Defending the Duchess (14 page)

“But how can you? I couldn’t tell from the map.”

“My grandfather’s story,” he reminded her.

Her face relaxed. “That’s right. I suppose he told you how he got out.” She pulled her hands away and tucked
them penitently behind her back. “Maybe you should tell me the whole story before I let my fear get the best of me.”

“Good idea.” Linus pulled the stone door closed, and it settled into place behind them with a solid thud that reverberated through him ominously.

Julia shuffled closer to him again, sharing his tiny alcove of light in the beam of the torch he carried.

He was glad
to have her close. The corridor was chilly, and her presence provided warmth, as well as the fresh floral scent that had become so familiar to him over the course of the time he’d spent at her side. Jason had warned him not to get too close to Julia, but here in the long forgotten stone passageways, no one would see if he held her close.

She snuggled against him, away from the chill of the
dark space around them.

It would be okay. He wasn’t going to cross any lines. He just wouldn’t shove her away, either. Settling his hand at her waist again to guide her as they stepped cautiously forward, he began the tale his grandfather had recounted many times.

She listened until he paused at the steps. “Up or down?” she asked.

“Either. My grandfather went up, of course, but
we could go either way.”

“Up is good. Down sounds like it would involve more darkness. Up should eventually lead us into the light.”

He picked up his story as they made their way up the long flight.

She interrupted him again when they paused at a landing that seemed to serve no purpose at all. “We must be on the level of the third floor,” she surmised. “But there doesn’t seem to
be a door.”

Linus had already recounted how his grandfather had escaped with the royal family through the hatch to the roof. His story didn’t offer them any knowledge of the third floor. “It would make sense for there to be a door—there’s a landing,” he said, then pressed against the blank stones of the wall.

Julia joined him, both of them slapping their palms against the wall until
suddenly the facade gave way and they stood in a narrow room even more cobwebbed than the last. With a shake of her head, Julia tried to blow away the cobwebs that clung to her face and hair.

Linus brushed them away with a swipe of his hands. “You’re right—” he laughed “—there
is
a door.”

“But where does it lead?” she said as she stepped forward, apparently unaware of how close they
already stood to one another.

With his arms still poised in midair from brushing the cobwebs from her face, Linus settled his arms around her almost instinctively. For a moment, she snuggled against him as though that was where she’d wanted to be all along.

He brushed her face with his hand, cupping her chin, wanting to kiss her, but knowing he shouldn’t.

She rose up on her tiptoes
until her nose brushed his cheek.

“Julia?”

“Yes?” The word was soft, almost a sigh of contentment, and he realized he’d wrapped his arms around her so securely, she must feel safe there—safer than she’d felt since before the attack.

“I’m not supposed to get close to you.”

She backed away half an inch. “I’m sorry.” She sounded embarrassed, even ashamed.

He couldn’t stand
it. He found her lips in the darkness, kissing her lightly, hesitantly, intending it to be a reassuring kiss that communicated his affection without crossing whatever line it was he wasn’t supposed to cross.

Her grip tightened on his sleeves, pulling him close, keeping him near. She kissed him back, surprising him with the unexpected thrill of her touch. He couldn’t pull away, but held her
closer, letting the kiss grow between them.

The faint vibration in his pocket hardly registered until the phone he’d stashed there began to ring.

“Your phone!” If Julia hadn’t heard it, he might not have noticed yet.

He left a tiny kiss on her bottom lip as he pulled back just far enough to check the screen.

“It’s Jason.” Linus realized his superior officer wouldn’t be calling
unless it was important—not after the lecture he’d given him the evening before about working on his time off. He answered it quickly.

“The duchess is missing,” Jason reported without preamble.

“She’s with me,” Linus confessed.

“In a secure location?”

“Yes.”

“Thank God.” Jason’s words rose in a grateful prayer, his relief tangible in spite of their less-than-optimum phone
connection. “Someone breached our security. We didn’t even know he was inside until Galen spotted a dark figure making his escape over the palace wall. The man was long gone by the time our men reached the spot, but they found footprints that matched the cast we took at the beach.”

“So it was the same man?”

“Most likely.”

“And he climbed over the wall to escape?”

“That must
be how he got in, too. I don’t know if he accomplished his objective. We’re checking our footage to see if we can find where he went.”

“Do you want me to help you search?”

“No. Just keep the duchess safe. I’ve got a phone call to make, then I’ll call you again. Whatever you do, don’t let the duchess out of your sight. It seems—” Jason swallowed hard enough that Linus could hear it over
the phone “—she’s not even safe inside the palace.”

FOURTEEN

J
ulia gripped Linus’s shoulders and strained to hear Jason’s words over the phone. Between the way Linus had tensed up at his supervising officer’s words, and the bits she was able to deduce from what Linus said in response, she gathered that something had happened. Something bad, involving her.

“What is it?” she asked when he ended the call.

His arms tightened
around her. Grateful as she was for his embrace, she felt too distressed to enjoy it.

“The perimeter,” he began, his bass voice carrying an apology, as though the guard felt he’d failed her. “It’s been breached.”

Julia pressed her face against Linus’s shoulder and pinched her eyes shut to hold back the tears that sprang up as the meaning of his words sank in. “Do they think I’m the target?”

“The guards found footprints where he went over the wall on his way out. The prints matched the casting they took at the beach.”

“So he’s gone.”

“Long gone. But they don’t know yet why he broke in, or where he went while he was here.”

Julia couldn’t stand it. Her only relief from her attacker’s relentless pursuit had been the safety of the palace walls and the protection of
the royal guard. But now it seemed it wasn’t enough. “Why wasn’t he caught on his way in?”

“There aren’t enough screens in the video surveillance room to show every camera at every moment. They rotate through on a regular schedule unless particular screens are selected manually.” Linus shook his head regretfully. “The royal guard doesn’t have the manpower to monitor every corner of the palace
grounds at every moment.”

“Not even after all that happened earlier this summer?”

“That’s precisely it. Certain members of the royal guard were part of the conspiracy against the royal family. We’ve had to slash our force, keeping only those men we knew we could trust. We’ve been hiring new men, but training them takes time, and Jason has been quite particular about only hiring men who
are faithful to the crown.”

“He might want to be a little less particular, if there aren’t enough men to do the job.” Julia heard the note of frustration enter her voice, but she couldn’t help it. She felt her enemies getting closer, and she still didn’t even know who they were.

“It’s because there aren’t enough men that he hasn’t shared what he learned about my record.”

Julia softened
at that reminder. “I’m glad he’s keeping you around. I don’t know how I’d manage without you.” She held on to Linus, and he pulled her close again. As she nuzzled against him, another thought occurred to her. “Did Jason say whether they’d checked my suite? If the intruder was the same man who came after me before, he may have been headed that way.”

“Jason didn’t mention it. Shall we take
a look?”

Julia closed her eyes and sighed.

Linus brushed his lips across her forehead tenderly. “You ready?”

She didn’t want to go. She’d much rather explore the hidden corridors and the feelings she had for Linus. But her enemies wouldn’t give her a rest, so she relented to going back out the way they’d come in. “Lead the way.”

* * *

Linus was glad Julia had told him
to lead the way. He had every intention of going in her room first. Just because one man had exited over the wall, that didn’t mean he hadn’t left an accomplice behind.

When they reached Julia’s suite the door was open.

“I’m going to make sure it’s clear.” Linus hurried ahead.

As he stepped inside, he heard Julia gasp behind him.

She’d obviously seen the mess. Her room had
been ransacked just as her home in Seattle had been. It looked like the same handiwork, even.

A couple of royal guards stood near the window, already dusting it for prints. They must have discovered the room while looking for Julia.

Linus stepped closer to the spot where they worked. One balcony window had been jimmied open from outside.

“It’s clear,” Linus assured Julia.

She had one hand to her mouth as she stepped gingerly over a shattered flower vase before picking her way across the strewn disarray from the toppled parlor set. “I was just in my suite a couple of hours ago—with Monica and little Peter.” The thought of what might have happened if her attacker had broken in then, with her sister and five-year-old nephew present, sent a shiver rippling through her.

Linus rested a hand on her shoulder, but when she turned toward him, looking as though she might bury her face against his shoulder, he gave his head a warning shake. The guards were focused on their investigation, but they were still in the room.

“Have you reported to Jason yet?” Linus asked.

“We just arrived shortly before you did,” one guard explained. “Feel free to let him know.”

Since he was technically off duty and wasn’t wearing an earpiece, Linus used his phone to call Jason. The head of the guard sounded disgusted by the news, but not particularly surprised.

“I’ll be right over.”

True to his word, Jason arrived within minutes. Linus consulted with him in the doorway as Julia roved through the room, her hands clutched around her upper arms, comforting
herself. Much as Linus wished to walk along beside her, supporting her, he’d promised Jason he wouldn’t cross the line with the duchess. And while he wasn’t sure where Jason would draw that line, Linus wasn’t about to risk being put out of service now—not when Julia needed him more than ever.

Besides that, Jason had news for him. “The phone call I just made was to Scott Gordon’s mother. We’re
flying her to Lydia. The doctors have told me the best we can hope for at this point is that she arrives in time to sign a release for organ donation.”

“There’s no hope, then?”

“Not for Scott, not in this life.” Jason shook his head regretfully.

Linus met Julia’s eyes from across the room. He knew she couldn’t have heard Jason’s muted words, not with the ocean breeze pouring in
through the broken window. But she’d have to learn what was up sooner or later. He tried to muster an encouraging smile. She looked as if she needed it.

“They’ve gone through the contents of my suitcase,” she reported as she approached them, “but nothing of mine appears to be missing.”

“Your laptop is still at the royal guard headquarters,” Linus said for Jason’s benefit.

“That
must be what they were after,” Julia said, then blew out a tension-filled breath. “If they’re determined to get it, I suppose—” she met his eyes with a look that was nine-tenths terror, one-tenth steely determination “—they’ll try to go through me to get it.”

“They’re after the design file?” Jason asked. “Have we ever figured out why that’s significant?”

“We know the design was altered
so that the engine malfunctions over speeds of 75 miles per hour,” Julia explained, “but we’ve never figured out who made the decision to change it, or what their motive possibly could have been.”

“Oliver was researching Balfour and Chen,” Jason noted. “Touch base with him and find out what he’s learned.”

“Good idea,” Linus agreed, as much to give the duchess something to focus on as
anything. He didn’t expect the dead men to provide them with any more clues than Scott could.

Jason took a step toward the door. “Just stay clear of the conference room. Simon’s overseeing the installation of more security screens, and the conference room has the most available wall space. We want to be able to monitor the views from as many of the security cameras as possible, but we need
to have the system installed and tested by Sunday.”

Linus was glad to hear the plan, and immediately latched onto a possibility it presented—and an answer to a problem that had nagged at him since he’d learned that Julia’s attacker had breached the palace wall. He tapped Jason on the shoulder with the rolled map he still held, stopping his supervisor before he left. “I have something.”

“What’s that?” Jason looked at the map as Linus unrolled it, spreading it flat against the mattress that rested askew atop the box spring.

“A very confidential document.” Linus held one end while Julia flatted the other to prevent the map from rolling back on itself.

“The secret corridors!” Jason exclaimed as he bent over the parchment. “I need a copy of this.”

“You’ll need the
king’s permission,” Linus reminded him, “but I agree—if we can keep it classified, with only the most trusted men allowed to lay eyes on it, the royal guard should have access to this information. More than that, I think we need to position our security cameras to view the entrances and exits to the passages.”

Jason’s eyes showed hope for the first time that morning. “If the attackers breach
the walls again, the duchess can take cover in the passages.”

“And if I’m with her, getting transmissions via earpiece from the men watching the security footage, they can tell me when it’s safe to come and go.”

“It gives us an advantage. We can stay one step ahead of them.” Jason’s lips bent into a firm smile. “We can proceed with the titling ceremony as planned.”

* * *

Julia
helped Linus move the burnt document photos to a smaller room away from the wires and workmen that filled the conference room as they transformed the space into a state-of-the-art surveillance center. They found Oliver helping Simon set up the monitors, and Linus asked him if he’d learned anything about Balfour’s and Chen’s deaths.

“It just came in this morning. I convinced the authorities
in the U.S. to forward me a copy of the report on the crash that killed them.” Oliver scooped a sheaf of papers from the printer tray. “With everything else going on I don’t have time to look at it, but here you go.”

“Thanks, Oliver. This may be just what we need.”

Julia hurried to Linus’s side, eager to look the papers over and learn what they could. She’d never for a moment believed
the two men who’d died would have been foolish enough to tamper with Pendleton’s design only to make it worse, and then kill themselves trying to prove they hadn’t. Something had gone terribly wrong—she just wished she understood what.

Fortunately, Linus seemed to have enough familiarity with reports that he flipped through the pages until he found what he wanted. “Cause of death,” he said,
then stabbed at the line with his finger.

She read the word aloud, “Accidental.” That was all it said. And yet, “I don’t believe it was accidental at all.” She skimmed over the accompanying information, summarizing aloud. “The accident resulted in a fire, which burned the bodies. They had to use dental records for positive identification.”

“Why would they change Pendleton’s design so
that it would
fail?
” Linus was clearly grappling with the same question that haunted her. “Were they that bad at engineering?”

Having intended to look up their credentials anyway, Julia turned to the computer in the corner of the room and opened up separate tabs, searching the men’s full names individually. “They both studied at prestigious universities and held high degrees in their field.
They had only worked at Seattle Electronics for a little over a year, hired to replace Pendleton who was let go for trying to sell the design. But even if they’d only worked there a short time, they ought to have known better,” she informed Linus, who’d been poring over the rest of the report.

“Maybe they
did
know better.” Linus narrowed his eyes as he pointed to a line among the search results.
“Does this say Chen worked for Motormech?”

Julia clicked on the article and skimmed through the contents. “Not just Chen. Balfour is listed on this Motormech project, as well. This article was dated mere months before the engineers were hired by Seattle Electronics. It looks like they went straight from jobs with Motormech, to working for the competitor. But why? What prompted them to leave?”

“Were they upset with Motormech?” Linus mused.

“But then, why sabotage the competition?” Julia couldn’t make sense of it. “What would they possibly have to gain?”

“It doesn’t add up.” Linus scowled at the accident report. “There were only two other men on site when the test occurred. Those men were the sole witnesses.”

“More engineers overseeing the results of the test?”

“No. Security personnel. Tom Klein and Hugo Roland.”

Julia opened up two more tabs and searched for each of the names.

A row of images appeared along with the search results.

Linus sucked in a breath behind her, planting one hand squarely on the back of her chair while he reached toward the screen with the other. “Enlarge this image.”

Julia clicked on it, and watched Hugo Roland’s
face fill the screen.

Planting his hands sideways in front of the screen, Linus covered all but the man’s eyes and the bridge of his nose.

“What do you think—” Julia began, her heart thumping ominously.

“Can we find more pictures of this guy? Maybe a full body image?”

* * *

While Julia clicked through image search results, Linus paced behind her. The man he’d fought on
the beach had been wearing a mask. Night had fallen, and most of the man’s face had been in shadows.

And yet, the instant Linus had seen the picture of Hugo Roland on the screen, he’d felt as though the man he’d fought had jumped out at him.

“Linus,” Julia said, her voice held a mixture of fear and triumph. “He’s listed here at six-two, one-seventy-five.”

“That’s close enough to
one-eighty. Can you find a shoe size on him?” Linus glared at the image on the screen.

“Do you think it’s him?”

“I’m nearly certain. If the shoe fits...”

Julia clicked through the search results. “I don’t like this guy,” she muttered every time she came upon a new bit of information. “I really don’t like this guy.”

Linus wasn’t going to say the words out loud, but he figured
the duchess had every reason not to like either of the men who’d witnessed the engineers’ deaths. From everything he could put together, Hugo Roland had been the man who’d attacked Julia on the beach. Tom Klein may well have been his accomplice. The two certainly had a record of working together—and a record of working for Motormech.

“We need to get these pictures out to all the border crossings,
the airports, all the area authorities...” Julia suggested.