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Guardians of Stone (The Relic Seekers)

Page 19

by Clenney, Anita


  Brandi had gone so pale, Kendall though she might collapse. “He’s here. It must have been him...Oh God. You and Jake have to get out of here now, before it’s too late.” With a frantic look, she turned and ran from the room. Kendall heard her racing downstairs.

  “Wait,” Kendall said, starting after her, but Brandi didn’t stop. Kendall hurried back to her room and looked out the window. She saw a shadow outside the inn. Jake. She rushed downstairs and out to the patio. She hurried toward the hill, looking for him. Without warning, she was tackled from behind, just like Jake had done before the car blew up. But this wasn’t Jake. She could smell the difference. Before she could catch her breath, a dark streak leapt at them, knocking the man off her. They fought for seconds, and then she heard a grunt. One of the men jumped up and fled. Jake hurried over to her. He was holding his side.

  “We have to leave,” he said. “Now.”

  “Did you get the box?”

  “What box?”

  “Nathan’s box. Didn’t you take it from Brandi’s room?”

  “No. What are you talking about?”

  “Someone was in Brandi’s room earlier. She accused me of stealing her bag. I think she had the box in it. I saw a man go down the trellis and thought it was you.”

  “I was outside checking the perimeter when I saw someone drop down from the trellis. I came around to make sure it wasn’t you. Damn. He must have taken it.”

  Jake looked torn between going after him and staying with Kendall. “Come on. We’re leaving.” He ushered Kendall back inside the inn and up to their room.

  “Who could have taken it?” Kendall asked after the door closed behind them. “Thomas is dead, and Brandi was the victim here.”

  “Is she still here? I have some questions for her.”

  “No. She took off when Loretta mentioned the new guest with the ring.”

  “You mean the man at the end of the hall? I saw him last night.”

  “Yes. But he couldn’t have broken into Brandi’s room. He was in the hallway at the same time I heard someone inside her room. And he wasn’t the right build as the man who tackled me. But he must be up to no good. Loretta said she saw him listening outside our door and Brandi’s.”

  “Maybe he was an accomplice. Did he see you?”

  “Yes. He looked shocked. I think he recognized me.”

  “Damn. Hurry.” He looked inside his pack and frowned. “Did you take a paper out of here?”

  “No. Did you kill Thomas and lie about it?”

  “Where the hell did that come from?”

  “Your pack was open and I saw the cross Thomas stole from me.”

  “I found it on the floor last night after Nathan left.”

  “Why didn’t you mention it?”

  “You were sleeping. I didn’t want to wake you. I forgot about it this morning. I was kind of...distracted.”

  “How did the cross get on our floor? I suppose it could have been the same person who searched Brandi’s room. He could have gotten inside ours while we were downstairs last night.”

  Jake shrugged. “Or it could have been Nathan.”

  “You think Nathan had the cross?”

  “It wouldn’t be the first thing he’s hidden.”

  “Brandi said she saw Nathan the morning Thomas died. He was hurrying away from the church. She thought he had something to do with the murder.”

  “But she didn’t tell the authorities. Sounds like a woman with something to hide. Was she sure it was him?”

  “Positive, unless he has a twin.”

  Jake shook his head in disgust. “Dammit. What else is he keeping from us?”

  “I think it’s time to ask.” Kendall scanned the room. “I’m ready if you are. We should tell Roberto we’re leaving or he’ll have the cops looking for us.”

  Jake touched his side again. “You go down and check out while I call a taxi.”

  She found Roberto in the lobby behind his desk.

  “Kara. I’m glad you’re awake,” he said. “I have the keys to your car.”

  “My car?”

  He reached for a set of keys near his computer. “It was delivered earlier. It’s parked out front.” Roberto must have noticed her puzzled look. “You didn’t have it delivered?”

  “No. It must be from my brother. He felt bad when he found out about our other car.”

  Roberto’s eyebrows shot up. “Nice brother. You’re lucky. Not many rental companies would deliver this early.”

  “Yes, he’s very nice.”

  Roberto handed her the keys. “The man left this.” It was a letter addressed to Kara and Jason. “Is your brother coming down for breakfast?”

  “Oh no, he had to leave last night.”

  Roberto’s face fell. “That’s too bad. He asked for this.” He held up a piece of paper.

  “What is it?”

  Roberto’s voice dropped. “He was asking about that place. He wanted to know more about it for some paper he’s writing. I didn’t know he was a journalist.”

  She didn’t either.

  “I remembered there was a historian who claimed to know something about the Protettori. He wrote an article about it several years ago. Your brother asked me to get his name and address.”

  Kendall looked at the paper. The address was in Rome. Why would Nathan ask for this and then leave in the middle of the night without it? Had he left on his own? Jake obviously had some issues with Nathan. Surely he wouldn’t hurt him.

  “Could I leave it with you?” Roberto asked.

  “Yes. I’ll give it to him when I see him. Actually, I came to tell you that Jason and I are leaving too. Something has come up.”

  His forehead wrinkled in a frown. “Are you leaving because of all the bad things happening? I know it was a terrible honeymoon for you, getting hurt the first day.”

  “It’s not that. We have a family emergency.”

  “I’m sorry. You will come back another time. Let me make it up to you?”

  Kendall assured him they would. “Thank you, Roberto. Well, I should go. Jason is waiting. If you hear from Brandi, would you let me know? I’m...worried about her.”

  “Of course. I think the murder upset her. Poor man. I heard that a relative identified the body.”

  Relative? Or cohort?

  Kendall said good-bye and went up to get Jake. He was in the middle of changing his shirt when she walked in. He kept his back to her, uncharacteristically modest.

  “We don’t need a taxi,” she told him. “Nathan had a car delivered.”

  “This early?”

  “The man who delivered it left a letter.” Kendall opened the envelope. It was from Nathan, apologizing for running out without telling them. Something needed his attention and he didn’t want to wake them. “He says there are cell phones in the car.”

  “Nathan’s money at work,” Jake said, grabbing their bags. “Come on.”

  Even though the letter was from Nathan, Jake still quickly inspected the Audi, checking underneath the car, in the trunk, and under the hood. When he decided it wasn’t rigged with explosives, they drove away from the inn.

  “The car is fully equipped, of course,” Kendall said, looking at the luxurious seats and control panel.

  “And bugged, if I had my guess.”

  “Did you see a tracking device?”

  “Not this time. His guys are probably better at hiding them.”

  “We need to check in with him,” Kendall said. “I want to ask him about the cross.”

  “You really think he’ll tell you the truth?”

  Kendall sighed. She wasn’t sure. “He wouldn’t kill Thomas. I know he wouldn’t.”

  “Who are you trying to convince?” Jake asked. “There’s more to Nathan than meets the eye. Even you admit you can’t read him.”

  “But he’s not a killer.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Do you think you could try your mojo on the cross again
? Maybe you’ll get something this time.”

  “You’re just hoping I’ll pick up something from Thomas so you’ll know what he was doing here.” She was curious herself. “I could try. I don’t always pick up the same thing each time. But Thomas didn’t have the cross in his possession for very long.”

  “I doubt he had that note at the hotel for very long, but you picked something up on it.”

  Kendall opened her bag and took out the cross. She let it rest in her hand, trying to feel its history. The sensations she felt were varied. Some were the same as the first time Nathan had given it to her. She caught a thread and isolated it. A little girl giggling. She couldn’t see the girl’s face but she knew the sound. Then newer sensations took over, but they were jumbled. There was fire, an explosion of some kind. A plane or helicopter, she thought. But it must have been the car bomb. Thomas could have set it.

  “I don’t know. I sense different things, an explosion, some emotions, but it’s just bits and pieces. I’m sorry.” She left out the part about the little girl since it didn’t seem to fit.

  “What kind of explosion?”

  “It was just a loud noise and fire. It must have been the car bomb.”

  “Maybe,” he said, softly, wearing his haunted look. “Maybe not.”

  She knew he didn’t want to talk. “We have some time before the jet leaves. Let’s try to find this family Roberto told us about. He said it’s beyond the hills of the Protettori’s castle.”

  They found the village. It was tiny, a few houses and farms and one Catholic church. It was early, but there was a man near the front of the church.

  “Hello,” Kendall called.

  He turned and his face lit up with a welcoming smile.

  “Do you speak English?” she asked.

  He nodded and measured with his fingers. “Little.” He introduced himself as the parish priest.

  “We’re trying to locate a family named Romano,” Kendall said.

  His face grew somber. “Not here. Gone.”

  “They moved?”

  “Dead.”

  “All of them?”

  “Yes. Except the oldest son. Edward was away.”

  Edward. This must be the right family.

  “Makes no sense. Good souls taken and troublemaker left here.”

  “Edward was a troublemaker?”

  “Black sheep, so they say. I don’t know him well.”

  Kendall and Jake exchanged a surprised look. Their Edward?

  “How did they die?” Jake asked.

  “Fire. House burned. Sad. Whole village mourns.”

  “What a terrible accident,” Kendall said.

  “No. Not accident. Arson. Murder.”

  “Who set the fire?” Jake asked.

  “Don’t know. Still looking.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “Last month. Did you know them?”

  Kendall shook her head. “No, but we wanted to talk to them. We heard that one of their ancestors helped build a castle near here.”

  “I have not been here that long. I don’t know.”

  They thanked the priest and left. “Edward said that anyone connected to the Protettori ended up dead,” Kendall said as they climbed into the car, a bit shocked by what they’d just learned.

  “Edward escaped.”

  “When he said everything was lost in a fire, I didn’t think he meant his family.”

  “Didn’t look like he was grieving.”

  “Maybe he’s in denial.”

  “You didn’t read anything on him?”

  “No. Sometimes I can’t read anything. I never know how it’s going to work. It’s like being a puppet.”

  They were both silent as they headed toward Rome. She looked out the window at the scenery zipping past. “The spear is still out there and we’re just walking away. It doesn’t feel right. I don’t like leaving a mystery unsolved.”

  “Nathan’s calling the shots.”

  She supposed Jake felt like a puppet too. The debt he owed Nathan must be big. Jake didn’t make a good puppet.

  They arrived in Rome with two hours to spare. It wouldn’t take long to reach the airport, so they decided to talk to the historian Roberto had found. The city was bustling, vastly different from the small town and the inn. Kendall found herself missing the quiet countryside. But they weren’t here to relax.

  Using the directions Roberto had given them, they found the historian’s house on a little side street. An elderly man in thick glasses answered their knock. They apologized for visiting so early and explained their request. He led them to a sitting room and gestured for them to take seats.

  “Why do you want to know about the Protettori?” he asked, moving to an armchair across the room.

  “A friend of ours had heard stories about the group,” Kendall said. “Someone told us you might have some information. We were hoping to learn more before we leave.”

  “You are leaving Italy?”

  “Yes.”

  The historian studied them both for a moment, and then he nodded to himself and leaned back in his chair. “Not much is known about the brotherhood. According to the stories, the Protettori were protectors—as the name says—guardians of a secret treasure. There were rumors of gold and jewels, and even relics. Some of these objects were supposed to have secret powers. There were four that were the most powerful.”

  “What were they?” Kendall asked.

  “No one knows for sure. Many have searched. Some never returned.”

  Kendall clenched her hands in her lap. “So no one knows where they were hidden?”

  “I think if someone found out, they wouldn’t have been long for this world. The Protettori were very serious about their duties.”

  “How old is the order?” Jake asked. His hands rested on his thighs. He looked relaxed, but she had learned to read his body language. He was tense. He had been since they left the inn.

  “As old as Christ, I would imagine. I doubt anyone alive knows for sure. They pretended to be monks in order to hide their mission from the world. There were many in the brotherhood at one time, but there was a battle and several of them died.”

  “What happened?” Jake asked.

  “I think only the Protettori could tell you that.”

  “Are there any Protettori left today?”

  “Very few, I would think. But I don’t know for certain. No one is allowed near them unless they belong to the order.” He studied his hands, and Kendall could see from the pale skin on one finger that he had worn a ring.

  “How do you know so much about the Protettori?” she asked.

  The historian’s eyes grew distant. Kendall almost grasped something swirling in them, but he looked away. “I knew one of the Protettori a long time ago.”

  “How does someone become part of the order?” Jake asked.

  “They were selected from the bravest, the most loyal men, who then made a sacred vow to protect the relics.”

  Kendall felt her head growing fuzzy and she heard a young boy’s voice. The historian’s voice intruded and she shook her head, trying to focus. She remembered the torn letter she had found in the tower. She had forgotten to ask Roberto what it said. “Can you tell me anything about this? It’s written in Italian.”

  His veined hands reached for the paper and he studied it. “It’s a date. April twentieth. The year is torn off. The only thing legible is “must keep the secret.” The historian frowned. “You found this in the castle of the Protettori?”

  Kendall squirmed in her chair, but it was too late to pretend she had found it somewhere else. “It was in one of the rooms.”

  “So someone in the castle was keeping a secret,” the historian said.

  “Didn’t you say you saw a bed with blood?” Jake asked. “Maybe someone gave birth there. Kendall is gifted. She senses things.”

  Kendall was surprised at the lack of sarcasm in Jake’s voice.

  The old man leaned forward. “Tell me a
bout your gift. I’ve always been fascinated by such things.”

  Again, she started to pick up something in his eyes, and it made her uncomfortable. “Oh, I just get some weird vibes. Nothing ever pans out.” She ignored Jake’s frown and rose. “Thank you for your time. We have to be going.”

  “My pleasure. I hope to run into you both again soon.”

  After they left, the old man walked to the library and sat down at the desk. The visit hadn’t gone as he’d expected. He reached up with now straight fingers and pulled off his gray wig. He removed his thick glasses, and then put on the ring he’d taken off. One of his prized possessions. He didn’t like it to leave his finger. Straightening his stooped shoulders, he addressed the body stuffed underneath the desk.

  “If they don’t have my spear, then who does?”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  JAKE KEPT AN eye on the rearview mirror as they sped away from the historian’s house. His face was tight.

  “Is something wrong?” Kendall asked.

  “Just make sure we’re not being followed.” He glanced at her. “You’re quiet.”

  “Something’s bothering me about the historian.”

  “You think he’s in danger?”

  “No. I think he was lying, but I don’t know what he was lying about. Something was...off about him. Maybe your suspicious nature is rubbing off on me.”

  Jake navigated his way through traffic. “I think we should call our friend Edward and see if he knows more than he’s saying. Maybe we should ask him if he misses his family.”

  They called, but Edward didn’t answer, so Kendall left a message asking him to call them back. “We know more about the secret order, but that doesn’t bring us any closer to finding the box,” she said. “I’m almost sure Brandi had it. She wouldn’t have freaked out over her bag otherwise. She said that I knew what was in it. Who could have taken it?”

  “Maybe Nathan came back and took it. It’s not our problem now. We’ve been told not to find it, remember?” Jake winced and put his hand over his stomach as he settled back in the seat.

  “You must be starving.” Neither of them had eaten recently.

  “I’d kill for a medium-rare steak and a beer.”

  “You think about steak a lot.”

  “Steak and sex.”

 

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