Finding Grace Page 23

  “Oh God,” she gasped, the words barely making it past the choking pain. “You were right, Joe. I’ve been hiding it. How could I let Jack marry me? What the hell was I thinking? He surprised me. All this time, I’ve been so selfish. Thank you, Joe, for reminding me, because I’d rather go back to the hellhounds that did this to me than ever see in Jack’s eyes what I see in yours right now.”

  Thorne tore the ring off her finger and set it gently on the table. “If you dislike me even half as much as I think you do, you’ll give me time to get away. You’ll make something up, something good. You’re a lawyer, for fuck’s sake. Here’s your chance to keep Jack from making the biggest mistake of his life. Go for it, big brother.”

  Joe didn’t say a word.

  * * * *

  Even so, she didn’t feel safe going back to her apartment. It was the first place Jack would look. Thorne cursed the high-heeled ankle boots as she jogged to a main street where she could catch a bus. The first thing she’d do once she made one last large cash withdrawal—enough to disappear with—would be to buy some sneakers and a more subtle jacket. Shit, she hated to give this one up, but it was just too noticeable. She’d need something to cover her white hair, too. She’d make one last visit to Jefferson and be out of Seattle by noon. She’d run until she could forget the revulsion she’d seen in Joe’s eyes—so dark, so like Jack’s.

  Uncle Sam’s big fat check should arrive soon. That would help make up for her leaving—to the boys at Blackridge, anyway. Paul might worry, and Jack—well, she’d done him a favor. They’d get over it. They had each other.

  * * * *

  “Where’s Grace? Did we forget the eggs?” Dagger had wandered into the kitchen wearing just a pair of jeans, yawning and scratching his chest. He stood in front of the open fridge door and stretched, then looked over at his brother. “Joe?”

  Dagger couldn’t place the look on his brother’s face, but it wasn’t the confident sneer he usually wore. Tendrils of unease that had nothing to do with last night’s rich dinner curled around his gut.

  “Where’s Grace, Joe?” he repeated, and slammed the fridge door, the rattling of beer bottles and condiment jars his only answer. “You said something to her, didn’t you? You’d better tell me right fucking now. Did she take off? Goddamnit, if you said something to make her leave, I swear, Joe—” He had his brother by the shirt collar before he knew what he was doing.

  “Take your hands off me.” Dagger detected the edge of fear in Joe’s voice, though he stood to cover it. “I’m sorry, Jack, I don’t know what to say. I heard the door this morning, thought maybe you went out for a run or something. Had a bad feeling about it, though. And a real bad feeling about that girl. How long have you known her anyway? That ring had to be at least five carats. What makes you think she didn’t just take off with it? That’s a lot of bling for a girl like that, living like she does.” Joe was talking fast, getting some of his confidence back.

  “You lying sonofabitch, Grace wouldn’t do that.” Dagger started shaking him.

  “Answer me, Jack. How long have you known her?”

  Joe’s stuttering voice pierced his anger. Had it been two months or three? He wasn’t sure. “Over three months.” He loosened his grip on Joe’s shoulders. He knew how bad it sounded. “It doesn’t matter. I know you said something to her and I’m not letting you out of my sight until you tell me the truth.”

  * * * *

  Dagger laughed without humor at the shock on Joe’s face when he easily picked the lock on Grace’s apartment door after she didn’t answer. His brother really didn’t know him at all.

  Her backpack against the wall told Dagger that she probably hadn’t been back here since they’d picked her up last night. He rifled quickly through it. Her laptop, iPod, workout clothes, even her knitting, everything was still there. Her sneakers were another marker; she’d have changed into those for sure, and dumped that wild, pretty coat, too. But the old parka was still hanging in her closet. Shit, she had definitely bolted.

  * * * *

  Strangling the steering wheel wasn’t as satisfying as strangling Joe, but he had to strangle something and he needed Joe in order to find out what had made Grace run. His brother was wearing his lawyer’s face, but Dagger knew lots of ways to wipe it off.

  Right now, though, he had to make sure she hadn’t stopped at the office. And he was going to have a face-to-face with Paul. His partner had known things about her he hadn’t; Paul might know something now. There would be no more holding out on him when it came to Grace, not by anyone.

  He thundered up the stairs, two at a time, yelling, “Has anyone seen or heard from Grace?” before he even reached the top.

  Farley yelled back, “First night out showing her stuff and you lost her already, huh?” He walked into the hall, grinning, until he met Dagger’s eyes.

  “Where’s Paul?” He could smack Farley later.

  “In his office with Lieutenant Rigby.”

  Dagger’s disappointment that Paul wasn’t alone was obliterated by the fears the lieutenant’s presence raised. Oh God, what if…

  * * * *

  Paul had heard the whole conversation, if he cared to call it that. The tone in Dagger’s voice didn’t bode well for a nice quiet morning. Luke, sprawled in the old wooden chair next to his desk, turned sideways when Dagger walked in.

  He said, “You mean she’s not with you? I stopped in to tell her—”

  “She’s missing.” Dagger let it out like bad air.

  Paul heard relief in it, though; he must have seen Luke and thought—

  “Who’s missing?” Katherine breezed in, looking beautiful and smelling wonderful, her brows arched in puzzlement, that damned busybody Farley on her heels.

  “Whoa. Hi, I’m Joe Daggery.”

  Dagger’s brother slid out from behind him and took Katherine’s hand. And held onto it.

  Paul cleared his throat. “Katherine, this is Dagger’s brother, Joe. Joe, meet my wife, Katherine.” Paul made sure Joe got a good look at his expression when he said it.

  Katherine pulled her hand free and gave Paul a quick kiss before turning a gracious smile on the undeserving Joe. “An unexpected pleasure. I wasn’t aware Jack had a brother. It’s nice to meet you, Joe.” Then, appearing to catch sight of Dagger, she said, “Oh Jack, what’s wrong?”

  “Grace is missing.” The way Dagger said it this time made Paul think of the apocalypse.

  There was something off about Joe’s oily smile. “She’s not exactly missing, Katherine. My little brother just can’t seem to admit his secretary ran off with the mega-rock he gave her last night.”

  When Paul closed his mouth, he realized he wasn’t the only one whose jaw had dropped.

  Farley, of course, recovered first with a snort and a bellow. “Son of a—but what’s he talking about, a secretary?”

  “You mean she’s not…?” Joe frowned. “Well, whatever she did for you boys,” he smirked, “you should have paid her more. Have you seen the place she lives in, that neighborhood? It’s hardly a surprise the little skank was so quick to hit on the available partner, take him for everything he’s worth, and make a run for it.”

  The conviction in his voice almost echoed in the frozen silence of the office that followed his wife’s gasp.

  All traces of humor were gone from Farley’s face, his voice a bare whisper, “Man, you’ve either got a lot more guts than brains, or one hell of a death wish.”

  Paul couldn’t have agreed more. What worried him was that nothing at all showed on Dagger’s face.

  Joe’s was the complete opposite, the flushed mix of emotions displayed by a man who was beginning to comprehend the magnitude of his mistake.

  Not for the first time, Paul resented that the responsibility for preventing bloodshed fell to him. Today he had to at least delay it until Katherine was no longer present. It would have already happened if she hadn’t been here. Paul didn’t believe for a second that it was Luke’s presence tha
t was stopping Dagger from breaking his brother’s face.

  He said it slowly, carefully. “I get the impression, Joe, that Dagger didn’t explain just what it is that Thorne does for Blackridge. So perhaps you’re not entirely to blame for your assumption that she’s a secretary, other than sexism, of course.” He paused to savor Katherine’s approving nod. “Your second inference, on the other hand—” he had to shake his head and stretch his jaw to keep from clenching it “—doesn’t merit a maggot’s breath. And if you place any value on your own life, you’ll never repeat it.”

  Paul noted the flicker in Dagger’s eyes and recognized the strain the man’s control was under. He went on, praying it would hold. “Dr. Thorne handles information technology, in addition to the electronics end of security for Blackridge, Joe. That was her office we were all standing around in last night.”

  “You mean with all of the high-end computers and electronics and the stereo even nicer than Jack’s?” Joe slid down into a chair at the small conference table.

  “The only thing you got right, Joe, is in regard to compensation. There is no way that Blackridge could ever afford to pay an expert of her caliber anywhere near what she’s worth. Nonetheless, your story is impossible for anyone who knows her to believe.”

  Dagger’s voice sounded like the snarl of a beast on a short fraying leash. “Yeah, Joe. Not buying it. So what did you say to her, you lying sonofa—”

  His hand was almost at his brother’s throat when Luke said, “Now Dagger, what makes you think your brother has anything to do with Thorne’s disappearance? It could be the military again, or even a private interest—”

  “Yeah, private interest. Like Dagger here throwing a ring at her before anyone else even had a chance to—”

  Farley’s method of peacekeeping was risky. The look Dagger cut him off with made that clear.

  “I came to tell Thorne that I closed the case.”

  “She was right, wasn’t she? You were able to nail that scum punk Darryl for William’s murder.” Dagger’s head jerked back to Luke.

  Paul thanked God right then and there for Luke’s good instincts and sense of timing.

  “You guessed it. I processed the stuff Thorne gave me and sure enough, there were plenty of matches. Picked up the whole bunch of them last night. DA doesn’t even want to deal, says he’s got plenty. And for a hate crime, too. That oughta keep ’em off the streets for a long time.” Luke’s voice was as soothing as the subject was harsh.

  “Wait, are you talking about Trent’s partner, William?” Katherine asked. Paul could hear her struggle to recover the normally smooth modulation of her voice.

  Luke nodded.

  “I wasn’t aware Grace was working with you on that. Although I’m not surprised.” By the end of the sentence, she had fully regained her composure.

  Paul liked the cool, formal tone she used when she turned to Joe and said, “I suppose it would be safe to assume that Jack neglected to tell you about Grace’s other gift, as well? How she saved my friend Sarah’s life?”

  Katherine’s social instincts, like the rest of her, were flawless. For the first time that morning, Paul was glad that she was here.

  “Grace saved the Tierney heiress’s life the night I met her.” Dagger threw the words at Joe like they were some kind of vindication. Paul supposed they were. Underneath all of the pain and rage was the voice of a little brother needing to prove himself to his big brother.

  Farley felt it too. “Yeah, and don’t forget Markham and Hawks. I was there that day. Thorne’s not just a genius, she’s also bona fide psychic.”

  Joe’s laugh grated on Paul’s ears and silenced the room. “You really had me there for a minute.”

  But he stopped laughing when he realized he was the only one. “Wait, you can’t honestly expect me to believe that…I mean, I can imagine her sucking Jack and the rest of the boys in, but you, Katherine? And you?” He motioned to Luke. “You’re some kind of a cop, right? This Grace Thorne is smart all right, one hell of a smooth operator, even by New York standards.”

  “And you,” Paul heard his friend Luke say on a sigh, “are one very slow learner.”

  Paul sighed himself and leaned heavily against the solid oak of his desk, as if to absorb its patience. The ultimate responsibility of peacekeeping was still his job, not Luke’s, no matter how he wished it were otherwise.

  “While I may be in complete agreement with my friend’s assessment—he’s a lieutenant with Seattle PD, by the way, so once again, you’ve got the least important and most obvious part of it right, Joe—I can understand your problem with the mumbo jumbo aspect of her abilities. I’ve had a very hard time with it myself and to be honest, things were a lot more simple around here before Thorne—”

  “Boring, is what he means,” Farley interjected far too cheerfully.

  Paul didn’t need the tic in his eye to remind him how heavenly “boring” sounded right now. “Believe me, Joe, if someone comes up with a rational explanation for any of it, I’d be the first to embrace it. But she’s saved four lives and caught a thief and a murderer in the three months she’s been here—including the time Darmfelder had her and she was in a coma—using…some combination of whatever you want to call her abilities.

  “I gather, Joe, from your behavior today, that you’re a gambling man. So what do you think the odds are that she could get it right five different times, in completely different circumstances when her only connection to any of them was superficial?”

  Joe was obviously trying to work something through, and it wasn’t the odds ratio.

  Then he blurted, “Well, at least that would explain how she knew the exact words I used when I told Jack what I thought of her.”

  He tried to cover the slip he’d just made with a cough, but it was too late.

  The pregnant pause that followed his statement felt more like a time bomb to Paul.

  “You talked to her this morning? I knew it. What did you say to her, Joe, goddamnit?” Dagger didn’t take his eyes off his brother or bother to apologize to Katherine. Paul chose to let it go while he worked on stilling that tic.

  “I didn’t say much, Jack.” Joe was looking at his hands on the table. “She knew what I thought of her. But come on, she’s no angel—not with her mouth and that voice—no matter what you guys think. You should have seen how she danced last night. Why can’t you just find a nice girl, Jack? Someone more like Katherine here?”

  Paul could just not believe this guy.

  Katherine stepped in again. “Oh, Joe, that is so unfair—to both Grace and I.” She was bristling. Paul didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone do it better, either. “I’ve had a wonderful life, from a perfect childhood to a fairytale marriage.” She gifted him with her charming smile before turning back to Joe. “Grace’s life has been difficult. The way she talks sometimes is just a defense mechanism, like pretending to be a boy. She’s protecting herself. Something terrible happened to her, anyone can see that. As for her dancing,” she sniffed, “Trent says she’s captivating, and he would certainly know.”

  “Oh yeah, she’s captivating all right. Just what kind of business is this Trent in, anyway?”

  That last barb might have pushed Paul over the edge, if it hadn’t made him want to laugh.

  Farley could hardly talk around the grin on his face. “You obviously haven’t met Trent.” Then he had to go and push his luck again by finishing with, “So where was this dancing and why didn’t someone call me?”

  “I’d like to get back to what my brother knows about Grace leaving.” Dagger’s voice was hard as Paul had ever heard it. “I am sick and tired of everyone withholding information from me. What happened, Joe? If she changed her mind, she would have left the ring. The only reason you’re not already in extreme physical pain is because Farley is at the top of my list. Now, I want whatever information you have or I’ll start with you.”

  Farley’s grin wavered.

  Dagger took a slow step toward his bro
ther. He was apparently done being distracted.

  Joe must have finally picked up on how much trouble he was in because the blood was draining out of his face fast. He reached in his pocket and set the biggest diamond Paul had ever seen on his desk.

  “Holy cow, don’t ever let Sarah see that,” Luke said in a whisper.

  Farley said, “He just wanted to make sure no man missed it. Nothing says ‘taken’ like five-plus carats. No wonder she left it behind, though. It’d be hard to run with that thing slowin’ her down.”

  Paul looked at Katherine, hoping she didn’t like it too much.

  Katherine laughed softly, “Oh my, Jack. You weren’t taking any chances she’d say no, were you?”

  “That was the plan, Katherine. So what happened?” Dagger took another step toward Joe, towering over him now, his hands clenched into fists. “And why did you lie?”

  It was Joe’s turn to let out a long breath. “She told me to make up something so she’d have more time to get away. It was a good story, or it would have been if she was who I thought she was. I figured you’d believe she ripped you off and you’d be mad, not crazy like this. I was going to give you the ring back. You have to believe me.”

  “Yeah, whatever.” Dagger’s arms were crossed now and he was drumming the fingers of one hand on his bicep. “But why would she run? There’s more, Joe, isn’t there? Why would she leave without telling me? What the hell is she so afraid of? She was happy last night. She wanted to marry me. I know I’m not wrong.”

  Farley coughed and said, “Maybe—”

  Dagger’s twisted his head, the glare cutting Farley off like a knife.

  Joe shifted uncomfortably. “She showed me something, Jack, something—”

  “Dagger, do me a big favor, will you, and take Katherine somewhere nice for that cup of coffee I lured her over here with. Please?” Paul had a pretty good idea what Thorne had shown Joe and he didn’t want Dagger to hear about it, not now and not from Joe. And he sure as hell didn’t want Katherine to hear it.