Ring of Lies

by Howard, Victoria

  Catherine almost sobbed with relief, hating herself for being pleased to see her sister.

  Jack put his gun on safety and tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. ‘I’d still like to know how you got in here.’

  Catherine turned her mind over and over, struggling to remember the name of her sister’s friend, the one Grace always confided in.

  ‘Olivia,’ she said at last. ‘I phoned Olivia and she told me you were here.’

  ‘Then you know about Daniel,’ Grace said, her face sombre.

  There was silence, during which Catherine sucked in a breath. Every nerve in her body erupted with spasms of alarm. Something was wrong. Horribly wrong. She jerked free of her sister’s arms and gripped the edge of the counter for support.

  ‘What…what about Daniel?’

  ‘You’d better sit down, Cat,’ Grace said, using her sister’s childhood nickname.

  ‘I don’t need to sit down. Just tell me what you mean.’

  ‘There’s no easy way to say this—Daniel’s dead.’

  ‘Oh, God, no! No! You’re lying. It’s not true.’ Catherine covered her face with her hands. Her heart was beating too fast, making her head spin, her skin damp. She would have fallen had it not been for the counter supporting her back.

  ‘Daniel’s fit, healthy, and young. He can’t be dead. Why are you saying this?’

  ‘Because it’s the truth.’

  Catherine’s brown eyes showed the tortured dullness of disbelief. She sank to her knees. ‘H-how did it happen?’

  Grace slid a supporting arm around her sister’s shoulders and helped her to her feet. Catherine staggered across the room to the table, and flopped down in a chair. Nausea churned in her throat, tears streamed down her face.

  ‘Jack, fetch the brandy,’ said Grace.

  Jack thrust a glass into Catherine’s hands. She tossed it back and held it out for a refill.

  Grace handed her sister a tissue and waited for her sobs to subside, then explained how Daniel had died.

  Jack leaned against the kitchen counter, and watched the interaction between the two sisters.

  When Grace finished speaking, Catherine dug into her purse for her cigarettes. Her hand shook as she struck the match. She drew in smoke, the nicotine made her lightheaded, adding to the side effects of the drug she’d taken hours before. Confused, she struggled to concentrate.

  ‘Dear God.’ Catherine blinked hard and gulped, fighting the tears. She lifted a hand to her sister’s cheek. ‘I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, I was away at a sales conference when you needed me most.’

  Grace squeezed Catherine’s hand. ‘You’re here now, that’s all that matters. Hearing about Daniel’s death like this must be a shock. I know you loved him too.’

  A quick glimpse at Grace’s dishevelled state and heightened colour made Catherine think there was more to her sister’s relationship with Jack. Maybe, just maybe she could turn that to her advantage. She drew a long breath and chose her words carefully.

  ‘I can’t believe my brother-in-law was some sort of criminal. He provided a home for me after Mum and Dad died. He paid for my education, taught me to drive. He paid attention to me. Yet the man you describe, he seems so alien, so different, to the Daniel I knew.’

  ‘He deceived us both. Did you know he kept a mistress?’

  The blood siphoned from Catherine’s face. ‘I—Are you sure?’

  Jack and Grace looked at each other.

  ‘Yeah, we’re sure,’ Jack said.

  A muscle flicked at Catherine’s jaw. She bowed her head and swallowed hard. Jack’s eyes seemed to bore right through her. ‘Do you have any idea who she is?’

  ‘We’re working on it.’

  Catherine ignored Jack and looked directly at her sister.

  ‘The son of a bitch. You must be devastated, poor darling.’

  Grace ran a hand through her hair. ‘Not any longer. Now, I just hate Daniel for all the lies he told.’

  ‘At least he left you this fabulous house.’

  Jack’s dark eyebrows rose. ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘Which thing do you mean,’ asked Catherine, ‘that it’s fabulous or that it now belongs to Grace?’

  The right corner of his mouth tilted up. He’d met some confident liars in his time, and this woman was right up there with the best.

  ‘That it belongs to Grace.’

  ‘Olivia told me.’

  ‘This conference you were at…where was it.’

  ‘Rome. Why?’

  ‘Grace was pretty messed up that she couldn’t find you. How long were you there?’

  Catherine’s eyes narrowed. ‘Five days. I played host to a group of consultant surgeons. I can give you their names and the addresses of the hospitals where they work, if you want.’

  ‘Maybe later. After the conference ended, then what did you do?’

  Grace whirled round to stare at Jack. ‘Stop this! Catherine hasn’t done anything wrong.’

  ‘Two people connected with Daniel are in the morgue. Someone tried to kill us last night. Next time they might succeed. I think that gives me the right to ask your sister a few questions.’

  ‘It’s all right, Grace.’ Catherine rested a hand on her sister’s arm and then turned to face Jack. ‘I had some leave due, so I stayed on for a few days. Do you have a problem with that?’

  ‘No, but that doesn’t explain why you didn’t return any of Grace’s calls.’

  Sudden anger flashed in Catherine’s brown eyes. ‘My cell phone was stolen, along with my purse.’

  ‘Which would also contain your passport. In that case, how did you get here?’

  Catherine’s features remained composed. ‘I went to the British Embassy. They replaced my passport and organized a flight back to London. When Olivia told me Grace was here, I got on the first available plane.’

  ‘That still doesn’t explain how you got in the house.’

  ‘Well, obviously I didn’t break in. And as I don’t have a key—’

  Jack held her gaze. ‘Nothing is obvious. All the doors were locked.’

  Catherine’s brown eyes glared up at her inquisitor. ‘Are you implying I’m lying?’

  ‘That’s enough, Jack. Catherine isn’t a suspect,’ Grace said, and turned to her sister. ‘You must be tired. Come on upstairs. I’ll show you where the guest room is.’

  Jack watched the two women leave the room arm-in-arm. He glanced at his watch—close to midnight. With any luck, Mike might still be awake. He tapped in the number and waited for his SAC to pick up the call. Surprised when no one answered, he cut the connection and dialled Agent Diego’s cell phone instead.

  ‘Jack West,’ he said when Diego answered. ‘Sorry for the late call, but Mike’s not picking up and this is—’

  ‘Mike had a heart attack. He’s in a critical condition.’

  Jack’s hand tightened on the phone. ‘Jesus. Which hospital is he in, Diego?’

  ‘Jackson Memorial. Chrissie found him slumped in the hallway. It doesn’t look good, Jack. If he can get through the next twenty-four hours then he’s in with a chance.’

  ‘I’ll be there as soon as I can.’

  ‘There’s nothing you can do, Jack. And if he were able, Mike would tell you to continue with the investigation. I’ll let you know as soon as there’s any change in his condition.’

  Deep down Jack knew Diego was right, but it still cut to the bone. ‘In that case, can you run a background check on Catherine Peterson—thirty, Caucasian, five feet ten, with brown eyes? She’s a British Citizen, so you’ll need to contact our friends across the pond. I want to know her movements for the last three weeks, and in particular whether her passport has passed through Immigration anywhere on the east coast. Oh, and check out her employers, Ross Pharmaceuticals. She’s one of their sales representatives.’

  ‘What’s her connection to Elliott?’

  ‘She’s Grace’s sister. Turned up at Sand Dollars an hour ago. Walked straight in; clai
ms the front door was unlocked. She spun some story about losing her cell phone and passport while chaperoning a group of surgeons at a conference in Rome. So check with the British Embassy there and see if they issued her with a replacement.’

  ‘Anything else?’

  ‘Yeah, compare her photograph to the videotapes from the airport to see if she matches any of the women who arrived on the same flights as Elliott.’

  Diego made a strangled sound. ‘Do you have any idea how many women were on those flights?’

  ‘Just do it.’ Jack interrupted. ‘And make sure you keep me posted on Mike’s status.’

  Jack cut the connection before Diego could tell him what he thought.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  ‘If Daniel’s death was an accident, how did the FBI become involved?’ Catherine asked as she and Grace climbed the stairs.

  ‘I asked Jack for his help. He took me to meet Mike, his boss, after we’d been to see Daniel’s attorney in Miami. Mike decided to investigate.’

  ‘So you’ve known Jack for a while?’

  ‘We met earlier this year.’

  ‘That was lucky. Are you two involved?’

  Grace stopped and turned to face her sister. ‘No, we aren’t. And, no we weren’t. Unlike Daniel I kept my wedding vows. Jack and I were…are good friends.’

  ‘No need to get defensive. What will happen when the investigation is over? Will you be allowed to keep the house?’

  Grace tried to ignore the curiosity in her sister’s glance and took another step. ‘It’s complicated. I may not have any choice but to hand it over.’

  ‘But if Daniel left it to you in his will, then surely it belongs to you.’

  ‘Not if the money used to purchase it was obtained illegally. Besides, I’m not sure I want it.’

  ‘Good grief, Grace. You can’t just give a house with prime beachfront location away! It must be worth a packet.’

  ‘It probably is. But I could never be comfortable living here knowing Daniel scammed countless people out of their money. Besides, Jack believes that Daniel planned to divorce me and change his will in favour of his mistress.’

  Catherine tripped on a stair and staggered onto the next. Regaining her balance, she asked, ‘And do you believe him?’

  ‘It makes sense when you consider that Daniel bought this house without my knowledge.’

  ‘Perhaps he wanted to surprise you,’ Catherine suggested.

  Grace laughed. ‘Oh, he did that all right. When a man buys his wife a new house, he doesn’t usually install his mistress in it first.’

  Catherine managed a choking laugh. ‘I guess not. Even so, it is stunning. There are what, four or five bedrooms?’

  ‘Four. The master suite and room I’m in overlook the beach. The other two are on the side of the house. You can have one of those.’

  Grace turned right at the top of the stairs. As they passed the first door, Catherine pushed it open and stepped inside. Clothes and shoes were scattered everywhere—on the king-size bed, the pale blue carpet and dainty dressing table chair.

  ‘My God. What happened here?’ she asked, stunned and sickened at the sight of a delicate peach silk and lace teddy that had been torn in two.

  Grace’s cheeks burned in remembrance. ‘It’s Daniel’s room. The one he shared with his mistress. I felt so betrayed when I found her clothes, I couldn’t control my anger. I’ll get some sacks tomorrow and clear up the mess.’

  ‘You can’t just throw everything away,’ Catherine said, plucking a silk Missoni jacket off the floor and placing it with infinite care on the bed.

  ‘I don’t want them. Do you have any idea how I felt finding her clothes here?’

  ‘It can’t have been easy. But at least let me look through them first. I mean, these are all designer labels, and too small for you. Why, these shoes are Jimmy Choo’s and just my size. There are thousands of dollars worth here.’ Catherine held a sapphire blue cocktail dress against her body and paraded in front of the mirror.

  ‘Thousands of ill-gotten dollars.’

  Catherine continued to admire herself, smoothing creases out of the fabric. ‘You don’t know that for sure.’

  Grace stared at her sister, a vague memory floating in the back of her mind. She snatched the dress out of her sister’s hands and threw it down on the floor.

  ‘How else did Daniel pay for this house? And where do you think the money in the Miami bank account came from, Disneyland?’ she yelled.

  Catherine stiffened in shock. ‘He left you money too?’

  ‘Whether he intended to leave it to me or not, doesn’t matter. The question is where did he get two million dollars? He certainly didn’t earn it.’

  ‘Two million? Jeez, I had no idea he’d siphoned off so much.’

  Sudden anger lit Grace’s eyes. ‘It’s nothing to be proud of. After all, he was your brother-in-law. This way, your room is down the hall.’ Frowning, she ushered her sister out of the master suite and along the hallway.

  ‘Two million, plus this house—no wonder Jack’s sniffing round you like a dog on heat.’

  Grace thrust open the door to the guest room. It slammed against the wall, denting in the plasterwork.

  ‘You’ve not listened to a word I’ve said. I don’t want the house or the money. And Jack is not ‘sniffing round’ as you put it. He’s doing his job.’

  ‘Great speech,’ Catherine said, and flopped down on the bed, ‘pity I don’t believe the bit about Jack. Use your imagination for once, and think of the life you could have with all that cash. I’m telling you, Gracie, if I was in your position, I’d take the money and run.’

  Weariness swamped Grace. Her shoulders sagged.

  ‘If I keep the money it makes me a thief, just like Daniel. I won’t stoop to his standards.’

  ‘You always have to do the right thing, don’t you? God, you must have driven Daniel mad. No wonder he lost control of his car and slammed into a tree.’

  Grace balled her fists, fighting the urge to shake her sister. ‘How—how dare you! Daniel and I loved each other. We had a good marriage.’

  ‘Really? Then why did he need a mistress? Daniel was too good for you, Grace. He was dynamic. He should have married someone more outgoing, someone—’

  ‘More like you?’

  Heat suffused Catherine’s cheeks. She paused to catch her breath. She had to stay calm.

  ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.’

  ‘No, you shouldn’t have!’

  ‘I said I’m sorry. Forgive me, please?’

  Grace ran a hand through her hair. ‘Why did you come here, Cat?’

  ‘I was concerned. I thought you might welcome my support.’ Catherine stood and wrapped her arms around her sister.

  Grace shoved her away. ‘I needed your support the day Daniel died, not three weeks after I buried him. And especially not after you’ve spewed all that bile!’

  ‘I already told you, I’m sorry I said that stuff. I’m sorry I didn’t get your message. I’m even sorry my phone was stolen.’

  ‘You really expect me to believe that when you’re so dependent on a cell phone? You of all people would have had a replacement within hours.’

  Baffled, Catherine stared at Grace. She’d changed. In the past Grace had done everything to avoid confrontation, but here she was fighting back.

  ‘What is this, an inquisition?’

  ‘Daniel’s been dead for nearly a month. You’ve accounted for two weeks. What were you doing the rest of the time?’

  ‘Sorry, big sister. I don’t have to report to you anymore.’

  ‘I guess not. You have unconscionable gall coming to my house—yes, that’s right: my house—and speaking to me like this. And you better have some answers ready for Jack, because I guarantee he’ll check everything you’ve said is true.’

  ‘I came here to help you and you treat me as if—’

  ‘I’m treating you as if you’re cruel and selfish, and as if your sister
means nothing to you. I’m also trying to understand why it wasn’t important to you to return my calls.’

  Catherine drew a long breath and yawned.

  ‘Look, we’ve both said things we don’t mean tonight. You’re tired. I’m tired. Let’s let bygones be bygones and stop fighting like children. Then we can catch up properly in the morning like two long lost sisters should. All right?’