“There was no confrontation.” Xavier’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. “I stopped to say hello to Madeline. Rayner got up suddenly and crashed into me. The clumsy bastard knocked me on my butt. It was a little embarrassing but no harm done.”
That was bullshit. Anything that knocked Xavier on his butt in front of an audience constituted a serious affront—one that warranted revenge.
“Be careful, Xavier. You said Rayner was in the security business.”
“Trust me, I’ve got everything under control. I had Mom invite him and Madeline Chase to the reception for the old man. I figure Rayner and I can take a little walk along the cliffs and have a chat. Get a few things straightened out.”
And maybe Rayner would suffer a fatal fall from the top of the cliffs, Travis thought. He didn’t see any way that fire could be involved in such an accident, but that didn’t mean that Xavier wouldn’t improvise something.
Xavier went out the door. Travis sat quietly for a while.
Xavier was a dangerous sociopath, but he was one very smart sociopath. There was no way to know what he had planned in the way of revenge, but he was in the red zone now. Something had to be done.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
She should have run, Ramona thought. She gripped the steering wheel very tightly and drove fast through the rainy night. The instant she found out that Madeline Chase and Jack Rayner had survived the explosion, she should have run.
Instead, she’d told herself she had time. It had been easy enough to get off the island in the boat. With luck it would be weeks or even months before the right storm or tide conditions exposed the rental car in the water at the foot of the cliffs.
She would run tonight, just as soon as she got the last payment. She would drive back to Seattle and destroy every scrap of evidence that connected her to the Ramona Owens identity. She would pick up her carefully concealed go-bag and head for the airport. Everything she needed for a new identity was inside. There was something else in the go-bag as well—copies of every single bit of damning evidence that she had found inside the briefcase. It always paid to take out insurance when you did business with dangerous people.
The rain was getting heavier. She began to worry that she had missed the sign. Relief swept through her when it finally appeared out of the darkness, glowing neon-bright. The roadside restaurant advertised twenty-four-hour food and drink to the weary traveler.
It’s almost over, she thought. Finally, the project was about to conclude. She was about to collect the biggest payday of her career. She smiled at the thought. The money was unbelievable. So much money—enough to finance a new life in a place far, far away. Enough to live the way she had always dreamed of living.
She had been working penny-ante scams her whole life, but the Cooper Island project was the big score she had dreamed about. After tonight everything would be different.
The restaurant was located just off the highway. The lights were on inside, although it was one o’clock in the morning and the parking lot was mostly empty. Ramona decided that the two cars in front probably belonged to the late-night staff. When she looked through the windows she could not see anyone seated at the tables or the counter.
She drove slowly around to the rear of the restaurant, following instructions. The weak yellow glare of a lone streetlamp illuminated a small portion of the parking area, but it waged a losing battle against the darkness.
There were two vehicles parked side by side in the shadows. A man and a woman were in the front seat of one of the cars. The window on the passenger side was down.
Another man sat behind the wheel of the second vehicle. His window was also down. There was a negotiation going on. Someone was selling and someone was buying. Drugs or sex, Ramona thought. She’d been there at various times in her life. But never again.
When her headlights speared the scene, the meeting broke up abruptly. Both cars roared out of the parking lot and disappeared in the rain.
She brought her vehicle to a stop but left the engine running.
Tonight it would be finished. The only part she regretted was conning the old man. She had developed an unexpected fondness for him. Maybe in some way he really had become the grandfather she’d never known. He had been so thrilled to discover that he had a long-lost granddaughter. She hadn’t realized that he was going to die. For a time she had told herself that maybe his death had been caused by an intruder, just as the police said.
But when she had been instructed to lure Chase and Rayner into the maintenance building and lock them inside, she had finally acknowledged the reality of her situation. She was working for a cold-blooded killer.
She opened the console and took out the gun she had stashed inside. Just in case.
Another set of headlights lanced the shadows of the parking lot. She watched the dark car in her rearview mirror. It parked directly behind her. The driver got out, a briefcase in one hand. Ramona relaxed a little. A briefcase full of money, as promised.
She lowered her window but kept her hand on the gun, holding it just out of sight alongside her thigh.
“It’s about time you got here,” she said.
She let go of the gun so that she could get a good grip on the heavy briefcase. She turned to put it on the passenger seat.
She caught a glimpse of the gun out of the corner of her eye, but by then it was far too late to pick up her own weapon.
Should have run, she thought.
And then it was over.
The shot echoed loudly in the darkness, but the night shift working in the roadside café were not fools. They did not go outside to investigate the events in the rear parking lot. They locked the doors and called the police.
By the time the cops arrived, the killer was several miles away.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
“Somehow, everything looked bigger when we lived here as kids,” Daphne said. “The hotel, the town, the cottage where Mom and I lived. Even this beach. Now it all seems so much smaller. How does that happen?”
“I suppose it’s a change of perspective,” Madeline said. “When we were growing up, Cooper Island was our whole world.”
“And then we went out into a much bigger world, so the island and everything on it now seem smaller in comparison.”
Madeline studied the opposite end of the rocky beach and thought about how far away it had seemed when she and Daphne had come here in the old days. They had sought the privacy of the beach to share the secrets and mysteries of the girl-into-woman metamorphosis they were undergoing.
Today when they had felt the need to get some fresh air, they had both instinctively turned toward the cliff path. There had been no need for words. The beach had called them when they were young, and it called them now.
The day had dawned crisp and sunny. If you were in the sun, as she and Daphne were, it was surprisingly warm. But in the shade there was a chill.
“I think that’s how it works,” she said. “We have a different perspective, a different frame of reference now.”
Daphne glanced at her, sunlight glinting on her dark glasses. “So if the past looks smaller in hindsight, why does it bear a striking resemblance to a very large asteroid on a collision course with us?”
“You know the old safety warning—objects in the rearview mirror are closer than they appear.”
“You and I should have done something about our particular asteroid a long time ago. We should have opened up that wall in room two-oh-nine and taken a good look at whatever was in that briefcase. At least we’d have known what we’re dealing with.”
“I thought about doing that once in a while,” Madeline said. “But for some reason I never felt like I had the right. The secret always seemed to belong to the adults—my grandmother and Tom. I was just a kid.”
“But now we are the adults.”
“Yes.”
They walked in
silence for a while. It seemed they had almost never shared long silences as girls. There had always been so much to talk about—boys, school, boys, clothes, boys, the doings of movie stars, boys. Sister travelers on the great journey to adulthood, they could not wait to reach their destination.
And then had come the night of blood and violence, the night that had changed everything. The journey to adulthood had been just as relentless in the wake of that shattering night, but Madeline knew that neither of them had traveled it in the protective cloak of innocence. The man named Porter had given them a glimpse of the darkness that was always just below the surface of the world. Once viewed, it could never be forgotten.
“You and Jack seem to have crossed a bridge while Abe and I were in La Jolla,” Daphne said.
“I suppose it is sort of obvious.”
“The fact that you two are now sharing the same bedroom was definitely a clue. But I knew from the start that there was something serious going on between you and Jack. The electricity in the atmosphere is off the charts.”
“We’ve been circling each other for about three months now. Grandma hired him just before she died. I inherited him.”
Daphne smiled. “That’s certainly an interesting way to start a relationship.”
“Saves hanging out in bars or filling in questionnaires at the online matchmaking sites.”
“True. Think there’s a future with Jack?”
“No. He made it very clear that he’s not interested in a future. As Grandma would have said, he’s not the marrying kind.”
“Has Jack actually said that?”
“He went to great pains to make sure I got the point before we wound up in the same bed.”
“Ouch. Well, at least he was honest about it. Unlike some people I could mention—my lying, cheating husband, for example.”
“Oh, yeah,” Madeline said. “Jack was very up-front about his lack of interest in marriage.”
“He used those words? Lack of interest?”
“Well, no, not exactly. He just said something about not being able to offer a future.”
“Good heavens.” Daphne halted and turned quickly. “Is he ill?”
“No, nothing so dramatic.”
Daphne relaxed and started walking again. “I can’t believe that he’s got a secret wife and family tucked away somewhere. I’m sure Abe would have mentioned it.”
“I’m pretty sure there’s no secret family.”
“So what’s wrong with our picture of Jack Rayner?”
“I don’t know,” Madeline admitted. “I suppose I could hire a private investigator to do a background check on him. It would be sort of strange, though.”
Daphne chuckled. “Who do you hire to investigate the man you hired to conduct investigations?”
“Exactly. But in this case I don’t think there’s any reason to push it. Odds are good that whatever Jack and I have going won’t last long.”
“I thought you executive types liked to think positive.”
“I’m trying to be realistic,” Madeline said. “That way there’s less of a shock when things go south.”
“Why are you so sure your relationship with Jack is doomed?”
“For the same reasons all my previous relationships have been doomed.”
“Your intimacy issues.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Jack knows about your issues?”
“Yep. We had a lengthy conversation about his issues and mine before we—you know.”
“Before you fell into bed together,” Daphne concluded.
“Mm.”
“Sounds romantic.”
“I sense sarcasm.”
“Do you always have conversations like that before you go to bed with someone?” Daphne asked with what sounded like clinical curiosity.
“I try to be honest about my issues.”
“Does it work?”
“No. At the start, men always think I’m going to be the perfect date—a bit of the woman-in-leather thing spiced with commitment-free sex.”
“A real wet dream for a lot of guys.”
“At first.”
“What goes wrong?”
“You mean, aside from the fact that I don’t actually wear leather in bed?”
“Aside from that,” Daphne said.
“What usually goes wrong is that I make a few demands. I take my time deciding if I want to have sex with a man. I want a companion, not just someone to fall into bed with.”
“You want a relationship. Perfectly natural.”
“I admit that I like to date men who are willing to engage in extended conversations about a variety of subjects,” Madeline said.
“You were always interested in anything and everything.”
“While I’m having those conversations with a man, I run a background check on him. If all goes well, I’m willing to get into bed. But I do tend to drag my feet during the getting-to-know-you phase because the sex phase is always the beginning of the end.”
“Maybe you should rethink the whole leather-in-bed thing. Spark up your wardrobe. Get a nice little whip. Might make your relationships last longer.”
Madeline felt the giggles rise up out of nowhere. And suddenly she was laughing.
“You know, you haven’t changed, Daphne. Always there with the helpful styling tips. You should write a column.”
“One thing I’ve learned over the years is that nobody really wants my good advice. They just pretend to listen to it.”
“Probably because most people just want to whine about their problems. They don’t want to actually take the hard actions that will fix those problems.”
“You haven’t changed much, either,” Daphne said. “You’re still the pragmatist you were when you were twelve. You look at something that you’re pretty sure won’t work and you cut your losses.”
“Go ahead, say it, I’m a boring business executive.”
“No, you’re a very fine hotel executive who knows how to create a warm and welcoming environment for travelers.”
“Thank you. But I suspect that I’m also a very boring hotel executive.”
“You have recently survived an attempt on your life, you faced down Louisa Webster, you are trying to solve an eighteen-year-old mystery, and you are sleeping with a man who carries a gun. I think we can say with absolute certainty that, whatever else you may be, you are not boring.”
Madeline thought about that for a beat. “You’re right. At the moment my life is not the least bit boring.”
“Abe said that Jack was a lot like a freight train once he made a decision. Anyone standing in the path had two options—get out of the way or get on board.”
“So?”
“So I’m thinking that if Jack ever did make a commitment, you could take it to the bank,” Daphne said.
“I think you’re right.”
“Present circumstances aside, how do you feel about taking over your grandmother’s hotel chain?” Daphne asked.
Madeline thought about that for a few steps. “I’ve never even asked myself that question. I always knew where I was going. Never considered doing anything else. Grandma made me start out in housekeeping and work in every department and at every skill level in the business until I made it into upper management. I loved all of it. So yes, I’m fine with the job. I’ve been in training for it my whole life.”
“You were born into the family business.”
“Yes. But I still miss Grandma terribly. We argued over a lot of things. She could be so damn stubborn. But she loved me and I loved her.”
“You were family,” Daphne said. “I understand. My mom and I are close, too. She’s been worried about me since Brandon died.”
“Did you ever tell her about the other woman?”
“No. I was afraid it w
ould just make things worse. She liked Brandon so much and was so happy that I had found my soul mate, as she put it. She was looking forward to grandchildren.”
“You should tell her the truth.”
“Think so?”
“Yes. Who are you trying to protect by keeping the secret? You or your mom?”
“Good question. I hadn’t thought of it that way.” Daphne paused. “Me, probably. I didn’t want to admit to anyone, including Mom, that I had been such a trusting fool.”
“You were not a fool. You are an honorable person who made a commitment in good faith. The bastard who asked you for that commitment lacked honor and integrity. He was not worthy of you, but that does not make you weak or foolish. I’ve got a hunch that sooner or later, all decent, honorable people make the mistake of trusting the wrong person. All we can do is move on.”
“Who are you lecturing? Me? Or yourself?”
“Both of us, I guess,” Madeline said.
“Sounds like good advice.”
For a time they walked in silence.
“Say you could go back in time,” Madeline said after a while. “Right back to the moment when your husband got his diagnosis. Say you found out that same week that he’d been having an affair. Do you really think you would have walked out and left him on his own?”
“In a heartbeat,” Daphne said, grimly cheerful and defiant.
“No,” Madeline said. “I don’t think so. You would have been crushed and you would have been angry, but you wouldn’t have left him alone.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“I know you.”
“You knew me when I was a girl,” Daphne said.
“You were a very kind, very brave girl. Grandma always said that people don’t change, at least not way down deep inside where it counts. You wouldn’t leave anyone to die alone, not even a husband who had cheated on you.”
“But at least I would have been able to tell him to his face that I knew that he was a lying, cheating bastard.”
“Oh, yeah,” Madeline said. “At least you would have been able to tell him that.”
She looked down at a tide pool where tiny creatures were going about the business of survival. The little crabs and the small fish darting here and there in the shallow water lived out their lives in a world that was only a couple of yards across. Within the confines of that world they did what all living things did. They searched for food, reproduced, and tried to hide from the predators in the shadows.