“Because I told him Mark was his father. I didn’t know for sure exactly who his mother might be because Mark had several affairs at the time. It could have been any number of women, but I gave him the names I remembered.”
“And did he try to contact any of them?” Lily knew Devin hadn’t contacted Violet but wondered about the others.
“No, he tried to convince Mark to tell him. Mark said he couldn’t remember but offered to pay Devin’s medical bills. Which, when you think of it, is silly, Devin’s adopted parents have more than enough to help him with his medical bills.” Karen fidgeted in her chair.
With a flash of insight, Lily envisioned how easily Karen could have persuaded Devin to poison Mark. “That’s why you convinced him to kill Mark.”
“Did Devin tell you that?” Karen rolled her eyes, and an evil smirk formed on her lips.
Lily didn’t like the idea of lying, but she believed Karen had played a part in Devin’s decision to murder Mark. “What do you think? Devin and I have been friends for years.”
“Yes, well, I must say I appreciate you coming by and telling me of your suspicions, but you’ll never be able to share the information with anyone.” Karen lifted her hand, and Lily stared down the barrel of a gun.
One question jumped to the forefront of her mind. “But why kill me? I have no proof.”
“True, but I need you out of my way. With you gone, I’ll inherit Mark’s entire estate. Which when you think about, I should have gotten all along. I’m the one who convinced my father to invest in his lab. I even encouraged him to give you a job and introduced him to that bimbo Olivia. She was supposed to only help with getting investors, but the bitch got greedy. Thank god, Devin killed Mark before he had a chance to change his will and give her a dime.”
Still uncertain about how to get out of this situation, Lily had to keep Karen talking. If nothing else, she would know more about why Karen wanted her dead. “Is that the same gun you tried to kill me with before?”
“Please, I don’t do my own dirty work. I hire other interested parties to handle those tasks.” Karen turned the gun slightly and smiled. “Though, I do have to admit, this is one of my favorite weapons. It’s so small and easy to use.”
“So the gun’s the same, even if the shooter isn’t?” Lily tried to imagine a scenario where she came out of this situation alive.
“I prefer to own the weapons used in a crime I want committed. That way, I know they can’t be traced to anyone. Now, head to the side gate.” Karen pointed to the area behind the pool where several boulders sat.
Rising slowly so as not to set Karen off, Lily shuffled around her chair. Visions of Sebastian ran through her head and she had to ask, “What about Cain? Why did you need to kill him?”
“Collateral damage. The man wouldn’t leave well enough alone. He wanted to poke his nose into things that didn’t concern him.” Karen waved the gun and directed Lily to get moving. “I guess before I kill you, I should thank you for all your help at the lab. You will be missed. Though with you gone, I’m thinking now is the best time to sell the place. Especially with all the press about the Neanderthal project still fresh in every investors’ head.
Lily stared at the woman, seeing her for the first time as the selfish woman she’d probably always been. When Lily first met her, she’d marveled at how easily the woman had handled the strain of social interaction. Now, she wondered at the price for such a skill.
“We need to get out of here before Jenkins arrives. A bell goes off in his quarters whenever anyone rings the doorbell.” Karen aimed the gun at the middle of Lily’s chest. “Now, move.”
“Where are we going?” Lily walked around the large rocks and stopped at the metal gate to lift the latch.
“Doesn’t matter. No one will ever find your body.”
Lily glanced over her shoulder. Karen was several steps behind. This might be her only chance to break free.
Lily lifted the small metal latch and tugged open the door. Quickly, she rushed through the gate and jerked it closed behind her.
With a loud clank, the latch fell into place.
Surrounded by tall weeds and rough ground, Lily raced for the back corner of the fence line toward another gate. She cleared half the distance before the loud squeak of the gate registered in her panicked brain.
She veered closer to the fence where the ground was more even and picked up the pace. Swerving to the right, she cut the corner to the left.
Pop, pop, pop.
****
“Holy shit. That sounds like gun fire,” Sebastian surveyed the path ahead that led to a side door of the house. With this portion of the property hidden from the front entrance, it wasn’t maintained. Tall weeds dotted the terrain with rough, rocky patches where no vegetation grew at all.
“No, it’s just some kids with leftover firecrackers. They’ve been setting them off for the last few days.” Jenkins continued along the sidewalk that led to the back door.
Sebastian knew gunfire when he heard it. He judged the shots had come from somewhere near the backyard. He swung off the path and rushed along the side of the house to scope out the acreage behind the house.
A loud clatter vibrated through the area. The metal gate on the other side of the back yard still shook from having just swung shut. The tall bushes on the inside of the fence blocked his view. He continued along the perimeter and kept his ears open. The thrashing sound of someone running in the back lawns had him slowing long enough to pull his gun from his holster. Preparing for anything, he stepped around the corner.
“Help.” Lily raced toward him.
“Get down,” he yelled and glanced beyond her.
Lily covered her face, fell to the knees, and ducked her head. The tall vegetation almost hid her from sight.
Karen stumbled around the far corner, and sunlight reflected off the gun in her hand. With a clear shot, he didn’t hesitate.
Pop, pop.
Sebastian kept his gun trained on the woman. Blood soaked her white blouse, a shocked look etched her face, and the gun fell from her fingertips. She dropped to her knees and then fell face-first into the dirt.
“Holy mackerel! What the hell is going on out here?” Jenkins yelled behind him.
“Call 911. Tell them to send an ambulance and the police.” Sebastian hurried to Lily, still lying on the ground. He placed a hand on her head and examined her body for injury before returning his gaze to Karen. “Are you okay?”
Lily nodded but didn’t immediately rise.
“Stay where you are. I want to make sure Karen is secure.” He maneuvered across the uneven terrain, keeping his gun and eyes trained on Karen for any unusual movement.
A few feet away, a thirty-eight millimeter lay to one side of Karen’s body. He left it for the CSIs to bag as evidence and squatted beside her.
A low groan came from her as she lifted her head enough to roll it to one side. Face pale, eyes closed, she opened her mouth slightly and sucked in gulps of air.
“Easy. The ambulance is on its way.” Sebastian didn’t bother to lean down and assist the woman. She’d live. He’d missed his mark. The bullets had hit her higher and to the right of his intended target, which meant the bullets had gone straight through her shoulder. He stared at the blood on the back of her shirt.
“God, Sebastian, shouldn’t we help her?” Lily crept cautiously toward him.
Knowing how close she’d come to hurting or possibly killing Lily, he had no sympathy for the woman. The gun also looked to be a match for Cain’s murder. “No, the police and an ambulance is on the way. They can deal with her when they get here.”
He holstered his gun and strolled the few paces to Lily. With the area secured, the gravity of the situation hit him. “What the hell are you doing here? You were supposed to be back at the house.”
She tilted her head to one side and stared up at him as if confused by his question. Her face was pale, and her eyes were dilated. Both concerned him, but he didn’
t back off. She shouldn’t have left home, at least not without letting him know where she was going. He had his cell phone in his pocket, and she could have called.
She pointed a finger at him. “Yes, that’s right. You left a silly note that said something like ‘I’ll see you later.’”
“I was taking your advice and following a lead. Remember, you wanted me to do some research on Jenkins.” Sebastian glanced at the man heading in their direction. “That’s why I drove out here.”
He set a hand on her waist and drew her close. “What brought you here?”
Words seemed to fail her as she leaned into him. Her head hit his chest. “She really wanted me dead.”
Awe, shit.
Sebastian wrapped his arms around her, knowing instinctively the rush of adrenaline she’d used to escape Karen had suddenly left her weak and exhausted. She wobbled on her legs, and had he not held her up, she would have sunk to the ground.
Holding her against him, he bent and lifted her into his arms. “Jenkins, do you know any first aid?”
The man had come prepared with several towels and a bottle of water. “No, but I grabbed the first things I could think of.”
Already, the sound of sirens wailed in the distance. In a few short minutes, the place would be crawling with EMTs and police.
“Then why don’t you head back to the house and show the emergency people the best way to get out here.” Sebastian glanced at the rough terrain. “It might be easier if they come up by your apartment.”
****
The next day, Lily cursed the doorbell. All morning people had been coming and going. She’d talked to Violet, Zane, and Bruce. All of them had wanted to know about her encounter with Karen.
She’d gone over it so many times with the police yesterday, she felt certain it was forever embedded in her mind. Thankfully, though, Karen had made it through surgery, and eventually, she’d be able to shed more light on what had happened to Mark and Cain.
Throwing the blouse in her hand into a suitcase, she stomped out of her bedroom and stopped at the top of the landing. “Rosa, can you get that?”
The woman smiled and waved a hand as she hurried to the door. “I got it. Though, I’m beginning to think you shouldn’t go away for a week. The whole place will fall apart if you’re not here to keep it together.”
Having reached the door, Rosa turned the handle and threw it open. “Ah, Detective Callahan, so nice of you to drop by. Mr. Berlin said to tell you to wait in the main sitting room.”
The detective walked into the house and smiled up at Lily.
“What are you doing here? I thought we covered everything last night.” Lily walked down the steps, recalling the hours of questioning she’d endured at the police station. If Sebastian hadn’t been with her, she probably would have fallen apart. Glancing around, she wondered where he’d disappeared to.
“No. Sebastian wanted an update on my interview with Karen this morning. I told him I’d stop by and fill him in on my way to the lab.”
Instantly, Lily fought down a sense of panic. “What does the lab have to do with this?”
“Apparently, Karen had plans for your new Neanderthal discovery.” Detective Callahan turned and glanced down the hallway at the sound of footsteps.
Sebastian walked around the corner and held out his hand to the policeman. The two shook hands like old friends. “Thanks so much for stopping by. You saved us a trip.”
Lily paused on the last step. “What’s going on? I thought we had all this worked out yesterday.”
“Yes, well, that was before I had a chance to talk to Jenkins and question him about the work he’s been doing at the lab.” Sebastian wrapped his arm around her waist. “Rosa, why don’t you make some coffee and bring it into the sitting room?”
A smile beamed across the woman’s face. “Of course, Mr. Berlin. Anything you want.”
“Rosa.” Lily shook her finger at the woman. “Don’t encourage him, or he’ll have you jumping through hoops. Besides, it’s almost lunch time. Why don’t you serve us some of those sandwiches you were preparing earlier? I’m sure the detective could use something to eat after the night he had.”
“And coffee,” Sebastian added and directed Lily into the main sitting room.
“You know in the last twenty-four hours, you’ve become entirely too bossy.” Lily stepped away from him and strolled toward the chair next to the fireplace. She managed to make it halfway across the room before he caught her hand and redirected her to a place next to him on the couch.
“Sebastian…” She was ready to inform him he didn’t have to hover over her anymore, but she’d already given him the lecture several times today, and he didn’t seem to want to listen.
“Do you have a problem sitting next to me?”
The innocent question didn’t fool her. He’d kept tabs on her all morning. If he wasn’t in the same room with her, he demanded to know what she was doing. He’d even asked Bruce to stay with her while he’d been working on the computer in Mark’s office.
She could understand his concern. After returning from the police department last night, she had been upset and struggled getting to sleep. He’d joined her in bed, holding her against his chest while she tried to sleep. Her mind was unwilling to let go of the near-death experience and plagued her with nightmares, causing her to wake several times throughout the night.
Remembering the horrors of the last one, Lily settled next to him and folded her hand around his. “No, but I’m fine. You don’t need to coddle me.”
He grinned. “Yes, but I like having you sit next to me.”
She rolled her eyes and glanced over at Detective Callahan. “So did you uncover anything more about the person Karen hired to kill Cain and me?”
“No, we’re not even sure she’s telling us the truth. There’s no money trail to indicate she hired anyone. And an assassin doesn’t come cheap.” Detective Callahan glanced at Sebastian. “What about you? What did you find out from Jenkins?”
“We’re still trying to trace the computer problems, but apparently someone tried to hack into the lab’s database.” Sebastian squeezed Lily’s hand. “That’s why the lab keeps having server problems. The hacker strained the system and caused the processing to slow down.”
“What were they looking for?” Lily hadn’t really been involved in the technical problems. Mark had contacted Jenkins. And the two of them had been working through the issues. After Mark died, Zane had picked up the task and tried to find a solution with Jenkins’ help.
“We’re not sure, but Jenkins did mention Karen had liked the idea of selling a kit to anyone who might want to know if they had Neanderthal DNA.” Sebastian released Lily’s hand and stretched his arm out along the back of the couch.
Detective Callahan frowned. “But why would anyone want to do that? It’s not like it’ll make a big difference one way or the other.”
“True.” Lily glanced at Sebastian, curious suddenly about his claim of being a descendant of Neanderthals. Brushing aside his interest in her research, she turned back to Detective Callahan. “But some people might find it a fun fact to know.”
He nodded. “Which means it could be a money making adventure?”
Lily shrugged. “I guess, but any DNA testing lab could do it. The results of the DNA sequencing were part of the news release presented yesterday.”
“So what was Karen really looking for?” Detective Callahan leaned forward in his chair. “Because she had to want something.”
“From my brief conversation with her, money seemed to be her only motivation.” Lily shifted her focus to Sebastian. Could that be the reason behind his boss’ interest? Did he know something she didn’t? Could he be the one who tried to break into their computer system?
But why? What did he hope to find?
Sebastian ran his hand over Lily’s shoulder, hoping to ease her uncertainties. “Unless, she decides to come clean, I guess we’ll never know Karen’s reasons for doing what
she did, but Jenkins said he secured the firewall of the lab’s computer.” He redirected the conversation. “So since Lily is no longer being a suspect, is there any problem with us leaving town for a few days?”
The detective raised an inquiring brow. “Where are you headed?”
“Alaska. I missed Cain’s funeral. I’d like to go by and offer my condolences to his family.” Sebastian glanced at Lily, wondering if he could convince her to marry him while they were there.
“Don’t see a problem as long as you’re available if we need you.” Detective Callahan smiled at the housekeeper when she entered the room with a tray of food. “Thank you, Rosa.”
Sebastian relaxed. He’d contacted Rex this morning and arranged to fly out with Lily this afternoon. He wanted time alone with Lily. She’d wanted a vacation before all this started, and he planned to see she got one.
Now, if he could only convince her to say “I do” to a new future in the making.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Later in the evening, Sebastian sat on the back porch of his house. He stared at the sun setting low on the horizon and put the rocker in motion.
After Detective Callahan left, Sebastian had hurried Lily along with her packing and managed to get them out of the house early. They’d made their flight with no problem. Lily had battled with her fear of flying, but he’d distracted her enough to get her to his house without a major panic attack. Though, if asked, she’d probably deny she had a problem at all.
He smiled content to be home with her at last.
“Sebastian?”
“Out on the deck,” he called, knowing the open screen door would allow his voice to carry inside the house.
The click of her heels tapped out a sexy rhythm, and he wondered where she thought they were going. She stopped on the other side of the door.
“How long are you planning to be out there?”
He waved his hand and encouraged her to join him. “Come enjoy the sunset with me.”
“I’m not exactly dressed for traipsing around outside.” Her heels clicked against his hardwood floors again, this time telling him of her retreat.
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