“Empire?”
“She was married to Trenton Graham—”
“I know. They mentioned it in the article. But they divorced.”
“Well, that particular divorce settlement pole-vaulted her the rest of the way into the stratosphere of society and wealth, and she’d apparently learned more than a thing or two about empire building while married to the king of empire building. More importantly, though, so did Shelby. He’d helped her build it, and was more than ready to tackle the whole thing. I was more than ready to let him. I just wanted my camp—his camp. Which he had no interest in and neither had Louisa. It wasn’t on their radar. They couldn’t have cared less about the property.”
“Still, he had to know—”
“Let me finish. I’m not a complete idiot. I might not have agreed with my mother’s methods, personally or in business, and I wasn’t around while she amassed most of what she’d left behind, but I wasn’t going to walk away from everything either. It took a while, but Shelby and I hammered out an agreement that resulted in me getting the deed to the Winnimocca property, along with a cash settlement that will enable me to cover taxes, reconstruction, and some seed money to launch the place. If I can’t make a go of it from there…” She shrugged. “Then I lose. Ultimately, I’m responsible for my success or failure. So I took the launch, but beyond that, it’s up to me. And, even with all the headaches and Shelby challenges and now whatever the heck is going on with the vandalism and maybe the people in town…I still wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I can see your point.”
She laughed again. “Good, because a lot of people thought I was nuts. I guess I just want to be in control of my destiny, not following my mother’s. I’ll take the helping hand, whether she intended it or not, but nothing more. That’s Shelby’s domain and he’s welcome to it.” Or will be, she thought, if she could figure out why he hadn’t shown up to sign the papers. “So, now it’s my turn. You said you had personal experience with inheritance; only I didn’t think Donny Mac—”
“Not my father, Finn’s. I don’t know how much you knew of their relationship, but it sounds like the mirror image of yours and Louisa’s. Only in Finn’s father’s case, he was rather unscrupulous about how he went about amassing his fortune.”
“Whereas my mother just married hers,” she said with a smile. It was odd, talking to him like this, about things that she’d been so sensitive about before. It wasn’t like that with him. His pragmatism made it easier, she supposed. And his own past.
“Well, to each his own, but Finn had personal reasons why taking on his father’s empire—also a surprise inheritance—was untenable to him. He didn’t want it, at first, but, as you say, it’s not as easy as just saying no thanks. It was his whether he wanted it or not, and there was no Shelby in the wings. Like your mother’s situation, the inheritance was complicated. It took quite a long time, years in fact, but he did dismantle the empire, piece by piece, doing his best not to screw over the little people, but it happened on occasion. Even just putting the more unscrupulous ones out of business, there was no way to protect everyone, and there were innocent bystanders, so to speak. But the bigger plan was to use the money to help the very same people whose backs Harrison Dalton spent a lifetime stepping on in order to move up in the world.”
“So, some karmic justice, then. I can appreciate that.”
He smiled. “You know, I’m beginning to think you can.”
She shot him a smile. “Beginning to?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I’m still getting to know you.”
She shouldn’t have been warmed by his easy tone, the hint of a friendly smile on his lips. His apparent interest in getting to know her, case or no case. What she did know was that leaning on him, even a little bit, would be dangerous. She’d spent most of her adult life learning how to lean only on herself. Just because things were looking a little tricky didn’t mean she had to drape herself over the first shoulder that presented itself. “I’m surprised you didn’t already know more about all of it, what with all your skulking around.”
“I only had a day to dig. I hadn’t gotten around to that yet. I was too busy trying to figure out how dangerous this person is who’s getting his jollies from vandalizing your property.” There was a long pause; then he added, “And I don’t skulk. I track.”
She tried mightily to ignore his dry tone. He’d been a bad boy charmer in his youth, all moody and temperamental with the male campers, but never without a smile for anything in pink camp shorts or a tennis skirt. She’d been as susceptible as the next girl. Though he’d never once aimed that grin at her. For someone who’d passed the thirty-year mark a few years ago, she shouldn’t feel all giddy because Donovan MacLeod had finally aimed that heart-stopping grin at her.
“I do admire what you’re doing, Kate. Or trying to do. It’s a lot of work. Refurbishing the buildings for year-round use alone is quite an undertaking.”
“Trust me, I’m fully aware of the monumental task in front of me. I just want to settle whatever it is that needs settling, and get on with it. I mean, what’s the big deal about me taking on this old, unwanted property anyway?”
“Maybe it’s not as unwanted as you think it is.”
She sighed and tried not to think about that. What she wanted to believe was that there was some simple explanation for why Shelby was a no-show yesterday, and that they’d set another day and time, sign the papers, then she’d show the people of Ralston what a woman was capable of when her mind was set, and everything else would fall into place. “Maybe, maybe not. I’ll know more when I talk to Shelby. So, are we all done with the interrogation, Detective?”
He smiled at her dry tone. “I’m not interrogating. I’m researching, just trying to fill in as many of the blanks as possible. When will you be able to get started on the renovation work and construction? Do you have everything lined up?” He shifted slightly in his seat, which wasn’t easy considering his tall, broad-shouldered frame was all but crammed into the cab of her truck. A tall, broad-shouldered frame she was having an increasingly difficult time ignoring. It didn’t help any that she could feel his gaze pinned on her.
“That’s actually part of my agenda in town this morning. I’m going to see Sheriff Gilby about the latest graffiti hit-and-run; then I have an appointment with the head of the chamber of commerce to try and get a little goodwill established.”
“You say that like you expect resistance.”
“Oh, I didn’t expect it, but I’m getting it all the same.”
“Why? You’re bringing work in the short term and a customer base in the long run. They should be lining up to help you out. What’s the reaction been?”
“I’m not sure I understand it entirely, but I think it’s just old-fashioned resistance to working with or for a woman. I can’t actually hire anyone yet, until Shelby and I settle things, but—”
“And you don’t think that might be related to the vandalism?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t put those two things together. The town isn’t exactly right down the road from the camp.”
“Well, if the townsfolk aren’t happy to see you, and someone is spray painting ‘go home’ on your trees, you might want to.” He shifted back. “Something’s not adding up here, Kate.”
She wanted to believe he’d spent too much time on the streets of New York City and therefore, had just jumped to the worst case scenario out of habit, but when he put it that way, it was hard to deny he might have a point. “It’s not like anyone has been hostile, or said a negative word. I’m just having a hard time finding my niche in town. I haven’t been here all that long. I figure once I actually hire someone, anyone, and they see I’m serious, they’ll be a little more excited about the possibility of getting some work from me. I chalked it up to them not wanting to commit labor and supplies to a job they don’t fully trust is happening yet, possibly turning down other work in the meantime.”
“And you might be rig
ht. But have you thought about the possibility that it might be more than old-fashioned prejudice at work here? Maybe they’ve gotten wind of the developer interest.”
She shrugged, suddenly feeling very inept and not liking it one bit. “I don’t know. I mean, I didn’t know about it, so I’m not sure it’s common knowledge, but then I don’t spend a lot of time in town. I’ve only been down a few times, for supplies and to gather information on the local construction businesses and the like. I haven’t exactly been a presence there.” Yet.
She wasn’t sure what direction his thoughts were taking, but hers were going in a number of disturbing directions all by themselves. As much as she didn’t want to believe it, it looked as if there was a possibility she was caught up in something a little more serious than she thought. She’d been so focused on getting things done with Shelby, she’d never taken the time to connect everything together. She’d just wanted to get her name in print as owner of the place, then figure out the rest.
“This isn’t your problem, you know,” she told him at length.
“I’m not going away, if that’s where you’re going with this. One way or the other, I’m here for the duration.”
Her eyes widened. “The duration of what?”
“The duration of however long it takes to resolve the problems you’re facing. At the very least, until you get your name on those papers and we make sure you’re not under any kind of serious threat from whoever is vandalizing the place. We should look into the developer end of things, too.”
“What could they possibly have to do with vandalizing my property?”
Mac shrugged. “They want something bad enough and can’t get it through proper channels…”
“I think you’re being paranoid.”
“And I think you should find out exactly what Shelby is up to, too. What contact he’s had with them. I’m telling you, it all probably factors in.”
“And you know this because…?”
“Because my instincts tell me so. And they’re rarely wrong. I wouldn’t be sitting here in this truck if I didn’t listen to them.”
He was so intent, so serious, so certain. It was unnerving, both his mere presence and his focus on what, by rights, was none of his business. She’d be lying if she said there wasn’t a tiny part of her that was grateful for his timely intrusion. But it was that timely part that still had her concerned. Maybe she was the paranoid one. “Exactly what kind of business is it that you three run anyway?”
Which should have been the first question out of her mouth when the other two names came up. They’d been known as the Unholy Trinity with good reason from the first summer they’d united at camp. If there was trouble brewing, the trail had inevitably led back to one of the three, or, as was more often the case, all three combined.
Kate hadn’t spent much time out there each summer, but between her brief jaunts and listening to her mother complain about, well, everything, it was no secret that the three of them hadn’t done much to make camp life run smoothly. Each of them was so different, but still a black sheep of sorts in his own way. Donovan was the bastard kid of the camp handyman, Donny Mac, who’d spent a fair share of time in the Ralston drunk tank, when he wasn’t beating up on his only son. Rafe was an inner city kid whose mom worked several jobs, one as a maid for some Wall Street shark who made himself feel better by sending her kid to rich kids’ camp every summer. He’d been a fish out of water with an attitude the size of the Empire State Building. He’d bonded with Donovan immediately.
Finn was the unexpected addition to the trio. Every bit as wealthy as his camp counterparts, if not more so, he should have fit right in at Camp Winnimocca. He was the stereotypical golden boy, from his blond, bronzed good looks to his big fat trust fund. By all rights, he should have been camp leader. Except Finn had been rebelling against his father, his own wealth, and his defacto place in the world, pretty much, it seemed, since birth. He’d intentionally aligned himself with the camp outcasts and all but dared anyone to challenge his choice in friends. In fact, he had challenged them, and their preconceived notions, all the time.
Kate had secretly admired, even coveted, his rebellious nature. But it wasn’t Finn’s gleaming perfection that had caught her eye, or fueled her midnight fantasies. The source of every single one of those had been Donovan.
“So if Finn spent years tearing down his father’s empire while you were chasing bad guys and Rafe was doing God knows what, when did you start this joint venture?”
“About eighteen months ago. Once Finn had everything set and control over his own destiny, so to speak, he brought us in.”
“Doing what, exactly?”
There was a pause. Then he said, “Helping people.”
She glanced at him. “In what capacity, exactly?”
“In whatever capacity they need us. I’m all for justice and the American way; it’s part of why I became a cop. I’m proof positive you can make anything out of yourself if you want it badly enough. This is the land of opportunity. Only, some folks don’t always get a fair shake. Either because they can’t help themselves, or because the system fails them, which it often does. Having been on the inside of it, it’s an understaffed, underpaid, overworked system, which, frankly, works far better than it should given the circumstances it operates under. I credit that to the human spirit of those involved. But there are insurmountable obstacles, both within and without. We…overcome those obstacles for people who otherwise can’t do so on their own.”
“And how do they pay you for these…services you provide them?”
“They don’t.”
“Finn ended up with that much?”
Donovan smiled. “Let’s just say it was more than enough seed money to start a global chain of your camps. In our case, we rather enjoy spending all of Harrison’s ill-gotten gains helping people. And Finn’s smart about money. He knows how to make money with money. Without stepping on anyone to do it.”
She glanced at him. “So, I’m one of your charity cases, then? Although I suppose the irony of you having to rescue me is somewhat satisfying, I’m still having a hard time with—”
“It’s not charity,” he said, cutting her off abruptly. “We fix things that need fixing. Things that shouldn’t have gone wrong in the first place. People benefit, yes, but they’re far from charity cases. They’re victims in need of a little extra help. When the system doesn’t work, or simply can’t work, we do. All three of us spent a lot of time trying to work it from the other side. Now we work it from our side.”
She sat back a little, surprised by the vehemence of his response. “Okay. So it’s a noble endeavor. I still don’t see where I rate your assistance. Even you admit you still thought I was living the high life, perhaps just dabbling in this little camp venture. Surely there are other, far more pressing cases out there.”
“There always are. More than we can do anything about. But we’re not a charity. We don’t advertise. We’re not Make-A-Wish. And it’s definitely not about being noble. If anything, it’s a purely selfish endeavor.”
“You help people out of jams and don’t charge them. How is that selfish?”
“We pick and choose who we help. Our reasons are our own. Sometimes because it’s the right thing to do, and sometimes because it feels good to stick it to someone who needs to be stuck.” He tensed his shoulders, then flattened them out, as if purposefully trying to control his temper. And she was reminded then of the angry, recalcitrant youth he’d once been. She’d be wise to remember that side of him was still there, too, no matter how deeply buried or tamed into submission.
“We’re fortunate to have the resources to indulge our little endeavor. And yes, it feels good—no, great—to be able to make good things happen, to set things right. But it’s not like we’re performing miracles here. We’re just making sure the good guys win every once in a while.” He grinned suddenly, and her entire body went on red-hot alert.
Yeah, she’d be real wise to remember all
the sides to Donovan MacLeod were still there.
“I just wouldn’t necessarily say we always use good guy methods, is all.”
She slowed down as she rounded one of the last curves before the road bottomed out in the valley, heading across and into Ralston. “Exactly what kind of methods are you talking about?”
“Let’s just say we basically go by the all’s-well-that-ends-well motto. How we get there is the fun part. And nobody’s business but ours.”
She was almost sorry she’d asked. The three of them had taken mischievous behavior to new highs—and lows—back in the camp days. She couldn’t even imagine what that meant as adults…with endless funds at their disposal. “So,” she said at length, “if I’m not a charity case, then I’m what, some sort of joke to you guys?” She held up her hand. “I mean, you had no use for me or ‘my kind’ when you were young, and I’m not getting that your opinion of the privileged or wealthy has changed all that much. So this must have been quite amusing to you guys, helping out the poor little rich girl.”
“There is nothing remotely amusing about this job for me. Coming back here…well, I think I’ve made my opinion clear on that. I was honest when I said I really don’t know why I took this on. I just knew—we all did—that it was something we needed to do. Does it really have to be any more complicated than that?”
“No. But you’ll have to forgive me for being at least a little suspicious. After all, there’s no denying I am having a few problems getting the camp up and running. And then you bounce in from out of nowhere, riding to my rescue for no apparent gain, when, if you’d asked me up until that moment, I’d have said you’d probably enjoy knowing I was in trouble.”
“Who else could I be here helping? Shelby? Hardly. If it will make you feel any better, check with Finn or Rafe and talk to them. I’ll call right now.”
“On what? Cell service is highly unreliable.”
He slipped out a slender black and silver phone from his jacket pocket. “Satellite phone. Finn’s latest toy.”
The Black Sheep and the Princess Page 6