“Michael would never have to worry about being ousted by anybody.”
“Yes, he would, if he didn’t have his family to protect him.” Caleb’s tone was matter-of-fact. “Then he’d be on his own.”
As Caleb had been alone when he was growing up with parents who didn’t understand either his gifts or that he wasn’t a monster just because he was different. Lisa had been furious when she’d told Jane about that time, but when Caleb did it was without a hint of self-pity. Still, it hurt Jane to think of it.
“Look at you.” He was gazing quizzically at her. “Have I depressed you? The chances of your Michael having to face anything like that are practically infinitesimal considering everyone he has in his corner.” He added lightly, “And if you all fall by the wayside, I’ll swoop down and teach him all he needs to know about surviving. The two of us would do fine together.”
Yes, they would. She had seen the love and care he’d given his sister Lisa when she was in need. Caleb could be ruthless, but he could also display an incredible understanding when you were forced to face tremendous odds.
And now she was remembering all the things she had learned about him that were good and splendid and completely sympathetic. Not about the manipulations, the dominance, the times she had felt more like an erotic harem girl than an independent woman. Not about that swirling whirlpool that never let her get really close to him.
Stop it. Push it away. It would be far too easy to let her slip back into that sensuous haze. “That wouldn’t happen. I have no intention of falling by the wayside. Michael will definitely be okay.” She added grimly, “As long as we all can keep him from trying to run our lives.” She looked at her watch. “You now have fifteen minutes. Start talking, Caleb.”
“Pressure. Pressure.” He pulled over to the side of the road. Then he turned off the car and reached for his phone. “But the pressure is genuine and so should the reason be for letting me stay and take care of you tonight.” He dialed up a photo, enlarged it, and handed the phone to Jane. “This was the picture I received early this morning from MacDuff together with a short message. I was on the road to his place three minutes later.”
“MacDuff?” She slowly took the phone and gazed down at the photo. At first, she couldn’t understand what she was looking at. Then her gaze narrowed on the photograph in the center of the bloody wall.
She inhaled sharply. “What the hell is it?”
“You.” He paused. “Blood.”
Her gaze flew to his face. “And MacDuff’s message?”
His words came fast and brief. “The painting of Fiona MacDuff was stolen. A guard was murdered and his blood used to form the cross. Your photo was substituted for the painting.”
She felt a chill. “Incredible.”
“Not incredible. It happened,” Caleb said curtly. “And it told its own message.”
She was trying to think through the shock. “But perhaps not necessarily aimed at me just because of the photo. It all happened at MacDuff’s Run. MacDuff’s estate. MacDuff’s portrait of one of his ancestresses. The guard was an employee of MacDuff’s. I don’t really have anything to do with MacDuff’s Run. MacDuff is just my friend. All this madness really could be focused solely on MacDuff. We should be worrying about him.”
“And how are you going to explain the photo?” Caleb said. “Or the fact that it was dripping blood?”
“I’ll have to think about that.” She tried to smile but found her lips were shaking. “It does seem macabre.”
“A threat,” he corrected. “Ask MacDuff. He didn’t think the threat was toward him. It was clear he was concerned about you. The first comment he made when I went into the gallery was about what an expert I am in blood. The next was about the cult that killed my sister. And I was the first one he called when he saw your photo in his gallery. He was definitely making a connection between the blood and you…and me.”
She stared at him, shocked. “But he knows you. He wouldn’t think you’d hurt me.”
“Wouldn’t he?” His eyes were glittering in his taut face. “I don’t think he would, but what do I know?” He was smiling recklessly. “A choice between someone he knows and respects, who helped him retrieve a family treasure? And a weird freak whom everybody knows might do anything to anyone if he takes the notion.”
“He’s smart. He’d know better. So stop accusing him.”
“Because he’s your friend.”
“Yes, and because you’re being idiotic. You’re in a nasty mood.”
“That I am.” Then he shook his head and made a face. “It’s been a bad day for me. I didn’t like seeing that damn photo. It shook me.”
“Nothing shakes you.” She paused. “But I don’t like it, either. Why would MacDuff think that the cult would have anything to do with it?”
“He’s jumping at conclusions and hoping to hit it right.” His lips twisted. “If he hadn’t put me on the defensive, I would have done the same thing. But he had the advantage of having me standing there in front of him, and you’d already told him about the cult. The connection was irresistible. He could probably smell the blood.”
“I told him because he was my friend. I wanted him to get to know you, to reach out to you. You never talk to anyone about yourself.” She made an impatient gesture. “And now you’ve put me on the defensive. Could the cult actually have anything to do with all this?”
“I don’t think so. I had a list of all the cult members responsible for selling my sister to Kevin Jelak, that psycho who murdered her. I was very careful about hunting every one of them down. I assure you it was none of the members in the main cult,” he said grimly. “And I’ve had the village of Fiero monitored by my people ever since to make sure there weren’t any new players on the horizon. But you can bet I’m going to find out.”
“Kevin Jelak,” she repeated slowly. “I haven’t thought of that name for years. The first time I met you was at the lake cottage when you were hunting for him. I was sorry for you that you’d lost your sister, but I had no idea what a horror he would be to my own family. He almost killed Joe.” Her gaze flew to his face. “But Jelak could have nothing to do with this, right? Eve told me she’d seen you kill him.”
“Jelak is dead,” he said flatly. “Whoever is responsible for what happened at MacDuff’s Run, it’s not Jelak. And Eve gave me no problem about it. She was too glad to have Joe back.”
“That photo.” She moistened her lips. “If it was the cult, would MacDuff have been right about why they put it there?” She looked at him. “Because it was some kind of weird message to you?”
“I don’t know why else.” He made a face. “I’m the obvious connection. I’m always the obvious connection. I’m used to it. But there’s no proof yet that a cult had anything to do with the theft. Maybe someone just knew how much MacDuff loved that painting and wants to ransom it back to him. So stop worrying about it.”
“I’m not worrying about it. I just think that I have to find out. I need to know if it’s me or MacDuff who is the target.” She grimaced. “Then I’ll worry about it.”