Nine

“You don’t get it at all, Alex,” she said angrily. “You never did. That’s why people who should have been punished went free.”

There was a sound in the outer office.

Ciara and Everett tensed. “Check it out,” Everett ordered.

Alex saw the look of rebellion on Ciara’s face, but she went out, leaving the door open. They heard her moving, opening and closing other doors.

When she came back she said, “No one inside.”

Everett looked at Alex. “You know, Ciara, I think you’re right. I think he lied about Kit Logan being dead.”

“I’ll look for him,” Ciara said, and moved toward Alex. She pulled him to his feet.

“What are you doing?” Everett asked sharply.

“He’s going to be my bait.”

“You’d be better off using Meghan. If Kit Logan is alive, nothing will bring him more quickly to surrender than the threat of killing her. If he’s dead, it will be good for her to see it for herself. Besides, I don’t trust you, Ciara, dear. You might end up taking that badge of yours too seriously.”

“You sure I won’t just take off with your long-lost love?” she asked.

“You have no interest in her. But you do in Kit, and in Alex, here.”

“What the hell do you have against Kit Logan?” Alex asked her.

She shoved him hard back into his chair. “Jerome Naughton-how many victims were there?”

“Eight.”

“Wrong.”

“We never found Serenity Logan’s body, but we’re sure-”

“Oh, I count her. But you’re wrong.”

“If you’re telling me there may have been more, all the investigators agreed that was likely. Is this about some unknown victim of Naughton’s?”

“No, I’m talking about known victims.”

He was puzzled. She put the barrel of her gun to his temple. “Think, damn you!”

Alex’s pulse raced, and his mouth went dry. He looked into her eyes and saw nothing but a desire to pull the trigger.

Everett must have seen it, too. “I’d ask you to remember that I have plans for him, Ciara. Besides, we may need a hostage to get out of here-especially after your screaming broadcast.”

“How much time do we have?” she asked, her gaze not leaving Alex.

“A little more than an hour. So let’s not waste precious moments. You’ll have to spell it out for him, I’m afraid.”

But Alex had kept watching her face and said, “The woman who lived.”

“If you can call it that,” Ciara said.

“Laney.”

“He left her hanging there! Upside down. Do you know what happens when a person hangs upside down for a long time? It’s really not good for you. You aren’t designed for it-it’s all wrong for your circulation. Pressure builds, your head swells, eventually your eyes are damaged, your throat swells up. It strains the joints you’re hanging from, of course.”

Alex lowered his gaze.

“No one can stay that way forever,” Ciara said, “but in Laney’s case, it was worse. Jerome Naughton had knocked her around-ultimately knocked her out cold-before he suspended her over that tub. So there was bruising, you see? A few places that were weakened by those blows. Normally, they probably wouldn’t have done any long-term damage. But hanging upside down as long as she did? Before Kit Logan decided to let anyone know she was there?”

“Ciara-”

“You met her, Alex. There were nine victims. Nine. And you and everyone else who was impressed with Elizabeth Logan’s money let the man who ruined my sister’s mind and body get away with something worse than murder.”

“I’m sorry Laney went through that, that she suffered as she did…”

“Like hell you are!” she shouted, her face twisted by her anger, her eyes wild and glistening with unshed tears.

“But Naughton was to blame, not Kit. Kit Logan wasn’t a man,” Alex said. “He was a boy. A frightened boy.”

“I saw the pictures Naughton took. You saw them, too. Some of them even in graves-in graves holding dead women! The ones from when they were alive were worse. Those weren’t the acts of a boy.”

“You know what I hated about those photographs? The looks on the victims’ faces.”

“Exactly! Laney was so frightened…”

“So was Kit. You’ve lost count, too, Ciara. Two victims in each of those photos-not one. That kid hated every minute of it.”

“Speaking of minutes,” Everett said, “we’re ru

“Ciara, think!” Alex said. “What’s going to happen to her now? You go through with this, you’re no better than anyone who abandoned her that night. Who could love her as much as you do? Who’ll take care of her?”

She lowered her gaze and said softly, “Did you think I would leave that to chance?”

He stared at her. “Ciara? Ciara…where is she?”

“It was peaceful,” she said, wiping quickly at her eyes. “And painless. I made sure of that.”

“My God.” His next thought was that Ciara now had nothing to lose.

“Ciara met with us this morning,” Everett said cheerfully, “so that she wouldn’t have to stay in the house with her sister’s body. And that turned out to be a good thing, because I needed her to keep an eye on your nephew. Cameron and I knew his parents would be bringing him home, but we were suddenly given an opportunity we couldn’t pass up-Kit’s little urchin was finally leaving that armed camp he calls home. So when you paged Ciara this morning, she was following a limo, not taking Laney to a doctor.”

“You kidnapped Chase?” Alex asked her.

“No, but I would have, if necessary. You think I care about people who are important to you? You never cared about anyone who was important to me.”

“I think it’s about time we got things set up,” Everett said. “There are two ropes hanging in that bell tower now, Detective Brandon. We’ve detached them from the bells, and tied them over two sturdy beams.”

“We’re going to hang you upside down in there,” Ciara said. “You and Kit Logan, if he’s still alive, and I hope to God he is. The bells will be silent, but before long, you’ll hear a ringing in your ears, Alex. You’ll feel your head pounding, and pressure on your eyes. In a matter of minutes, you’ll be miserable. And it will get worse. You’ll wish for death, Alex. You’ll pray for it-just like Laney must have prayed for it.”

“Ciara, don’t say anything more,” Everett admonished. “You’ll spoil everything. Besides, we don’t have much time left. Take Meghan with you-but don’t strike her lovely face again.”

“Okay-but you leave Alex to me.”

“You get both Logan and Brandon? That hardly seems fair.”

“You want to drag Miss America out into the woods? Fine with me.”

He sighed. “Have it your way. But hurry. I’ll take Brandon to the tower. We’ll wait for you there.”

Meghan stood straight and walked out with Ciara without showing any fear.

“Meghan’s magnificent, isn’t she?” Everett said. “I think we’ll breed well.”

“Don’t count your chickens, as they say.”

Everett smiled and said, “Speaking of offspring-would you like to say a final good-bye to your nephew? You are sure he’s only your nephew, right?”

Alex hesitated, unsure of how to answer this to Chase’s advantage.

“Ah, just a nephew, I see. Then I suppose you won’t mind so much when you discover what’s become of him. Stand up.”