“Well?”
“Well what?” Hill said, still shocked to find Piper standing in her office doorway. During their entire business relationship, Piper had always made her come to her office.
“Did you find anything?” Piper sounded exasperated. “Come on, get with the program. It’s what I’m paying you for.”
“I found the same thing I found the last time I looked. Didn’t you read my report? She’s like a machine, this woman. Have you seen her college transcripts? Even Einstein, in his science courses, at least, didn’t get that many As.” The computer behind her was finishing its search for any mention of Kendal Richoux, and even after the second time she’d run it she hadn’t found much. She pulled her glasses off and rubbed her eyes because of the lack of leads.
“Did her pet snake slither back to New York?”
She handed a one-paged report to Piper detailing Bruce’s itinerary from the time he’d received the call from Kendal and her associate watched his plane take off. “He checked everyone out and hopped a limo to the airport. But they flew to Los Angeles, not New York.”
“What’s in L.A.?”
“Aside from the obvious, you mean?” Piper put her fists on her hips in impatience, so she cut the jokes. “Webster International.” She handed over another short report. “Old manufacturing firm on the ropes after the downturn in the economy a couple of years ago. Mr. Babbage is flying this one solo. Well, as solo as you can get considering the team he left here with.”
“And?”
The last sheet at the center of her messy desk made Piper exhale loudly when she handed it over. “She hasn’t left the property as far as we can tell from five miles away. Considering the estate owns all the land in every direction, surveillance is a little tough.” The ringing phone stopped her recap since she was alone in the office, all her people out gathering more information for Piper.
“Hickman,” she said, pausing to listen. “Stay way back and keep me posted if you head into town. I’ll take over once you get here, and be careful. This woman has eyes in the back of her head.”
“What’s going on?” Piper asked.
“The big bike just rolled past our lookout, so it seems Ms. Richoux is headed back to town.” Hill took her gun out of her top desk drawer. “I’ll call you later and give you an update.”
“You do that, and I want to know her every move. I’m not buying her I’m-not-interested act.”
An hour later Hill paused at the back of the St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter, surprised that it was Kendal’s first stop for the day. A security guard waiting on the sidewalk greeted Kendal after she dismounted. Obviously he was there to watch the bike she was leaving illegally parked on Royal Street. Kendal entered the courtyard through the wrought-iron gate Hill had never seen unlocked and walked past the large Jesus statue with his arms lifted and frozen in praise.
She dropped her head when Kendal took her sunglasses off and paused for a minute, and started breathing again when Kendal didn’t turn around. “What are you up to?” She was interested in the answer whether Piper was paying her or not.
*
Kendal stopped to admire the two massive oaks anchoring the garden in the back of the cathedral; the last time she’d seen them they were tall saplings taken from Oakgrove’s grounds. As she removed her sunglasses, behind her she heard Hill’s engine shut off.
“I must not be as scary as I thought if she’s still on the trail,” she said softly. The persistent Hill wasn’t an irritation, though, and she decided to play along to see what Piper had in mind. “Could you do me a favor,” she said, speaking the next part into her phone so softly that no electronic listening device could have overheard her conversation as she held up her hand to the priest waiting at the door. “Thanks,” she said, ending her call and so giving the priest permission to move forward.
“Ms. Richoux, it’s wonderful to finally meet you,” the priest said, shaking her hand enthusiastically. “It’s incredible how much you resemble your father Anthony.” His eyes moved over her face as if he were trying to memorize it.
Before leaving the city and the identity of Jacques St. Louis behind, she’d made a substantial donation to the Catholic church to help finish the original cathedral and for the care of Angelina and Tomas’s graves. She didn’t usually bother with religion, but faith was the cornerstone of Angelina’s life, so she’d played along. Through the years, she’d come to see what a wise decision it was, since the church seldom asked questions and the priests gladly traveled to wherever she was to collect the funds to replenish the trust.
“I believe this is the first time a St. Louis heir has actually visited the church,” the priest said, making her smile since the same elderly priest had traveled to New York to meet with her as Anthony Richoux, her last persona. He’d changed significantly with age, but she remembered his thick hair, which had been so black it had reminded her of blackbird feathers, and how Times Square had fascinated him more than anything she’d had to say.
“Father, it’s nice to put a face with the voice.” She took his hands in hers before accepting his embrace.
“I’m so glad you’ve finally come. Your family has been absent from this house too long.” He accepted her arm and led her inside to his office.
“After I finish my business in town, I hope to return more often, Father.” They talked for an hour about the repairs Kendal was financing and the daycare center they were building a few blocks away.
“When you come back, please block out a day so we can take you around to see the fruits of your generosity. I would also enjoy showing you off to the parish.”
“That’s a deal, but now I’m just here to pick up Charlie, if he’s ready to go.”
“Oh, he’s been sitting by the telephone waiting for you to call. Thank you for sending him, though. He did a bit of rewiring for us while he was waiting. He’s really quite handy.”
“Amazing what having time on your hands will do for a man.” She helped him up and kept her pace slow to not aggravate the man’s pronounced limp.
“You came,” Charlie said when they entered the rectory.
“I gave you my word, and now’s your chance to stay here where you’ll be safe.” She put her hand on his shoulder and spoke softly, her words changing his expression to one of disbelief and hurt.
“I can help you. There’s no way I’ll let you down.”
“I’m not asking because I doubt your loyalty or believe you’ll disappoint me, but you’ve never done this before. Could you kill one of those coeds you love to spend time practicing your French with if Henri’s turned her into something that’ll haunt your waking dreams? They look so vulnerable and sweet, but they’re still deadly.”
“But I can’t die, you’ve seen to that.”
“No, but they can bury you so deep you’ll be as good as dead. Henri’s as aware of our limitations as we are of his, and if he can’t beat me directly he’ll do it through you.”
Charlie pulled away from her. Glancing at the priest still close by, he switched to French. “Then you don’t want me to come with you?”
“Do you still want to come with me, my friend? Do you remember your boys and woman enough to avenge what happened to them no matter what we face?”
“Do I remember? Are you insane?” Anger poured off him, but she ignored his clenched fists and jaw. “Slavers took me from my home and my family in chains like an animal, and I could do nothing about it. I had to accept my fate, but then I was given Celia and four strong sons, only to be left alone again. Do I remember them? I’ve thought of little else for decades.”
She held her hand out to him and smiled. “Then come on,” she said before turning back to the priest. “Thank you for everything, Father.” She embraced the priest, again noticing the painting hanging in the entryway where they were standing.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever had the opportunity to see this, so I had it brought out of storage for your visit,” he said, moving her closer to the wall. “It’s uncanny how the St. Louis side of the family has retained their looks.”
“Thank you,” she said, studying the portrait she remembered posing for. The size of her contribution at Angelina’s behest had moved the priests back then to have the tribute made. It was a gift she’d loaned the church before she departed to Europe.
“Even though I take my vows seriously, it’s nice to see young love captured so beautifully.”
“You’re right. It gives us incentive to fight for what’s just,” she said before telling him good-bye.
On the street another bike was parked next to hers, and she threw Charlie a set of keys.
“What, no sunglasses?” he asked.
“They’ve invented places called malls, buddy. You should get out more.”
The engines rumbled as soon as they were started, and she laughed when she saw Hill dive into the passenger side of her car when she looked directly at her. That Hill stayed put helped clear her mind as she and Charlie headed home. She didn’t want another catastrophe on her hands, or to add any more targets for Henri to use against her. The upkeep of Tomas and Angelina’s graves was enough for a lifetime, even one as long as hers.
*
“I wouldn’t have pegged her as the religious type,” Hill said to herself, waiting for her phone to ring. “Piper, you’re wasting your time and money, because she doesn’t act like someone interested in taking over your business.” The call came, and one of her assistants confirmed that the two riders were headed in the direction of Oakgrove. Making a quick decision, she got out and headed to the rectory, since the guard was still there and the gate was still open. Piper’s first question would be about the guy Kendal had picked up and what her connection to him.
“Can we help you, child?” asked the nun who answered the door. The full habit brought back an avalanche of memories from parochial school, making Hill shiver. Women with wimples armed with rulers were, in her opinion, brides of the devil.
“Could I speak to the priest who was sitting outside with the woman who came to visit just now?”
“He’s in a meeting for the next few hours. Is there a problem, or perhaps something I could help you with?”
Hill was about to ask what Kendal’s connection to the church was when the painting caught her attention. It depicted a group of men standing around what looked like a cornerstone. Standing next to a priest in brown robes was Kendal Richoux, dressed as a man, and on the other side of her was a woman who very much looked like Piper. “What an interesting painting,” she said, moving past the nun for a closer look.
“It was from the construction of the first church in the territory. The original building was an important endeavor for Jacques St. Louis,” the nun said. “Of course, that’s not why we chose St. Louis as our patron saint.”
“Wasn’t Mr. St. Louis the owner of Oakgrove?”
“Of the original plantation, yes. The house that sits there now has been repaired enough through the years that I’d think it would be brand-new by now. Charlie does such a wonderful job keeping it up for the family.”
“Charlie?” she asked, still staring at the image on the wall.
“The young man who was here that you were asking about. He’s Oakgrove’s caretaker.”
“Do you know his last name, Sister?”
“Perhaps Father could answer that for you. I’ve always known him as Charlie. I’ve accompanied him to the estate a few times, but I was more interested in looking around than in Charlie’s full name.”
“You’ve been to Oakgrove?” The opportunity was too good to pass up, and Hill forgot all about the man who’d left with Kendal. Now that her sword-toting mark thought she was off the case, maybe this nun could point out any chinks in the security.
“Yes, it’s lovely. You should see the lake toward the back. It’s the only place where the fence separating the grounds from the property next door ends. The open space makes you imagine what it must have looked like way back when.” The nun put her hand on her arm like she was telling her a secret. “It’s so secluded it makes me consider skinny-dipping whenever I’m there.”
Hill laughed as she noticed how soft the nun’s hand was. “I’ll bet it’s lovely.” Looking more closely at the nun’s face, she wondered why such a beautiful woman had chosen a life of service. “Do you know the name of the young woman standing with Mr. St. Louis?”
“Angelina du’Pon was his fiancée. Tragic story, really, but I’m late for a meeting already, so perhaps next time.”
“Thank you for your time, Sister. You’ve been very helpful.”
Hill waved one more time, then hurried to her car. From the large window in the rectory, Morgaine unzipped the black garment and peeled off the wimple, finished with the favor Kendal had asked of her. The thought of masquerading as a nun any longer made her laugh, considering how she’d spent her evening. Asra could make her yell for the gods, but she doubted that was what the church had in mind.
“I consider this my good deed for the day, Asra, and you guessed right. Your stalker couldn’t help but come in,” she said, putting the outfit on a chair. She fluffed up her hair and decided to have it cut before she returned to the house. It would be only a matter of time before they had visitors via the lake, but she would leave it to Asra to find them. “Let’s hope they decide to make their covert operation during daylight hours, because Henri will be sending his own welcoming party soon enough.”
“Can I help you, miss?” asked a nun who entered the room.
“No, thank you, Sister. I was just doing a favor for a friend.”
“Well then, God bless you. It’s the Christian way to do for others, and it’s a habit young people don’t develop enough these days.”
“That message never does get old, no matter how many times I hear it.”
*
“Yesterday you were deathly afraid of this woman, and now you want to sneak into her house. Am I understanding you correctly?” Piper asked.
As Hill weaved through traffic on the way back to the office, she focused on the painting in the rectory and the resemblance to Kendal and Piper. Now she was certain that even if Piper didn’t pay her another dollar to work the case, she wanted to find out more about Kendal Richoux. She couldn’t ignore the doppelganger coincidences in the painting. Genetics, no matter how perfect, didn’t produce two people who looked so much alike after so much time. Having Piper in the scene was too bizarre to even contemplate.
“You don’t have to go with me, Piper. I’m going no matter what. After last night she thinks I’m off her tail, so what’s to lose?”
“Oh, no. Give me twenty minutes, then pick me up at my place. I have to change into something more comfortable for sneaking around.”
A mental picture of sneaking anywhere with the impatient Piper made Hill want to kick herself for not calling after she returned from the plantation. It would’ve been much easier alone. “I could just take pictures and write a report by tonight. Besides, you don’t know what’s crawling in those woods.”
“Twenty minutes, Hill. Don’t be late.”
The silence in her ear stopped her from making any other excuses. Hopefully the most dangerous weapon in Kendal’s house was a sword. It was illegal to shoot someone on their own property, but she’d make up some reason if it came to that.
“Next time just go first and talk later, moron, because if you’re not careful, your old friend Piper’s going to get you killed.” She tapped her thumbs on the steering wheel as she talked to herself. No matter, though—she was going even if she had to carry Piper on her back to get there and gag her once they arrived.
When she reached Piper’s condo she saw they were wearing similar outfits. Jeans, boots, and long sleeves would help if bugs infested the place they landed. Piper also had a pair of binoculars hanging around her neck and a bag with snacks. Had Piper misunderstood? She looked ready to attend a sporting event instead of trespass in someone’s yard.
“Nothing in there crunches, right?”
“I didn’t have lunch, so take it easy. We aren’t sneaking into the house. Who’ll hear us eating potato chips while we’re hiding under a bush?”
The same woman who snuck up on me on a really big horse and threatened to slice me into little pieces, that’s who, she thought, as she studied the tops of her boots when her chin dropped to her chest. “Let’s go before it gets much later. We still have to find a way across the lake.”
“No problem. Granddad keeps an old rowboat out there. I asked before I left the office. As long as he doesn’t actually land on Oakgrove property, he has permission to fish the lake. Don’t you find it odd that Kendal’s so friendly with these religious types?” Piper asked as they walked to the car. “It would have made more sense for her to attend a cult meeting.”
Hill opened the door for Piper, then headed around to the driver’s side. “We don’t know a lot about Kendal. If we’re lucky, though, we’ll be able to see and photograph more people there with her. Then we’ll have some new outlets to find out more about her and what she’s up to.”
Hill stopped hitting her thumbs on the steering wheel when Piper stared at them. Piper would know she was stalling. “Maybe so. Let’s hope so, anyway. Your little penguin friend didn’t tell you anything else, right? Something that would help us out?”
“No.” She shook her head for emphasis. They were sitting at a red light and she couldn’t look Piper in the eye when she answered. She wasn’t ready to tell Piper she’d seen Kendal in a really old painting done before her great-grandmother was even born. Piper would have her committed in a heartbeat, especially if she told Piper she had seen her likeness in the painting as well.
“There’s nothing more you want to tell me?” Piper asked again, and from her peripheral vision Hill could see her staring at her now.
The light turned green and she floored it, crossing over two lanes of traffic to make it onto the interstate ramp. “That was it. She told me about the lake, that she visited the place a couple of times, and she explained a painting hanging in the hallway.” Please don’t ask me about the painting and I won’t have to lie, she thought.
“What, are you becoming an art connoisseur?”
“They just seem eager for the public to take an interest in their history. It’s not a big deal.”
*
Piper kept quiet the rest of the trip, content to watch the scenery and think about the summers she’d spent at her grandfather’s place as a child. She was on the tire swing he’d strung up for her from one of the large oaks in the back when he told her of her father’s death. At first the words “car accident” didn’t sound so permanent, but her father was gone just like that. She figured he’d wanted to be happy by joining her mother, whom she knew only from pictures.
The memories of her father, though, were vivid, but she usually kept them buried since they brought her only pain. Her father had always worn his melancholy like a cloak. Despite his sadness he often read to her, walked the property with her skipping beside him, but nothing she did ever brought him true joy. From the time she could remember she’d tried to make him happy, but she couldn’t reach the part of his heart that withered when her mother died.
That sense of failure had made her wary of trying so hard to please anyone again. She’d allowed only Granddad Mac and Grandmother Molly fully into her heart, especially Mac. When she’d moved in with them permanently, he’d laughed and danced with her and her grandmother every night when he got home from work, and never acted pressed for time when she asked to do something with him.
He and Grandmother Molly had done everything from attending her sporting events to volunteering for school functions so her life would be as full and normal as possible. From Mac she’d learned what exactly their family was built on, and a big part of that was Marmande Shipyard, as well as the extended family they employed and were responsible for.
Once she was old enough, she wouldn’t stay away from the office. From her first day, she’d carried the company further than they should’ve gotten before someone like Kendal came along. However, the bleeding of red ink had been too severe for too long for Piper to make a lasting difference, though she wasn’t giving up. To lose now would be to disappoint the two people she admired most in the world and put nearly four thousand people out of work. Mac and Grandmother Molly were everything to her, so she wouldn’t let them die without Marmande Shipyard still being in business.
“Turn here to go back to the dock. Granddad said the boat should be tied up and ready, if someone didn’t borrow it.” She pointed out a dirt road where the Oakgrove fence line ended. The excitement she felt as a child when she made a break for the property line to explore Oakgrove’s secrets returned. Back then, whenever she tried, Mac was always too quick and stopped her before she got into trouble.
“Go slow so we don’t kick up too much dust.”
“You want to row?” Hill asked when they reached the end of the pier.
“And deprive you of the pleasure? I wouldn’t dream of it, Hill. Come on, chop chop. When we get to the other side I’ll give you a potato chip.”
They shoved off a little before noon, Hill plowing the water with powerful strokes. “Man, that nun said this was a small lake,” Hill complained after thirty minutes.
“Call a nun a liar and lightning may strike you,” Piper said. They were both whispering as the shore got closer. When they landed they couldn’t tell how far back from the house they were since it wasn’t visible from the road.
They tied off the boat in a stand of willow trees to keep it out of sight and waited to make sure they were alone. At least most of the foliage was still on the trees, giving them good coverage.
After a short walk to the east, they reached a clearing. They were in for a long walk around it if they wanted to keep from being spotted. They still couldn’t see the house, and Piper hoped they could find their way out if sunset came before they were done.
With a quick pull, Hill yanked her farther into the trees, but she didn’t complain about the rough treatment because she heard an approaching horse. They pressed themselves up to tree trunks big enough to hide them, chests heaving.
“I am one with the tree, I am one with the tree.” Piper mentally repeated the mantra as the clip-clop of hooves stopped close to where they’d stood.
*
Kendal reined her horse in at the beginning of the clearing, opting for no saddle again since she wanted Ruda to roam on his own while she worked out. Her skills never truly lost their edge, but because her brother had amassed quite a following, a little practice wouldn’t hurt.
She didn’t intend to let them capture her and lock her way from the sun. She always welcomed sleep, but to lose this fight would most probably result in a shift in power. Mankind could not afford any carelessness on her part. If Abez and Ora unleashed the kind of darkness they reveled in, she doubted that anyone would ever be able to fully rein it in.
The grass felt cool when she dropped to the ground. She slapped Ruda on the rump after taking the bit out of his mouth and watched him head for a small patch of clover the lawn crew had missed. She strolled to the center of the clearing, enjoying the midday sun on her shoulders and the soft grass under her bare feet. This was sacred ground, the one place on Oakgrove’s lands where only the grass had grown; no crops had ever disturbed the soil here.
Those who had been under her care had put their dead to rest here using the ceremonies of their homeland, not in crude pine boxes like on other plantations. They had carried litters here and placed them on funeral pyres in solemn ceremonies. They had prayed in their native tongues as the flames welcomed the spirits of the dead.
From this spot, warriors who had died farmers and slaves were welcomed home to whatever afterlife they believed in, their ashes having long since become one with the soil. In Kendal’s heart those ashes had blessed the area, and as long as she lived, she would make sure they would never be forgotten. She remembered every name they’d been given at birth and what place they held within their tribe. Even if she was somehow defeated and destroyed, the set of leather journals in the library contained a complete history of everyone who’d lived on the property back then.
When she reached the center, she dropped to her knees and lifted her hands to the sky. In the language those noble fighters had taught her, she gave thanks to their gods that these people had lived and that she had known them. After asking for strength to guide her hands and her heart in the upcoming fight, she asked forgiveness for disturbing their peace by drawing weapons here. Charlie had told her it did them honor for her to come here and practice, but she believed in covering her bets.
Finished, she opened her eyes and smiled at Charlie, who was kneeling next to her in the same position. The sweat on his bare chest probably meant he had run from the house. He waited as Kendal pulled a strip of cloth from the long pair of gi pants she was wearing. She’d picked a tight black sleeveless T-shirt instead of the traditional wraparound top. With her eyes covered, she stopped to center herself and let her other senses take over. The whispering among the trees meant her admirers had taken Morgaine’s bait, but she figured Hill would’ve come alone.
“What’s she doing?”
Kendal recognized Piper’s voice.
“What’s it look like? She’s tying on a blindfold.”
“What’s with the big karate pants?”
“Piper, the secret of surveillance is to sit and observe. When you watch someone, you usually can answer the questions that might come up.”
When she turned to face the river, they would get a good look at her weapons, which should scare the hell out of them enough to make them scurry back to their lives. In hindsight, she should’ve taken a vacation from being Kendal Richoux and just come back as whoever to take care of this problem. Had she done that, Piper and her friends would’ve never crossed Henri’s radar like they might now. One look at Piper, though, made her almost glad they’d met. Once this was over perhaps she’d find out why fate had thrown Piper into her life, and why she looked so much like such a piece of her history.
The sword strapped to her back and a special belt holding two small axes prompted the next round of whispers, but she tried to tune it out. You wouldn’t find the hatchet-looking weapons at the hardware store. These blades were longer and thinner, almost like quarter moons with handles.
Ready, she bowed toward Charlie and drew her sword. They would start with a drill she’d taught Charlie when they began their lessons together long before Henri had come back into her life. The two blades moved slowly in unison as if following some choreographed dance.
As they continued their movements, she heard Charlie stop, like he had many times, to watch. Her sword usually was invisible as she warmed up, moving the blade in a circle from hand to hand through the basic moves used in combat. The heat of the sun made her start sweating, and she widened her stance as she sheathed her sword so she could remove the axes at her back.
The leather on them felt new but soft, and she made a mental note to thank Charlie. One of the legion commanders who had fought against Genghis Khan had given them to her. The tanned warrior with the black hair and light eyes had been like a horde all by himself, the man had told the crowd as he held his gift up for everyone to see. It was a time of upheaval, but not a time of women warriors, so she had lived as a man in that lifetime to help rid the world of a more human evil. None of those she fought with had thought to ask why she had asked that pieces of wood be added to the metal when they were forged. That was the one common element in all her weapons except for the sword that had been her father’s.
Wooden stakes through the heart and death by sunlight were the two things the movies had gotten right about vampires. While the thirst for blood was a given, she was always amused at some of the movies and television shows on the topic. The essence of wood was all that was necessary, so that’s why her swords were able to destroy the little bastards she came across. Garlic and holy water, though, were Hollywood hype.
“What the hell?” Piper said, loud enough to make Kendal concentrate again.
She moved into a combative stance, twirling the katana slowly in her hand after she returned one of the small battle-axes to her belt. Morgaine’s men had arrived and they fought to draw blood, if they could. Two of the men ran forward together and she met them stroke for stroke, not letting them get even close to gaining an upper hand.
The sound of metal hitting metal echoed through the clearing as she added a few new moves. She took out one guy who got too close with a kick to the jaw. Another two met a similar fate when she leapt up, then kicked both feet out. When the fight ended, less than twenty minutes had passed, and all five were unarmed and on their knees panting.
For a moment longer she stood with her head cocked, listening for any other threat. She tore the blindfold off when all she could hear was the men’s heavy breathing. “Take as long as you want, then run through it again with Charlie, guys. And, Charlie, try not to add too many more bruises or they might not want to play with us again.”
“Hill, we need to get the hell out of here before this nut figures out we’re here.”
Without the blindfold Kendal closed her eyes and tried to pinpoint where Piper’s voice was coming from.
“Just stay calm. It’ll be better if we wait until they’re done,” Hill said.
Piper nodded as she tried to even out her breathing. When they looked back to the field to watch Charlie go through the same dance, only without the blindfold, they just as quickly stared at each other in shock. They’d lost sight of Kendal.
“Where’d she go?” Piper asked.
Hill shrugged as she scanned the area through Piper’s binoculars. Doing a good imitation of an oscillating fan, Hill’s head turned from side to side as she looked where they’d last seen her.
As quietly as possible, Kendal climbed down behind them from the branch she’d picked to watch them from as real fear set in, as if they’d just realized they’d crawled into the cobra’s lair, then suddenly remembered they were no mongooses. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. You missed me so much you couldn’t stay away?” she asked before pressing her lips to the side of Piper’s head. She laughed when Piper gasped, then backed up so fast she knocked Hill over. The camera on the ground held her attention.
“I can explain,” Hill said.
“Do you recall the last little talk we had, Ms. Hickman?” Hill nodded, still sprawled on the ground like she was frozen in place. “Did you think I was talking for the simple pleasure of hearing my voice?” Hill shook her head, the only part of her body moving.
Kendal straightened and sighed before offering her hand to Piper, only to have Piper shrink back in fear.
“You kill us and people will know. You won’t get away with it.”
With a smile, Kendal bent at the waist to get her face as close to Piper’s as she could without pressing their lips together. “Want to make a bet?” She clicked her teeth shut a hair away from Piper’s nose. Hill went down when Piper slammed into her again. “You two are quite a comedy act. Give me your hand, Miss Marmande. I only want to help you up, not skewer you.” As soon as Piper was on her feet, Hill held her hand up, and just as quickly dropped it when Kendal reached for her sword.
“Well, it was nice seeing you, but we’ve got to be going,” Piper said, motioning Hill to get on her feet.
“Not so fast. I’m sure you were just out here bird watching, but in case you weren’t, could I have the camera? I promise to give it back,” she said sweetly. With slumped shoulders Hill watched as she threw it into the air and cut it cleanly in two. “The next time, Miss Marmande, if you want to come to see me or the grounds, you’ll find the front gate much more convenient. Do you want to talk about something now that you’ve slogged out here?”
Piper had turned to go, but Kendal’s question and her tone stopped her. “Do you ever stop to think about what you’re doing to people’s lives when you come in and take everything they’ve worked for?”
Most of the warlords she’d faced off against didn’t have as hair-trigger a temper as Piper. The fear Piper had displayed seconds before had given way to her angry question so fast, Kendal was afraid she might get whiplash if she had to deal with her for an extended period of time.
“Do you ask because people like me don’t have feelings? That is what you think, right?” Her flip answer drove Piper’s temper up enough that her eyes seemed to glisten, and Kendal almost made the mistake of smiling when Piper balled her fists and held them away from her body as she stomped closer. “Believe it or not, I do think about every step I make. Employees of failing companies I acquire get a fair deal. It’s not their fault their bosses couldn’t keep things afloat, even if they are running a shipyard.”
“You sanctimonious bitch,” Piper said, sounding like she savored each word. “It’s easy to tear things down instead of working to build something meaningful. The way you rip things apart so easily means you’re nothing but a liar. Don’t make it worse by saying you care about the people who’ve been loyal to my grandfather for years. Once you sell us off like old scrap, you won’t give us another thought. You might consider it a game, but you’re ruining futures for your entertainment.”
“You’re a little sanctimonious yourself, lady, since you’ve done nothing but tear me down from the first moment you laid eyes on me.” Kendal let a little anger seep into her voice. “I don’t know what else you want from me. I told you I wasn’t interested, so why in the hell are you here wasting time when I handed you the real thief on a platter?”
“Why are you still here, then, if you don’t intend to take us over?”
“I could say none of your business and be done with it, but if I do, I assume I can only look forward to more of Ms. Hickman’s company, since you aren’t the trusting type. I’m here to attend to a family matter.”
Piper crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight to one foot. The pose made her look like a bratty girl not getting her way. “I don’t believe you.”
“I tell you what. Have your attorney draft a statement saying that if I go after Marmande or get involved in your business in any way, I’ll owe you whatever it’ll take to get you out of debt.”
“I’ll do it,” Piper said.
“And I’ll sign it. It’s the only way I can get rid of you.” She looked at the hand Piper was holding out, noticing that if she wanted to shake it she’d have to close the gap between them. She moved forward halfway and held out her own hand. When Piper took it, she squeezed slightly and added one more thing. “Just remember, Miss Marmande, if you want my involvement, you’ll have to come begging.”
“I’ll beg you for anything when hell freezes over.”
“I’ve been to hell. There are no cold days.”
“Then there’s your answer.”
Kendal let out a low whistle that made Ruda appear at her side. The stallion bent his head to accept the bit, pawing at the ground as if anxious to go. “I’d appreciate if you both would stay off the property. If you need to see me, call my office and make an appointment. Consider that your last warning, especially you, Ms. Hickman.” With little effort she leapt onto Ruda’s back and kicked his sides to get him moving.
*
“How rude, she didn’t even say good-bye.”
Hill picked up the two pieces of ruined equipment and snorted. “The nerve of her not to invite us up to the house for tea after you called her a bitch. What is the civilized world coming to?”
“She asked for it. Kendal Richoux walks around like she owns the world and everyone in it, but I bet she doesn’t know what to do with herself when somebody stands up to her.” She followed Hill back to the boat, making as much noise as possible now that Kendal knew they were there. “It’s easy when you have everything handed to you. She probably doesn’t know what putting in a day at the office is like.”
Hill stopped so abruptly that she ran into her. “Not to defend her, but do you ever read my reports?”
“I’m busy, Hill. It’s not like I’ve got time to read line by line.”
“Her father was a dockworker. She made her fortune at the office one day at a time. The very little that’s written about her business ethic says she’s a straight shooter.”
“Are you saying I’m not?”
“I’m saying that you might’ve been better off with Kendal Richoux in your corner than as your enemy. You’re so angry with her because she one-upped you about Kenny Delaney you can’t see straight.”
“Straight is the last thing Kendal is, and watch yourself, Hillary.”
Hill put her hands up and looked her in the eye. “I’m not telling you all this to point out your mistakes. I’m telling you because I’m your friend and it’s the truth.”
“Thank you, but it’s all moot anyway. Now that I don’t have to worry about this looter, I can concentrate on saving Marmande.” Piper stepped into the boat and pulled out her chips, leaving Hill to grab the oars.
*
“Good luck to you on that one, sweetheart, you’re going to need it,” Kendal said from the branch above their heads. They were so busy snapping twigs and talking they’d paid no attention to how far she’d gone or if she’d ridden off at all. “Today was one of those days you should have spent in the office instead of running after dead ends. The real looters are at the gate and about to storm the castle.”
Hill pushed off before she sat in the center section to start rowing back. When they were far enough away that Kendal knew they were indeed leaving, she closed her eyes and tried to relax as she listened to the oars hit the water. Because it was fall, she had three more hours before the sun went down. Three hours closer to finding Henri and ending his miserable existence.