A Matter Of Justice (Grey Justice #4)(28)

“That’s another mystery I haven’t solved, Gallagher. What I do know is Irelyn is not a threat to Kennedy nor to me.”

An alarm chimed on his phone, and Grey glanced at the message. For the first time in weeks, he felt a lightening of his spirit. She had been located, and she was alive. All the other irritants, such as someone trying to kill him, were suddenly much more bearable.

“All right. Where does this leave us?” Kingston asked. “We have no solid leads and a thousand suspects? None of whom look all that viable.”

“We keep looking until one pops,” Gallagher said.

“There is another option,” Grey said.

“What’s that?” Gallagher asked.

“We lure the killer, take him alive, and make him talk. He can tell us who hired him.”

“That’s insane, Grey,” Kennedy said. “There’s got to be another way to find out who’s behind this.”

Both Kingston and Gallagher remained silent, but their expressions said they agreed. This would be the fastest way.

“Hired killers are remarkably patient. He’ll wait as long as he needs. Damned if I’m going to hide from the bastard.” Grey softened his next words. “I appreciate your concern, Kennedy, but I have the best people working with me.”

Grey looked over at the other two men. “It needs to be soon, so let’s start planning.”

As they talked scenarios, Grey noticed Kennedy kept sending him odd glances. He knew she disapproved of the plan to lure the killer out, but her expression said there was more to it than that. He wasn’t surprised when, after they’d settled on a plan, she said, “Grey, I’d like to talk with you alone for a few moments.”

He glanced over at Nick, who looked at her curiously, which told him that she hadn’t mentioned to her husband whatever was concerning her.

“Sure.” He nodded at Gallagher and Kingston as they left the room. When the door closed behind them, he said, “What’s wrong?”

She was silent for a few seconds, as if trying to figure out exactly what to say.

“You can ask me anything, Kennedy.”

She released a drawn-out breath. “Irelyn said something when she left my house. I didn’t mention it before, mostly because I really didn’t know how. But I can’t get it out of my mind.”

Knowing Irelyn, who after all these years could still surprise him, he had no idea what she might have said. He gave Kennedy an encouraging nod and waited.

“She told me she killed your parents.”

Of all the things he’d thought she might have told Kennedy, that was not even in his top one thousand.

“How on earth did something like that come up?”

“So it’s true?”

For the first time in years, Grey found himself speechless. Why would Irelyn speak of something so private, so incredibly painful? He had been a little surprised at her unexpected visit to Kennedy, but he hadn’t been alarmed. Irelyn had a special fondness for Kennedy, and since she had so few friends, he could understand her need to reconnect. But hearing what she had shared brought to mind a whole new possibility for the visit.

His mind scrambled to understand the nuances, and then, like a bullet, he zoomed to a sickening conclusion.

Surging from his chair, he strode over to where Kennedy sat on the couch. Taking her hand, he sat beside her and spoke with as much control as he could gather. “Tell me exactly what she said and the circumstances behind the conversation.”

Though her eyes widened with alarm at his apparent urgency, she thankfully didn’t question him. “We were talking about why she had come to see me. She didn’t stay long…just a few minutes. She said she wanted me to tell you to be careful. That you wouldn’t listen to her, but you’d listen to me.

“Then I told her you hadn’t been the same since she left.” She gave a self-conscious smile. “Sorry. That probably wasn’t my place.”

He couldn’t argue with the truth. He was skilled at hiding his thoughts and feelings, but when it came to Irelyn, he had to work harder.

“What else?”

“I told her I was sure that whatever happened between you two you could work out. She said no, that she had done something unforgivable. I asked what it was, and she said she killed your parents. Before I could question her further, she jumped into her car and she was gone.”

The fact that Irelyn had shared a secret that only the two of them knew about was beyond messed up. They hadn’t talked about that fateful day in a long time. It had taken him a long time to forgive her, but it had taken even longer for her to forgive herself. Years of therapy and counseling had helped them deal, but he knew the cloud of that day would never completely disappear.

“Grey? Is what she said true? Did Irelyn really murder your parents?”

Kennedy was more than a valued employee, she was a dear friend. Still, talking about that time wasn’t something he’d willingly do. Especially since he had more vital issues emerging, like just why the hell had Irelyn told Kennedy?

“Let’s just say there’s more to her statement than meets the eye. When you see Irelyn again, you can ask her to explain.”

“All right. I will. Now tell me why you’re so worried.”

Another sign he wasn’t doing well hiding his thoughts.