Target (20 page)

“I wish he'd forget the name of his species. What a silly thing to teach a bird.” Slightly pink in the face, she added, “It doesn't take him long to move on from purple-headed parakeet to…well, you can guess. He does get rude.”

Sabine grinned and left the room.

Nobody laughed at the bird.

“I can't deal with this,” Delia said abruptly. She crumpled the piece of paper. “I didn't show you the letter because I didn't want you to read it. I was afraid it could make you feel too independent. We became a family and I wanted us to stay that way.” She fumbled with a box of tissues.

Nick couldn't look at anyone. He bowed his head.

“Mary provided for you. She sent that…that
thing
for me to sell. She said it was worth a fortune and I should sell it and use the money to bring you up. Mary said if you were old enough, Nick, you'd find out how and make sure it got done. She believed in you absolutely. But we didn't need it. I had plenty and anyway, it's been stolen now. There, now I've told you and you'll be furious with me.”

Thing?
“You mean what Mom sent in that bag, don't you? And now it's been stolen. I'm not furious. It wasn't your fault it was stolen.”

“Yes, it was. That ruby was in the bag—or that's what Mary said. I never looked at it. If I'd sold the stone like Mary asked me to, it wouldn't have been there to steal. But that's not what I meant.”

Sarah propelled herself from the daybed. She went to Delia and pulled her into a hug. “It doesn't matter,” she said. “You couldn't do anything to make us mad at you.”

Despite the way his spine prickled, Nick smiled. Among the three of them, Sarah was the spontaneous one and this was a moment when he was glad for it.

Delia hugged Sarah back. “Mary wrote that It was a Burmese pigeon's blood ruby called—Oh, I knew I wouldn't forget the name, but I think I have.”

“It's in the letter, isn't it?” Nick asked. He wouldn't give a shit about any ruby, only this one could have brought major trouble to town.

“I think it was Yama Dharma. Nicknamed the Vulture Ruby. A king once bought his life with it. Some horrible people were going to kill him.”

Aurelie realized her mouth was open and shut it. She turned to Nick. “Do you understand any of this?”

“Only that my mother sent that envelope with us, and the letters and the small package were inside. I guess there was a ruby in it and now it's been stolen. With any luck it was stolen by Colin and now he'll get lost and leave us alone.”

She nodded, then shook her head, no. “Nick, think, if—”

“I already am thinking. You were attacked after the robbery, which means someone who was after the ruby didn't get it. If that's what the guy wanted. That letter is really important, Delia.”

Delia broke free of Sarah's embrace and sat down hard on an upholstered bench. “Let me finish, please. I didn't have the right to sell that ruby because it wasn't Mary's. Any more than it was that Colin's. Who knows where it came from, but someone stole it. They must have. Of course I didn't want any money to care for you, but I wasn't going to sell a stolen ruby worth millions anyway.”

“Millions?” Nick and Aurelie said together.

“That's what Mary wrote. I can't remember how many carats she said it was, but it was hundreds. And there's a story about a thief and a vulture—what that man told you about, I think, Aurelie, but I didn't read it closely. It frightened me.”

Nick held out his hand. “Let me read it, please, Delia.”

She threw the ball of paper on the floor. “That's just where I tried to make a list of what I remembered from Mary's letter. I burned that years ago.”

T
he first scream broke the silence in Delia's rooms.

Someone screamed again, a woman, the sound soaring upward from somewhere in the grounds behind the house.

Delia turned to look outside, but Nick moved her aside and threw the window all the way open. He couldn't see anything unusual, but another scream sounded and this time complete panic raised it higher.

Running, he left the suite and took the stairs down to the first floor several at a time—and cannonballed into Betty Valenti on her way in from scrubbing the front steps. Her bucket of water upended on the wooden hall floor, but she left it and pushed him toward the passageway leading to the rooms at the back of the house.

“You heard it,” she said, even as the noise came once more. “Go, go, Mr. Nick.”

He went, aware in some small area of his brain that at least he wouldn't find Aurelie, Sarah or Delia when he reached the terrified-sounding woman.

Betty wasn't far behind him when he took a side door out of the house and skidded to a halt on a path. The screams had stopped, replaced by desperate cries for help.

“At the back,” he said and ran on, hearing more sets of footfalls behind him. He knew at least Aurelie and Sarah must be following.

Aurelie shouted, “The pool, Nick,” and he went in that direction, leaping over flower beds and scrunching across expanses of crushed rock until he saw first the white marble wall, then the turquoise waters of the pool.

“I don't see anything,” he called, hurdling a low hedge and throwing out his arms to steady his balance.

But then he did.

In the pool, water up to her raised chin, stood Sabine. Even at a distance he could see wildness in her eyes.

“Hold on, Sabine,” he shouted. “I'll be right there.”

“She can't swim!” Aurelie's voice was breathless. “Hurry.”

He kicked off his shoes as he went and put one hand on the wall to vault into the water.

“There's blood, Nick,” Aurelie shouted. “There's blood on the wall here.”

“It's okay,” he said to Sabine, keeping his attention on her face, willing her to look at him while he waded toward her where she stood as far out as she could get without swimming. “You're all right. You're safe now.”

She looked back at him, then away, toward the fountain.

Nick reached her and put an arm around her waist. He pulled her backward until her shoulders were clear of the water.

Tears ran down her already wet face. She grabbed him and he felt her shake. “Ed,” she said, her voice scratchy and breaking. “Get Ed.” And she pointed.

Nick looked over his shoulder, then turned around, taking his arm from Sabine as he did so. He kicked off from the bottom and swam, cursing the clothes that weighed him down.

On the fountain, suspended by the head of a stone snake snagged through a hole in the back of his work shirt, hung Ed Webb.

P
olice and quickly assembled volunteers had started searching the grounds. Matt Boudreaux, his hands clasped behind his back, stood in the middle of the kitchen, waiting to get into the quarters where a doctor and a team of medics were attending to Ed.

Ed had insisted that although he was woozy, he didn't need to be hospitalized and Sabine backed him up.

“Broad daylight,” Nick said, and started to pace. “How does a man get attacked in broad daylight and hung on a goddamn fountain in the middle of a pool?”

“Once they let us talk to him we intend to find out,” Matt said.

“He's not in such bad shape,” Nick said. “When I first saw him, I thought he was dead, but we should be able to talk to him shortly.”

“
I'll
be able to question him,” Matt said abruptly.

After an uncomfortable silence, Nick said, “Back off, Matt. Don't take it out on me because you haven't gotten anywhere with this case.” His own talk of thawing relations with Matt had been premature.

Matt's face set. He looked toward the door leading to the area where Ed and Sabine were staying. “They never used to live here,” he said. “Why are they here now?”

“My domestic arrangements are none of your business,” Delia said. To this point she had sat quietly at the kitchen table with Aurelie and Sarah.

Matt's chest expanded. “Everything to do with the ongoing investigation is my business, ma'am. The question was simple enough. And I think you've been cagey enough up to now, don't you? Without Aurelie's nasty experience you'd still be keepin' the truth from me. You all would.”

“Well, we're not, and I can't imagine what's wrong with you,” Delia said. “I don't like your attitude.”

Aurelie almost groaned aloud.

“I regret that,” Matt said. “I have a job to do and decisions to make. I intend to do both in whatever way I think will be best.”

“Are you still expecting a meeting with us later?” Nick asked. He couldn't guess why, but Matt seemed to be erecting another frosty screen.

“I don't see any point,” he said. “I'm going to hope you quit holdin' back information and let me know if there's somethin' you figure I should know. So far you've shown that you'll open up when you feel like it. You've been hindering this investigation.” He looked from one to the other of them. “I believe you're good people but you've been misguided over this.”

“You talked about getting some trusted local people together to discuss a plan,” Nick said.

“The plan's been made. The fewer involved, the better—the easier to be sure who knows what.”

“That's just plain nasty,” Sarah said, surprising the rest of them. “I don't know what put a bug up your ass, Matt Boudreaux, but you're going to regret it.”

Nick hid a grin. The un-Sarahlike comment was more effective for its shock value.

Matt ignored her. “We'll be finished with the lab by later today,” he said. “Feel free to go back in there, then.”

Buck Dupiere knocked on the door from outside into the kitchen and came in.

“Glad you could finally join us,” Matt said. Apparently there was enough nastiness to spread around.

Buck nodded and said, “Good mornin', all. I've been with the team in the grounds. Nothin', Matt. We took it inch by inch around the pool and worked away. Not a thing.”

Matt frowned. “Thanks,” he said. “We'll go into it all again later.”

Buck nodded. He turned to Sarah and said, “Someone said you're a cyclist.”

“Yes.” Sarah looked uncertain. “Or I used to be. I don't get much chance anymore.”

“Me, too,” Buck said. “How about a ride? Company is good.”

She cleared her throat. “That would be nice.”

Aurelie smiled. Buck was quite the hunk and a nice, intelligent guy. He and Sarah could make a good pair. She looked away. If Sarah had another man in her life, Aurelie wouldn't feel so guilty over her feelings for Nick.

Three medics tromped through the kitchen carrying their equipment and left by the back door. The doctor came a few moments later and smiled at Aurelie. She'd been surprised to see Mitch Halpern again.

“How's that face?” he asked. “Apart from beautiful.”

She smiled, couldn't help it. “Mending fast. You're all over the place, Doctor.”

“Call it what it is, shortage of medical personnel. Not that I mind. Busy is good by me.” He hesitated and said, “I'd like to have a few words with all of you before I go.”

“Could it wait?” Matt asked.

“I don't think so,” Mitch said. He pulled out a chair and sat sideways to the table. “I ought to check you out, Aurelie. We don't want any infection setting in. And don't forget, you need another shot in a few days.”

“I won't forget,” she said, feeling slightly warm. “Really, I think everything's clean and healing up—thanks to you.”

He fixed her with his interesting hazel eyes. “Okay, but I'll see you at the clinic.”

She smiled at him and he smiled back, slowly and with the kind of warm sincerity guaranteed to speed a woman's heart.

“What's on your mind, Doc?” Nick asked.

He was jealous of any attention she got, Aurelie thought, not without some satisfaction.

“If Sabine Webb hadn't gone out to take her husband a drink, do you think he'd have been found even now?”

“I should think so,” Matt said.

“I wouldn't,” Delia said. “It's a good thing she does go out to him midmorning. Poor Ed. He's gentle and quiet. Those are the people others victimize. Disgusting.”

“He's got a story to tell,” Mitch said. “The man who attacked him thinks he's got something that doesn't belong to him. Ed's not sure what it is except it's supposed to be worth a lot. The guy said he saw Ed with it.”

Nick almost brought up the ruby but stopped in time. He wasn't about to make a fool of himself with a story he couldn't back up with anything but hearsay.

Matt had crossed his arms. “Did it strike you to make sure one of us was there while Webb was spilling his guts, Doc?”

“Call me Mitch.” He looked amused. “No, it didn't. He talked while I was examining him and he's had a shock. Sometimes people talk a lot when they're shocked. I'm telling you what he said now, doesn't that work?”

“Were the medics there?”

“Yes,” Mitch said.

Buck hooked his thumbs over his belt and got really interested in tubs of growing sprouts on the windowsill.

“If that's all,” Matt said to the doctor, “I'll just ask you to keep what you've heard to yourself. Thanks for coming.”

Mitch stood up, all expression wiped from his face. “Ed also mentioned having a bag put over his head. You've got big trouble here, Officer.” He glanced at Aurelie and frowned. “Two victims of criminal attacks on the grounds of this house. Seems to me you have a pretty contained crime scene.”

“Meaning?” Matt asked, bristling.

“Whatever you think it ought to mean,” Mitch said. “I hope I don't see a third patient with the same story. Or worse, a third patient who can't tell the story.”

“There was Baily already,” Delia said, ignoring the looks she got. “She couldn't tell her story. And that didn't happen at Place Lafource.”

“No,” Mitch said with a polite smile. He said, “See you in a few days,” to Aurelie and left—walking through the house toward the front door.

“Thank you, Mitch,” Delia said. Her mouth settled in a hard line.

“Could Baily's death have been an accident?” Aurelie asked once the doctor had left. “I don't see how we can connect it to the things that have happened here.”

“It's not your job to connect anything,” Matt said. “The main thing we have here is the time frame. And those labs belong to the Boards just like this house does. And unless Baily knocked herself flat on the roof of that building then got up and went over the side—hard to figure out why she'd do that—someone else did. And someone else hit the backs of her knees hard enough to send her into the parapet and over the edge.”

This was the first Nick had heard about Baily having an accident on the roof before the fatal fall. “How do you know all this? About Baily falling down on the roof first?”

“Rocks embedded in the back of her head matched the ones on the roof,” Matt said. “She had bruises across her sternum, consistent with a good push from spread fingers. Spread fingers of a good-size hand. We're not sure what he hit the backs of her knees with, but it did the job.”

Aurelie's hand went to her own sternum, where bruises stung to the touch.

“You're sure all this couldn't have happened when she hit the ground below?” Nick asked. “Her body was twisted up and there was gravel around. Gravel shifts. It makes sense that there would be some of it in the rose beds.”

“That's not what was in her scalp and hair,” Matt said. “The bruises were made when her heart was still pumping good and hard. The amount of bleeding under the skin proves that. If any of them had happened within seconds of death, or after death, any bruising would be much fainter, or almost nonexistent.”

“Makes sense,” Nick said, wishing it didn't.

Aurelie's hand went to her throat. “Nick, that man pushed—”

“We noticed,” Matt said. “You've got bruises in the same place on your chest as Baily did. So does Ed.”

The way the man had jabbed his fingers into her had felt not just painful but insolent, dismissive.

“Why are you angry with us?” Aurelie asked Matt.

“Because he hasn't got anything,” Nick said. “All the bruises and gravel don't mean shit without a suspect.”

Matt gave him the kind of look friends didn't use on friends. “We're confident on this case, Nick. And Delia, we'll need to go over your study today, and the grounds just outside. The thief probably got in through your French doors. I hope you didn't tamper with them too much.”

Delia pinched her lips together.

Buck went to the sink and poured a glass of water from the faucet. He drank it down. “It's too bad about the doc and the medics hearing what Ed had to say,” he said. “Now we've got what should be private—”

“Yeah.” Matt cut Buck off and gave all of his attention to the rest of them. “I'm going to impress on them what I want you people to remember. Anything you've heard, anything you know about this case doesn't get spread around.”

“You don't even have to say it,” Nick said.

“Good. I'd also prefer to know where I can find you. Don't leave town, please.”

Delia surged to her feet.

“Leave it,” Nick told her. “We're all on edge.”

“I'm not on edge,” Matt said. “Just doing my job. We won't need you anymore right now. When we're through with Ed we'll let ourselves out. Expect to hear from us.”