No one knew that more than they did. Peyton had almost paid the ultimate price.
Bailey shook her head. “I can’t stop, Uncle Nigel. We need to know who killed our husbands. We have to know the truth.”
Draining his glass, he signaled to the waitress. “You may never find out who did it, and does it matter anyway? You know why they were killed. Isn’t that enough?”
“It wasn’t enough for you,” Willow pointed out. “You said you’ve been chasing their murderer for the last five years.”
“And I’ve had little luck with that. With all my resources in the organization I haven’t been able to find the perpetrator. If I can’t find him or her, I doubt you could. You’re wasting your time. Move on with your life and know that they were truly good men.”
If only she could, but they’d come so far. She couldn’t give up now.
“Archer Caldwell,” she said instead. “Which side is he on? He gave me fake files for the men.”
Nigel smiled and chuckled as the waitress refilled his iced tea. “Don’t concentrate on Archer, my child. He’s a figurehead. The real power in Evandria is behind the scenes. Men and women that don’t show their faces. He’s a puppet and does as he’s told.”
“Who tells him what to do?” Bailey asked. “The good or the bad?”
Shrugging, Nigel laughed. “Both, I imagine. Archer is all about Archer. He likes the power and as long as we keep him in check everything is fine.”
Willow could taste the acid in the back of her throat. The whole thing made her sick.
“And if you don’t keep him in check?”
The older man stared at his hands for a long moment before answering. “Then we deal with that. Evandria knows how to deal with its own.”
“Stephen Baxter,” Bailey said suddenly. “Did Evandria have him killed? He was recovering and then he was dead.”
“I shouldn’t be telling you this. Any of it.” Nigel shook his head and pulled off his glasses, wiping the lenses with the shredded paper napkin. “It is very possible that Stephen Baxter was killed by Evandria but not by the regular members—by the rogues who are seeking more power. You see, Stephen Baxter was being investigated by Arsenal and had been on our radar for years. He might have known things certain people didn’t want the police to know. Having known Stephen for many years, I can tell you with utmost certainty he would have sold out every member of Evandria without a second thought if he thought he would spend one less day in prison.”
“More secrets,” Willow said, mostly to herself. She had another question, although her gut was telling her the answer already. “Nigel, you said Baxter was being investigated by Arsenal. What agent was assigned that case?”
Replacing his glasses, he cleared his throat. “Grant Hollister. He’s one of my best men. Smart, fearless, and devoted to Evandria.”
Floored was the only way to describe her emotions. So shocked, she had to take a moment before she could even reply. She’d assumed Alex had been assigned the case.
“He’s Alex’s half-brother. Does he know that?”
Giving her a strange look, Nigel nodded. “Of course he does. We all know. But I’m guessing you didn’t.” His phone buzzed and he checked it with a rueful glance. “I’m afraid I must be off. If you have any more questions just give me a call. But I want to reiterate my plea for you ladies to leave this alone. It’s dangerous and I’m not just saying that. These are not people to be trifled with, Bailey. Their thirst for power is unquenchable. If they think you are trying to interfere with that they won’t hesitate to hurt you.”
They all stood, and Nigel hugged Bailey and shook hands with Willow before tossing some bills down on the table. They watched as he disappeared around the corner, not saying anything until he was out of sight. Bailey was probably as stunned by the revelations as Willow was.
“I’m going to the ladies’ room real quick.” Willow placed her hand on Bailey’s arm. Her friend seemed miles away. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Sure. Yes. I’ll wait here.”
It only took a few minutes for Willow to find the restroom, freshen up, and mop away the sticky sweat from the back of her neck. Feeling cooler and more put together, she pushed open the door of the ladies’ room and headed down the corridor to the main part of the cafe. She was almost at the end of the hallway when she heard someone calling her name.
“Willow Vaughn.”
The voice was soft but masculine and she whirled around toward the sound. Rooted to the spot and her breath caught in her throat, Grant Hollister stood there in the alcove to the family restroom. Of all the people in the world, she hadn’t expected to speak to him today. Or ever, after the way he’d avoided her at the ball and then again at the clinic.
“Grant Hollister,” she heard herself say and he nodded, beckoning to her. She followed numbly, a little voice inside of her screaming that going anywhere with him wasn’t a good idea, but her curiosity won out and she found herself alone with him in the small bathroom, the door locked behind them.
“You can’t trust him.”
Those were the first words from Grant’s lips and she had no idea whether he’d meant them to be ironic or not. She wasn’t sure she could trust him.
“Who can’t I trust?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Nigel,” Grant said urgently, his hand on her upper arm. Willow didn’t shake it away, that sixth sense she’d honed as a dancer telling her that he meant no harm. She’d learned to trust it and it hadn’t failed her yet. “You can’t trust Nigel. He’s part of the rogue organization.”
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she tried to focus in on what he was saying and what she needed to know. This was no time to be dizzy and confused, no matter how shocked she was.
“He talked about a rogue part of Evandria. He says they want power.”
Grant snorted and rolled his eyes. “Power? They want to rule the world and not in a benevolent, let’s hold hands and sing kind of way. They’ll do anything and kill anyone to get what they want. They killed Stephen Baxter.”
Ah yes, Stephen.
“Nigel said that you were investigating Stephen for Arsenal. Is that true?”
Grant leaned back against the tiled wall in the tiny room. “No, it is not true. Stephen was in Arsenal too. He was Nigel’s favorite. No way we would investigate him. Listen to me, you can’t believe anything Nigel tells you. He’s lying to you to get you to stop digging into Evandria’s affairs.”
That Willow could believe. Holmwood had definitely been trying to persuade them to give up the investigation.
“Why is this the first time I’ve ever met you? Why didn’t Alex tell me about you? Nigel said everyone knew you were brothers.”
Grant shook his head. “I told you. You can’t believe everything Nigel tells you. As for why you’ve never met me, well, that’s the way Alex and the family wanted it. They helped me financially and put me through college as long as I kept my mouth shut. They’ve never acknowledged me openly. I’m a close family friend if you ask them. Suits me just fine. I don’t have much regard for my biological father.”
“He’s an asshole,” Willow said dryly. “A grade-A son of a bitch.”
Grinning, Grant shifted so they were standing toe to toe. “You’ve got that right. When you inherited everything, I thought he was going to have a stroke. He was that angry.”
“I still don’t understand. Alex has been gone for five years and you have your own fortune now. Why didn’t you contact me then?”
“And say what? Your husband was a big fat liar and he kept all sorts of secrets from you? No, that’s the last thing you needed. I’ve kept my eye on you and watched you come out the other side of your grief. You didn’t need me. At least, you didn’t need me then. You need me now.”
She did need him now. “You’ve known all along that Alex was murdered, along with his friends.”
He shook his head. “Not right away, but eventually.”
“Arch
er Caldwell is trying to find out who did it.”
Hands on her shoulders, he gave her a little shake as if to bring her to her senses. “No, Willow. Archer is not helping you. He’s fucking with you but he’s not helping you. You can’t trust anything he tells you.”
“He’s rogue too? The only person that I’m supposed to trust is you? That’s convenient.”
Willow was tired of being lied to and played for a fool.
“I don’t know if Archer is rogue but I do know he can’t be trusted. He has two goals. The first is to protect Evandria at all costs and the second is to protect himself. You and your friends are a threat.”
“Because Evandria killed Alex? We know or at least we think we know that Evandria had them murdered. What we don’t know is who did it. Do you know?”
“Archer Caldwell murdered Alex and his friends.” His arms dropped away and his hands tightened into fists at his side. “It’s taken me years but I finally have the evidence.”
Staggering back, she grabbed onto the sink for support. “Archer. I guess I’m not surprised. Why? And how? He’s one man and there were three murders.”
“He may not have done all three personally but make no mistake, he was the assassin carrying out the orders. Archer Caldwell is guilty as hell and Nigel has been blocking me at every turn as I’ve investigated this.”
She shoved at his shoulder. “Speaking of being blocked, how about how you avoided me at the ball Saturday night? I needed to talk to you.”
His expression sobered and he rubbed his chin. “That would have been the worst thing that could have happened. I needed to keep you at arm’s length so they wouldn’t think that I would try to help you. If they had seen us talking, I don’t think you would have left The Retreat alive.”
Charming. She was also getting tired of being in danger.
“Do they want me dead?” she asked bluntly. “Do they want Peyton and Bailey dead? Did they blow up Peyton at the hotel? Did they plan for me to be thrown from that horse?”
If he’d been keeping an eye on her, he had to know about the package bomb at the hotel in Williamsburg.
“They want you out of the way. Alive or dead is fine. The horse accident was meant to be a warning as was the package bomb.”
“Hell of a warning. People were hurt. Peyton could have died.”
“You don’t get it.” He turned his back to her and scraped his fingers through his sandy blond hair. “They don’t care about people. They only care about power.”
Her head was beginning to hurt from all the circular talking, first with Nigel and now with Grant. “Archer? The rogue organization? Who runs it?”
He whirled back around and shrugged. “I think you’re getting the idea that Evandria is about secrets and the rogue organization is a big one. Archer is simply a puppet for someone bigger and much more ruthless. I don’t have a clue who truly runs it and if I did find out, I’m sure I’d be dead within twenty-four hours. Personally, I like being on the green side of the grass.”
That matched what Nigel had said. Archer wasn’t the real power.
“So you’re telling us to back off too?”
He smiled and reached for the door knob. “I’m telling you to leave this investigation to me. You’ll only get yourself killed if you continue with this. I have enough friends in Evandria to protect me somewhat. If you let this alone, they’ll forget all about you. You can go back to living your life.”
“Why should I believe you? Trust you? How do I even know you’re telling me the truth? Maybe you’re the liar.”
His expression softened and she could see his resemblance to Alex at that moment. The kindness she’d first seen in her husband the night she’d met him.
“I’m not lying. Alex asked me to watch over you if anything happened to him. He knew his association with Arsenal was dangerous. He wouldn’t want you to risk your life for this, Willow. He loved you.”
A tear slipped down her cheek and she dashed it away with the back of her hand. “Funny way of showing it.”
“Let me protect you, Willow. Let me keep my promise to my brother. I loved him too, you know. We have that in common.”
So many emotions were twisting inside of her – love, betrayal, hurt, anger, and even a little forgiveness.
“If you want me to believe what you say, I need to see your evidence. My friends need to see it too.”
She didn’t have any intention of stopping but Grant didn’t know that. At this point, she needed to bring him into the fold and see how he could help them.
“Fine,” he nodded. “But not here. We can’t be seen together. And not at your house. I’m sure it’s been bugged.”
That made her smile. “We found those.”
“Still, it’s not safe.” He frowned, and pursed his lips. “There’s an old dive bar out by the turnpike called Roy’s. Can you meet me there at midnight tonight? It will be packed and no one will notice us. I’ll bring the evidence and you and your friends can judge for themselves. But if you believe me, then you have to back off. It’s too dangerous for you, Willow.”
“Fair enough. We’ll be there.”
He twisted the doorknob and they cautiously exited the restroom, Grant in the lead and Willow right behind. It was a trifle ridiculous to be skulking around the bathroom, but if Grant thought it was necessary she’d go along with it. She was too excited that she’d finally met and spoken with him to be nervous about who might see them together.
“Shit,” he hissed, coming to an abrupt stop at the end of the hallway. “He’s here. I’ll see you tonight. Get back to your friends right away, Willow.”
She didn’t know who “he” was but Grant appeared pale and afraid. He darted into the side door of the kitchen and disappeared, leaving her standing alone. One glance toward the door of the restaurant though told her who “he” was.
Archer Caldwell.
He was hiding behind a column but she easily recognized him. His gaze was sweeping back and forth across the dining room, clearly looking for someone. Her? Nigel? Grant?
Dammit, she needed to get back to Bailey. Her friend had to be wondering if she’d fallen into the commode. Her heart in her throat, Willow darted across the corner of the dining room to the door to the outside dining area, not caring much if Archer saw her. In all probability, he already knew she was there with Nigel.
And maybe Grant.
Bailey was taking care of the check when she returned, tucking the receipt in her purse before looking up with an expression of annoyance.
“Where have you been? I was about to send out a search party.”
“I’ll explain when we’re away from here.”
Grabbing Bailey’s arm, Willow hopped over the short, wrought iron fence that separated the diners from the rest of the bustling crowd, dragging Bailey right behind her. Protesting and tugging at her arm, Bailey was finally able to pull it from Willow’s grasp but not before they were away from the restaurant and in a crowd of people.
“Have you lost your mind?” Bailey looked at Willow as if she’d gone crazy and perhaps she had. All the fear and paranoia was beginning to catch up with her. “Why did you do that?”
“I’d like to know too.” Josh stood just behind Bailey wearing a puzzled expression. “I was keeping an eye on you and all of the sudden you bolted from the restaurant as if someone was chasing you.”
They might be.
“Archer was in the restaurant looking for someone.” Willow kept her voice low. She didn’t know who was around that might be listening. “Grant Hollister was there as well. He intercepted me on the way back from the bathroom and we talked. He told me Archer is the killer and he has evidence. He’s going to show it to us tonight.”
Mouth hanging open, it took Bailey a minute to respond. “Okay, that’s a good reason for leaving me at the table. We should go get the guys and tell them.”
Rubbing his chin, Josh gave them a grim look. “They’ll be interested in hearing this but they’re a little b
usy now. You see, after Nigel left the cafe they saw him talking to Archer and they took off following them. They were headed over to the side street where Nigel parked his car.”
Frowning, Willow retrieved her phone from her purse to check for a message from Ellis. “Except that Archer was in the restaurant so he must have doubled back. Are they still following Nigel?”
The sound of an explosion tore through the air and the shock waves under the ground almost rocked them off their feet. Josh pushed both women against a large oak tree and covered them as best as he could with his body, his entire frame tense as they waited for a second explosion. Willow could hear the rush of blood in her ears as they stayed there, frozen for long moments even as the sound of screaming and running footsteps filled the air. All those noises seemed far away as she waited, barely breathing, for the next explosion to be even closer. Grant and Nigel had warned them.
A buzzing from Josh’s phone brought them out of their trance and he cursed softly before answering it, the conversation short and to the point. He hung up and stepped back, still keeping his body in front of theirs.
“That was Ellis. The explosion was Nigel’s vehicle.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Did he get in his car or not?”
Bailey’s tortured tone did nothing to calm Willow’s frayed nerves as they sat in her kitchen a little over two hours later. They’d hung around the site of the explosion for awhile, hoping to catch a glimpse of Archer again or maybe hear the rescue squad say something that might be helpful but eventually they’d returned home empty-handed.
Willow ran her fingers over Scout’s silky coat and nuzzled her nose against his cold, wet one. After the day she’d had, all she’d wanted was a cuddle with Scout and Brodie. Somehow they always managed to make her feel better. They’d been her constant companions since Alex died.
“I don’t know.” Ellis ran his fingers through his hair for the hundredth time. At this rate, he was going to be bald by the time they solved this mystery. “They both darted into the crowd and we lost them. Archer obviously went back to the cafe and Nigel must have gotten into his car. I’m guessing the explosion was tied to the ignition switch. I’m sorry, Bailey. I think he’s dead.”
Midnight Of No Return (Midnight Blue Beach Book 2) Page 17