They were gathered in the main parlor. Nick and Kennedy sat on one sofa, Kathleen and Eli on another.
“Where’s Teresa?” Grey asked.
“I persuaded her to take a mild sedative,” Kathleen said. “She’s sleeping.”
“Where’s the bottle?”
Eli nodded at the table, where a small innocuous-looking bottle sat, holding about an ounce of liquid.
“I’ll have my lab guys analyze it. Hopefully, we’ll have the results in a few hours. I’ll have them check for fingerprints, too.”
“I’ve already checked,” Nick said. “I had a print kit in my car. Only one set of prints are on them. They’re Teresa’s.”
“Grey,” Kennedy said. “I don’t believe this woman is Irelyn either, but I’m not sure anyone else is convinced.”
Eli shook his head. “I don’t want to believe it’s her, Justice, but if it’s not, then who the hell is pretending to be Irelyn and wanting both Kathleen and me dead?”
Dropping into a chair, Grey blew out a ragged sigh. He had known he might have to share some of his suspicions but had hoped for more time. Time had run out.
“A few months back, I learned about a couple of murders. The victims were not of the highest quality of individuals. They were in different parts of the world, seemed to have nothing in common with each other. Except for the way they died.”
He glanced over at Nick and Kennedy. “One was Bobby O’Leary.”
“Who’s Bobby O’Leary?” Kathleen asked.
“He’s a former hired killer that got dead,” Nick answered. “Kennedy and I have been trying to determine who killed him. So far we’ve come up empty.”
“What does this have to do with what happened today?” Eli asked.
“The method of murder was poison.”
He could see the comprehension hit them at once.
Kathleen stood. “That’s how Frank Braden was killed.”
“Yes. Just that way.”
“So you knew all along it wasn’t Alice? You knew and you didn’t tell me who else it could be? Why would you—”
“I had no names, still have no names, or suspects. I hoped that by digging into each one of their deaths—Braden’s, O’Leary’s, and the other men’s—we would find a link. And find the killer.”
“You’re trying to determine if it was Irelyn, aren’t you?” Nick asked.
“I was trying to make sure it wasn’t. I don’t believe it’s in her to—” He shook his head. “I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t her.”
“I don’t understand,” Kennedy said. “Why would you even think it was Irelyn?”
There were certain things Grey could still not share, and the reason he suspected Irelyn might be behind the murders was one of them. At some point, he might have to reveal certain secrets about his and Irelyn’s past, but not yet. Not until it was an absolute necessity. He owed Irelyn that, if nothing else.
“That’s something I can’t say right now. And again, I don’t believe it is her. Besides, Irelyn can emulate any accent. There’s no reason for her to be so blatant about her Irish background, unless…”
“You’re right. It’s too obvious,” Kathleen said. “But why would anyone try to frame her?”
“Damned if I know.”
A sound had them all turning toward the doorway, where Teresa now stood. Grey had met her only a couple of times, but she now looked totally different from the self-possessed motherly woman he remembered. She appeared to have aged a decade.
Eli’s heart turning over in regret for what she was going through, he went to his feet. “What is it, Teresa?”
“I can’t believe I didn’t remember this before. I was just so…” She waved her hand, obviously overcome with emotion.
Kathleen went to her, put her arm around her. “What didn’t you remember?”
“My brother-in-law, Douglas. He’s been having memory problems. Not diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s quite yet, but there’s the worry. Linda, my sister, is a proactive sort. She bought Douglas a watch for his birthday a few months back. It was from one of those places that puts a locator device inside. That way, if he became lost, and his memory grew worse… She never told him. He’s been self-conscious about not being able to remember things. But if he was wearing it when he was taken…”
Grey had already pulled his phone out. “I’ll call my guys.”
Teresa’s eyes swam with fresh tears. “So they might be able to find them? Before it’s too late?”
“Yes. That’s definitely a possibility,” Eli assured her.
“Well that’s good. That’s good,” she whispered.
Showing the compassion and warmth that were such an intrinsic part of her, Kathleen squeezed her shoulders in a hug. “Why don’t we go get you a cup of tea?”
Teresa nodded, gave a small smile. “That sounds lovely.”
The instant Kathleen led Teresa away, Eli glanced at Justice, who had just ended his call. “What do your people know about Linda and Douglas so far?”
“They found signs of a struggle at their apartment. Said it was apparent they’d been gone a day or two. Their two dogs and three cats were frantic and starving.”
“They can trace the chip?”
“Yes. They’re working on it now.”
“Having them found…that’s the main issue right now. I can’t believe I didn’t get them protection. Just so damn shortsighted of me.”
“None of us thought it would go this far, Eli. It’s on all of us that we didn’t think of it.” Justice glanced at the door and then turned back to Eli. “There’s something else we haven’t talked about that concerns me.”
“What’s that?”
“The woman pretending to be Irelyn. She wanted Teresa to poison Kathleen, too?”
“Yes.” Just the thought scraped his insides raw.
“We need to discuss why,” Justice said.
“What do you mean?” Kennedy asked.
“Why include her at all? If Eli’s the target?”
“You’re saying, if she’s a professional, she would only focus on her target? Not someone else?”
“Yes. Contract killers don’t normally kill without purpose or a reason. I’m not saying there’s not collateral damage sometimes, but this is too specific. Poisoning only you should be no problem. Why include Kathleen?”
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking this is more complex than one person with a grudge. We need to dig deeper.”
“You’re right,” Kathleen said from the doorway. “There’s got to be a link between Frank Braden and Mathias Slater.”
“You’ve already done a ton of research on Braden,” Grey said.
“Yes. I’ll get my notes and start digging. We’ve found so many threads. Maybe this is one more. One that might lead to the final piece in the puzzle.”
“Could it be that two different people hired the same killer?” Kennedy asked. “And that’s the only connection?”
Nick shook his head. “That’s stretching coincidence beyond the breaking point. There’s a connection, we just need to find it.”
“I’ll go get my files and bring them to the conference room.” Kathleen shot Eli a look. “Could you help?”
Eli was on his feet in seconds, headed to her. Maybe he read something of what she wanted to talk to him about, because his expression went hot and fierce. Without a word, he took her hand and led her up the stairway.
They waited until they were in her bedroom to speak. He shut the door and turned. Before he could ask what was going on, she blurted out, “I realize this is quite possibly the worst timing in the world for this, but I’ve put this off for too long. I’m bad about putting everything else in front of what’s really important. I can’t do that with this…with you. Not anymore.” She paused a second, swallowed past a dry throat, and continued, “I never expected this…it’s inconvenient as hell. Absolutely terrible timing.”
A brilliant smile spread over Eli’s fa
ce as if he knew exactly what she was trying to say.
Kathleen forgot every word except what mattered most. “I love you, Eli. I’m in love with you.”
Letting go a rough laugh, Eli grabbed her up and whirled her around in a circle. “You are incredible, and I love you beyond measure, Kathleen Callahan.”
She buried her face in the crook of his neck, embarrassed by her incredibly inept declaration of love and enormously relieved he had ignored all the garbage she’d spouted beforehand.
“I’m so bad at this.”
“You’re better than you think you are.” He pushed her head up so he could see her face, the tender look in his eyes melting her. “And I’ll give you plenty of opportunities to say it over and over again. Say, about sixty, seventy years.”
Emotions swelled to a fever pitch inside her. “I don’t deserve you, Eli. You’ve put up with so much crap from me. Can you forgive me for—”
His fingers pressed against her mouth. “You deserve everything good, my sweet Kat. I plan to spend the rest of my life making sure you get it.”
They shared a kiss of promise and hope. Wonderment.
Heated moments later, Eli raised his head. “We’ve got a lot to talk about…plans to make.”
“Yes. But first…”
“Yes.” He dropped a hard kiss on her mouth. “But first we have a killer to hunt down.”
With reluctance, she pulled out of his arms and went to her laptop on the desk. “I brought everything with me. It seems crazy, doesn’t it? That there’s a connection between your father and Braden?”
“Hell if I know. They were both sleazebags. As far as I know, Mathias never got involved in prostitution or human trafficking, but I wouldn’t rule it out.”
Eli grabbed her laptop while she grabbed several notebooks. As they headed out, Eli stopped at the doorway. “Whatever we find…no matter what it is, we’ll get through it together. Right?”
“Yes. If there’s one thing this whole ordeal has taught me, it’s that I don’t want to go through life alone.” She flashed him a bright smile. “You’re stuck with me, Mr. Slater. Deal with it.”
“Oh, I intend to, Miss Callahan.”
Chapter Thirty-nine
“Linda and Douglas were found outside London in an abandoned farmhouse,” Justice said. “Both are suffering from exposure and dehydration. Your brother-in-law may have had a small stroke. They’re evaluating him. Other than a slight blood pressure problem that’s being treated, your sister is fine.”
Teresa took in a ragged breath and released it with a sob blended with laughter. “We Longviews are a hearty bunch.”
Eli squeezed her shoulder. “You saved their lives, Teresa. Remembering that tracker in Douglas’s watch was the key to finding them.”
Teresa gave him a teary smile and then turned to Justice. “Thank you for sending your people to save them. I owe you…” Her gaze went around the room. “I owe all of you for saving them.”
“I’m just glad we were able to help.” Justice stood. “I’ve got an appointment to get to. Keep me posted on any new developments.”
“Will do.” Eli gave Nick and Kennedy a telling look. “If you don’t mind, Kathleen and I would like to talk to Teresa alone.”
Nick nodded. “We’ll get set up in the conference room.”
Eli waited until they left to turn to Teresa. Regret beat at him, and though he dreaded the answer, he had to give her the words.
“I want to apologize again, Teresa. None of this would have happened if not for my shortsightedness.” He raised his hand to keep her from speaking. “No matter what you say, I hold myself responsible.”
He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “Tell me what you want to do. If you want to be with your family, I’ll have a plane ready for you in an hour. Douglas and Linda are under protection. No one can get to them now, but I completely understand if you want to be with them.”
Teresa patted his hand. “Don’t you fret, Mr. Eli. I’m exactly where I want to be. My sister would be the first person to agree. And you need to stop apologizing. You can’t predict what bad people will do.”
“Maybe not, but protecting my family is my responsibility.”
“A few months before Miss Shelley passed away, she said something to me. I didn’t know quite what she meant at the time, but now I think I do.”
“What’s that?”
“She said that you have a hero complex. That you have a tendency to want to save people, even from themselves. And even when it’s not your place.”
Eli didn’t know how to respond. He sure as hell hadn’t been able to save Shelley, especially from herself.
“She also said that’s one of the reasons she fell in love with you. Said that chivalry was one of your greatest gifts.” She patted his hand again. “Now I’m going to go call the number Mr. Justice gave me so I can talk to my sister. Then I’ll get started on dinner. And don’t even think about telling me not to bother. Staying busy is a gift.”
He watched her go, wishing he could have done more. Wishing he could figure out just what the hell he was supposed to do.
“It bothers you, doesn’t it?” Kathleen asked. “What she told you that Shelley said. That you try to save people.”
“It’s what I did…what I do. When it’s something I want or feel strongly about, someone I care about, I do manipulate people to get my way.” He looked at her then. “It’s what I did with you. Manipulated the situation.”
She smiled at him then. This beautiful woman he loved to distraction. “You want me to be angry about that?” she asked. “Too bad, because I’m not. You did it because you wanted to help me. I don’t think Shelley meant her words to be an insult. There’s a shortage of heroes in the world. I love that you want to help people.”
She moved into his arms. “And I’m particularly grateful you wanted to help me.”
Eli buried his face in her hair, inhaled her scent, took solace from her strength. “I don’t know when this will be over…if it’ll ever be over.”
“It will, Eli. With all of us working on it, I promise it will.”
“And then what, Kat?”
She raised her head and spoke with a quiet confidence. “We’ll live happily ever after. Just like we’re supposed to.”
Slater House Hotel
Downtown Dallas
She shot up from the fragrant bubble bath she’d been thoroughly enjoying. “What do you mean they disappeared?”
“Just that. I left them there overnight, tied so tight one of ’em couldn’t scratch an itch without the other saying thank you. Came by this morning to see if they were still kicking. The door was busted open. I didn’t go in. Figured the place was being watched.”
“This is very disappointing.”
“Hey, I followed every direction you gave me. You said there was no need to watch them. You said—”
“I know exactly what I said. But, as one might expect, that doesn’t diminish my disappointment.”
“It’s not my fault they’re gone. You still owe me three grand.”
“I take care of my obligations. It’s such a shame you don’t do the same.”
She ended the call before she could say anything more. She didn’t have time to deal with this right now. Going all the way back to England just to kill one stupid criminal was pointless. He could be found under a rock at some point later.
Stepping out of the delicious bath, she dried off quickly and then began to pace across her hotel room. Staying in the most luxurious accommodations was one of the many perks of her job. That it was the Slater House Hotel was an amusing coincidence. Luxury and decadence often soothed her, but not tonight.
Dammit, she had read Teresa Longview wrong. Her kind usually believed that family was the most important thing. How many times had she used this technique in the past? Dozens? It had always worked like a dream. Where the hell had she gone wrong?
Anger ignited. Looking around the room for an outlet, she picked up
a vase, threw it across the room, and watched it shatter. No, that hadn’t helped. She whirled around, grabbed a small statue, and lifted her arm. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Turning, she faced herself fully and felt the rage drain from her body.
Being beautiful had been a gift. She hadn’t always looked like this. The man she had loved and lost had given her this. What woman wouldn’t want to have this face? This body?
Soothed by her beauty, she regrouped. Obviously, she had underestimated the housekeeper. Not only had she not served Slater and Callahan the poison, she had apparently told them. And if she’d told them, it was only a natural step for Slater to have called the one man with the kind of worldwide connections that could find and rescue people in trouble. Grey Justice had been a thorn in her side for as long as she could remember. Even while she hated him, he had fascinated her, enthralled her. And for one very specific reason, she wanted him dead.
But that was for another day. Right now, she had to go to her backup plan. Frustrating, because she hadn’t done the recon she normally would beforehand. But it was reasonable, sensible. And it would have to be done soon, before Slater suspected her next move. He now knew no one was safe.
She picked up her cellphone again, this time to make flight arrangements. Maybe once this part of the job was finished, she’d take a few days there and relax. She certainly deserved it, and France was so nice this time of year.
Rubbing his hair dry with a towel, Eli walked out of the bathroom and then stopped at the sight before him. Kathleen Callahan, beautiful, sexy, and without a doubt the love of his life, sat in the middle of the bed. He had dreamed about having her here, all the wickedly delicious things he wanted to do to that sweet, luscious body. But this image had never entered his mind.
The entire bed was covered with stacks of papers, most of which carried his father’s name. Kathleen sat in the middle of those stacks, reading, studying, researching. It had been a helluva long day, and he’d looked forward to holding her in his arms for a few hours without the stench of his family invading.
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