Caught in the Frame Read online

  The final quadrant—the camera nearest Remy’s room—played in reverse, from now to the time of Baylee’s disappearance, so Javier could watch his movements during the period in question. “There, he’s headed in that direction after leaving his room three separate times in the last 24 hours.” Javier looked hopeful as he watched Remy skulk out of his room in the opposite direction of the bank of elevators that would have been the easiest way to get to the main section of the castle.

  “So what now?” Lila asked. “Where does that course take him?”

  “To the west wing, and to the stairs leading down the level our rooms are on.”

  Javier was already clicking furiously between files on the main security console, his sharp eyes scanning between several sets of blueprints and security plans, searching for the most likely place Remy would have stashed Baylee. Chloe and Lila exchanged a nervous glance; this was their best chance to find Javier’s sister-in-law. With Nate and Dalton monitoring EV’s attempt to wheedle a confession out of Remy, they had a clear shot at a rescue, and would receive a heads-up if Remy tried to break away.

  “There are several unmonitored areas he could access once he entered the turret, depending on whether he went up or down. Some are unusable; others are pending construction, so there’s nothing there to steal, which is why we didn’t install cameras. When we get there, we can split up and cover more ground. If this doesn’t work, we’re going to have to trust EV to pry the information from him, or trail him until he leads us to her. I’d rather not go there; he’s unpredictable and reckless, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

  Lila wrapped a protective arm around Chloe’s shoulders while they both remained silent and allowed Javier to come up with a plan of attack. Minutes later, he whipped three sheets of paper off the portable printer resting in the far corner of the room and handed them each a map. “He could have gone up or down; I’ll take the bottom floor and work my way up. You two start at the top and work your way down; we’ll meet in the middle. We’ll stay in contact with these,” He passed Chloe a hand-held radio. “This one is set to communicate only with mine, while I will be able to monitor both yours and the same frequency Nate, Dalton, and EV are using. This way, we can stay in constant contact in the event that EV’s plan goes south and Remy tries to make off in this direction. You’ll need to push this button to talk, and this is the volume. Call me with your progress; I will do the same, and I’ll relay to Nate when we find her. And we will find her. Be quick and be safe.”

  Javier kissed Lila quickly and enveloped both mother and daughter in a tight hug.

  * * *

  “You take the left side, I’ll take the right.” Lila nodded at Chloe’s suggestion, took a deep breath and turned the handle of the first door. A once-elegant, now dust-covered sleeping area lay behind the entrance. Light spattered across the room through heavy brocade draperies ravaged by time and a particularly hungry eclipse of moths. No disturbance in the thick layer of dust and dirt caking the floor told Lila this room hadn’t been entered recently, but she stepped a boot-clad foot inside and searched the adjoining powder room and closet anyway.

  Halfway down the hallway, Chloe let out a frustrated grunt. “I really don’t think he’s been on this floor. Nothing has been touched here in about a hundred years. It seems like he’d want to be as close as possible to wherever he’s keeping her, which means we’re all starting in the wrong place.”

  “I think you’re right.” Lila crouched down, cocked her head to the side, and peered at the stone floor spreading down the rest of the hallway. “There are no footprints anywhere. Just more dust. Let’s go downstairs. I think we’ll have better luck there.”

  Chloe keyed up the radio, “No one’s been up here for a very long time. We’re moving down a level.”

  In response, she heard a short burst of static, then Javier’s voice, “Noted.”

  * * *

  Javier, near upon the same conclusion Lila and Chloe had drawn, was making his way through the last of the first floor rooms when the hallway’s connecting door creaked open. Quick as a cat, he assembled himself into a casual stance, silenced the two-way radio, and ambled toward the exit closest the main section of the castle.

  From around the corner peeked the curious face of none other than Hannah Frank. Her searching gaze spoke volumes; clearly, the relentless woman had followed him, hoping to ferret out some nugget of useful information. Several thoughts buzzed through Javier’s mind: how much did she know? How long had she been following him? Was she connected to Remy, or just an intolerable snoop?

  “Hello, Javier.” She greeted him brightly, as if a chance meeting in a deserted castle hallway was completely normal. “Where is our blushing bride?” Looking past him, her expression turned to one of defeat when she realized Lila was nowhere to be seen. Intolerable snoop, it is.

  Javier sighed heavily, his face darkening to convey irritation—he didn’t have time for this, and had hit his limit with the pestering woman. Even as they spoke, Chloe or Lila could be trying to contact him via the two-way radio.

  “She’s down in the salon, I think, or maybe she said she was going to take a steam.” Javier pasted on a fake smile and directed Hannah to the furthest reaches of the castle, hoping she’d take the bait and scurry off on the misguided mission.

  The unexpected jangle of his cell phone nearly had him jumping out of his own skin. “Sorry, Hannah, but I have to take this.” He barked. Without absorbing the hard edge to his words, she was already headed back toward the exit with a hopeful smile on her face.

  “Are you alright?” Lila’s voice rang clear with concern. “Why aren’t you answering on the radio?”

  “That damnable Hannah woman was tailing me, looking for you. I think I’ve dispatched her for the time being.” Javier cracked the door she had disappeared through, making sure he was fully in the clear, then broke into a sprint in the other direction.

  “We’re close; she’s got to be in one of these rooms. Someone has been through here lately; we can see footprints going in and out. Call Antoine; he’s going to want to see this, and we need to make sure a staff member can attest to her condition.”

  “On my way.” Elation coursed through Javier’s veins; for a moment, he didn’t care what happened to Remy Vincent, as long as Baylee was alright. Still, he felt a responsibility to take the bastard down. It was clear Remy was getting desperate, and that meant it was only a matter of time before someone else got seriously hurt.

  * * *

  “Baylee!” Lila called frantically down the hall, then stood stock still and listened for a response. A soft shuffling noise perked her ears. With Chloe on her heels, Lila followed the sounds, pressing her ear to several doors before coming to a stop outside one roughened by time to a silvered gray. A muffled cry resounded as Lila and Chloe threw it open to find Baylee in a heap on the ground.

  Chloe rushed to her side, crouching to release the gag that rendered Baylee unable to assure them she hadn’t been harmed.

  “Did he hurt you?” Lila asked, searching Baylee’s eyes for clues.

  “Not really, but my arms and hands are numb.” She managed to whisper, as Lila tried to loosen the knotted rope binding her to the exposed support beam. Hands trembling, Lila let loose a slew of curse words when pulling and tugging only caused the rope to tighten.

  “Miss Lila, step aside.” Both women spun around at the sound of Antoine’s lilting voice. “Let me help. I’ve got a pocket knife.” After carefully cutting her free, he snapped a few photos with his camera phone, assured them he would make a full report and cooperate in any way necessary, then stepped into the hallway to keep watch.

  “Javier!” Baylee’s choked cry resounded as he burst through the door. Flanked by Lila and Chloe and wrapped in the throw Antoine had had the presence of mind to pull from the back of the sofa near his desk, she stared back at him. Dark circles under her eyes and slightly hollowed cheeks spoke eloquently of exhaustion, but when he suggested rest and
a visit from the doctor, she adamantly refused.

  “Did you get him? Is that how you found me?”

  “The others are taking care of that now.” Javier ran gentle hands over her to test for broken bones and to reassure himself she was okay.

  “Take me to them. I’ve got information they’ll need.”

  “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  Baylee raised her chin defiantly. “He didn’t hurt me, if that’s what you mean. I’m fine, but now I’m seeing red. Let’s end this.”

  He noticed she retained the blanket slung over her shoulders, though.

  “Baylee’s safe,” Javier keyed up the radio’s microphone and spoke in clipped tones, alerting Nate and Dalton to the developing situation. “We’re bringing her down now. Is it clear? I don’t want her seeing him right now.” His first concern, at this point, was Baylee’s safety. Getting Remy was still a priority, but not as high as making sure his family was out of harm’s way.

  “I’m not scared of him, Javi. I want to help.” When he hesitated, she said, “Please, Javi. I need to do this for Tomas.” She staggered to her feet, stiff from the position she’d been forced into for so many hours. The blanket slipped enough for him to see the raw, red marks where Remy had bound her wrists. The man would pay for that alone, Javier vowed.

  “You will not confront Remy Vincent but I’ll take you to Nate if he says he can keep that from happening.” Baylee opened her mouth to protest, but Javier wouldn’t hear of it and refused to continue the conversation until Nate issued the all clear.

  Back in the suite, Nate quickly checked Baylee for signs of shock or injury. Part of his focus remained on EV and Remy, while the others hovered around the recent captive. Soon, Baylee was firmly settled into a comfortably soft chair with a plate of food in her lap and a glass of water on the table at her elbow.

  When he judged her color had returned enough to satisfy him, Javier said, “Okay, tell us what happened. Did you find any evidence?.”

  Baylee’s eyes widened. “You mean you didn’t find it? And he didn’t…” Baylee searched their faces for the answer and saw only puzzlement. “Well, everything was going according to plan—I managed to snap several photos of some pretty damning evidence—until I left the room and came face to face with Remy himself. He chased me, dragged me to that empty room, and took my camera.” A smile lit Baylee’s face, and she continued, her voice full of derision toward Remy and smugness at what happened next.

  “Didn’t do him any good, though. I managed to pull the memory card and hide it before he caught me. Once he realized I had already stashed the evidence, he started making threats. I could tell he didn’t have the stones to actually hurt me, so I kept my mouth shut as long as I could. I knew his texts from my phone wouldn’t fool you for long, Javi.” Admiration shone in her eyes, and was reflected back in kind. Javier had underestimated the amount of sheer badassery his sister-in-law possessed; he wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  “Just one question. Where is the memory card now?”

  “It should be in Chloe’s closet. I shoved it in her bag of dry cleaning before he caught up to me. I’d have gotten away completely but I made a wrong turn and hit a dead end. When he threatened to ruin Garritek, I told him where it was, but if he didn’t find it, the staff must have already gone through and collected the bags to take to the cleaners. I’m hoping they found the memory card and put it back in her jacket pocket.”

  Chloe’s eyes widened in understanding. “That’s what he was looking for in my room; that’s why he used EV’s key card to break in. He probably lifted it off her. It’s not like EV to lose things.” She muttered a few choice words describing Remy under her breath, and at a nod from Nate, disappeared through the connecting door.

  In a few moments, she was back, eyes alight above a fierce grin, holding the SIM card aloft like a trophy. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go see if we have enough to make sure he stays behind bars for the rest of his life.” With a grin, she reached across him to slide the hard-won SIM card into the built-in reader of Javier’s computer, which was still playing security footage.

  As her slideshow popped up, Nate let out a low whistle. No wonder Remy had upped the ante and resorted to kidnapping; what scrolled across the screen amounted to several counts of identity theft, and a whole lot more. Baylee had hit pay dirt.

  Baylee and Javier weren’t the only ones on the edge of their seats. This meant just as much for them as it did for Ponderosa Pines, and neither was going to let the opportunity to expose Remy Vincent slip by over something as trivial as an abduction. There would be time to process the experience once the job was complete.

  * * *

  “I’m going in.” Her shoulders squared, EV sailed into the cafe several minutes after Remy had taken a seat. He watched her walk toward him, seeing only what he wanted to see. A fashionably late woman with a gleam in her eye that showed how much she wanted him. A foolish woman that he could have on a whim, and ultimately bend to his will. As usual, his ego cast a veil of fantasy over his judgment.

  The skin on EV’s hands crawled when he grasped them and kissed her on the cheek. He’d aimed for her lips but a last-second twist of her head foiled him. She’d play her part, but some things went beyond the pale.

  Over Remy’s left shoulder, Dalton tossed her a thumbs up and an air kiss to make her smile. The simple gestures of support lifted some of the tension; she returned them with a wink that Remy assumed was for him.

  Since half of her mission was to stall Remy while the search for Baylee continued, she indulged in small talk, lulling him into complacency by allowing him to order for her, and letting him hold her hand across the table. To keep him seeing her initial reaction to his touch, she avoided meeting his intense gaze with her own until her emotions were under control. The ruse worked in her favor, feeding his ego by allowing him to think his touch affected her deeply enough to bring out the blushing schoolgirl inside. The more relaxed he became, the more her senses sharpened.

  Nate’s voice whispered through the com, “Javi checked in, they’ve narrowed the search area, heading there now”. It took extra attention not to react to the hope flaring through her.

  Remy glanced around the room, “It’s so crowded in here. Why don’t I call the waitress back and have her send the food up to your room where we can be alone.” His voice dropped to a suggestive timbre that had no effect on EV at all.

  Too easy. Better make him work for it.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready to take it to the next step. There’s Dalton and—”

  “Remember how good we were together? You can’t tell me you’ve had anyone else who knows what you like the way I do. I want you, EV, and I think you want me.”

  A hollow sentiment coming from lying lips, but no matter, because EV was long past caring. The only thought in her mind now was to play him like a virtuoso.

  “I do, but not yet. Chloe and Lila are having final dress fittings. They’ll be done in a little while, and then they have plans for a full spa treatment. We’ll have hours alone once they’re gone. We could get dessert to go.”

  Why not? Remy thought, might as well take if it she’s offering, “All I need is you and a bowl of chocolate sauce.”

  “Maybe we could give that one a go.” Dalton spoke in her ear.

  “Mmmm,” EV’s hum of agreement was meant for Dalton.

  “I’m still here,” Nate managed to convey embarrassment and disgust in one short statement.

  Okay, you weasel. Let’s see if we can pin down your motive. Is it me?

  “Did you hate me so much?” EV assessed his emotions by watching his face closely. “Your folks missed you a great deal.” A tinge or red color stained his neck when his throat tightened and his teeth clenched. She’d hit a nerve there, though he managed to quickly force any signs of it from his features.

  Seemingly relaxed again, he said, “I’ve never hated you.” Then he made the most honest statement she’d heard from him since h
e’d arrived, “Walking away without knowing it was my last chance to say goodbye to my folks is my biggest regret in life. If I’d known how things would turn out, I would have done things differently.”

  When she squeezed his hand this time, it was with some small amount of genuine feeling. “Their loss devastated the entire community; I can only imagine how your grandparents must have felt.”

  “I doubt that. Losing his son turned my grandfather into someone else.” Face hardened, Remy practically bit off the words. “You have no idea what it did to his mind. It changed him completely.”

  Really? I’d have no idea?

  EV forced herself not to let go of his hand when all she wanted to do was slap him with it.

  “I think I might know a little about how that feels. I miss him every day.” EV let her lashes veil her eyes while she watched his reaction to the mention of their child. It took him a few seconds to go there, and when he did, a chuffed out breath and an eyeroll presented eloquent evidence that he cared nothing for his lost son, but was annoyed with her for bringing it up in connection with the death of his parents.

  “Let it go, EV. I’m not going to get into a discussion of the miscarriage with you. Now or ever.” The veneer of charm peeled back to show the cheap, shallow base below his surface. Under the table, the hand that wasn’t clasped in his clenched to drive nails into palm with brutal force. EV dropped her eyes before he saw the raw fury she struggled to control. In her ear, Dalton whispered soothing words of encouragement that helped her pull it together, as did the smiling face of the waitress who served her lunch.

  As though nothing of note had passed between them, Remy changed the subject to the one he most preferred discussing: himself.

  Well, that takes revenge against me for losing the baby off the table.