Deadly Magic (28 page)

“
Then there was the time in Kiev.” Ethan handed them another photo. This time depicting a man with his hands tied behind his back, a hood over his head and a noose over his neck. Grace noticed it was the same blue hood that someone had thrown over Belle’s head the day before. “Someone in the audience had to save him that time.”

Grace laid the photo down on the table.
“Sounds like he has a death wish.”

“
Then there was another incident in Paris, but details are very sketchy. Ilya apparently paid the owners of the theater off.”

“
For what?” Grace asked.

“
Fire damage. No deaths, but—”

Valerie interrupts,
“Where is he now?”

“
Aleksis was jailed for arson in Columbia. They dropped the arson charges, but then charged him with three counts of escape.”

“
We know that,” Valerie said. “Is he still there? Hopefully.”

Ethan
shook his head. “He escaped two weeks before Lily’s death.”

“
Is there a description?”

“
Twenty-five, blond, blue eyed, no noticeable scars or tattoos, six foot one, athletic build.”

Grace shook her head.
“So far it sounds like our Kyle.”

“
I thought so, too,” Ethan smiled ruefully. “I really hoped it was, but . . .” He tossed a picture out to the table.

“
This is Aleksis?” Grace asked in surprise. She held the photo out and grimaced at the grimy young man sneering at the camera. Reaching over she grabbed the Dragovich file and laid the picture next to one of Ilya Dragovich and one of Belle Dragovich. “Wow, are we sure he wasn't adopted?” She passed the photo to Valerie. “Of the two, Belle certainly got the looks.”

“
Well, I guess that let’s Michael off the hook, too,” Valerie said.

“
What about Michael Talon, did you find anything out about him?” Grace picked up Aleksis’ photo again and grimaced. Definitely not Kyle. She should have felt relieved, but she wasn’t.

He shook his head.
“No arrests. As far as I can tell, he’s never been in any trouble. I couldn’t find anything out about him. Not his parents—”

“
He said his father worked for the UN,” Grace protested.

Ethan
held out his hands. “I have no idea. I couldn’t find anything out about him.”

Valerie shrugg
ed. “Maybe Michael Talon is his stage name.”

“
It’s possible,” Ethan admitted.

“
Anything about Kyle?” Grace asked, thumbing through the folders.

Ethan
shook his head. “Not much on Kyle.” He reached in a folder and pulled out a newspaper article. “He had worked as an actor a few years ago.” Ethan handed her a newspaper review of an off-Broadway play. “For some reason, the director and cast tried to kill him on stage. The reviewer said it was the best part of the play. After that, he got a job with Felix Hutchinson—”

“Do you know him?” Grace asked
, handing the review to Valerie.

Ethan shook his head. “Not really, but I heard he’s being investigated by the state bar
. But, here’s the interesting part,” he said, taking out three traffic tickets out of Lily’s file, “he represented Lily two times three years ago. Just a speeding and a parking ticket. And then again two years ago for another speeding ticket.”

Valerie reached for Kyle’s file.
“When did Kyle start working with Felix?”

“
Two years ago Kyle was busy trying to keep his cast mates from killing him,” Grace said with a smile. “He didn’t start working with Felix until last year.”

“It is rather strange. Do you know how many attorneys are in this city alone and it turns out Kyle worked for one who had represented Lily Straker?” Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow.

Valerie held up Allen’s folder. “What deep dark secrets have you uncovered about everyone’s favorite coworker?”

“
Single, no arrests, just a massive amount of complaints.”

Valerie laid the folder back down on top of the table.
“That’s not surprising, he’s a whiner.”

“
No. Not from him. From his neighbors and members of various toy forums on the internet. He’s known as the ‘Sheriff of the Board’ on a few forums for his penchant for policing the boards and attacking anyone who disagrees with him. He’s also gotten into trouble for attacking competitor reviews while using a false name. He’s been exposed, but he just changes his name and picks back up where he left off. He’s been thrown off this one board three times, the last time was for a scathing review of another participant’s review of the Straker Interstellar Space Doll series.”

“
My dolls?” Grace asked. “Why? What did they say?”

“
They hated it and Allen came in, guns blazing.”

“
He defended my doll?” Grace asked in surprise.

“
He defends anything your company produces. He seems to be rather obsessed with his job. Did you two know that he has a tattoo of the first Straker toy ever produced on his back?” He handed a picture of the tattoo to Grace.
Straker Toy Co.
was written above a tattoo of Marty the Martian. “How did you get this?”

“
That’s his forum picture.”

“
Well, he’s nothing if not loyal,” Grace said, staring at the photo.

“
That’s why Straker puts up with him,” Valerie said. “Daniel and Bianca tried to have him fired a few years ago. Straker and Louisa said no. As long as Straker is in business, Allen will have a job. Straker has his faults, but he’s loyal to those that are loyal to him and Allen is very loyal to this company. Allen’s job, I’m sorry to say, is secure.”

“Who’s left?” Grace asked.

“Louisa and Daniel,” Ethan said. “I didn’t really learn anything that we don’t already know. They were unhappily married for the last five years until his death. No one quite knows why they married. They had nothing in common. She likes to drink and gamble. He liked to chase anything in a skirt. That’s about it.”

“Anything new about
Tabitha?”

Ethan shook his head. “No, my buddy on the police force is almost certain it was her body that washed up. No one has seen or heard from her since Lily’s death.”

“I saw her right before Daniel died,” Grace admitted.

“Has Belle had any more calls from her?”
Valerie asked.

“No,
at least not that I know of,” Grace said, picking up another file. “What about Harcourt?”

“
Um. Harcourt,” Ethan flipped through his legal pad. “All I found on Harcourt were just the usual press clippings. Nothing too scandalous.”

“
Harcourt told me that Lily had a stalker, she picked up in Paris, who supposedly killed himself.” Grace smiled sweetly. “Do you think you could find out about him for me?”

He smil
ed. “Sure. Do you have a name?”

“
No, but I don’t think it would hurt to ask about Michael Talon or Aleksis Dragovich while you’re checking.”

Taking back the photo
of Aleksis, Valerie turned it at an angle and tried to identify whether the man in the picture shared any similar features with any of their suspects. “It’s possible he got reconstructive surgery. He looks a little like Kyle.”

Grace shook her head.
“There’s not enough plastic surgery in the world to turn that man into Kyle Drake. At least not in two weeks.”

“
Disappointed?” Ethan grinned. Picking his briefcase off the floor, he laid it onto the table next to the folders. “Don't worry this doesn't mean Aleksis isn't out there causing mayhem and destruction.”

♣ ♦ ♥ ♠

“That’s not him,” Grace said emphatically. She pushed the rubber tree leaf down an inch to get a better view.

“
There’s some resemblance,” Valerie insisted.

“
No way.”

“
The hair color is the same. Same eye color.”

Grace held up Aleksis Dragovich’
s picture. “His eyes are too far apart. The cheekbones are all wrong.” She looked back at Kyle sitting at his desk drawing, completely oblivious to their inspection.

“
No, my Aunt Harriet went in for a nose job. She went in looking like Boris Karloff and came out looking like Grace Kelly. And that was just a nose job.”

Grace shook her head and look
ed down at the picture in her hand. She looked back up at Kyle’s handsome profile and back down at the picture. “No way. There’s no way. This man looks like he’s been run over by a train and thrown from a cliff.”

Kyle look
ed up suddenly.

They jump
ed back.

Valerie grabb
ed the picture. Walking over to Grace’s desk, she laid it down. “We need a picture of Kyle and Michael. Put them side by side and see which one best resembles Aleksis.”

Grace join
ed her at the desk. “How are we going to get a picture of them? To compare the two, they both need to be in the same pose. A mug shot. Kyle might do it, but I doubt Michael will.”

“
Let’s worry about Kyle first. Just go over there and ask him if you can take his picture.”

“
He’ll get suspicious.”

“
Tell him it’s for the office bulletin board. We’ll snap pictures of everyone, so it won’t look so obvious.”

“
Okay. Do you have a camera?” Grace asked.

A cell phone appear
ed over her shoulder. “Here you go. You can take my picture with my phone.”

♣ ♦ ♥ ♠

Grace stared at the ceiling.

Voices. She was definitely hearing voices. As far as she knew, the only other person in her apartment was Belle. She had insist
ed that Ethan go home. She told him that she wasn’t going to live in fear and that she didn’t need a bodyguard. She and Belle would be fine. He wasn’t happy, but he grudgingly left. That was three hours ago. Now she was lying in bed, wide-awake and jumping at every little sound.

Raising her head off the pillow, she cock
ed her head to the side. Belle was definitely talking to someone in Russian. She couldn’t understand what was being said, but it was definitely Belle speaking.

She pick
ed up the butcher’s knife sitting next to her bed and slid out from underneath the covers. As quietly as possible, she crept out into the living room.

Belle’s light was on.
Thinking her roommate was up and talking on the phone, Grace lifted her hand to knock when she heard a deep voice from the other side of the door.

Kyle’s voice.

She glanced down at the doorknob, which was just starting to turn.

Quickly, Grace slipp
ed back into her room, and shut her door. She turned the lock and leaned back against the door. Hopefully, they hadn’t realized that she had heard them.

She pushed herself from the door. Just
then, she heard a noise. Breathlessly, she watched as someone tried to open her bedroom door. When the door wouldn’t open, they rapped lightly on the door. Belle’s voice softly called out her name.

Grace debat
ed whether she should open the door. It’s not as if the cheap door would hold Kyle back if he wanted in. She wasn’t even sure it could hold Belle back if she wanted in. Taking a deep breath, Grace held the knife behind her back and opened the door.

Belle was standing on the other side.
“Is everything okay?”

Grace nodd
ed, gripping the doorknob tightly in her hand. “Sure. I was just sleeping. Is everything all right?”

“
Yeah.” Belle looked over her shoulder nervously. “I just thought I heard a noise.”

“
You know, so did I. Like voices. I thought I was dreaming.” Grace opened the door wider and took a step out. “Maybe we should search the apartment. Just to make sure no one’s hiding.”

Belle
shook her head. “No. It’s okay. I already did. Everything is fine. There’s no one else here.” She glanced back to her room. “Well, I’m just going to go back to sleep. Goodnight, Grace.”

“
Night night, Belle.” Grace backed into her room. She laid the knife on the small dresser next to the door. Walking to the side of the dresser, she pushed it forward until it blocked the door.

Friday,
December 23rd

CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE

Grace look
ed up
from her book. Belle was standing in the doorway. “Kyle said that you wanted to see me.”

The first thing Grace noticed was the golden dragon pendant with a sparkling pink eye, fastened to Grace’s pink and white tweed jacket.
“That’s pretty,” she said, pointing to the pendant. “I thought Lily’s was one of a kind.”

“
Oh, it is. Hers had a green emerald. Mine has a pink ruby. It looks great with your jacket.”

“
Yes, and my shirt, too”

“
And your skirt,” she said, doing a little twirl in the center of the room.

“
I need your expert opinion.”

“Really? About what?”

“I’ve been thinking about creating an educational board game. Something involving history or science and I figured you could help me come up with something that parents and grandparents would snap up in a heartbeat, but wouldn’t scar a teenager for life.” Grace closed the book she was reading and handed it to Belle. “I want something that they would be willing to play with, but would also teach them. I was reading about—”

“
Why would I be an expert?”

“
You’re the one with the BA in child psychology and education.”

Belle wagg
ed her finger in front of Grace. In a singsong voice, she said, “You’ve been checking up on me, haven’t you?”

“
Just a bit,” she hedged.

Belle laugh
ed. “Just like a real detective. I’m impressed.” Sitting down in the chair in front of Grace’s desk, she swiveled around until her legs were hanging off the arms of the chair. “What did you find out? What deep dark secrets have you unearthed about the Dragovichs?”

Grace relat
ed most of the basic information she had learned the day before. After all, there seemed no point in hiding what they had learned. Belle of all people would already know her family’s vital statistics and if Grace was lucky, would open up and reveal more. She began with Belle’s history and as she anticipated, Belle happily stopped her periodically to elaborate on some of the more mundane instances as they popped up.

When Grace finish
ed retelling what they had discovered about Ilya, Belle blurted out, “What about my Papa? Any more about him?” The sudden gleam in Belle’s eyes worried Grace. “Specifically during the summer of 1988?”

“
Um, no.”

Disappointment cloud
ed Belle’s face. Grace worried that Belle was quickly losing interest and moved on to Aleksis. Belle’s demeanor changed abruptly. She stopped interrupting with family anecdotes and sat quietly in her seat. When Grace came to the end of her report, Belle swiftly turned back around in her seat.

Her legs now properly on the floor, she stood up and walked to the bookcase.
Scanning the titles on the wall she blithely reported, “Most of your information’s correct, except for one thing . . .” Belle pulled out a book on toy design and began leafing through it. “The only reason my brother was ever in that mental institution was because he tried to break into it in order to show Papa he could do it.” Putting down the book, Belle, crossed to the design table. “Only problem was once he was there, they decided it wouldn’t hurt to keep him for a few days. Papa, for some reason, gave his permission. He was released three days later. Perfectly sane. We know because Papa insisted that they run a battery of tests on him.”

“
Belle!”

Ilya Dragovich stood in the
doorway and glared at his daughter.

Belle s
napped her mouth shut and looked contritely from Grace to her father.

“
I’d like to speak to you in your office.”

Belle wav
ed bye and followed her father out into the hallway.

Curious, Grace stood up and walk
ed to the door, just as Belle was shutting her office door.

She was about to turn around and go back to her book when she heard her name.

Despite, her normally good manners, Grace snuck up to the door. She looked both ways. No one was around. Briefly wondering where Kyle was, she stuck her ear to the door. She couldn’t understand a word they were saying, but every few seconds, she could hear her name being mentioned. Maybe if she got lower to the floor. She bent down.

She felt something brush against her arm. She turn
ed her head to see Kyle kneeling next to her.

Whispering
he asked, “What are we doing?”

“
Shh. Belle’s father just dragged her in there. They’re talking about me.”

She lean
ed her head against the door. She could just make out a few words. “How’s your Russian coming along?” she asked trying to keep her voice neutral. When she didn’t receive an answer, she leaned back and looked over her shoulder.

Kyle was gone.

The door suddenly swung open. Off balance, she fell to the floor at Ilya Dragovich’s feet.

He look
ed down at her. A small smile beginning to form.

“
I, uh . . . dropped my earring,” she muttered, her face flushing with embarrassment.

He reach
ed out his hand and helped her to her feet. “I wouldn't worry too much about it, considering they’re both still in your ears.”

Should have
gone with contacts, she thought, still embarrassed by the whole situation.

“
I should go back to my office.”

He smil
ed. “I was leaving anyway. Have a nice day.”

She watch
ed as he sauntered out to the main hallway and turned the corner.

“
Belle, I’m so sorry.”

“
It’s all right.” Belle twisted a long blonde strand around her finger. She motioned for Grace to follow her inside her office. “Grace, he wants me to go with him.”

“
Where?”

“Germany. He’s booked a tour through Europe again and he wants me to go too.”
She shook her head, sadly. “I don’t want to go.”

“
Don’t you have to stay? You’re marrying the boss.”

Belle cross
ed her arms. “Papa says that if I go through with the wedding, he won’t come.” She looked sadly at the floor. “I’m not leaving. I don’t care what he says.”

“
It might be safer for you if you go.”

“
I’m not convinced the killer is actually after me, Grace. I think whoever attacked me on the stairwell, made a mistake. They were after you.” She looked down at her outfit. “You probably haven’t noticed, but I’ve been dressing like you for a while now.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” Grace said
, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

Belle nodded sincerely.
“You should be the one to leave.”

Grace shook her head.
“No. No one’s chasing me out of here.” With an incline of her head, she motioned to her office. “Come on, let’s go back to work. I’ve got some ideas for the characters we’re going to use for the mystery game.”

She l
ed Belle back into her office. Opening up her desk drawer, she laid out a group of pictures on the desk.

“
What’s this?”

“
Pictures of the characters.”

“
But I thought we were going to draw the characters.”

“
I’ve decided against that. We’re going to go with models.” Grace picked up the first picture and handed it to Belle.

Belle made a face.
“Ugh. Who’s he supposed to be?”

“
That’s our victim.”

“
Is he supposed to look like a Nazi war criminal? I thought the victim was supposed to be a doctor.”

“
He is.”

Belle grimac
ed as she handed the photo back. She glanced at the rest of the pictures on the table. Picking up one of a handsome middle-aged man with black hair, slightly graying at the temples, she cooed. “I like this one. He looks distinguished. Just like a doctor.”

She point
ed to the photo in Grace’s hands. “That one could be our murderer.”

“
Haven’t you heard the old saying, never judge a book by the cover?”

Belle shrugg
ed. “Oh, by the way, Tabitha left me another message.”

“
Really? What did she have to say?”

“
I don’t know. She was whispering. I couldn’t really understand what she was saying. Hopefully, she’ll call me again soon.”

“
If you hear from her let me know. You shouldn't meet with her alone.”

“
Don't worry, I won't be alone.” She glanced at her watch. She groaned. “I was supposed to meet Franklin downstairs ten minutes ago. See you later.” She walked out of Grace’s office.

Grace look
ed down at the picture in her hand. She laid Aleksis Dragovich’s picture down on top of the other headshots. Gathering the pictures, she placed them in her drawer and locked her desk.

♣ ♦ ♥ ♠

“A dollar?” Grace asked in disbelief. “Unbelievable. That’s my raise?”

Kyle fann
ed out a deck of cards. “Don’t look at it as one dollar. Think of it as an extra dollar every month.”

“
Consider yourself lucky.” Valerie took a card out of the pack. “I talked him up from fifty cents.”

“
He’s crazy if he considers this substantial?”

“
Grace, I’ve worked for Straker for how many years now? Trust me, for him, this is incredibly substantial.”

Kyle took a card from the deck.
Turning it around, he asked, “Is your card the Queen of Diamond?”

“
No. Close,” Valerie said. “It was a diamond.”

Grace paced the floor of the break room.
“Where is he?”

“
Is it the two of diamonds?” Kyle asked hopefully.

“
He’s in his office.” She looked over at Kyle. “You’re getting better. It was a three of diamond.”

Grace walk
ed out of the break room and stalked into Straker’s office. He was sitting at his desk. Without looking up he asked, “Where’s your report?”

“
I don’t have one.”

“
I thought we agreed you would send in a report every hour.”

She thrust her check in front of his face.
“This is not a substantial raise.”

“
You’re not happy?”

“
Good. No, I’m not. I’ve worked here—”

Straker held out his hand.
“Spare me the speech. I’m sorry. You’re absolutely right.”

“
No you need to listen—” His last words finally registered in her mind. She sat down with a thump. She had never heard Straker apologize before. “Go on.”

“
Tell you what. I’ll make a deal with you. If you figure out who killed my wife and can bring me solid evidence, I’ll give you a choice.”

She look
ed at him suspiciously. “What sort of choice.”

“
You can choose between either ten thousand dollars or complete creative control on your next design.”

♣ ♦ ♥ ♠

Grace found Kyle and Valerie still sitting where she had left them. Kyle was dividing the deck of cards in two. Belle was standing at the refrigerator, holding up a plastic container to the light.

“
You’re smiling,” Valerie said in awe. “No one has ever left Straker’s office smiling.”

“
He apologized.”

Valerie’s eyebrows inch
ed up higher on her head. “Are you sure?”

Grace explain
ed the deal Straker made with her.

“
I’m impressed, Ms. Holliday.” Kyle fanned the cards out. “Very mercenary of you.”

“
And you took the money?” Valerie asked in disbelief. “I’m shocked. I thought you would have gone with creative control.”

“
Uh uh. Once I have that ten thousand in my hand, he can’t take it away. The creative control would only have lasted as long as it takes for Straker to form the word no.”

Belle stopp
ed staring at the container and brought it over to the table. “Would one of you all taste this?”

“
What is it?” Valerie asked.

“
It’s beef stroganoff.”

“
That’s left over from last night, isn’t it?” Grace asked. “I brought a container of it from home, too. It tasted fine to me.”

“
What’s wrong with it?” Kyle asked.