Page 112 of Her Beast

“Yes, I received a very surprising telegram from your brother Brian asking if I knew of her whereabouts. I thought it was quite out of the blue, to be honest. It was the first I’ve heard from Brian in over fifteen years, not since my tragic… accident. I can’t imagine why he thinks that I know anything about your daughter.”

The other man sighed. “Enough of your games. I know you have her—and Sheehan. I’ve torn the bloody city apart. You are the only one left.”

“Only what left?”

“The only man who might—however unfairly—bear me a grudge.”

“A grudge for what?”

“Quit toying with me, Barton. What do I have to do to get my daughter back before her bloody wedding?”

“That’s what you care about? Not your daughter, but her wedding?”

“Don’t act all sanctimonious to me—not after using her to get what you wanted.”

“Whose idea was it?” Malcolm asked mildly.

Harlow hesitated.

“Do not play me for a fool, Tommy.”

“It was Sheehan’s,” he said, sounding almost convincing. “He did it without asking me. The man has an unhealthy love of setting things on fire.”

Malcolm smiled and Harlow recoiled. “You’re telling me Sheehan conceived of the idea and executed it without your knowledge?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

Malcolm laughed.

“You could never prove anything against him or any of us. Ever.”

“Funny, but that’s what your wife said when she came to visit me. Of course, she was talking about something entirely—” Malcolm stopped, made a lazy, dismissive gesture, and then said, “But that is neither here, nor there. What matters is that I’m not after proof, I’m after answers, Tommy.”

“Well, I just gave you one,” he snapped. “And I’d like to know what you are insinuating about my wife?”

Malcolm ignored his question. “I’m sorry. I should have said I was afterhonestanswers.”

“I swear that it was Sheehan. I barely knew him then. I had only just offered for his sister. For reasons unknown to me, the man got a bee in his bonnet about the damned shipping company—I don’t recall how he even found out about it. He said it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, but then Leeland chose you and rejected my offer. Sheehan couldn’t leave it alone. You have to believe me when I say I knew nothing about his plans.”

Lies, lies, and more lies. And not even good ones.

“And so Sheehan took me out of the running soyoucould benefit—out of the kindness of his heart?”

“Well, he did it for his sister, of course.”

Malcolm chuckled. “NowthatI believe.”

Harlow frowned. “What are you—”

“When did you find out what he’d done?” Malcolm interrupted.

Harlow’s face creased with relief that Malcolm might prove stupid enough to buy his lies. “Not until after it was over, when Sheehan came to me and boasted.”

Malcolm was sure some boasting went on, but he doubted Sheehan was the only one doing it.

When he didn’t reply, Harlow said, “I couldn’t do such a thing. You believe me, don’t you?”

“I believe that you don’t like to dirty your hands. And I believe that Sheehan and his sister wanted more.”

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