J.T. Ellison - Where All the Dead Lie

Taylor’s phone rang. The caller ID was from Nashville. Lincoln.

“Hold on.” She clicked the answer button. “Linc. What do you have for me? Rachael just mentioned Moldavia.”

“That’s a possibility. I’ve scoured the U.K., France and Italy. Nothing yet. Let me expand the search parameters. How would she get her there?”

“Friends. She grew up on Long Island, that much was true. Look at the Russian community, see if she did time with anyone. She probably met them inside.”

“God, you’re good. I’m ready for you to get back to work. Come home soon, okay? I’ll get back to you as soon as I have something.” He clicked off.

“We’re working on it,” she said to Memphis. “Let’s deal with one thing at a time, okay?”

Trixie had brought Memphis an ice pack. He was gingerly trying to put it on his cheek.

“Here, let me.” Taylor took the bag of ice and laid it gently against his cheek. She took the opportunity to assess the damage. His nose was definitely broken, but that cheekbone would need an X-ray to know for sure.

“Why, pray tell, did you feel the need to hit me? That wasn’t very nice.”

“Like you gave me a choice? You were going to hold me down while she shot me full of God knows what. I can’t believe you believed her over me.”

“I’ve known her longer. And she’s been insinuating herself into my world for a very long time.”

His face was wrecked. The emotions from the past hour coupled with the swelling wasn’t doing him any favors.

Aside from Rachael and Trixie, they were alone in the room. Jacques had been tended to by the kitchen staff, carefully carried into the kitchens, where he was now lying on the servant’s table awaiting the local emergency services, who were coming with the police. The constable had just called; he was due in ten minutes. They had time.

“Memphis? I need to ask you something.”

“Anything.”

“The night after we went to the bridge, did you come to my room?”

He didn’t answer for a moment, then said, “Would you like me to say yes, or no?”

“I just want the truth. The medicine Rachael gave me made me have very strange dreams, strange thoughts. I did a lot of hallucinating. I need to know if you were there or not.”

“You mean, whether making love with me was real? I’m glad it was that memorable.”

Oh, shit. She had slept with him.

She handed him the ice pack, avoided his eyes, and turned away.

It was wishful thinking that she could blame a hallucination for her actions. Stupid, stupid girl. Letting your hormones make decisions for you. Rachael was right. We all have a choice.

She took a deep breath. She would get through this. She and Baldwin, together, would get through this.

“Taylor,” Memphis said softly. “It doesn’t matter. None of that matters. If Evan’s alive… If…if there’s any chance that she’s actually alive, that she’ll forgive me, I must take that chance. She is my wife.”

“I know that. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I adore you, Memphis, but I don’t love you. I love Baldwin.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.”

Baldwin strode into the room, took in the scene. She felt all her air leave her. How much had he heard?

But he was smiling at her, a wide, happy, welcoming smile.

He’d only just arrived, heard her pledging her love to him.

She went to him, a magnet drawn north. Let him envelop her in his arms. A huge sigh escaped her. She was safe. She could let down her guard now.

“Memphis,” Baldwin said. “Someone did a number on your face, brother.”

“Talk to your woman. She’s got a fierce right hook.”

Baldwin coughed out a laugh, looked down at Taylor, nestled in his arms. “You did this to him?”

“I didn’t have a choice. He didn’t believe me.”

“Remind me never to disagree with you,” he said lightly.

“How did you get here so quickly? I thought the airports were closed?”

“Atlantic made a call to Special Branch, pulled a favor, and I got a ride on a Lynx that was headed up here. That was fun. The British military do have some cool toys.”

Memphis wasn’t enjoying the byplay. He gave Baldwin a mock salute. “Baldwin. Thank you for all your help. I’ll leave you two to catch up.”

He stood, shakily at first, then made to leave the room. As he walked past them, he glanced over his shoulder.

“Taylor?”

She turned from her shelter, looked at Memphis.

“I wasn’t there,” he said, then smiled, sadly, and left the room.

Baldwin leaned down to give Taylor a kiss. She welcomed it. When he’d walked through the door, she couldn’t help herself, she’d wanted to leap into his arms and be held forever. She just couldn’t face this world without him. If anything, this trip, her time in Scotland, had solidified that for her.

She was just happy she’d escaped with her life.

“God, I missed you. Are you okay?” he asked.

“I am. And I am so happy to see you. You have no idea.”

He gestured at the door, where Memphis had just walked out.

“What was all that about?” Baldwin asked. “Where wasn’t Memphis?”

She debated for half a second. No, she didn’t want to go any further without getting this off her chest. Memphis had just given her the answer she needed. He’d never said he’d been in her room, but he had said that he hadn’t. She would take that. It was all a hallucination.

“Taylor? What’s up?”

“I… How to explain this?”

Baldwin released her. Crossed his arms on his chest. “You need to be honest with me. Did you sleep with him?”

“No.”

“Did you want to sleep with him?”

“I don’t know.”

The pain on his face made her cringe. He wanted honesty from her, and while she agreed that she owed him that much, what was the point? Hearing that she’d had doubts, that she was attracted to another man, was going to do nothing but hurt him.

And she was tired of hurting him. God, she was tired of so much. She just wanted to be sure again, of herself, of her life, her purpose, her trajectory. She was like a shooting star that had looked down at Earth, gotten distracted and subsequently became lost in the dark of the night’s sky.

“I was so mad at you, Baldwin. You kept so much from me. Memphis gave me friendship when I needed it most, when you were pulling away from me. Since I’ve been here… I was being drugged. I had some pretty intense dreams. But that’s all they were. Just dreams.”

“That’s an awful lot, Taylor.”

“Can you forgive me?”

His deep green eyes met hers. “Can you forgive me?”

“Yes. I can.”

“Then you know my answer.”

He pulled her close again, settled his lips on hers. His beard scratched her chin, and felt her heart pounding.

This was so right.

She was sorry when he stopped.

“Taylor, are you really okay?”

Not entirely. But she was getting better. She squeezed his hand.

“I’m okay. At least, I will be. Right now, we have more important issues to deal with. We need to get Memphis and Evan together. Can you help?”

He smiled.

“I think I can. Let me make a call.”

Taylor had a chance to see Rachael one last time.

The British government wanted to prosecute her, but the United States wanted to extradite her as well. She’d broken parole and stolen the identity of a woman named Madeira Hudson. Started a new life. Went to school. Got her degree. Met and married Roland MacDonald, moved to Scotland and bore him three sons. Had a normal life, for a while. Then became overwhelmingly obsessed with Memphis. Changed her name to James and started her second downward spiral.