Night and Day (2 page)

And why Natalie Castino had suddenly emerged as the real monster of the piece.

“It's still hard for me to believe a mother would kill her own children,” Jane said. “I can't get my head around it.”

“Everyone has trouble with it,” Eve said. “Maternal love dominates every family and, when it doesn't exist, it turns that family upside down. Joe said that even Detective Manez, who suspected Natalie wasn't a grieving mother, wouldn't commit her because he didn't want to believe it. It's a crime against the helpless from the person who should be dedicated to caring for them.”

“You've seen it before?”

“Only a couple times in my entire career. The courts declared both women insane.” She shook her head. “I told you, it's hard to prove, hard to believe.” Her lips thinned. “Natalie isn't insane though she'd accept that loophole if she had to do it. She's a sociopath, and that's even more frightening. She'll do anything she wants to do unless there's a danger to her in doing it.”

“And she wanted to kill Jenny and Cara. You told me that she played the affectionate mother before they were kidnapped.”

“She did, but they were in her way somehow. Her husband wanted sons and was toying with mistresses who might give them to him. She was probably afraid she'd be displaced. She liked being queen of all she surveyed. Juan Castino was the most powerful cartel boss in Mexico City, and everyone was afraid to cross him. She liked that power. Once the children were out of the picture, she would have been a bereaved mother, and her husband would have hesitated to set her aside. She was the daughter of a Russian Mafia boss, Sergai Kaskov, and he would not have been pleased. Castino would have found himself dangling headless from one of the bridges down there.”

“And no one suspected her of having anything to do with the kidnapping of the children?”

“She seduced and manipulated Alfredo Salazar into hiring Walsh to do the actual kidnapping … and killing. He was the head of a rival cartel, who hated Castino anyway.”

“Terrible,” Jane murmured. “I knew some of this, but no details about Natalie Castino. Only the fact that Joe wasn't sure that Natalie was what she seemed to be and neither were you. No wonder you're frightened for Cara. Natalie Castino has to be totally ruthless.”

“But we have a wild card. When Natalie found out that we might have found Cira's treasure, she lit up like the Fourth of July. She might have even moved up her plans about killing her husband and Salazar to make an adjustment that would suit her.” Her hands were trembling as she lifted her cup to her lips. “She wants money and power, and Cira's gold could give it to her. We've just got to use that wild card to get Cara back.”

“I'm sure it's not as if it hasn't been used before for less worthy purposes,” Jane said. All through the many centuries since the eruption of Vesuvius had destroyed Herculaneum, that fabulous chest of coins had been a lure that had drawn everyone who had heard about it, she thought. But it had all centered around Cira, the young actress who had been born a slave, and who had taken the gold with her when she had escaped the raging volcano. She had schemed and fought to keep that treasure for herself and her family even to the extent of fleeing to the wilds of Scotland and establishing the MacDuff dynasty here at Gaelkar. “We'll find a way.”

Eve looked down at the huge lake, with its eternal mist hovering over the entire north bank. “What do you think the chances are that it's really down there?”

“Sometimes I think that it is, sometimes I just don't know. That chest of coins has been missing for centuries, and you know that Cira has been a mystery I've never been able to solve.”

“You know MacDuff would argue with you,” Eve said dryly. “He's convinced that you have some kind of ancestral connection or something with Cira and that you can lead him to that treasure.”

“Because I had those dreams about Cira when I was seventeen? That doesn't prove anything.” But it had meant a great deal to Jane while she was going through that chaotic period. Those dreams had been so real, they had dominated her thoughts and her life. And when she had been driven to do in-depth research and found that Cira had actually existed, they had led her to MacDuff, the Laird of MacDuff's Run. “I don't dream about Cira any longer.”

“Except that one dream that led us all here,” Eve said. “You may not be sure that chest is out there somewhere lost in that mist, but MacDuff believes it.”

“He's grasping at straws because no one has even gotten close to finding Cira's gold.” She smiled. “But maybe Cira is ready to release her secrets. And I couldn't think of anyone more worth her doing it for than Cara.”

“Neither can I.” Eve moistened her lips. “I hardly knew Cara when all this began. I felt sorry for her. I wanted to help her. But then I got to know her. She was brave and honest and sometimes a kid, but most of the time more mature than she should be.” Her voice was unsteady. “She wanted to help me. She wanted to take care of Jock Gavin. One of the last things she asked about was Jock.”

“He was her friend. She didn't have any friends,” Jane said. “And because she'd lost so much, she didn't want to lose either of you.”

“I don't want to lose her, either,” Eve said. “I … care about her, Jane. I won't let her be taken from us.”

“I know you won't.” She frowned as a thought occurred to her. “But Cara isn't going to let Natalie Castino hurt you, either. That may be a problem. I've gotten to know Cara. She'd fight for you, Eve. And that might mean she'd piss off Natalie Castino. Is that possible?”

“God only knows,” Eve said wearily. “It depends on how Natalie handles her and what she wants from her. Cara hasn't seen her mother since she was three years old. I know that Elena, who raised her and took her on the run when her sister was killed, told her it wasn't safe for her to go back to Mexico to her parents. But it wasn't because Elena suspected Natalie. It was because the cartel situation was so deadly there that she thought it wouldn't be safe for her. They had no idea who was behind the kidnapping of the girls. Elena thought it might be Salazar, who was a rival cartel boss. He was an enemy of Castino and wanted to hurt him by taking and killing his children. We didn't suspect Natalie ourselves until Joe recently found out Natalie and Salazar were lovers.”

“But you didn't tell Cara?”

“It didn't seem the time to tell her that it was her mother who had probably murdered her sister,” Eve said bitterly. “How do you tell a child something like that? She was safe with me. I thought I could keep her that way. And she was having enough to face at the time.”

Jane was silent. But now Cara was going to have to face that truth and make her own judgments … and mistakes.

“I know.” Eve was reading her expression. “Hindsight, Jane. I should have prepared her. I left her alone and vulnerable. I just have to trust her and hope for the best.”

Eleven years old, Jane wanted to tell Eve. Cara was only eleven years old, and she was up against a woman Eve had called a monster. She didn't say it. “Cara's very smart. She'll get through this. We just have to—”

“Burbank just called me.” Joe Quinn was striding down the slope toward the campfire. “They've located Natalie's helicopter. They think it's heading for Liverpool. Natalie will probably be switching to a private jet there. Let's go.”

Eve jumped to her feet. “Can't Scotland Yard intercept them? After all, it's a kidnapping.”

“It would be difficult. Proof. Family rights. Natalie is her mother.” Joe took Eve's elbow and headed toward the road. “It's probably going to have to be us.”

Jane felt powerless. “What can I do to help?” Jane called after them. “Should I come along?”

“No, stay here and hold everything together,” Joe said over his shoulder. “The local police aren't pleased at those booby traps on the road. They're asking a lot of questions I don't have time to answer. The first thing that came to their mind was terrorists. They're going to ask a lot more if they find out we've blown up the top of one of those scenic hills, and there may be bodies to deal with.”

“How are you going to get to Liverpool in time?”

“I parked the helicopter about seven miles from here when I arrived in that heavy fog. We'll grab one of the cars and drive there and hop on it. Try to cover for us, Jane.”

“I'll do what I can.” She gazed after them as they hurried up the slope toward the road. “But I'd rather be with you. Be careful, Eve…”

*   *   *

Be careful …

The time for being careful was over if they could manage to reach Liverpool in time, Eve thought, as she waved back at Jane in response and turned to Joe. “What are our chances?”

“Natalie's pilot is bound to reach there before we do,” he said curtly. “They have a big head start. But they may not be able to pick up a private jet right away. Burbank said they'd checked the rental companies, and there was no advance rental to Natalie or any Russian company or entity. We have a chance of getting there before they find one to rent.”

“That's not like Natalie,” Eve frowned. “She planned everything else out to the last detail. Why would she slip up there?”

“Maybe it wasn't up to her.” Joe's brows rose as he glanced at her. “You're very sure. You seem to be on the same wavelength as Natalie Castino.”

“Heaven help me if I am,” Eve said. “There's no way I'd want to have any bond or similarity with Natalie Castino.”

“But you believe you know how she thinks.”

“Yes.” She and Natalie had only shared phone calls and one traumatic meeting that had ended with Natalie's shooting Joe and giving him that flesh wound before taking Cara. But there was no doubt that Eve knew the woman in a very real and terrifying way. “And she knows how I think.” Her lips tightened. “Though she believes I'm a sentimental fool and will try to use it against me to get her hands on that chest of coins she wants so desperately.”

“Which she won't be able to do if we can stop her at Liverpool. Then we can—” He stopped short as they reached the road. “Shit.”

Eve's eyes flew to his face and then followed his gaze to a black limo that had parked a good distance down the road behind the yellow tape put up by the local police. A man in a brown suit and graying hair had gotten out of the car and was walking down the slope toward the camp. “What is it? Who is he?”

“Agent Jason Toller. Justice Department. Bad timing.”

Worse than bad timing, Eve thought. Joe had told her that Agent Toller had been investigating Jenny Castino's death after he'd received a tip the skeleton found in California was the daughter of drug Czar Juan Castino. He'd not been pleased that Joe and Eve had taken Cara, Castino's other daughter, and hidden her away from both the Mexican and U.S. governments. So displeased that he'd threatened to toss Joe into jail for interfering with an international immigration case if he got in the way of his investigation. He would definitely consider Joe's leaving the U.S. and rushing here to help Eve and Cara as getting in his way.

“We don't have time to make excuses or try to talk him out of anything.” Eve added with frustration, “And, dammit, we can't have him chasing after us.”

“And what do you suggest?” Joe asked. “He's not a bad guy, just a hard-ass. I'd really prefer not to shoot him.”

“No choice. You go and try to stop Natalie.” She turned on her heel and started back down the slope. “I'm not going to let him grill Jane when she doesn't have any idea what's happening. I'll try to delay him myself. Hurry. Get out of sight and on the road.”

He started up the slope. “I may get to Liverpool too late, you know.”

“And you might not. Call me, Joe.”

He didn't answer.

When she looked back, he was gone.

And Toller was heading toward Jane, who was still standing by the campfire.

Eve increased her pace as she glanced over her shoulder.

No sign of Joe. Good.

Jane was always careful and discreet, but Eve hadn't mentioned Joe's trouble with Toller to her. Still, there was no way Jane would say anything, and in a few minutes, Eve would be there.

And hopefully Joe would be halfway to that helicopter he'd parked several miles away.

She wanted to be with him. She wanted to be there when he tried to stop Natalie. As she had told Joe, she
knew
her. If Natalie panicked, Eve might be able to talk to her, deal with her.

And keep Cara safe.

But she had made the right decision, she realized reluctantly. Toller was far more likely to be antagonistic and interfere with Joe than with her.

And Joe could fly the helicopter.

Trust Joe.

And pray he got there in time.

*   *   *

“Here you are, Eve.” Jane smiled and turned to her as Eve reached her. “I was just telling this gentleman I had no idea where you'd disappeared. He was looking for either you or Joe.” She gestured. “Agent Jason Toller with the Justice Department.”

“Well, here I am,” Eve said. “And I'm sure Joe is somewhere about.”

“Exactly where, Ms. Duncan?” Toller asked.

“I saw him down by the lake several minutes ago,” Jane said quickly. “I think it's something to do with our Cara, Eve.”

“
Our
Cara?” Toller repeated sourly. “You do know, Ms. MacGuire, that Cara Castino has been held illegally by Joe Quinn and Eve Duncan and that your knowledge makes you an accomplice?”

“She knows no such thing,” Eve said bluntly. “Jane only knows that Cara is going to live with Joe and me on a trial basis before we commit to adopting her. I brought her on this trip to the Highlands so that Cara could get to know Jane. I'm sure you're aware that Jane is my adopted daughter.”