazine back to Diane. "How have you been?"
"I've been much better, thank you. Will you two be able to stay for dinner?"
"Unfortunately, we have to meet someone back at my place in a couple of hours. We'll try to plan a time when we can come and spend the weekend." He pushed himself to his feet. "Let me see those boxes, Diane. I'll load them in my car."
They stayed another hour. When it was time to go, Diane hugged them both. "Take care of yourselves," she said as they walked to the car. Jen took the driver's seat, and Melody slipped into the back-seat.
James paused with his hand on the door. "Call me, Diane, if you need anything."
"I will, dear. Good luck finding what you're looking for." He opened the door and sat next to Melody. Jen started the car and drove away
¯¯¯¯
JAMES stayed quiet during their drive home. Melody watched his profile for a while, leaving him to his thoughts. Finally, she asked, "Is it hard to be there?"
James turned to look at her. "What? No, not anymore. I was thinking about something else."
Melody scooted down and propped her knees on the seat in front of her and closed her eyes. "I feel bad for her. She's all alone now."
"Not entirely. She has some family," he said as Jen exited the freeway.
"I guess. So, who are we meeting?"
"Suarez. He has the enhancement of the image of the shooter that he wants you to look at."
Her stomach started to tighten up. "You know, in a way I want to, and in a way I don't. I'm halfway afraid to confirm that it's Richard, and halfway afraid to find out that it's someone else."
Jen met Melody's eyes via the rear view mirror. "The more we know, the safer y
ou'll be. Knowledge is power."
"And, the sooner we know, the sooner it's over," James said.
Jen pulled up in front of the apartment building, parking in the loading zone. They got out of the car, and Jen and Melody went on up to the apartment while he had the guard help him unload the boxes. There were four of them and they were big enough that three had taken up the entire trunk while one rode in the front seat.
Melody went into the kitchen and started coffee, knowing that James would be up all night looking through them. He'd told her about the remembered conversation. She hoped he would find whatever piece to the puzzle he sought in those boxes. She heard the elevator, and came into the living room just as Jen opened the front door.
James carried the first box in when the phone rang. He nodded to her to answer it, then went back to the elevator to get another box. She answered and Morgan's voice returned her greeting. "Hey there. We're almost to your apartment. I just wanted to make sure you all were back. And, before I forget, I wanted to see if you two wanted to come over tomorrow for lunch after church."
Melody slipped off her shoes and fell back onto the couch, letting her legs dangle over the side. "Sure."
"Oh, and let James know since I'm thinking about it and don't want to forget when I see him that Mike Redman called my house looking for him. Apparently, he's been trying to get in touch with him, and his cell phone was turned off."
"I'll let him know, and we'll see you in a few minutes." Melody hung up the phone as James brought in the last box. "Morg and Kurt will be here in a little bit. We're supposed to be at their place after church for lunch tomorrow."
"Okay."
"Mike Redman's trying to get a hold of you. He said your cell phone's been off all day."
Surprised, James retrieved his phone from his pocket. "I guess I didn't turn it back on." He set his phone down, and took the other one from her, putting it on the table, too.
Jen came out of the office. "I'm going to go coordinate with the guard for shift change."
"Are you hungry?" Melody asked.
"I just ate." Jen pulled a phone out of her pocket and checked a text. "Stay indoors until I get back. Don't go near the windows or balconies. I'll be back in twenty."
After the door closed behind her, Melody turned to James. "What could she possibly have eaten in the two minutes we've been back?"
James laughed. "Maybe she ate in Pine Mountain while we were inside." He put an arm around her and she curled up next to him. "How long do you think we have before your sister gets here?" His finger traced the skin along her neck.
"Just enough time for you to feed me." Her hands ran up his neck to play with his hair.
His grin made his eyes sparkle. "Do you love me or my pasta?"
She laughed. A knock at the door interrupted their play. He pushed himself off of the couch and moved smoothly across the room. Through the peephole, he identified Morgan and Kurt.
"Hi, James," she said, stepping into the apartment. "Melly said she was looking at police pictures today. Thought we'd come by and offer moral support."
James looked at his watch. "Good timing. I was about to feed your sister a snack. Hungry?"
¯¯¯¯
CHAPTER 28
TWENTY minutes later, James came into the room just as Jen answered the door. He'd expected to see the detectives, and was surprised to see Mike Redman. "What's up, Mike?"
"Someone's hacked into our mainframe, James," Mike said as he took off his coat. James slung it on the stand by the door and followed him to the couch.
"How is that possible with the safeguards we have?" James asked.
"It means this guy either really knows what he's doing or has insider help," Mike said as Melody came out of the kitchen. She stopped short when she saw him.
"Hi," she said.
"Mike have you met Melody?" James asked.
"Yes, at the wedding rehearsal." He stood and held his hand out. "It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Montgomery. I enjoyed your concert very much."
She took his hand. "Thank you. Please, call me Melody."
With a straight face, Mike said, "I'm not sure that will be possible, ma'am."
James heard the elevator again and watched as Jen opened the door to let in Suarez and Roberts. Roberts saw Mike. "Hey, Redman. Good to see you."
"Roberts, my friend. Haven't you managed to loosen Suarez up any?" he asked with a smile as he shook their hands.
"I have. The change has been like night and day. Last week, he even ate a donut." Roberts handed the envelope he was carrying to Melody. "Here are the image enhancements. There were actually three frames they were able to pull from. Take a look and see if this is the guy you knew as Richard Johnson."
Melody's hands shook a little as she sat on the couch and pulled three pictures from the envelope. She laid them on the table in front of her. The first one was too blurry to see anything other than to tell that it was a man. The second one was a little clearer, but the rifle blocked part of his face. Her breath caught as she looked at the third one. It was a profile shot as the man turned, and was very, very clear.
In her mind, she could see the fist as it slammed into her face, feel and hear her ribs snap as they made contact with a boot. She stood quickly, knocking over her chair as she rose, and backed away, wanting to get as far from the picture as possible. The air burned her lungs, her breathing came very hard, very fast, and she concentrated on trying to get that under control. She couldn't take her eyes off his face. She hated — hated — that picture for confirming their theory.
James saw her reaction and immediately went to her. She was almost in a full-blown panic. He grabbed her by her upper arms and as soon as his hands touched her, she began to fight. "Let go of me," she said as she tried to twist away. "Don't touch me."
He gave her a little shake. "Snap out of it, Melody. It's me." She looked up at him and her eyes cleared. She began to sob as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
"I can't believe I was hours away from marrying him," she sobbed. She grabbed James by his shirtfront and looked up at him. "How can someone be this evil and I couldn't tell?"
He brushed the hair out of her eyes. "Sometimes you just can't tell, baby. Sometimes it's buried real deep." He pulled her back to him and let her cry. He met Roberts' eyes over her head while Suarez pulled a phone out of his pocket to call dispatch and have them put an APB out on the man they knew only as Richard Johnson. James sent Hal a text asking him to come over.
It took a few minutes for Melody to calm down. James sat her on the couch, and she curled up into a ball, leaning against the arm. Jen left the room and returned carrying a glass of water. The men pretended not to watch as she spoke in low, calm, soothing, feminine tones to Melody. Melody took a sip of the water.
After a moment, Melody nodded then suddenly shook her head. She'd vowed years ago that Richard would have no more control over her. She made eye contact with Jen, responding to the concern and care in her brown eyes. As soon as Jen saw that she was okay, her mask of businesslike indifference slid back into place and she stood and moved back to the back of the room near the door.
Roberts raised his eyebrows at her, as if to confirm that she had collected herself enough to answer questions, before he carefully asked, "Mrs. Montgomery, what does Richard have to do with the late Angela Montgomery?"
Melody suddenly remembered the message in the hotel room, the one in which Richard said he knew Angela.
"We've always operated under the theory that Angela's murder had something to do with their research breakthrough," Suarez said. "What we don't understand is what that has to do with you."
"Nothing!" Melody surged to her feet and paced the room. "It has absolutely nothing to do with me. I never even met her. I didn't meet James until six months after her murder and no one even knew we'd met." She looked at James. "Did you talk about it?"
He shook his head. "I didn't mention it to anyone."
"No kidding," Morgan said wi
th a forgiving smile.
"Wait," Melody said, spinning around and rushing toward James. "One person knew."
"Who?" A frown marred his brow, then he remembered. "You're right."
"Who?" Suarez asked, pen poised and ready.
"Richard," Melody whispered, putting a hand against her stomach to quell the burst of nausea. "The man who called himself Richard Johnson was at the airport. He knew we'd met."
Suarez cocked his head. "That brings us back to the question. What does he have to do with the Montgomerys?"
"He told me he was an intern in a technology business, but I never really pursued that." Melody sat down carefully, feeling like maybe she would shatter if she moved too quickly. "He talked about a research breakthrough being just around the corner. I didn't really listen because I don't really understand it."
Suarez held his hand up. "Wait a minute. What you're saying is that the man who called himself Richard Johnson blew his way into a secured laboratory with military precision, inadvertently killed them before he could garner any information, so then wooed and courted you? For what purpose?"
Melody shrugged. "How should I know? I don't even know if he did it. I have no idea why he would. I was just an heiress with no direction in my life."
James put a hand on her knee. "That's right. An heiress." He smiled. "A singing heiress."
"And?" Melody asked, not amused by his trip down memory lane to their meeting in the airport. "What does that have to do with this?"
"How much?" Roberts asked bluntly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"What was your net worth before stardom?"
Melody frowned. "I don't —" She paused. "I'm not sure."
Morgan interjected. "Just over two billion."
Roberts' pen paused over his notebook. "Billion?"
"Yes." Morgan leaned closer to Kurt. "I know exactly how much money my late husband lost in a month of really bad moves on the stock market. Two billion, three million, nine hundred thousand." She took a sip of water. "And change. Melody had half of the inheritance."
A Melody for James (Christian Suspense) Page 25
