Deadly Addition (Hardy Brothers Security Book 9) (23 page)

“Now,” Sheila said. “He wasn’t then, and I was never really one for watching the news.”

“Even when your husband was arrested for molestation,” Emma grumbled.

“When Nathan asked me to marry him, I thought it was because he really loved me,” Sheila said. “It wasn’t, though. Two days after we got married, he was arrested. I didn’t find out until three months later that he’d started hiding money in accounts with my name on them.”

“Where is Nathan?”

“He’s dead.”

Even though she’d already suspected it, Sheila’s admission knocked Emma for a loop. “How did he die?”

“I told him I wasn’t okay with what he was doing,” Sheila said. “He didn’t react … well.”

“What did he do?”

“He beat me,” Sheila said. “He knocked me out. I didn’t wake up for almost twelve hours, and when I did, he acted like he hadn’t done anything wrong. I decided I was going to leave him. I’ve worked really hard to get my life back on track after your father. I wasn’t going to ruin it again.”

Emma waited.

“I thought he was out of the house,” Sheila said. “I was on my way down the stairs when he confronted me. He told me I wasn’t going anywhere, and then he grabbed me by my hair. We fought, and he tumbled down the stairs. He broke his neck on the floor. It was an accident.”

“So, why didn’t you call the police?”

“I panicked,” Sheila admitted. “I was afraid they wouldn’t believe it was an accident. I don’t have the best track record when it comes to law enforcement. I don’t trust them, and they don’t trust me.”

“So, what did you do?”

“I buried him in the desert.”

Emma arched an eyebrow. “By yourself?”

“When a person puts their mind to something, they can do almost anything,” Sheila said. “I was desperate.”

“But wasn’t he on a tether?”

“The butler is wearing it.”

“The butler?”

“I paid him,” Sheila said. “He was loyal to Nathan, but he knew what a terrible man he was. He was just happy to keep getting paid. I just needed some time. I figured, if I could get away, things would be better. I wasn’t lying when I said I’d always wanted to reconnect with you. This was my chance to get away and start fresh.”

“Mom, you can’t hide this,” Emma said. “What happens when Nathan doesn’t show up for court?”

“That’s not my problem.”

“Your marriage is public record.”

“Yes,” Sheila said. “His marriage to Sheila Archibald is public record. I’m going to change my name.”

“To Kelly Gilmore?” Emma asked pointedly.

Sheila stilled. “How do you know that name?”

“People know that Kelly Gilmore took over Nathan Davenport’s operations in Vegas,” Emma said. “Her picture is readily available in certain circles. She looks a lot like you.”

“How could they possibly know that?”

“Criminals talk.”

Sheila furrowed her brow. “No. I was very careful.”

Emma noticed that Sheila wasn’t denying taking over Davenport’s operation. “What about the money in your suitcase?”

Sheila snapped her head up. “How could you possibly know about that?”

“We know more than you think,” Emma said.

“We?”

“All of us.”

“Well, that changes things, doesn’t it?” Sheila said.

“How?”

Emma lifted her head to the door when she heard it open. When Seth walked in, she was floored. “What is he doing here?”

“We have a problem,” Seth said.

“I figured that out on my own,” Sheila said. “We have to change our plans – and we have to do it now.”

“Great,” Seth said. “What are we going to do with her?”

“Oh, well, she’s our insurance,” Sheila said. “She’s going to make sure that we get out of here with all of our money.”

“And if she doesn’t agree to help?” Seth prodded.

“Then we’ll bury her next to your father.”

“Who is Seth?” Maverick asked.

“Nathan Davenport’s son,” James said.

Grady returned to the office, his face grim. “He’s not in the bathroom.”

“Did you look upstairs?”

“Yeah,” Grady said. “He’s not anywhere.”

“Well, what does this mean?” Jake asked.

“I have no idea,” James said. “Somehow, him listening to all of the information we have and then sneaking out doesn’t seem like it’s a good thing, though.”

“So, wait, there was a dude here named Seth Davenport?” Maverick asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well, that’s interesting,” Maverick said. “Seth Davenport is listed on two of the other accounts that Sheila broad was trying to hack into. Do you think that’s a coincidence?”

James stilled. “No. He said that he didn’t have any financial ties with his father. That’s why he was looking for Sheila. He wanted his inheritance if his father was dead.”

“Maybe that was just a lie he told us so he could cast doubt on Sheila,” Mandy suggested.

“Why would he want to do that?”

“Because they’re partners,” Sophie supplied. “They’re working together, and we were too busy watching Sheila to notice what Seth was doing.”

“Why would Seth want us to be suspicious of Sheila?” Jake asked.

“Because we already were,” James answered. “By reinforcing what we knew about Sheila, we opened ourselves up to be bamboozled by Seth.”

“But how could that possibly work to his advantage?”

“Maybe he’s trying to find a way to get the accounts all to himself,” Sophie said. “Maybe they were partners in the murder, which meant they had to split the money. If Sheila is trying to break into Seth’s accounts when he’s not around, that means she’s trying to steal from him. If Seth is trying to cast aspersions on Sheila, it might be because he’s hoping she gets arrested.”

“If they’re working together, but also working against each other, that means … .” Finn broke off, worried.

“That means that they’re dangerous,” James said. “Even more dangerous than we thought they were.”

“I need to find Emma right now,” Finn said. “And I mean
right
now.”

“WHAT’S
going on here?” Emma was confused, but she knew she was in trouble. Her mother’s countenance had shifted from piteous and pleading to overt and threatening in the blink of an eye.

“What is she even doing here?” Seth asked, ignoring Emma’s question.

“She showed up to get me to confess to killing your father.”

“Did you?”

“I told her it was an accident.”

“Oh, you didn’t go with the falling-down-the-stairs story, did you? I told you that was lame. You should’ve gone with self-defense. That’s a lot more believable.”

“What does it matter now?” Sheila asked. “They know a lot more than we thought they did.”

“Yeah, I just came from the security office,” Seth said. “What they don’t know, they’re putting together right now.”

“How did you get away?”

“They were too distracted arguing with one another to notice,” Seth said. “I told them I had to go to the bathroom. I listened a little bit longer, but when their computer guy showed up, I left. Did you know they copied your computer?”

Sheila faltered. “How?”

“I don’t know,” Seth said. “They did, though. James told the others they were waiting for an update from some guy named Maverick. I knew it was all over when I heard that. Oh, and the chick who’s related to Peter Marconi did some digging. They know about Kelly Gilmore.”

Sheila shifted a snide look in Emma’s direction. “I know. My daughter was just filling me in.”

“I thought you said they were going to be easy marks,” Seth challenged. “They’ve been anything but easy.”

“I underestimated them,” Sheila admitted. “I thought they were all muscle-bound meatheads.”

“You said that you could get access to their computers,” Seth said. “You tried twice, and failed twice.”

“They have a lot of security on those things.”

“They’re a security company,” Seth said. “Did you think they’d just leave everything out so you could go through it?”

“That’s why I tried it on the home computer first,” Sheila said. “I didn’t think they’d have security on it. He really must not trust his wife.”

“You guys are partners in all of this?” Emma asked, incensed.

“Wow, she’s quick,” Seth deadpanned. “She’s even dumber than you said she was.”

Despite the danger involved in her current situation, the words hurt. “I’d rather be dumb than evil.”

“Oh, get over it,” Sheila said. “You were born beautiful. You don’t need to be smart. Only a lucky few of us get to be beautiful and smart.”

Emma’s chuckle was harsh. “I should have listened to Finn when he wanted to kick you out that first night.”

“Yes, you should have,” Sheila said. “I knew you wouldn’t, though. You’ve always been desperate for affection. I mean, you were so desperate for love you purposely seduced my husband.”

Emma’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

“Oh, don’t deny it,” Sheila said. “I heard you two in the basement all the time. You turned your father into an animal.”

“I thought you didn’t know what he was doing,” Emma said, her face drawn. “Isn’t that what you said?”

“Of course I knew,” Sheila scoffed. “A woman pays attention when someone else moves in on her man.”

“You’re sick,” Emma said, clasping her hands together. “I don’t want anything more to do with you. I’m leaving. Don’t bother ever coming back here.” Emma started moving toward the door, but Seth stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Seth said. “You’re our insurance.”

“Let me go.”

Emma tried to jerk her arm away, but Seth wasn’t messing around. He backhanded her across the face, the slap echoing throughout the hotel room. “You need to calm down,” he warned.

Emma held her cheek, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. “Don’t touch me.”

“You have a very specific job to do here,” Seth said. “If you don’t do it, you’re not worth anything to us.”

Emma glanced at her mother. “Are you going to let him kill me?”

Sheila shrugged. “I don’t really care either way. What’s important now is getting packed and getting out of here. Once the Hardys figure out we’re working together, then they’re going to come looking for us. We’ve got to get out of town.”

“And we’re taking her with us?” Seth asked, inclining his head toward Emma. “She’s going to slow us down.”

“Yes, but they’ll pay anything to get her back,” Sheila said.

“How much money do they have?”

“Enough to float us for a few months,” Sheila said. “Plus, I’m guessing that Marconi will be willing to chip in to get Emma back if Sophie asks him. We might as well get as much as we can for her.”

“Get the suitcase and laptop,” Seth said. “Leave everything else. We’ll buy new.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Emma said.

Seth raised his fist threateningly. “Don’t make me hit you again. You’re pregnant, right? The next time I hit you, it’s going to be in the stomach. Do you think that’s good for your baby?”

Emma shuddered. “You wouldn’t.”

“You have no idea what I’m capable of,” Seth said. “I killed my own father. Your baby means even less to me than that asshole did.”

“He was an asshole,” Sheila agreed. “The world is a better place without him.”

“And you’re a richer woman,” Emma said.

“Not yet,” Sheila said. “Soon, though. Soon I’m going to have everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“Except a soul.”

“Why would I want that?” Sheila asked. “It’s not worth any money, so it’s of no use to me. Keep in mind, if you’re not worth any money, you’re of no use to me either. You’d better hope that your precious Finn really does love you. If not? You’re never going to get a chance to find out if you were marriage – or mother – material.”

“CLOSE
off both exits,” James ordered Grady and Jake. “I don’t want them getting out of this parking lot.”

“The cops are on their way,” Finn said, disconnecting his phone.

“What did you tell them?”

“As much as I could in three minutes,” Finn replied. “It will take them about five minutes to get here.”

“We can wait Sheila and Seth out,” James said.

“Not if they try to leave with Emma,” Finn said.

“We don’t even know that she’s here,” James reminded him.

Finn pointed. “That’s her car.”

James swallowed hard. “We’ll get her back.”

“What if … ?” Finn couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Sheila can’t hurt Emma while we’re all here,” James said calmly. “Emma is her only playing card.”

“When Sheila knows she’s trapped, she might be willing to sacrifice Emma out of spite,” Finn said, his voice cracking.

“We won’t let that happen,” James said, clapping Finn on the shoulder. “I promise.”

“HEAD
straight for the car,” Sheila ordered.

Seth, his hand clamped tightly over Emma’s forearm as he dragged her through the lobby, nodded mutely.

“I don’t care what direction we leave in,” Sheila said. “Just get out of here as soon as you can.”

“I’m not stupid,” Seth said, grimacing.

“Of course you’re not,” Sheila said, her tone dripping with sugary sarcasm. “You’re a genius.”

“Says the woman who thought she could just waltz on to a security company’s computer and get access to financial files,” Seth muttered under his breath.

“Did you say something?” Sheila asked.

“No,” Seth said, pushing open the glass doors that separated the lobby from the parking lot. “I didn’t say a thing.”

“Shit,” Sheila said, pulling up short when she caught sight of James and Finn heading in her direction. “How did they get here so fast?”

“Finn,” Emma choked out, relief washing over her.

“Emma.” Finn broke into a run.

Seth let go of Emma’s arm long enough to grab a handful of hair and snap her head back when she tried to move toward Finn. He pulled a knife out of his pocket and brandished it next to the woman’s vulnerable throat. “Stop right there, hero.”

Emma whimpered when she felt the cold steel press into her skin.

“I told you to get a gun,” Sheila snapped. “A gun is much more threatening.”

“And I told you that there’s a record when you buy a gun,” Seth said. “I didn’t want these idiots to be suspicious of me.”

“Don’t hurt her,” Finn said, holding his hands up.

“I’m not going to hurt her as long as you do what you’re told,” Seth said.

“And what’s that?” Finn asked, his gaze never moving from Emma’s terrified face.

“You’re going to let us go,” Sheila said. “Once we’re safe, we’ll let Emma go. I promise.”

“Don’t believe her,” Emma said. “They plan on trying to sell me back to you.”

“I figured that out,” Finn said. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. It’s going to be okay.”

Seth yanked harder on Emma’s hair, causing her to cry out. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Finn.”

Finn wracked his brain for something to barter with. There was no way he was going to let Sheila and Seth leave the parking lot with Emma. He needed time. The cops were on their way. Once Seth and Sheila were boxed in, he could only hope that they’d surrender – and turn on each other. Now he just had to delay them. “So, you two were working together from the beginning?”

“You feel stupid now, don’t you?” Seth said, smiling. “I had you guys going. Admit it.”

“Yeah, well, when you let yourself get beat up by two girls, what do you expect?” Finn asked. “That was a brilliant move on your part.”

“I didn’t let them beat me up,” Seth corrected. “I was just watching Emma. That nosy reporter spotted me. I’d decided to approach them when the blonde one viciously attacked. I could have handled her, but that nasty little brunette is terrifying. Those women should be locked up.”

“We’ll take that into consideration,” James said blandly. “I’m curious. Which one of you killed Nathan Davenport?”

“It was an accident,” Sheila said, her lower lip quivering. She really was a good actress. “He fell down the stairs and broke his neck. I was just trying to get away from him.”

“That’s a lie,” Emma spat out. “Seth said he killed him.”

Seth dug the pointed tip of the knife into Emma’s skin, drawing blood.

“Stop that!” Finn took another step forward. “Don’t you dare hurt her.”

“If you don’t move back, I’m going to gut her,” Seth said. “She might be able to survive, but the baby won’t.”

James clenched his hands at his sides. “What do you want?”

“I already told you,” Sheila said. “We’re leaving, and we’re taking my daughter with us. I promise she’ll be safe.”