I paced the hall, Gordain watching me.
“It doesn’t add up,” I grumbled. “The motivation. Something’s not right.”
“What’s not right?” Elise said from the top of the stairs.
Just having her in my sight soothed me. “I’ve been trying to make a connection between all the events that happened. We know your mother is behind the blackmail, but why would she care about ye going onstage with Leo? She already had a solution for ye and your ex, and any publicity, good or bad, would boost the film. They’d move over it and on, with ye pacified and still earning for her. The man who tried to stop your performance was sent by someone else, I’m almost certain.”
She descended carefully, a hand to the banister, but her gaze inward. “You’re right. Mom didn’t know I was at the festival, or care when I told her about it. Why didn’t I think of this?”
So much had happened, it was all such a tangled mess.
I continued my line of thinking. “That guard at the first festival was paid off to spy on ye and then threaten ye. The person who did that had to know where ye were.”
Elise blinked hard, reaching the bottom of the stairs. “Mom’s at Rory’s house looking for me.”
At Max’s exclamation, she waved him down.
“Don’t worry, Rory fled to a friend’s place. My point is she doesn’t know where I am.”
I rubbed my hands together, trying hard to make sense of my intuition. “Then who did at that point? Or better still, who had the most to lose from your performance?”
“My ex-boyfriend, but how…?”
“Could he have tracked your phone?”
Her jaw dropped. “Maybe. God, yes. I had my password written down in my notebook, and I’ve never changed it because no one knew it. Derren’s been tracking me all this time?”
“It adds up. He would’ve had the money to pay off the agency who hired the guard. He really didnae want ye to spill what he’d done.”
She wilted, yet another revelation rocking her. “Well, that ship’s sailed in my report to the police. Shit, which my blackmailer knew about. Could they be working together?”
I played it through. “The email didn’t ask ye to retract the interview. Only to return to California. Your Ma focused on the only point that counts. Ye spearheading the movie campaign. Being where the money is. So I dinna think so. Derren is on his own.”
With shaking fingers, Elise held out her phone. “Plus Mom’s in Temecula, so he isn’t sharing information the other way, even if he knows exactly where I am. What do I do with this? Should I smash it up?”
Gordain gave a sharp shake of his head. “You’re staying here in the castle, both of ye. If your ex-boyfriend was willing to pay someone to hurt ye to prevent the stage performance, he’ll lose his shite when he finds out about the police report. Assuming your conclusions are correct. I recommend ye stick with the plan. Derren can’t touch ye here. Let the pieces fall where they will. In a little over a day, it will be over and done with. Your message will be out there, and they willnae be able to do anything about it.”
Elise looked to me. “Do you agree?”
“I do. Ye cannae back down now. We’ve got ye.”
She took a shaky breath. “First, I need to draw Mom away from Rory.”
“Your credit card statement will do that when the flights register,” Gordain pointed out.
“I’ll do something sooner. Then set up my video. Because I’m going to do this. Let them try and stop me.” She set her jaw. “I’ll ring Janelle and tell her exactly where I am. That will get back to my mom fast. I doubt she’ll come here, but it’s a possibility.”
I loved this, the ability to provide her with family and support. Gordain and I exchanged an impressed nod, and Elise got on with calling her manager.
In short sentences, she told the woman she was in Scotland and had no intention of leaving. Then in the midst of a squawking reply, Elise hung up.
She dusted off her hands and, with the help of Viola, settled down to write a list of all she wanted to cover in her interview exposé.
She was handling this so well, as cool as a queen. If only I had her calmness.
Unable to sit still, I worked with Gordain in his office, surrounded by computers and equipment, while he tried to corroborate my idea of Derren tracking Elise.
“Got it.” He tapped the screen. “Elise stopped using this email account, but it’s the one attached to her phone ID. It notified her that someone else had logged on a few times, but she obviously didn’t see it.”
She’d given us access to her systems, and it was the work of a moment to change passwords and block the fucker out. And yet still, it wasn’t enough.
“I want to fucking break him,” I uttered to my uncle. “The man is scum for the way he treated her. He sent a man to hurt her. I bet it was him who led to the break-in at the La Jolla place, too.”
He dipped his head in understanding. “With any luck, the wee chat she had with the police will uncover that. She can add this to the report.” He lifted his chin, regarding me. “Now you’re starting to see this side of the business, beyond the role of crowd control, does it interest ye more? I do this for love, and because I cannae bear the thought of my family at risk when all they want to do is earn a living, in Leo’s case, or be happy, in Viola’s. What happens when Elise goes back to work? I assume you’re together now for good.”
There was no hesitation on my part. “I’ll be there for her. If she wants me, I’ll be the one doing what ye do. Or at least helping. I know my limitations.”
Gordain tapped his desk. “Then you’ll take the job with me.”
He hadn’t posed it as a question because he already knew my mind.
“If it means protecting her, I’ll do it. Hell, I’ll enjoy it.”
A hard knock came at the door, and Gordain called out for them to enter. Max stood in the frame. His gaze flicked between us.
“I need a word,” he said, settling on me.
Gordain waved me away, and I strode with Max into the hall.
At the archway to the hall, he stopped me. On the sofas, Elise, Viola, and Leo talked, Viola’s ma now home and with Baby G.
“I’m worried about Rory,” Max said.
“Why?”
“I sent her a message to check in, and she replied that she’s travelling somewhere. Not hiding out like she told Elise.”
“Didnae know the two of ye were in contact.”
“Yeah, well.” He scrubbed over his auburn hair, his gaze darting away. “She’s up to something.”
I indicated to the phone in his hand. “Call her.”
He did, and the lass answered right away. “Hey, handsome.”
“What are ye doing? You’re on loudspeaker. Cameron’s here, too, by the way.”
Rory gave a laugh. “Cameron, take care of Elise. She’s special. And delicate.”
“I will,” I told her. “Now where are ye?”
“My mom called me to say Elise’s mom had left abruptly.”
She must’ve got the message from Janelle.
“Apparently she got angry, yelled a lot, and said she was heading to San Diego. So I borrowed a car and am tailing her.”
“Why?” Max bit out.
“I want to help. There’s only one reason for her to go to San D.”
“Which is…?” I prompted.
“Our father lived there, and Elise’s mom despised him far more than we knew. Mom told me. I left after her but I’m nearing Dad’s place now and I bet that’s where she went. Hold up. Turning.”
“Elise,” I called. “You need to hear this.”
She climbed from the couch and joined us.
“Rory tailed your ma to San Diego.”
“She did what?”
Rory’s voice returned. She drew a hard breath then choked out, “Elise, can you hear me? Oh God. It’s bad. I half suspected…”
“What? What’s happened?”
“Dad’s house has smoke billowing from the windows. There’s two engines outside. Fire crew everywhere. Wait, I’ll get closer.”
Elise grabbed my arm. “No! Stay away. Get back in the car.” She peeked at me. “Christina still lived there, and her boyfriend. Oh God. Her baby.”
“Fuck.” Rory coughed. “The door’s open. They’re leading two people out.”
“A blonde woman and a slim man?”
“Yes.”
Elise slumped against me. “Mom set fire to Dad’s house. A final act of revenge even though he’s been gone for so long. That’s a message to me, right? She’s lost it.”
Max snapped the phone to his mouth. “Get the hell away, Aurora. Now.”
“Sheesh. Bossy,” she replied. “Fine. I’m in the car, doors locked.”
“And there’s no one hiding in the back?” he added.
“Nope. We’re good.”
“Go to the airport. Get on a plane and come here,” Elise begged. “I’ll arrange a ticket. Just don’t get hurt. I couldn’t bear it.”
Rory hummed over the thought, but at Elise’s begging agreed.
Now we had a new person to collect and keep safe. I was in my element. Gordain had been right. This was for me. And only another reason why I was perfect for Elise.
