Shattered Mirror (Eve Duncan #23)(93)

She stiffened. “Someone else?”

“Of course, I told you that she was high on the list. It’s time she was put at the very top. I have to say good-bye now. I have to prepare to receive her.” He hung up.

She whirled to Joe. “Cara! He has to be talking about Cara.”

“Bluff?”

“No, that’s the reason he was calling me.” She was frantically punching in Cara’s number. “Michael said that he was planning on doing something today.”

Cara wasn’t answering.

After six rings, it went to voice mail.

She called Darcy.

Her phone was turned off.

“So much for their being safely tucked under Kaskov’s wing,” Joe said grimly as he screeched to a stop and turned around to go back to Belle Grace. “What the hell could have happened?”

“Norwalk happened.” She was dialing again. This time to Kaskov. “But whatever he did, it had to have just been done. I saw Cara right before we left.”

“Over an hour ago. A lot can happen in an hour.”

A lot could happen in seconds, she thought desperately. That’s all the time it had taken for Norwalk to blow up that entire shopping square. And Cara and Darcy were only two young women.

And why wasn’t Kaskov answering?

Two more rings, and he picked up. “Good morning, Eve. How delightful to hear from you. I suppose that you have some other demand that I haven’t yet—”

“Where’s Cara, Kaskov?”

Silence. “I have no idea. I heard her practicing earlier.”

“Find her. I can’t reach her, and I can’t reach Darcy.”

“I’m certain that she’s safe. I told you, I gave orders.”

“Don’t tell me that. Go find her. I heard from Norwalk.”

He asked no questions. “Hold on. I’ll check on her.” She heard him speak to someone in the background. Probably Nikolai, she thought. Then she was put on hold.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Four minutes had passed by the time Kaskov came back on the line. “She’s gone,” he said tersely. “Nikolai found Darcy Nichols unconscious on the couch in the parlor. Probably drug-induced. We found the cook jammed into the pantry off the kitchen. Dead. Throat cut. But no sign of Cara.”

“How could she just disappear from the damn place? How could anyone get through those gates?”

“I’m checking.” He paused. “But am I checking for the living or the dead? What did Norwalk tell you?”

“I don’t think he’s planning on killing her yet. He mentioned taking her to Michael.”

Silence. “And you still think your son is alive?”

“He’s alive.”

“Then I’ll assume that he didn’t intend to have Cara share his grave. Very well, then we’ll go retrieve her. Where are you?”

“On our way back to Belle Grace. We’re an hour away.”

“Then I’ll have more information for you by the time you return.” He hung up.

“Cara,” Eve whispered. “We tried so hard to keep her safe, Joe. And he just walked in and took her.”

“We don’t know that,” Joe said. “Kaskov may find out something. She may still be on the property.”

She nodded. “But Norwalk said he had to prepare for her. He must have had word she’d been captured or he wouldn’t have felt it safe to call and gloat.”

“We’ll have to see.” He covered her hand with his own. “But if you’re right, it was a bold move, and it made Kaskov angry. He’ll go after Norwalk with guns blazing.”

“That’s not much comfort. We don’t know where he is yet.” She was shaking. “And it’s Cara…”

“I know.” His hand tightened on her own. “And now you’ve got to call Jock.”

“Dear God.” She’d been in such a panic that all thought of anyone but Cara had flown out of her mind. “Jock…”

*

“Wake up.”

Her head ached, Darcy thought vaguely, and her lids felt too heavy to open. But that voice was cold and demanding and would not accept excuses.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw Kaskov sitting in a chair next to her. Wrong. That was all wrong. “Wrong…”

“Without question,” Kaskov said crisply. “The entire situation is wrong. But I’m here to determine if you’re one of the elements that made it so. I’ve very angry, Darcy. You will answer what I ask immediately and with detail, or I will turn you over to Nikolai. He’s very upset and feels humiliated that Cara could be taken on his watch. He will not be gentle.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She shook her head to clear it. Then one sentence he’d said tore through the haze. “Cara was taken? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That’s what I want to know. Did Norwalk pay you to set her up? Where was she taken?”

She lifted her shaking hand to her head. “Pay me?” Then it hit home. She struggled to sit upright. She was on the couch in the parlor, she realized. She vaguely remembered feeling tired and sitting down for a moment. “Are you crazy? Why would anyone pay me to do anything?” Cara. He had been talking about Cara. And nothing and no one would make him look like this but something bad. “She’s hurt? No, you said … taken?” She reached out and grabbed his arm. “Stop threatening me and tell me what’s happened, damn you.”