Page 9 of The Highland Heist
His statement brought out Zahra’s smile but Miss Cox continued to wear a look of mild terror. When he’d taken her on, he’d thought that expression might lessen with familiarity, but for some reason, it only seemed more pronounced the longer she was with them.
“Lillias will be so wonderfully surprised, Frederick.” Grace slipped her arm through his, giving it a little squeeze, her resident optimism rose to the occasion. “Even if things haven’t turned out as planned about Father.” Yet the tremor in her voice proved she still wasn’t fully past the shock. “I know there has to be more to the story than we understand, but for now, I’m going to focus on meeting my new nephew and seeing if Lillias has found such bliss in married life as I have.”
They’d only taken the first step up to the townhouse door when a scream split the afternoon air.
A woman’s scream. And from the very house they meant to enter.
He and Grace exchanged a look, then his wife dashed up the stairs.
Dash it!He followed, bypassing her to reach the door first.
It stood slightly ajar. Frederick held out his arm to pause Grace’s entry and, with a slow movement, pushed the door open with his foot.
Not even the ominous creak of the opening door could have prepared him for the sight in the entry hall.
His breath seized in his lungs.
A chill congealed to his bones.
In the middle of the foyer lay the unmoving body of Anthony Dixon.
And standing over him, knife in hand, was Dixon’s wife and Grace’s sister, Lillias, screaming.
Chapter 3
Icy cold pricked over Grace’s skin and pierced all the way through her.
What was she seeing?
Lillias, knife in hand, over Tony’s body? Grace gave her head a shake, wondering, not for the first time, if her fictional loves had somehow materialized into the real world. It would make sense, wouldn’t it? As much as she consumed her beloved novels.
But perhaps she was dreaming. It felt very much like a scenario her errant brain might concoct when her imagination took a downward turn. Only two weeks ago, she’d awakened in tears from a dream where Frederick had turned into a ghost and disappeared through a wall, leaving her unable to follow.
How unthinkable of him, even in ghost form!
She’d almost been rude to him during the first few minutes after waking up because he’d been so thoughtless in her dream. Poor man.
But this? Lillias and Tony? Thishadto be a dream! Because these weren’t strangers she’d just met in Egypt or Italy who’d been dabbling in stolen artifacts or paintings long before she ever met them. This was her family.
Her stomach knotted. Within the last hour her family had turned upside down with her father’s deception, her mother’s visit from the grave, and now this?
“Lillias?” Grace’s whisper sliced the distance and drew Lillias’ gaze up.
“Grace?” Lillias’ voice broke. The knife fell from her hand with a sharp clang, and she staggered. Frederick rushed forward just in time to catch her before she crumpled beside her dearly departed husband.
Grace moved closer, her gaze landing on Tony’s still form. She hadn’t seen many dead bodies, but there was no mistaking his pallor or the gaping wound in his chest. The jeweled dagger lay nearby, its emerald-studded hilt smeared with blood.
Where had Lillias gotten such a weapon?
Frederick knelt, loosening the top button of Lillias’ blouse. “Grace, can you find something for her to drink?”
Grace turned to comply, but he caught her arm. “Wait. We don’t know if the house is safe.”
Her attention shot to the hallways flanking the room. “You think the murderer might still be here?”
“I’m not certain.” He glanced at the front door, still standing ajar. “From the color in his face, I don’t think the deed was done long ago, so someone else could still be hiding nearby.”
A sudden realization quaked through Grace as she met her husband’s gaze. “If therewassomeone else.”
