Not This Time (40 page)

She twisted the tissue. Sniffed. “Jackal is Raven’s boss. I don’t know him, but she spoke Rumantsch to him. It’s prominent in an area of Switzerland.”

“What about Phoenix?” Joe persisted.

“At first I thought he was Karl Masson.”

“No, he was Gray Ghost.” Joe looked at Jeff. “We picked that up through other venues.” He glanced back to Darla. “You said
at first …
”

She glanced at Sara and held her tongue.

“Darla.” Beth claimed her attention. “We know you and Nathara knew Robert before he came here. We have photos of all of you at the Martins.” Beth looked at Jeff. “Nathara posed as Nora there.”

“Who are the Martins?” Sara asked.

Beth spared her a glance. “Where’s your inhaler?”

“I don’t need it.”

“They’re your in-laws.”

“Martins?” Sara asked, not seeming at all stunned. “So Robert isn’t Robert.” She looked Darla right in the eye. “Robert is Phoenix, isn’t he?”

“I wasn’t told. Raven doesn’t tell anyone more than she has to tell them.”

“But you believe he is,” Sara said. “And like a phoenix, he’ll rise from the ashes.” Sara glanced at Jeff. “She doesn’t have to say it. I see it on her face. Robert’s alive and he’s in neck-deep with NINA.”

Jeff didn’t comment, just turned the subject. “Did Karl Masson pull the club attack?”

“He planned it, but he wasn’t in Seagrove Village then. Phoenix executed the plan.”

“After he was supposedly kidnapped,” Beth said. And Jeff had suspected her of that awful deed.

“The minute I saw the missing groom, I knew he was connected,” Sara said. “Not whether he was a victim or in with them, but involved.” She looked at Beth. “They’ve been pushing for classified information. I refused.”

“They, who?”

“NINA, through Robert. He told me they’d kill him if I didn’t cooperate. I figured the kidnapping was to convince me, but when all the blood proved he was dead, I thought, well, he couldn’t have been working with them—and I’d be next.”

“So you told Margaret to pull your clearances so you couldn’t get any information.”

“Months ago. When he first started pressuring me.” Sara nodded. “It was the best protection I could manage.”

Joe frowned. “You should have reported it to the OSI. They could have helped you.”

“I’d have been signing my death warrant, and maybe Beth’s too. I tested them and planted some false information. NINA got it. There’s a mole inside OSI headquarters, Joe. I don’t know who it is, but Mark might have more information for you on that.”

“It’s resolved, buddy.” Mark sent Joe a level look.

Joe didn’t ask questions, but Beth felt sure they’d come later, privately between them. The sting of betrayal turned Joe’s expression grim. “Sara, what did Robert do to push you into helping him?”

She looked away.

“He worked over her feet with a golf club.” Jeff’s voice trembled.

Shock pumped through Beth. “That’s what was wrong with your feet? It wasn’t the new shoes that had you hobbling?” No wonder the paramedic had looked at Beth as if she’d lost her mind. “Was he the reason for the hospital visits too?”

Sara nodded, anger burning in her eyes. “Just getting away from him wasn’t an option.”

That she didn’t have to explain. Her intense interest in helping the abused moms took on new meaning. “You didn’t know whose side he was on, but you thought if you disappeared, they’d come after me.” The truth slammed Beth with the force of a sledge. “You stayed to protect me.”

Sara shrugged a shoulder. “I got us into this, hooking up with him in the first place. With NINA, there’s nowhere to hide, Beth. We all know it.”

“So the kidnapping was to coerce you into giving them what they wanted?”

“Yes.” Sara lifted her chin. “I still refused.”

“So they killed him,” Jeff said, then looked at Joe. “Or did they?”

“They didn’t. The blood was cold.” Joe turned to Sara.

“I’m not sure.”

Beth wasn’t either. “Darla, why don’t you just tell us?”

“I would if I knew. If he’s not Phoenix, I have no idea. If he’s Phoenix, he’s alive—or he was, last I heard from Raven. She was planning on making him mayor.”

Sara gave her a fierce scowl. “Over my dead body.”

“Yes.” Darla nodded her agreement. “Which brings us to our most immediate problem and the reason I called this meeting.” Darla looked at Sara. “Brace yourself.”

“What?”

Jeff moved closer to Sara, placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.

“Raven ordered me to kill you, Sara. Tonight. It’s supposed to signal Phoenix to surface.”

Sara paled but her breathing stayed even. Jeff lightly squeezed her shoulder and she placed a trembling hand atop his. “That pretty much proves Robert is Phoenix.”

“If you’re not dead or if Nora surfaces, we’re all going to die.”

“Define all.” Joe pressed Darla.

“Me, Nora, Sara, and Beth.” Darla dared to glance over. “I’m so sorry, Beth. I wanted to start fresh and build a life worth something.”

“You still can. You didn’t do it, Darla. Instead, you warned Sara and you’re helping all of us, telling the truth.”

“You’re so good but so naive. I love that about you.” Darla sighed. “I’m going to die anyway.”

Jeff seemed untouched. “I’m hopeful you won’t, and Beth’s right. You’ve confirmed a lot for us.”

Beth focused on Sara. “Jeff thought I kidnapped Robert and Nora was Raven.”

“Guilty.” Jeff’s face flushed. “I had to explore every possibility.”

“It’s his job, Beth. He’s conscientious.” Sara told Jeff, “I understand. Proving who isn’t leaves who is.”

Relief washed over his face. “Yes.”

Darla pulled a resealable plastic bag from her purse. “This is a mask I found in my living room. I think I was supposed to find it.” Nathara might not understand people, but she understood temptation. “Nathara knew I’d have to try it on. Who could resist seeing if it really was a likeness? I did, so my DNA’s on it.” Darla frowned. “But so is Nathara’s. She killed Masson—or Tack Grady did. I’m not sure which—they were there together when I got home.”

Jeff stiffened. “How’s Tack Grady hooked into this?”

“He’s a minor NINA operative,” Joe said. “NINA planned to make him mayor—”

“That’s what they told him, and they did fund his campaign,” Darla said. “But I suspect he’ll be dead or underground long before the vote.”

“Why?” Jeff asked.

“My guess is they wanted Phoenix installed—he’s tight with Jackal—but from the snips of conversation I caught, Raven determined Phoenix couldn’t stand the scrutiny. When they installed Tack as caretaker in my home and I heard he was running for office, I knew they had no intention of making him mayor. He was my keeper, to make sure I stayed in line.”

Jeff took the bagged mask. “When did you find this?”

“The day I helped with the phones at Crossroads.” She looked at Peggy.

Peggy nodded. “Same day.”

“As what?” Beth asked.

“The day I think Karl Masson was killed on my terrace.” Darla glanced from Joe to Beth. “Tack’s shoes had dried blood on them. He pressure-washed the terrace—he’d just done it the week before. When word broke that Masson was dead, I knew it’d happened there that day.”

Mark’s eyes glinted. “It fits without conflict.”

From Joe’s relaxed stance, Beth figured he agreed. “So one or the other of them killed Karl Masson.”

“No one else was there,” Darla said. “From the mask, they wanted Masson and anyone else who might see anything to think I was the shooter.”

“Nathara shot Masson,” Joe said to Jeff. “I knew the shooter wasn’t Darla—too heavy—I just wasn’t sure who she was until now. DNA on the mask should back that up.”

“Why would Nathara plant a mask of Darla at Darla’s? Seems foolish.”

“It’s diabolically clever,” Mark said. “Who masquerades as herself to commit murder?”

Sara looked more confused.

“It created doubt,” Joe said. “Raven could spare Darla with it, or hang her as smart enough to pull off all that’s happened.”

Maximum flexibility
. Beth wanted to cry. “Nora’s going to be devastated. Her sister ordering her death.” Nathara was all Nora had left of family, and just losing Clyde … How that snake of a woman could do this to anyone was beyond Beth, but to her twin?

“Actually, Nora took it pretty well.” Darla sighed. “Better than I would have. She figured out Nathara was Raven and tried to call Mark. That’s when the hit was ordered. She wasn’t surprised. Embarrassed and angry, but not surprised.”

“Nora will be fine.” Peggy cleared her throat. “She’s a survivor—and she’s never had any illusions about her sister.”

“She’s ruthless,” Mark said. “We’ve seen the evidence firsthand.”

Jeff stepped away and called Kyle to collect the mask and run it to the lab. When he returned to the group, Joe asked, “Do you have Nora’s DNA on file?”

“Why?” Beth asked.

Joe answered. “They’re identical twins. Identical DNA.”

“There’s conflicting thoughts on that.”

“I know, Beth,” Joe said. “It can be resolved, but it takes time that we don’t have right now.”

Darla frowned. “Won’t this put Nora at risk?”

“Actually, it’ll clear her,” Joe said. “Her fingerprints will be different. Surely we’ll lift one off the mask.”

Resentment dragged at Beth. “Nathara meant for everyone to think Nora was Raven.”

“And I thought my family was bad.” Joe nodded. “Cold, huh?”

“Ice is warmer.” Beth frowned.

“Darla.” Joe crossed his arms. “You know they’re going to kill you.”

“No doubt whatsoever.” She blinked hard.

“So why are you helping us?”

“It’s a God-thing.” She glanced at Beth, a serene smile curving her lips. “Beth said I wasn’t so far gone He couldn’t find me, and she was right.”

Beth’s chest went tight. “I’m glad.”

“So did you kill John?” Jeff asked.

Her smile faded. Remorse slithered over her face.

Peggy told Jeff, “That’s been legally addressed. Darla was convicted and jailed and after Johnson confessed, turned loose. Now she’s risking her life to spare Nora, Sara, and Beth. You know NINA wants all of SaBe and its assets,
not just Sara’s portion. At the moment, we’ve got enough problems.” Peggy looked at Darla. “Later’s soon enough to deal with that.”

Darla nodded. “I do think I could help more here right now.”

Mark folded his hands atop the table. “If we can keep you alive—and I believe we can, because all your NINA connections are exposed, dead, or anonymous—then I propose you address the John issue with authorities later. Right now we need you here. You have insights to NINA we don’t have.”

Darla lowered her lashes. “When you say it’s time is soon enough for me.”

Mark nodded. “I’m sure the authorities will take your actions in all this into consideration. Helping us with NINA, refusing to execute its kill orders on Nora and Sara, plus sharing your insider knowledge of the organization—it all makes you valuable in the government’s war against NINA. A lot more so than your being in jail.”

Darla looked at Jeff. “Are you all right with this?”

“Yeah, I am,” Jeff said. “Mark’s right. We need your insights.”

Sara sat back, her jaw tight. “Sorry, but I have an issue with this.”

“Settle it with me,” Jeff said. “Because of her, you’ll have the chance. You won’t be dead.”

Sara closed her mouth.

“Sara, I’m not going to duck responsibility. You have my word on it. I know I have to pay for what I’ve done.”

Beth didn’t say it, but she figured Darla had been paying for it.

“I know you all must hate me. I’m so sorry.” Darla looked at Beth. “Especially you. You believed in me.”

Beth had. She’d stood up for Darla. Discovering she was guilty stung. “I don’t hate you. I do want to know why.”

“It was John or Lance. They wanted their man as mayor so they could continue operations here. John had to go. I either helped them or …”

“They’d kill your son,” Beth and Peggy said simultaneously.

Darla nodded, tears streaking down her face. “I made mistakes. I did bad things, and I won’t say I didn’t. I considered asking for help, but this was NINA.
No one could protect us from NINA.” She gathered control. “But if I live, I promise I will do the right thing. I am different now.”

What would Beth have done? She couldn’t be sure. No one could. In the end, Darla had lost John and Lance. The authorities would sort it out. “Yes, you are different.”

Clearly considering that situation resolved for now, Joe asked, “So how do we prove Robert is Phoenix?”

Darla faced Beth. “We fake Sara’s death tonight.”

Sara said, “If he’s alive, he’ll surface for the money.”

“No,” Beth said. “He’ll surface for the money
and
for access to the classified information NINA wants.”

Jeff got himself a glass of water. “And if he doesn’t?”

“He will,” Sara said. “For Robert, I’ve always been about money and NINA.”

Beth looked at Joe. “This was your plan.”

He nodded.

“You’re good.” Beth sighed, offered Sara the chance to be honest. “I hate to ask, but I need you to sign this.” She pulled the papers from her purse.

“What is it?”

“An agreement. If something happens to you, Robert stays out of SaBe …”

Sara looked Beth in the eye. “It’s redundant. Henry Baines has one on file. I signed it after the first hospital trip.”

Beth smiled. “Thank you for protecting me, Sara.” All their lives it had been the other way around. Sara had been the fragile one. But not anymore.

“I tried.” She shrugged. “I’m not very good at it, but I’m a rookie.”

Beth swallowed hard. “You’re not fragile, Sara.”

“Not this time.” She seemed pleased. “I think, no matter how fragile or vulnerable we might be, we all have chances to see for ourselves who we are. I saw. Being fragile was easier. It was definitely more comfortable—I’ve always been that way. It was expected of me. But this time was different. I was different.”

“You wanted to be more,” Joe spoke softly.

She nodded. “When Robert hurt my feet, I thought of that murdered
mom whose son called 911. She wanted to be more but chose not to because she was scared of being killed, and then she was killed anyway. I never feared death. It was life chained to Robert that terrified me.”