Virals tb-1

by Kathy Reichs

  “Son of a bitch,” I whispered.

  Any sane person would have destroyed the tags. Not Hollis Claybourne. The egotistical bastard saved them in his trophy case as another souvenir.

  Anger blazed anew. Those tags represented Katherine’s murder. Hollis kept them in a box to admire at his leisure.

  Monster.

  The door creaked.

  Footsteps kissed the carpet below.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  CHAPTER 64

  “Tory?” Chance was still dressed for lacrosse. “Is that you?”

  Busted.

  My mind blanked.

  “What are you doing here?” I babbled.

  “What am I doing here? I live here.”

  Chance stepped into the room. I tried to block his view of the cabinet, but splintered wood littered the catwalk and the carpet below. He couldn’t possibly miss it.

  “If you’re asking why I’m home early, it’s because we lost this morning.” A frown replaced his look of confusion. “The others can watch the finals without me. I’m not interested.”

  “You left Hannah there?” I was still in panic mode. How to play this?

  As casual as possible, I strolled back down the catwalk, turned the corner, and moved toward the staircase.

  “I dropped Hannah at home ten minutes ago.” Chance’s eyes tracked me. “Did you try to call? She left her phone in Jason’s car.”

  Oops. Hadn’t thought of that one.

  Chance crossed to his father’s desk, leaned against it. Folded his arms. From his new position, he’d be at the stairs well before I could reach the floor.

  I stopped in the center of the catwalk, just above the hearth.

  “Why are you up there?” Chance’s eyes flicked to the cabinet. “Why did you smash my father’s case?”

  I should’ve made an excuse. Lied. Played dumb. Cried.

  But my anger was hot to the touch. Hollis Claybourne was a monster, and his son was playing me.

  “Just stop it, Chance.” My hands gripped the railing. “I know you’re full of shit. And now I have proof.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” The upturned face darkened. “I tried to help you, little girl.”

  “Help me?” I spat. “By lying? By treating me like a fool?”

  “I told you everything I know.” The dark eyes said otherwise.

  “Jimmy Newman?” I sneered. “Bullshit! Where’s your hired goon, Baravetto? Driving someone home?”

  Wordlessly, Chance retraced his steps, closed the door, and threw the lock.

  I was trapped.

  Strolling to a chair, he sat and crossed his legs. His eyes rose again to my perch.

  “What is it you think you’ve found?” The velvet tone was now cold steel.

  “I know your father is a murderer.”

  “How dare you!” Chance shot forward, but quickly regained his cool. “You’re lucky my father is in Columbia. God help you if he found you here.”

  “What? He’d kill me too?”

  Chance remained silent, but his top foot bounced, dancing the laces on his sneaker.

  “I know about Cole Island,” I said. “The deal with Candela Pharmaceuticals. Your father murdered a girl named Katherine Heaton to protect his precious land sale.”

  “You can’t prove that. It’s complete nonsense.” Chance pointed at the smashed cabinet. “And you’ve committed a felony. More than one.”

  “Nonsense? Really?” I held up the dog tags.

  The foot started winging double-time.

  “And that’s not all.” I was on a roll. “I found Katherine Heaton’s journal. I know she discovered bald eagles on Cole Island. That’s why your father killed her.”

  Chance’s lips drew into a thin, hard line. For a moment he was silent. Then, “You’re right. Congratulations.”

  I was stunned. Chance was conceding that his father was guilty of murder. And admitting to his own knowledge of the crime.

  “You already know the truth,” Chance said. “And you’re too smart to be tricked again. So why bother? I admit it. The old bastard killed the Heaton girl.”

  “You knew about it?”

  “He called me in here two weeks ago.” Chance glanced at the desk, as if imagining his father behind it. “Told me the whole story. The eagles. The sale. Some meddling girl he’d been forced to eliminate.” Chance shook his head. “He was so nonchalant. Matter-of-fact. Heaton’s death meant nothing to him. It was incredible.”

  “But why kill her?” My voice cracked. “She was only sixteen.”

  “Cole Island was all my father had left.” He laughed mirthlessly. “He’s a terrible investor. By 1969 the family fortune was gone, and he was up to his ears in debt. Only the Claybourne name was keeping the creditors away.”

  “That hardly justifies murder.”

  “My father claims it was an accident. ” Chance avoided looking at me. “That he didn’t mean to kill her.”

  “And you believe him?”

  “Not for one second.”

  “Then why cover for him?”

  “Heaton should not have been there!” Chance’s fist slammed the arm of his chair. “Cole Island was private property. Our property. If she’d reported the eagles, it would’ve killed the sale. My father couldn’t allow that. Too much was at stake.”

  “He could have tried other things,” I said. “Maybe the birds could’ve been relocated.”

  Chance shook his head. “The publicity would’ve forced Candela to back out. There would have been no cash and no position for my father. Our whole future depended on that sale.”

  I looked down in disgust. “So it was all about money?”

  “My father would’ve been forced to sell Claybourne Manor!”

  “So?”

  “So?” Chance looked up, appalled. “A Claybourne has owned this house since the Civil War. It belongs to us, and no one else. We could never sell it. We’d be disgraced!”

  For the first time, I was seeing the true Chance. It sickened me.

  “Money isn’t everything,” I said.

  Chance laughed bitterly. “Have you even met my father? He’d never take a downgrade. He’d rather die than live a middle-class life.”

  “You’re revolting!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You approve of what he did.”

  “Watch your mouth.” Chance jabbed a finger in my direction. “I’m not my father. I’m nothing like him.”

  “That’s crap. You’re helping Hollis get away with murder.”

  Chance nodded. “These things happened when my father was twenty-four years old. One day he’ll answer for his actions. But done is done. I have no intention of losing my inheritance because of events that took place before I was born.”

  “Then you’re just like him,” I said.

  “Coming from you, that hurts.”

  “Go to hell!” My blood boiled. “You’ve been playing me this whole time. Pretending to worry about me. Calling me the prettiest girl in the room. Please. You never cared about me. You manipulated my feelings to protect yourself.”

  Chance shrugged. “And it worked.”

  “You lied to me.”

  “So I gave you a fake name,” he said airily. “You had my driver’s fingerprints. What was I supposed to do?”

  “But why have him follow us in the first place?”

  “We have a mole at the public library. He tipped my father to your research on Heaton. Hollis sent Baravetto to determine exactly what you’d learned.”

  A mole at the library? That weasel Limestone!

  “Of course, Hollis didn’t share any of that with his son.” Chance’s jaw muscles bunched. “God forbid he confide in me before confiding in my driver.”

  “But he did tell you,” I said. “You’re just as guilty as he is.”

  “Only when he had to. When Baravetto reported back, my father got nervous. Guess he decided I was man enough to dig up a skeleton. Otherwise, he’d have kept me in
the dark.”

  “Poor baby,” I mocked. “Sorry about your daddy issues.”

  Chance glared. Then smirked. “Your stolen laptop story fooled me, you know. I didn’t guess what you were up to until I saw the report.” He waggled a finger. “Very clever.”

  “This isn’t a joke!” I shouted. “You tried to kill me that night on Loggerhead.”

  “Kill you? Hardly. I shot way over your head.”

  “Yeah. Right.”

  “It’s true. My father ordered me to recover the skeleton. Nothing more. You happened to be there, so we had to scare you off.” The nervous foot was pumping again. “I couldn’t believe you’d already found the bones. Good thing we didn’t wait another night. Thanks, by the way.” The famous Chance wink. “You saved us hours of digging.”

  “Screw you,” I said. “The only reason I’m standing here is because you’re a lousy shot.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic.” He smiled. “Did you like the monkey bones? That was my idea. Hollis told me where to find them. He knows people at LIRI.”

  Spies on Loggerhead?

  “Who?”

  Chance ignored my question. “The bones were packed in a box by the dock.” He laughed. “I wish I could’ve been there when you showed the police.”

  “You think this is funny? You murdered Dr. Karsten in cold blood!”

  The taunting smile faded. “What?”

  “Enough games, Chance! I know you’re a murderer. I was there.”

  “I didn’t murder anyone. I told you. I shot over your heads. You’re lucky it was me out there. My father was furious I let you escape.”

  “Not Loggerhead. I’m talking about when you attacked us at the bunker.”

  “What bunker?” Chance frowned. “Wait. Are you’re saying someone was killed?”

  Now I was confused.

  “Thursday night. You and your goons shot professor Karsten on Morris Island.”

  “I’ve never set foot on Morris Island.”

  This wasn’t making sense.

  “Did you chase Hi and Shelton through the market earlier that night?”

  “The market?” Chance rose and moved to the foot of the staircase. “Is this a joke? What are you talking about?”

  His tone? His expression? Somehow, I believed he really was clueless about Karsten’s death.

  Not sure why, but I did.

  “Thursday night we were meeting with ... a friend on Morris Island. An adult.” I watched Chance closely. “Men came. They were armed, and dressed exactly as you were on Loggerhead.”

  “I wasn’t there, I swear.” Chance looked genuinely shocked. “What happened?”

  “We escaped. Our friend stayed behind.” My fingers tightened on the railing. “The bastards shot him.”

  For a long moment, Chance stared into space. A tremor shook his right hand.

  “I know nothing about that,” he said flatly. “Nothing.”

  Then Chance looked up, eyes hard with resolve.

  “Give me your bag,” he demanded.

  “What?”

  “Your bag.” Stepping back so he could see me more clearly. “You found Heaton’s notebook. I’m betting you have it now. I want it. And my fingerprint report. And everything you just stole from that cabinet. Game over.”

  Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did I bring the notebook with me?

  “Hollis murdered Katherine,” I said. “And probably ordered the hit on Karsten. People will notice he’s missing. The police will investigate. Eventually his body will be found. The truth will come out, no matter what you do.”

  Chance shook his head. “Not true. Once I destroy the evidence, including the skeleton, the past will stay buried. You just need to let this go.”

  “You father is trying to kill me and my friends!”

  “I’ll stop that.” Chance’s voice expressed a confidence his face lacked. “But I won’t sacrifice my family’s good name over a four-decade-old murder. And I won’t put my father in jail.”

  It was futile. Chance would never help me.

  My eyes sought an escape route. Found none. The staircase was the only way down.

  Fight back.

  I closed my eyes. Concentrated every fiber of my being on bringing out my powers.

  And failed. I couldn’t trigger a second flare.

  “Tory.”

  My eyes opened. Chance watched me closely.

  “The bag. Now!” He smiled darkly. “Let’s not make this unpleasant.”

  Just survive. Regroup.

  I wound down the stairs. Chance held out a hand. I passed him my backpack and the dog tags. What else could I do?

  “Good.” Chance nodded. “Now get out of my house and keep your mouth shut. This will be our little secret.”

  I’d been dismissed. Chance wasn’t even worried enough to escort me off the premises. He knew he’d won.

  I walked to the door.

  Looked back.

  Chance gave a smirky five-finger wave.

  I fled as fast as I could.

  CHAPTER 65

  The Brennan girl walked right past the Bentley.

  Hollis Claybourne nearly swallowed his cigar. He cracked his knuckles. Veins pulsed in his oversized nose.

  The little bitch had been inside his house!

  His mind raced. Should he chase her down? The girl was only a half block away. He could finish this problem himself.

  No. Too dangerous. He couldn’t risk grabbing her in broad daylight.

  The kid will have to take care of it.

  And I can’t be here, Hollis thought. I need an alibi.

  Hollis pounded his fist against the screen seperating the driver’s compartment.

  “Change of plans,” he said. “Back to the capitol.”

  “You wanna go back, sir?” the driver asked. “We just got here.”

  “Now, you imbecile!”

  Hollis regretted hiring Baravetto’s moron nephew, but he needed people he could trust. His entire career was in jeopardy.

  As the Bentley reversed down the driveway, Hollis yanked his cell phone from his suit jacket and punched the speed dial.

  Two rings, then, “Yes.”

  “The Brennan girl,” Hollis barked. “She and her friends must be dealt with immediately. I’ll be in Columbia.”

  He heard an intake of breath. Cut off the response.

  “And no more mistakes!”

  CHAPTER 66

  “He’s lying,” Shelton said. “He has to be.”

  Ben nodded in agreement.

  Hi shifted in his seat, uneasy.

  The four of us sat aboard Sewee back at the Morris Island dock. No one had any idea what to do next.

  An hour before, I’d slunk from Claybourne Manor, humiliated.

  The walk across town had seemed endless.

  The other Virals had been relieved to see me at the marina. Then I told them about my crash and burn. No one spoke during our ride across the harbor.

  “I think Chance told the truth,” I said softly. “I believe him.”

  “But he admitted that his father killed Heaton,” Shelton said. “Then he admitted stealing Heaton’s bones. Chance even admitted shooting at us!” He threw up his hands. “Who else would’ve killed Dr. K?”

  “Chance won’t own up to murder,” Ben said. “His ego isn’t that big.”

  “But why let Tory go?” Hi asked. “If Chance meant to kill us all at the bunker, why not finish Tory off when he had her trapped?”

  “Fear of being caught,” Shelton said. “He knew Tory would have told us where she was going. And Chance has all the evidence now anyway. Why not let her go?”

  “What was I supposed to do, kick his ass?” I said defensively. “He’s twice my size!”

  But I was embarrassed. Like a dolt, I’d delivered Heaton’s notebook to Chance.

  “Did you try to flare?” Hi asked. “You leveled Jason at that dance. Chance isn’t much bigger.”

  “I tried, but it didn’t work.” I shook
my head in frustration. “I was flaring right before he showed up. That’s how I found Hollis’s study and the dog tags. But once I lost it, I couldn’t get it back.”

  “You did the right thing,” Ben said. “You had no choice.”

  “What do we do now?” Hi asked. “Chance can come after us at any time.”

  “I really think he was being honest,” I said. “I don’t think he tried to kill us.”

  “Tory,” Hi began. “I know you think the guy is—”

  “Just listen!” I sat forward. “Chance admitted to switching the bones. His father told him the location of the grave. But how could he have found our bunker?”

  “He trailed us,” Shelton offered. “Just like Karsten.”

  I shook my head. “Ben and I weren’t followed from Loggerhead that night. I’m sure of it. And Karsten said he followed you guys from this dock. He swore he didn’t see anyone else. It doesn’t add up.”

  Hi scratched his chin. “Then the killers found our bunker some other way.”

  “But how?” I pressed. “You’d never spot it just by poking around.”

  “Truth now.” Ben looked at each of us. “Did any of you ever tell anyone about the bunker?”

  “Nope.”

  “No way.”

  “Not a soul.”

  “Me either,” Ben said. “I’m stumped.”

  “We have to figure out who learned the bunker’s location,” I said. “And how they did it. We’re not safe until we do.”

  “But we’ve lost the evidence. And Heaton’s skeleton,” Shelton said. “We’re dead in the water.”

  “We can’t let the Claybournes win,” I said.

  “No,” Ben agreed. “We can’t.”

  “Okay, Tory. You’re the commander.” Hi snapped a salute. “What now?”

  “Chance told me he was going to destroy everything,” I said. “The notebook, the dog tags, Heaton’s remains.”

  “So he still has the skeleton,” Hi reasoned.

  “Exactly.”

  “I know where this is going,” Shelton muttered.

  “We need to get it all back,” I said. “Find Katherine’s bones. Win.”

  “But where’s he got the bones stashed?” Ben asked.

  “Claybourne Manor. Where else?”

  “She’s going to say ‘tonight,’ isn’t she?” Shelton’s chin dropped to his chest. “Every time I think I’m done for the night, Tory says we have to invade some fortress.”