Page 79 of High Value Target

Grady got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He suddenly knew what was coming. Tinsley looked beautiful tonight in a long glittering gold dress, her back exposed as low as was decent.

“I think you all know the lovely Tinsley Wyatt. Crowned queen at her debutante ball, magna cum laude graduate, and daughter of one of the ten best-dressed women in Dallas.” He turned and lifted his glass to Loretta. People laughed and applauded. Palmer turned back to Tinsley. “This girl has had my heart for longer than she knows.”

The smile on her face disappeared, and the blood drained from her face.

Palmer set his drink down, dug in his pocket, and got down on one knee. Even from across the room, Grady recognized the Tiffany box.

When he popped the lid back, Tinley’s mouth fell open. The diamond was big enough to sparkle in the light clear across the room. “I love you, Tinsley. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I want to give you the life you deserve. I want to make you happy. Be my wife. Make me the happiest man alive.”

With that, he pulled the ring out, took her hand and slipped the giant rock on her ring finger.

Her panicked eyes searched out Grady as she was embraced first by Palmer, then his brother, then her father and mother. Cheers went up, and the band started playingThe Chapel of Love.

Grady watched it all like a slow-motion train wreck, destroying the future he’d hoped could be theirs. She’d said she’d planned to break it off with Palmer. Now she wore his ring, and she didn’t seem to be putting the brakes on this farce.

Perhaps he’d misjudged her. Perhaps she’d played him. Perhaps he was just someone she’d used to keep her amused while her lover was out of town.

Could he have misread everything so wrong? He didn’t have to look far into his past to know the answer. He felt the same heartache he’d felt when Angeline had mailed him back his ring.

The ball continued, with Palmer leading Tinsley out onto the dance floor. Throughout the night, they received congratulations from many of the other attendees, the crème de la crème of Dallas society.

Grady couldn’t wait for the evening to be over.

And then suddenly there was a murmur through the crowd and the vibe changed in the room. Grady looked around, trying to figure out what had happened, what he’d missed. People were whispering behind hands, and then he saw Palmer sitting with his head in his hands, and Tinsley rubbing his back. Perry shook his head over and over. Then Palmer was handed a phone, and he took it, stalking out of the ballroom. His brother and JD followed.

Tinsley and her mother sat at the table, their heads together, Loretta’s arm around her daughter.

Grady strode over. “What’s going on?”

Tinsley turned, tears running down her cheeks. “Their plane went down. Oh, Grady, all of them. Palmer’s mother and father, and his younger brother. There are no survivors.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “He just got the call.”

Loretta stood. “Perhaps we should head to the estate. We can deal with things better from there. Would you have the car brought around, Mr. Steele?”

“Of course. Let me tell them we’re heading down.” Grady stepped away, letting Thomas know they’d be moving to the estate now.

It was a long, silent ride. No one in the car knew what to say, it seemed.

Once they were at the estate, JD took them into his study, where Grady heard him verify the facts of the plane crash. Apparently, they’d been in the Pace private jet, flying from a quick trip to Corpus Christi when the jet went down in an onion field in DeWitt County, southeast of San Antonio. The wreckage had been found, and the plane identified by its tail numbers. The Texas State Police confirmed all passengers had perished.

There had been storms in the area, but what had caused the accident had not immediately been determined. No emergency radio transmission had been heard from the pilot.

Palmer tried to be strong, but devastation was written all over his face. Mrs. Wyatt leaned over where he sat and tried to comfort him.

Grady couldn’t help studying JD, knowing what Tinsley had told him. If there was any truth to the threats and blackmail story, then JD just got off the hook. He no longer had the threat of exposure for SEC violations and prison time hanging over his head.

His father’s death was sure to affect any political ambitions of Palmer’s. Patrick Pace had been a powerful and influential man. Without his connections, it wasn’t such a sure thing that Palmer would win the senate seat he—or perhaps more likely—his father had so badly wanted for him.

It seemed everything that had appeared like such a solid, locked in path just hours ago, was now up in the air.

“You and Perry should stay the night,” Loretta insisted. “I’ll have guest rooms prepared for you both.”

“I’ll make sure Maria and Cloe prepare them now, Mother.” Tinsley slipped out of the room. Grady followed.

“Tinsley,” he hissed, motioning her around a corner into the dining room. She followed.

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