Don't Say a Word

by Barbara Freethy

"Why didn't you tell me who you were when you came to the radio station?" Julia asked. "Why did you speak to me in Russian?"

  "I wasn't sure it was you. I wanted to know if you could understand me. But you had forgotten everything. Then your friends came. I knew the time wasn't right. But you're safe now. You're both safe."

  While Elena and Roland tentatively embraced, Julia moved into Alex's arms. "Thanks for coming to save me," she said.

  "I thought I was going to be too late," he said tightly. "But you saved yourself."

  "With Elena's help. She knocked Brady out with a chair while I was trying to get the gun."

  "You went after Brady?" he asked in amazement.

  "It was our only chance. It was probably stupid."

  "Probably," Alex agreed. "And amazingly brave."

  "You were brave, too. You went after Roland before you knew he was a friend. When Brady left the two of you fighting, I was so afraid you were going to be hurt or killed. I begged him to turn back, but he wouldn't. He said he called for backup, but that must have been a lie, part of his plan. He needed us to get the jewels and the money. That's all he wanted." She paused, seeing the truth in his eyes, but still she had to say it. "Brady told us that he killed our parents. He thought he already had the stones. They set him up. I guess in the end they didn't trust him as much as we did."

  "Maybe they knew him better. Don't beat yourself up, Julia. Hindsight is always crystal clear."

  "I know." She touched the swelling around his right eye. "I think you're going to have another black eye."

  "It was worth it." He paused, his lips tightening. "God, Julia. I thought I might lose you today."

  She blinked back a tear at the raw emotion in his voice. She didn't know if she could call it love, but it was something. She pressed her mouth to his, kissing him with everything she had. It ended all too soon as the sound of sirens intruded and grew louder and louder.

  "I think we have company," Alex said. Fire engines and police converged on the block.

  "We're going to have a lot to explain." She opened her hand and showed him the stones. "These were hidden in the icon."

  "That's what Roland thought. Put them away for now," Alex advised. He reached for his cell phone. "This time I'm going to call for backup."

  "Who?"

  "My father. I think it's time he came all the way out of hiding."

  "Brady fooled him, too. He played everyone. He was very clever." She looked at the burning house and said with a degree of vengeful satisfaction, "And now he's dead."

  Chapter 22

  It was after midnight before Julia, Elena, Alex, and Roland returned to Elena's apartment to regroup. They'd spent the entire day and evening being questioned by local police and numerous government agencies. The entire story had finally become clear. What had once been thought to be a politically motivated murder had in fact been precipitated by simple, old-fashioned greed, a greed that had nothing to do with nationality.

  Once Brady had learned of the existence of the jewels, he had become obsessed with having them for himself. In talking to various government agents, Julia and Alex had learned more about Brady's background. He'd grown up poor and found his ticket out of a Detroit slum at an army recruitment office. While in the army he'd become an expert with explosives. He'd later worked his way up to Intelligence and eventually a career as a spy.

  For Brady it had never been about ideals or political freedom or national security; it had been about adventure, excitement, and fortune. On more than one occasion various valuable objects had disappeared under Brady's watch, but no one had ever suspected the career spy of working more than one side, until they raided his apartment in New York City and found a stash of priceless art, jewelry, and cash. Brady had apparently lived well away from the spotlight, and he'd covered his tracks until now. His obsession with the jewels that had once eluded him had made him reckless and careless. Today Brady had been caught in a trap of his own making. Julia supposed there was some justice in that.

  "I must say you brought a great deal of excitement with you," Elena said to Julia as she slipped off her shoes and stretched out her legs. "I've never had a day like this one."

  "I hope you're not sorry I found you." Julia sat down across from her. Alex was outside talking to Roland, and for the first time since they'd been trapped in the house with Brady, she and Elena were alone.

  "Of course not," Elena said with a definitive shake of her head.

  Julia was relieved to see the color back in her sister's face and the sparkle in her eyes. "You know, I wouldn't have made it out of there alive if it hadn't been for you."

  "Likewise. If you hadn't jumped on Brady, he would have locked us in that room. Are you always that impulsive?"

  "I'm afraid so," Julia replied with a sheepish grin. "One of my many bad habits. But you were pretty impulsive yourself, grabbing that chair and knocking him out. I was impressed."

  "Desperation breeds courage and creative ideas." Elena gave Julia a thoughtful look. "What's next, Julia?"

  "I haven't had time to think about the future. I've been a little busy."

  "You have a life to get back to, family who love you, friends who are probably worried about you, a job…" Her voice trailed away as she picked at an errant thread on the sofa cushion. "And I have my life to continue here. I guess there's always the phone and email."

  "Oh, Elena, please come to San Francisco with me," Julia said. "I want you to meet my family. They'll be your family, too."

  "You really are impulsive," Elena said with a small smile. "You should think about that some more, Julia. Your family is not my family. They would surely consider me an outsider, probably even a threat to their relationship with you, especially your sister, Liz. I've been the outsider before, the one people had to tolerate. I'm done with that."

  The sadness in her voice broke Julia's heart. She frowned, wishing once again that Elena hadn't had to suffer so much. "You're wrong, Elena. My father, Gino, is wonderful and kind and generous. All the DeMarcos are like that. They adopted me, and they always made me feel welcome. I know that once they understand the story, they'll do the same for you." She paused. "And I really need another blonde in the family. Everyone else has dark hair, and I've always stood out. Please just don't say no," she added hastily when Elena began to interrupt. "Think about it. If you want, I'll go home first and fill everyone in; then you can come and visit, at least."

  "I have the shop to run. And—"

  "And you can still take a few days off. I'm sure of that."

  "You don't know how busy I am, and I only have a handful of part-time employees."

  "You can do it if you want to," Julia said firmly. "And you should want to, because we're sisters. And this is important to me."

  Elena rolled her eyes. "You're trying to make me feel guilty."

  "Is it working?" Julia asked with a grin. "I really want you to meet Liz. She might be restrained at first, but she will love having another sister."

  "Impulsive and optimistic," Elena said. "I will think about it, but not tonight. My mind is too tired." She paused, her gaze moving to Julia's handbag. "You know, we never read that letter."

  "You're right. I'll get it." Julia jumped to her feet. They'd retained the letter, but the music scores and the jewels, as well as the check, had been placed in another safe-deposit box at a different bank, just in case Brady had any other associates looking for a shot at the treasure. "I know one of the government agents read it," Julia said as she took the letter out of her purse. "He told me it was personal, with no evidence against Brady." She stared down at it, hesitating. "I'm a little scared. I think we know everything now, but maybe there's more."

  "Let's hope the worst is over," Elena said. "If it isn't, at least we're together."

  Julia smiled at her sister, then pulled the single piece of paper out of the envelope. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized the letter was written in Russian. "I can't read it," she said with extreme disappointment. "We'll have
to get it translated."

  "I can read it," Elena replied.

  Julia raised an eyebrow. "You remember Russian?"

  "No. I took some classes a while ago. It made me feel closer to the family I'd lost." She took the paper from Julia's hand. After a moment, she began to read:

  "My dearest girls, if you are reading this letter, then your father and I are probably gone. Perhaps we are wrong to risk everything for freedom, but it is love that drives us—our love for you, and our love for each other. We are counting on our friends to deliver us safely to America. If that doesn't happen, we pray that you both will grow up in a world that allows you to express yourselves and be who you will be, without restriction. Please don't be sad. Don't grieve for us. Be happy. Find love and joy in your lives. That is everything we wish for you. You will forever be in our hearts. Love, Mama and Papa."

  Julia blinked back tears and saw that Elena's cheeks were wet as well. "Our parents were willing to risk their lives for freedom and love, and Brady betrayed them for a fortune," she said.

  "I wonder if there was any one moment when they knew the truth," Elena murmured.

  "It probably happened too fast. At least Brady died the same way. There's some justice in that. That sounds cold, doesn't it? But I'm not sorry he's dead."

  "I'm not, either."

  Julia leaned back in her chair, thinking about the note and her parents. Her mother's face was beginning to come into her mind more and more. She could even hear her voice. The memories were finally returning. "Mama was beautiful," she said, looking over at Elena. "And so brave. I've never had that much courage."

  "You did today."

  "Because I had to be brave. I was backed into a corner."

  "So were our parents."

  "I think Mama would have been happy to know that you became a dancer and followed in her footsteps."

  "For a while, anyway."

  "Both of your careers were cut too short."

  Elena nodded. "Life is never fair or easy."

  They both turned as the front door opened and Alex came in. His right eye was purple and swollen, his clothes wrinkled and smelling of smoke. "I'm going to take off," he said, surprising Julia with his words.

  She got to her feet. "What do you mean? Where are you going?"

  "To find a hotel room and get some sleep. Roland will give me a ride. He has a rental car."

  "You can stay here," Julia said quickly, not wanting him to leave. She hadn't had two minutes alone with him all day.

  He offered her a weary smile. "I'll pass on another night on the couch. I'll come by in the morning and we'll go to the airport together—unless you're going to stay here for a few days?"

  "No, I need to get home and tell everyone what I've learned."

  "Then we'll leave tomorrow. There's a flight at noon. Will that be all right?"

  "Sure." She followed him to the door and out into the hall, put off by his cool tone. "Alex, do you want me to come with you tonight?" She held her breath, waiting for his answer. Because she would go with him in a second. She just couldn't read him right now. She didn't know what he wanted from her. Was he pulling away because he wanted to give her more time with her sister… or was he just pulling away?

  "No, you should stay with Elena," he said briskly. "We'll catch up tomorrow."

  "Are you all right?"

  "I'm fine."

  She frowned, wondering if he'd ever give her a different answer than that. She had no choice but to accept it. "Okay." She leaned forward and tried to kiss him on the mouth, but he moved, and she caught the side of his cheek. Then he was gone.

  Was he just tired and looking for a good night's sleep? Was that the reason for his distance? Or was this the beginning of the end?

  Alex pretended to sleep on the flight back to San Francisco. He knew Julia wanted to talk, but he didn't. There was too much to say, and yet there was nothing to say. It was over. She finally had her answers, and he had his. There was no more left to do. He could return to work, and he was looking forward to that.

  He hadn't picked up his camera since Julia had come knocking on his door a week ago. So much had happened in the past nine days. His entire life story had changed, and so had hers. They were both different people now.

  The flight attendant came on with the announcement that they were preparing to land in San Francisco. Julia put her seat back up and gave him a speculative, serious look. "Where are you going when we leave the airport?"

  "Home, then to my mother's house. After that I'm going to find Stan." He'd been thinking about his father's friend all way the home. It had occurred to him that nowhere in their discussions the day before had Stan's name come up. Why was that? Why hadn't any of the government agents they'd spoken to known of Stan's role in the defection?

  "I'd forgotten about Stan," Julia murmured, her gaze catching his. "Your father said he set the defection plans in motion, yet no one mentioned him yesterday."

  It scared Alex that he and Julia had begun to think exactly the same. They'd gotten so close. He almost didn't know where he left off and she began.

  "Do you think Stan knew about Brady's double cross?" she continued. "I mean, he was the one who contacted Brady about us. He could have been working with him, setting us up to lead them to the jewels." She blew out a sigh. "I thought this was over, but maybe it's not. Maybe I'll always be looking over my shoulder, wondering who's going to come after me next."

  "It won't be Stan. I'll make sure of that. If he's guilty of anything, I will see that he pays for what he did. I can promise you that."

  "That's a lot of I's.' What happened to 'we'?"

  He shrugged. "You have your life, your twin sister, your other sister, your gazillion relatives, your music. I'm sure you'll be busy. I can take care of Stan on my own."

  "Where are you going next?"

  "Wherever my next assignment is," he said flatly, trying to ignore the hurt look in her eyes.

  "We're not going to talk about us, are we?" she asked.

  He didn't answer. What could he say? They were sitting in the middle of a crowded airplane, people all around them. It was hardly the moment for that kind of talk. Not that he intended to find that moment. "I don't do goodbyes."

  "So I wasn't going to get one?"

  "Julia, this isn't the time or the place."

  "I don't know about that. You're trapped in your seat. You can't escape. It seems to me the best chance I have for getting a straight answer."

  He was glad to hear the lighter note in her voice, even if it was forced. He liked emotional scenes even less than goodbyes. "I think your life will be very full when Elena comes out to visit you and your family."

  "She's coming only for a few days. Then she'll go back to her life in Washington DC."

  "And you'll return to your life. You can pursue your music passion with that extra bit of cash you inherited. And I'm sure the jewels and the musical scores are quite valuable."

  "I won't sell them. I'll keep them in the family. That's where they belong, although I might see if I can get an orchestra to play my great-grandfather's music. It should be heard." She paused. "What about your dad?"

  Alex shrugged. "I'm sure he'll go on doing whatever he was doing." It occurred to Alex that he didn't even know what that was. Maybe someday he'd take the time to find out, but not any day soon. Julia gave him a long stare that told him she wasn't happy with his answer. "Hey, he chose to be separate. Don't try to make me feel guilty."

  "He did that to protect you."

  "Does that mean you've forgiven Sarah for doing the same thing to you? For lying about everything in your past?"

  She nodded slowly. "I'm going to try. Sarah gave me a wonderful life. And my parents were already gone. Who knows what would have happened to me without her? I think Sarah hurt her parents more than she hurt me. Like you, they had to believe someone they loved was dead. Which reminds me. Susan isn't my biological grandmother. I hate to take that away from her, too."

  "At leas
t she has Liz."

  "That's my next goal—to persuade Liz to see her. I'm going to blend these families together if it's the last thing I do."

  He smiled at her determination. "I don't have any doubts that you'll succeed. You're a strong woman, Julia."

  "Stronger now, I think. You helped, you know. I couldn't have survived this past week without you."

  The wheels of the plane touched down on the ground, and within minutes they were parked at the gate.

  "I'll catch a cab home," Julia said as she released her seat belt.

  He was surprised by her words, having been sure he would face the inevitable goodbye at her apartment.

  "I can give you a ride," he said halfheartedly. "My car is here. It's no problem."

  "That's all right. I can see that you want to be on your way."

  She looked at him with her beautiful blue eyes, and it took every ounce of strength he possessed not to weaken. "All right," he said. "If that's the way you want it."

  "Thanks again, Alex."

  "I don't need your thanks."

  Her smile grew sad. "I know. You don't need anything from me. You made that really clear. And it's okay. I don't have any regrets." She got up and joined the crowd of people leaving the plane.

  Alex sat in his seat until everyone was gone. She might not have regrets, but he certainly did.

  When Alex pulled up in front of his mother's house an hour later, he was stunned to see a man walking up the steps. Damn him!

  Alex jumped out of the car and caught up to his father before he rang the bell. "What are you doing here?"

  "I came to tell your mother the truth," Charles said, his words heavy and filled with emotion.

  His father had cleaned up a bit and was wearing slacks and a brown sport coat over a white shirt, but Alex knew that his appearance would still scare the life out of his mother. "You can't just show up at her door," he told him. "You might give her a heart attack. Let me prepare her."

  "It's my lie, not yours. I thought you were still in Washington."

  "I just got back," Alex said. His father had been part of several conference calls the day before, so he was completely up to speed on everything that had gone down. "By the way, have you spoken to Stan?"