“Yes,” she said. “The problem is that if we open that door we are going to end up with a long list of suspects, most of whom are unlikely. And I’m sure none of them have any connection to Kelbrook. We’ve already established that the code name Sykes’s client used—YourWorstNightmare—feels personal.”
“What about Randolph Draper, the guy who used you as Subject A in his book? You said you gave him a taste of what you can do with your talent. Maybe he’s out for revenge, the kind that also brings in some cash?”
She summoned up memories of the confrontation with Draper and groaned. “I’m as certain as I can be that he isn’t involved in this. He made it clear he was very disappointed in me. Called me self-centered and made some irritating comments about my failure to understand how important his research was. But to tell you the truth, I think he was relieved when Iended our association. He was fascinated with me at the start, but the more he tested me, the more nervous he got. In the end, he was scared of me.”
“Good.”
The satisfaction in the one word made her elevate her brows. “Good?”
“He deserved to be frightened. But I’m inclined to agree with you. He’s not a strong suspect. Our problem is that if we exclude your clients, and Draper and Webber, we’ve only got two solid suspects—Kelbrook and Twitchell, both of whom are strats who prefer to overplan. Also, I keep coming back to the fact that they don’t know the local territory. No, there’s another player. The more I think about it, the more I’m sure of it.”
“Maybe someone else in the Kelbrook family?” she suggested.
“Twitchell is already working on behalf of the family, and by all accounts he’s very, very good at his job. Why go around him and hire cheap talent to grab you?”
“That means we’re back to my list of clients.”
“Not yet.” Owen’s eyes tightened a little. “There is one common element that appears in the first kidnapping ten months ago and the two recent attempts. I should have seen it earlier. We need to go back to the beginning.”
She frowned. “Are you talking about the circumstances of my birth?”
“No. We have to return to the Hotel of Dreams. It’s the center of the storm.”
“What is the one element that is common to all three kidnappings?”
“An injectable, fast-acting sedative,” Owen said. “Somewhere in this spiderweb is the person who supplied the drug.” He went back to his phone and did a fast search. “Guess who happens to have a degree in chemistry?”
Chapter Thirty-One
“Oh, dear,” Rose Ash said.She set down her gardening shears. “I was afraid you might come looking for me.”
“We just want to talk to you, Ms. Ash,” Alice said gently. “Please.”
When they had arrived a few minutes ago, she and Owen had been met with aClosed for the Seasonsign on the front door of the Hotel of Dreams. They had found Rose Ash puttering among the flourishing plants in the greenhouse behind the hotel. There had been no hostility in her expression when she greeted them, just sad resignation.
“I understand.” Rose stripped off her gardening gloves. “I’ve been dreading this meeting, but I knew you would probably come around sooner or later. Let’s go into the kitchen. I’ll make tea. There’s another storm coming in, so you won’t want to stay too long. You’re welcome to spend the night at the hotel, of course. It would be no trouble to make up a room. But under the circumstances, I doubt that you’d feel comfortable staying here.”
She led the way toward the door of the greenhouse. Alice glanced at Owen. He inclined his head in a small gesture of agreement. Cold anticipation flared in his eyes. She suppressed a groan. She knew that look. The hunter within was rising.
She was not at all enthusiastic about going back into the hotel, but Rose appeared to be willing to talk, and they were in desperate need of answers.
The exit from the Amber Palace had gone smoothly, thanks to Mr. Ridley and another large tip provided by Owen. They had slipped out of the hotel via the hole-in-the-wall. A sled provided by Vinnie the Broker had been waiting. A note that readNo Chargewas on the bench seat. The coordinates to an address on the outskirts of Illusion Town had been entered into the vehicle’s locator. On the surface they had found a gleaming new Velocity. Another note declaringNoChargewas taped to the dashboard. Owen and Sebastian had fallen in love with the sports car on sight.
“I take back anything negative I might have said about your shady connections,” Owen announced as he got behind the wheel of the Velocity.
“I do not have shady connections,” she said firmly. “I thought I made it clear that I have friends and grateful clients.”
“Whatever. Works for Sebastian and me. Isn’t that right, Sebastian?”
Sebastian had chortled enthusiastically.
During the trip they had discussed what little they knew about Rose Ash. There was no record of a marriage, no record of any offspring, and no close relatives. What Ash did have, according to Owen’s hasty research, was a degree in chemistry. She had worked for a pharmaceutical firm for several years before retiring to Cape Midnight and reopening the Hotel of Dreams.
“Should have looked harder at her back at the start,” Owen said.
“I would remind you that the start of this thing was only three nights ago,” Alice said. “It’s not as if we haven’t been busy. Assuming we’re onthe right track, how are we going to deal with Kelbrook? According to the media, he’s untouchable. He lives in a fortress.”
“There is only one thing that will draw him out of his compound.”
