by Julie Hyzy
Irena’s teeth came together in irritation. I watched her knuckles go white around Bennett’s bicep. Could he take her down without getting injected? I didn’t know. I read the question in his eyes: He didn’t know, either. She was younger, lithe, strong.
Behind me, Rudy held a similar grip on Hillary, whose squeaking had morphed into low whimpers.
Rudy whispered next to her ear, but I was close enough to make out his words. “There’s nothing to fear. This is but a minor inconvenience. Have faith.”
I faced Irena, sensing that she was the leader of this outrageous coup. “Don’t do this, okay? You don’t really want to hurt anyone. I know it. I’ll go get you the originals, and Bennett and I will promise never to speak of the skull, to anyone.”
I chanced a look at him. Lips tight, his eyes blazed. He’d never agree to keep a conspiracy quiet. I stared, willing him not to voice such a sentiment aloud. We needed to buy time.
“It’s too late,” Irena said. “Thanks to you, my father already believes that the original has been stolen. He’s initiated a more intense inventory, one that will uncover all the other forgeries. If he discovers that I’m behind this, he’ll kick me out.”
Their faces inches apart, Bennett turned to her, contempt in his eyes. “Your father would give his life for you. When he hears about this, your betrayal will kill him.”
Irena’s expression was animated, filled with spirited fury. “That is why he must never find out. As long as he’s alive, I have access to his possessions. The moment he dies, everything goes to the town.” She spat on the floor. “Wasted.”
“How long have you been stealing from your father?” I asked.
“We need the originals,” she said, not answering me. Addressing Rudy but indicating Hillary, she asked, “Can we trust that one? Send her for them.”
“She doesn’t know where they are,” I said. “I do.”
Rudy’s whispered words had had an effect on Bennett’s stepdaughter. Although she remained in his grip, she’d quieted. Holding tight to her portfolio the way a drowning person might clutch a life preserver, she sent quick glances back and forth across the room as though trying to understand what was going on.
Irena pushed Bennett around and forced him to sit on the sofa. She remained standing next to him, cupping his upward-tilted chin in one hand and keeping the needle tight against his neck with the other. “I don’t believe in stalemates,” she said. “I believe in winning.”
“You can’t win. Not without those originals.”
“Sure about that, are you?” she asked. Shifting her attention to Rudy, she said, “Sit the stepdaughter here, where I can keep an eye on her.”
Rudy complied, speaking in low tones. As he guided Hillary onto the cushion next to Bennett, I heard him say, “I will take care of you. Trust me.”
Irena must have heard him, too. Her eyes widened ever so slightly, but then a smile played across her lips as though she was privy to an inside joke. “Rudolfo,” she said in an ultra-feminine coo, “is this the woman you told me about? The one you intend to marry and share your wealth with?”
For her part, Hillary remained stoic. She stared up at Irena. “He didn’t tell me about you.”
Deception curled behind Irena’s eyes. “Rudolfo and I go way back. We’re friends. Dear friends.” She locked eyes with him. An undercurrent passed between them, something deep and dark. Hillary missed it.
“He’s not going to marry you, Hillary,” I said as pieces of the puzzle plopped into place—much too late for my tastes. I turned to Rudy. “That was the line you fed Pinky, wasn’t it?”
“Pinky?” Hillary said the name with a combination of surprise and disdain. “Who’s Pinky?”
“The woman Rudy killed on the flight over from Italy,” I said. “Or didn’t he tell you about that?” Taking a chance, I fabricated, “For what it’s worth, I think he was truly in love with the woman. You should have seen the looks that passed between them. A lot like the way Irena is gazing at him now. If he wasn’t so afraid of her,” I pointed, “I’ll bet he and Pinky would have run off.”
Rudy glared. “Shut up.”
“Stop.” Irena’s face was puffed and reddening. “We will have to leave the originals here.” She shook her head like a dog shaking off water. “There is no other way. My father will be so stunned and saddened to learn of his friend’s death that he will put aside the matter of the skull for a while.” She fixed her attention on Rudy. “That will be long enough for you to make the necessary adjustments to that skull to fool my father, yes?”
“Of course,” Rudy said.
Irena was to my far left. Bennett next to her on the sofa. Hillary next to him. Rudy stood to my far right. All of them glanced at the low table, where the skull sat before me.
I picked it up and turned it over, pointing to the spot where the P-shaped blemish should have been. “There’s no way he’ll fall for that. He’s seen this one, hasn’t he?”
Irena’s eyes lit up. “He asked me to check for him. At that point, I knew better than to lie. You two have truly spoiled what was a perfectly wonderful plan.” Her tone changed, and I got the impression she was deciding her next moves aloud. “I’ll tell him I misunderstood the mark he described, and that just before the honorable Bennett Marshfield died, he verified that this skull was genuine.”
“He won’t find it suspicious that I’m dead, too?”
Frankly perplexed, she said, “How would he ever find out?” She looked up at Rudy. “It’s time to go. Is she coming with us?”
Hillary, sitting below and between the two, looked like a child waiting for approval from her parents. “You can’t kill Papa Bennett,” she said in a small voice.
Irena shot her a quick, indulgent look. “Not only can we kill him, we’ve taken steps to pin the deed on you. You can either come with us voluntarily or stay here and try to beat an accusation of murder.” Wiggling her perfectly trimmed brows, she returned her attention to me. “Double murder, I mean.”
This was all too much for Hillary. “But I’m not guilty of anything,” she protested. “Rudolfo told me he wanted to hire me. That’s all.” Scooting forward on the cushion, she instinctively faced Irena. “You can’t do this.”
Irena’s attention shifted at Hillary’s outburst. It could very well be the only chance I’d get.
With one word—please—screaming in my brain, I hefted the skull at Irena, aiming for her head. She caught the movement out of the corner of her eye a split second too late to react. Either my aim was off, or the skull’s weight factored in more than I’d anticipated. The noggin caught her center mass, knocking her backward. The hypodermic needle somersaulted in front of Bennett, who tried to catch it midair. He missed.
I didn’t hear or see it land because I was in motion, tackling Irena, as she, Hillary, and Rudy shouted and cursed in surprise. “Get the needle,” I yelled to Bennett.
He ignored me, jumping to his feet to go after Rudy.
Irena was strong, but I was bigger and younger. She bared her teeth as I used my body to keep her down on the floor. Arms flailing, she kicked and bucked, doing her utmost to throw me off. I felt as though I was on one of those fake bulls in a country bar. “You’re done, Irena,” I shouted over her panting breaths. We needed help and we needed it fast. “You’re done.”
Her jaw clenched and she pushed upward again. “I. Will. Not.” With a surge of force, she hit my back with her knees, my face with the heels of her hands. Sweat poured down my face, into my eyes. My left arm jammed against her neck, I hauled back with my right fist and slammed it into her cheek. She cried out.
She wasn’t knocked unconscious, but at least I’d slowed her down.
I glanced up, past the sofa next to us, to see that Bennett was losing ground with Rudy. Bennett was on the floor, doing his best to scuttle away. Rudy
drew back his right foot as though to land a vicious kick. “Hillary,” I screamed. “Get the needle. Hurry.”
Bennett stared up at Rudy, no longer crab-walking backward. I watched stern determination, coupled with fury, take over his patrician features. Just as Rudy went in for the cruel strike, Bennett swept a foot out and whacked Rudy’s stationary leg. The younger man went down—a tumble of bones banging against the wood floor.
“Yes!” I shouted.
Irena continued to fight, and although I strained to keep her down, Bennett’s move had emboldened me. “Hillary, the needle!”
Still looking as though she didn’t completely understand, she at least heard me that time. She crouched for a moment then stood, holding the needle upright, like a wild-eyed nurse ready to give a shot to a screaming toddler. The liquid inside hadn’t been released yet.
Rudy was on his feet in a moment, but his spill had given Bennett enough time to crawl across the floor and retrieve the skull. He stood now, holding it, looking like a shot-putter ready to wing it at Rudy’s head. I’d bet Bennett’s aim was better than mine. From the look in his eyes, Rudy thought so too. They stared at one another, breaths coming in wheezed gasps.
Irena fought me, but we both knew she was down for good.
“Hillary, go call for help,” I said.
She turned her blonde head toward Rudy. “Was this all planned? You weren’t interested in my designs? You weren’t interested in me?”
Irena’s voice was strangled but still strong. “Of course he is. He plans to marry you. He told me. He loves you and he’s rich. Very rich. Who do you think has been able to sell all the goods I’ve taken from my father? Rudolfo is wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.”
Bennett and Rudy were frozen at one end of the room. Irena and I entangled on the floor at the other. Hillary stood between us, alone, gazing at Rudy with puzzled, hopeful eyes.
“Don’t believe them, Hillary,” I said. “I don’t know what their game is, but don’t be foolish. They’re lying to you.”
Beneath me, Irena ceased her struggle. She coughed, using whatever she had left to inject authority into her voice. “I’m not the liar here. Grace and Bennett have been lying to you. Or wait, didn’t you know?”
Chapter 34
HILLARY TWISTED TOWARD IRENA.
“They haven’t told you, have they?” Irena asked. For being held hostage on the floor, her eyes were bright with triumph.
“Told me what?”
A growl rose in my chest, crawling from my throat as I tightened my grip on Irena. “It isn’t true.”
Hillary’s brows came together, her voice high. “What isn’t true?”
Irena took as deep a breath as she could, considering I was sitting on her chest. “You want to know why your stepfather favors this woman,” she said, indicating me with a derisive glance.
Despite herself it seemed, Hillary asked, “Why?”
With her back on the floor, Irena still behaved as though holding court. I wanted to punch her in the face again. I wanted to shut her mouth. I couldn’t do it. She was down. To beat her senseless would have been wrong. No matter how much I dreaded her next words.
“Grace is his niece.” Irena waited a moment for that to sink in. “She’s his blood relative. His heir.”
“What?” Hillary asked, looking ready to laugh for a half second before allowing for the possibility. She looked at me, at Bennett, at me again. “What?”
“He’s planning to change his will,” Irena said. “He told my father. You’ll be cut out completely. So too, the city of Emberstowne. Grace will get it all.”
“That’s not true,” I said.
“But it is.” Irena was utterly calm now. “That’s your future, Hillary. Nothing for you. Everything for her. Unless . . .”
Hillary took a step closer. “Unless?”
“There’s enough Thorazine in there for both of them. We inject them both, and Rudolfo and I leave.” The glimmer in her eyes was back as she regarded Rudy. “You stay, collect whatever inheritance you still have, and Rudolfo comes back for you when things settle down.”
“Hillary, they’re using you.”
“Ha!” Beneath me, Irena’s chest rose and fell with her barked laugh. “It is they who have been using you.”
“What about all that evidence?” Hillary asked, staring at the needle she still held vertically in her hand. “You said you would pin the murders on me.”
“Yes,” Bennett said. “Good girl. You’re thinking for yourself. Don’t be pulled in by their nonsense.”
“Why would we try to frame you if you’re our friend?” Irena asked.
Rudy took a step away from Bennett. “I promised I would take care of you. You are my life. I will not go back on this promise. Hand me the needle, sweetheart.”
She took a step away from him. I guessed it to be involuntary because the look on her face was one of doe-eyed puzzlement. She bit her lower lip and looked ready to cry. Bright eyes lasered in on Bennett. “Is this true?” she asked. “Is Grace your niece?”
When he took a deep breath and let it out, Hillary’s eyes shimmered with tears.
“We don’t know, Hillary,” he said. “That’s the truth. But if you’re asking if it’s possible, then yes, it is.”
She stomped a foot. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Bennett never let his attention waver from Rudy. “We can talk about this later. Right now, you need to call security. Please, Hillary.”
“Don’t do it,” Irena shouted. “Look at the two of them together. You can see what your future holds. They’ll shut you out. They’ll call you family to your face, but snicker behind your back.”
“Hillary,” Rudy said, drawing out the syllables. “You are my love. Please don’t disappoint me. Not now when we are so close.”
Hillary stared at the hypodermic needle.
“It won’t hurt them,” Irena coaxed. “They won’t suffer. It will be over quickly. So quick, and your life will be forever changed. For the good.”
“You can’t,” I said. “Hillary, you can’t—”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do,” she snapped.
I couldn’t read her expression. With her teeth firmly clamped on her lower lip, she turned wide, sad eyes to Rudy. “Look at me and tell me how much you love me,” she said.
Rudy swallowed, worked up a smile and made eye contact. I could see how Hillary had been pulled in by the sincerity in that lying face. He had it down. Expressive, dark eyes gazed at Hillary as though she were the only person in the world who meant anything to him. Maybe because in this moment, it was true. She held his fate as firmly as she held his stare.
Bennett launched the skull. It hit the man like one linebacker head-butting another. Rudy went down, flat as a board.
Hillary screamed. Openmouthed, she stared at Bennett, who walked slowly toward her, reaching with both hands. “Give me the needle, Hillary. Let’s put an end to this.”
Hillary shook her head, stepping away. “Wait.” Tears streaked down her reddening cheeks. She stared with childlike woe, her voice plaintive. “You’re all the family I have. You were going to forget me and give everything to her?” She indicated me with a sideways gesture of her head.
Irena singsonged, “That’s right, Hillary.”
Bennett didn’t waver. “I would never have cut you out. You know that. Look deep in your heart, child. Have I ever forsaken you?” He took a step closer. “You know I care about you.”
“But, she—”
“Grace is part of the family now, whether or not she ever agrees to the test to prove it. That’s the truth I believe and the truth you will learn to accept. We are family. The three of us. Do you understand?”
“Don’t be fooled,” Irena shouted. “He’ll say anything right
now. It’s not too late. Come away with us.”
Hillary straightened her shoulders.
A door banged open down the hall. “Mister Marshfield,” Frances called. “Where are you? Grace?”
“In here,” I shouted. “Call security.”
She rounded the corner, surveying the room with one sweep. “Already done,” she said as three of our guards swarmed in behind her. Hillary dropped the hypodermic needle onto the table, backing away as soon as it left her hands. She made eye contact with Bennett and mouthed, “I would never have hurt you.”
He leaned down and picked it up. “Call the police,” he said to one of the guards. To Hillary, he said, “I know you wouldn’t have.”
Frances came over to us on the floor. She folded her arms across her ample chest and stared down. “Well, well, well,” she said to me. “Let me guess. You’ve solved another murder for the Mister, haven’t you?”
With the three men taking charge of Irena and Rudy, I scrambled to my feet. “Thanks, Frances. Impeccable timing.” Hillary looked away. “How did you know to come up here?” I asked my assistant. “How did you know to bring reinforcements?”
“I didn’t,” she said. “It was a hunch. You’re teaching me some very bad habits. Next thing you know I’ll be fighting killers in hand-to-hand combat.”
“Let’s hope not,” Bennett said.
She frowned at him. “Why should she have all the fun?”
Chapter 35
WHEN BENNETT INKED THE FINAL DOCUMENTS TO CLOSE HIS AGREEMENT WITH VANDEEN DEINHART, I BREATHED A SIGH OF RELIEF that that chapter was now closed. Two days later, Detective Williamson arrived at Marshfield. It had been almost a week since Irena and Rudy’s skirmish in Bennett’s study above, and the detective had offered to bring us all up to speed on what had happened since then. I’d insisted on bringing in Ronny Tooney for the discussion because his undercover work—though it had given him more grief than he needed—had helped us a great deal.