The Lies That Bind (29 page)

My ladies’ chests were thrust forward, shoulders pulled back, hair fluffed more often, and laughter a bit more high-pitched. And maybe it was just me, but you could cut the tension with a bone folder. It felt as though an eternity passed before class was finally finished for the evening.

Alice was the last to leave. She waved excitedly, then flashed a stealthy look at Derek and gave me a thumbs-up. It was something a girlfriend would do.

I smiled and waved, but as soon as she was out the door, I slumped against the table, exhausted. Either she was a psychopathic killer or I had just betrayed a budding friendship. Either way, I felt sick at heart.

Derek stood behind me and massaged my shoulders. “You’ll feel much better once we’ve cleared her of any wrongdoing.”

I turned around and faced him. “You promise? Because right now I feel pretty awful. I wouldn’t blame her if she never spoke to me again.”

“She need never know,” he whispered. “And it’s all for a good cause.” He planted a kiss on the corner of my mouth. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes.” I grabbed my bag and we walked out arm in arm. In the gallery, Karalee was finishing up a small group tour of the facilities. There had been a lot more visitors this week because of the Twisted festival, and the hours had been extended. Refreshments were served all day, as well, and the caterers were starting to clean up.

Leaning close to Derek, I whispered, “Did you get some good photos?”

“I managed to get a number of close-ups of all the key players,” he said, his lips close to my ear. Tingles resonated across my skin as he moved his mouth along my neck. It took me a minute to recall that we were in the middle of the gallery in full view of people, talking about him taking pictures of possible murder suspects.

“Good job,” I managed, and exhaled. “The sooner Gabriel can look at the shots, the sooner we’ll be able to put an end to this charade.”

Derek drove to my place and parked the Bentley in the visitors’ space in the garage. “Do you think we can sneak in without anyone noticing?”

I laughed. “Not if we take the elevator.”

“Where are the stairs?”

“Right over there.”

“Good.” He touched my cheek, his hand warm on my skin as he turned my face toward his. He leaned in and kissed me and I savored the sensation. I was disarmed by his gentleness as his hands slipped through my hair and he pulled me closer.

His phone trilled loudly in the quiet of his car.

Derek groaned. “I’m going to throw that thing away.”

“It’s me, I’m cursed,” I said, flopping back in my seat. “Don’t blame the phone.”

He answered the call. After a minute, he hung up and leaned back against the headrest. With eyes closed, he said, “The prime minister’s jealous son-in-law just tried to kill Gunther.”

 

I spent another restless night alone. At four a.m., I couldn’t stand it any longer. I called Derek to get the scoop on Gunther and his would-be killer.

“Gunther is shaken but safe,” he said, his voice weary. “The son-in-law and his accomplice are both being held in jail until they can be processed for extradition.”

“Do you know what happened?”

“Yes, Gunther was club-hopping in North Beach and met a woman. She wanted to leave and Gunther didn’t want my men following him, so he pretended to use the toilet but instead snuck outside through the kitchen. When he circled around to the front sidewalk, he was assaulted. The son-in-law stood nearby as his henchman tried to stab Gunther.”

“That’s horrible,” I said, not adding what I thought of a man who paid thousands of dollars for protection and refused to use it.

“Yes, it is,” Derek said. “It’s lucky that my men are used to Gunther’s stupidity. They were there in time to rescue him and apprehend his attacker.”

“I’m glad it’s over,” I said.

“Yes, so am I.”

So this was it. He would leave town in the next few days and that would be the end of our budding friendship—or whatever it was. I wished him sweet dreams and we hung up. I was certain I wouldn’t sleep another wink, but I managed to doze off after a while.

 

Saturday morning, Derek picked me up at nine o’clock and we drove to Sonoma in record time. As we wound our way through Sausalito and into San Rafael, I finally related Guru Bob’s story of Gabriel.

“And this happened five years ago?” Derek said.

“Yes.”

He thought for another moment. “And Robson said Gabriel came to him asking for sanctuary?”

“That’s what he said. Why?”

“I’m not sure.” He shrugged. “It’s one big long shot, any way you look at it. If Gabriel doesn’t recognize anyone in the photos, we’re back to square one. And even if he does recognize someone, will he be willing to leave the security of Dharma to help us set a trap?”

“I think he will,” I said. After all, a man who would climb a mountain in Afghanistan during a tribal war to save people wouldn’t let a little threat of death slow him down.

We discussed a wager over whose photo Gabriel might recognize. My money was on Naomi. Or Cynthia. Or Ned. Anyone but Alice. The thought that I might’ve brought a brutal killer into my home and introduced her to my friends caused me physical pain.

Derek told me that he’d actually considered calling the police the night before to give them the benefit of our brainstorming session. But at the last minute, he’d decided against it. He was still feeling the burn of his own recent interrogation and we weren’t sure anything would come of this plan. So for now, we would operate on our own. If something broke open, we would turn things over to Inspectors Lee and Jaglom immediately.

I was only now realizing how traumatic it must’ve been for him to be taken in for questioning. Days later, I could tell it still disturbed him, that the very institutions he’d pledged his life to serve had refused to believe him. Talk about betrayal.

I hoped the drive to Sonoma would help ease some of the tension he was feeling. As I stared out at the rolling, vine-covered hills, I could feel my own stress seeping away from my shoulder muscles. My neck was looser than it had been in a few days. Then Derek took hold of my hand and everything smoothed out. I felt at peace. I knew it wouldn’t last, but at the moment, life was perfect.

“Have you spoken with Savannah?” he asked, interrupting my perfect thoughts.

I gasped. In all the hubbub of the last twenty-four hours, I’d forgotten to ask Savannah about Alice. I pulled out my cell phone, pushed her number, and waited. When she answered, I asked the question. She had to think back for a few seconds.

“It was an odd moment, now that you ask,” she said.

“How so?”

“Alice and I were walking back to Annie’s to find you. Then I saw you standing outside of Annie’s store a block or so away and I pointed you out to Alice. That’s when I saw Gabriel walking into town. He’s a pretty one, isn’t he?”

I mumbled my agreement.

“Okay, so just then, Alice grabbed hold of her stomach. I thought she was going to be sick right there.”

“Was she?”

“She said she needed to find a bathroom and went tearing off. I yelled at her to go to China’s, because she has one at the back of her store, but I don’t think she heard me. She ran across the street and disappeared down the walkway between the baby shop and Peregrine.”

Peregrine was a French bistro on the Lane.

“What did you do?” I asked.

“I went on to Annie’s,” Savannah said. “I figured Alice would end up there eventually. It was maybe another ten minutes later that we heard someone had been hurt. By then, Alice had returned and we all ran down to find you.”

It was my turn to feel sick. I blew out a breath and looked at Derek. He watched me with concern in his eyes.

If Alice had seen Gabriel walking toward me, she would have had ample time to hide between two of the stores on the other side of the street and take aim at him.

In my heart, I knew that Alice had tried to kill Gabriel. I just didn’t know why.

That would mean she’d had a gun with her the whole time. All during our drive up to Dharma, the few minutes she’d spent with my mother, all the while she’d been at the spa, at the hospital, at my parents’ home for dinner.

It was my worst nightmare come true. I’d brought a ruthless killer into my family’s home. It wasn’t easy to admit, but I knew what I had to do now.

“Will we see you later?” Savannah asked, her tone gentle.

“I’ll be at Mom’s for a little while but then I have to get back to the city.”

We ended the call, and I related to Derek everything she’d said.

He nodded once, his jaw rigid. “Let’s go talk to Gabriel.”

Gabriel lay pale and groggy under a fluffy white blanket and crisp blue sheets, a stack of soft pillows beneath his head. His left temple was swathed in a large gauze bandage crisscrossed with white surgical tape. It hurt to see him laid out like this.

Around his wrist was a ratty-looking bracelet made of yarn and strips of cloth woven together with sticks and willow twigs and a bundle of something. Herbs? Bat-wing powder? Was this Mom’s attempt at a Wiccan healing bracelet? If so, it was kind of gross.

Derek had stopped to talk to Dad for a minute, but then he walked into the bedroom and I watched his eyes widen, then narrow as he got his first look at Gabriel. His jaw flexed and I wondered what was going through his mind.

I looked down at Gabriel, then back at Derek, whose expression was now impassive.

“Maybe we shouldn’t wake him up,” Mom whispered, nervously clasping and unclasping her hands against her chest. “He didn’t sleep well last night. He’s still having nightmares.”

“It’s important,” Derek said.

“I’m awake,” Gabriel mumbled. His eyes remained closed, but his mouth was set in a scowl.

“I’m so sorry,” I said softly.

His eyes blinked open. “Hey, babe.”

Derek frowned.

I smiled. “Gabriel. How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a bus.”

“Poor baby,” I murmured.

He tapped his left cheek. “It hurts right here. Maybe you’d like to...”

“Easy, tiger,” I said with a grin. “I don’t think you’ve met Derek Stone.”

Gabriel stared up at Derek with one eye open. He blinked once, then held his gaze steadily. After a long moment, he said, “Haven’t had the pleasure.”

“Nor I,” Derek replied.

“Derek Stone,” I said, “this is Gabriel . . . uh, Gabriel.” I still had no clue what his last name was.

“Gabriel’s good enough,” he muttered, and with what seemed like superhuman strength, given his current condition, he whipped the blanket off and sat up. I figured he wasn’t about to remain in bed when another alpha dog stepped into the room.

Gabriel shoved his hand forward and Derek gripped it in a tight handshake. “Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure’s mine,” Derek said.

“Well, isn’t this lovely?” Mom said, as she gazed affectionately at both Derek and Gabriel. “Everyone’s friends now.”

She really needed to find a hobby.

“Gabriel,” I said, sitting on the small chair Mom had placed by his bed, “Derek has something we’d like you to take a look at.”

“Yeah?” he said slowly and gazed up at Derek, his forehead furrowed in suspicion.

Derek tapped his smart phone until he found the best shot of Alice, then handed the phone to Gabriel.

Gabriel blinked to clear his vision, then stared at the screen. He shook his head, blinked again. “Mary Grace?”

“Mary Grace?” I frowned at Gabriel, then at Derek, then back at Gabriel. “Who’s Mary Grace?”

He glared at me, then Derek, then back at the phone. “What the hell is Mary Grace Flanagan doing on your phone?”

“Who’s Mary Grace?” I persisted.

He ignored me and looked straight at Derek. “What’s she done now?”

“She may be implicated in a double murder,” Derek said straight out. “And she may have been the one who shot you. Can you tell us how you know her?”

Gabriel blew out a heavy breath. “I married her.”

“What?!” I might’ve shrieked it because he winced, while Derek stroked my shoulder as if I were a spooked horse.

“When?” Derek asked.

“Why?” I demanded.

Gabriel shook his head, then laughed without humor. “She was running a scam. We needed to appear married. It’s not important, but you should know that Mary Grace is very, very good at what she does.”

“Which is what, exactly?” Derek asked.

Gabriel told an amazing story. Mary Grace Flanagan had indeed been raised by nuns in a Catholic orphanage and she was a bad seed from the start. Gabriel had met her more than ten years earlier in Bahrain, when he was involved in a Tylos pearl scam and she was smuggling Russian iconic antiquities through the Middle East and into Western Europe. He was twenty-two years old and she was ten years older. They became lovers, but never trusted each other. The thrill wore off quickly as it turned out that there was, after all, no honor among thieves. Gabriel stuck close to her, though, as she geared up to move a shipment of forged Dead Sea Scrolls into France. She hoped to pass them off as newly discovered Qumran cave scrolls, but the shipment never went through and Mary Grace disappeared off the face of the earth.

I couldn’t get a clear picture of Gabriel and Mary Grace together. Gabriel refused to elaborate. What did she mean to him? Had he been trying to set her up or had he been in on the deal?

“I’m not surprised to hear it’s Mary Grace who shot me,” Gabriel said darkly. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“She shot you before?” I asked, fascinated.

“She tried,” he said. Then he cast a look at Derek. “If you’re setting a trap, I want in.”

“I’m not sure you’re up to it,” Derek said mildly.

Gabriel stood. “I’m up to it.”

“I’ve made sandwiches,” Mom announced from the doorway. “There are chips and cookies, too.”