“As far as I'm concerned, whatever you say is good enough for me.”
Caleb muttered something inaudible around a bite of the biscotti.
“But I wasn't talking about just that,” Ariadne said softly. “I wanted to thank you for taking charge afterward. Things could have gotten complicated.”
“I'll let you in on a little secret,” Caleb said. “Sheriff Banner didn't want things to get unduly complicated. He ran a check on Kincaid and he knew the guy was a walking time bomb. I got the impression the sheriff was as relieved as everyone else that the bastard took a header into one of the pools.”
“Banner is a good man,” Ariadne said. “But something tells me that he and Blade would never have understood each other. So thanks for handling everything.”
“It's not like I had anything better to do at the time.” Caleb paused to eye his half-eaten piece of biscotti with a thoughtful expression. “How long does this stuff keep?”
“You can store biscotti for a month or more,” Ariadne said. “It's double-baked over a period of several hours, so it's very dry, like a cracker. I've eaten some that were six months old. You couldn't tell the difference between them and fresh-made.”
“I think we can add biscotti to the catalog along with the marmalade and the cookbook,” Caleb said.
Ariadne glowed. “I can do several flavors.”
“Fine. We'll work on the packaging later. Talk to Zone about the graphics.”
“All right. I'll take a look at some of my favorite biscotti recipes. I'll probably need to hire someone part-time to help with the baking.”
“And so an economy is born,” Caleb murmured.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just an observation on the basic nature of certain cosmic forces.”
“Oh.” Ariadne went back behind the counter and busied herself amid a pile of cookbooks.
Serenity watched Caleb dunk the last of his biscotti into his coffee. She leaned forward to whisper across the table. “Might as well face it, nobody cares what happened in that cave. They're just grateful you took care of everything, including Blade. Everyone trusts you now. You're one of us.”
“Sort of an honorary resident of Witt's End, would you say?”
“You could say that.”
Caleb smiled wryly. “Nice to know I belong somewhere.”
“So why are you leaving Witt's End today? Are you going to pay a visit to your office in Seattle?”
“No, I talked to Mrs. Hotten this morning. Everything's under control there.”
“Where are you going?”
“Ventress Valley. I've been doing some thinking.”
“What about?”
“The sales receipt for your photos that we found in Asterley's files.”
Serenity groaned. “In the excitement, I'd forgotten all about that.”
“I didn't forget about it.”
“Obviously.” Serenity watched him intently. “All right, tell me what you've been thinking.”
Caleb put his hands around his mug and contemplated his coffee. “I'm thinking that maybe my first conclusion was wrong, maybe there weren't two blackmailers. I'm thinking that Franklin was behind this whole thing right from the start. With a little help from Asterley.”
“Franklin?” Serenity was stunned. “What do you mean? Why would he do something like this? It makes no sense.”
“It all fits, Serenity. Let's assume that receipt we found is telling us the truth. Franklin bought those pictures from Asterley on the twentieth. He sent them to you anonymously a couple of days later in an effort to get you to call off your business deal with me.”
“Why would he care about one of your consulting projects?” Serenity asked quickly.
“He wouldn't have given a damn about it if it had been just another project. But if he suspected that I was getting involved with you, and if he knew about those photos, he'd have been worried.” Caleb's mouth twisted. “Franklin and Phyllis both share my grandfather's fear that my bad blood will show in the end.”
“In other words, they're all afraid that you'll get seduced by a woman with a shady past,” Serenity concluded.
“Something like that.”
“But how could Franklin have known about me?”
“Good question.”
“Well, I guess, in a way, you have met with the fate they feared most, haven't you?” Serenity smiled ruefully. “My past is so clouded, I don't even know what my parents looked like. At least you've got pictures of your mother and father. I don't.”
“It must be strange not to know what your parents looked like.”
“It is,” Serenity whispered. “But I can feel a link with them sometimes. I survived last night because of this.” She instinctively touched the griffin that was once more securely hung around her neck. “Their one legacy to me. And because of Blade's self-defense instructions. If it hadn't been for all of them, I would have died.”
“Don't remind me,” Caleb said grimly.
Serenity lowered her hand. “It's odd, isn't it?”
“What's odd?”
“How connected we all are with each other, even when we think we're alone in the world, even if we don't particularly want to be connected. It's as if, like it or not, we've got bits and pieces of other people stuck to us. Take you and Blade, for example.”
Caleb grimaced. “What about Blade and me?”
“The two of you shared an experience in that cave last night that must have left its mark on both of you. No one but you and Blade will ever really know what happened. For the rest of your lives, whenever you think about it, you'll each remember the other because you went through it together.”
“Psychically bonded with Blade forever. What an unnerving thought.” Caleb loudly set his coffee mug down on the table. “I think we're straying into the metaphysical realm here. That's a bit out of my field. I'm a business consultant, remember?”
“One of the best in the Pacific Northwest. Or so you keep telling me.”
“Damn right. And I prefer to operate on one mathematical plane at a time, if you don't mind. Back to Uncle Franklin.”
“I'm listening.”
“As I started to explain before I was interrupted, my theory is that he got hold of those photos and sent them to you first in hopes that you'd realize the game was over and quietly retreat from the scene. If you didn't quit at that point, if you took the risk of telling me about the photos, he assumed I'd end things.”
“But instead of ditching me and my project, you followed me to Witt's End. You informed me that there was no way out of the contract for either of us because you had your precious business standards to uphold.”
Caleb raised his brows and took a swallow of coffee. “My theory is that when Uncle Franklin realized that his scheme hadn't worked and that I was still very much involved with you, so involved that I brought you home to meet the family, he panicked and took more drastic action.”
“He called you and claimed that he was being blackmailed.”
Caleb nodded. “He told me that I had to stop seeing you because someone had threatened to send your pictures to the Ventress Valley News.”
“And thereby drag your noble family name through the mud again.” Serenity considered that. “It makes sense up to a point. But there are a couple of things that need an explanation here.”
“Yes, there are.” Caleb leaned back in his chair and contemplated the door of Witt's End Grocery through the café window. “The first big question is, how did my uncle learn that those photos even existed in the first place?”
“Exactly. He's a banker, for heaven's sake. Not the sort to hand around with folks from Witt's End. Who could have told him that the pictures were available and that he could buy them from Ambrose Asterley?”
“Asterley himself, probably,” Caleb said. “I still think he must have started all this. But not because he wanted to control the process of change here in Witt's End. He had a much simpler goal. He wanted money. From every
thing I've heard about your friend Ambrose, he was always trying to talk people into loaning him cash to buy new photo equipment, right?”
“Well, yes,” Serenity admitted uneasily. “That's true.”
“If we assume that he did know about the old scandal because of his newspaper addiction, we could also assume that he sent you to me in the first place with the idea of setting up a lucrative blackmail scheme for himself.”
“I still find it hard to believe, but I suppose it's possible that Ambrose was so desperate for money that he contacted your uncle after he sent me to see you.”
“He told Franklin that the Ventress name was once again being threatened by a scandalous affair, and then offered to sell him pictures of the woman involved. Franklin probably took it from there.”
“He bought the photos for five thousand dollars,” Serenity said, thinking it through. “He used them first to try to frighten me off. When that didn't work, he went to you and claimed he was being blackmailed.”
“There's a certain logic to it,” Caleb said.
“The good news is that with your theory, we don't need to worry about the possibility that there's a second blackmailer running around,” Serenity said.
“Between Asterley's greed and Uncle Franklin's concern for the family name, the whole thing can be explained.”
“Why the missing negatives?” Serenity persisted. “The sale to Franklin was legitimate. Ambrose documented it as if it were a straightforward business arrangement. Ambrose wasn't blackmailing anyone. He had nothing to hide. He had a right to sell those photos.”
“Maybe he sold the negatives to Franklin, too. Franklin would certainly have wanted them.”
“Maybe. So what are you going to do?” Serenity asked.
Caleb's eyes were as hard to read as a vision pool. “I'm going to go back to Ventress Valley today and verify my theory.”
Alarm flashed through Serenity. She forced herself to remain outwardly calm. “Uh, just how do you plan to go about discovering whether or not you're right about the connection between Ambrose and your uncle?”
“I'm going to have a showdown. I intend to get Franklin, Phyllis, and my grandfather in one room together, and then I'm going to confront Franklin. I'm going to force him to admit his role in this.”
“Caleb, I'm not sure that's such a good idea.”
Caleb looked at her. “Franklin probably thinks that I'll tiptoe around this thing. He's banking that I'll cave in to the so-called blackmail threat for the sake of the family. But he's wrong. I'm going to blow it wide open.”
“Your uncle was only trying to protect the family name. Admittedly, he's gone too far, but surely you can understand why he's doing it. I think you should handle this with some delicacy and tact.”
“Delicacy and tact?” Caleb's smile was even colder than his eyes. “All of my life I've handled my family that way, and what has it gotten me? I've done all the things that I was supposed to do. I've met every demand, done everything that was asked of me, tried to satisfy everyone. But it's never been enough.”
“What do you mean, it's never been enough?”
“No matter what I've done, I've never managed to make up for what my parents did. Every time my grandfather and the others look at me, they don't see me, they see my father's fatal flaw and my mother's bad blood. Every time I look into their eyes, I can see them watching and waiting for the big day when I'll prove that all their suspicions about me are right.”
“Oh, Caleb.” Serenity reached out to touch his arm.
“The big day has finally arrived.” Caleb got to his feet and reached for the jacket he had slung over the back of the chair.
“Wait,” Serenity said quickly. “Caleb, I don't want you to do anything rash.”
“Rash? That's funny coming from you.” Caleb leaned down and kissed her fiercely on her open mouth. When he raised his head, his eyes were gleaming. “You're the one who taught me the meaning of the word.”
She grabbed his sleeve as he started to move away. “Listen to me. If you force a confrontation in your present mood, you could tear your family apart.”
“Do you think I give a damn?”
“It's your family, Caleb.”
“No, it's not. I've never really been a full-fledged member of the Ventress family. What's more, I'm through trying to become one. I put up with a lot from them over the years, done everything they've ever asked of me in hopes of paying off the blackmail debt I inherited from my parents. But you know what they say about blackmail: It never ends. The only way to stop it is to stop payment.”
Serenity jumped to her feet. “If you're going to insist on a head-on confrontation with your family, I'd better come with you.”
“Forget it. I don't want you involved in this.”
“But I am involved.”
“You're not coming with me and that's final.”
The door of the café opened. Webster, clad in his customary dirt-stained overalls, stood in the entrance. He beamed with triumph as he opened his hand to display a smooth, round, palm-sized rock.
“What d'ya think, Ventress?”
Caleb glanced at the rock. “Webster, I'm in a rush right now. Why don't we discuss this when I get back?”
“This sucker is perfect,” Webster said. He gave Caleb a sly look. “And I know where I can get a hundred more just like it. All real beauties like this one.”
“Like I said, I'm in a hurry at the moment.”
“Take it,” Webster urged. “Put it in your pocket. Carry it around for a while. See how it feels.”
“All right, all right, give it to me.” Caleb grabbed the rock and dropped it into the pocket of his jacket. “Now, would you mind getting out of the way? I've got a long drive ahead.”
“Sure thing, Ventress.” Webster frowned in concern. “You ain't leavin' for good, are you?”
“I'll be back tonight. We'll discuss the marketing potential of your rock as soon as I've had a chance to take a close look at it.”
“Okay.” Webster's expression lightened. “Wanted to thank you for what you did last night.”
“Forget it. I didn't do anything.”
“Sure.” Webster winked knowingly. “Whatever you say, Ventress.”
Caleb ignored him. He went through the door and strode swiftly along the wooden sidewalk to where his Jaguar was parked.
Serenity grabbed her coat. “Excuse me, Webster.”
“Huh? Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to get in your way.” Webster stood aside as Serenity slipped past him. “Ventress is gonna like that rock. You'll see.”
“I'm sure he will.” Serenity paused briefly to glance back at Ariadne. “Tell Zone I'm going out of town with Caleb. I'll be back tonight.”
“I'll tell her,” Ariadne said.
Serenity whirled around, raced through the door and ran toward the Jaguar. Caleb was already behind the wheel. He switched on the engine just as she reached the car.
Serenity yanked open the door and hurtled into the passenger seat.
“What the hell do you think you're doing?” Caleb asked.
“I'm coming with you.” Serenity buckled her seat belt.
“No, you're not.”
“You can't leave me behind.” Serenity sat back in the seat and locked her door. “You're my business partner, remember? I never abandon a business partner. I've got certain standards to maintain.”
“Damn,” Caleb said.
He snapped the Jaguar into gear and pulled out onto the road.
15
TEN MILES DOWN THE MOUNTAIN CALEB FINALLY SPOKE again. “This isn't going to be pleasant, Serenity.”
“I know.”
“I won't allow you to interfere.”
“I won't interfere.”
“The fact that you're along isn't going to change the way I deal with the situation.”
“I understand.”
“You can't talk me out of doing this my way.”
“I realize that.”
“It's not too
late. I can turn around and take you back to Witt's End.”
Serenity put her hand on the long, taut muscle of his upper thigh. “You're not going into this alone. Remember what I said earlier about everyone having bits and pieces of other people stuck to them?”
“I remember.”
“Don't look now, but you've got a whole lot of me stuck to you. And I don't come unstuck very easily.”
Caleb couldn't think of anything to say to that. She was right, more right than she could possibly know. With every passing day and night, he was increasingly aware of just how much of her had stuck to him, of how much she had become a permanent part of him, a vital, necessary part.
Caleb glanced into the rearview mirror and saw his own reflection. The image was solid and real and alive. He definitely looked pissed off, he thought, but he looked solid and real. Alive. He could touch things. He could make a difference. And things, people, could touch him.
“Darn,” Serenity muttered.
“What's wrong? Change your mind about coming with me?”
“No, that's not the problem.”
“What is the problem?”
She plucked at the long, loose batik printed shirt she was wearing over a matching pair of flowing, wide-legged pants. An elaborately studded belt with a massive buckle marked the waistline of the outfit. “I didn't get a chance to step into a phone booth and change into Miss Town and Country.”
“Don't worry about it.” Caleb glanced at her wild, red curls and smiled. “You look fine the way you are.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Believe me, you've never looked better. Except maybe in those shots Asterley took of you.”
Serenity's head came around with a swiftness that betrayed her startled surprise. “You never really told me what you thought of those photos.”
Caleb recalled the juxtaposition of innocence and ancient, womanly wisdom that Asterley had captured so vividly in the pictures of Serenity. “You were right about them. They're works of art. Asterley made you look like some sort of mythical woodland goddess. Elemental. A force of nature. Beautiful.”
“I'm glad you liked them.” Serenity sounded relieved. “I was a little worried about your reaction. You didn't say much after you saw them.”