“Any other assailants?” one of the officers called out to Devon.
“No. He’s it.”
“Are the rest of you okay?”
“Yes…I think so.” Devon rose slowly, realizing she was trembling all over, with a chill that emanated from the inside out. “But my family’s unconscious. Did you call for an ambulance?”
“Already done. It’s on its way.”
“We won’t need it,” a groggy voice from behind Devon declared.
She nearly wept with joy at the welcome sound.
Monty.
She turned, relief flooding through her in huge waves as she saw her father struggle into a sitting position. He took in the scene around him, then shot Devon a wry grin. “Hey, partner. Don’t crap out on me now. Get over here and cut me out of these damn ropes.”
Devon swallowed hard. “Yes, boss.”
“I’ve got them.” Blake pulled out his pocketknife, shifting over and squatting down to slice through Monty’s bonds. “There.”
“Thanks.” Monty rubbed the circulation back into his wrists, then turned to Sally, who was starting to come around.
Blake was already there, severing Sally’s ropes and helping her sit up.
“That’s it, hon,” Monty murmured, reaching over to gently shake her face and stroke her cheek. “You’re okay. We all are.”
Sally’s lashes fluttered and lifted. “Pete?” she managed, blinking and trying to get her bearings. “Where’s Merry?”
“Right next to you.”
“Next to me—where? Where are we?”
“Safe.” He substantiated his claim with a broad sweep of his arm. “See for yourself.”
She complied, leaning forward and scanning the area, peering through the falling snow. Her eyes filled with emotion as she focused on her older daughter, now hovering over her. “Devon—thank God.”
“Hi, Mom. Welcome home.” Devon dropped onto her knees and hugged her mother, tears burning behind her eyelids. “I’m so grateful you’re all right—and that you’re back here with us.”
“Me, too.” Sally clutched her daughter for a long minute. Then Devon felt her stiffen and draw away. “Pete, what’s taking Merry so long to come around?” she asked nervously.
“She’s been knocked out a couple of times today,” Monty replied, having crawled around to his daughter. “She’s inhaled a lot more chloroform than we have. Give her a minute. She’s tough. Right, baby?” He slid his arm behind Merry’s back, raising her up and supporting her, as Blake moved around back and sliced through her bonds.
“There you go,” Monty murmured, lightly patting her face. “C’mon, Merry. Wake up.” He scooped up a handful of snow, letting frosty chunks drop onto her cheeks and forehead.
That did the trick.
With a whimper of protest, Merry averted her face, trying to avoid the chill.
“No way,” Monty informed her, his hand following her motion. “You want the cold to go away? Open those beautiful eyes.”
Frowning, Merry obeyed, her nose wrinkling as she stared up at her father. “Why are you throwing snowballs at me?”
He gave a relieved chuckle. “Reliving your childhood, I guess. Now sit up and I’ll stop.”
Merry squirmed into a sitting position, wincing at the discomfort in her wrists. “What’s going on?” she mumbled, rubbing feeling back into them. “Oh.” Her gaze widened as she remembered what had happened, and fear flashed across her face.
“It’s over, sweetie.” Devon leaned over to smooth her sister’s hair off her face. “No one’s going to hurt you, or Mom and Dad.”
“Mom’s okay?”
“Very okay.” Sally reached over to squeeze Merry’s arm, then climbed to her feet.
“Where are we?” Merry looked around.
“In a snowbank,” Devon reported. “But not for long. Come on. Let’s get you home.” She helped Merry up, steadying her on her feet.
Monty had made his way over to the nearest cop and was issuing a few terse instructions. He then headed back to his family, giving them a quick once-over to ensure they were fine.
“We’re going to your place,” he informed Sally. “That way, we’ll be able to change clothes and eat something hot while we’re giving the cops our statement. The sheriff already sent two cars over to the Piersons’ farm. No one’s getting away, not in this weather.”
“That includes Vista,” Devon added. “Blake called in his license number. The sheriff sent a car over to the Best Western.”
Monty frowned. “I hope they have enough to hold him.”
“They will.” Devon pulled out her cassette recorder and waved it in the air. “Blake told them I had a tape of your enlightening chat with Anne Pierson. Also that I have your file, complete with the documentation of Edward’s illegal payments to Vista. That’s more than enough to issue a search warrant for his trailer. And once they check it out, Vista’s toast.”
Pride flashed in Monty’s eyes. “You did good.”
Devon’s lips curved. “Like you said, I learned from the best.” She turned to Blake. “And I had help.”
“Yup. Pretty impressive help.” Monty gave Blake an approving nod. “You know that test we discussed? Consider it over. You aced it.”
Blake’s smile was weary. “Thanks, but I’d be happier if I’d accomplished that under different circumstances. I wish this case had played out any other way but this.”
“I know.” Monty blew out a breath, then gestured for Blake to give him a hand. “Let’s push my car back on the road and head out. You can either follow us to Sally’s or stop at your family’s place. It’s your call.”
“I’ll follow you.” Blake didn’t hesitate. “Before I do anything else, I want to give my statement to the police. I’ve got time to see my family. I’ll call them from the car, make sure Dr. Richards is there for my grandfather. I’ll also call Louise. We’ll need lots of legal counsel, personal as well as corporate, since so much of this nightmare threads through both. Between the company funds my grandfather siphoned into that offshore account to bankroll Vista and Paterson, and the fact that more of those funds were used to pay off my grandmother’s hired thug in Uruguay—state and federal authorities are going to be swarming all over us.”
“There’s no way around it,” Monty agreed. “You’re going to have your hands full. But your family’s strong. So’s your company. Both will survive.”
“I’m sure they will.”
“As for Louise,” Monty said thoughtfully. “You and I need to talk.”
“About?”
“Later. Right now, you need a good attorney. And she’s it.”
“All right.” Blake met Monty’s gaze head-on. “You must think I’m out of my mind for still giving a damn what happens to my grandparents.”
“Nope. I think you’re doing what you have to. It’s your family.”
“Most of whom are good, decent people who’ll be stunned when they find out the truth. I have to be there for them and for the company.”
“Be there for them first,” Monty suggested, his tone uncharacteristically raw. “Take it from a guy who screwed up and is just now realizing how much. Family is everything. The rest is icing.”
Startled by her father’s poignant admission, Devon slanted a quick glance, first at her sister, then at her mother. Merry was smiling, watching Monty with the kind of admiration and love that said she was lowering her walls of self-protection. And Sally was visibly moved, her eyes misting over as she absorbed her ex-husband’s words.
Devon found herself crossing her fingers.
Clearing his throat, Monty tromped around his Corolla, picking up the mangled door. “Come on, Blake. Let’s toss this in the trunk and get this baby back in commission.”
IT TOOK ONLY a few minutes of organized pushing for the Corolla to be pointing in the right direction, its engine cranking away.
Monty cleaned off the windshield and punched on the heat, helping his family dethaw by warming up the in
terior as best he could, given the missing door. That done, he climbed out and gave the car a nod of satisfaction. “There you go,” he declared. “Almost like it never happened.”
Devon’s lips twitched. “You know, Monty, now might not be a bad time to consider getting a new car.”
“Why?” He patted the hood. “This baby’s still got a lot of life in her. I’ll just get her fixed up, and she’ll be as good as new. Maybe better. Especially after I’m done with Blake’s insurance company.” Chuckling at his own dry humor, Monty waved his family over. “All set, gang. Time to hit the road.”
Reluctant to comply, Devon stood where she was, watching her mother and sister pile in. “Monty?” she heard herself call out.
He turned, his brows drawn in question.
“I’m riding with Blake.”
Monty hesitated for an instant, then gave a satisfied nod. “Yeah. You do that.” He snapped off a mock salute, sending a spray of snowflakes sailing through the air. “See you there.”
Devon watched her father hop into the car, a smile curving her lips. “You know,” she murmured to Blake. “I think you just signed on for a lot more than a driving companion.”
Blake bent down, brushed her lips with his. “I’m counting on it.”
CHAPTER 31
The police took their statements, one by one, verifying all the details. Then they listened to the tape and pocketed it as evidence. Armed with more than enough to make their arrests, they said their good nights and headed for the door.
“Wait.” Monty stopped them in the hall, where Blake was already zipping up his jacket, ready to accompany the police.
Tompkins, the younger of the two cops, turned to Monty. “We called over to our guys next door, sir. Dr. Vista’s been picked up and brought over there. Between the snowstorm and the overlapping jurisdictions involved, it makes sense to detain all the suspects at the Pierson farm. We’re going over there to make the arrests.”
“Yeah, I know.” Monty grabbed his coat. “I’m going with you.”
“So am I,” Devon called out from the kitchen. She pushed aside the bowl of soup she’d been swallowing and scrambled to her feet.
Blake frowned as she joined them in the foyer. “Are you sure?” he asked. “I have to face them. You don’t.”
“I’m sure. For your sake and for mine.” She lay a supportive palm on his arm.
He nodded, squeezing her hand in silent understanding, before retrieving her jacket from the closet.
Monty held things up only long enough to poke his head back in the kitchen, where Sally and Meredith were eating. “We’re heading out.”
Sally stopped chewing her sandwich. “Do you need us with you?”
“No.” His response was adamant. “You and Merry stay here. Finish every drop of your soup and sandwiches. Take hot baths. Oh, and call Lane. Tell him what happened and that we’re okay.”
“All right.” Sally gazed steadily at her ex-husband. “Will you be long?”
“Nope.” He winked. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
THE PIERSON FARM was blanketed by snow. Under any other circumstances, it would be a breathtaking view to pause and admire, a veritable winter wonderland.
But not today.
Monty eased the truck up the driveway. In the circular section nearest the front door, a police car was parked. It was covered with enough snow to indicate it had been there a few hours.
The house seemed eerily quiet, although the drone of voices coming from down the hall said that everyone was gathered in the living room.
Blake led the cops in that direction.
At the entrance, they stopped.
Inside were Edward, Anne, and James Pierson, along with Dr. Lawrence Vista and a man Devon didn’t know, but quickly determined to be Edward’s cardiologist, Dr. Richards.
“Louise isn’t here yet,” Blake muttered, assessing the room.
“She will be,” Devon assured him. “It’s only an hour and change since you called her. Metro North takes at least that long to reach the train station nearest here. She’s also up against rush hour and a snowstorm. Give her time.”
A lawyer and a doctor, she mused silently. Clearly, Edward needed both.
He was sitting on the sofa, gripping a glass of water in a trembling hand. He looked a little out of it, as if he’d been sedated, and there was a blood pressure cuff wrapped around his arm. Dr. Richards stood to his right, listening intently through his stethoscope and pumping the pressure gauge as he monitored Edward’s vital signs.
Anne was seated on the sofa beside her husband, her hands folded primly in her lap, her icy gaze fixed straight ahead. Across from her, James was crumpled in one chair, his head buried in his hands. Vista was perched in the opposite chair, his lips pressed tightly together as if to prevent himself from speaking.
The two cops present were jotting down notes, clearly trying to unnerve the Piersons into talking. Just as clearly, the interrogation was getting nowhere.
“Blake.” Edward looked up, spotting his grandson and acknowledging him, first with a ray of hope, then—after comprehending that he was aligned with Devon and Monty—with renewed anxiety. “Don’t tell me you’re part of this witch hunt.”
Blake didn’t respond. Instead, he looked at Dr. Richards. “What’s my grandfather’s medical condition?”
“Stable,” the doctor responded, having tugged his stethoscope out of his ears. “Earlier, he had some chest pains and muscle weakness. That’s no surprise, given the stress he’s under. I gave him a mild sedative. The symptoms appear to have subsided. That doesn’t mean he’s out of the woods. I’m keeping my eye on his vital signs. He shouldn’t be agitated.”
Blake heard Dr. Richards’s warning loud and clear.
“That’s going to be tough, considering the circumstances,” he responded flatly. He looked like he wanted to say more, then changed his mind. His mouth snapped shut and a muscle worked at his jaw as he struggled for control.
Deputy Tompkins cleared his throat and stepped into the room, heading over to the sofa. “Anne Pierson, you’re under arrest for the murder of Frederick Pierson, the murder of Philip Rhodes, and the attempted murder of Peter, Sally, and Meredith Montgomery. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right—”
“To an attorney,” Anne finished for him, raising her regal head. “Yes, I know, Officer. And, as I told these two gentlemen, my attorney is on her way. Until she arrives, I have nothing to say.”
“Of course you don’t.” Monty joined Tompkins in the room. “I suggest we all sit down and wait for Ms. Chambers together.” He turned long enough to whip out his license and flash it at one of the two cops who’d been detaining the Piersons. “Pete Montgomery, private investigator,” he introduced himself.
A flicker of respect crossed the officer’s face. “Detective Montgomery, yeah, the sheriff told us about you. I’m Deputy Kearney.”
“Kearney.” Monty nodded. “I assume I don’t need to ask you the status of your questioning.”
“No, sir, you don’t. Ms. Chambers spoke to us by phone and instructed us to hold off on any interrogation until she arrives.”
“Well, there are a few things Ms. Chambers doesn’t know. If she did, she’d realize that silence won’t help her clients. Not with three witnesses and a tape recording of everything that went down before Luis tried to heave us over a cliff.”
“What kind of recording?” Vista blurted out, his eyes as wide as saucers. His head jerked around toward Edward. “You didn’t say anything about taped evidence.”
“Shut up,” Edward snapped, visibly thrown by Monty’s words. He eyed Monty like an animal assessing its foe. “You’re lying. There is no tape.”
“Yeah, Grandfather, there is,” Blake supplied. There was no triumph in his voice, only pained resignation. “I know because Devon made it. Even with his wrists bound, Detective Montgomery managed to press speed dial an
d call her cell phone. She and I heard everything that went on in your office. And now so have the police. We turned the cassette over to them a little while ago.”
To corroborate Blake’s words, Tompkins pulled out the tape and waved it in the air.
Edward reacted as if he’d been struck. He tensed, squeezing his eyes shut. When he opened them, there was an expression of stunned disbelief on his face. “Blake.” The word was an accusation of betrayal. “We’re talking about family. Me. Your grandmother. Your cousin. What the hell are you doing?”
“The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” Blake’s jaw continued working, but he didn’t flinch or avert his gaze. “I can’t condone what you’ve done, or protect any of you. What I can do is preserve the rest of the family. I owe it to them. So that’s what I’m doing.”
Grandfather and grandson stared each other down.
“Wait a minute,” Vista interrupted. Sweating, he pulled out a handkerchief and mopped his face. “If there was anything incriminating about me on that tape, I have a right to know.”
“Sounds fair.” Monty pursed his lips, seemingly weighing the options. “Then again, fair doesn’t matter. Not when we’re talking multiple homicide. It’s a pity you can’t talk to us without your attorney present. Unless, of course, Louise Chambers isn’t your attorney. Did she actually tell you she’d be representing you? Because it seems to me she has her hands full. Plus, she’s a corporate lawyer. But you probably know that.”
“Stop playing mind games, Montgomery,” Edward snapped. “Vista’s not talking to you.”
“I think the doctor should make that decision on his own.” Monty shot down Edward’s interference with a wave of his hand, never averting his gaze from Vista’s. “And Vista? I also think you should stop counting so heavily on the Piersons’ lawyer and call a good criminal defense attorney of your own. You’re going to need it. Especially after the Piersons hire the best criminal law firm in the country. It won’t take long before you’ll be set up as the ringleader and the Piersons as unwilling accomplices. But that’s your choice.”