Whatever It Takes (31 page)

Now if only those troubles would end.

Going to the market every few days used to be a treat. But now, with the knowledge of danger, Teresa found herself preoccupied with looking for threats more often than she did the ripest melons or the freshest asparagus.

She used to drive herself to the market, using one of Eli’s cars—another treat for her. But now, Gunter, Eli’s chauffeur, drove her wherever she needed to go. The first few times had been fun, but now it felt stifling. 

“I only need a few items today. Shouldn’t take me more than fifteen minutes or so.”

Gunter gave her a polite nod in that patient, serious way of his. Teresa had tried several times to engage him in conversation, and though he was never rude, he either just nodded at her or answered with one or two words. Still, she had a small affection for him. Her late husband had been a man of few words, too.

Knowing he’d gotten out of the car and watched as she walked into the grocery store, Teresa paid little attention to her surroundings. Her eyes skimming the short list she’d made, she went quickly through the store. Having shopped here for years, she knew each aisle as well as she knew her own kitchen. She was reaching up for a jar of olives when a soft voice with a distinctive Texas twang said, “Oh, let me get that for you.”

Turning, Teresa took in the young woman smiling sweetly at her. Tall, with long black hair pulled back with a barrette, she wore a Cowboys sweatshirt, jeans, and boots and was quite possibly one of the loveliest women Teresa had ever seen.

“Thank you,” Teresa smiled at her. “These shelves seem to get higher every year.”

Reaching up, the woman grabbed the jar and handed it to Teresa. “My pleasure. Um… Do you shop here often?”

“I have for years. Is there something I can help you find?”

“I was looking for the local honey. My husband has allergies and was told if he ate local honey it might help.” She took a jar of honey from her buggy. “This one comes from Houston. It’s not local, but it’s still Texas, so maybe that’s local enough.”

“Oh no, dear, you don’t want that one.” Teresa took the jar from her. “Let me show you the local section. It’s two aisles down.”

“I hate to trouble you. I’ve not shopped here before and feel so lost.”

Taking young people under her wing was as natural as breathing to Teresa. “It’s no bother at all. You just follow me.”

Pushing her cart forward, Teresa headed toward the aisle where the local products were shelved. She pointed to several different brands of honey. “These three are made here in Dallas. I’ve tried all three, and there’s not much difference between them. All of them have nice, smooth taste.”

“Oh, thank you so much.” The young woman took a jar from the shelf and then held out her hand to Teresa. “My name is Mary Ellen Wilson. We moved here from El Paso a month ago, and it’s taking me forever to feel comfortable.”

“I know exactly how you feel. You’ll get the hang of it, though. The city is large, but the people here are very helpful and friendly.” And because she truly was interested in people, she asked, “It’s just you and your husband?”

“For right now.” Tears glistened in her eyes as she said, “We’ve been trying to get pregnant, but so far it’s not happening.”

“Oh dear.” Teresa patted her arm. “Don’t you worry. When you least expect it, I’m sure it’ll happen for you.”

“I hope so.” She sniffed delicately. “Vinnie’s getting really discouraged.”

Teresa gave an exasperated sigh. “Men can be that way.”

Wiping away the tiny teardrop that was glistening on her flushed, pretty cheek, Mary Ellen said, “You’re so sweet. I miss my mama and granny back in El Paso.” She paused and then haltingly asked, “Would you…I hate to impose, but would you be interested in having coffee with me in that coffee shop next door?”

Teresa thought about poor Gunter having to wait on her. “It’s no imposition at all… It’s just, I have someone who brought me here. I’m—” 

Teresa broke off when she saw the disappointment in Mary Ellen’s face. “Tell you what, I’ll go see if he minds waiting. If he doesn’t, I’ll meet you over there as soon as I finish paying for my groceries.”

“Oh, thank you. While you do that, I’ll just pay for this honey and then meet you there.”

Teresa quickly paid for her purchases, noting Mary Ellen was two registers down from her. The young woman waved and smiled at her as she exited the store.

Teresa rolled the cart loaded with bags toward the exit and wasn’t the least bit surprised when Gunter met her at the doors. “I’ll take that for you,” he said.

Feeling only slightly guilty, she said, “Do you mind if I run into the coffee shop for a few minutes? There’s nothing in the bags that needs to be refrigerated, and I—”

“Not at all. I’ll be waiting.”

Promising herself she wouldn’t keep him waiting long, Teresa entered the coffee shop and saw Mary Ellen sitting in a corner, already sipping coffee. “Come on over. I took the liberty of getting a latte for you. Hope that’s okay.”

Teresa took a seat, thinking what an unexpected delight it was to make a new friend.

She took a sip of her coffee and gave the older woman a sweet, simple smile. Playing the innocent was one of her favorite roles, simply because of the challenge. She’d left innocence back in Ireland decades ago, so when she got the chance to pretend, it was extra fun.

Teresa Longview was a lovely woman with a friendly smile and that motherly instinct that seemed to come natural to some people. Apparently, that particular trait had been left out of her own gene pool. Even though she had little sympathy for stupid people, she did appreciate the kind ones. They were so eager to do good and were, therefore, so much easier to mislead.

Wanting to make sure Teresa felt completely at ease and would therefore be all the more rattled later on, she kept the conversation light and frivolous. They talked weather, the differences between El Paso and Dallas, and the best kind of casserole for a winter meal. Happy to see Teresa completely relaxed, she took another sip of a truly excellent latte and then smiled brightly. “I have a confession to make.”

“What’s that, dear?”

“I didn’t really invite you to coffee because I’m lonely.”

Teresa got that look on her face most people did when they were fearful that they’d been hoodwinked into a meeting about selling cosmetics or vacuum cleaners. It always amused her, because once she finished explaining the reason for the meeting, they no doubt would have much preferred the sales pitch. 

“I have a small favor to ask of you.”

“Favor?”

“Yes. Would you like to save two lives?”

Teresa jerked back in surprise. “What on earth are you talking about?”

Seeing no need to delay further, she explained, “You have a sister and brother-in-law in England. Linda and Douglas Abbot. Just outside Surrey.”

“How could you know that?”

“Oh, Teresa, my dear, I know everything.” She took her cellphone and flipped to a photo. “You’ll be happy to know that your sister’s arthritis is much better. She and Douglas were able to take a nice long walk in the park just the other day. See?”

Teresa’s chair made a loud screech when she scooted it back. “I don’t know what this is about, but I am not amused.”

“Now don’t be getting too hasty. I’m just getting to the good stuff. Besides, I didn’t arrange this meeting to amuse you, dear.”

“Your accent.” Teresa shook her head. “You’re not from Texas at all. You’re from Ireland?”

“Dublin. Ever been there?”

But Teresa, the dear lady, was no longer in the mood for chitchat. “Tell me what this is about. How do you know my sister and brother-in-law? What do you want?”

She swiped a finger across the screen of her phone. “Here’s another photograph of your sister and brother-in-law. They don’t look near as happy, do you think?”

The elderly couple sat back to back in wooden chairs. Their torsos were tied with the same rope. A single long cloth was wrapped around both of their heads. 

“Secured this way, they can barely move a muscle. Very difficult to stay that way for long. Very painful, especially for poor Linda. Her arthritis must be hurting her badly.”

The horror in Teresa’s eyes was exactly the reaction she was looking for.

“What have you done to them? What do you want?”

“I’ve not had the pleasure of meeting them yet. My associate is seeing to their care. It’s up to you to make sure I never do meet them.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that you work for a man who needs to die, along with the young woman who’s living with him, Kathleen Callahan. You arrange for their deaths, with my help, of course, and your sister and brother-in-law will be released, unharmed. They’ll be allowed to live out the rest of their lives with the last few days as only a bad memory.”

Her face now as white as the tabletop holding their coffee, Teresa whispered, “You’re the one who’s been trying to hurt Mr. Eli and his family.”

Instead of answering, she clicked on another photograph. “The saying ‘a picture’s worth a thousand words’ might be cliché, but in this instance, I think it stands the test of time. Take a look at the relatives of the last person who refused me.”

She shoved the phone just inches beneath Teresa’s nose. “I was actually quite proud of my work here. No muss, no fuss. Bullets to the head, point-blank range.”

Teresa let loose a sound between a strangled moan and a gasp. “You…you killed an entire family?”

“Of course I did. ’Twas quite easy, really. But that’s neither here nor there.” She withdrew the small vial from her purse. “There’s enough poison here to fell several horses. Shouldn’t be any problem to handle two people. Just pour it into their coffee or tea. It’ll be over quickly, and then you can move on. I do advise you to get out of town as soon as the deed is done, though. The pesky authorities have a tendency to look down on murder.”

“How dare you ask such a thing of me!” 

Teresa went to rise but stopped when her wrist was grabbed. “You will be responsible for killing the only family you have left. What would your mum say to such a thing?”

When Teresa didn’t say anything, she went on, “You’ve got two days to get it done. If I don’t hear about the deaths of Eli Slater and Kathleen Callahan within forty-eight hours, I’ll be heading to England to put bullets in the heads of your beloved sister and her husband.”

Satisfied she’d made her case, she took one last sip of her coffee and rose, leaving the vial on the table in front of Teresa. “No need to reimburse me for the coffee. This was such a treat for me.”

When Teresa called out, “Wait,” she stopped at the door.

Looking nothing like the cheerful little woman she’d met an hour ago, the obviously devastated Teresa said, “Why do you do things like this?”

A wicked smile lit her eyes and for the first time she allowed Teresa to see her real nature. “Because it’s fun.”

Chapter Thirty-eight

Time was running out. Kathleen felt the tension as if a timer attached to a bomb was clicking the seconds down to zero. Eli was getting ready to put his plan into action. He hadn’t said so in words yet, but she knew it was just a matter of time before he did. She stood before the whiteboard, seeing the connections but still not seeing everything she needed to see. They still didn’t have that one missing piece that would complete the picture. Who the hell was doing this?

“We’re getting there, Kathleen.”

She turned to Kennedy, who sat at the table, working diligently.

“I know we are, but I’m afraid if we don’t have it soon, Eli will do something to bring it to a head.”

“If he does, he’ll have plenty of backup. You have to trust him.”

“There’s no one I trust more. I just—” She couldn’t say it. Couldn’t even think it.

“Despite what’s happened, I’m glad you two found each other.”

She wanted to be glad, too. Oh, how she wanted to be able to let go and just be in love. Feel the joy, the giddy excitement. Instead, fears and anxieties smothered all the wonderment. 

“What are you so afraid of, Kathleen?”

“Why would you even have to ask that? Isn’t it obvious? I’m afraid for Eli and his children. For—”

“That’s not everything, though, is it?”

Seeing the warm compassion on the other woman’s face, Kathleen shrugged helplessly, unable to keep up the pretense. “I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever loved. How can I not be afraid? What if something happens to Eli? To his daughters? What if I fall in love with all of them only to lose them?”

“Would not loving them keep them safer?”

That stopped her in her tracks. “No. I—no, I guess not.”

“Then why wouldn’t you cherish every single moment instead of being so afraid? Is a lifetime of being miserable and alone really better than an undetermined time of happiness with a man who adores you? With precious children who love you?”

Just because she could see what she would be losing out on didn’t diminish the fear. In fact, that almost made the fear stronger. If she let her guard down, let go and allowed herself to love, what then?

But just how stupid was it to be afraid to be happy? Was the certainty of being miserable and alone for the rest of her life really better than having all she’d ever dreamed of, even if how long it lasted was uncertain?

“Let me tell you a story.” Kennedy’s soft voice broke through Kathleen’s misery. “About a little girl who had everything—loving parents, a wonderful childhood that anyone might envy. And then one day she had nothing. Her parents were killed, and she went into foster care. She hated it, but she learned to cope. She grew up, not always strong and brave, but resilient. Then one day she meets this amazing, kind-hearted man and falls madly in love. They marry and are ecstatic to learn they’re having a baby. It’s the perfect life she’d always dreamed of. Then, in one endless nightmare, she loses everything again. The husband she adores, the baby she desperately wants. She’s forced to leave behind everyone she cares about.”

Kennedy was talking about her own life. About losing her first husband because of Mathias and Adam Slater. Kathleen knew the basic facts, but Kennedy had never talked to her about the specific events.