Mischief in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #2)(30)

“Okay, so maybe I find her interesting, and yeah, she’s definitely not hard on the eyes…something you failed to mention, I might add.”

“I wasn’t aware that was part of your job-considering criteria.”

“It’s not. It shouldn’t be. Oh, hell, I didn’t ask to be attracted to her and don’t want to be, if the truth’s told. But it’s too late to undo what’s been done and that includes finding her family.”

Raissa, who’d obviously been enjoying his flustering, sobered when he mentioned Sabine’s family. “You’re afraid they’re hiding something.”

“Barely legal teens don’t usually run away from millions in inheritance to live in squalor.”

Raissa sighed. “And people who have millions to leave in inheritance should have been able to find a missing teenager with relative ease—especially as he was less than a hundred miles from his hometown.”

Beau nodded. “There’s something else. It’s Sabine. She’s hiding something.”

Raissa waved a hand in dismissal. “We’re all hiding something.”

“You know what it is, don’t you?”

“Yes, I know some of Sabine’s secrets. Do I know the particular one you’ve picked up on? I have no idea.”

“And if these secrets are relevant to the case?”

“Then I would have already told you what I knew. I’m not a fool. I’d break a confidence if I thought Sabine was at risk from the things I knew.”

Beau clenched his jaw, then released. He didn’t like it but knew he wasn’t going to get anything out of Raissa. “Okay. You know what’s at stake. Knowing Sabine, how do you think I ought to proceed?”

“There’s no going back now. Everything’s already been set in motion.”

“I know. That’s the problem.”

Raissa lifted her wine glass and swirled the red liquid around inside. She gazed at it as if in a trance, or looking for some magical sign. Hell, for all Beau knew, she might have been doing just that. Finally she frowned, sat the glass down, then looked him straight in the eyes. “Then I guess, unwanted attraction or no, you’re going to have to keep an eye on Sabine for a while. You and Maryse are the only people they wouldn’t question being part of the family reunion process, and you’re much better equipped to handle what is likely to come than Maryse.”

Beau narrowed his eyes at Raissa. “Exactly what did you see in that wine glass?”

“Nothing in particular. It’s just that it suddenly struck me how much the color resembled recently spilled blood.”


[page]
Beau walked from the pub to the parking lot, still uneasy from his conversation with Raissa. Everything the woman had said made sense, yet he was still hesitating over doing the one thing he knew had to be done. He passed the parking lot and kept walking, circling once around the block, his mind whirling with all the possibilities, most of them not good.

Finally, unable to come up with a good reason to delay any further, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and pressed in Sabine’s number. Maybe she wouldn’t answer. Maybe she’d be watching a movie or painting her toenails and this entire conversation could wait until he was ready. Like maybe 2056.

But she answered on the second ring.

“Sabine,” he said, “it’s Beau.”

“Hi, Beau,” she said. “How are you today?”

“Er, fine. I’m fine. Um, Sabine, I have some news for you.”

“Oh.” Her previously pleasant voice took on a somewhat fearful tone. “What is it?”

“I think I’ve found your family,” he pressed forward before he could change his mind.

He heard the sharp intake of breath and waited for her response.

“Oh my God,” she said finally. “So fast? I mean, I’m glad, but I can’t believe it. I guess I never really thought you’d find anything…after all these years, you know?”

“I understand. Sometimes you just need a fresh eye and a stroke of luck,” he said, mentally cursing the television special on war criminals.

“I guess so. So what now? I mean, what am I supposed to do? Do I write to them, call them? I know I can’t show up on someone’s doorstep and expect them to be happy about it.”

“That’s all been taken care of for you,” Beau explained. “The family is quite wealthy, and I was certain they’d want all contact made through their attorney. I’ve spoken to him already and provided him with the information I had. He’s spoken to the family and apprised them of the situation.”

“So what do I do now?”

“They want to meet you. If you’d like, I can set up the meeting and go with you if that would make you more comfortable. I know this is very scary, and awkward, so please let me know how I can best help you.”

“Yes…I, um, yes, that would be fine. I mean, set up the meeting and let me know what they say.”

Beau felt his jaw clench involuntarily. “All right then. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.” He flipped the phone shut and shoved it in his pocket, trying to convince himself that everything had already been set in motion before his phone call. That call hadn’t changed anything.

At least that’s what he was going to keep telling himself.