Authors: Iris Johansen
“It's sad about his hands.”
“It's
not
sad. He's far more powerful now than he would ever have been as some piddling musician.”
Cara turned and stared at her. Natalie truly didn't understand, and she could see how that would have hurt her father.
“Stop looking at me,” she said sharply. “That's how Alex would always look at me. And then he'd exchange glances with my father, and I knew that they were closing me out. No one closes me out.”
“I'm sure that they didn't mean to do that. Your father seems to love you very much.”
“Of course he does. I make sure of that. And every move that Alex made, I was able to block him. Except for that damn music. I knew I had to do something.” She drew a deep breath. “But that's all over now. My father hardly remembers him any longer except when something happens as it did today.”
I knew I had to do something.
What had she done to make sure that Alex would not take any of her father's attention?
Cara was beginning to believe that she knew.
“Then I guess you don't want me to play for him tonight?”
“It doesn't matter whether I want it or not. Since he's found out that you play, you'll have to do it.” She shrugged. “And I may be able to use it. I'll have to see.” They had reached the gatehouse, and she turned to face Cara. “But I want you to know that you'll not use it against me. I won't permit it. The minute you do, I'll take whatever you value away from you.”
Eve. She no longer had to even threaten. Cara knew the threat was there. “I didn't even know how your father felt about the music. How could I be planning to use it?”
“You're my daughter.” She opened the door. “There's something you inherited besides that damn music. Do you think I can't see it? Just don't think you'll be better at it than me.”
She meant that Cara was like her. It had never occurred to her while she had been watching, studying her mother, to find ways to get away, to help Eve. But if the music, the wonder, could be inherited, maybe she was right. Maybe the evil that she was beginning to sense in her mother could also be part of Cara.
And could the music survive if that turned out to be so?
Please God, let it not be true.
LOCH GAELKAR
“No, I won't make a statement,” Jane firmly told the young police detective who had come down the slope to question her. “I don't know what happened or why there were IEDs on that road, Detective Hastings. Perhaps it was terrorists. It sounds like it, doesn't it? The Laird is such a powerful man, and terrorists would love to take him down. Remember how Prince Harry had to be protected when he was in Afghanistan? I was so glad when he got out of there safely. And I believe that one of the Laird's caretakers said that he saw a couple foreign-looking men wandering around the property. Of course, we wouldn't want to profile anyone, would we?”
“You appear to know more than you claim you do. Why not make a statement, and we'll see if something else comes to the forefront?”
“I'm just a member of the Laird's hunting expedition. Talk to him. I wouldn't want to step on his toes.” She looked him in the eye. “Would you?”
The young man looked distinctly uncomfortable. “I see your point. But my superiors want answers, and I'm supposed to bringâ”
“Then tell your superiors to come out and question MacDuff themselves. I've just received a call from him telling me that he's leaving the hospital and coming back to the camp. You won't want to disturb him today, but tomorrow might be okay.” She added quickly, “But, of course, no one speaks for the Laird. You'll have to call him.”
“I'll tell my captain to do that.” Now that he had an out, he was eager to pass the buck. “MacDuff will probably be happier talking to him. Good day, Ms. MacGuire.” He was quickly moving up the slope. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome,” Seth Caleb murmured from behind Jane. “Well done. He didn't even know he'd been handled, Jane.”
“I just wanted to be rid of him. He was only doing his job.” Jane turned to face him. Caleb was dressed in jeans, boots, and an olive-colored sweater that were all stained or torn. But he still managed to look totally pulled together and confident. His dark hair, with that single thread of white, was gleaming in the sunlight. She knew he hadn't slept any more than the rest of them, but he was charged, his dark eyes glittering and restless in that fascinating face. “What would you have done?”
“What do you think?” His expression was suddenly mischievous. “Push him in the lake?” He paused. “Suck his blood?”
He was mocking her, and she wasn't in the mood. “Stop that. You may have that weird blood thing. But you do
not
suck blood.”
“How do you know?”
“Caleb.”
“Okay. You're right.” His eyes were twinkling as he added, “Not in this century.” When she didn't smile, he shook his head. “Your sense of humor is definitely lacking today, Jane.” His smile faded. “And I don't think it's because you've heard anything bad about Cara. But I could be wrong though that seldom happens.”
“No, Joe hasn't heard from Palik, Burbank's contact in Moscow, yet. We're expecting his call any minute. I hope that if it's bad news, he doesn't hear for an hour or so. I want Eve to get a little more sleep.”
“I hear you went to pick her up at the hospital.”
“How did you hear?”
He didn't answer directly. “You know I keep watch over you.”
It was a lovely sentiment, there was even a song written about it. But there was nothing sentimental about the way Caleb said it. It was hot, dark, and purely sexual.
“Not entirely.” His gaze was on her face, reading her expression. “It's to my ultimate best interest to keep you safe.”
She felt the familiar tingle of heat and fought to push it away. She was tired and worried, and he should not be able to stir her like this. But it never seemed to matter when she was around Caleb. The chemistry was too intense. All the more reason to reject it.
He shook his head. “Stop trying to read something into an innocent comment.” He smiled. “Innocent. Bad choice of words when connected with me. Let's go back to square one where you'll feel safer. Why did you go pick Eve up? Was she ill?”
She was glad for the escape. She was too stressed to deal with him right now. “No, she was just being careful. She was too tired, and she didn't want to take a chance with the baby.” Caleb was the only one besides Jane and Joe who knew Eve was pregnant, and it was a relief not to have to be careful about talking about it. “The doctor wants her to get lots of rest, and there's not much chance of that.” She made a face. “Maybe I'll take her phone and get Joe's message myself.”
“Eve wouldn't thank you. She'd be pissed off.” His gaze was still on her face. “And when will you get some sleep? You've been giving orders and holding down the fort all day.”
“I'll sleep when we know Cara is safe.” She looked at him. “Like you, Caleb.”
“You believe I wouldn't be able to sleep? What a surprise. When you always tell me how heartless I am.”
“Not heartless. You feel a great deal. I just don't know how you process it.” She changed the subject. “What have you been doing since I saw you this morning?”
“All kinds of useful and illegal things. Are you sure you want to hear about them?”
“No, but this concerns Eve and Joe. I have to know what's going on.”
“Yes, that would make a difference.” He smiled. “Quinn and I looked the situation on the hill over, and we decided there was a definite problem concerning body disposal. Since he was off to chase down Natalie Castino, I volunteered to take care of it.”
“Body disposal?”
“You remember that Quinn was very efficient at setting up that booby trap on the top of the hill. It killed not only Salazar but four of his hired goons. And then there was Franco, whom Natalie killed. All very deserving of their fate. But there are always questions from the police when they find bodies they didn't kill themselves.” He smiled. “As you said, it's their job. So we decided to take the burden off their workload and eliminate the questions.”
“And how did you do that?”
“I rounded up a few of the Laird's men and asked them to help me clean up the area.” He shook his head. “Bombs leave such a mess, don't they?”
“And what did you do with this âmess'?”
“Did you hear a helicopter about a half hour ago?”
“Yes, I thought it was a police helicopter.”
“No, it belonged to a friend who owed me a favor. He landed up on the hill and we loaded up Salazar and his cohorts. My friend is going to drop the remains over the North Sea. Protein for the fishes.” He looked at her inquiringly. “Now, do you feel sick or indignant?”
“No, I don't like death, but if anyone deserved it, Salazar did. And I don't see why Eve or Joe or anyone else should get in trouble for doing what was right.”
“Excellent. I thought that would be your attitude. Are you going to praise me for my efforts? I did such a good job. Of course, if I'd had Jock's help, it might have gone smoother. He was taught all the tricks. But on the whole, I feel comfortable with the job.”
“Why should I praise you? It's obvious that you have no need of anyone else's approval.” She added, “And I'd just as soon that you don't involve Jock. We're trying to keep him away from memories of those âtricks.'”
“It's not going to work,” he said. “It will probably always be with him. But you can hope that this business with Cara won't cause a meltdown.”
“That was one of the reasons Eve went to the hospital to speak to Jock and MacDuff. She's trying to contain the situation.”
“And did she succeed?”
She shook her head. “She didn't get very far, but she's hoping for the best. He's heading for Moscow as soon as he drops MacDuff off here. She said something needs to happen fast. He has to know Cara is okay.” She tilted her head and gazed at him appraisingly. “It might not be a bad idea if you went with him and kept an eye on him.”
“On the contrary, it would be a very bad idea. I limit my stakeouts to you, Jane. I have no interest in watching over Jock.” He gazed around the camp, then to the mist-covered lake. “And I have a hunch that you may be busy enough to keep me occupied. Natalie Castino wants Cira's gold, and you'll be in the center of anything going on where that's concerned. So Jock can take care of both Cara and his eternal soul himself. I'll make sure that I have a good time right here.”
“And you're certain I'll be staying here?”
“Oh, yes. You've had dreams about your little actress friend, Cira, since you were seventeen. You
know
her, she might even be your ancestress according to MacDuff. She's led you here, to this lake. You're not going anywhere until you find out why.”
“MacDuff is the one who led me here. He's been harassing me for years to come on his blasted treasure hunt.”
“And in the end, you said yes.” He smiled faintly. “Was it to MacDuff or to Cira?”
Jane didn't know. Caleb was right, she might have used MacDuff as an excuse to go on this final adventure and find out the end of Cira's story. “It doesn't matter, does it? I'm here, and it's not really about Cira right now. It's about that little girl Natalie is using as a pawn.”
“It matters. Everything you think and do matters to me.” He shrugged. “But I imagine we might be able to combine agendas.” He turned. “And now I'm going to my tent and clean up a bit. Today's work was satisfying, but I'm not ready for civilized company. Though I'm sure that MacDuff and Jock would forgive me and approve.” He glanced up the slope toward the road. “And that may be them now. The way those policemen are bowing and scraping to someone in that car that just arrived is a good sign the Laird is on the property.” He was moving across the campground. “By all means, go and save them from MacDuff's wrath. They're only going to annoy him.”
Jane turned and looked at the car Caleb had spoken about. It was MacDuff. He was getting out of the car and ignoring everyone as he headed toward the slope. But Jock Gavin wasn't ignoring them as he cleaved his way through the crowd to reach MacDuff. She didn't know what he was saying to them, but the officers hurriedly faded back. Then Jock was beside MacDuff. He didn't touch him, but he was discreetly hovering as MacDuff made his way down the slope. Like a guardian angel, she thought. Not in any way insulting his strength or independence, just there for him.
Guardian angel. Considering the problem they were having with Jock, the term had a bitter irony.
But that Detective Hastings she had talked to before Caleb had arrived was now at the edge of the road and looked as if he was going take advantage of the opportunity to follow MacDuff and Jock.
No!
She ran forward to meet them. “Welcome back, MacDuff.” She stared with deliberate meaning up at Detective Hastings. “You're looking well, but I know you need your rest. But that's okay, no one would think of bothering you now. Let's get you to your tent and settled.”
The detective froze, then nodded resignedly. He turned and strode away.
“Hello, Jane.” MacDuff was smiling at her. “Are you, by any chance, trying to protect me?”
“No, I'm trying to protect Jock.” She nodded to Jock. “I don't think he's in any mood to be patient if anyone tries to get in your way before he has you safely tucked into your tent.”
“You're right,” Jock said. “So let's get MacDuff settled. Has Eve heard anything from Quinn?”
“Not yet.”
Jock muttered a curse.
“Not what he wanted to hear,” MacDuff said. “Not what I wanted to hear, either.”