Page 86 of Light of Day
As she pulled on the tracksuit, which was blissfully warm and dry, she kicked herself for not asking about Denton. Had Fiona killed him too? Or had someone else taken care of that “loose end”?
More importantly, right now, she had a decision to make. Find shelter and spend the night, or try to find her way out of here? The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and deep midnight shadows lurked in the trees. Hunger tugged at her belly. She took a swig of water, hoping that would help, and it tasted so good she’d drunk half the bottle before she yanked it away from her mouth. She needed to save it, not glug it down.
In order to get to the forest, she had to climb about thirty feet up, across sharp granite rocks, until she reached a narrow border of patchy scrub grass. After that, the pines and birches grew so thick it was hard to see any path through them, especially at this time of night.
Yeah, there was no way she was going in that forest. Better find a comfortable spot to nest in for the night.
Just as she began climbing, the whine of a boat engine caught her attention. Wild hope filled her heart.
Then it was dashed just as quickly. Now that she knew Fiona had used a boat to put her in that cave, she couldn’t trust any boat. Fiona—or Carson—could have sent someone to finish the job.
She had to hide. Crawling on elbows and knees, she crab-walked across the scratchy grass to the shelter of a tree and tried her best to blend in with its trunk.
40
As Luke hurriedpast the spiral staircase, Celine stepped out of the master suite and blocked his way. “Where are you running off to?”
“I need to check something down on the shore. If you see Judy or anyone else, call me.”
“Judy? You know, I did see Judy. She was acting very, very strange. I told her to take some time off. She hasn’t had a break in years, I think. I was starting to worry about her mental health.”
Interesting. When had Celine ever paid any attention to the staff’s mental health?
“Well, if you see her…” He tried to sidestep Celine, but she stepped in front of him again. “You know, I think I heard some funny sounds coming from the twins’ suites. I haven’t had a chance to check over there, and quite frankly, strange sounds aren’t my thing. But maybe now that you’re here…I don’t know, do you think it could be your missing friend?”
“Better check.” He headed for the opposite end of the floor, where Rufus and Ruby each had their own suites. Celine didn’t follow, for which he was grateful. He didn’t trust her.
After a quick and thorough search, he found nothing amiss in Rufus’ suite, or Ruby’s. No strange sounds. Was she making it up to delay him?
But then, very faintly, he heard something.
A banging sound. Not up here, but one floor down, barely audible from the third story.
“It’s coming from downstairs,” he told Celine when he reached the living room again.
“What?” Her eyes widened. She looked genuinely shocked. “Oh well, I suppose it could be anything, then. Never mind, don’t bother with that. It’s probably a wild goose chase.”
“Better check,” he said, striding past her.
She grabbed onto his arm as he passed. “Listen, Luke, wait. There’s something really important I want to talk to you about.”
“What?” he asked impatiently.
“I want you to know that I’ve been working very hard to get John to lighten up on you. I think I’ve made progress. He’s even talked about changing his will again. There’s no reason you should be exiled from the family in such a cruel way. It’s not fair to you.”
What the hell was she up to? He’d never trusted Celine, and she’d never had much time for him. Was he supposed to believe that she was now advocating for family unity? “I’ve always kept the door open, but I can’t talk about that now.”
He pulled away from her, but she scurried past him and blocked the door “What’s going on, Celine? Enough with the bullshit, just tell me what you want. You have two seconds.”
“I want you to think about Izzy,” she said after a short pause. “I promise it will be to your benefit. Doesn’t she deserve a piece of…” She waved her arm to encompass the spacious upper story with its magnificent views and pristine antiques. He remembered the stories of how those wardrobes and hutches had been hoisted to the top floor from outside, after the windows had been removed.
Would Izzy ever care about such things? Was he robbing her of her legacy by removing himself from the Carmichael family orbit?
The master bedroom door opened and a man stepped out. He carried a medical bag and a leather-bound folder. He hesitated when he saw Luke, his glance flitting to Celine.
“How’s my father?” Luke asked.
Again, the doctor checked with Celine. She shook her head ever so slightly. “I’ll deliver a full report shortly. Perhaps a meeting with the whole family.”
