“What’s going on?”
“I can’t see much. You didn’t tell me the place was locked down like Fort Knox.”
“But they’re there.”
“Yes. All of them. Dorothea. The two you gave me pictures of and a few others.”
“Who?”
“How am I supposed to know? You asked me to do away with her and her family, not get to know them. Just some people.”
He laughed. Those who were trying to prevent him from his grand plan were going to pay and pay dearly. He didn’t care who else was involved.
“You’ve got everything in place?”
“Working on it. You didn’t give me much notice, you know. I need another half hour.”
“Where are they?”
“In a room on the second floor.”
“Perfect. Make sure you have time to get away; I don’t want anyone discovering you by accident. Disappear. Your payment will be waiting in your bank account. Check your phone; I’m sending confirmation that it’s been transferred. Don’t screw up or you’ll be joining them.”
~~~~
Voices floated in and out of her consciousness. They were near and then they were far. A gentle touch to her face had her turning her head to seek more of it. But then it was gone. She felt as if she was drifting on a cloud. There was no real connection to anything. No weight. No shape. Nothing. But then it would change. She could feel her body. Feel the headache tapping away at the inside of her skull. The one thing missing were thoughts. Just awareness, like fleeting images that danced elusively just out of her reach.
Something cool brushed her face before being placed across her forehead. This time she was instantly brought back.
“Hey. You okay?”
She didn’t have to open her eyes to know it was Graham’s low soothing voice. It dawned on her she had known all along it was him there with her. Tempted to hide, she realized all she was accomplishing was wasting time. Realizations of everything that had happened and everything she suspected came stampeding back and reminded her of why she’d blacked out in the first place.
“I’m all right. Sorry.” She sat up and he instantly shifted some pillows behind her back. When she was upright, she glanced around the bedroom she found herself in. Everything was pristine white from the bedcover she was resting on to the furniture, the walls and the curtains. Her eyes were drawn to Graham not only because he was the only color in the room but because she needed reassurance that she really hadn’t passed over to the other side. Although she was sure where she was going wouldn’t be white; fiery hot red maybe.
“I know it’s a little over done. Or underdone. I’m not sure what you call it but it’s about as pure as you can find.” He grinned at her.
That was the grounding she needed. It settled her insides like a shot of bourbon would do for others.
“What happened?”
“Too much stress. Not enough to eat. I don’t know.”
“Really? It seemed that picture had something to do with it.”
“The sun was glaring off it. I could barely see it.” She held his gaze and prayed the morsel of truth in the statement would hold up against all that she was withholding from him. “Where’s Chance?”
“He’s fine. I’ll get him.” He gave her a long look before getting up and disappearing.
He knows.
How could she tell him what she suspected, that Dorothea’s brother might be connected to her problem? It made her want to throw up, and then she realized the nausea had been part of her life since the moment she realized she had lost an entire week.
A few seconds later, the door was pushed wide and Chance came running through, chortling and babbling as he ran. Graham was right behind him pretending to catch him. Tarin smiled as her son launched himself at her, only to scramble across the bed in a gleeful dash to get away from Graham. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. She’d been the only one in his life for so long that she felt a rare pang of jealousy. But the joy on her son’s face soon pulled her out of her angst.
“I hate to break this up but something’s come up.”
Graham swung Chance up in his arms and put him on his shoulders before turning to Guy. “Be right there.”
Tarin was on her feet and moving out the door when he grabbed her. His probing eyes were searching for more than reassurance she was okay.
“Go. Horsey.” Chance’s demand was the excuse she needed to move aside so he could pass her.
They all met in the large sitting room with leather sofas, beautiful artwork and intricate vases, curios she had nightmares about Chance grabbing. The photo that had caused her grief was gone, the shattered glass cleaned away. Her son accompanied Amanda enthusiastically into the playroom.
Her grandfather, who still gave her a shiver of excitement in realizing that connection, put his hand on her arm as she passed. He looked at her questioningly. She smiled reassuringly in a mute effort to tell him she was okay. He nodded before taking her arm and sitting beside her on the couch.
“I think we need to clarify a few things. First, to those that don’t know me, Dorothea and I have been friends a very long time. I think she stuck gum in my hair in first grade to get my attention. See, I had a horse and rode to school while she had to walk. She convinced me I needed to give her a ride every day. We’ve been good friends ever since.”
Dorothea laughed. “Oh Calib. Let’s not get started on the stories of who did what.”
He grinned. “You’re quite right. Now to introduce myself properly. I’m Charles Cooper. I own the Cooper-Lite Hotel chain. But please, my friends call me Calib. My son is James Madsen-Cooper, although he dropped the Cooper to spite me and then named his business chain, C-Lite Hotels.”
There was a quickly drawn breath. Tarin looked at Graham to find him studying her. He knew who she was. She pursed her lips and turned away. She had done the same background investigation on him. Part of a blended family, he had two natural siblings, two step-siblings and two half-siblings.
“And this is my granddaughter.”
Tarin knew she should have seen that coming but she hadn’t, and she wasn’t prepared to reveal her identity to others. All eyes were focused on her and she wanted nothing more than to act like a bug and scurry away. Since she couldn’t do that, she squared her shoulders and raised her chin. Her grandfather squeezed her hand.
“I bring that up so everyone is clear who I am. I do not believe my son is behind any of this but to be honest I know he’s capable of some underhanded things.”
It was Tarin’s turn to return the reassuring gesture. Everyone began talking at once but Tarin tuned them out as she thought back to the photograph. It couldn’t be? Could it?
She’d barely been listening when she heard them mention the wedding.
“I think that’s a great idea. We’ll do it next weekend. Just family. Then we’ll have the formal services later. That should throw a kink into our perp.”
Tarin wasn’t sure what they were talking about. Were they changing their wedding from four weeks away to next weekend?
The keening cry of a young child would grab anyone’s attention but when it was a mother’s child, she could hear the slightest peep from a mile away. So when Chance first whimpered, Tarin was on her feet and through the door. Amanda was kneeling in front of him, checking out his leg. His lip was sticking out and big, fat tears filled his eyes.
“He tripped over the dump truck and fell. He banged his knee.”
She lifted him into her arms. “I’m going to take him outside.” She needed some air and Chanced was a good reason to take a break. “What’s the most efficient way to get there? Grab a few toys, please.”
She turned to leave and found Graham standing at the door watching them. “Great idea. Come on.”
He suggested that everyone follow join them on one of the expansive verandas, as the sunshine and fresh air would do them all good. Tarin kept walking, and Graham caught up with her, leading her down the stairs, down a meandering hallway and out through a pristine kitchen the size of a great room. Penelope, the tiniest, happiest woman she’d ever met, winked at them as they passed and said she would be bringing out their refreshments shortly.
The veranda was a large, stone covered area that overlooked a pond and a man-made waterfall. Tarin strolled toward it in an effort to show Chance all the brightly colored fish when she discovered that despite his injury, he was almost asleep. Graham pulled out a chair for her, placing it in the shade of the umbrella and helped her get comfortable. Guy and Bailey joined them, sitting close by. Dorothea and Charles soon followed with their heads together, talking quietly. They were both smiling and happy. Then Dorothea looked in her direction and stopped. Her face was glazed with shock as she slowly walked toward Tarin and Chance.
“Geoffrey?”
The words were barely out of her mouth when an explosion rocked the ground, causing the rocks arranged around the pond to scatter as though an earthquake had occurred, and as chairs tumbled over, Tarin saw Dorothea clutch her chest before she stumbled and went down on rickety knees. Calib tried valiantly to hold onto her but as the windows blew out of the mansion above them and debris hailed down upon them, he was forced to let go to prevent landing atop of her. Graham instantly took his place, catching her and shielding her with his body. As events played out before her as if in slow motion, Tarin simultaneously dove for cover under the patio table, her primal instinct to protect Chance as debris rained down upon the table with such a ferocity that she was terrified it would collapse upon them.
As the dust settled and they took stock, everyone sprang into action. Guy phoned the police and Bailey rushed to Graham’s side to check on Dorothea.
“We need an ambulance,” she said as Guy repeated her words to the police dispatcher. “She’s sweaty. Pulse rapid. She’s conscious; complaining of an ache in her shoulder.” Though her words were deceptively calm, Tarin could see the panic in her eyes.
Graham knelt in front of her, his face etched with deep concern as members of the household staff and groundskeepers rushed to their side.
She was clutching Chance so tight that he felt so much a part of her that at first she realized his whimpers might be because he was hurt. She eased him back, her hands roaming over him. He cried out snuggling tight against her, hiding his face against her chest. His thumb jammed back into his mouth. He was scared but seemed fine. For that she was so grateful.
Several people were talking over one another excitedly and the tiny woman she’d passed in the kitchen let out a keening wail when she spotted Dorothea on the ground. She rushed over and crouched beside her. Dorothea grasped her with a hand that appeared even paler and more fragile than before.
“Tarin, are you okay?” Her grandfather assisted her and Chance in climbing out from beneath the table. He cleared debris from the chair she’d vacated and helped to situate them, looking them both over for injuries.
Seemingly confident they were physically uninjured he sat in another chair, pulling it close to hers. He was watching her so intently that she wondered if she was in fact injured. She ran her palm along her face, relieved it was covered in dust but no blood. What he said next made her thankful she had been sitting.
“Do you think your dad could have done this?”