by Kathy Reichs
“I can’t believe that!” Ella whispered. “He usually just glowers.”
“I know, right?” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Does our headmaster secretly have a sense of humor?”
I spotted more familiar faces ahead. Nell Harris was clutching a wine flute, chatting with Lazarus Parrish. The defense attorney saw me first.
“Tory Brennan!” His gravelly voice carried across the gallery.
I had no choice but to join them. Ella followed.
“Congratulations on your testimony the other day.” Parrish extended a hand, which I reluctantly shook. “You were an excellent witness. The district attorney had you well prepared.”
Harris dipped her glass in acknowledgment.
“Thank you, sir.”
I wasn’t quite sure how to take the compliment. This man was the enemy.
“I’m not your enemy, Tory.” Parrish read my mind. “The Gamemaster was my client—and it was my duty to defend him to the utmost—but I won’t be losing sleep over his conviction. His last check failed to clear.”
Harris chuckled, blue eyes rolling. “You don’t change, do you, Lazarus?”
“God, I hope not. Who is your lovely friend?”
I introduced Ella, but the conversation faltered. After a few banal pleasantries we excused ourselves and moved along.
“Remind me not to go to law school,” Ella whispered.
“Let’s make that a blood oath.”
We’d completed a circuit. I searched for Kit, saw him trapped in a corner with Whitney, Delacourt, and a half-dozen ruffled hipsters. I wished him luck, but no chance was I approaching that nightmare.
Then I felt Ella stiffen at my side. “Tor!”
I turned. Chance Claybourne was weaving toward us.
Is everyone in Charleston at this stupid gala?
“Ack.” My eyes darted. “Nowhere to hide.”
“For you, maybe.” Ella backed away with a wink. “Get him to take you home!”
“Traitor!” I hissed, but she’d already melted into the crowd.
Chance wore his now-customary black suit. I was growing used to seeing him dressed like a playboy rather than a Bolton student. No sane girl would complain.
Stop it. He’s dangerous to you.
Chance finally wound a path to my side. “Can’t say I expected to see you here.”
“Likewise.” Playing it cool. “Does Claybourne Manor need more artwork?”
“Always. But this stuff is nonsense. I just bought the one that looks like a plastic hubcap. That twit Jean-Paul is a friend of my cousin.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Nice. Picked out a spot?”
“Bathroom. Gardener’s shed.”
Needing a distraction, I snagged an appetizer off a passing tray and stuck it in my mouth. Salmon mousse. Gross. I tried not to make a face.
“Should I expect you at these events now?” Chance asked. “I thought you and the others were in hiding on that island.”
His tone put me on edge. Chance was watching me closely. There was a tightness to his jaw, and around his eyes. It could’ve been a trick of the lighting, but Chance’s face seemed paler than usual, his hair a little more ruffled.
“Why would I be hiding?” I scanned the room to avoid eye contact.
“Everyone has secrets.” Matter-of-factly. “Ones we work very hard to protect.”
My blood froze. I couldn’t meet his gaze.
What did that mean? What did Chance know? What could he know?
“Is that so?” As calmly as I could muster. “And what dark secrets am I hiding?”
“I wish I knew.” Chance drew near, and this time, I couldn’t dodge his stare. “I’m getting closer, though. I’ve been doing some very interesting reading lately. Groundbreaking stuff.”
With no line of retreat, I squared my shoulders. Gave him a hard look.
“You have something to say to me, Chance?”
Our eyes locked. My fingers curled into fists so my hands wouldn’t shake.
Several beats passed. Then several more.
Chance broke first. “Just that you look stunning, as always. Enjoy the party. And for God’s sake, don’t buy any of this lawn furniture.”
Chance strolled away. I began breathing again. Willed my heart to resume beating.
He’d been close to saying something, but at the last instance, chose not to.
Then my pulse began racing.
Chance had so many pieces. Had seen more than he should have.
And now, the cryptic comments. The piercing looks. That knowing smile.
It felt like Chance was ramping up the pressure on me. Forcing things to a head.
What has he learned?
Ella appeared at my side. “That looked intense. Are you two in love?”
I started, having nearly forgotten where I was. “Hardly. I don’t think we’re in like.”
“BS.” Ella pinched my arm. “I caught him looking at you before he came over. I know a man with a crush when I see one.”
“What?” Startled. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Whatever.” Ella’s tone implied her opinion.
But she was wrong.
Dead wrong, I was sure of it. At this point, Chance and I were practically enemies.
Ella was confusing affection with ferocity.
Chance had feelings toward me, no doubt. But they didn’t involve moonlit strolls on the beach. They involved revenge.
I suppressed a yawn. One hour of sleep in the last forty-eight was taking its toll.
“I’m ready when you are,” Ella said. “Is your dad still trapped by Beret Boy?”
“I’ll grab him. And Whitney, if I must. Can you snag our jackets?”
Ella nodded, heading for the coat check.
On my tiptoes, I spotted Kit stuck in the same corner. Poor guy.
I was halfway across the gallery when something caught my ear. The room was buzzing with dozens of conversations, but I’d distinctly heard a name.
Gable.
I moved left, causally joining a group admiring the show’s centerpiece. To me, it looked like an old windmill covered in silly string. But several patrons ohhed and ahhed like the Michelangelo’s David had been flown in.
Across from me, on the opposite side of sculpture, stood a group of older men. The Gable name had floated from that bunch.
I sidled clockwise for a better view. Noted a large, bearish man in a charcoal-gray suit.
Rex Gable. His face had been on TV all week.
What’s he doing here?
His children had been abducted. A gruesome tape of their imprisonment was airing nonstop. The last place he should be is at Jean-Paul Delacourt’s Awful Sculpture Extravaganza.
As I watched, Rex Gable broke out in laughter. He elbowed a shorter man at his side.
“Come off it, Miles.” Gable drained a highball glass, then slapped a beefy hand on his companion’s shoulder. “Two weeks in Argentina is just the thing. I’ll book my private plane.”
My head snapped back.
Argentina? Vacation plans? What was this guy’s problem?
I was trying to slip closer when Ella tugged my elbow.
“Less than stellar progress,” she quipped, handing me my coat. “Should we just ditch our chaperones and go clubbing?”
I whispered in her ear. “See that big guy in the dark suit?”
Ella glanced surreptitiously. Nodded.
“That’s Rex Gable. Lucy and Peter’s father. What’s he doing here?”
Ella shrugged. “Maybe he likes terrible art.”
“If my kids had been snatched, I wouldn’t go whooping it up with my buddies. What if the police get a second ransom demand, right now? What kind of father does that?”
“Stepfat
her,” Ella corrected.
That stopped me short. “What?”
“He’s their stepfather. Lucy and Peter’s biological dad left when they were little. I think he moved to Italy, and married a baker. I remember because my mom was friends with their mother a million years ago.”
“Stepfather.” Implications danced in my head.
Peter Gable’s image flashed in my brain. His eyes. His posture. The set of his teeth.
He knew the person.
I watched Rex Gable wave a dismissive hand at Jean-Paul’s not-a-windmill centerpiece, then lead his group over to the bar. Made a decision.
I’ll be checking into you, sir. Count on that.
“Here they come.” Ella grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the exit.
Kit and Whitney appeared, one bored to death, the other raving about the wonderful art. You can guess which was which.
We made our way outside. Kit handed his ticket to the valet attendant. We’d drop Ella at home, then proceed back to Morris.
As I stood curbside, trying to process my scattered thoughts, I noticed a black BMW idling twenty yards down the block.
What the what?
Before I could react, the car pulled from the curb and disappeared down the street.
I rubbed my face, then my eyes. Tried to make sense of things.
A black luxury car at a Gibbes Museum event? Not exactly a rarity.
But I don’t believe in coincidence.
My body was tired, and my mind completely shot, but my instincts were wide-awake.
And they were in total agreement.
I’m being followed.
All I wanted was sleep.
My head weighed a thousand pounds. Every bone ached. Something was throbbing behind my eyes.
Every fiber of my being yearned for the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness.
But too many questions needed answers.
Once inside my bedroom, I lurched to my desk chair, stifling a series of groans that might never have ended. I shot a text to the other Virals, then booted my Mac and waited.
And waited.
I was close to nodding off when Hi joined the chat.
“You’ve gotta be kidding,” he mumbled, hair matted to the side of his face. “Sleep deprivation is how we break the minds of terrorists, Tory.”
I was spared the need to reply by Shelton’s appearance. He waved at the webcam, too tired to speak.
A minute ticked by. Two. Finally, I gave up.
“I guess Ben isn’t coming.”
“Can you blame him?” Shelton yawned. “I know it’s only eleven, but I’m way behind on my beauty rest. This couldn’t wait?”
“No.” I sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe. Did you tell Ben what we found at LIRI?”
“Yeah. He wasn’t thrilled about being left out.”
“He’ll be fine. But I need him to—”
Just then, Ben’s face appeared onscreen. He didn’t look tired at all.
“Yeah?” He still wore his black tee and jeans.
“Oh, good.” Hiding my surprise. “Here’s what happened.”
I told them about my encounters with Rex Gable and the black BMW. At the last instant, I decided not to mention my face-off with Chance.
When I’d finished, support for my theory was less than resounding.
“Black luxury cars aren’t all that rare,” Shelton pointed out. “You didn’t get the plate?”
I shook my head. “I know it isn’t much to go on, but my gut says it was the same one.”
He nodded. The boys trusted my instincts. Usually.
“Maybe Rex Gable is just a prick,” Ben said. “If he’s not the twins’ biological father, that might explain everything.”
“You could be right,” I said diplomatically. “But the whole scene was just . . . off. I can’t explain it better than that. Even Ella agreed.”
Hi perked up. “Ella was there?”
“Did I not mention that?” My brain truly was deep fried. “We went together.”
“Oh.” Hi and Shelton at once. Ben looked away.
“Hey, wait.” I leaned closer to the screen. “You guys wouldn’t have wanted to go. I took Ella so I wouldn’t be paraded around like Whitney’s toy poodle.”
No one spoke. Nonplussed, I decided to change the subject.
“Anyway, on the way home I got an idea. Which is why I called this meeting.”
I paused. We needed Ben for this, and I wasn’t sure how he’d react.
“I want to investigate Rex Gable,” I said. “Something isn’t right. I thought the best place to start might be his phone records. That’s what the cops would do.”
“You want to hack Rex Gable’s cell phone?” Shelton pinched his nose. “Based on a hypothetical trip to South America?”
“If that was all, I’d agree this is rash. But I’m convinced Peter recognized his kidnapper in that ransom video. Put those facts together, and—”
“You think Rex Gable videotaped his stepkids locked in a dungeon?” Ben scoffed. “That seems plausible to you?”
“No!” I wasn’t explaining my thoughts well. “But what if the kidnapper Peter saw is connected to his stepfather somehow? A coworker. A drinking buddy. Someone close to the family that Peter recognized.”
“It’s a shot in the dark,” Hi said gently. “If that.”
“Okay,” said Ben.
I sat back, stunned. “Okay?”
“Sure.” Ben shrugged. “I assume you want Chang to do it, since we wouldn’t have a clue where to start.”
“Yes.” Thrown off. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“I’ll call him. Back in five.” Ben’s face blipped from the screen.
“Are we sure that was Ben?” Hi joked. “He’s never that agreeable.”
“Did you guys patch things up?” Shelton asked me.
“No. We haven’t spoken since our catfight in the Wando parking lot. I’m as stunned as you are.”
Ben reappeared. “He’ll do it for another five hundred. I have a PayPal address.”
“E-mail it.” Shelton pulled a notepad from his desk. “But we’re short on cash, people.”
A minute passed as Shelton executed the transaction. Once complete, Ben logged off again to confirm with Chang. The rest of us waited, fighting off sleep, unsure how long this process might take.
Less than five minutes later, a message appeared in my inbox. The sender was Variance.
Call logs and text messages for the last six months. Enjoy! V
Attached was an eighty-page PDF.
Ben returned to the chat. “You guys get the email?”
“Yep.” Shelton was skimming on his monitor. “This might take a while.”
“True,” Hi said, “but check out last weekend. Gable made thirty calls to a private number.”
“Thirty?” I skipped ahead to the dates in question.
Something occurred to me. I quickly scanned the rest of the call logs.
“Rex Gable never called that number on any other day,” I said. “Before or since. At least, not in the last six months.”
“Suspicious,” Shelton agreed, “but not proof. Maybe his car broke down somewhere, and he was talking to a mechanic. There are lots of reason why a cluster of calls might appear.”
“You’re right.” I rubbed my eyes, unsure what to do next.
Then a fifth box opened on my monitor.
Eddie Chang smiled at me from his mega-desk.
“Greetings, friends!” Chang was munching on a Twizzler. “Mind if I cut in?”
“How the frick!?!” Shelton sputtered.
“This chat group is totally private,” Hi fumed. “You can’t join without an invite!”
Even Ben looked startled.
�
��Guys,” Chang said breezily, “I just delivered a stranger’s phone records in less than ten minutes. You think hijacking a dinky little video chat was much trouble?”
Okay. Fair point.
“What can we help you with, Variance?” I asked, as politely as possible. Acquiring a computer-hacker enemy was not on my bucket list.
“Actually, I’m here to help you. I did some more digging into that file tree we found.”
“How?” Shelton squawked. “We took the flash drive home with us.”
“Yeah, I copied your data stick. Sorry, it’s what hackers do. Don’t stress, though, I found the decoded files super-boring—I couldn’t care less about veterinary medicine. But that ghost tree is cutting edge. I had to see if I could crack those B-Series files.”
My blood ran cold. Chang had read Karsten’s files. Could we trust him?
Stay calm. Nothing in those records ties back to us.
“Well?” Voice level. “Did you?”
“Not even close. There’s no way around it—in order to read those files, you’ll have to physically connect to their home server. I’m bummed, too.”
“Well, thanks for trying,” Hi said. “Even though you lied to us, and we asked you not to.”
“No problem. I did manage to locate the server, however.”
I sat straighter in my chair. “And you’ll tell us where?”
“Take this freebee as my apology.” Chang drum-rolled his fingers. “The B-Series files . . . are physically housed . . . on a server at . . . the South Carolina Aquarium!”
An actual rimshot played on my speakers.
“The aquarium?” Ben looked as confused as I felt.
Chang shrugged. “I’m a hundred percent certain, hombres. The server in question is leased to the freaking aquarium. But get this, the hardware is licensed to another entity. A Big Pharma outfit. Who knew drug manufacturers are bankrolling all the little fishies?”
My heart dropped. “You have a name?”
Chang tapped a button. A logo appeared on my screen.
“Candela Pharmaceuticals. Sounds incredibly boring. Peace out!”
Chang’s grinning visage blinked from my screen.
Friday
That night, I slept like the dead.
But when my alarm sounded early the next morning, I staggered to my feet, showered and dressed quickly, and hurried downstairs. I wanted to avoid Kit.