Forged in Desire (The Protectors #1)(56)
“Oh. And was he? Really sick?”
Randi chuckled lightly. It seemed the detective assumed Randi’s psychic powers could tell her practically anything. “Now, that I don’t know, but if he was, then being sick saved his life.” She continued walking around a minute and then she suddenly stopped and closed her eyes.
“Is something wrong, Dr. Fuller?”
She opened her eyes. “No, nothing is wrong,” she lied. Yes, something is wrong. She could feel it but decided not to say anything at the moment. However, there were a few things she would share with the detective. “The killer is definitely a male. Right-handed. Loner. Already he’s preparing to kill again.”
“Think you’ll solve this before he does?”
Randi looked over at her. “I never solve crimes, Detective Ingram. I use my psychic abilities to assist you guys. I’m merely an investigative instrument.”
“I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”
“As far as I’m concerned, that’s the only way to look at it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
IT WAS QUITE obvious Margo’s question had caught Roland and Frazier Connelly by surprise. Striker studied the two men, noticing how quiet the room had gotten. He wondered how she’d figured things out and couldn’t wait for her to tell them. He took a sip of his coffee, thinking things were about to get interesting.
“Uncle Frazier?” she asked, when no one said anything.
Connelly looked uncomfortable and loosened his tie. “Why would you think we’re related?”
Margo smirked. “So, now you want to convince me you’re not?” She switched her gaze to Roland. “Would someone tell me something?”
“How about answering my question, Margo? Why would you think we’re related?” Frazier asked her.
Margo shook her head as a stilted laugh escaped her lips. “Have the two of you ever stood side by side and looked into the mirror?” Her statement made the two men glance at each other. Striker also took a good look.
When they didn’t say anything, she said, “When Roland walked in the house with Quasar, he immediately reminded me of someone. And when I saw the two of you standing together I realized who it was. He favors Dad. And then I knew there was no way the two of you weren’t related.”
When the silence continued, she asked, “So what’s going on? Is there some family secret that I don’t know about?”
Frazier drew in a slow breath before he finally said, “I’m embarrassed to say you’re right.”
Striker could tell Connelly’s comment didn’t sit well with Roland. Taking offense, Roland turned to Frazier and snapped, “Don’t make me tell you what you can do with your damn embarrassment.”
Roland got up from the table, but Frazier said, “Please sit back down, Roland. You misunderstood what I meant. I wasn’t saying you were an embarrassment but that my treatment of you has been.”
Striker saw the surprised look on Roland’s face. He wasn’t sure what had Roland sliding back down in his chair—Connelly asking him to or his shock at Connelly’s words. Striker glanced over at Margo, and he could tell from her expression that she was probably wondering the same thing.
Deciding coffee was in order, Striker silently went over to the counter and poured two cups, which he then placed before the two men. He knew Roland took his black and shouldn’t have been surprised when Frazier did as well. Striker then sat back down. By rights, he knew he should leave since this was a family discussion. But since he knew the entire story anyway, he decided to stay put. Besides, Margo hadn’t asked him to leave. Whether she realized it or not, the fact that she hadn’t meant that she trusted him to a degree he found a bit overwhelming. He couldn’t recall the last time anyone, besides the men he worked with closely, had displayed that much confidence in him, and it meant a lot.
“Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Yes,” Connelly finally said. “It’s about time you knew.”
Margo studied the two men. Had she really tapped into some family secret? What she’d told them earlier was the truth. They favored each other. Had no one ever pointed that fact out to them? Had they met before Uncle Frazier hired Roland’s firm?
“It seems,” her uncle Frazier started off by saying, “that my old man lived a double life...which I never suspected. He was so dedicated to Mom and all. It was only when he died that Murdock, Mom and I found out differently. His attorney advised us that someone by the name of Roland Summers had been notified to attend the reading of the will, but he wouldn’t tell us why.”
He paused a minute before continuing. “We found out the truth when Roland walked into the conference room. My father had been having an affair. An affair that had resulted in another son. It was hard to believe. Hard to stomach. Mom was furious and I was furious right along with her and we treated Roland awfully.”
Margo nodded. She could recall very little of her grandmother, who’d died of a heart attack a few years before Margo’s parents’ deaths. But she’d heard that Audrey Connelly had been quite a character. A pampered, spoiled and selfish debutante. On the other hand, she’d heard nothing but admirable qualities about her grandfather. She could imagine how his affair must have come as a shock. And to learn he’d had an illegitimate child had probably been too much for her grandmother. For any woman. But that was no excuse for the behavior she was hearing about now. It hadn’t been Roland’s fault. “How old was everyone?”