“Bale threatened me many times, and I knew he was trying to implicate me in the murders,” Shabina said. “I’m surprised they talked in front of you.”
“I’ve never seen either of them so angry. They scared me. Especially Bale. Sean also said Bale would blackmail me, and the moment it came out that the dates and spices were at a murder scene, I would go to the cops and say I took the items and gave them to Sean. That he would then be implicated.”
“At least he was smart enough to know if he did what Bale wanted him to do, he would ultimately take the fall when it came out that evidence had been planted,” Raine said.
“Sean kept yelling at me, asking if I would go to the cops if I realized he’d used the spices and dates to plant evidence against you at a murder scene. He was yelling. Bale was yelling. I was so scared, but I realized Sean wasn’t worried about you, or even me. He was worried about himself. I shouted back at him that I would go to the police, and they’d better not use the things I gave them to implicate you. Bale slapped me.” Chelsey cupped her left cheek as if remembering the way Bale had struck her. “He threatened me if I dared tell you or anyone else and kept saying his uncle would keep him out of trouble.”
“Bale hit you?” Rainier asked. “He slapped you in front of Sean, and Sean didn’t react? Weren’t you two dating?”
Chelsey nodded, and for the first time tears glittered in her eyes. “I knew I had to get out of there or things were going to get worse. But then Sean took the little jars I’d given him and threw them at Bale. They got into a terrible fistfight. I took off while they were on the ground.”
“You should have told me all this when I confronted you,” Rainier said.
Shabina was thankful he had gentled his voice. “I would have listened to you as well, Chelsey. I was so hurt when I believed you were part of a conspiracy to implicate me in the murders.”
Chelsey paled visibly, and she shook her head, her hair swingingaround her face. “Absolutely not. I would never have done that. I only wanted to give Sean a surprise for his birthday. I should have known Bale wasn’t telling the truth.”
“I can’t imagine it occurring to you that Bale would try to implicate Shabina in the murders,” Raine said. “But, Chelsey, I hope you realize Sean isn’t a good man in all of this. He was angry on his own behalf, not on yours or Shabina’s.”
Chelsey sighed. “I faced that fact right then. If I hadn’t been reeling, I might have talked to you about the entire mess, Mr. Ashcroft, but I didn’t know Shabina was married, and quite frankly, you’re very intimidating.”
“Call me Rainier.”
Shabina noticed he didn’t try to look less intimidating. She doubted he could.
“I didn’t come here to try to get my job back, even though it honestly felt like I was working with family. I’m grateful to the hotel for hiring me. It’s just that I couldn’t live with you thinking so badly of me, and I felt it was important to let you know Bale’s intentions.”
“I appreciate you setting the record straight,” Shabina said. “I know it must have taken a great deal of courage for you to come here this evening.”
Chelsey stood up. “If you do ever need me back, reach out. I’ll give my notice at the hotel and join you. Thanks for listening to me.”
Rainier locked the door after her and then helped Raine to her car. Larado was in the driver’s seat. Rainier forestalled her protests by shaking his head. “I spoke with your doctor. He said driving right now is detrimental to your progress.”
“You spoke to Rush, didn’t you?” Raine glared at him.
Shabina could have told her glaring didn’t work on Rainier. He merely shrugged casually. “Rush is your doctor, and he wasadamant. He said if you don’t comply, we’re to let him know, and he’ll make time to come and stay with you. And just for your information, Sam wasn’t happy with any of you for not letting him know the extent of the problems facing Shabina. I’m sure Zale feels the same way, although he can’t get here. Sam, however, is offended and will have a few things to say about all of you keeping secrets from him.”
That meant Sam would be upset with Stella. Shabina hadn’t meant to get her friends in trouble with Sam. Sam had been a part of their circle nearly from the moment he’d arrived in Knightly. Now, married to Stella, and the fact that he had at one time worked for Blom in the same capacity as Zale and Rainier, more than ever he would feel the need to protect Shabina.
“I felt it was important that I tried to handle my own problems.” It was a lame excuse, and Rainier’s look told her he wasn’t buying the explanation, but he swept his arm around her waist, nodded to Larado and walked Shabina to her four-wheel-drive RAV4. The dogs loaded up when he opened the back and waved them inside.
“What you really meant was you didn’t want Sam to know how bad things were because you knew he would contact me.”
She tried not to smile. “You know me very well.”
“See that it doesn’t happen again, Shabina.”
She just stopped herself from rolling her eyes, but she nodded to show him she would comply with his not-so-unreasonable command.
Once they were headed home, Rainier spoke. “I would like to leave again this evening,Qadri. I’ve received information on the location of Scorpion and his friend Owen Pelletier. If the information is correct and I can get to them before they move again, you’ll be free of that threat.”
Shabina found her heart pounding. Her mouth went dry. She sat in silence, twisting her fingers together until Rainier took one hand off the steering wheel and covered her restless hands.
“You said you needed proof before you went after Lefebre. He’s too big, Rainier. If you get caught…” She trailed off. “He’ll be surrounded by guards. Possibly mercenaries.”
“I have all the proof I need.”
“What does that mean?”
