Guardians of Stone (The Relic Seekers) (25 page)

“He doesn’t like rings and mine is being repaired.”

“I see. Jason’s definitely not the primpy type, but you might want to consider getting him to wear one. With those looks...” She wiggled her eyebrows. “You just keep an eye on that Brandi, you hear. She’s up to something, and I hope it isn’t stealing your husband. Anyone could see you two are madly in love.”

Madly in love? Her and Jake? A little lust maybe. But love...?
Kendall escaped Loretta and started searching for Jake. He wasn’t in the dining room or on the patio. Maybe he’d gone back upstairs. She hurried to the room and heard a thump outside the window. She peeked out and saw a man climbing down the trellis. Jake? It was too dark to see. She started to open the window when her door burst open and Brandi stood there, her eyes wide, face pasty white.

“Where is it?”

“Where’s what?” Kendall asked.

“My bag. You know what was in it. Where is it?” Up close, Kendall could see Brandi’s eyes were swollen.

“I didn’t take your bag.” Did she mean the box was in it?

“You have no idea what you’re doing.”

“I swear, I didn’t take it,” Kendall said, praying that Jake had.

Brandi looked undecided. “It must have been the man you were sitting with in the dining room last night. Who was he?”

“You mean my...brother? Why would he take it?” Surely Nathan hadn’t taken it when he slipped out in the night.

Brandi frowned. “He’s your brother?”

“I noticed you seemed shocked to see him.”

“It wasn’t the first time I’d seen him. He was hurrying away from the church yesterday morning when I went to look for you. That was about the time the...the tourist was killed.” Her face tightened. “I assumed he must have had something to do with the murder. Where is he?”

“He’s gone, but he didn’t murder anyone. Are you sure it was him you saw?”

“Unless he has a twin.”

“What’s wrong?” Loretta asked, popping her head in the door. She had a book clutched in her hand.

“Brandi thinks her bag’s been stolen,” Kendall said.

Loretta gasped. “Stolen?”

“It’s missing,” Brandi said, staring at Kendall, her gaze still accusing.

“I bet it’s that new guest. I knew there was something wrong with him.”

“New guest?” Brandi asked, puzzled. “Kendall’s brother?”

“Who’s Kendall? Oh, you mean Kara? Lord no, Kara’s brother wouldn’t steal anything. I mean that strange man at the end of the hall. The one who checked in last night. I told Kara I saw him eavesdropping outside both of your rooms. He’s probably a cat burglar. A normal man doesn’t wear a big ole ruby ring. I’m going to get Roberto. We’ll all need to check our valuables.”

Brandi had gone so pale, Kendall though she might collapse. “
He’s
here. It must have been him...Oh God. You and Jake have to get out of here now, before it’s too late.” With a frantic look,
she turned and ran from the room. Kendall heard her racing downstairs.

“Wait,” Kendall said, starting after her, but Brandi didn’t stop. Kendall hurried back to her room and looked out the window. She saw a shadow outside the inn. Jake. She rushed downstairs and out to the patio. She hurried toward the hill, looking for him. Without warning, she was tackled from behind, just like Jake had done before the car blew up. But this wasn’t Jake. She could smell the difference. Before she could catch her breath, a dark streak leapt at them, knocking the man off her. They fought for seconds, and then she heard a grunt. One of the men jumped up and fled. Jake hurried over to her. He was holding his side.

“We have to leave,” he said. “Now.”

“Did you get the box?”

“What box?”

“Nathan’s box. Didn’t you take it from Brandi’s room?”

“No. What are you talking about?”

“Someone was in Brandi’s room earlier. She accused me of stealing her bag. I think she had the box in it. I saw a man go down the trellis and thought it was you.”

“I was outside checking the perimeter when I saw someone drop down from the trellis. I came around to make sure it wasn’t you. Damn. He must have taken it.”

Jake looked torn between going after him and staying with Kendall. “Come on. We’re leaving.” He ushered Kendall back inside the inn and up to their room.

“Who could have taken it?” Kendall asked after the door closed behind them. “Thomas is dead, and Brandi was the victim here.”

“Is she still here? I have some questions for her.”

“No. She took off when Loretta mentioned the new guest with the ring.”

“You mean the man at the end of the hall? I saw him last night.”

“Yes. But he couldn’t have broken into Brandi’s room. He was in the hallway at the same time I heard someone inside her room. And he wasn’t the right build as the man who tackled me. But he must be up to no good. Loretta said she saw him listening outside our door and Brandi’s.”

“Maybe he was an accomplice. Did he see you?”

“Yes. He looked shocked. I think he recognized me.”

“Damn. Hurry.” He looked inside his pack and frowned. “Did you take a paper out of here?”

“No. Did you kill Thomas and lie about it?”

“Where the hell did that come from?”

“Your pack was open and I saw the cross Thomas stole from me.”

“I found it on the floor last night after Nathan left.”

“Why didn’t you mention it?”

“You were sleeping. I didn’t want to wake you. I forgot about it this morning. I was kind of...distracted.”

“How did the cross get on our floor? I suppose it could have been the same person who searched Brandi’s room. He could have gotten inside ours while we were downstairs last night.”

Jake shrugged. “Or it could have been Nathan.”

“You think Nathan had the cross?”

“It wouldn’t be the first thing he’s hidden.”

“Brandi said she saw Nathan the morning Thomas died. He was hurrying away from the church. She thought he had something to do with the murder.”

“But she didn’t tell the authorities. Sounds like a woman with something to hide. Was she sure it was him?”

“Positive, unless he has a twin.”

Jake shook his head in disgust. “Dammit. What else is he keeping from us?”

“I think it’s time to ask.” Kendall scanned the room. “I’m ready if you are. We should tell Roberto we’re leaving or he’ll have the cops looking for us.”

Jake touched his side again. “You go down and check out while I call a taxi.”

She found Roberto in the lobby behind his desk.

“Kara. I’m glad you’re awake,” he said. “I have the keys to your car.”

“My car?”

He reached for a set of keys near his computer. “It was delivered earlier. It’s parked out front.” Roberto must have noticed her puzzled look. “You didn’t have it delivered?”

“No. It must be from my brother. He felt bad when he found out about our other car.”

Roberto’s eyebrows shot up. “Nice brother. You’re lucky. Not many rental companies would deliver this early.”

“Yes, he’s very nice.”

Roberto handed her the keys. “The man left this.” It was a letter addressed to Kara and Jason. “Is your brother coming down for breakfast?”

“Oh no, he had to leave last night.”

Roberto’s face fell. “That’s too bad. He asked for this.” He held up a piece of paper.

“What is it?”

Roberto’s voice dropped. “He was asking about that
place.
He wanted to know more about it for some paper he’s writing. I didn’t know he was a journalist.”

She didn’t either.

“I remembered there was a historian who claimed to know something about the Protettori. He wrote an article about it several years ago. Your brother asked me to get his name and address.”

Kendall looked at the paper. The address was in Rome. Why would Nathan ask for this and then leave in the middle of the night without it? Had he left on his own? Jake obviously had some issues with Nathan. Surely he wouldn’t hurt him.

“Could I leave it with you?” Roberto asked.

“Yes. I’ll give it to him when I see him. Actually, I came to tell you that Jason and I are leaving too. Something has come up.”

His forehead wrinkled in a frown. “Are you leaving because of all the bad things happening? I know it was a terrible honeymoon for you, getting hurt the first day.”

“It’s not that. We have a family emergency.”

“I’m sorry. You will come back another time. Let me make it up to you?”

Kendall assured him they would. “Thank you, Roberto. Well, I should go. Jason is waiting. If you hear from Brandi, would you let me know? I’m...worried about her.”

“Of course. I think the murder upset her. Poor man. I heard that a relative identified the body.”

Relative? Or
cohort
?

Kendall said good-bye and went up to get Jake. He was in the middle of changing his shirt when she walked in. He kept his back to her, uncharacteristically modest.

“We don’t need a taxi,” she told him. “Nathan had a car delivered.”

“This early?”

“The man who delivered it left a letter.” Kendall opened the envelope. It was from Nathan, apologizing for running out without telling them. Something needed his attention and he didn’t want to wake them. “He says there are cell phones in the car.”

“Nathan’s money at work,” Jake said, grabbing their bags. “Come on.”

Even though the letter was from Nathan, Jake still quickly inspected the Audi, checking underneath the car, in the trunk, and under the hood. When he decided it wasn’t rigged with explosives, they drove away from the inn.

“The car is fully equipped, of course,” Kendall said, looking at the luxurious seats and control panel.

“And bugged, if I had my guess.”

“Did you see a tracking device?”

“Not this time. His guys are probably better at hiding them.”

“We need to check in with him,” Kendall said. “I want to ask him about the cross.”

“You really think he’ll tell you the truth?”

Kendall sighed. She wasn’t sure. “He wouldn’t kill Thomas. I know he wouldn’t.”

“Who are you trying to convince?” Jake asked. “There’s more to Nathan than meets the eye. Even you admit you can’t read him.”

“But he’s not a killer.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Do you think you could try your mojo on the cross again? Maybe you’ll get something this time.”

“You’re just hoping I’ll pick up something from Thomas so you’ll know what he was doing here.” She was curious herself. “I could try. I don’t always pick up the same thing each time. But Thomas didn’t have the cross in his possession for very long.”

“I doubt he had that note at the hotel for very long, but you picked something up on it.”

Kendall opened her bag and took out the cross. She let it rest in her hand, trying to feel its history. The sensations she felt were varied. Some were the same as the first time Nathan had given it to her. She caught a thread and isolated it. A little girl giggling. She couldn’t see the girl’s face but she knew the sound. Then newer sensations took over, but they were jumbled. There was fire, an explosion of some kind. A plane or helicopter, she thought. But it must have been the car bomb. Thomas could have set it.

“I don’t know. I sense different things, an explosion, some emotions, but it’s just bits and pieces. I’m sorry.” She left out the part about the little girl since it didn’t seem to fit.

“What kind of explosion?”

“It was just a loud noise and fire. It must have been the car bomb.”

“Maybe,” he said, softly, wearing his haunted look. “Maybe not.”

She knew he didn’t want to talk. “We have some time before the jet leaves. Let’s try to find this family Roberto told us about. He said it’s beyond the hills of the Protettori’s castle.”

They found the village. It was tiny, a few houses and farms and one Catholic church. It was early, but there was a man near the front of the church.

“Hello,” Kendall called.

He turned and his face lit up with a welcoming smile.

“Do you speak English?” she asked.

He nodded and measured with his fingers. “Little.” He introduced himself as the parish priest.

“We’re trying to locate a family named Romano,” Kendall said.

His face grew somber. “Not here. Gone.”

“They moved?”

“Dead.”

“All of them?”

“Yes. Except the oldest son. Edward was away.”

Edward. This must be the right family.

“Makes no sense. Good souls taken and troublemaker left here.”

“Edward was a troublemaker?”

“Black sheep, so they say. I don’t know him well.”

Kendall and Jake exchanged a surprised look. Their Edward?

“How did they die?” Jake asked.

“Fire. House burned. Sad. Whole village mourns.”

“What a terrible accident,” Kendall said.

“No. Not accident. Arson. Murder.”

“Who set the fire?” Jake asked.

“Don’t know. Still looking.”

“When did this happen?”

“Last month. Did you know them?”

Kendall shook her head. “No, but we wanted to talk to them. We heard that one of their ancestors helped build a castle near here.”

“I have not been here that long. I don’t know.”

They thanked the priest and left. “Edward said that anyone connected to the Protettori ended up dead,” Kendall said as they climbed into the car, a bit shocked by what they’d just learned.

“Edward escaped.”

“When he said everything was lost in a fire, I didn’t think he meant his family.”

“Didn’t look like he was grieving.”

“Maybe he’s in denial.”

“You didn’t read anything on him?”

“No. Sometimes I can’t read anything. I never know how it’s going to work. It’s like being a puppet.”

They were both silent as they headed toward Rome. She looked out the window at the scenery zipping past. “The spear is still out there and we’re just walking away. It doesn’t feel right. I don’t like leaving a mystery unsolved.”

“Nathan’s calling the shots.”

She supposed Jake felt like a puppet too. The debt he owed Nathan must be big. Jake didn’t make a good puppet.

They arrived in Rome with two hours to spare. It wouldn’t take long to reach the airport, so they decided to talk to the historian Roberto had found. The city was bustling, vastly different from the small town and the inn. Kendall found herself missing the quiet countryside. But they weren’t here to relax.