A knock at the front door startled Sara awake. She barely had time to throw on a robe when Jack stormed inside, her jaw set and her eyes aflame.
“I had Larry do some digging to see what he could find out about Chantal. I’m surprised no one tried to contact you, Jerden—or maybe they did try and couldn’t find you. Either way, they could’ve at least told Onca.” She snorted in disgust. “Fuckin’ idiots! Anyway, the story is a little vague. It seems that Chantal and another female patient escaped together recently, but one of them died in the attempt. At least, they think she died. The guard was sure he shot one of them but they never found a body.”
Sara’s eyes met Jerden’s. “So the woman you saw in the square could have been Chantal.”
“What woman?” Jack demanded. “Are you saying she’s here on Terra Minor?”
“I don’t know,” Jerden replied. “I saw a woman in the square when we were in town not long ago. I could’ve sworn it was Chantal, but then, that was part of the reason I was living out here all alone to begin with. I saw Chantal’s or Audrey’s face on every woman I saw.” His smile was fleeting but sheepish. “I went kinda nuts after all that, you know.”
“Not surprising,” Jack said. “But you’re in much better shape now. How long ago did you see her?”
“I don’t know, three weeks, maybe four?” Jerden said. “It was before you all got here, and before the stallion got sick.”
Jack nodded. “Recently, then. Seems Chantal went even more berserk than usual a few weeks ago and killed two of the staff, then escaped, which is why the guards were taking potshots at her. The other woman appears to have taken advantage of all the excitement and slipped out at the same time.”
“Even so, she couldn’t have gotten here that fast,” Sara exclaimed. “Could she?”
Jack gave her a tight smile. “Not unless she had help.”
Sara’s jaw dropped at the thought of what this implied. Jerden looked completely bewildered. “But who would do that?”
“I dunno,” Jack said. “You tell me.”
Sara sifted through the details but was unable to imagine how helping Chantal land on Terra Minor would have been in Nate’s best interest or anyone else’s. Nate may have seen Jerden as a rival, but bringing Chantal into the picture would be more likely to get Sara killed than to eliminate any threat from Jerden. It wasn’t as though Jerden wanted Chantal. Still, if Jerden thought Sara was in danger, he might’ve withdrawn his proposal.
No. An escaped murderess could be dealt with in other ways. Chantal would be recaptured, and Sara and Jerden would still be together. Nate couldn’t possibly benefit.
“There’s something here we’re not seeing,” Jerden said slowly. “That is, if there’s anything to see. I can’t believe anyone would help Chantal come here. There’s simply no reason for it.”
His words were an echo of Sara’s own thoughts. There had to be another explanation. “Maybe she paid off someone or arranged this in advance.”
“But she was insane,” Jerden insisted. “No one in their right mind would have—” He broke off there, barking out a laugh. “I see your point. No one in their right mind would’ve done any of this. She might have an accomplice who’s even nuttier than she is.”
Nate had his faults, but Sara didn’t think insanity was one of them.
“I’ll check with the guys in immigration,” Jack said. “If there’ve been any Davordian immigrants recently, they’ll know. Though she could be here illegally.”
“Which is even scarier,” Sara said. “She could be anywhere. No implant, no way to track her…”
“But very tough to do,” Jack said. “I wouldn’t even attempt to land here without authorization, and I’ve snuck onto lots of planets in my time.” She sighed. “Nothing you can do but keep your eyes peeled and be careful. We’ll be outta here after breakfast. Dax is leaving this morning too.”
Sara would’ve felt much more at ease with all of their friends nearby, but without solid proof of any danger, there was no reason for them to stay.
She and Jerden dressed quickly and went out to say good-bye to their guests. Sara knew she probably wouldn’t see her parents again in years, possibly never, and their farewells were even more tearful than when Sara had left Earth.
She’d only been gone from her own home for a few days, but it seemed strange to simply go back to life as usual. So much had happened in that short time. She and Jerden were married and expecting their first litter—thankfully, Bonnie would still be available for advice on caring for triplets—and Sara now had access to Jerden’s fortune. Even so, she would go home and fix breakfast for the crew, feed the dogs and cats, water and prune her roses, and then head out to the barn, just as she had done every morning before she and Jerden ever met.
The only difference was, she would no longer be doing all of it alone.
***
Reutal’s eyes danced with excitement as he took his seat at the breakfast table. “You gotta tell me all the details, Sara. I still can’t believe it.”
If he wanted details of her wedding night, he was in for a big disappointment. Sara wasn’t sharing that with anyone. She handed him a plate of pancakes. “Believe what?”
“Salan and Waroun! They were awfully chummy at the wedding.” Reutal pressed his fingertips together and then popped them apart with gusto before dousing his pancakes with syrup.
“Well, I did see them go off together last night,” Sara said. She glanced at Jerden, who threw up his hands.
“Don’t look at me. I don’t know anything about it—though, come to think of it, she was still there this morning.”
“Ah ha! So they did spend the night together. I knew it!” Reutal waggled his eyebrows. “Did you see her doing any kissy-face stuff with Waroun?”
Jerden frowned. “Not that I recall, but then, I wasn’t paying much attention to them.”
Sara’s hands shook as she dished up Jerden’s breakfast. “After the bomb Jack dropped on us this morning, I’ll admit, I wasn’t giving them much thought, either.”
“Bomb?” Zatlen echoed. “What bomb?”
“Apparently Chantal Benzowitz—the woman who killed Jerden’s—” Sara stopped, unsure how to refer to her.
“Fluffer,” Drania said. “We know all about that part. What about Chantal?”
Sara set Jerden’s plate down in front of him, then recounted the details of Chantal’s escape. “We doubt the woman Jerden saw was Chantal. It was probably just someone who looked like her.”
Drania’s long pink ears twitched. “That still has to make you a little antsy, though.”
Actually, Sara was perilously close to being terrified, but she did her best to put those thoughts aside. “Jack said the Trackers promised to check up on all the recent immigrants, but if she’s here illegally, they may never find her.”
“We’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious,” Zatlen said. He took a big bite of his pancakes and chewed blissfully, swallowing before he spoke again. “Davordian woman, right?”
Jerden nodded. “Long dark hair, rather pretty—or she would be if her eyes weren’t so crazy-looking.”
Zatlen kept his gaze focused on his food. “One of your clients, I take it.”
Jerden hesitated for a moment. “Yes, she was.”
Zatlen’s comment was one that Sara had never even considered, and this was clearly something Jerden didn’t care to admit. Of course she’d been a client. How else could she have developed such an obsession? Still, the thought of Jerden having sex with her was disturbing.
She gave herself a mental shake. Jerden’s past was just that. His past. She couldn’t hold it against him anymore than he could blame her for her previous experiences. Chantal was similar to the nutso girlfriends that lots of men told stories about—some of them as murderous as Chantal. The fact that she’d been a paying customer shouldn’t matter.
“Too bad you only screened clients for physical, rather than mental illnesses,” Zatlen said. “Might’ve saved a lot of grief for everyone involved.”
“That wasn’t a concern at the time,” Jerden said. “Besides, I don’t think they’ve invented that kind of scanner yet.”
“Hindsight is always sharper than foresight.” Drania reached out a long arm and patted Jerden’s hand. “Nobody can blame you for what someone else did.”
Jerden smiled his thanks and began eating his breakfast, though with slightly less enthusiasm than usual. Sara knew Audrey’s murder still bothered him. He wasn’t the kind of man who could simply shrug off her death as part of the price of doing business. Jerden had a kind heart and a conscience. Sara couldn’t have loved a man with anything less.
***
Sara was saddling up for their ride when Jerden spotted her holster. “Better let me carry that.”
“Are you kidding me? Look, I know we’re only going for a ride on our own property, but you heard what Jack said. If I let anything happen to you, she’ll—well, I’m not sure what she’ll do to me, but I have no intention of ever finding out—aside from the fact that losing you would—” She broke off there, choking on words left unsaid.
Jerden pulled her into his arms. There were some things he didn’t want her to have to worry about. His personal safety was one of them. “Jack’s a little on the paranoid side—and she had good reason to be at one time. But there isn’t a bounty on Zetithians anymore. No reason for anyone to kill any of us, let alone risk coming here to do it. I’m more concerned with your safety. The way I see it, you need protection far more than I do. If anyone is going to carry that pistol, it should be me.”
“I’m beginning to wish she’d given us two of them.” She pressed her forehead against his chest. “Maybe we should just stay home.”
“No. We can’t allow fear to disrupt our lives, Sara. Particularly when those fears are probably groundless.”
She shuddered. “The whole thing still gives me the willies though, and Jack seemed very concerned.”
“Yes, but remember, there’ve been no reports of Chantal attempting to slip through the immigration barriers. True, she could have landed illegally, but that’s highly unlikely.”
“What about that woman you saw in the square? Are you saying she was just a figment of your imagination?”
“Possibly, or you might have been right in that she only resembled Chantal.”
She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. “I can’t help thinking it really was Chantal. Bribes have worked before, and Bonnie’s ex-husband is a perfect example of how the system can be manipulated. He faked his ID. Chantal could have done the same.”
“Maybe, but I doubt she has the connections to pull off something like that.”
Sara took a deep breath. “But what if she did have help? What then?”
“I think we’re putting too much emphasis on things that could be rather than focusing on the facts. Chances are, she never made it off Rhylos.”
Sara still seemed doubtful. “You know what that planet is like. She could have stowed away on a hundred different starships. We have no idea what her state of mind is now. She might have escaped, intending to kill you for betraying her.”
“I didn’t betray her, Sara.”
“I know that and you know that, but does she? Look, Jack may be overly suspicious, but her vigilance kept Cat alive even when that bounty was still being paid. I’m not taking any chances.”
“Neither am I.” Jerden smiled and held out his hand. “I promise I’ll buy you a fancy new pistol just as soon as I get the chance, but right now, your safety is of more concern than mine.” When she didn’t hand over the pistol, he gave her a wink. “Don’t make me fight you for it.”
That at least drew a smile from her. “Think you could take me?”
“Probably, but I’d rather not have to prove it.”
“Okay, but I’m keeping the comlink.” Shaking her head, she unbuckled the holster and handed it over. “You’d better be right about this. If anything happens to you, I’m dead meat anyway. Jack’ll kill me.”
“I doubt that. Remember, you’re carrying three unborn Zetithians.”
“Yeah, she’ll let me live long enough to give birth to them, and then she’ll kill me.”
***
Sara hadn’t been to the eastern border of her land since the oats had been planted. With the onset of the dry season, the harvest was about a month away and the stalks were already turning brown. They skirted the edge of the fields, Sara mounted on Yusuf and Jerden riding Danuban for the first time since his illness. Jerden had been reluctant to ride him, but Sara felt that the exercise would do him good. As always, Cria followed Jerden like a shadow.
The stallion seemed happy to be out of his paddock and probably would’ve unseated a lesser rider. Jerden rode out his high jinks without difficulty, and he soon settled down enough that Sara could ride alongside them.
“Not bad for a horse that was near death such a short time ago,” she remarked.
“He doesn’t feel any different to me, either. Seems as strong as ever.”
“I hope you’re right. You wouldn’t believe how much money I have invested in him.” Then she recalled the Friesian he’d bought. “Well, maybe you would, at that.”
As they approached the dry creek bed, Sara let out a groan. “Son of a bitch! Should’ve known there’d be a ton of that weed growing back here.” The juluva wasn’t in bloom, but the grayish foliage was easy to spot. “I never thought to look for it here.”
“Seeing as how your pastures are nowhere close, Danuban is the only one who could’ve gotten to it, so it probably wouldn’t have been a problem.”
“Not unless it seeded into my oat fields.” She eyed the noxious plants with distaste. “I’ve never used an herbicide before—the regulations are incredibly tough—but this time I may have to.”
She was staring at the weeds—actually considering setting fire to them once her grain was harvested—when Cria let out a snarl. Sara glanced up just as Danuban tossed his head and leaped sideways out from under Jerden. Her startled cry echoing across the field, Sara stared openmouthed as Jerden flew through the air to land heavily on the rocks below.
“Oh, my God! Jerden!” Cria and Danuban both bounded away from the creek’s edge as Sara vaulted from the saddle and ran to the spot where Jerden had fallen. The ravine wasn’t deep, but the sides were extremely steep and rocky. She was scrambling to find a way to reach him when she heard a woman’s scream.
Whirling around, she spotted two people running toward her. She’d never seen the woman before in her life, but the man, she recognized.
Nate.
For an instant, Sara thought they were rushing to Jerden’s aid, only realizing her error a moment later when she caught sight of the pistol in Nate’s hand.
The woman was in the lead, but Nate caught her just short of the precipice. She fought him like a wild beast, kicking and snarling, even using her teeth. Sara didn’t have to see her electric blue eyes to make a guess as to who she had to be.
“You fucking idiot!” the woman snarled as Nate wrestled her into submission. “You weren’t supposed to kill him. You were supposed to kill her.”
“You shot him?” Sara’s heart seemed to stop, leaving her frozen in place, her attention divided between the drama playing out before her and the need to get to Jerden.
Nate laughed grimly. “Of course I shot him.” Hooking his arm around the woman’s neck, he tightened his hold and spoke right in her ear. “How else was I supposed to get my hands on Sara’s money?”
Gasping in horror, Sara shifted her gaze from the struggling pair and directed it to where Jerden lay motionless on the rocky creek bed. He can’t be dead. He can’t be.
“You promised I could have him.” The Davordian’s flat, deadly tone reclaimed Sara’s attention. Her face was white with anger and her eyes so steeped in hatred, Sara could almost feel their icy chill.
“And you were just crazy enough to fall for it.” Nate grinned, ramming the pistol hard against her temple as though he enjoyed hurting her. “You were my scapegoat, Chantal.”
The truth struck Sara like a blow. “You’re both crazy. How could killing Jerden help you get my money?”
“Quite simple, my dear Sara. With him dead, you’d need comforting. And I’d be here to provide it.”
Sara snorted a laugh. No way in hell. “That might have worked if I didn’t know you were responsible for poisoning my stallion.”
“You only suspected me, Sara. You couldn’t prove I had anything to do with that. I covered my tracks much too well.”
“But, Chantal… how?”
“I found out about her a while back and managed to get a message to her that if she could escape, I’d help her come here for Jerden. She was easy enough to convince. After all, she is certifiably insane.”
Chantal struggled in his grasp. “I’ll kill you, you son of a bitch!”
“Not likely.” He glanced at Sara. “You were my ticket out of debt, Sara—and you know what happens to people who go bankrupt on this world.”
She did know. Deportation wasn’t the worst of it. Depending on how deeply in debt he was, he would probably lose what little he had left. “Didn’t realize you had money trouble, Nate. Not that it would have made any difference.”
“You should have listened to me when I told you to save your money and use Kraken instead of importing your own stallion. With Danuban standing at stud, I knew you’d have no need of me, and I’d never have the opportunity to show you how charming and loving I can be—even toward a woman I don’t find particularly attractive.”
At one time, that comment would’ve hurt, but Jerden’s love was like a shield. If he’s still alive. Her heart slammed against her breastbone.
“It was your stubbornness that brought us to this point, Sara. I arranged to have Danuban poisoned, hoping he’d die en route. He didn’t, obviously. Just went crazy enough to escape from the spaceport.” He nodded toward the place where Jerden had fallen. “My plan still would’ve worked if you hadn’t started consorting with that Zetithian bastard.”
Chantal hissed like a spitting cat. “He is mine! You said I could have him!”
“Shut up, Chantal.”
Sara blinked. She understood it now. “You were going to kill her, weren’t you? Once Jerden was dead, you’d kill her and make it look like she’d committed suicide after missing me and hitting him instead.”
“Very good, Sara.” Nate’s smile sent a chill of dread through Sara. She’d never liked him. Now she knew why. “Too bad it didn’t work out quite the way I’d planned. Clearly, I should have killed her first. That way she wouldn’t have started screeching the moment he hit the ground.” He paused, pursing his lips as he tilted his head to one side. “Or I could’ve killed her a few moments ago when she started running. You would’ve seen me do it, and I would’ve been your hero for killing your husband’s murderer.”
Sara’s body no longer seemed willing to obey her brain’s instructions, her reactions made sluggish by the weight of dread pressing down upon her. Nevertheless, she forced out a laugh. “Too bad you aren’t any good at thinking on your feet.”
“Perhaps not.” He sighed with evident regret. “You’d have been an extremely rich widow, Sara. Now you’re nothing but a liability.”
A movement behind him drew her eye. Cria stood poised, her huge yellow eyes fixed on Nate. She might not have understood the words, but she clearly understood the intent. Eyes narrowed, she advanced toward him.
“Are you intending to kill all of us?” She almost wished he would go ahead and get it over with. Death would relieve the misery of not knowing whether Jerden was alive or dead and eliminate the bleak prospect of having to go on without him.
“Much as it pains me, I may have to. Chantal can still take the fall for a double murder and subsequent suicide. By the time anyone finds your bodies, I won’t be anywhere around. Nothing will tie me to this event. Nothing.”
“You won’t gain anything by it,” Sara said desperately. “No money, no land…”
“Ah, but I’ll still have my life and my freedom.”
Sara couldn’t argue with that. No one would ever figure it out, either. That’s what I get for not telling anyone my suspicions—no one but Jerden. The injustice of Nate going free at the expense of their lives gave her resolve the impetus it needed. Strength coursed through her and her spine stiffened. “I was willing to let you get away with what you’d done to Danuban. I can’t let you get away with this.”
“No? I don’t see that you have any choice.”
“Come on now. It doesn’t have to be this way. We always have choices. You don’t have to kill anyone.” She almost added the word “else” but that would be admitting that Jerden was already dead, something she simply refused to believe.
Nonetheless, his mirthless laugh made Sara’s skin crawl. “I suppose you’ll marry me if I let you live?”
Sara felt the blood drain from her face. She couldn’t marry Nate unless Jerden was dead. Which he is not. She set her jaw, glaring at him.
“I didn’t think so,” Nate said, correctly interpreting her reaction. “So, what now? I put down the gun and you’ll just let me walk away? Is that it?”
“Possibly.” Sara tried to keep her voice calm, her tone even. “We don’t know whether you’ve actually committed murder yet or not. Jerden might not be dead.”
If the weaponry on Terra Minor was as “piss-poor” as Jack said it was, Jerden might have only been stunned, but Sara wasn’t sure she dared believe it. He’d fallen hard on some very sharp rocks, but Zetithians were notoriously hard to kill. Chantal, however, was as good as dead. Even set on stun, a pulse pistol could kill if pressed against a person’s head.
“You think not?” Nate’s grin made him seem more evil than ever. “If he isn’t, he will be, very shortly. Trust me, it will be my pleasure.”