My wife is lovely and quiet. There is no sense of love between us, only duty. I hope that if we are blessed with a child this will change.
—The journal of Isaac Ryland
All of the cameras were on Ian. Grant stood behind him with a solemn look on his face.
“America offers its deepest sympathies to the people of France and hopes both nations can move forward from this tragic accident. Thank you.”
With the final words the cameras were shut off, and Ian walked away from the microphone. Grant went for his crimson tie and started loosening the knot.
“Are you enjoying your last weeks of bachelorhood?” Ian asked.
“I’ve been making some changes with my staff,” Grant said. “Doing a little traveling.”
“For the record,” Ian said, “nothing changes for you after marriage. You can continue on with life as you see fit. It is my daughter who should be the nervous one.”
Grant didn’t want to justify his cover again. He had spent the last three days trying to figure out where Frank and Amelia could have gone and was coming up with nothing. By the time he had secured transportation from that middle-of-nowhere farm the group was hours ahead of him. He felt his fingernails dig into his palms, he was clenching his fists so hard.
“Eleven days until the wedding,” Grant said. “How are the rest of the foreign travelers doing?”
“I sent them home,” Ian said. “They understood after the accident with the French woman.”
Grant smirked.
“I know you’re thinking I should have listened to you in the first place,” Ian said.
“I did not say that, Ian,” Grant said.
“But you were thinking it,” Ian said. “There is still so much for you to learn about this position. I wish you would continue shadowing me.”
“We have years ahead of us,” Grant said. “I can’t learn everything at once.”
“I suppose,” Ian said. “But you are going on The Greg Finnegan Show at least once before the wedding. He did not like your building-anticipation idea.”
“If you still want to use the wedding as a grand display of political power I need to devote my time to making sure it is lavish and perfect.”
“The wedding is the husband’s day,” Ian said.
“Then I should be on my way,” Grant said. “Staffing for the event, of course.”
Grant bowed and left the pressroom. He didn’t want to hear any more of the old fool’s ideas or suggestions. As soon as Grant obtained the code to the Registry Ian would be dead.
When Grant arrived at home he went straight to Hansen’s place. He did not knock when he entered the room. His man was sitting on the new couch going through his computer.
“Did you find anything yet?” Grant asked.
“Nothing,” he said. “We should have killed them all that night.”
“I thought you were dead,” Grant said.
Mia had hit Hansen with the van but failed to run him over with the wheels. Grant was a little grateful for that; he didn’t want to search for a second all over again.
“Roderick Rowe is still our best bet,” Grant said.
“I thought you said she wouldn’t come for him,” Hansen said.
“The clock is ticking on Carter’s deadline,” Grant said. “If she went to save her mother and sister that means Rod is on her radar.”
“There’s been no sighting of the men,” Hansen said. “They could be dead.”
“That would please me,” Grant said.
“Why not alert someone?” Hansen asked. “The RAG agents could be a huge help.”
“They failed me last time,” Grant said. “And I need the utmost discretion here. If the grand commander finds out she is back in the country he will most likely have me killed to avoid any unpleasantness she may cause.”
“If I were him, I would have killed you months ago,” Hansen said.
“Me too,” Grant said.
“She can still ruin everything,” Hansen said.
“She needs proof she is who she says she is to cause any real damage,” Grant said. “As far as the idea that she came to destroy the Registry, I don’t think it plausible. She came back for her family and friends, then she’ll flee again.”
“There is no activity from Frank or Alex Piozzi in the last several months,” Hansen said.
“You haven’t been able to find a bank account?” Grant asked.
“They closed them out over the summer,” Hansen said.
“Keep at it,” Grant said.
He started to walk out of the house.
“Where are you going?” Hansen asked.
“If we can’t find her first I need to prepare for her arrival,” Grant said.
Grant kept moving until he was outside. Amelia would come for Roderick and Grant would make sure that her presence would not go unnoticed.