“Eli said that they’ve really taken to you. I imagine that’s a load off his mind.”
Kathleen was glad that the girls felt safe with her. Other than the inappropriateness of being wildly attracted to their father, things were working out better than she had thought they would.
Wanting to move on, she said, “I have a couple of new theories about Braden I’d like to run by you.”
“Excellent.” He picked up his cellphone. “One of my investigators indicated he may have something for us today. Let’s hear what he has to say, then we’ll discuss your findings.”
She told herself not to anticipate helpful news. She’d gotten her hopes up too often only to have them dashed. Still, the hope that some vital information that might exonerate her sister had been found was too tempting not too entertain. Alice might be gone, but that didn’t negate Kathleen’s need to prove her innocence.
Grey pressed a few keys on his phone, and when a growling, masculine voice answered with, “Hold on a minute, Justice,” Kathleen’s entire body tensed with anticipation.
Seconds later, the voice said, “We got the files. We’re going through them now. Nothing’s turned up so far. Will keep you updated.”
The line went dead.
Kathleen stared at her boss, whose expression was a curious mix of irritation and amusement.
“Ryder isn’t one for small talk.”
“What files does he have?”
“Braden’s financials. He kept a record of his…transactions.”
“You mean the amount he was paid for each trick? I saw his records. There’s nothing there. He only recorded first names and—”
“We found his real records.”
“He had two different sets?”
“The ones you saw were what the authorities found in his desk. A second set was found on his computer, buried beneath a mountain of crap and password protected and encrypted to the hilt.”
“He wanted to make sure no one could access them.”
“Yeah. The scumbag was quite meticulous in his accounting. I’d say part of that was to keep certain people in line. He had personal information that could make his customers uncomfortable if it was found out.”
“So he could blackmail them? That just adds another layer of people who could have wanted him dead.”
“That’d be my take. One of my sources in the Chicago PD informed me they had mountains of files going back ten years, detailing Braden’s income from both johns and buyers.”
Her heart leaped at the news. “So they’re pursuing it further? Chicago PD is reopening the murder case?”
Compassion flickered in his eyes. “No. That case is closed.”
She acknowledged that with a weary sigh. “Of course. They still believe Alice did the killing. Why pursue it?”
“Exactly, but that doesn’t mean we stop. Hopefully, Ryder will have something soon. Now tell me what you’ve come up with.”
“I’ve dug as deep as I can into Frank Braden. Even went back to his father, Francis, and found that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. He was a sleaze and passed those genes down to his son.”
“His choice.”
Thinking about her own father, who would much rather have stolen something than buy it, she agreed. And she thought of Eli, who’d arguably had the worst father ever and, instead of following in his footsteps, was doing his best to clean up his father’s mess.
“You’re right. We all have choices. Braden’s were bad ones. He’s got a brother in Idaho, Joseph, who hadn’t seen him in years. And from our brief, unpleasant conversation, he isn’t all that sorry that his brother is dead. I don’t see him for the murder, though. He’s got a family and is barely hanging on financially.
“So now I’m concentrating my investigation on Maureen Downey.”
“The woman who shot Alice. What about her?”
“I’ve been thinking there’s more to her story.”
“How so?”
“I don’t know. On the surface, it makes sense. She supposedly loved Braden—photos of them together were found at her apartment. She shoots Alice for revenge, then she’s killed before anyone can question her.”
“And?”
“It’s too pat. Too convenient. Those photographs are the only piece of evidence we have that they even knew each other.” She grimaced. “Or am I grasping at invisible straws?”
“I’ve thought from the beginning that your instincts were sound. I agree. It does seem too convenient.”
“You’ve already thought of that, haven’t you?”
“Yes.” He seemed to hesitate briefly, then said, “So far I’ve gotten nowhere.”
“Then at least I know I’m not crazy for thinking it. I’ll delve into her life as deeply as I have Braden’s. If something’s there, I’ll find it.”
“If you need more help from me, just give me the word.”
Gratitude filled her. Without Grey, she’d be scratching for every little piece of information she could eke out.
The sound of a phone buzzer halted their conversation. It wasn’t coming from the phone on Grey’s desk, and from the grim look on his face, someone contacting him on it meant bad news.
Pulling open a drawer, Grey grabbed a phone and read a text message. The look that came over his face caused dread to fill her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Dropping the phone back into the drawer, Grey stood. “Eli’s been taken to Dallas Memorial Hospital.”
He didn’t need to say more than that. Fear rushing through her, Kathleen was out the door in a second.
Chapter Twenty-one
Panic clawed at her insides as Kathleen ran through the doors of the hospital, Grey right behind her. The thought of something happening to the intelligent, good-humored, honorable Eli Slater wasn’t something she could bear to fathom.
A sensible part of her mind, not awash with terror, told her it might well be something minor. Nothing serious. Grey had no details other than Eli had been brought to the hospital in an ambulance. She battled against the horrific images that kept popping into her head.
Halfway down the hallway, she came to an abrupt, skidding halt, barely noting that Grey had to grab her shoulders to keep from plowing into her. Eli was striding toward them, an eye patch dangling from his hand. Though he had a purplish bruise on his left cheekbone and his eye was slightly swollen, he didn’t appear to have any other injuries. He was gloriously, beautifully alive.
She fought every instinct to throw her arms around him and never let him go. At that thought, she stiffened her spine. No…just no.
“What the hell happened?” Grey asked.
Eli gave them both a puzzled, confused look. “How’d you know I was even here?”
“I have a contact at the hospital. She alerts me if certain people are brought in.”
“What happened?” Kathleen asked.
“I was walking out of our corporate office. Stopped to hold the door open for one of my employees. The instant she stepped out onto the sidewalk, she dropped her purse and the contents scattered. I stooped down to help her pick things up. About that time, a window washer’s platform fell from the building.”
“And it hit you?”
“Thankfully, no. When it fell, the noise startled the woman I was helping. She jerked her arm, and her pointy and extremely hard elbow slugged me in the eye. I’m going to have quite the shiner come tomorrow.”
“You’ve had plenty of black eyes from boxing bouts,” Grey said. “Why come to the hospital for this one?”
“It wasn’t for me. Eloise, the woman who jammed her elbow into my eye. She’s seven months pregnant, and I thought it best she get checked out. The ambulance showed up, so I offered to ride along with her.”
“She’s okay?” Kathleen asked.
“Yes. Her husband’s with her. Doctor told her to take it easy for a couple of days but said she and the baby are fine.”
“Anyone else hurt?”
�
�No. Thank God. Scared the hell out of a lot of people, but that’s about it. Thankfully no window washers were on the platform at the time.”
“The eye patch for your black eye?” Kathleen said.
“Yes. Figured Violet and Sophia would get a kick out of it. They have a fondness for pirates.”
“You’re sure it was an accident?” Kathleen said.
“Just one of those weird things.” He looked down at his watch. “It’s a little early, but would you mind collecting Sophia and Violet now? Just in case it’s a slow news day and this incident made the news, I don’t want the girls to hear about it from someone else.”
Now that she knew he was all right, Kathleen welcomed the chance to get away. The worry she’d had for Eli had turned into a distinct unease at her extreme reaction. She needed to be alone and regroup. “I’ll head there now.”
Without waiting for a response, she did an about-face and strode quickly down the hallway.
Eli called out, “Kathleen, wait.”
She jerked to a stop but didn’t turn around. A hand touched her arm, and she looked up into Eli’s concerned face. “You okay?”
Doing what she knew how to do, what she had practiced her entire life, she gave him the calm, poised response he should expect from her, along with a smile that had just the right amount of impersonal professionalism. “I’m fine. Just not a big fan of hospitals. We’ll see you soon.”
She took off again, this time slower, less frantic. No way in hell did he need to know how very scared she’d been, or the turmoil churning inside her. When she saw him again, she’d have her head on straight and her veneer back in place.
Torn between following her or doing the smart thing and letting her have some space, Eli made himself turn away, returning to where Justice stood.
“Is she all right?”
Eli was a little surprised to see a hint of anger in his friend’s eyes. “She’s fine. This just brought back bad memories for her.”
Justice raised a questioning brow. “You’re sure that’s all it is?”
“What do you mean?”
“You wanted her to come to Dallas. You wanted her to work for you. Is there something else you want from her?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You tell me.”
“You know damn well why I wanted her in Dallas. She needed help. And yes, I wanted her to work for me. My daughters need the protection. She’s the best at what she does, and she needs the money.”
“And that’s it?”
“You got something to say,” Eli growled, “say it.”
“She’s turned out to be an asset to the Justice group. And I like her. I don’t want to see her get hurt. She’s been hurt enough.”
“Why the hell would she get hurt?”
“She was with me when I got the notice you were here. I saw how she reacted. She cares for you more than most people care about someone they work for. If you don’t feel the same way, you need to back away before she—”
Justice broke off abruptly, obviously seeing something in Eli’s expression. “I’ll be damned. How’d I miss it?”
“You’ve had a lot on your mind. You’re entitled to one miss. And before you ask, Kathleen and I are a long way from anything happening. She’s still vulnerable, and I doubt she’s even admitted to herself she’s attracted to me.”
He looked back down the hallway where Kathleen had disappeared. “I think for the most part I just piss her off.”
“A common feeling among those who know you,” was Justice’s wry reply.
“Yeah, so I’ve been told.” All humor disappearing, Eli said, “You got a couple of investigators who can do some digging for me?”
“What do you need?”
“Find out who rented that window-washing equipment.”
“It’s your building. Wouldn’t you be able to get that information fairly easily?”
“One would think. I’ve already checked. It was rented by a dummy corporation. Doesn’t exist.”
“You think it was meant to hit you?”
“Seems a damn inefficient way to kill someone, but stranger things have happened. Truth is, if Eloise hadn’t dropped her purse and I stopped to help her, it would’ve come right down on me and anyone close-by.”
“Do you think Adam could have been behind it?”
“Well, it might give him an opportunity he wouldn’t otherwise have.”
“Such as?”
“Like get special release to attend his brother’s funeral.”
“And then find a way to escape.”
“Exactly. Last time we talked, he had a Texas-sized smirk on his face when I told him he’d rot in jail for the rest of his life. Maybe it’s time for another brotherly chat.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Glad to have something to occupy her thoughts, Kathleen picked the girls up from school. Even though Eli had acted as if today’s incident had been inconsequential, she wasn’t so sure. Because of that, she was hypervigilant on the way home. Nothing would happen to these children under her watch.
Since it was only a half hour or so earlier than their usual pickup time, the girls were as exuberant and chatty as always, never suspecting anything unusual had happened. But, just in case Eli’s black eye looked even worse when they got home, she wanted to prepare them.
“Your daddy got a new boo-boo today.”
“Like a splinter in his finger?” Sophia asked.
“Kind of. Except it’s on his eye. He’s going to have a little bruise there. But the fun thing is, he’s going to wear an eye patch to cover it.”
Sophia’s eyes went wide, shining with wonder. “Like a pirate?”
“Yes, just like a pirate.”
That was all she needed to say to get their imaginations soaring. They whispered to each other the rest of the way home, and the instant they walked into the house, the girls rushed upstairs.
Even though she told herself to leave before Eli came home, Kathleen followed them. They’d seemed so excited, and she couldn’t resist seeing what they were up to.
She walked into the playroom, which was situated between the two girls’ bedrooms. Filled with every conceivable doll, toy, and children’s book imaginable, the room was a children’s treasure trove.
The girls immediately sat down at a table in the corner and began to work furiously on something. She stood in the doorway and watched them for a few minutes, loving the way they whispered to each other. Because of their age difference, she and Alice had never had that kind of closeness. Assuming the role of caretaker instead of sister prevented that kind of camaraderie.
Pushing aside the sadness and regret, she came to stand behind the girls. “So, what are you two up to?”
Sophia looked up briefly and gave her a gap-toothed grin. “We’re writing a book.”
“About what?”
“About Daddy Pirate.”
Swallowing laughter, Kathleen gazed down at their progress. The drawing had started first. The first surprise was that she was going to be in the book, too. It wasn’t hard to identify herself, what with the long, red hair and blue-green eyes. Both girls had drawn her, and it was quite the surprise to see that Violet could well be an artist. The picture she’d drawn of Kathleen had a surprising resemblance to her face. She was slim, willowy, and, even to her own mind, quite lovely. And Eli, with an eye patch and golden-blond hair, was holding a sword, apparently armed to defend her honor.
Sophia, however, wasn’t the artist her sister was. She had drawn Kathleen as a stick figure with wild, kinky, red hair and long, skinny arms and legs. Oddly enough, the picture reminded her of how she’d looked growing up. Wild red hair and stick thin.
Eli hadn’t gotten much better treatment from Sophia. He too was a stick figure, with spiky, yellow hair, an eye patch, an unfortunate bulbous nose, and oversized teeth.
Spotting a large, comfortable-looking chair in the other corner, Kathleen sat down to watch them for a few minute
s. It was peaceful here, and the girls added to the calm with their little stage whispers as they shared what they should write or draw.
The quiet also forced her to acknowledge what she’d been avoiding. Her reaction to the possibility of Eli being injured had been off the charts. When had she started to care? And not just care…but have such strong feelings for him? Yes, she had admitted an attraction and had been fighting like crazy to keep it at that—a mere attraction. The anguish she’d felt was totally unexpected. Completely unwelcome. Falling in love with Eli Slater was a disaster in the making. One she could not allow to happen.
She closed her eyes, fighting the need to have a good cry. Wouldn’t that top off her over-emotional day? Forcing her mind away from her worries, she allowed her thoughts to drift. The quiet, other than the soft, conspiratorial whispers of the girls, lulled her into a restless doze. And as often happened, the nightmares weren’t far behind. Like dark wisps of clouds, they swirled around her. Knowing what was happening, she tried to push herself awake, told herself not to let them take her. Instead, she found herself falling, falling.
As usual, the dreams were a jumble of some of her most horrific moments.
She stood in a cold, sterile room, felt small, insignificant, helpless to stop what was happening. A man, a stranger, lifted Alice in his arms. Kathleen screamed—“Alice! Alice!”—and ran after her. A pair of strong hands caught her, held her back. “You can’t go with her,” a firm, female voice said. “She’ll go to a good home, and you will, too. We can’t find a family who wants both of you. Sorry.”
“No, no, no! We’re not puppies, damn you! You can’t do this!” She screamed, cried, begged. Told them she could take care of Alice, but they wouldn’t let her. She fell to her knees, sobbing as they took away her baby sister.
The nightmare shifted. “Skinny Kat, Skinny Kat, can’t even swing a bat!”
They taunted, laughed, made fun of her. Pinched her so hard she had bruises for days. The house was full of kids. She was just another one. No one cared until it was time to blame someone.
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