tonight, continue working on cracking the code. “Meet me at the same park?”
“No need. My man relieved you of your thumb drive before he took care of your lover.” Dietz sounded amused. “Careless of you to leave information that could start another world war lying about in your closet like a pair of shoes.”
No!
“It was hidden and locked up,” she said, seething.
“For all the good it did. What sort of spy can’t locate and liberate a simple thumb drive?”
Lily felt ill. Her best chance to find out the truth, gone. She had no clue where Jude might’ve hidden the last file.
What am I going to do now?
Somehow, he had to remember. It was the only way. “Is everything on track with eliminating St. Laurent?” Time to test how good of a liar she was. “I gave him the second dose a short time ago, before we left on our date. He’s asleep in Liam’s room and will be very sick when he awakens. I need to get him home soon, away from the hospital.”
“Excellent. Wait another week, then give him the third dose. Make it strong enough to kill him-I’m tired of waiting.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
Lily stuck the phone back in her purse.
“Not if I can help it, dickwad.”
Twelve
Lily returned to the room and drew up short. A uniformed officer and a man in plain clothes were inside, standing at the foot of Liam’s bed. The guy not in uniform had a shield clipped to his belt. A detective, then.
Jude was back in his chair but had a protective hand on his friend’s arm, and a forbidding scowl on his face that did not bode well for the next person who upset Liam.
The cops barely glanced at her as she walked in and took a spot on Liam’s other side.
“-heard a noise,” Liam was saying, his ruined voice a hoarse whisper. His expression revealed his misery at having to recount the attack. “I went out to the top of the stairs… heard it again. Knew I had to get out.”
“So you went downstairs?” the detective asked.
Liam nodded, wincing in pain at the slight movement. “I called 911… left the phone off the hook. Wanted to get to my car in the garage. Get out.”
He reached for a plastic cup on the nearby tray. Lily handed it to him and they all waited while he took a few sips of water. Talking this much had to be painful.
He lowered the cup to his lap. “A guy stepped out of the dining room. Cut me off. Big fucker… all in black, wearing a ski mask.” The cup in his lap trembled violently and Lily grabbed it before it spilled, set it back on the tray.
She propped her arm on the pillow beside him, stroked his hair. “It’s okay, sweetie. You’re safe now. Go on.”
“I ran-he chased me. Caught me, hit the back of my head. Threw me down.” He paused, swallowed hard, composing himself. “He hit me with a billy club a few times, slammed my head into the floor. And then he wrapped a cord around my neck. Started choking me and… I thought I was dead.”
A dangerous, animal noise rumbled in Jude’s chest. She had no doubt that if he ever found out Dietz was behind this, he’d make the man suffer.
For one crazy moment, she came close to blurting Dietz’s name to the cops. Telling them who she was, everything. But that would be suicide. SHADO did not exist anywhere on record. The cops would think she was insane with her tale of espionage, and they would all be dead by morning.
“Why would anyone want to kill me?” The devastated look in his eyes was almost more than she could bear.
“That’s what we hope to find out, Mr. O’Neil,” the detective said. “Could he have been a burglar you surprised? Maybe after jewelry or electronics?”
“I don’t know, I…”
“Do you remember something?” Jude asked.
“Yeah. I told him I had money and he said… it wasn’t about money.” Liam’s eyes filled. “He said it was about teaching someone a lesson.”
The officers exchanged a look.
“Did he say anything else?” the detective asked.
“No.”
“Any idea what that means?”
Liam glanced at Jude, then looked away, picking at the bedcovers. “No.”
A few more pointed questions later, the cops left, no closer to answers than when they’d arrived.
Liam studied Jude. “This has something to do with you and your mysterious trips, doesn’t it?”
Jude hung his head. “I don’t know. I wish I could remember. I’m so sorry.”
Do I tell him?
No. His memory needed to return naturally. No telling what damage could be done if she suddenly hit him with the truth.
Liam shook his head. “Forget it. We’ll be okay.”
“Will you? Be okay?” Jude clasped his friend’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “I know about Dev and Geneva. How you feel about them.”
Liam’s bitter laugh emerged as a wheeze. “Do you? Too bad they don’t feel the same.”
“You should’ve seen them, buddy. They were frantic when we heard about your attack. Dev is beating himself to a pulp for not telling you how they feel-”
“Guilt.” Liam’s lips compressed into a thin line.
“No, love.”
“Whatever. The fact is, they were with you two last night. Not me. If I hadn’t been hurt, they wouldn’t have realized their great
“If that’s what you want,” Jude said slowly.
“It is.”
“Just promise me one thing, my friend.” Jude paused. “Don’t throw away a chance at true love. Even if the road isn’t nice and smooth.”
Liam’s expression became determined. “Me? I’m not throwing away anything. If they want me, they’ll have to fight for me.”
Damn, he hated hospitals and he was glad to have Liam home. No one ever got any rest there, what with all the poking and prodding every hour. His friend was exhausted, fear and shock taking their toll.
Not to mention his brooding over his lovers, who, after a round of arguing with Jude, had honored Liam’s wishes.
Liam said sadly that they gave up too easily. Maybe he was right.
He and Lily brought him in through the kitchen and paused long enough to make him take a painkiller. The doctor had prescribed a mild sleep aid to help him rest at night, if needed, but they’d cross that bridge soon enough. Right now, they all could use a nap.
As they trekked through the dining and living rooms, approached the foyer, Liam must’ve reacted badly, because Lily soothed him. Kept him walking past.
Jude thanked God Lily had the presence of mind to have him phone the housekeeper, get her in here to clean up before Liam came home. The woman had reported that the tile was smeared with his blood. Jude called the window and glass service again as well, who made another trip to fix the broken window where the intruder entered the house.
