“Yeah, well, even a superior strategist can make mistakes when there’s personal stuff involved. It was just that I had it figured, you see. Everything fell into place. When that happens—” Archer broke off, shrugging. “You know how it is.”
“When everything fits you stop looking for other answers.”
“Damn right. When Elizabeth came back from her stay in San Francisco and filed for divorce, she was a changed woman. She was normal again. You don’t recover from a nervous breakdown that fast. I realized then that McAllister had done something terrible to her.”
“Clare thinks he may have been a powerful hypnotist. In addition he had a doctor feeding Elizabeth drugs.”
Archer nodded somberly. “Didn’t think about the possibility that McAllister was a hypnotist but that would explain a lot.”
“Including why no one saw through him.”
“Except Clare,” Archer said.
“Except Clare.”
Jake turned slightly in the seat to look at Archer. “I see where this is going. You came to the conclusion that Elizabeth wasn’t going to be safe as long as Brad McAllister was alive.”
“Bastard was too damn clever. And he had targeted my family for some crazy reason. Once the scales fell from my eyes, I figured I had to get rid of him.”
“But when he turned up dead you assumed Clare got to him first, didn’t you?” Jake asked.
“I knew she was feeling very protective of Elizabeth. Knew she didn’t trust McAllister at all.”
Jake whistled softly. “All these months you used your influence to squelch the Stone Canyon police investigation and you stonewalled Jones & Jones, as well.”
Archer studied the green. “Didn’t see any option, to tell you the truth.”
“You thought Clare really did kill McAllister. You’ve been trying to protect her.”
“I reckon I leaped to the conclusion that she killed McAllister because I was already locked into the same strategy, myself. Once I realized what he was capable of, I figured it was the only way to be sure that he didn’t cause any more trouble for my family. But I was thinking of something more along the lines of a convenient accident.”
Jake smiled appreciatively. “Yeah, I’d expect that kind of plan from you. Never did like the notion of you gunning him down.”
Archer’s brows rose. “You figured I might have been the killer?”
“Crossed my mind a few times.”
Archer exhaled heavily. “Looks like I may have caused you some unnecessary problems, Jake. Didn’t mean to mess up your project.”
“You had your reasons. But it does leave us in an interesting situation.”
“What do you mean by ‘interesting’?” Archer asked, wary now.
“My gut tells me that the McAllister murder is related to my case here in Stone Canyon.”
“How the hell do you figure that?”
“It’s been bothering me from the beginning because it’s the only thing that stands out as an anomaly in this situation. But J&J was so damned sure there was no connection I’ve been looking at other possibilities, instead.” Jake shook his head, disgusted. “Waste of time.”
Archer frowned. “No luck with any of those late-night searches you’ve been doing, huh?”
“None. But from the moment Clare arrived the other night, my senses have been running a little hot. I’m half jacked up all the time. Know what I mean?”
“Sure.” Archer snorted. “In my day, we had other words for it, though.”
“Believe it or not, this isn’t just about the fact that I’m attracted to your daughter, Glazebrook. What I don’t like is her connection to McAllister’s murder.”
“I don’t like it, either. What’s that got to do with this?”
“It all comes down to one thing. Given the low crime rate in this burg, what are the odds that she would find the bastard’s body if she wasn’t the one who murdered him?”
“Not good,” Archer admitted. “That’s why I tried to point you in another direction. But I don’t see any way there could be a link between whatever the new cabal has going down here in Stone Canyon and my family.”
“I don’t have all the answers yet, but McAllister was involved in this mess somehow. I can feel it.”
Archer was quiet for a couple beats, looking thoughtful.
“Instinct?” he asked finally.
Among the members of the Society, instinct carried a lot of weight.
“Hunter’s instinct,” Jake said.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Clare was in the kitchen when she heard the sound of a car in the drive. Hoping that it was Jake returning from the early Sunday morning golf game, she went down the hall to the front door and peered through the peephole.
Myra got out from behind the wheel of a sleek Mercedes and walked determinedly toward the front door.
Clare wondered if she could get away with pretending she was not at home. But even as that plan popped into her mind she saw Myra glance at the rented compact sitting in the drive.
Resigned, Clare opened the door just as Myra put her finger on the bell.
“Good morning,” Clare said, summoning a polite smile. “If you’re here to see Jake, he’s not home. He’s out on the golf course with Archer.”
“I’m aware of that,” Myra said evenly. “I came to talk to you.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Clare said. “You and I don’t get along very well, remember?”
“I need to discuss something with you,” Myra said through set teeth.
Clare gave up. “Okay.”
Myra moved past her into the hall and looked around with absent curiosity.
“First time you’ve been here?” Clare asked, closing the door.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. Jake and Archer have met here on a few occasions to discuss business but I’ve never been in this house. I got the impression that Jake is a very private person.”
“He is. Let’s go into the front room. We can talk there.”
Clare led the way down the hall and motioned Myra to one of the dark leather chairs.
Myra sat stiffly. She kept her purse on her lap. Probably worried I might steal it, Clare thought.
She sat down across from Myra. “Is this about Archer’s plan to establish a charitable foundation?”
“Was it your idea?” Myra demanded in a tight, accusing voice.
“No. It came as a complete surprise to me. I had a feeling you wouldn’t be pleased.”
“He wants you to run it.”
“I know,” Clare said.
“Are you going to take the job?”
“I’ve told him that I don’t want it. But I am considering offering my services as a security consultant.” Clare gave Myra a megawatt smile, hoping a little humor might diffuse the tension. “For a hefty fee, of course. I figure the Glazebrooks can afford me.”
“I see.” Myra did not look amused.
So much for humor.
“You’re going to have a problem with that, aren’t you?” Clare asked.
“As far as I’m concerned, you have caused nothing but trouble since the day you showed up here in Stone Canyon.”
“It’s not like things were going so awfully well before I arrived on the scene,” Clare said quietly. “At least not for Elizabeth.”
Myra flushed a dull red. “Elizabeth was severely depressed for a while. It affected her marriage, and you took advantage of that to move into our lives.”
“You’re wrong, Myra. Brad was poisoning Elizabeth. The man was a total sociopath. He married her to get control of Glazebrook, Inc.”
“We were acquainted with Brad for several months before he married Elizabeth. We would have known if Brad was evil.”
“No one, with the possible exception of Valerie, knew what he was capable of, and given that she was his mother, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she refused to see the truth.”
Myra’s fingers clenched around her purse. “For your in
formation, not only did Archer have the Glazebrook, Inc., security department run a background check on Brad before the marriage, he also had a search done in the genealogy records at Arcane House. There was no indication whatsoever that Brad McAllister was anything but what he seemed to be.”
“Then someone missed a few things.”
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you? You’ve got Elizabeth convinced that you’re her best friend. Archer plans to make you the director of his new foundation. Now you’ve started an affair with Jake Salter, one of the few men Archer trusts.”
“Myra, please—”
“I don’t know what you’re after,” Myra whispered. “It isn’t just money, is it? You know Archer will make sure you get that. He feels a responsibility for you. So why are you here? Damn it, what do you want from my family?”
Tears spilled down Myra’s face. She groped in her purse, found a tissue and blotted her eyes.
A rush of guilt splashed through Clare. She got to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
She went into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of Jake’s favorite spring water. She opened it, poured the contents into a glass full of ice and carried the glass back out into the living room.
“I’m sorry,” Clare said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Myra stopped sniffling into the tissue. She took the water without a word, swallowed some and lowered the glass.
“I swore I wouldn’t cry,” she whispered.
“It’s okay,” Clare said. She sat back down. “We’re women. It’s allowed. I realize that every time you look at me the past slaps you in the face.”
“I am aware that I have no right to blame you for what your mother and Archer did all those years ago,” Myra said.
Startled, Clare gave her a tentative smile. “Thank you for that much. I did promise myself that I would never intrude on your life. If I hadn’t been so sure that Elizabeth needed help before now, I wouldn’t be here.”
“I will never understand why she felt she couldn’t trust her own family, her own mother. I suppose her fear of confiding in us was a symptom of her anxiety and depression.”
“Mostly it was because none of you believed her when she tried to tell you that Brad was a very scary guy.”
“That is not true, damn you. I talked to her doctor personally. Dr. Mowbray confirmed that Elizabeth was suffering from severe depression complicated by an unusual neurosis brought on by her sensitive nature.”
“Dr. Mowbray is a sensitive?”
“Yes. He trained at Arcane House. He explained everything to me. He also told me that Brad was doing his best to help her. But Elizabeth was actually delusional. I was terrified she was going to kill herself.”
More tears leaked from Myra’s eyes.
There was no point arguing anymore, Clare thought. Elizabeth was right. Myra was in denial. She did not want to believe that she had urged her daughter into a truly horrendous marriage. Talk about the ultimate bad guilt trip for a mother.
“Mrs. Glazebrook, if it’s any consolation, I am well aware that when I show up here in Stone Canyon, I don’t usually bring joy and sunshine into your life,” Clare said. “But I swear it isn’t my intention to hurt anyone.”
“Then why don’t you leave?” Myra asked baldly.
“I intend to,” Clare promised.
“When?”
“Soon.”
Myra’s mouth pursed in frustration. She looked around the well-furnished great room. “Why have you gotten involved with Jake?”
“It just happened.”
“That sort of thing doesn’t just happen. Men may choose to believe that when it suits them but women know the truth.”
Clare pondered briefly. Myra had a point. “Okay, I’ll give you that.”
Myra crushed the tissue in one hand. “Are you trying to seduce Jake the same way you seduced Brad?”
Anger flashed through Clare. “One more time for the record. I never, ever slept with Brad McAllister. He was a dangerous, vicious liar and probably a very strong parahypnotist.”
Myra’s eyes widened in outrage. “He was not a hypnotist. I told you, Archer had a thorough background check done. Brad McAllister was a level-four strategist. If he had been false in any way, Archer would have seen through him immediately. Archer is an eight, for heaven’s sake.”
“And I’m a level-ten lie detector. Trust me, I know a liar when I meet one.”
Myra rose suddenly. “There is an old saying in the Society. No one can tell a lie as well as a human lie detector.”
Clare stood. “I am not here to hurt your family.”
“You want revenge, don’t you? For all the things you missed because you didn’t grow up as Archer Glazebrook’s daughter.”
“That’s not true.”
Myra ignored that. “What else are you after, Clare? Why have you set your sights on Jake Salter? Do you think you can use him somehow to further your own agenda?”
Clare tightened her hands into fists at her sides. “That’s enough, Myra.”
“I’m giving you fair warning, Clare. I will do whatever I must to save my family.”
Myra turned and walked very quickly across the great room, heading for the front hall.
Clare hurried after her. “Listen to me. Please.”
Myra wrenched open the front door. She stopped and looked back at Clare, radiating the fierceness of a lioness protecting her cubs.
“I want to make one thing very clear,” Myra said. “I promise you that I will not stand by and allow you to wreak any more vengeance on this family.”
She went out, slamming the door behind her.
Chapter Thirty
Jake pulled into the drive, got out of the BMW and started toward the front door.
The door opened just as he reached for his key. Clare stood there. She had a glass of iced green tea in one hand. The black pants she had on looked familiar but he was certain he hadn’t seen the blouse before.
He stopped a couple paces short of the door and let himself take in the sight of her standing in the opening, waiting for him. It hit him that he had been anticipating this moment ever since he left the clubhouse.
“I heard your car in the drive,” she said. She held up the iced tea. “Thought you might need this after dealing with Archer all morning.”
“You must be psychic.” He moved into the hall and took the tea from her hand.
She closed the door and turned to look at him. “How did it go? Did he give you the third degree?”
“Sure. I was expecting it.” He kissed her on the mouth and then swallowed some of the cold tea.
“Well?” she prompted. “What did you say?”
“I confirmed his worst fears. Told him you were with me.”
Her dark brows snapped together. “That’s all?”
“No. After that I really ruined his day.”
“You beat him at golf?”
He nodded once. “That, too.”
A wary expression tightened her eyes. “What else did you do?”
“I told him that you want to find out what happened to Brad McAllister and that you plan to stick around Stone Canyon until you get some answers.”
“I’m not sure that was a good idea.”
“Well, he wasn’t real thrilled, I can tell you that. But he had his reasons. Do you know that he thought you were the one who murdered McAllister?”
“What?”
“He’s been doing his best to squelch any and all inquiries into the matter for the past six months.”
“Good grief.” She looked stunned. “He was trying to protect me?”
“He’s your father. He might be late to the party but that doesn’t change his sense of obligation. Besides, he decided that Brad had it coming.”
“But now he must realize that I had nothing to do with Brad’s murder. I certainly wouldn’t be looking into the situation if I was the killer.”
“That little fact did alter his vi
ew of things,” Jake agreed. “The upshot is that he is now taking a more philosophical attitude toward our current living arrangements, however.”
She groaned. “In other words, he’s decided that if I’m going to open up a can of worms, it would be best if you kept an eye on me.”
He took another long pull on the tea and lowered the glass. “That pretty much sums up his take on things.”
“Damn. People keep saying stuff like that.”
“Like what?”
“‘Well, at least Jake will be able to keep an eye on you.’ I got the same line from Elizabeth.” She went past him along the wide hall, heading for the kitchen. “It’s very irritating. The only one who doesn’t see things that way is Myra.”
He followed her into the kitchen and sat down at the table to drink his tea. “You saw Myra today?”
“About an hour ago.” Clare opened the refrigerator, took out the jug of iced tea and poured herself a glass. “Let me tell you, if you think my conspiracy theories are over the top, just wait until you hear hers. She thinks that I have worked my wicked wiles on you and have you in my power.”
He smiled. “That sounds interesting.”
She sat down across from him. “Turns out she’s convinced that I’m determined to have my revenge on the Glazebrook family, first by destroying Elizabeth’s marriage and now by seducing you into assisting me with some diabolical scheme.”
He thought about that. “She give any indication of what she believes the nature of this diabolical scheme might be?”
“No. She’s still working on that part of her theory.” Clare sat back, drank some tea and lowered the glass. “But she knows that whatever it is, it will be bad for the Glazebrooks.”
“Don’t worry about Myra. She’ll come around in her own time.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. But on another front, I did accomplish one thing today. I made an appointment for myself this afternoon at the spa in Phoenix where Elizabeth thinks Brad went to meet his girlfriend.”
An icy chill gripped Jake’s insides. The cold had nothing to do with the iced tea.