Beverly Barton - Grace Under Fire

"Jed?"

"Mmm-hmm?"

"How long do you think it will be before Booth Fortier finds out that I'm having the accident looked into and that Dundee's is digging into any connection he might have with Governor Miller?"

"A few days, a week at most. Sooner if what I suspect is true."

"What do you suspect?"

"I've been looking at what happened the night of the accident from several different angles and there's something I can't figure out."

"What's that?" she asked.

"How did Booth's hit man know in advance that your family-you, your father and your husband-would be in a car together that night? And how did he know the particular route you'd take?"

"I don't know." Pausing when they reached the front veranda, Grace slumped down on the steps. "I'd never thought about it, of course, because I'd always believed the accident really was just that-an accident. But I suppose he could have been tailing Dean and just waiting for the right opportunity."

"Possibly, but if his orders were to eliminate your entire family all at the same time-Dean, your father and you-then he might have had to wait for weeks. That's not Fortier's style. He gives a couple of warnings, then if they go unheeded, he strikes."

"Well, actually, I wasn't supposed to go with Dean and Daddy that evening. I'd been in bed with the flu and was just barely on the mend, but that afternoon I'd started feeling a lot better, so I decided to join them. I'd never missed any of the St. Camille Annual Charity Auctions, not since I was sixteen, and I desperately wanted to go."

"Did anyone know about the change in your plans, that you were going?"

Grace shook her head. "No, I don't think so. No. Only Laverna and Nolan. I didn't even take the time to phone Joy and tell her."

"Then if someone were keeping tabs on your husband's and father's activities and plans, they would have assumed the two men would be alone in the car that night, right?"

"Yes, I suppose so, but I don't see-"

"Nothing to see at this point," he said. "I was mostly just thinking out loud."

"Well I'm heading into the house. By the time we shower and dress, Laverna will have breakfast waiting for us."

"You go on, I'll be there in a few minutes."

Jed waited until Grace went inside before he punched in Sawyer McNamara's private home number on his cell phone. The man answered on the third ring.

"It's Jed. I need Dundee's to poke around and see what, if anything, can be found on a couple of guys-Willis Sullivan, lawyer, and a Beaumont and Sheffield family friend. Then check out Hudson Prentice, the senior VP of Sheffield Media, Inc."

"And you suspect them of what?" Sawyer asked.

"I don't actually suspect them of anything. Let's just say I'm curious as to whether either man would have had a reason to want to see both Dean Beaumont and Byram Sheffield out of the way."

"I thought Booth Fortier was the suspect."

"He is. Fortier gave the orders. I'm just wondering if someone was feeding Fortier information. Someone close to either Beaumont or Sheffield. After all, we don't know who told Fortier that Beaumont knew about his connection to Lew Miller and that Byram Sheffield was set to expose the proof by using all the radio and TV stations Sheffield Media, Inc. owned. And someone knew Beaumont 's and Sheffield 's plans the evening they were killed. Knew where they were going, at what time and which route they'd probably take." Jed cursed softly under his breath. "While you're at it, run a quick check on Laverna and Nolan Rowley. It's a long shot and I don't think it'll pan out. They're the household staff. Been with the family over thirty years. And might as well add Elsa Leone to that list. I'd say she's loyal to a fault, but the lady has big-time family responsibilities and probably money problems."

"Willis Sullivan, Hudson Prentice, Laverna and Nolan Rowley, and Elsa Leone," Sawyer recited the names. "Is that it?"

"Yeah, for now."

"I planned to call you later," Sawyer told him. "I wanted to give you a message from Moran. He wants you to make a move to get in touch with Fortier sooner than expected. "

"What's up?"

"They need to get word to their inside man at the Fortier house to let him know they've moved up the timetable on their sting operation inside Fortier's business empire. Things have progressed there faster than expected."

"I'll get in as soon as I can. But tell Moran that I won't do anything to jeopardize Grace Beaumont's life."

"Of course not. The lady is Dundee 's top priority. She's our client and she comes first."

"Just remind Moran of that fact."

"Can and will do." Sawyer paused. "I'll run a check on those names and see what we come up with."

"Yeah. Call me when you find out something… if you find out something."

Jed shoved his phone into his shorts pocket, then bounded up the front steps and onto the veranda. When he opened the door and entered the foyer, he nearly ran smack-dab into Nolan. He grabbed the old man's shoulders to steady him.

"Sorry, I didn't know you'd be standing there," Jed said.

"It's quite all right, Mr. Tyree. It was my fault entirely. I heard you coming in, but I'm afraid I couldn't get out of the way in time. My reflexes aren't quite what they used to be."

Jed patted the old man on the back. "Glad we avoided a fatal collision. I'll be more careful myself from now on."

Nolan nodded solemnly and when Jed started to walk away, he called to him. "Mr. Tyree, me and Laverna know what's going on, at least pretty much know. We reckon Miss Grace could be in danger real soon, if she's not already."

Jed nodded.

"We love that gal. She's been mighty good to us, just like her daddy before her." Nolan's faded blue eyes misted with tears. "You just take good care of her, you hear? Don't let nothing bad happen to her. We want to see her happy again, but somebody's got to protect her, keep her alive, so she can get her second chance."

Jed felt guilty for having asked Sawyer to run a check on Nolan and Laverna. He'd spent so many years seeing the world's underbelly that he didn't trust anyone. Now his gut instincts told him that, apparently, he'd been dead wrong to have ever suspected the Rowleys.

"It's only a matter of time before Grace is under fire," Jed said. "But I plan to stand between her and whatever comes her way."

He added silently, I've been trained to protect and I'm ready to lay my life on the line. Whatever happens, I'm prepared to kill to protect Grace-and I'm prepared to die for her.

For some unfathomable reason, he wanted Grace to have a second chance at happiness just as much as Laverna and Nolan did.

It was hot. A lot hotter than yesterday. Summertime hot, despite the fact that it was only the last week of May. But Charmaine didn't mind the heat. Never had. She'd been a summertime kid, loving the water, sunbathing and running wild through these woods. Despite the absence of caring parents, she'd had a fairly decent childhood, mostly thanks to Jaron. Her big brother had always looked after her, worrying about her the way a parent should. His only mistake had been introducing her to Booth Fortier. The first time she met her future husband, she'd been impressed. Impressed with his good manners, his fancy clothes, his sleek sports car and his large, beautifully decorated house. But it had been his teenage nephew she'd fallen in love with, practically at first sight. Jed Tyree had been the handsomest boy she'd ever seen. Thick curly black hair and smoky hazel eyes that had studied her body with hungry passion whenever they'd made love. And it had always been making love with Jed. But never with Booth. Not even on their wedding night.

"Stop the car," Charmaine ordered Ronnie. "I want to go inside and see what it looks like, see if anything is the way I remember."