Wednesday's Child (17 page)

She turned over onto her side.

Liam was two doors down, and she could tell by the sound of his footfalls he was pacing every few minutes. He wasn’t sleeping, either.

She glanced around the room. It was so him. Just like the rest of the place, he had furnished his bedroom with the bare essentials, no pictures or photos. Strange, for a man who had such a wonderful family, not to have pictures of them on display. There wasn’t even one of his twin sister, or of his wife, save the one. Plus there were none of her touches to the place, either. Perhaps he’d moved her after her death.

She ran her hands over the crisp, clean, beige cotton sheets, trying to still the agitation in her mind. The dark brown pillow cases and quilt cover bore signs of having been ironed. She never ironed anything if she could avoid it.

An hour later, Liam was still pacing, and she still couldn’t sleep.

Jacqui got up and pulled on Liam’s robe, wrapping it around her. She padded through the dark hall to the lounge and tapped on the door. “Liam?”

“Come in.”

“Can’t you sleep, either?”

Liam stood by the window. The orange glow of the fire still rose on the horizon. He shook his head. “No, my mind just keeps going over and over what happened tonight. I thought I might put a movie on to watch—something nonviolent just to help me relax a little. Or at least try to. There must be something on one of the movie channels. If not there’s always the cooking or shopping channels. Would you like to join me?”

“I’d like that. Thank you.”

She walked over and sat on the couch. Liam sat next to her and spread a blanket over the both of them. He picked up the remote, turning on the TV. Flicking through the movie channels, he found one they both wanted to watch. He put his arm around her, and Jacqui laid her head on his shoulder. Twenty minutes passed, and she glanced up at him as his breathing changed, and his grip on her relaxed. “Liam?”

Not getting an answer she guessed he was sleeping. She leaned against him and turned her attention to the film.

****

Liam woke at four AM. His stomach hurt, and it felt like a whopper of a bruise forming on his face. The birds were welcoming the dawn at full volume, and his arm was stiff. For a moment, he sat there wondering why he fell asleep in the lounge with the TV on, then he became aware of soft breaths on his chest. Lowering his gaze, he saw Jacqui sleeping soundly. He smiled and muted the TV. He closed his eyes again, listening to the dawn chorus.

Just after five, he flicked the TV news on and sat watching it. The fire was all over the local and national news, the death toll standing at fifteen, with several more in the hospital. The official word was a gas leak. But Liam recognized the man in the next news item as having been at the restaurant—right alongside all the additional security. The
Endarran
vice president was there? Coincidence? He didn’t think so. OK, they hadn’t said he was in Headley Cross, but Liam knew what he’d seen. Things were starting to add up and he didn’t like it.

Jacqui stirred in his arms and opened her eyes. He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead. “Good morning, love.”

She smiled at him. “Morning. That sure is a lovely black eye you have there. How’s the rest of you doing?”

“Sore, I won’t know until I get up and look, but the arnica cream will have brought all the bruises out overnight.” He ran a hand down her face, touched by the concern in her eyes. “Don’t worry yourself over me, love. I’m all right.”

“What time is it?”

“Just gone five in the morning.”

“How long have you been awake?”

Liam smiled. “An hour or so. I didn’t want to disturb you by moving. I got woken by the birds.”

“They can be rather noisy, but I love listening to them.”

“I do, too, but not at five AM after hardly any sleep.”

She shook her head. “You realize it’ll get noisier in a bit.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“Dawn is going to crack. With a very loud crack. You don’t want to miss that.”

“What are you wittering about?”

“Day is going to break, and in around fifteen hours or so, night will fall, probably with a loud bang when it lands.”

He groaned. “That’s terrible.” He pulled the blanket over his head. “I have to be up in two hours to tell the king the sky is falling.”

Jacqui laughed and pulled the blanket down. “Fine, you do that.”

“I apologize for falling asleep on you like that.”

“I think I was the one who used you as a pillow, but its fine. You were tired. I don’t even remember falling asleep.”

“I remember being really tired and thinking I’ll shut my eyes for a minute, but that was it.”

She nodded, her attention caught by the TV. “Have they mentioned the fire?”

“They have. They’ve had film coverage and everything. It made the national news. Fifteen people dead, with several more in the hospital, including a couple of firefighters.”

“Fifteen?” Her tone was stricken.

“They’re saying it was a gas leak.” He felt her stiffen in his arms. “We were lucky we got out when we did.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it. God got us out of there.” She paused. “What about your brother-in-law, Jared? Isn’t he a firefighter?”

“Yeah, he is. I rang Niamh after you went to bed last night. Jared isn’t working nights right now—he’s on days. He’ll probably be there after shift change today.”

“That’s good. I have another question though, Liam.”

“Go for it.”

“Your brother said he was coming back for statements. Is he a cop?”

“Kind of. He’s security services. He works for the government. He’s MI5.”

Jacqui raised an eyebrow. “A spook? Was he working last night?”

“How am I meant to know that?”

“You’re not a very good liar.”

Liam took a deep breath. “All right, yes, he was working. I asked him to check out Vince and to be there last night.”

Jacqui pulled out of his arms. She got up and moved away, wrapping her arms around her middle. “I thought we were past this jealousy of yours.”

“Jacqui, please, love, it’s not what you think.” He got up and moved over to her, taking gentle hold of her arms.

She fixed her eyes on him. “Then why?”

“Let me make some coffee, and I’ll tell you.”

“All right.”

He let go of her and headed to the kitchen. Once she knew, she wouldn’t want anything more to do with him. He knew that, but after last night, she had to know the truth. Or at least know what he did. Liam put the kettle on to boil and ran his hands through his hair.

“Well?” Her voice came from behind him.

“I told you about Endarra and watching Sally die. I made a promise that those responsible for her death would pay. I’ve been saving for months. That money in the building society is to fund my trip back there, to hunt down the men that killed my wife, my friends, and the kids we were caring for. The plan—once term finishes next week, and assuming I could get a flight, was to kill the men who killed the people I cared about.”

“Liam.” Her shocked gasp hit him hard. “Vince said...”

“He lied, Jacqui. The police did nothing. The missionary society did nothing. They didn’t catch or hold anyone accountable for this. I had someone investigating. The day you met Vince was the day I heard from my contact. He sent me an email proving that Vince was responsible for the attack. He wanted the mission gone, so he could use the land himself. I passed the information on to Patrick, and he’s spent the last few weeks looking into what I sent him.”

Jacqui turned, her face pale and her hand covering her mouth. “I don’t believe this.”

“I’m sorry. I wish there were some other way to say this, but there isn’t.”

“You lied to me.”

“I didn’t.” Outrage filled him. “I’m not the one in the wrong here.”

“Lied by omission, Liam. You knew how dangerous he was, and you didn’t tell me.” She drew in a deep breath.

“Would you have gone if I had told you?”

She didn’t answer him.

“Would you?” he insisted. “You said yourself, love; he’s a hard man to say no to. The last thing you said to him was you’d consider an offer you’d already turned down. At least twice if not three times.”

Jacqui twisted her hair into a hair band, tying it back. “I don’t know. Probably, like you said he’s a hard man to turn down. So why was your brother there last night?”

“Like I said, he was looking into the information I’d given him.” Liam looked at her. “Yesterday morning he came over. He told me to stay away from Vince, but if he contacted you to let him know. He insisted on being there last night, wired me before I picked you up, so they could record the conversation.”

She tilted her head. “But you weren’t wearing a wire last night when I patched you up. And even when I did your bow tie, I didn’t see one.”

“Patrick hid the wire well. Besides, I was already dressed and my collar already done up when I got to you.” Liam pulled the wiretap from the bread bin. “You turned your back on me to find the first aid kit when I stripped. I had time to hide it.” He paused. “Terry followed me to the gents last night. He warned me to stay away from you. He hammered the point home so to speak. Fortunately Patrick was there and stepped in. I thought the plan was to leave me there when the place blew.”

“He does hammer his point home very well. He must have been a boxer at one point.”

“Or a bouncer. But, thanks to your expert ministration, it’s nothing I can’t cope with—I’ve had worse.”

“I don’t think I want to know.”

He smiled, lopsidedly at her. “No, you don’t, but it’s evident that Vince and his cronies don’t want me around.”

Jacqui nodded. “You don’t think it was just a gas leak?”

“No, I’m betting there was a plan. I think you were part of it somehow.”

“Blowing up a restaurant to kill you is a little excessive, don’t you think?”

Liam made the coffee and slid one across the counter to her. “They didn’t know I was going to be there. Vince was surprised when I turned up. Apparently that was already in play when we got there. Remember that VIP and all those security personnel?”

“What about them?”

“He was on the news too—of course no mention of him having been anywhere near that restaurant or Headley Cross last night. He’s the Endarran vice president. I’m thinking he was the original target. I was just an added bonus because I can link them directly with the attack on the mission. They know that. Also, I’m standing between you and him.”

“There is no me and him. There hasn’t been for years.”

“That’s not the point.”

“No, the point is you’ve known for three weeks that Vince was involved in Sally’s death and you didn’t tell me.” Her voice hardened, her body stiffening more with each word.

“What was I meant to say?” Liam widened his arms in a gesture of defense. “The guy you were going to marry is a terrorist and a murderer?”

“He’s no different than you.”

Her words cut him to the core. He could feel the blood draining from his face. “
What?
There’s a massive difference between us. I haven’t killed anyone.”

“
Yet
. You said you were planning on hunting down the men responsible for Sally’s death and murdering them. That includes Vince. And that, my friend, makes you no better than those men who killed your wife and whoever blew up the restaurant last night.”

Liam shifted, her words piercing his soul. “But...”

“No buts. Thinking it is the same as if you had already done it. You passed the information to your brother. Let him and the authorities handle it.” She stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her.

Liam stood there for a moment, then flung the door open and ran down the hall after her. He pushed open the bedroom door before she could close it. “Wait a second.”

“What?” Her dark eyes glittered with rage and disappointment.

“There’s a huge difference between them and me. They slaughtered those people for no reason. I was doing it for the sake of justice.” He deliberately used the past tense. He’d promised Patrick he wouldn’t go. He hadn’t booked the flights or packed or anything. The feelings were still there, but so was the desire to drink. And he hadn’t acted on that, either.

“No, Liam. You wanted revenge. Pure and simple. Justice comes from God and the law. You’re neither.”

“How do you know God won’t use me, like He used Samson and David?” The argument sounded weak even to him.

“Don’t try and justify it.” Jacqui picked up the Bible from the bedside table. “Romans twelve says, ‘
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge, I will repay,” says the Lord
.’” She looked at him, her gaze going straight through him. “What you’re planning is wrong. No make that
wrong
with a capital W.”

Liam took a deep breath. “What Vince and his men did was wrong. Why are you madder at me than at him? I’m the one who lost here.”

“Because you
know
it’s wrong. You claim to be a Christian, and you say you rekindled your faith, but all along you were planning
this?
How do I know, more importantly how does God know you meant a word of it? Maybe it was a ruse to get me and keep me in your life.”

Another spear pierced his soul, physically knocking him a step backwards with the force of the blow. “It wasn’t. I meant it. I love you. I want to honor God by what I do, but I also wanted to bring those responsible for Sally’s death to justice.”

Jacqui laid a gentle hand on his arm. “Liam, you have to let go and leave it to the police handle. If they don’t, God will see the murderers pay for what they did. It’s not up to you. Let it go.”

“How?” The word was torn from him, another blow digging into the wall surrounding his heart.

“Pray.”

“I have, but...”

“Stop with these buts.” She pushed her hair back from her face, barely controlled irritation on her face. “God doesn’t want to hear them any more than I do. He doesn’t just want part of your life, Liam. He wants
all
of it. Isaiah chapter one says, ‘
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of My sight
.’”