“I agree.” He waited a heartbeat and then added, “That’s not everything.”
“What do you mean, not everything? They’re both dead. I know they were both murdered. What more could there be?”
“Sit down.”
“No. Just tell me.” She was no longer afraid. Fury had replaced the grief. Her family was dead. There was no more truth that could hurt her.
“Hired killers are paid to do a job. When it doesn’t work out, they continue until the job is done, the target eliminated. When Maureen Downey shot Alice, she didn’t kill her.”
“Yes, she did. She—” A lump of dread settled in her chest. “What are you saying?”
“I had an investigator talk to the deputy in charge of guarding your sister’s hospital room. Ten minutes before she died, a woman dressed in a nurse’s uniform went into Alice’s room. She matched the description of the woman who approached Teresa.”
She stood, frozen in place at the horror of his words. “No. No. No.” She heard the whispered words as if from very far away. The room whirled around her, and Eli caught her before she fell. He sat down, pulled her into his lap, and wrapped his arms around her.
But she couldn’t hear any more tonight. Just couldn’t be here. She had to go. Had to get out of here.
She jerked out of Eli’s arms and started toward the door with no idea of a destination. Rational thought was gone. To survive, she had to leave. Get out. Now.
“Kathleen. Wait.” Eli’s heart broke for her as he watched her world crumble. Having no clue what to do, only knowing she needed to know she wasn’t alone, he reached out for her, touched her shoulder.
Whirling around, she lashed out at him, slamming her hand toward his face. He managed to sidestep, and perhaps at the last moment, she realized what she was doing and pulled back, because the hit wasn’t as hard as it could have been. Still, he felt the sting in his jaw.
Covering her face with her hands, she let out a keening, wild cry of grief and fell to her knees. Eli followed her down, wrapped his arms around her, and let her grieve.
Ugly, retching sobs filled the room. Tears stung Eli’s eyes, and he wished with all his might that he could take away her pain. Make all of this go away. Since he couldn’t do that, he did the only thing he knew to do. Standing, he pulled her up and then scooped her into his arms. There was one place he loved to go to when his heart was heavy or he needed solace. The tower room.
She didn’t ask where they were going. He didn’t even know if she was aware they were moving. Her face was buried against his neck, and though the awful sobs had stopped, she was still weeping silently. He thought that might be sadder than the loud sobs. The silent tears spoke of hopelessness, sadness.
Finally reaching the fourth floor, Eli pushed the door open and then kicked it shut behind him. Grateful for the good weather and mild temperatures, Eli used one hand to push the switches up. A humming sounded, the ceiling opened, and the night sky exploded above them.
Settling into an oversized chair, Eli pulled Kathleen closer and then leaned his head back. When it was time, when she stopped crying, the heavens would be above her, showing her beauty. Giving her peace.
Slow moments passed. Eli didn’t speak, giving her time to come back to herself in her own time, her own way. When he felt her move slightly, felt the loosening of her tense muscles, he squeezed her lightly, another touch of assurance that she wasn’t alone.
Several more moments passed, and then she whispered in a raw voice, “I failed her. It’s my fault.”
Eli sighed. He had known she would take this on herself. She had assumed the responsibility of her sister at age nine and had never let up.
“I should have looked out for her, should’ve taught her better. She never would have fallen for Frank Braden’s act if I had prepared her for people like him.”
“How could you have prepared her for someone like Braden?”
“I don’t know. I just…” Horror shuddered through her. “I just think of her lying there. So alone, so vulnerable. And that bitch comes in. I never should have left her alone. The doctors didn’t really believe she would live. I saw the truth in their eyes, but dammit, she deserved a chance.”
“Yes, she did. So let’s make sure we blame the ones responsible. Not the one person who did everything within her power to save her.”
“Did you tell yourself the same thing when Shelley died?”
Of course he hadn’t. He had blamed himself for not being able to save her. Then, when he’d learned what Adam did to cause her to kill herself, he’d blamed himself even more.
“Maybe it’s time for both of us to let go of the guilt.”
“I want the sadness to go away. I want to catch the bastard who’s behind this and the bitch he hired. Once they’re behind bars, I want to be happy. To remember the good times I had with Alice and my dad.” She shifted to look up at him and saw the stars above them. “It’s beautiful here. Thank you for that.”
“Marry me, Kat.”
“What?”
This wasn’t how he’d planned to ask her, but suddenly, nothing seemed more important than having her agree, right here, right now, to be his forever.
“Let’s start a life together that has nothing to do with our past. If you don’t want to live here, we’ll find another house. Or build one. Or, if you want, we’ll go somewhere else…away from Dallas. We’ll go where no one knows us and start over again. The girls are young enough so they’ll easily adapt to a new environment.”
He pressed his forehead against hers. “Don’t let them win. Don’t let them destroy what we’ve found together.”
“Oh, Eli,” she sighed softly.
“I know this is terrible timing. And we’ve only known each other a short while, but I love you, Kathleen. You’re the one I’ve been waiting for.” He winced. “That was kind of corny, wasn’t it?”
She gave a half sob, half giggle and shook her head. “I think it was perfect.”
“We’ll go to Denver, Detroit, Duluth. Anywhere you want. We’ll—”
She pressed a finger to his mouth. “It doesn’t matter where we live. Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Duluth. Or even a city that doesn’t start with a D. As long as we’re together, you, me, Sophia, and Violet, I don’t care where we live.”
“So that’s a yes?”
“I love you, Eli. So very much. And I would be honored to be your wife.”
Relief flooded through him. This had to be the poorest timing of any marriage proposal, but he didn’t care. She had said yes. That was all that mattered. His kiss was a soft one of promise, of commitment. He wanted this moment to be in her memory, wanted to erase the last hour.
She sighed as she buried her face in his neck, hugging him to her. “It feels so weird to be so happy and sad at the same time.”
“Someday soon, we’ll both be happy. Together.”
“You’re right. We will. It’s strange, though, don’t you think?”
“What’s strange?”
“We’ve been connected for years and never knew it. Through our fathers.” She nuzzled her face against his neck, pressed soft kisses to his throat. “How extraordinary is it that you happened to be in Chicago, saw me on the news. How amazing is it that we even met?”
Everything within Eli froze at her words. “Son of a bitch.”
She jerked back, looked up at him. “What? What’s wrong?”
Instead of answering, he pulled out his cellphone and hit the speed dial for Justice. The minute he answered, Eli said, “I know who it is.”
Justice said, “I just got the name myself.”
They said the name at the same time. “William Johnson.”
“Dammit, I can’t believe I didn’t piece it together.”
“We’ve got him,” Justice said. “That’s all that counts.”
“Where is he?” Eli asked.
“Kings Crossings, Vermont,” Justice answered. “I’ll set things up with the local law. You and Kathleen get your ge
ar together and meet me at the airport.”
Eli put Kathleen on her feet and then hugged her hard, barely believing that the nightmare was almost over. “Let’s go catch a monster.”
Chapter Forty-two
Grey Justice’s Private Jet
The Boeing 767 sliced through the night, winging its way to Kings Crossing, Vermont. Kathleen glanced over at Eli, who sat across from her, quietly talking to Grey. Dressed in black jeans, black sweater, black boots, he had the appearance of elegance, sophistication, and wealth. As if with one arrogant look, he could get things done without lifting a finger. But she knew the man beneath the clothing. Eli Slater could be just as dangerous and ruthless as any man she’d ever met. His veneer of sophistication hid a well-trained fighter. There was no one she’d rather have at her side—to fight with or to spend the rest of her life with.
Kathleen’s blood pumped with exhilaration, masking the exhaustion she wouldn’t let herself feel. When this was over and done with, she would let go. Until then, she’d live off coffee, hope, and Eli’s love.
“You okay?” The concern in Eli’s voice was another reason she adored this man.
She flashed him a reassuring smile. “I’m good. Just looking forward to the takedown.”
“From what I remember about Johnson,” Eli stated, “he won’t put up much of a fight.”
The things she’d learned about William Johnson over the last few hours made her agree. Though he had a reputation of being a wealthy, eccentric recluse, she had found a couple of old photographs of him when James Johnson, William’s father, was still alive. Eli was right. William was barely five-five, probably weighed only a few pounds more than she did, and had a sallow complexion. He looked as harmless as a child. But knowing what he had done, what he still wanted to do, she could only see him as a monster. Evil lay beneath that dull looking façade.
“We’ll be prepared just in case,” Justice said. “Anyone that evil will have some tricks.”
Hearing their conversation, Nick and Kennedy got up from the sofa they’d been sitting on and seated themselves beside Kathleen.
“He’s right about Johnson’s appearance,” Nick said. “Some of the most evil people I dealt with as a cop looked as unthreatening as a kitten. Those are the ones you have to look out for because people assume they’re harmless.”
“I still can’t fathom why Johnson manipulated things so you would be in Chicago during Alice’s trial,” Kennedy said. “What was his motivation?”
“Hell if I know,” Eli said. “The meeting was legit. Mathias and James, William’s father, had been negotiating a deal for several months. The Johnsons have several different businesses, including a chain of discount stores spread throughout the Northeast. Mathias had been considering purchasing them. When James died, William took over.”
Kathleen’s brow furrowed with confusion, and Eli was glad to see her sorrow over what she’d learned about her father’s and Alice’s deaths had been replaced with a new light of determination. “Why would Mathias do business with a man who was blackmailing him?”
“The workings of Mathias’s mind were always a mystery to me. For any other person, I’d say it was because he felt like he owed the man something, but Mathias was the least sentimental person I’ve ever known and had absolutely no conscience. My best guess is, he thought he could make some money off the deal. That was always his primary motivation when it came to business. After Mathias’s death, William Johnson contacted me, offered his condolences and suggested, after a proper time of mourning, we reconnect. He wanted to continue to negotiate a deal.”
“But if he doesn’t live in Chicago, what reason did he give to get you to go there?” Kathleen asked.
“A few months after we first spoke, he contacted me again. Said he was going to be in Chicago for several business meetings and if I could see my way to meeting him there, it would be most appreciated. Since I have other business interests there, I agreed.”
“But you decided not to go through with the deal?”
“I didn’t like the numbers. When James died, the stock went down. From my perspective, William was doing the wrong things to stop the decline. I made some suggestions—he didn’t like them. I bowed out, never heard from him again.”
Eli shook his head, still cursing himself for not seeing the setup sooner. “Never crossed my mind that he was manipulating me. The bastard, for whatever reason, wanted us to meet.”
“But why?” Kathleen asked. “And how could he even be sure we would meet?”
Trying to figure out an insane person’s motives was like walking through a minefield. “He knew Alice’s trial was being held. Knew I’d probably see it on the news. How he knew I’d be interested? I have no idea.”
“The chances of you two meeting were slim to none,” Justice said. “Probably wanted to see what might happen.”
“But he had to know that if we did meet, at some point we’d put two and two together.”
“True, but I doubt that he even considered that you would come to Dallas, or that you and Eli would fall in love.”
Eli didn’t bother to hold back a grin at the lovely blush coating Kathleen’s cheeks. Their relationship was still new to her, but he figured that would soon change. Once Johnson was behind bars, Eli planned to move mountains to make her his wife as soon as possible.
“So,” Nick said, “between the two of them, James and William Johnson are responsible for how many murders?”
“We’re certain of fifteen,” Kathleen said. “Including my father and my sister.”
“Sixteen,” Kennedy sent an apologetic look at Kathleen. “I know it’s hard to see Maureen Downey as a victim, but…”
“You’re right. I—” Kathleen swallowed. “No. You’re right.”
“I’d like to see William charged with every murder,” Eli said, “including the ones his father ordered. James might have been calling the shots, but William would’ve had knowledge of them, maybe even helped with the planning.”
“Agreed,” Justice said. “The DA’s office in Montpelier, Vermont, has every piece of information we’ve come up with. After he’s arrested, a search of his home and offices should give us enough evidence to do just that.”
“What about the murdering bitch he hired?” Eli asked.
“We’ll make sure Johnson tells us where we can find her,” Justice said. “We’ll get her.”
“You’re still convinced that this woman isn’t Irelyn?” Kathleen asked Justice.
“There’s no doubt in my mind. I’ve known her for years. Irelyn Raine is many things, but a cold-blooded killer, especially of innocents, is not one of them. When we—”
Justice broke off when his cellphone buzzed. The instant he answered it, Eli knew something was wrong. The man’s grim expression didn’t give anything away other than what he was hearing was not good news. His answers to the caller were a terse and short, “Yes,” “No,” and “All right.”
When the call ended, Justice pressed a speed-dial number. Everyone remained silent, knowing whatever bad news he had just received, the man was already taking steps to correct the situation.
Justice spoke into the phone. “Johnson’s in the wind.” His expression granite hard, he listened intently for several seconds and then said, “Good enough for me. Set it in motion. Call me if you need help.”
“How the hell—” Eli began.
Justice held up his hand to stop him as he pressed a button beside his chair.
“Yes, Mr. Justice?”
Eli recognized the voice of Lily Turner, Grey’s pilot.
“Change of plans. We need to head to Tennessee instead. Winston will call you with the coordinates.”
“Very well, sir.”
Eli wasn’t surprised at Lily’s serene response. From what he knew of the pilot, few things rattled her. He imagined that was an asset in working for Grey Justice.
Grey ended the call and then turned his attention to four pairs of questioning eyes.
&n
bsp; “The police went to arrest Johnson and found him missing. The bed was made, as if he’d never slept in it. Several personal items were missing, too. He left no note, no indication where he’d gone.”
“Dammit.” Eli blew out a disgusted sigh. “Someone tipped him off.”
“That’s my take.” Satisfaction glittered in Justice’s eyes. “Not that it’s going to do him any good.”
“How do you know he’s in Tennessee?” Kathleen asked.
“The man’s been planning this a long time. No way in hell he didn’t have a contingency plan.”
“As did you,” Eli answered.
“Of course.” Justice shrugged as if it was a foregone conclusion. “We’ll get to him before he has a chance to settle in.”
“And then?” Kathleen said.
“And then we strike.”
Chapter Forty-three
Great Smoky Mountains
East Tennessee
Flexibility and preparedness were the keys to a happy and long life. If William had a motto, that would be his. It paid to have contacts, especially in the DA’s office. When the call had come, warning him of the arrest warrant, he’d been ready to leave within the hour.
It was an inconvenience to have to leave his home but no real worry. What might be a devastating event to others was a minor nuisance for William. Just like his father, he was a man of great vision.
Truthfully he had been anticipating this since he’d made that silly maneuver in Chicago months before. As a disciplined man, such an indulgence went against everything he believed in. Which was probably one of the biggest reasons he was the least bit put out about it now. It had been avoidable, and he had only himself to blame.
His father would be disappointed in him for indulging in a bit of fun. James Johnson had been a strict disciplinarian who didn’t believe in frivolities. In the early years, the lack of lightness had been cumbersome. But William grew used to it and began to crave the harshness. The Johnsons were serious-minded, no-nonsense men. His mother, whom he barely remembered, had quietly faded away when William was just a boy. Then it had been just he and his father.
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