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“ Yes. That’ s great. Are you planning to take some time away between now and then?”

  He lifted one shoulder in a halfhearted shrug. “ I thought I might. I’ ll be heading off to Bogotá in February. One of my contacts there has turned up some ancient artifacts he thought I might be interested in.”

  That he didn’ t mention the kind of artifacts suddenly struck Kayla as odd. But she refused to allow the doubt Hadden had planted to grow beyond a certain level. There had been a time when Marshall Carrington wouldn’ t shut up about his research, but a lot had changed in his life the past few months. It made sense that his priorities would as well. She felt confident that the wow of ancient artifacts dimmed considerably after one had lost the love of his life.

  And yet she knew better than most that permitting herself to fall too deeply into a sympathetic role would jeopardize her objectivity every bit as much as Hadden’ s theories. She had to get to the point and be done with this unappealing business.

  “ Marshall, I’ ve heard a rumor that I feel you should know about.”

  His expectant gaze fastened onto hers. “ About Rainy?”

  The hurt in his voice when he said his late wife’ s name tugged at Kayla’ s heart. She shook her head sadly. “ No. Not about Rainy.”

  “ You’ re still investigating her… death?”

  “ Of course. I won’ t give up until I know exactly what happened.”

  His gaze dropped to the floor. “ Thank you, Kayla. That means a great deal to me.”

  The picture he made now broke her heart. Those broad shoulders were slumped in defeat, his usually animated features dormant from loss. Even those affecting gray eyes seemed listless and almost colorless, as if losing Rainy had taken away his body’ s ability to sparkle in any respect. The smile was nothing more than a prop. Nothing glittered about Marshall Carrington anymore and it was such a shame. His charm and ability to light up a room had been one of the reasons Rainy had fallen in love with him.

  “ Marshall, in your research… ” God, how did she say this to a friend? “ Have you ever had contact with anyone who might be considered a… criminal?”

  His head came up, his brow furrowed. The question in his solemn eyes almost undid her. “ What do you mean?”

  She swallowed. Rainy would feel betrayed by the mere idea of what Kayla was about to ask. But she had to, if for no other reason than to warn him that someone had an eye on him. Someone who wanted to hurt him.

  Not Hadden. He had no reason to want to injure Marshall. Kayla had checked out Hadden thoroughly. He was on the up-and-up. But someone from Tucson’ s legal hierarchy.

  “ I believe that someone is attempting to sully your reputation by tossing around rumors that you’ re involved with some sort of smuggling.”

  The rush of red rage up Marshall’ s neck and face startled her. He was on his feet and glaring down at her before the realization of his reaction had fully assimilated in her brain.

  Kayla had expected him to be offended, upset even. But not in her wildest dreams had she expected this level of unadulterated fury.

  “ What the hell are you suggesting?”

  “ Wait a minute.” She stood, her instincts going to full-scale alert. “ I’ m not suggesting anything, I’ m only telling you about the rumor I heard. I thought you might want to know that someone out there is— ”

  He moved a step closer, shaking a reproving finger at her. “ My wife is dead. You said yourself you didn’ t believe it was an accident. Alex said the same. And yet, you would dare to come into my house and accuse me of wrongdoing?” The veins bulged in his neck. “ Why the hell aren’ t you out there hounding Gracelyn? He’ s the one who wanted to take her away from me!”

  This had gotten completely out of hand. She held up both hands in a whoa gesture. “ Wait a minute. I’ m not accusing you of anything. Nobody wants to get to the truth about Rainy’ s death more than I do.”

  “ Then go toss accusations at Gracelyn! He’ s the one!” A muscle in Marshall’ s hard jaw ticked violently. “ For all we know he may have decided that if he couldn’ t have her, no one would.”

  “ Marshall.” She took him by the arms. He tried to pull away but she held on. “ Calm down. I’ m on your side.”

  What the hell was wrong with him? There was no reason for him to explode at her like this.

  He heaved out a ragged breath. “ I can’ t believe it.” He shook his head. “ I’ ve lost my wife and now someone is trying to make me look like a criminal.” He turned a laserlike gaze on her now. “ It’ s Gracelyn. I know it. He’ s trying to make me look guilty. Ask him, Kayla. Make him tell you the truth.” He tugged free of her hold to grab her by the shoulders. “ He tried to lure my wife away from me. He’ s capable of anything.” He searched her eyes, her face. His own filled with a fierce urgency. “ Don’ t let him get away with this. You told me you would find whoever did this. I’ m telling you it’ s him.”

  “ Marshall, I— ”

  “ Please, Kayla. Do it for me.”

  “ I didn’ t come here for— ”

  His lips silenced her. He kissed her hard. His arms went around her and locked as if he feared he might lose her too. She tried to push him away but she couldn’ t… or wouldn’ t. He felt warm and strong around her… tasted good and so comfortingly familiar. She just couldn’ t help herself. Needed this moment… his touch.

  But it was wrong.

  This wasn’ t about her.

  It was about Rainy.

  She drew back. Fought to catch her breath. “ Marshall, this is— ”

  “ But I’ m so alone.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “ You can’ t imagine how it feels.”

  But she could. God, she could.

  As much as she cared about Marshall, as much as she longed to comfort him the way he wanted, she would not go there. He was still Rainy’ s husband. Always would be, really. And this case was far from solved. Until that time she had to keep her objectivity about all involved.

  Most especially where Marshall was concerned.

  Though nothing Peter Hadden could say would convince her Marshall was guilty of wrongdoing, her training was too thorough to discount the concept completely without due consideration.

  She had to keep her senses about her.

  And that was impossible in Marshall’ s arms.

  As if picking up on her thoughts he released her. “ I’ m sorry, Kayla.” He ran a hand through his hair. “ I seem to forget myself when we’ re together.”

  She managed a meager smile, fumbled for the right thing to say. They were both hurting, but getting involved wasn’ t the answer. “ We’ ll get through this.”

  He nodded vaguely.

  “ I’ ll call you again soon. Don’ t hesitate to call me if you need me… anytime.” She’ d done what she came for. She’ d warned him. Getting out of here now would be the best for both of them.

  He exhaled wearily. “ Thank you.” He shook his head sadly. “ For everything.”

  She dared to pat his arm, then she left.

  Staying a moment longer would have been sheer insanity. She had to put some distance between them… pull herself back together. Her hands were shaking and her gut was twisted in knots. She shouldn’ t have let this happen.

  Once in her Jeep she waited a bit before backing out of the drive. Took a few deep breaths. Okay, girl, think. Focus. Her cop instincts wouldn’ t let her totally ignore Marshall’ s ranting. He’ d accused David Gracelyn once before of being after Rainy. Maybe there was more to that theory than Kayla knew.

  Kayla couldn’ t be sure what made her decide to do it. She really didn’ t have time… but she suddenly felt as if she couldn’ t leave Tucson without going by Rainy’ s grave. She hadn’ t been by the cemetery since the funeral. She needed to go there now… at least for a few minutes.

  A short time later she parked along a narrow roadside that cut through the prestigious cemetery. Most of the tree branches were bare at this time of year, making the landscape loo
k even more barren. Nothing but headstones and artificial flowers for as far as the eye could see.

  Kayla got out of her Jeep and started toward the place where they’ d lowered Rainy into the ground four short months ago. It still didn’ t feel real. Rainy should be at her office, going over legal briefs, laughing about some client who’ d pulled a dumb stunt. She shouldn’ t be lying deep within the cold ground. It just wasn’ t fair. She’ d been too vital, too full of life to die so young.

  But she had. Evil had snatched her off this earth in a single heartbeat.

  Kayla crouched down next to Rainy’ s final resting place and wrapped her arms around her knees. “ What do I do now?” she murmured. God, she wished she had at least some of the answers.

  How could all this be happening? How could someone from Athena have had anything to do with Rainy’ s murder? How could the man Rainy had loved and married be mixed up with anything illegal? Certainly nothing would ever make Kayla believe that Rainy had cheated on Marshall. That was simply unthinkable. Never. Not Rainy. Absolutely no way.

  Kayla blinked back the tears and considered the fading flowers Marshall or maybe Rainy’ s parents had left on their last visit. How could this be all that was left of Rainy?

  The possibility that Rainy could have one or more children out there somewhere nudged at Kayla. She gritted her teeth against the outrage that boiled up inside her. She would find the truth— the whole truth. No matter how long it took. Regardless of how deep she had to dig.

  A leaf crunched behind her.

  Kayla froze.

  That nagging feeling that someone was watching her prodded her even more strongly.

  She wasn’ t alone in this place of the dead.

  Keeping her movements unhurried, she pushed to her feet. Took one last look down at Rainy’ s final resting place and then wheeled around to face the threat.

  No one was there.

  Kayla surveyed from left to right. Jerked her gaze back to the left.

  Ten, maybe fifteen yards in the distance she saw a figure dart behind a tree.

  Kayla lunged in that direction in an all-out run. The occasional glimpse of movement was all she got to give her any sense of direction, but she made the best of it. Ran as hard as she could. Darted around trees… past headstones. She needed to know who the hell was tailing her.

  There. To the left. Twenty yards away.

  Kayla ran faster still. Her lungs burned with the need for more oxygen but she ignored it. Ran harder. Tuned out everything but the chase.

  A door slammed and the squeal of tires punctuated the realization that whoever had been following her would get away.

  Kayla skidded to a stop. Frustration pounded in her veins. She stared after the fleeing vehicle. Small. Black. Two doors. Couldn’ t make out the license plate.

  Dammit.

  She stomped her foot and wheeled around to head back to where she’ d parked her Jeep.

  That definitely hadn’ t been Hadden. She knew his vehicle. Knew him. And though she hadn’ t been able to discern whether the person was male or female, her every instinct had told her it definitely wasn’ t Hadden.

  One of his cronies maybe? He worked here in Tucson. Lived maybe thirty minutes from the cemetery.

  But why would he have someone tailing her here of all places?

  Maybe it was someone who knew the Cassandras had taken out the Cipher. Or hell, for all she knew it could be someone commissioned by Athena Academy. But she wasn’ t prepared to believe that yet, any more than she was ready to go along with the idea that Marshall Carrington was a bad guy. Confused, hurting, desperate even, but no way a bad guy.

  Time to give Marshall some credit. He was convinced that Rainy and David Gracelyn were involved. Kayla was certain that wasn’ t true, but there could have been something between them. Maybe Rainy had shared some aspect of her troubles with him. He could have useful information.

  Only one way to find out.

  She drove out of the cemetery and headed for Phoenix. She would have just enough time to drop by David Gracelyn’ s office before making the long drive back to Athens to pick up her daughter after choir. All she had to do was call Gracelyn’ s secretary and make sure he was in. She wouldn’ t make an appointment or give him any forewarning.

  She needed him off balance. A mere cop would need the element of surprise when going up against an assistant attorney general and his Harvard law degree.

  The idea was to get off-the-cuff, unprepared responses. Any advance warning of her arrival would have him mulling over what she might want. Considering his family played a major role in the support and funding of Athena Academy, he likely already knew about Kayla’ s investigation. There was no doubt that he knew how Marshall felt about him.

  That put him in the category of hostile witness. And yet she couldn’ t imagine that David Gracelyn would ever in a million years hurt Rainy. The Gracelyns had all loved Rainy. Allison Gracelyn, David’ s sister, had been one of Rainy’ s closest friends. But Kayla needed to know once and for all where he and Rainy had stood prior to her death. The exact nature of their relationship.

  Even the suggestion of an affair would cast a whole new light on the matter… as well as a completely new focus on the husband. Adultery was one of the primary motivating factors for when men and women killed their spouses.

  She couldn’ t see Marshall doing such a thing, much less having the contacts to call in an assassin like the Cipher.

  But, a cop’ s job was to turn over every single rock, no matter how small and unlikely that rock looked to the naked eye.

  By the time she arrived at David Gracelyn’ s office in Phoenix, Kayla’ s tension level had reached the breaking point. Between Marshall’ s unexpected reaction— she didn’ t even want to think about the kiss— and the chase in the cemetery, she felt ready to snap. Rather than giving her time to calm down, the long ride had agitated her further.

  She got out of her Jeep, determination urging her on. She wasn’ t leaving Gracelyn’ s office until she had the truth.

  Chapter 7

  K ayla didn’ t have to wait to see David Gracelyn. Not only was he in, he was glad she’ d come. The receptionist showed Kayla to his elegant office.

  Assistant attorney generals had it made, she decided upon entering his distinguished digs.

  “ It’ s good to see you, Kayla. Please, sit.” He gestured to a brocade wing-back chair that flanked his desk. “ Would you like coffee? Water, perhaps?”

  His smile was pleasant and reached his eyes. Tall, with brown hair and eyes, David wasn’ t so much handsome because of his good looks. It was the whole package— the air of confidence and elegance. The mark of a Gracelyn.

  Despite his smile, there was a solemn quality about him that spoke of deep pain. She wondered about that, Marshall’ s accusations filtering through her mind.

  She declined his offer of refreshments. “ Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Gracelyn.” Though she’ d known him for a long time, his position prompted her to address him formally.

  She thrust out her hand. He shook it briskly and scolded, “ You know better than to call me mister. We’ ve known each other far too long for that kind of formality.”

  They had known each other for many years— that was true— but that didn’ t make them close. The Gracelyns ran in more aristocratic circles. Kayla’ s family personified the term working middle-class, their love of the simpler ways flavored with Navajo influence. Had it not been for Athena Academy her path likely would never have crossed his.

  David was a kind man, a good ten years Kayla’ s senior. Allison, his sister, had been a senior at Athena Academy when Kayla started in seventh grade. Allison had been Rainy’ s best non-Cassandra friend. Her parents were among Arizona’ s elite. David, her only sibling, had always gone out of his way to make those in his company feel relaxed and welcome. Allison, on the other hand, came off a bit haughtier, less touchable. Still, Rainy had cherished her, so she couldn’ t be as snobbish as Kayla at times
thought.

  David’ s pleasant expression abruptly cluttered with concern. “ Is this visit about Rainy? When I heard you were here I thought it might be police business, but… ” His words trailed off as if he wasn’ t quite sure how to finish the statement.

  Instinct told Kayla that Marshall was right, at least to some degree. This man had clearly been in love with Rainy.

  “ I have some questions for you, if that’ s all right.” She settled into the chair he’ d indicated. “ About Rainy,” she clarified.

  He resumed his seat and braced his forearms on the gleaming mahogany desk that stood between them. “ Of course. I’ m happy to help in any way I can.” He blinked, glanced away for a moment. “ Allison told me that there was some uncertainty as to the circumstances surrounding Rainy’ s death. I’ m not sure I understand, but… ” His gaze met hers once more. “ Surely you can’ t be thinking foul play.”

  Kayla studied his reactions closely. “ I’ m afraid I do.”

  His head moved side to side, the despair he felt mounting visibly. “ I just can’ t believe anyone would want to harm her. Not Rainy. I’ ve no doubt that she had a few enemies. Most attorneys do… but Rainy didn’ t have those kind of enemies.”

  Kayla moistened her lips and took a deep breath. Rather than comment on his suggestion, she dove in headfirst with the real reason she’ d come. “ Marshall is convinced that you and Rainy were having an affair.”

  The announcement took him aback. “ That’ s just not true.”

  Maybe not, but Kayla felt her own conviction slipping. Mincing words wouldn’ t help. “ Pardon me for saying so but even I get the distinct impression that you had very deep feelings for her.”

  He stiffened, ever so slightly. “ She and my sister were the closest of friends. Our families— ”

  “ David.” Kayla didn’ t see the point in allowing him to dig that hole. “ This isn’ t about Allison, this is about you and Rainy. I know a man in love when I see one. You loved her.”

  Silence seemed to suck all the air out of the room for several seconds. Kayla resisted the urge to shift in her chair. Her presence might not be welcome after this.