Deadly Magic (31 page)

“
Sorry, Grace. When I found him, I just threw him out. I guess I should have strip searched him, too.” Valerie grimaced. “No. Actually, I love you, but my loyalty just doesn’t extend that far. Sorry.”

“
I don’t blame you.”

“
We’ll tell Straker in the morning. Allen can’t get away with this.”

“
Straker would just say he was showing initiative. No, it’s okay. We didn’t have much anyway. Still, I would have liked to have kept that picture of Aleksis Dragovich.”

“
Why? You going to pin it up on the wall?”

Grace walk
ed to the window. She could barely see the street. “I wish this rain would let up.”

“
Grace, you know something. What is it?”

“
I don’t know. I’m just not sure. Valerie, I don’t want to accuse someone without having all of the facts.” Grace motioned to follow her out to the hall. “I also don’t want to influence you in any way.”

Walk
ing towards the elevator, Valerie asked, “Why didn’t you call Ethan? He was there, too.”

“
He didn’t see anything.”

“
I didn’t either.”

“
No,” Grace insisted. “You did. Remember? You said you saw a white mist.”

Valerie lean
ed against the wall. “I don’t know what I saw, Grace.”

“
Let’s just go through it once again. Tell me everything you saw.”

Valerie began describing what she saw, when she got to the part of the white mist, Grace held up her hand.

“What’s wrong?” Valerie asked.

“Did you just hear something?”

Valerie shook her head. They both stood in silence for a few moments.

“Must be my imagination.” Grace shook her head. “Let’s bring up the elevator.” She
reached out to press the up button. Before her finger could make contact, the elevator began to rise. “Maybe it’s Tabitha or Allen. I hope it’s Allen,” she growled, envisioning all the horrible things she would like to do to that backstabbing low-life snake.

“
It’s probably Ethan.”

“
Why? I didn’t call him.”

“
When I couldn’t find you, I got worried and called him for help. He said he would be right over.”

“
How did he get in?”

“
I hid my office key outside and told him where to find it.”

The elevator doors open. Startl
ed, Ethan jumped back a little. “What are you two doing huddled around the elevator?”

“
Waiting for you,” Valerie said.

Shaking his head
, he smiled at Valerie, before hugging Grace, “I see you found her.”

“
You’re all wet,” Grace mumbled into his shoulder.

“
The storm’s directly overhead. It doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better.”

“
Wonderful,” Valerie said. “Let’s get this over with.”

“
Will one of you tell me what’s going on?”

Valerie filled him in on Grace’s plan.

“Now?” He laughed. “We’re going to be here tomorrow night.”

Grace took his arm. “I know.
It’s just that Straker was going to be here and I was afraid it would turn into a three-ring circus. I figured Valerie would be able to concentrate better if we were alone with no distractions.”

“
If you two wanted to do this alone, you picked the wrong night.”

“
What do you mean?” Grace asked.

“
I saw Kyle and Belle sneak in downstairs. Here’s your key by the way,” he said, handing the key to Valerie.

“
Kyle and Belle, too?” Grace asked, exasperated. “What in the world goes on here at night? Is this one of New York’s nightly hot spots?”

“
I think we should call the police,” Ethan said.

“
What for?” Grace asked. “The police can’t arrest them for trespassing. They both work here and she’s the boss’ fiancé. She has a key to the door.”

“
But—”

“Ah, don’t worry,” Grace said, smiling up at his handsome face.
“They probably broke in so they could play with the toys.”

Valerie smil
ed. “Sorry Grace. Maybe we should do this tomorrow night. It would be less crowded. At least Tabitha won’t be skulking around.”

“
Tabitha’s here too?” Ethan asked. “Are you sure? The cops I spoke to thought—”

Grace
shook her head. “No. It’s definitely her. I doubt she’s still here though. She disappeared thirty minutes ago.”

“
Do you think Kyle and Belle know that she’s here?” Ethan asked.

“
I don’t know,” Grace said.

A loud
thunderclap sounded above their heads. Loud enough to rattle the windows and cause the building to shudder.

The lights flickered before going out, plunging them into d
arkness. A shiver ran up her spine.

Ethan
swore.

“
I hate this building.” There was just enough light from outside to see Valerie turn around and walk to the office on the right. “Stay here. I’ll get the flashlights.”

Ethan
looked down at Grace. Smiling, he pulled her into his arms, as he lightly kissed her on the lips. “It’s too bad we’re not in my apartment right now.”

“
Why?”

“
My apartment has a fireplace. We could be curled up in front of it right now.” He kissed her deeper, only letting go when the sound of Valerie’s high heels could be heard on the other side of the door.

The office door open
ed. Valerie walked out carrying three flashlights, her coat and umbrella. “We’ll have to take the stairs.”

Grace sigh
ed disappointedly. “All right. I’ll just go back and get my purse.”

Ethan
shook the rain from his thick hair. “I still think we should call the police. They’re looking for Tabitha and she doesn’t work here. I think they’ll be interested in knowing that Belle and Kyle were roaming around here tonight, too.”

Grace point
ed out that they were also roaming around.

Valerie slipp
ed her coat on. “Come on Grace. We’ll walk with you.”

Ethan
leaned against the wall next to the elevator. “I’ll wait here. I think I would like to have a little talk with Ms. Dragovich.”

“
Oh no, you don’t,” Grace said, grabbing a hold of his hand. “Knowing the way my luck is going, we’ll come back and find you gone.”

He ran his hand through her hair.
“Trust me Grace. I’m not going anywhere.”

Grace smiled.
“To be perfectly honest, I’m kind of nervous. I’d feel better if you came with us.”

Valerie quickly agre
ed. “We should all stick together. That way no one will get hurt.”

“
She’s right,” Grace said, feeling more and more nervous with each passing second. All she wanted was to get out of the building and to safety. Knowing Kyle and Belle were running around somewhere did not fill her with any hope that was going to happen. Then there was Allen to consider. He may still be in the building somewhere, lurking. “Remember, there’s safety in numbers. We’ll go get my purse and then go to the police. I think you’re right, they should know that Tabitha was here, and that Kyle and Belle were running around. They might not be able to do anything about it, but they should know just the same.”

Ethan
sighed, but reluctantly followed them back to Grace’s office.

“
Let’s meet here tomorrow morning.” Grace opened the door to her office. Picking up her coat and umbrella, she handed them off to Valerie. Walking into the office, she looked back over her shoulder and explained that she just needed to pick up her purse.

She took a step around the desk when she fell.
Ethan and Valerie ran forward, only stopping when their flashlights shown over Tabitha’s body.

Grace reach
ed over and felt for Tabitha’s pulse. She let go of the other woman’s wrist. Sitting back on her heels, she said, “She’s dead.”

“
What?” Valerie asked in a panic. “Are you sure?”

Ethan
grabbed Valerie’s arm. “Quick, Val, call the police.”

Grace lean
ed over Tabitha’s body. One side of her face was bloody. Grace’s phone lay in pieces by her side. “Positive. She’s dead. Someone hit her over the head with my desk phone.”

Ethan
’s worried voice finally reached her. “Grace. Are you all right?”

Nodding, Grace shakily stood.
Ethan walked around the other side of her desk and took her into his arms. Running his hands first over her arms, he gently reached out and cupped her face. “You’re okay? Nothing broken?”

“
No, I’m fine. We need to call the police.” Grace pulled away. Bending down, she retrieved the flashlight from the floor, and noticed Belle’s golden pendant lying in Tabitha’s hand. The pink sapphire sparkled when Grace shined the flashlight over the dragon’s eye. Disappointed, but not too terribly surprised, she bent down to get a better look.

Ethan
grabbed her arm. “Don’t touch it. It’s evidence. Look, you and Valerie stay here and lock the door,” he said, pulling out a gun.

“
Where did you get that?”

“
Grace, since I've met you, people have been dying around you. I thought we should have some protection. Whoever killed Tabitha may still be here. It's not safe. You two stay in here. Don’t make a sound. I’m going to go downstairs and wait for the police.”

Ethan
gently grabbed the back of her head. Pulling her closer, he kissed her passionately. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Before she could stop him
, Ethan ran out the door, just as Valerie ran back in. She nodded, when he asked if she called the police. Grace watched as he ran down the hallway. She would have dashed after him, but was stopped by Valerie, who pushed her back in the room. Quickly pulling the door shut, she locked it and faced Grace.

“
We need to go after him, Valerie.”

“
I’m not going anywhere.” Valerie shivered as thunder shook the building again. “I’m going to wait right here until the police arrive. We just have to sit tight until then.”

Grace rush
ed past Valerie, unlocked the door, and ran out in the hall with Valerie calling her name. Grace didn’t listen. She tiptoed out into the hallway, looking both ways, her ears straining to hear, with Valerie right behind her. She motioned for Val to follow her. If she could get to the staircase maybe . . . She froze. The private entrance to Straker’s office began to open.

Heart beating fast
, Grace pivoted around and dashed down the hallway. She could take the stairway next to the elevator, she thought, running as fast as she could. She threw open the stairway door and looked behind her. Valerie was missing.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT

Grace climb
ed the
steps to the attic. She reached for the door, praying that it was unlocked. The knob turned easily. The door squeaked loudly in the silence. She had never noticed how loud the hinges to the attic door squeaked until right then. Holding her breath, she waited for the sound of running footsteps. When none came, she carefully stepped through the doorway.

Reaching into her
coat pocket, she took out the mini flashlight attached to her key ring and shined it into the interior of the attic. She cocked her head to the side. Except for the thunder overhead, the attic was silent.

Carefully
making her way through the maze of toys and broken furniture, she tried to make as little noise as possible. She walked past the elevator and stifled a scream. In front of her was a human sized shape under a sheet. It has to be that creepy harlequin, she thought, nervously. Counting to ten, Grace pulled the sheet off. Letting out her breath, she closed her eyes in relief. The harlequin’s glass eyes stared back at her. Just as the sheet slipped from her fingers, she heard a noise to her left.

It was just a whisper. Completely unintelligible
, but it was enough.

She shut off the light. She could see it just up ahead. A soft glow in the distance. Slipping off her shoes
, she tiptoed toward the back of the attic. Their whispers becoming louder as she neared. She turned a corner and found them huddled around a set of tools.

“
Grace!” Kyle said in surprise. “What are you—”

She put her finger to her lips
. “Shh,” she whispered taking the flashlight away from him and turning it off.

“
What are you two doing here at this time of night?” Grace asked as quietly as she could.

“
Searching for the ghost,” Kyle whispered back.

Grace threw him a withering look.

“
Would I lie to you?” Kyle asked smiling.

“
I don't know, would you Aleksis?” Grace reached into his coat pocket.

Belle pointed to Grace.
“I told you she’d figure it out.”

“
Kyle, please. No one calls me Aleksis.” Grace reached into his other pocket. “What are you doing?”

“
Saving your life,” she said, pulling out his cell phone.

Belle and Kyle exchang
ed looks as Grace held the phone up. “No signal.”

Kyle point
ed to the elevator. “If you stand near the elevator you can usually get a signal.”

Grace motion
ed for them to follow her.

“
What is going on?” Belle whispered.

Grace held her finger up to her lips.
The elevator was only a few feet away. She looked down at the phone, hoping that it would pick up a signal soon. She took a step back and bumped into the harlequin standing next to the elevator. She glanced over her shoulder at the sheet-covered head behind her. She glanced back down at the phone. “We need to call for an ambulance. Tabitha’s hurt and Ethan’s running around downstairs with a gun. We need—” She felt the blood drain from her face. She glanced behind her as the sheet fell to the floor, revealing Ethan’s smiling face.

Grace felt Kyle pull her back against him, as Belle let out a scream.

Pointing his gun at Grace’s chest, Ethan laughed. “I’m surprised Grace and impressed. How did you figure it out?”

“
See,” Kyle said to Belle, “I told you it was him. The only thing I couldn’t figure out is how you were planning on stealing Straker’s inheritance. You don’t really seem to be Straker’s type.”

All their heads turn
ed at the sound of the attic door opening. They could just make out Valerie making her way down the aisle.

Kyle and Belle shout
ed her name. They screamed at her to run.

“
Don’t bother,” Grace said harshly. “She’s with him.”

Valerie stood next to
Ethan. Wrapping her hand around his bicep, she said, “I’m so sorry, Grace. How did you guess?”

“
The lights, Valerie. The lights were off when you made the phone call to the cops. If the power’s off then how did you make the call?”

Ethan
glared at Valerie.

Kyle inch
ed forward. A warning glance from Ethan stopped him in his tracks. “How is she involved?”

“
I think the plan was for Valerie to seduce Straker. They were hoping Straker would divorce Lily and then marry Val and then I guess die shortly thereafter. Leaving Val a very rich widow. I’m sure they assumed it was going to be easy. After all, he had shown an interest in Valerie in the past and Straker isn’t exactly known for his commitment to his wives. What they didn’t count on was Straker being in love this time. Nothing could convince him that Lily was unfaithful and nothing could convince him to be unfaithful to her. So, since they couldn’t get rid of Lily, she had to die.”

“
No, that’s not true.” Valerie shook her head. “I didn’t want Lily dead. I just wanted her to divorce Straker and leave.”

“
Before his brother died and before he became fabulously wealthy, of course,” Ethan said in amusement.

“
Grace, I swear, I didn’t know anyone was going to die.”

“
Val, he tried to kill her a few months before.”

“
I thought she was just being dramatic. He swore he had nothing to do with her accident.”

“
Well, then he was lying to you.”

Valerie look
ed up to Ethan who was still smirking at Grace. “Yes. I’m more than aware of that now, but I wanted to believe he was telling the truth. It wasn’t until he told me of his plan to kill Lily during the show that I realized how dangerous he was. I cut off all ties with him after that. That’s why he wasn’t at the Dragon’s Lair with me.”

“
That’s when I so conveniently ran into him at the park near my apartment.”

Ethan
shrugged. “I needed an invitation. Valerie backed out on me. Tabitha was a flake. You were so easy, Grace.”

“
Why didn’t you say anything to me, Val?”

“
I wanted to, but I was so frustrated and angry with Lily. I ran into Ethan during intermission. He convinced me that he had changed his mind. I had no idea that he was still going to go through with his plan.”

Grace want
ed to believe her.

“
Once Lily was dead . . . I didn’t have much choice.” Valerie smiled sadly. “I’m sorry, Grace. I never wanted any of this to happen. I didn’t want you involved. ”

“
You two were tag-teaming me on the phone calls, weren’t you?”

“
We were hoping we could scare you away,” Valerie said.

“
I’m curious, Grace,” Ethan said. “I thought I had you wrapped around my finger. Where did I go wrong?”

“
Why do you want to know? Want to correct your mistake for the next time?”

“
What next time? We’re not finished here.”

Valerie nodded her head.
“And once we are, we’re heading to a beach somewhere—”

“
To enjoy our ill-gotten gains.” Ethan grabbed Valerie around the waist and pulled her next to his side. “I bet it was when I attacked you three. You somehow knew it was me, didn’t you? I didn’t really want to, but your friend here,” he said, nodding toward Valerie, “screwed up. She had to start talking about how she checked the books on Friday and then you started yakking about finding the money Daniel had embezzled. I was afraid you were going to start putting it together.”

“So, you two put on
that performance in Valerie’s office the night of the Christmas Party to throw suspicion off of her.”

“And to throw it onto Michael.” Ethan glanced at Kyle. “But when Kyle picked the lock to Straker’s door and walked in on me, I decided he would do just as well. We also thought that if Valerie was attacked it might dredge up some protective feeling in Straker.” He smiled. “It worked too. Straker’s been very attentive lately. Personally driving her home. Making sure she’s safe before leaving. He even offered to let her stay with him. Right now we’re playing hard to get, but I don’t think it’ll be much longer now.”

“No,” Valerie said coldly. “Not much longer.”

“I’
m curious Grace, what made you suspect me?”

“
It was little things. You disappeared after the death, but showed up suddenly when I started telling people that I thought Lily had been murdered. When I told Valerie,” she said sadly.

Ethan
smiled and kissed Valerie on the cheek. She turned away from his kiss.

“
Then it turned out that you knew Louisa. She claimed that you had made a pass at her. Of course, Louisa wasn’t exactly credible, but I still thought it was very coincidental. And there was the way we met. Out in the park, next to my apartment, but it turned out that you lived several blocks away and belong to that nice fancy gym that—as you said—you practically live in. Plus, you were always showing up. Eager to help me investigate. That’s all you wanted to talk about.”

“
If you had so many doubts about me, why did you let me hang around?”

“I wasn’t certain. After all, there was the problem of motive. As far as I could tell, you didn’t have one. What could you have to gain by killing Lily? You didn’t even know her.
Of course, we now know that your boss represented Preston Straker.”

Ethan shook his head and smiled. “I represented Preston. Jay was just tagging along the day I came to Straker to give him the good news.”

“You knew Straker was going to inherit and you were bound and determined to get your hands on the money. I wasn’t quite sure how you were going to do it, but I figured that was your ultimate goal.” Grace shook her head “But I kept going back to Daniel’s death. I trusted you Val, but I didn’t know what to think. I could see Ethan stabbing Daniel as the elevator doors closed, but you were standing right there. I was certain that if you saw him murder Daniel you would have said something.”

“I didn’t know he was going to kill Daniel—”

Ethan laughed. “You knew.”

“I didn’t know you were going to do it right there in front of me,” Valerie snapped back
.

“Whatever. I trust
ed him because of you, Valerie.”

Ethan
patted Valerie’s hip. “Go on. What else?”

“
I was convinced that Valerie would have said something if you had killed Daniel right in front of her. Every time I tried to get her to describe the scene, she always said the same thing. You were standing right beside her.”

Valerie look
ed away.

“
I still had my doubts about you, but when it started to become clear that Kyle was in fact Aleksis Dragovich . . .” She glared at Kyle who simply shrugged his shoulders. “I had to admit he was looking more and more like the guilty party. Then there was Belle—”

“I tried to convince you Belle couldn’t be trusted,” Valerie said.

“You obviously didn’t do a very good job,” Ethan said snidely.

“
It wasn’t until you mentioned the pendant a few hours ago that I knew that you had to be the killer. How could you have known about Lily’s pendant or her underwear lying on the floor of Ilya’s dressing room? You couldn’t, unless you had been there. You were busy that night. Running around backstage. Fighting with Tabitha. Planting evidence in Ilya’s dressing room. I’m curious, how did you do it? Did you carry Lily’s body up the ladder or did you hide in that big black box on the landing and strangle her as she climbed the stairs.”

“
The box. It was so convenient.”

Valerie wip
ed a tear away. “If you knew, why didn’t you go to the police? Why did you call me to come here tonight?”

“
I didn’t have any proof and I still trusted you. I still believed in you. I thought if I could get you to go over Daniel’s death then maybe you might remember something important. I still didn’t have any idea how he killed Daniel, but I thought that maybe you might have seen him do something that seemed innocent at the time, but . . . anyway, I realized when you got here that you were involved.”

“
How?”

“
You called Ethan. I suddenly realized how much time you spent speaking together. You were always relaying messages from him. Then I remembered Tabitha explaining how Lily’s killer had blackmailed her into helping him. That’s when I remembered you saying that you check the books every Friday. You must have known the minute Daniel withdrew the money. You told Ethan and he set his plan into motion. He then threatened Daniel and Tabitha with exposure. It didn’t matter that Daniel had called off the affair and returned the money. It was too late.” She looked at Ethan. “You blackmailed Tabitha into taking you up to the scaffold on the pretext of stealing Ilya’s illusion. You also got her to steal Lily’s phone. You texted her suicide message and then passed the phone to Tabitha and told her to run up to the scaffold and throw it down. By the time she realized what you were up to, it was too late.”