Blind Faith (36 page)

"Someone tipped him off. Maybe Enrique, though he denies it. But the fact is, when the police arrived at the
Chenonceau
, arrest warrant in hand,
Syd
had vanished."

"But they're going to find him. The way they found
Magdalena
."

"I'm not sure. People like that always have an escape planned in the eventuality they ever have to make a quick exit. He could be anywhere, under an alias, wearing a disguise."

"They can get him when he goes to claim his money."

"I'm
sorry,
Victoria, but I doubt that very much. He's too clever not to have already transferred his money from the Caymans to another location."

"Son of a bitch."
Victoria
put Jonathan's picture back and stood up.

"That bastard killed my husband and got away with it." Tears ran down her face and she did nothing to stop them. "It's not fair, Kelly."

"I know, honey." Kelly walked over to her and wrapped her arms around
Victoria
's trembling shoulders. She held her for a while before saying, "What are you going to do about Phoebe?"

Victoria
dried her tears. "I'll have to tell her. Oh, God, Kelly, I don't know how. She's only five years old. She doesn't understand death."

Kelly remembered Nick telling her how Patti
Kolvic
had explained her husband's death to her children. "You could tell her he's gone on a long trip to heaven to be with the angels, but that he loves her and will always watch over her. That's what Matt
Kolvic's
widow told her two little girls."

Victoria
nodded and squared her shoulders, preparing herself for the ordeal ahead. Kelly watched her walk out of the room, then, with a heavy sigh, she sat down to wait for her mother and Gino.

* * *

Three hours later, Kelly was on her sofa, snuggled in Nick's arms, her back leaning against his chest. She gazed into the fire Nick had started after she'd come back from
Victoria
's house. Victoria and Phoebe had returned to Bryn
Mawr
as quickly as they could.

A lot had happened during her absence. Kathleen had called from
Aviano
to tell them that Joe
Massino's
boys were with her. They were fine, tired, a little confused, but in fairly good spirits. Each of them had talked to their father. They'd had a million questions for him and Joe had tried to answer them as best as he could without frightening them unnecessarily.

Unfortunately, Joe could still be facing charges of withholding information in exchange for money.
But because of his recent cooperation.
Nick and Captain Cross were trying to work out some kind of deal with the
Atlantic City
police so he wouldn't have to go to prison.
 
Victoria and Phoebe were being looked after by Cecily, who had returned to Bryn
Mawr
to be with her niece and help her make the necessary arrangements for Jonathan's funeral.

Still deep in her thoughts, Kelly gently stroked the arms that encircled her. "When I think of Victoria and Phoebe in that house," she said.

"All alone with that madman ..."

Nick tightened his hold around her. "Enrique will be put away for a long, long time, Kelly.
Stop thinking about him."

"I can't. I can't forget the way he looked at me in that cabin, with those cold, ruthless eyes. And the way he changed voices. It was creepy." She continued to watch the flames dance on the hearth. "How did he know your
voice.
Nick, when he had never met you?"

"
Syd
was in the habit of recording certain conversations that took place in his office. The one he and I had a week or so ago was in collection.

All Enrique had to do was
listen
to the tape and practice. The static he created while talking to you was just a precaution."

"That static should have been a dead giveaway. I was so stupid."

"No, you weren't." He kissed the top of her head.
"Enough of Enrique.

That's an order."

"You're right." She stretched her legs on the sofa, crossing them at the ankles. "Actually, I have something more important to discuss with you.
 
A confession of sorts."

Her spirits began to lift. "No. I'll take whatever punishment you want to give me."

"Tempting.
What did you do?"

"I promised two friends of mine that you would find them a job."

"I see. Anyone I know?"

"You know them." She paused. "Their names are Ralph and Ben. Ben is the man who witnessed your father's murder. I know you don't need him now that Enrique has made a full confession, but ..."

"But you made a promise and you'd like to honor it."

How well he knew her already. "Yes."

"Hmm.
What do they do, those two friends of yours?"

"I never asked, but I know they're good men, honest and proud."

She heard him chuckle. "You could tell all that from one conversation?"

This time she turned so she could look at him. "Cops don't have a monopoly on human intuition, you know." She saw him smile and gave his arm a little shake. "Is that a yes? You'll find them a job?"

She threw her arms around his neck. "You're wonderful."

"Not so fast,
Robolo
," he said, holding her back. "You don't think I do favors without expecting something in return, do you?"

She gave him a wicked smile. "I was about to take care of that, silly."

"That's not what I mean."

"You're turning me down?"

"No, I just want something more. Like ... a commitment that you're going to make this relationship work."

"Considering that you keep saying we're too much alike and are headed for disaster, it's a legitimate question."

"I thought you were the one with all the doubts."

"I never said that."

"You called me bullheaded."

"Only after you called me bossy."

"Well, you are." They held each other's gaze for a moment, then started to laugh and continued laughing until Nick kissed her.

As she lost herself in the kiss, she thought of telling him how much she loved him, how much she had come to depend on him, and how the thought of spending a single day without him scared her to death. But she didn't say anything. She would save that confession for another time.

"All right."
Kelly pulled away just enough to gaze into those serious blue eyes. "If a commitment is what you want, you'll get it.
As soon as you answer one question."

He cupped her face between his hands and brought it close to his.
"How about ... all the way?"