Behind the Shadows (37 page)

“Oh God.”

“Get out of there,” he said again.

“You think he's the person …?”

“I don't know. Could be.”

“He wouldn't try anything here. Everyone would know …”

“Dammit, don't argue with me. Do as I say.”

She turned off the phone. She couldn't leave now. Maybe he was wrong. But if he wasn't, Leigh was in terrible danger.

She didn't want to be a stupid heroine but neither could she drive off and leave Leigh alone. She just couldn't. And the police were on their way. And Chris.

She backed up and turned the car so that the driver's side faced the barn. She rolled down the window and called, “Leigh.”

Nothing.

Fear grew in her. Her breath seemed to solidify in her throat, and her heart beat wildly. Something was very, very wrong.

She looked to the pasture. Maude stood silently. Alert, as if she sensed something wrong. There was a stillness as she waited. A stillness as if the world had stopped.

What was happening to Leigh? What should she do? What if she was being harmed now? In just a few hours Leigh had become very important to her, and not just because of her mother. There had been something touching about her honesty.

She heard a scream come from inside the barn.

Then she saw the groom at the door, his arm around Leigh's throat. A gun was at her throat, and blood was running down the side of her neck.

“Join us,” the man said. “Unless you want me to kill her. Now.” The edge of the gun played along Leigh's neck. “Get out and come over here.”

“No!” Leigh cried out. “Go! Get out of here.”

“I'll kill her,” the groom said. “Right here and now. Just think … if you come in, you might save her life. And your mother's.”

“Why?” Kira asked, playing for time.

Another scream was torn from Leigh as he jabbed the barrel of the gun into her neck, breaking her skin again. “I swear I'll shoot,” the groom said. Terror was written all over Leigh's face.

“Okay,” Kira said. “Okay, I'm coming. Just … be careful with the gun.”

Stupid words. But she had no choice. She didn't doubt for a moment that he would do exactly what he said he would. There was a tinge of madness in his voice. Leigh would die, along with any chance her mother had. She had to play along now. He couldn't know she had called Chris and that he and the police were on the way. She felt for the pepper spray in her pocket and was only mildly comforted by the feel of it. He had a gun.

But if she could get him to talk …

She held out her hands in front of her as she moved toward him.

As she neared the door, he stepped back, still holding Leigh.

Where were the sirens? Or had it been only a few seconds? It felt like hours.

He moved behind the door as she walked in, her hands still up. Then the door banged shut behind her. Leigh was pushed to the floor, and he turned the gun on Kira.

“Why?” Kira said as she looked around the barn. She wanted to leave as much distance between Leigh and herself as possible.

“Not another step, or you both die right now.”

“You were the shooter at city hall?”

“How astute of you.”

“And you pushed me?”

“No, I would have succeeded. An acquaintance of mine earned a few dollars doing that.”

“And your aunt? Does she know …”

“My mother, you mean?”

A small noise came from Leigh, who sat where she'd been pushed down against the wall.

“Yeah, my mother. And old Westerfield was my father. Not that either claimed me.” There was a vicious hatred in his voice. “This should have been mine. It will be mine.”

“You can't get away with it …”

“You don't think so? Who's going to stop me? You were visiting with the princess here when you both were attacked by Mr. Payton. He tried to start a fire to hide the crime but was caught in the flames.”

“No one will believe you.”

“They will when they find certain evidence left by Mr. Payton, along with his body. After all, he's the only one who had access to the gun closet, to the rifle that killed that woman at city hall, to this gun. His fingerprints will be on both. Not mine. Not only that, I have an alibi. I was with my dear mother. Helping with the shopping. We came home to find a killer burning the barn down.”

Keep him talking
. “No one will believe Max turned into a crazed killer,” she said, risking his wrath.

“Of course they will. He's killed before.” He smiled suddenly. “You didn't know that. Well, I did. I made it my business to know everything about this family.”

Max? Killed before? “I don't believe you.”

“I don't care what you believe. Needless to say the police do.” His eyes narrowed. “Move closer to the princess.”

She took one step closer. “What happened to the guards?”

“They were fired a few hours ago. The call was made from Payton's home. When I finish with you, I'll call him. A small problem with my mother.”

Talking. Keep him talking
. “No one will believe he's that stupid.”

“Oh, I think they will. He got away with murder before. When you showed up, he saw his gravy train derailing.”

Kira's heart dropped. She didn't believe it. She couldn't. But he obviously did. She exchanged glances with Leigh. She had to keep him talking. “You said Mr. Westerfield was your father? That can't be.”

“You don't think so?” he said with a mirthless grin. “Well, meet your newest relative. Too bad we won't have a chance to get to know each other better.”

37

Max was halfway to the house when he answered a call from his secretary.

“After you left, I received a call from the security company. They said their men had been called off the gate at your home. They wanted to know if something was wrong …”

“Called off?”

“They said you called them, talked to the secretary, and said they'd done a, quote, ‘piss-poor job,' and they were fired.”

“They left?”

“Yes. I knew you wanted guards there, and you didn't say anything to me about canceling the contract. So I thought you should know …”

“You thought right. Call Mark Peeples and tell him I
am
displeased now, and to get his people back there.”

“I tried. He's out of town.”

“Who called?”

“A Mr. Billings.”

Max hung up and cursed. He didn't know the name. Probably some low-level manager who panicked while the boss was gone. Even as he pressed down on the gas pedal, he called Chris Burke on the cell phone. When the man answered, Max said simply, “Someone using my name called off the guards.”

“I know,” Chris said. “Kira and Leigh went to the Westerfield home. Some emergency with one of the horses. Kira called to report the guards were gone and said Leigh had gone in the barn. I've already called the police. I'm on the way, too. Probably fifteen minutes away.”

“I'm about ten.”

Rick. It had to be Rick.

Stupid
. He'd been blind. He'd never considered Rick as a suspect because there didn't seem to be a motive. Nor had he considered Mrs. Baker. She'd been part of the family forever.

Maybe Rick held something over her. Maybe he had blackmailed her or threatened her into doing something …

The why didn't matter right now. He sped up, passed a car going the speed limit. Icy fear twisted around his heart as he swerved in and out of traffic, running a red light and barely missing a turning car.

He would welcome a police car but he saw none, even though he was going over seventy in a forty-five speed limit. He finally got out of the main traffic and onto the road leading to the house. He listened for the wail of police cars heading toward the estate, but heard none.

This was the county, not city, and the response time was slower. How long ago had Burke called the cops?

He
had
to get there in time. He was only too aware he had no weapon with him, but probably Rick didn't expect anyone from the agency to call his office. If he could just throw him off …

He hadn't realized until this moment how much he cared for Kira, how much life she had brought into his. And Leigh? Pain coursed through him as he thought how many obstacles she'd faced and battled.

For the first time in his life, he prayed.

Leigh tried to think as she heard Rick's mocking words. Blood ran down her neck from where the edge of the gun barrel had scraped her skin. Terror threatened to paralyze her as she glanced from Rick to Kira.

He'd been waiting just inside the door as she entered the barn. He had jerked her head back and jabbed the gun into her neck as he forced her outside to lure Kira inside …

Kira entered the barn first. Rick motioned her to the side of the first stall and shoved Leigh down on the floor. She landed between two bales of straw he was to have put in the stalls this morning.

Then he picked up a rifle standing against the wall and tucked his pistol into his waistband. She recognized the rifle as one owned by her grandfather, the one that had gone missing.

She wasn't going to be a victim. She'd played that role far too long. Rick was staring at Kira, obviously believing her to be the greatest risk. She noticed that Kira had moved slightly to the left, away from her.

Trying to give her a chance
.

Had Rick noticed it?

She tried to look cowed as she searched for something she could use as a weapon. It wasn't hard. She was terrified. She prayed Kira had that pepper spray with her. Her gaze fastened on a muckrake leaning against the wall. It should have been hung in its place. More evidence of Rick's carelessness. Why had she kept him on?

For Mrs. Baker. No other reason. Where was Mrs. Baker? Was she involved? And Rick? Her son? She couldn't wrap her mind around that thought.

“Why?” she asked, starting to rise. “Why are you doing this?”

Rick stiffened, then turned to her. “Ah, the little lamb has found some guts. Maybe this will be more fun than I thought.”

“Why?” she asked again.

“Because you have what should have been mine,” he finally said. His gaze bored into her, but his rifle remained trained on Kira. He was concentrating on the real threat. “Useless princess.”

“You said Grandfather was your father. That's crazy.”

“Crazy, maybe, but true. The respectable Mrs. Baker was nothing more than a whore to your grandfather.”

Kira took a step forward, and Rick jerked the rifle back toward her. “Move over to the princess.”

Kira didn't move. “You're delusional,” she said, taunting him.

Leigh knew Kira, too, was playing for time, but it frightened her. She saw Rick's jaw tighten, his fingers caressing the trigger. He was itching to use it, but he wanted to gloat even more. He wanted to vent his anger against her family. He wanted power he'd never had. It was all in his eyes.

“Westerfield fucked her, then told her to get rid of the baby,” Rick said. “Like a piece of garbage. And she did. She dumped me on her sister. I found out when Ma died.”

“That doesn't mean Grandfather was your father.”

“Ma claimed he was.”

“Did Mrs. Baker confirm it?” Kira asked, again drawing his attention.

He scowled, and she knew the answer.

“Because he wasn't.” A familiar voice came from the shadows in the barn.
Mrs. Baker's voice
.

All three of them turned toward the sound. Mrs. Baker must have entered through the back door that led to the pasture. She'd obviously been listening. How long had she been there?

Alma Baker appeared from the dim light. Rick stood still in shock, his gaze riveting on the woman who stood in the shadows. “You said you were going to visit a friend.” His voice was accusatory.

“I came back early. You seemed too eager to get rid of me.”

“And you wanted to join my little party. Now you'll have to die, too.”

“I don't care now,” Mrs. Baker said. “You killed innocent people. You want to kill Leigh. I won't have it.”

“You started it,” he said with a strange smile.

“I wanted you to scare off a fraud. That's the only reason I told you about Kira Douglas. I didn't want you to kill her. Or anyone else.”

“Who's going to believe you?”

A tear ran down Mrs. Baker's cheek. Leigh had never seen Mrs. Baker cry, or even show much emotion.

“Mr. Westerfield wasn't your father,” she said again. “I never told you he was.”

“But Ma said …”

“I never told Susie who the father was. She might have thought she knew. She didn't. It was wrong of her to tell you about me, to speculate about your father.”

“You're lying!”

“No. No longer. I welcomed you when you came here. I was happy that Susie told you that you were my biological son, not hers. My chance to make up for so much.”

“Then who was my father?”

Rick's face had turned ugly, his eyes glaring at the woman.

“I don't know. I was raped. I was stupid. I accepted a ride from someone I didn't know after my car broke down. When it happened, I was ashamed, too ashamed to admit it to anyone, much less to Mr. Westerfield. He was a stickler on morals. I told him I was leaving to marry a soldier. A year later, I said he died on a special mission, and I wanted to come back.”

“I don't believe you,” Rick said flatly.

“I never told you or Susie that Mr. Westerfield was the father. I didn't tell you about the rape. I thought it would hurt you.” She hesitated, then added, “For God's sake, if you were his son, he would have claimed you. He was desperate for a son.”

“Ma told me you loved him. Admitted it to her.”

“She was right,” Mrs. Baker said. “I did love him. That's the reason I stayed so long. But he never saw me that way. He loved his Isobel until the day she died, and he never stopped. I was never more than a housekeeper to him.”