Eye of the Falcon (Psychic Visions #12)(92)

“We’re already thinking whoever kidnapped her was from here,” Eagle said. “And quite likely from the group there the night her family died.”

Angus settled back. “That night was one I wish to wipe out of my memory. I did not kill your father or your brothers,” he said. He leaned forward. “Go home. You could be in danger here. You have to know I didn’t kill your family. Somebody else did. And that person is still walking free.”

“Can you at least answer me this? Is it possible my mother killed them?” She felt Eagle suck in his breath, his hand squeezing hers. And she realized she’d shocked him. She turned her gaze to him. “I have to know.”

He nodded in understanding. They both turned to look at Angus. The shock on his face and his wildly shaking head gave his answer.

“No way. She wouldn’t even leave him. There’s no way she would kill him. And she lived for those boys. They were good young men, all of them. Strong and loyal. She would have done anything for them.”

Relief bloomed in her heart. She realized she had needed to hear that answer. She took another shaky breath. “Good. Thank you for that.”

He gazed at her and smiled gently. “You did love her, didn’t you?”

“Of course. She was my mother. But she wasn’t an easy woman to love.”

“Isn’t that right?”

Eagle said, “You’ve had twenty years to think about it. Who do you think killed her family?”

Hawk leaned forward to hear the answer better. And to look from one man to the other.

“First, what’s your role in all of this, and what is your relationship to Issa?”

“I’m the one man who loves her. The man who protects her,” Eagle said calmly.

She turned toward him, frowning.

Angus grinned. “He surprised you, didn’t he, lass? That’s good.” He gazed over at Hawk. “And you. You have the look of a fighter on you. You both do.”

Hawk gave a clipped nod. “Special Operations, military, fifteen years.”

Angus nodded. “You’re both on the right side of the law.” It wasn’t a question as much as a statement. Angus nodded again. “Figured so. Maybe that’s the best way after all. Don’t be on the wrong side of law, like us here.”

“Us?” She pounced. “Who were us?”

Eagle brought out his phone and hit the Video buttons. “I’m recording this. I need to do whatever I can to make sure Issa stays safe. And whoever those assholes are who kidnapped her, they will never capture her again.”

“Before I start,” Angus asked, “what will you do with the men when you find them?”

She watched as the two men measured each other.

Then Angus nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Hit them again for me too.” He began to speak for the record now. “We ran a smuggling ring. There were five of us, plus Issa’s three brothers. We’d been working together for a long time. Issa’s father was the boss. We had long taken over the town. Nothing happened down there that our spies didn’t let us know about. We were of the opinion everybody in that area was on our side. We had no idea, until some stuff started to go missing, that there was a problem. Then the coppers started showing up with really shitty timing. That was how we knew. We just didn’t know who betrayed us. After Rory and I had the punch-out over your mother, I found out Rory thought maybe it was me. I convinced him that I was innocent, but I always wondered if he ever fully trusted me again.” He shook his head. “I was one of the few who had an income outside of smuggling. We all did something else, but I ran a falconry that trained and sold them around the world.”

He shrugged with a twinkle in his eyes. “Smuggling for me was a hobby, but for others it was a way of life.”

“Did you find out who the mole was?”

Angus shook his head. “No, we never did. I was with your mother that night. When we realized something was wrong, we raced down to the cove and the shelter.” He turned to look at Eagle. “There was a pier on the side of the cabin.” He turned back to Issa and continued. “But I was supposed to be the lookout.” He spoke with a broken voice. “I betrayed Rory twice that night. I couldn’t resist the temptation to be with your mother. She was supposed to be with you, Issa, supposed to be on the lookout too, a backup in case you missed anything. But instead we all failed as lookouts that night.”

“No,” Eagle snapped. “This child and her bird did not fail. The adults failed her.”

Angus winced. “You’re right. I felt terrible that night. Maier thought I had betrayed them as I was the only one left standing. Two others beside your family were dead as well. But their families were already racing toward us. Two others were injured. One of the injured, his family took him. They did their own doctoring as was common, and they disappeared from that part of the woods. The two dead men were tossed into a boat, and the boat was lit on fire.”

“So that’s what happened to my father’s boat.” She frowned. “I remember something about that now. Something about fuel leaking from the side of the tank.”

Angus nodded. “That’s quite true. There was a leak because we created it, but the men themselves were already dead.”

“So, who else could there have been?”