Monica’s lips curved. “And sent them to hell?”
“Forever and ever,” Luke said. “The woman who was transporting Genie and the man you heard in the bunker that day. Both gone to hell without a key.”
“Good,” Monica said. “What about Becky’s little sisters?”
Luke’s smile faded. “We’re still looking. They’d moved away. I’m sorry.”
Monica swallowed. “I know you can’t save them all, Agent Papadopoulos, but could you look real hard? Please?”
Luke nodded. “I give you my word.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“But we have good news,” Mrs. Cassidy said, patting Monica’s hand. “We got a call from Agent Grimes in Charlotte an hour ago.”
“They found my dad. His car was at the bottom of a lake, but he managed to get out of the car and swim to shore.”
“He was found with no identification,” Mrs. Cassidy said. “Some Good Samaritan took him to the hospital and he was unconscious until this morning. He’s on a ventilator, too, so he couldn’t tell them anything. One of Agent Grimes’s colleagues took his photo to all the area ER’s until he found him.”
“Agent Grimes said the man who hurt my father was the subject of an ongoing investigation,” Monica said, “and he couldn’t tell us anything yet. Can you?”
Luke nodded. “The man’s in custody. As soon as I leave here, I’ll call Agent Grimes and tell him. I’m glad your dad is okay, Monica. You’re looking pretty good, too.”
“They let me out of ICU this morning. I might get to eat some real food soon.” Her smile faltered. “Thank you, so, so much. If you two hadn’t come along…”
Susannah squeezed her hand. “But we did. You’re a survivor. Don’t look back.”
Monica nodded soberly. “I won’t if you won’t. Don’t feel guilty anymore, Susannah.”
Susannah’s throat tightened. “I’ll try.” She kissed Monica’s forehead. “Stay well.”
“You did that, even when you thought I didn’t know you were there,” Monica whispered. “But I knew. Thank you.”
Susannah managed a smile. “Don’t be a stranger, kid.”
Luke rubbed his hand over Susannah’s back. “We have a debriefing in a half hour, so we need to go. If any of you need us for any reason, don’t hesitate to call.”
They were quiet until they got to Luke’s car. “Did you mean it?” she asked.
He frowned, confused. “What?”
“You told Monica you’d keep searching for Becky’s little sisters. Did you mean it?”
“I gave her my word,” Luke said quietly. “So yes, I meant it.”
“Does that mean you’re going back to Internet Crimes?”
“Yeah. This case was supposed to be just a break, but I had to go back into The Room regardless. Maybe it’s meant to be. At least for now.” His eyes grew dark. “Did you mean it or was it part of the secret coded message?”
She knew what he meant. When she thought Bobby was going to kill her, telling him she loved him had seemed good and right and necessary. Now… “As much as I know how. But that might not be good enough for you.”
“Susannah, hearing you say something that stupid makes me want to scream. You have so much good in you, so much that not even Arthur Vartanian and Charles Grant could turn you. Don’t ever say that you’re not good enough. Never again.”
“It scares me,” she murmured. “I don’t know how to be with someone. But I want to learn.”
“I want to teach you.” He kissed her cheek. “Come or we’ll be late for the unveiling.”
He hadn’t said the words back. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed, so she made her tone light. “They’d better not open Grant’s box before we get there.”
“After everything you’ve been through, I’m sure they wouldn’t dare.”
Dutton, Monday, February 5, 6:00 p.m.
Luke was quite right. Everyone was gathered around the table, faces sober. Pete, Talia, Nancy, Chase, Ed, Chloe. Susannah had come to trust them all with her life over the last few days. There was an empty seat next to Chloe. Someone had draped a black scarf over the chair, for Germanio. The sight of it made Susannah’s chest ache.
Charles Grant’s ivory box sat on the table. Stacked next to the box were the journals that had belonged to Arthur Vartanian and the notebooks Luke told her they’d found in Charles Grant’s home. And next to those lay a simple manila envelope.
Susannah took the seat next to Luke. “Have you looked in Mr. Grant’s box?”
“Ed did,” Chase said, “to be sure nothing would explode, literally or figuratively.”
Ed’s expression was carefully blank, giving away nothing.
“What’s in the envelope?” Luke asked.
“It’s from Borenson,” Chase said. “He left instructions that if he died suspiciously or went missing, his safe-deposit box should be turned over to the authorities.”
“That was the key we found in Granville’s firebox,” Nancy said. “We think Grant sent Toby Granville to find the file, but Toby only found the key. It fits Borenson’s safe-deposit box in a Charleston bank. And it’s why Charles Grant tortured Borenson. He wanted to know where the papers were kept. They incriminate everyone.”
“Borenson’s attorney only learned of his disappearance this morning,” Chase said, “and dropped this off while we were all in Dutton. Borenson’s papers detail the ongoing rivalry between Arthur and Charles and throw in a few extras like the real death certificate for the body that was buried in Simon’s grave and proof of Charles Grant’s real identity, courtesy of Angie Delacroix. Looks like she had an ace up her sleeve, too.”
“It would have been nice if they’d come forward when it mattered,” Susannah said quietly. “Before dozens of people died. Did you arrest Angie?”
“We did,” Chloe said. “She participated in Charles Grant’s extortion, willingly or not.”
“And we convinced Paul Houston to tell us what he had on Leigh,” Pete said grimly.
Susannah’s stomach clenched at the mention of Paul Houston. “How?”
“How did we get him to tell?” Pete asked.
“Yes.”
Pete glanced at Chloe, who was looking up at the ceiling. “Paul might have tripped on the way to the car… once or twice. He was cryin’ so hard over Charles, you know. Couldn’t see where he was going.”
“It’s so sad when dirty cops have two left feet,” Chloe murmured.
“Ain’t it, though?” Pete said, still grimly. “About two years ago three little kids were killed when they were hit by a speeding vehicle. The kids were in a crosswalk, the car ran a light and didn’t stop. Paul Houston caught the case.”
Luke blew out a breath. “That was Leigh?”
“Yeah.” Pete shook his head. “ Houston found her pretty quickly, but told her he wouldn’t arrest her and strung her along until he needed her. That was this week.”
“We showed Houston ’s picture to Jeff Katowsky,” Chloe said, “the guy who tried to kill Captain Beardsley. He identified Houston as the cop who busted him. Same song as Leigh. Houston didn’t book him in exchange for future favors.”
“Did Houston keep a journal?” Susannah asked sarcastically.
Pete’s smile was wry. “No, but he’s willing to talk. He’s scared of Georgia jail.”
“And of New York jail,” Chloe added. “Al Landers plans to charge him with rape. Yours. You never got to confront Granville or Simon, but you can confront Houston.”
Talia leaned forward. “But only if you want to.”
Susannah felt every muscle in her body grow still. “Oh, yes. I want. Thank you.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment, then Chase pointed to the ivory box. “Open it.”
Her hands steady, Susannah pulled on the gloves Ed offered and took the lid off the box. Then looked up with a frown. “Chess pieces? That’s all?”
Ed shook his head. “There’s a spring mechanism under the queen. Push it.”