She hesitated a second as she scrambled for an answer unrelated to Ronan’s hatred for her father. “He lives in New Orleans. I wasn’t sure I wanted to get into a long-distance relationship.”
“Did anyone else know you were leaving and in which direction?”
“I did.” Alina raised her hand. “She told me, and I saw her leave.”
Ireland stood and momentarily felt woozy, her heart beating too fast.
“Seriously, Ireland. Are you okay?” Alina stood with her arms outstretched as if to catch Ireland should she fall.
“I’m just tired, Ali. Really.” She strived for calm. “I appreciate that you have to ask these questions, but the masquerade is publicized worldwide. The specific weekend and location never change. Many of the guests are either famous or rich. Couldn’tthe kidnappers have been waiting foranyattendee? Or maybe just any young woman?”
“We’re looking at this from all angles,” Vega assured her. “But you yourself are concerned another family member could be targeted.”
“Because I killed that guy, and his psycho partner is still out there,” she said, feeling vaguely like she was reading dialogue from a script of someone else’s life. Someone capable of doing what she’d done. “I don’t know how the conversations between my family and the kidnappers went. Did they give some indication that I was specifically targeted?”
“The fact that you were subdued with a shroud so you couldn’t move might suggest that they were prepared for you to fight back,” Jang replied.
Ireland felt a marked chill that almost made her shiver. “I was out front because I was going to meet Ronan. There’d be no reason for him to take me against my will when I was coming voluntarily.”
“Aside from establishing an alibi.”
She stared at them, unblinking.
“There are a lot of questions to be answered,” Vega added. “That’s why we’re asking them. Do you know if Boudreaux told anyone that you’d be traveling with him?”
She shook her head, which aggravated her unsteadiness. “Listen, I don’t know if I would’ve made it out of that condo without being raped, seriously hurt, or even maimed if not for Ronan.”
“How so?”
“He sees me as stronger and more capable than I see myself. I tapped into that when I needed to.”
“Do you have any enemies?” Vega asked. “Have you received any threats or had any conflicts with anyone recently?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“What about Graham?” Alina reminded her.
Ireland’s eyes widened. “Graham? I don’t think he’d do something like this. I mean, he’s not that smart. And he got what he wanted.”
“We’ve spoken with Graham Teller,” Jang told her. “He was performing in a bar on Friday night. Multiple people confirmed he was there from ten to half past one. But we haven’t excluded anyone yet.”
She supposed they couldn’t, since the person she’d overheard on the phone could have been anywhere while she was being abducted and held. That wide-open unknown was almost as terrifying as seeing her attacker’s face again.
Another brisk knock preceded the opening of the door. A nurse stepped inside, followed by one of the concierges. “We have your discharge paperwork, Ms. Vidal.”
“Great.” Elizabeth gestured for them to come to the table.
Jang and Vega exchanged a look, then Jang closed her notepad and tucked it away. “We’ll let you get out of here, but we’ll have some follow-up questions. What’s the best way to reach you?”
“I’ll be at home,” Ireland said.
“She’ll be staying with me,” Elizabeth threw over her shoulder.
“I want to be in my own space with my cat,” Ireland told her, “and to sleep in my own bed.”
“Then I’ll stay with you,” her mother said obstinately.
“I appreciate the offer, Mom. Really. But you won’t like sleeping on my couch, and I hope to have another guest anyway.” She looked at the detectives. “I’m sure you know where I live.”
