“How did you put it all together?” Rose asked.
“The sedative,” Owen said. “It was the one element that appeared in all three kidnapping incidents.”
“Yes, of course,” Rose said. “I should have thought of that. I formulated the drug. I’m a very good chemist. Obviously I haven’t had much experience hiring criminals. You get what you pay for, I suppose. But I was afraid that if I didn’t act quickly, I would lose my window of opportunity. I was terrified that Dunstan’s people would grab you first.”
“What were you going to do if and when you did manage to get Kelbrook and Twitchell here to the hotel?” Alice asked quietly. “Were you going to lock them in one of the rooms and try to drive them insane with the dream vapors?”
A feverish energy flashed in Rose’s eyes. “Something along those lines, yes.”
Alice touched Rose’s shoulder again. She barely made contact, Owen thought. Again, Rose did not appear to notice, but she visibly calmed.
He gave it a beat and then said, “I understand your desire for revenge. But our goal is to get Kelbrook to leave Alice alone. According to Twitchell, they are going to make her an offer for the shares. She plans to accept but with one stipulation. She will sign the papers that will transfer the shares to Kelbrook if he will agree to meet with her face-to-face at the Amber Palace and answer her questions about her mother. The media will be there. Once it’s all out in the open and Kelbrook has the shares, he won’t have any reason to try to lock her up again.”
Rose looked at Alice. “I know your mother was his first wife. I never met her, but I felt sorry for her. I hope you get the answers you’re looking for, but never forget that Kelbrook is a mirror talent. He lies as easily as he breathes.”
“I know,” Alice said.
Owen got the touched-by-a-ghost sensation on the back of his neck that warned him it was past time to leave. Unfortunately. He had a lot more questions, and he knew Alice did, too. He glanced out the window. The sky was darkening rapidly. He stood.
Sebastian stirred awake. He shook himself and then, abruptly, all four eyes snapped open. He growled softly.
“We need to get on the road,” Owen said. “Now.”
Alice did not argue. She was already on her feet. She plopped Sebastian on her shoulder. He muttered and wobbled a little.
“Sebastian?” Alice reached up, took him down, and tucked him securely under her arm. “Are you all right?”
Sebastian growled.
Owen didn’t know how you could judge a dust bunny’s expression—unless he was sleeked out and showing a lot of teeth—but he could have sworn that Sebastian looked a little hungover.
The bunny mint, he thought. He met Alice’s worried eyes and knew she was thinking the same thing. Rose had lied about the effects of the herb.
“I’ll see you to the door,” Rose said.
She stood and led the way out of the cheerful kitchen and into a gloom-drenched hall. Owen and Alice and Sebastian followed her across the shadowed lobby. The dark, heavy drapes were drawn across the few windows, shutting out the storm light. Two dim lamps glowed on end tables.
Alice patted Sebastian’s head. Owen detected a small whisper of energy and knew she had used a little talent on the dust bunny.
Sebastian perked up immediately, sleeked out, and growled. He scrambled back up onto Alice’s shoulder.
“I hate this hotel,” Alice whispered to Owen.
“That’s too bad,” Rose said. “I’m afraid it’s too late to check out.”
The ghostly fingers on the back of Owen’s neck were downright skeletal now, but he was pretty sure the warning was coming too late.
Rose opened the door with a flourish. Dunstan Kelbrook loomed on the threshold, a mag-rez in one hand. He looked at Alice and smiled a cold smile.
“You’re a lot like your mother,” he said. “She was nothing but trouble, too.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Alice stared at the strangerwith the face made familiar by the media. Fury shivered through her. “You murdered her.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kelbrook said. “Alice, I’m sorry to say that your deranged mother took her own life.”
Energy flared in the atmosphere. She knew he was using his mirror talent to make her see what he wanted her to see—a man who was telling her a sad truth.
