“For right now.” Tears glistened in her eyes as she said, “We’ve been trying to get pregnant, but so far it’s not happening.”
“Oh dear.” Teresa patted her arm. “Don’t you worry. When you least expect it, I’m sure it’ll happen for you.”
“I hope so.” She sniffed delicately. “Vinnie’s getting really discouraged.”
Teresa gave an exasperated sigh. “Men can be that way.”
Wiping away the tiny teardrop that was glistening on her flushed, pretty cheek, Mary Ellen said, “You’re so sweet. I miss my mama and granny back in El Paso.” She paused and then haltingly asked, “Would you…I hate to impose, but would you be interested in having coffee with me in that coffee shop next door?”
Teresa thought about poor Gunter having to wait on her. “It’s no imposition at all… It’s just, I have someone who brought me here. I’m—”
Teresa broke off when she saw the disappointment in Mary Ellen’s face. “Tell you what, I’ll go see if he minds waiting. If he doesn’t, I’ll meet you over there as soon as I finish paying for my groceries.”
“Oh, thank you. While you do that, I’ll just pay for this honey and then meet you there.”
Teresa quickly paid for her purchases, noting Mary Ellen was two registers down from her. The young woman waved and smiled at her as she exited the store.
Teresa rolled the cart loaded with bags toward the exit and wasn’t the least bit surprised when Gunter met her at the doors. “I’ll take that for you,” he said.
Feeling only slightly guilty, she said, “Do you mind if I run into the coffee shop for a few minutes? There’s nothing in the bags that needs to be refrigerated, and I—”
“Not at all. I’ll be waiting.”
Promising herself she wouldn’t keep him waiting long, Teresa entered the coffee shop and saw Mary Ellen sitting in a corner, already sipping coffee. “Come on over. I took the liberty of getting a latte for you. Hope that’s okay.”
Teresa took a seat, thinking what an unexpected delight it was to make a new friend.
She took a sip of her coffee and gave the older woman a sweet, simple smile. Playing the innocent was one of her favorite roles, simply because of the challenge. She’d left innocence back in Ireland decades ago, so when she got the chance to pretend, it was extra fun.
Teresa Longview was a lovely woman with a friendly smile and that motherly instinct that seemed to come natural to some people. Apparently, that particular trait had been left out of her own gene pool. Even though she had little sympathy for stupid people, she did appreciate the kind ones. They were so eager to do good and were, therefore, so much easier to mislead.
Wanting to make sure Teresa felt completely at ease and would therefore be all the more rattled later on, she kept the conversation light and frivolous. They talked weather, the differences between El Paso and Dallas, and the best kind of casserole for a winter meal. Happy to see Teresa completely relaxed, she took another sip of a truly excellent latte and then smiled brightly. “I have a confession to make.”
“What’s that, dear?”
“I didn’t really invite you to coffee because I’m lonely.”
Teresa got that look on her face most people did when they were fearful that they’d been hoodwinked into a meeting about selling cosmetics or vacuum cleaners. It always amused her, because once she finished explaining the reason for the meeting, they no doubt would have much preferred the sales pitch.
“I have a small favor to ask of you.”
“Favor?”
“Yes. Would you like to save two lives?”
Teresa jerked back in surprise. “What on earth are you talking about?”
Seeing no need to delay further, she explained, “You have a sister and brother-in-law in England. Linda and Douglas Abbot. Just outside Surrey.”
“How could you know that?”
“Oh, Teresa, my dear, I know everything.” She took her cellphone and flipped to a photo. “You’ll be happy to know that your sister’s arthritis is much better. She and Douglas were able to take a nice long walk in the park just the other day. See?”
Teresa’s chair made a loud screech when she scooted it back. “I don’t know what this is about, but I am not amused.”
“Now don’t be getting too hasty. I’m just getting to the good stuff. Besides, I didn’t arrange this meeting to amuse you, dear.”
“Your accent.” Teresa shook her head. “You’re not from Texas at all. You’re from Ireland?”
“Dublin. Ever been there?”
But Teresa, the dear lady, was no longer in the mood for chitchat. “Tell me what this is about. How do you know my sister and brother-in-law? What do you want?”
She swiped a finger across the screen of her phone. “Here’s another photograph of your sister and brother-in-law. They don’t look near as happy, do you think?”
The elderly couple sat back to back in wooden chairs. Their torsos were tied with the same rope. A single long cloth was wrapped around both of their heads.
“Secured this way, they can barely move a muscle. Very difficult to stay that way for long. Very painful, especially for poor Linda. Her arthritis must be hurting her badly.”
The horror in Teresa’s eyes was exactly the reaction she was looking for.
“What have you done to them? What do you want?”
“I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting them yet. My associate is seeing to their care. It’s up to you to make sure I never do meet them.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just that you work for a man who needs to die, along with the young woman who’s living with him, Kathleen Callahan. You arrange for their deaths, with my help, of course, and your sister and brother-in-law will be released, unharmed. They’ll be allowed to live out the rest of their lives with the last few days as only a bad memory.”
Her face now as white as the tabletop holding their coffee, Teresa whispered, “You’re the one who’s been trying to hurt Mr. Eli and his family.”
Instead of answering, she clicked on another photograph. “The saying ‘a picture’s worth a thousand words’ might be cliché, but in this instance, I think it stands the test of time. Take a look at the relatives of the last person who refused me.”
She shoved the phone just inches beneath Teresa’s nose. “I was actually quite proud of my work here. No muss, no fuss. Bullets to the head, point-blank range.”
Teresa let loose a sound between a strangled moan and a gasp. “You…you killed an entire family?”
“Of course I did. ’Twas quite easy, really. But that’s neither here nor there.” She withdrew the small vial from her purse. “There’s enough poison here to fell several horses. Shouldn’t be any problem to handle two people. Just pour it into their coffee or tea. It’ll be over quickly, and then you can move on. I do advise you to get out of town as soon as the deed is done, though. The pesky authorities have a tendency to look down on murder.”
“How dare you ask such a thing of me!”
Teresa went to rise but stopped when her wrist was grabbed. “You will be responsible for killing the only family you have left. What would your mum say to such a thing?”
When Teresa didn’t say anything, she went on, “You’ve got two days to get it done. If I don’t hear about the deaths of Eli Slater and Kathleen Callahan within forty-eight hours, I’ll be heading to England to put bullets in the heads of your beloved sister and her husband.”
Satisfied she’d made her case, she took one last sip of her coffee and rose, leaving the vial on the table in front of Teresa. “No need to reimburse me for the coffee. This was such a treat for me.”
When Teresa called out, “Wait,” she stopped at the door.
Looking nothing like the cheerful little woman she’d met an hour ago, the obviously devastated Teresa said, “Why do you do things like this?”
A wicked smile lit her eyes and for the first time she allowed Teresa to see her real nature. “Because it’s fun.�
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Chapter Thirty-eight
Time was running out. Kathleen felt the tension as if a timer attached to a bomb was clicking the seconds down to zero. Eli was getting ready to put his plan into action. He hadn’t said so in words yet, but she knew it was just a matter of time before he did. She stood before the whiteboard, seeing the connections but still not seeing everything she needed to see. They still didn’t have that one missing piece that would complete the picture. Who the hell was doing this?
“We’re getting there, Kathleen.”
She turned to Kennedy, who sat at the table, working diligently.
“I know we are, but I’m afraid if we don’t have it soon, Eli will do something to bring it to a head.”
“If he does, he’ll have plenty of backup. You have to trust him.”
“There’s no one I trust more. I just—” She couldn’t say it. Couldn’t even think it.
“Despite what’s happened, I’m glad you two found each other.”
She wanted to be glad, too. Oh, how she wanted to be able to let go and just be in love. Feel the joy, the giddy excitement. Instead, fears and anxieties smothered all the wonderment.
“What are you so afraid of, Kathleen?”
“Why would you even have to ask that? Isn’t it obvious? I’m afraid for Eli and his children. For—”
“That’s not everything, though, is it?”
Seeing the warm compassion on the other woman’s face, Kathleen shrugged helplessly, unable to keep up the pretense. “I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever loved. How can I not be afraid? What if something happens to Eli? To his daughters? What if I fall in love with all of them only to lose them?”
“Would not loving them keep them safer?”
That stopped her in her tracks. “No. I—no, I guess not.”
“Then why wouldn’t you cherish every single moment instead of being so afraid? Is a lifetime of being miserable and alone really better than an undetermined time of happiness with a man who adores you? With precious children who love you?”
Just because she could see what she would be losing out on didn’t diminish the fear. In fact, that almost made the fear stronger. If she let her guard down, let go and allowed herself to love, what then?
But just how stupid was it to be afraid to be happy? Was the certainty of being miserable and alone for the rest of her life really better than having all she’d ever dreamed of, even if how long it lasted was uncertain?
“Let me tell you a story.” Kennedy’s soft voice broke through Kathleen’s misery. “About a little girl who had everything—loving parents, a wonderful childhood that anyone might envy. And then one day she had nothing. Her parents were killed, and she went into foster care. She hated it, but she learned to cope. She grew up, not always strong and brave, but resilient. Then one day she meets this amazing, kind-hearted man and falls madly in love. They marry and are ecstatic to learn they’re having a baby. It’s the perfect life she’d always dreamed of. Then, in one endless nightmare, she loses everything again. The husband she adores, the baby she desperately wants. She’s forced to leave behind everyone she cares about.”
Kennedy was talking about her own life. About losing her first husband because of Mathias and Adam Slater. Kathleen knew the basic facts, but Kennedy had never talked to her about the specific events.
“How in the world did you cope?”
“I was frozen for a while, and then I got to work. It helped to know who my enemy was, my target for revenge. Focusing on getting justice for Thomas and my baby was my goal. But I was still alone, still brokenhearted. Just a shell of a woman with only one goal: to make the Slaters pay.
“And then Nick came back into my life. He had been Thomas’s best friend and was my rock after his death. I didn’t plan it…never believed it would happen. But I fell in love with him, completely and forever.
“Everything I’ve lost, every heartache and tear, led me to him. I never imagined it was possible to have this kind of happiness again. But I’m so incredibly grateful for it, and I plan to cherish every single moment. And if, for whatever reason, I lose them, I will be shattered, heartbroken. But not for one single, solitary moment will I ever regret what we had.”
Her voice went to a fierce whisper. “This is living, Kathleen. This is what life is about. The good and the bad. The agony and ecstasy. Being afraid to live life to its fullest is a death all in itself.”
Tears filled Kathleen eyes. This woman had lost even more than she had and still had the courage to love. Shame filled Kathleen for her own lack of courage. How awful of her to have denied her love for Eli. He had told her she was a coward, and she acknowledged the truth. But no more. Dammit, no more.
Kathleen jumped up from the sofa and raced toward the door. Then, stopping in the middle of the room, she turned and ran to Kennedy, giving her a hug. “Thank you. Thank you for talking some sense into me. For being my friend.”
Kennedy laughed and hugged her back. “You’re welcome. Now go get your man.”
Kathleen ran down the hallway. She could see Eli and Nick standing on the side patio, talking. Their grim expressions said the conversation was serious and heated. As much as she hated to interrupt them, she didn’t want to wait any longer to tell Eli she loved him. A noise coming from the kitchen stopped her in her tracks. Was that someone crying?
Knowing the sounds could only be coming from Teresa, Kathleen shifted direction. She pushed open the door and stopped, startled to see the stoic Teresa Longview with her head on the kitchen table, sobbing her heart out.
“Teresa? What’s wrong?”
The older woman jerked in surprise and then jumped up. “Nothing’s wrong. I…I…” Teresa looked around the kitchen, her expression panicked.
Recognizing fear and emotional overload, Kathleen pulled up a chair and sat at the table. “You can talk to me, Teresa. What’s upset you?”
“I can’t talk about it, Miss Kathleen. I just can’t…” She looked out the window, her eyes unfocused.
Something was terribly, terribly wrong.
Kathleen stood, went to the cabinet for a glass, and then filled it with water. Placing a hand on Teresa’s shoulder, she said, “Take a few sips.”
Teresa drank half the glass. Then she looked over at Kathleen, and her face crumpled.
Feeling real fear now, Kathleen grabbed the woman’s hand. “Did you lose someone? Is someone in your family ill?”
Tears rolled down the older woman’s grief-ravaged face. “I can’t…I can’t…”
“I’m going to go get Eli. I’ll be right back.”
“No.” She grabbed Kathleen’s arm. “No. I—” Then she began to sob again. “Yes. Yes. Go get Mr. Eli. He has to know. I can’t go on like this.”
Jumping up from her chair, Kathleen went out the door and to the patio where Eli and Nick were just headed inside.
“Eli, something’s wrong with Teresa.”
He was running by her in an instant, Nick right behind him.
She ran after them but stopped when Kennedy called out, “What’s going on?”
“Something’s wrong with Teresa,” Kathleen said. “Eli and Nick are with her.”
She and Kennedy pushed open the kitchen door just in time to hear a violent, vicious curse from Eli, who was sitting in the window seat at the other end of the kitchen, holding Teresa. The woman was sobbing on his shoulder as if her heart was breaking in two.
Nick was in the corner on his cellphone, his voice urgent and hard.
“What is it? Did she tell you?” Kathleen sat beside Eli, patted Teresa’s shoulder, and waited to see what the hell was going on.
“I wouldn’t do that to you, Mr. Eli.” Teresa sobbed against his shoulder. “To Miss Kathleen either. No matter what. I wouldn’t. But I’m just so worried.”
“I know you wouldn’t, Teresa. I’m sorry this is happening. Now, let’s go over it again, once more.”
Eli listened once again, his fury building as Teresa recounted her exp
erience at the grocery store and coffee shop.
“When she showed me the photograph of Linda and Douglas, I almost fainted. I just couldn’t comprehend someone doing something like that.”
“No one could.” Even as Eli said the words, he cursed himself for not thinking about it. He thought he had protected his loved ones, but dammit, he had forgotten about Teresa’s family. He had made it easy for the culprit. So damn easy.
“We’ve got to do something, Eli,” Kathleen said.
“Nick’s on the phone with Justice right now. He’s got people in London.”
“Can you describe her for us?” Kennedy asked.
“Yes. She’s a beautiful woman. Long black hair, almost exotic looking. Silvery-gray eyes. She’s about five-seven or so. Slender build but curvy, too. She pretended to be from Texas. Introduced herself as Mary Ellen Wilson from El Paso. But when she told me about…” Teresa’s mouth trembled. “She changed her accent. She’s Irish.”
“She had an Irish accent?” Kennedy’s tone held shocked alarm.
Eli knew exactly what Kennedy was thinking and refused to even contemplate such a thing. “It’s not her, Kennedy. I know her. She would never do something like this.”
“Who?” Kathleen said. “You know who it is?”
“I don’t think she would either,” Kennedy said, “but Teresa just described her to a T.”
“Her? Who?” Kathleen said. “Will someone tell me who you’re talking about?”
Looking sick, Kennedy answered, “Irelyn Raine. Grey’s former partner.”
Grey stormed into Eli’s house, prepared for war. Nick had told him what he’d needed to know to get people on the ground in London and find Teresa’s family. Once that was in place, Grey had called back for more details. When he’d gotten those, he’d become livid.
No way. No fucking way had that woman been Irelyn. She liked Eli. He knew she did. There was no way she would hurt him. And to arbitrarily want Kathleen dead, too? No. There was a helluva lot more to this than met the eye.
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