“It’s possible,” he said with a shrug. “But it seems a little obvious. And the fact that Avery was so willing to show you those masks suggests to me that he might have wanted you to jump to the conclusion that you did.”
Penelope frowned. “I know, but he might not have shown them to me if he hadn’t caught me in his office.”
“What do you mean, he caught you?”
Penelope bit her lip, knowing that he wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “Okay, I may as well tell you. Jane told me that Avery had gone home to change so I decided to go up and have a look around in his office.”
Simon’s face hardened in anger. “Are you crazy? That’s exactly what I told you not to do.”
“I know, but it seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up. Besides, I don’t think he suspected anything. I mean, he might have when he first saw me down on my hands and knees, but I recovered quite well, if I do say so myself—” She broke off when she saw Simon’s face. His eyes had gone cold with fury.
“What are you talking about, Penelope? What the hell did you do?”
“Nothing!” His hostile tone made her instantly defensive. “There was a medicine bottle on his floor, and I accidentally kicked it under his desk. I had to get on my hands and knees to reach it.”
She suddenly had Simon’s undivided attention. “A medicine bottle? Did you get a good look at it?”
“No, not really. I’d just managed to grab it when Avery came in. But don’t worry. Like I said, I was able to cover. I told him that I’d dropped an earring back.”
“And he bought that?”
Penelope shrugged. “Why wouldn’t he? I’m not in the habit of lying.” Unlike you, her tone implied.
Simon let the implication pass. “Did you leave the medicine bottle under the desk?”
“No, I put it in my pocket. Do you want to see it?”
“Yeah, I want to see it.” There was something in his tone that Penelope couldn’t quite define.
She went into the bathroom and grabbed the bottle where she’d left it earlier when she undressed.
Coming back out, she tossed it to Simon. “It’s not going to tell you anything. There’s no label.”
Simon opened the lid and shook one of the capsules into his palm. Holding it between his thumb and forefinger, he lifted it to squint at the tiny print stamped onto the surface of the soluble shell. His face went rigid as he muttered a four-letter word that Penelope had never heard him use before.
The vulgarity shocked but didn’t particularly offend her. “Simon, what is it?”
“Ferric hexacyanoferrate.”
She tried to pronounce it, then gave up. “What is ferric whatever? Another form of Nicin?”
“No. It’s another name for Prussian blue.”
Penelope lifted an eyebrow. “And that is?”
“It’s used to treat certain kinds of poisoning.”
“Nicin poisoning?”
He looked at her then, and his eyes made Penelope cold with fear. “The FDA has approved Prussian blue to treat radiation contamination due to harmful levels of cesium-137.”
“Cesium-137. Wait a minute. I know what that is,” she said excitedly. “I’ve heard my father mention it before. Cesium is used to treat certain kinds of cancer, right?”
“That’s right. But it can also be used as a radioactive component in an explosive device.”
It took Penelope a moment to comprehend his implication, and then she gasped. “Oh, my God, Simon. Are you talking about a dirty bomb?” She put her hand to her mouth. “Here?”
“If you’re asking if Houston is the target, I have no way of knowing that.” He returned the capsule to the container. “There’ve been several recent arrests in Europe and Asia of people trying to smuggle small amounts of cesium across international borders. My guess is that the cesium is being brought into this country in minute amounts from several different locations. It could take months, even years to obtain the quantity needed.”
“But…those pills don’t really prove anything, do they?” Penelope asked desperately. “Maybe they were prescribed for someone being treated for cancer.”
“It’s possible, but not very likely,” Simon said. “Cesium used in medical procedures is very closely controlled and monitored. Besides that, Prussian blue isn’t readily available to the public. The FDA and the CDC have been working with the Department of Homeland Security to add it to the national stockpile as a counterterrorist measure, but right now, it can only be taken under the guidance of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center.”
“So how did someone get their hands on it?” Penelope asked.
“Where there’s a will there’s always a way,” he said.
“Money can buy just about anything in this day and age.”
Penelope shuddered. “If, as you say, it could take months or years to bring enough cesium into the country to make a dirty bomb, then why do the smugglers need the Prussian blue?”
“It’s probably a precautionary measure. Anytime radioactive materials are transported under less than ideal conditions, contamination is always a possibility.”
Penelope sat down on the edge of the bed, her legs suddenly too weak to support her. “I don’t understand, Simon. I thought we were looking for Nicin. How did we go from a toxin used in cosmetic medical procedures to a radioactive component used in dirty bombs? Did you know about this all along?”
He rubbed his neck. “We always suspected that the Nicin was a diversion. But until today, we didn’t have any concrete proof of what we were looking for.”
“Simon, this is…” Penelope put both hands to her face. “This is bad, isn’t it? Really bad. What are we going to do? We have to tell someone. We have to stop them—”
Simon came over and knelt beside her. He took her hands in his. “Listen to me. We will stop them, but when the time is right. We can’t afford to screw this up. Like you said, this is bad. So for now, you can’t say anything to anyone. Do you understand? You have to pretend everything is normal. We can’t tip them off that we’re on to them. Not until we know when and where the cesium is coming into the country.”
“Them?” she asked weakly. “I know you think Avery’s involved, but who else, Simon? Who else have you been watching?”
A shadow flickered in his eyes before he quickly looked away. “We don’t know who Avery is working with. That’s why we can’t move on him yet. Do you understand?”
She nodded. “But Simon…my whole family will be at that auction tonight. If anything happens, I’d never be able to forgive myself.”
His hands tightened on hers. “Your family’s not in danger, Penelope. You have to trust me on that.”
She swallowed. Trust him? That was asking a lot, considering.
“Your family isn’t in danger…but you could be,” he added.
She bit her lip. “What do you mean?”
“Is there any chance Avery knows you found that medicine bottle? Are you sure he didn’t see you put it in your pocket?”
“I…don’t think so.”
Again his grip tightened. “But you can’t be sure?”
She shook her head.
“That’s it, then. You’re out.” He stood and began to pace.
“What do you mean, I’m out?”
“I mean, you can’t go back there. It’s too risky. You’ll have to call the museum and tell them you’re sick or that you’ve been in an accident. Whatever, just make it sound good.”
Penelope frowned. “But if I don’t go back, Avery will know something is wrong. He may cover his tracks so that you’ll never be able to find out who he’s working for. Or how they’re getting the cesium into the country. I have to go back, Simon.”
He stopped, his expression darker than she’d ever seen it. “No, you don’t. We’ll find another way.”
“There is no other way.” Penelope surprised herself by how calm she suddenly sounded. Slowly she stood to face him. “Aren’t you the one who t
old me that there’s more at stake here than just you and me?”
AFTER SIMON LEFT, Penelope hurried back into the bathroom to finish dressing. A headache throbbed at her temples, and she reached for the ibuprofen she kept in her medicine cabinet. As she opened the mirrored door, her eyes lit on the fancy bottle of elixir that Tay sold exclusively at her day spa. Her friend swore by the results of the product, and as Penelope shoved aside the bottle, looking for the ibuprofen, something Tay said the night before came back to her. “It won’t do you any good sitting in your medicine cabinet.”
Penelope frowned. It had never occurred to her until now to question how Tay had known the product was in the medicine cabinet. Was it just a reasonable guess, or had she gone snooping at some point?
Penelope supposed that wouldn’t be all that unusual. A lot of people couldn’t resist a peak into someone else’s medicine cabinet. But she hadn’t put the bottle away until the night before her trip. Until then, it had been on her vanity. And to her knowledge, Tay hadn’t been alone in her bathroom since then. She certainly hadn’t opened the medicine cabinet the night she and Penelope had searched the apartment for an intruder. Penelope knew that for a fact because she’d been on Tay’s heels the whole time.
So how had she known the bottle was in the medicine cabinet? And did it matter?
You’re making a mountain out of a molehill, Penelope scolded herself as she noted her pale reflection in the mirror.
Gulping down the pain medication, she closed the medicine-cabinet door and went out to her bedroom to dress.
“THAT’S HIM,” the woman said as she handed her companion the binoculars. “Have a look.”
The man behind the steering wheel lifted the binoculars and stared at the security guard hurrying across the parking lot to the rear entrance of the museum. “Are you sure that’s him? My contact assures me that Simon Decker is still listed as a patient at the Fairhaven Rehabilitation Center in Dallas. There’s been no change in his condition.”
“Then your contact is either a fool or a liar,” the woman said in disgust. “I’m telling you, that’s him.”
The man lowered the binoculars with shaking hands. “That’s it then. They’re on to us. We have to get out of the country tonight.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” the woman said coldly. “Not until the job is finished.”
The man turned to their compatriot in the back seat, hoping for an alliance. The second man’s eyes were hidden by dark glasses, but his expression remained coolly neutral, as if the outcome of the argument didn’t matter to him one way or the other.
The first man said to the woman, “If that really is Decker, then the feds are obviously moving in on us. I say we cut our losses—”
“And I say you shut the hell up,” the woman told him.
He looked like a whipped puppy as he slunk down in the seat. “Then what are you proposing we do?”
“I’m proposing that we get rid of the problem, and this time, I don’t want any mistakes.”
“Get rid of the problem…” Nervously, the man licked his lips. “It was bad enough what you did to Tonio Vargas, but you kill a federal agent and you’ll have the whole damn government coming after us.”
“Not if you do as I say.”
He shook his head. “I want out. I didn’t sign on for murder.”
The man in the back seat leaned forward suddenly and grinned. “Then it’s lucky for you that I did, amigo.”
Chapter Nineteen
Penelope kept an eye out for Simon all night, but she had no idea where Avery might have stationed him. She knew that he was around, though, and that gave her a measure of confidence as she tried to go about her business as best she could.
She watched from the sidelines as Avery took to the podium in the main gallery and the guests all found their seats for the auction. She surveyed the crowd. They’d had a good turnout for the event, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. But, of course, they didn’t know what she knew.
She picked her family out of the crowd. Her mother and father were seated toward the front, but Ariadne, who had come in late, found a place in the back row, no doubt where she could easily slip away early. Surprisingly, Grayson had come alone. Helen was nowhere to be seen, and Penelope couldn’t help wondering if they’d had another fight.
Grayson had been studying the program, but suddenly he lifted his head and stared at Penelope. A cold chill shot through her, although she had no idea why.
She returned his nod, then quickly looked away, wondering why her brother-in-law suddenly made her so uneasy.
In the nearly seven years that Grayson and Helen had been together, Penelope had never known him to be anything other than a devoted husband and an ambitious businessman. But how ambitious was he?
Had it really come to this? she wondered desperately. She’d once had a fairly rosy view of the world, but now she looked at everyone as a possible suspect, including her own family.
Just as the auction was about to get under way, Jane tapped Penelope on the shoulder, then motioned for her to follow her out into the hallway.
“What is it?” Penelope asked worriedly when she saw how agitated the older woman appeared to be.
Jane frowned. “I hope it’s nothing, but that security guard you were asking about earlier? Larry Jones?”
Penelope’s heart quickened. “What about him?”
“I just saw him and he asked me to get a message to you. He needs to see you. He said it’s urgent.” She clutched Penelope’s arm. “Do you suppose there’s been another break-in?”
“I don’t know.” Penelope’s heart started to knock against her chest as she thought about the possibilities. “Where is he?”
“I can show you, but…” Jane’s grasp tightened on her arm. “I don’t think you should go alone.”
Penelope tried to keep the panic from her own voice. “It’s okay. Just tell me where he is.”
“I’m coming with you,” Jane said stubbornly. “So don’t try to talk me out of it. I’m not letting you do this alone.”
Penelope hesitated, then nodded. She didn’t have time to argue. Besides, it probably wasn’t a good idea for her to leave the auction alone, even if Avery was occupied. She had no idea who else might be lurking in the museum, and while Jane might not provide all that much protection, she could at least use a cell phone. Or scream bloody murder if it came to that. “Okay, let’s go.”
Jane started down the hall. “He’s in one of the back offices,” she said over her shoulder. “This way.”
Several small rooms opened off the main corridor. They were used primarily for storage, but a few had been cleared out to make office space for the temporary summer help the museum employed. Jane paused in front of the door nearest the rear entrance and looked back at Penelope. Then she knocked, opened the door and stepped back for Penelope to enter.
She hurried inside and glanced around. The room was empty.
“Where is he?” She turned back to Jane and froze.
The older woman’s hand appeared completely steady as she lifted the weapon. “Looks like we just missed him.”
Penelope went cold with shock. She remained fixated on the gun for what seemed an eternity, and then comprehension set in. “Oh, my God, it was you. Not Avery…”
Someone rapped on the door, and Penelope whirled toward the entrance. Before she could shout out a warning, Jane said, “Quiet. I don’t want to shoot you, but I will if I have to.”
Keeping one eye on Penelope, Jane opened the door a crack, glanced out, then drew it back to allow the newcomer to slip in. He was a tall man, around forty, with a weak chin and a receding hairline. He looked vaguely familiar, and Penelope suddenly remembered where she’d seen him. He’d left the restaurant in Mexico right after Tonio Vargas.
“You know what to do with her,” Jane said.
The man grinned and pulled his own weapon. “My pleasure.”
Penelope backed away from him. “You won’t get
away with this. The museum is full of people.”
“And if you make a sound,” Jane warned her, “Dirk and I might just have to shoot our way out of this place. You wouldn’t want that, now would you? Think of all those innocent people out there that could get hurt. Think of your family. I know exactly where each of them is seated. If I start firing in the general vicinity, one of them will most likely take a hit.”
“Why?” Penelope whispered. “Why are you doing this?”
Jane’s face hardened. “You don’t need to know why, won’t do you any good where you’re going.”
The man she called Dirk stuck the barrel of his gun against Penelope’s ribs as he grabbed her arm. “Come on, now. We’re going to take a little walk. Get some fresh air.”
He led her from the room into the hallway. Penelope could hear Avery’s voice over the speakers. The auction was just getting started. Everyone, including her parents and her sister, would still be in their seats. She had no idea if Jane would make good on her threat or not, but it wasn’t a chance Penelope was willing to take. All she could do at the moment was cooperate and look for an opportunity to escape.
Dirk’s grasp tightened on her arm as he guided her through the rear exit. Outside, he pulled her toward the maze.
Penelope balked. “Where are we going?”
“Inside.” He gave her a push toward a gap in the hedge. “Keep walking.”
The boxwood hedges were eight feet high and so thickly planted that Penelope might as well have been surrounded by a brick wall. There was no way to escape.
She walked slowly, following his directions and trying to remember all the twists and turns that they took. But after a few moments, she became hopelessly lost. She’d studied the maze countless times from her office window, but being inside was different. She tried to picture the layout in her mind, but it was no use.
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