Stolen Seduction (15 page)

think we’ve found a way to shave off some time. Should put us closer to the grand opening we

scheduled for Memorial Day.”

Graham shook his head. “That son of mine knows how to screw up a wet dream, doesn’t he?” He

sighed as he swirled the ice in his glass. “I’m afraid he’s got no focus. Just like me.”

Shane lifted the glass to his lips and proceeded to spew iced tea all over the counter in front of him.

Hailey grabbed a napkin and came around the counter to pat his back. “Are you all right?”

When he could speak, he looked from the glass to her face. “Tastes like straight sugar.”

“Yankee,” Graham muttered.

“That’s because it’s sweet tea,” she told him.

“Where you from, son?” Graham asked.

“Chicago.”

Graham clucked his tongue. “They definitely don’t know tea in Chicago. Pizza maybe, but not tea.”

Hailey handed Shane the napkin and turned back to her uncle. Okay, enough chitchat. They needed

to get to the root of why they were here. “Have you watched the news at all lately, Uncle Graham?”

He shook his head. “When I’m out here you know I don’t do anything but garden and fish.”

She walked around the counter so she was standing at his side. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

His eyes narrowed on her face. “What kind of bad news?”

“Maybe you should sit down. You know your heart—”

“Goddamn, girl, my heart’s just fine. Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you came to

tell me.”

She stared at him, then finally said, “Bryan’s dead.”

“What?”

She explained what Shane had told her—as much as she knew—and waited while he processed it

all. He didn’t sit, even when she suggested—again—that he move to the table, just stood in the

same place staring at his untouched tea.

“You’re sure?” he asked.

“Yes. I’m so sorry.” She tightened her grip on his hand.

“Does the family know?”

“Yes.”

“No one told me.”

Another strike against her family. “I’m sure Madeline’s been busy with arrangements. And it’s possible they tried to call you out here. You’re not always reliable about listening to your messages. I

tried to call you after I found out.”

“I…” He put a hand up to his mouth, rubbed his lips. “I always knew he was going to go before

me.” When he glanced up, his eyes were filled with grief. “That’s a terrible thing for a father to say,

isn’t it?”

Her heart broke for him. “No. It’s not your fault. Bryan wasn’t the easiest person to get along with.

He did things his way, and in this case, someone didn’t like it.”

“Do they…do they know who killed him?”

“No,” Shane said, speaking up for the first time. When Graham’s clouded eyes turned his way, he

added, “Someone’s trying to make it look like Hailey’s responsible, though.”

Graham’s gaze shot back to her. “Why would anyone think that? You don’t even like to kill spiders

when you find them in the house. Anyone who knows you knows you couldn’t intentionally hurt

someone. Especially Bryan.”

Though this was just about the worst conversation she could conceive of having, warmth bubbled

through her. Graham was probably the only person in the world who believed in her innocence. Her

family certainly didn’t. Shane hadn’t until he’d heard all the details, and even now she wasn’t completely convinced he believed her 100 percent. But Graham was on her side. He always had been.

“It’s complicated, Uncle Graham. You know Bryan and I never got along. Anyone who wants me

gone from RR could play on that fact. But this goes beyond that. I think it has to do with Daddy’s

will.”

At the mention of her father’s will, Graham frowned in disgust. “Your father should have had his

head examined, instead of his heart.”

“I know.”

“Why do you think that’s what this is about?”

“Because,” Shane said, “CPD found your brother’s dagger in the house. Hailey said she had it with

her at the board meeting in Miami, but hasn’t seen it since.”

“You’re investigating my son’s death?”

Shane’s dark gaze slid to Hailey. And just like it had in the car, awareness pulsed in her veins under

that heated stare. “In a roundabout way, yeah, I am.”

She pulled her gaze from Shane and refocused on her uncle. “The only way I’m going to clear my

name and figure out who really did kill Bryan is to find the sixth sculpture first.”

“How will that help?”

“If my hunch is right, whoever killed Bryan wants Roarke Resorts, and thanks to my father, the only way to get it is to go along with this stupid treasure hunt.”

“You think the person who did this did it to get his sculpture? A botched robbery?”

“Maybe,” Shane said. “And maybe there’s more to it than that. But that’s what we’re going on

now.”

Graham rubbed a hand over his face. Fatigue and grief radiated from his lean frame. Hailey reached

for his hand when he lowered it. “Uncle Graham. I need your help.”

He let out a long breath. “It’s in my study. You’re welcome to it. But, Hailey.” He wrapped his

knobby fingers around hers. “Is it worth this? You never wanted this damn company. Certainly

there’s a way to prove you didn’t have anything to do with Bryan’s…death. You’re a good girl. The

police will figure that out.”

A sad smile pulled at her mouth. Same old Uncle Graham. Always seeing the best in people. Even

in his no-good son who’d caused him more grief over the years than any parent deserved. Sure,

Graham hadn’t been the best father, but he’d tried. And that was a lot more than Hailey could say

for her own dad.

She could see in Shane’s eyes that he agreed with her uncle. She turned back to Graham. “I have to

do this. There’s more to it than Bryan’s death. When I can, I’ll tell you the rest.”

He gave her a fierce hug. “I’m proud of you. Your father would be proud, too, you know.”

Hailey closed her eyes and hung on tight. “I doubt that. And save your praise until I figure this out.

Daddy was right about one thing. I wasn’t a very good cop to begin with.”

“That’s not true. Your heart’s just always been somewhere else.” Graham eased back. “My bronze is

locked in the cabinet in my study. You know where the key is, and you’re welcome to it. But you

still need Nicole’s. And your mother’s.”

“I’ll get them.”

He ran his hand down her cheek. “Such confidence. I wish Bryan could have had some of your resolve.” Sadness crept over his face again, and he turned to look across the counter at Shane. “I appreciate anything you can do to help my niece in this. It’s nice to know she’s got one ally out there.”

He looked around the kitchen as if he’d never seen it before. “If you don’t mind, I think I’m going

to go lie down for a bit.”

“Can I help you upstairs?” Hailey asked.

“No.” He waved a hand. “No. I just need some time alone.” He paused at the kitchen door and

turned to look back. “Thirty-eight. The number on my bronze is thirty-eight.”

“Thank you, Uncle Graham.” Her heart pinched. “Do you mind if we take a look at it anyway?”

“No. You two…you take what you need.”

His sad smile stayed with her even after he left the kitchen. Hailey reached for her tea again. “Bryan

was a real jerk, but that…that was heartbreaking. No child should die before their parent.”

“Happens more often than you think,” Shane said, rising and taking his full glass of tea to the sink

while she sipped hers. He carefully avoided the bucket of crawdads and dumped his glass in the

other sink well. “From what I gathered, your cousin had a long list of enemies. You weren’t the only

one who benefited from his death.”

“I’m just the most obvious.”

He turned and looked at her with those dark eyes. “Yeah.” There was a lot he wasn’t saying, and she

didn’t have the energy to try to figure him out. And as much as she loved her uncle, she needed to

get what she’d come for and find out if Billy had gotten her the next piece on her list.

She drained her glass and took it to the sink; then she turned and headed for the hall. “His study’s

through here. Let’s see if his sculpture answers any questions.”

They made their way down the hall and into his cluttered study. Hailey walked around behind his

dusty desk and pulled open the top drawer. “He keeps it locked in his liquor cabinet.” She fished

around until she found the keys, then turned to the mahogany cabinet against the far wall. The key

slipped in the lock and turned with a click. She pulled open the double doors and stared inside.

“What’s wrong?” Shane asked, coming to stand behind her.

Hailey could hardly believe it. “It’s gone.”

He was good at puzzles. After all, that’s what he did every day of his damn life. Pieced together

clues, looked for hidden meanings, motives and possibilities. Put them all together until he had a

complete picture. But, this one…Shane had to admit, this one stumped him.

Sure, he had a laundry list of possible suspects running through his head, but those sculptures? They

were a mystery.

“Is it possible Graham gave his sculpture to someone and forgot?”

“No,” Hailey said, staring out the window as they bounced down the same dirt road they’d come in

on.

“Then someone took it. But who?”

“That’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, isn’t it?”

Hailey sighed. “I can think of a couple of people who might be interested.”

Shane frowned. Yeah, he could, too. But after Hailey had told him about the numbers on the other

sculptures, he didn’t have a clue how they all fit together or what the hell they meant. Maybe her father really had been wacko there at the end like everyone was insinuating.

“I guess it doesn’t much matter,” Hailey said. “Graham gave us his number and that’s all we really

need.” She chewed on her lip for a second. “It could be a phone number.”

“Maybe.” Shane rolled the numbers around in his head again. “Thirty-eight, twenty-five, zero five.

What about a combination? Didn’t you say he left you a safety-deposit-box key? Have you looked

at what’s in the box yet?”

“No. I didn’t have time before I went up to Chicago. That’s definitely a possibility. I should check it

out when I get back.”

“We,” he said flatly.

Her gaze flicked his way. And out of the corner of his eye he saw the hesitation as she struggled not

to tell him she could do it on her own.

Her eyes shifted forward again to gaze out at the setting sun. “You know, Maxwell, I really appreciate your help so far—”

“If you’re considering telling me to take a hike, save your breath.”

“It’d be easy for you to go back to Chicago and tell them you tried to stop me but couldn’t and don’t

know where I went. You’re not past the point of no return.”

Wasn’t he? He felt like it. “Your uncle wasn’t what I expected.”

She frowned at the change of subject. “What did you expect?”

“I don’t know. Not that. Not…normal.”

She glanced his way. “Am I that bad?”

One side of his mouth curled. “You have your moments. But no, that’s not what I meant. I was

thinking more about your sister. And your cousin. And the wealthy in general.”

“Part of his charm. Money doesn’t mean anything to him.”

He glanced sideways at her. Dusk was starting to settle over the Everglades, and a warm glow on

the horizon reflected off her face, making her blonde hair look darker, her skin softer, her eyes

somehow bluer. “Did you miss it? The money. Now that you’re back, it’s gotta be nice. That jet

alone costs more than I’ll make in my lifetime.”

“I never missed it. It all came with conditions.”

“Still—”

“Look, Maxwell, what you don’t understand is that it was never mine. The money, the houses, the

education. My father controlled all of it. He still does with my sister. It’s his money paying for her

condo, her vacations, her fun. Up until his death, he’d say jump and she’d ask ‘how high?’ All her

crazy antics and gallivanting around? That’s just her way of rebelling. I couldn’t live that way. Even

before I graduated I knew I couldn’t let him control me like that.”

They drove in silence a bit, bouncing on the dirt road. And though he kept trying to put her in a

nice, neat box-sexy cop, spoiled heiress, reluctant CEO, damn irritating suspect—she kept changing

things on him. There were layers to Hailey Roarke he hadn’t known existed, and every one of them

intrigued and excited him in a way that left his blood warm and his head jumbled.

“What’s wrong with your uncle’s heart?” he asked.

“It’s weak. Heart disease runs in the family. He’s been on medication for years. I just hope this

doesn’t push him over the edge.”

He nodded. “So what now?”

She glanced at her watch as they approached the same slough they’d crossed earlier. “It’s probably

too late to hit my father’s bank and check that safety-deposit box. I need to see Billy anyway.”

“Sullivan? What for?”

“He has something I need.”

“Don’t tell me you—”

A popping sound cut off his words a split second before the tire blew.

“Fuck.” Shane gripped the wheel tight and tried to keep the rental on a straight path over the creaky

old bridge.

“What the—”

The second tire blew before Hailey got the words out, and suddenly they were sliding sideways,

heading for the edge of the bridge, which lacked any kind of modern safety railings.

“Hold on!” Shane tried to correct, but it was too late. The tires went over, the car went nose down

before either could reach for the door. They hit the murky slough ten feet below with a whoosh and