Thorns of the Past Read online

  “I see. So, no Donald Trump person with a grudge. Noted.” Darcy crinkled her nose.

  Sabrina had to smile. Darcy was charming when she tried to lighten the mood. She had to give her that. “No. I shudder at the thought.”

  “And how many emails in all?”

  “Twenty-one. The latest came the evening I asked you to keep an eye on the parking lot when I walked to my car. If you don’t count the note on my desk this morning.” Drawing a trembling breath, Sabrina tugged at the hem of her oversized sweatshirt dress.

  “Let’s see that last email,” Darcy said and swiped with her thumb at the phone. “Here it is. ‘The time has come for you to do as you’re told. Be prepared. Don’t do anything stupid, such as involving the cops. We will be in touch.’”

  “Quite eloquent.” Sabrina’s throat ached as she tried to sip some more whiskey. “I suppose this afternoon was yet another escalation of that threat. If I hadn’t had Karimi take care of my security, they’d have broken in and…” She stopped and stood. Her skin prickled all over, and she hated feeling this vulnerable. She had honed her sarcastic and cool persona over the years. Right now, that Sabrina, the ice queen who didn’t need anyone and certainly didn’t allow anyone to see her cry or even be anxious, seemed far away. What was it about Darcy Flynn that made Sabrina allow her to get under her skin like this? “I’m not prepared to go into detail…I mean, not tonight, but there’s more.”

  “About what happened in college?” Darcy asked softly.

  “Yes. I was assaulted, and the three men who committed the crime were never held accountable.” Sabrina’s jaws hurt, and she shifted the glass back and forth between her hands.

  “You mean they got off scot-free?” Anger flashed across Darcy’s face.

  “Yes. And no. They were never caught or tried before a jury.” Sabrina waved her hand dismissively. “Fifteen years isn’t that long ago, but if colleges and universities still have a lot to learn today regarding sexual assault against young women, and yes, young men too, you can imagine how much worse it was back then.”

  “I agree. I don’t mean to pry, but did they rape you, Sabrina?” Incredibly soft, Darcy’s voice was still matter-of-fact, and this made it possible for Sabrina to answer in a calm voice.

  “No. I was spared that part, but…” She shrugged.

  “Okay. I know I said it before, but I want to make it absolutely clear. None of what you disclose will go any further than to Meghan.”

  Sighing, Sabrina nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

  “Now, back to the emails. I’ll have a contact analyze the language. He won’t know whom they were sent to. I’ll just send him the sentences. Meghan uses an amazing girl who would be a black-hat hacker if my cousin hadn’t hauled her in and given her a job. She’ll go hunting for the sender. No matter what kind of service you use to send anonymous emails, you still leave a trail unless you’re one of those mega-skilled hackers. From what you’ve described, I don’t think that’s the case. They wouldn’t be this stupid. I think this is a person, or several, who fears you may know something, or have proof of something, and they hope to intimidate you by sending emails. Sounds a bit juvenile to me, actually.” Crossing her legs, Darcy made more notes in her pad. “I don’t want to commit to a certain type, but as we need to start somewhere, your clients are now suspects. You claim you don’t socialize, but we need a list of your friends. Have you made any enemies the last few years? Think carefully. Sometimes it doesn’t take much.”

  “No. I don’t think so. I mean, would someone go to this extreme just because I ticked them off?” Sabrina sat down again. “That sounds like too much of a reach.”

  “I think so too, but we need to eliminate any potential suspects just the same.” Flicking her ponytail back over her shoulder, Darcy tilted her head and studied Sabrina. “Can you give me a list of your clients, or is that some sort of breach of confidentiality?”

  “You can have a list, but when it comes to their money, I can’t share that information. Not even with the police unless they have a subpoena.”

  “The police. I know you said you don’t care much for the members of the police force. May I ask why?” Darcy was suddenly flustered.

  Sabrina shocked herself by a second-long urge to tell Darcy exactly why she loathed cops. Granted, she had talked to her friend Eryn once, but that was more than five years ago. Eryn, the chief editor of the local newspaper, who was also a renowned guitarist in the all-female group called Chicory Ariose, was the closest she’d come to having a best friend after she settled in East Quay. Vague images of Dawn and Callie flickered through her mind, but she pushed them away. They were no longer part of her life, and nothing would improve if she wallowed in the pain their actions had caused her back then.

  “Let’s just say I had some bad experiences in college after I was assaulted. I know very well that there are good police officers around, but that wasn’t the case for me. And my contempt has nothing to do with this matter.” Waving her hand dismissively, Sabrina pulled her legs up and held a small pillow against her.

  “All right.” Clearly Darcy wasn’t satisfied by the evasive answer, but she shrugged and changed the topic. “Can you describe your family situation. Parents. Siblings. Lovers.” A rather becoming blush painted Darcy’s cheekbones pink. “For elimination purposes. Still not prying.”

  “Both parents are alive. Glenda and Ian Hawk. Wealthy and successful in Boston. Stock-market investors and financial advisors. One brother, Daniel Hawk. He is married to Lorna, and they have twin boys, Ethan and Kevin. They’re five.” Sabrina sipped her whiskey again. “The only person I do get together with and consider a close friend is Eryn Goddard.”

  Darcy glanced up from her notepad. “Eryn Goddard as in Chicory Ariose?”

  “Yes.”

  “Cool. Love their music. I know Mike Stone, the drummer, a little. I…er…I used to go to her coffeehouse in the marina.”

  Her curiosity piqued by the slight hesitation in Darcy’s voice, Sabrina couldn’t help asking, “Used to?”

  Darcy colored again. “Well. Um. Yeah. It’s been a while. Things change.”

  “I suppose working two jobs leaves little time to hang out at coffee shops or any such places.” Sabrina was surprised at her own urge to let Darcy off the hook. Clutching at her notepad, Darcy looked so ill at ease and then so relieved, Sabrina grew even more curious.

  “Yes. You’re right,” Darcy said, smiling brightly. “Any other names you can give me? A significant other?” She tilted her head in a way that already seemed familiar.

  “No.” Realizing how pathetic that might sound, Sabrina said, “Not at the moment.”

  “When was the last time?”

  Feeling skinless, Sabrina pulled her lips back in a rigid smile. “Too long to have any bearing on this matter.”

  “Ah. Well, I suppose running a company that does the taxes for the rich and well-to-do inhabitants of East Quay doesn’t leave much time for a person’s love life.” Smiling carefully now, Darcy made a quick note in her pad.

  “Very true.” Sabrina groaned inwardly and sat down in her chair. She had some doubts when it came to other people’s motives and agendas. It didn’t escape her that Darcy returned the favor and let her off regarding the question about her potential lovers. Despite Eryn’s best attempts at setting her up with someone, the few blind dates Sabrina had agreed to hadn’t been bad, per se, but they had left her with an even greater sense of emptiness. She had cautiously let herself hope every time, but after four attempts, all with perfectly lovely women, Sabrina had decisively let her friend know that she was not going to participate in such a lottery anymore. Eryn had admitted defeat but still asked every now and then if Sabrina was seeing someone. Truthfully, Sabrina couldn’t see herself dating anyone when her life was fraught with such mayhem. Threatening emails, break-ins, and attempted home-invasions—that was far too much to inflict on an unsuspecting woman for any reason.

  “Sabrina?” Darcy frowned
and briefly patted her hand again. The gentle touch still made Sabrina jump, a reaction she found impossible to mask.

  “Whoa! Easy there. You were far away just now. Did something else occur to you?” Darcy held up both hands in an “I surrender” gesture.

  “Sorry about that.” Feeling foolish now, Sabrina shook her head. “All this…” she waved her hand in a circular motion. “I suppose it has rattled me more than I thought. I find it hard to focus.”

  Darcy put her notepad down. “That’s normal. You’re the victim of a violation even if the men didn’t lay a hand on you. Threatening to force their way into your home in order to coerce you into coming with them—well, I’d call it an abduction attempt.”

  “That’s probably a bit of an exaggeration—” All too familiar with the word “violation,” Sabrina wanted to end their conversation right then and there.

  “Ask Karimi how he classifies it,” Darcy stated firmly. “The guys at your beach house wanted to take you to their ‘client’ whether you approved or not. That’s abduction. Kidnapping.”

  “All right.” Wearily, Sabrina ran the back of her fingers against her forehead. So much had happened today, and sitting here discussing it with Darcy, who had turned out to be one of the few people she trusted at all, next to Karimi and Eryn, was surreal. “I’m not sure I gave you much to go on this evening,” Sabrina said, attempting a wry smile.

  “Sure you did. This information, paired with the documents you’re going to send about your staff, your clients, and friends, will give me something to start with, including the emails.” Darcy paused, glancing around them. “I know you said Karimi is in charge of your personal security here at the condo, but do you feel safe?”

  Warmed by the warmth in Darcy’s expression, Sabrina nodded. “I do. Knowing you obviously can get here in less than fifteen minutes also adds to that feeling of security.” She remembered something.

  “Oh, yeah. Good.” Flustered for the third time, at least, Darcy rose from the armchair. “Just call me, any time, day or night, if you need me—anything. Anything at all.” Flipping the ponytail back over her shoulder, Darcy rounded the chair and headed for the foyer. “And I know this is a redundant caution, but don’t go anywhere alone—especially in areas where very few people are around. I’ll be happy to escort you anywhere if you have some engagement you can’t get out of.”

  Sabrina bit her lower lip as something had just dawned on her. “I know it’s during the weekend, but I promised my brother and Lorna that I’d come for a visit. They live in a rather remote area, but I can’t blow them off again. I just can’t.” She gestured emphatically with her hands. “Can I persuade you to join me? I’ll pay you a bonus, of course. And there’ll be great barbecue.” Quite certain Darcy would decline, Sabrina steeled herself and tried to imagine what Dan would say when she cancelled again—especially since she couldn’t tell him why or he’d jump to strange conclusions.

  “Sure. Meghan will bill you my hours.” Darcy smiled. “And we should let Karimi and his crew know as well. Does your brother have a security alarm installed?”

  “Yes. He sometimes travels, and Lorna and the boys are home alone then.”

  “Very well. When are we leaving?”

  “Tomorrow at lunch time, I think. As it is Saturday tomorrow, we won’t be suffering through rush hour.” Sabrina walked Darcy to the door. “Thank you for being so accommodating, Darcy.” Not only that, but Darcy was a genuinely caring person. Normally Sabrina didn’t let anyone near enough to know if they were caring or not, but Darcy had simply been the right person present at the right time.

  “Hey, no need to thank me. I’m happy to help. Honestly.” Firing off another smile, Darcy extended her hand. Sabrina felt rather silly, but she shook it and then closed the door behind Darcy. What on earth was it about this woman that made her put her life in Darcy’s hands? Yes, Darcy had been a peripheral presence at work, which made her feel safe. Then she had gone the extra mile after the break-in. But still there was more.

  How old was Darcy? It was hard to tell, as she either wore a uniform or jeans and a leather jacket. A very generic wardrobe. Picturing Darcy’s heart-shaped face, Sabrina guessed around twenty-five, or maybe twenty-eight.

  Walking into her bedroom, she began to undress, desperate for a bath. Ever since college, taking hot baths was the only way for her to feel truly clean…and warm. A hot shower worked in a pinch, but she loved her large tub. Switching on the bathroom radio, she tuned in to her favorite jazz and soul channel as she ran water into the tub. Wearing only her bathrobe while she removed her makeup, she took a little longer than usual, as she had needed to reapply a concealer several times during the day.

  She studied her face afterward, then her body as she removed the robe. Nothing wrong with either face or body, but she definitely looked worn out. The dark semicircles beneath her eyes looked like day-old bruises. The white in her eyes was slightly bloodshot, and her entire body was trembling, but that sign of fatigue was only visible when it came to her hands.

  Sarah Vaughan began to sing “Embraceable You” when Sabrina stepped into the tub. As the water caressed and soothed her limbs, she listened to the lyrics, and her mind returned to Darcy Flynn.

  Chapter Seven

  “What? You kidding?” Meghan shouted loud enough for Darcy to have to put a few inches between her cell phone and her ear.

  “Hey, chill, Meghan! I’m not deaf, you know.”

  “Can you blame me for being just a tad taken aback? You tell me that you and the Ms. Hawk that you’ve been checking out for months are going to spend the weekend together at her brother’s, and you wonder why I’m—floored?”

  “Stop trying to break my eardrum and listen instead,” Darcy said, grimacing at the phrase “checking her out.” “Pay attention. Sabrina and I plan to spend the weekend at her brother Dan’s house in a rural area outside Mattley. I’m tagging along as her, well, I suppose I’m her bodyguard until we figure out who’s targeting her.” Darcy both dreaded and looked forward to gaining some personal insight into Sabrina’s life. Mattley was a village between East Quay and Providence, mainly inhabited by well-off people who wanted to live in the countryside.

  “This sounds like a police matter to me, Darcy.” Her voice serious now, Meghan was clearly concerned. “I know we skate around in the gray zone sometimes, but this…?”

  “I suggested that earlier today, but Sabrina loathes the police more than you can imagine. If I tell her again to update the cops on the situation, she’s going to cut me loose, and she won’t have anybody to protect her. I just can’t sit idly by and let someone with a sinister agenda get their grubby hands on her.”

  “Sinister agenda. That about covers it. And then there’s the fact that you used to be a cop. When she learns that little tidbit, she’ll drop you like a week-old crab cake.”

  Darcy didn’t even want to think about that. Being a cop was bad enough in Sabrina’s eyes, but being a cop that had quit in disgrace would probably be enough to make the woman go supernova. “I’ll tell her about that after we solve who’s after her and she’s had time to get to know me. I mean, as an investigator. Right now, she needs to trust me.”

  Meghan sighed. “All right, but I want regular updates. I’m not kidding. Someone has hired pros to go after this woman, for whatever reason, and I need to know they’re not ready and willing to go through you to get to her. Regular texts, once every hour. That’s minimum, or I’ll be the one calling the cops.”

  Darcy could tell Meghan wasn’t going to back off on that requirement. “All right. I suppose I’m grateful you don’t have me setting the alarm to text you through the night as well.” She dropped her robe into a chair and pulled on an oversized T-shirt. After climbing into bed, she pulled the covers tightly around her until she was pleased with her little cocoon.

  “Damn straight.” Meghan sighed. “Don’t take this the wrong way, honey, but how much of your protectiveness toward Sabrina Hawk stems from you finding h
er attractive?”

  Darcy extinguished the tiny flame of anger that erupted at Meghan’s words. She knew her cousin wouldn’t ask such a thing if she didn’t think it was called for. “Even if she looked like Mrs. Frey, I’d still do my job and follow my gut reaction when assessing the threat level toward her.” Mrs. Frey had taught both her and Meghan in middle school and was outwardly the kind of teacher that could give any kid nightmares. Inwardly, though, the amazing teacher had been the kindest and most compassionate person either of them had ever met, before or since.

  “Okay, okay. Now, let me just make sure we’re on the same page.” A sound like papers were being shifted and the clicking sound of a keyboard came over the phone, and then Meghan was back. “You and Sabrina Hawk will drive to Mattley tomorrow just before lunch. I’ll go through the lists of her clients, relatives, and past and present friends and acquaintances once I get them. A few of them have already arrived. I’ll get in touch with you as soon as I have anything worth mentioning.”

  “Good.” Darcy yawned. “Got to get some sleep now, cousin.”

  “Excellent.” Meghan paused, then lowered her voice. “Listen to me, Darcy. Don’t take any foolhardy chances. I know you better than you think. Each time there’s a chance to save someone, you volunteer. You have a knack for risking your own neck, as if that would make up for the boy that was shot. It’s not necessary, and the way you look when you talk about Sabrina Hawk makes me afraid you may just throw yourself in front of a bus for that woman. Please don’t.”

  “Very few buses in Mattley, Meghan. And I promise to not take any unnecessary risks. Scout’s honor.”

  “You were never a Girl Scout.”

  “No, but you were.” Darcy smiled sleepily. “So, Scout’s honor the Meghan way. Promise.”

  “I’ll hold you to it. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  Darcy murmured something affirmative and then disconnected the call. As she curled up into the duvet-cocoon, she thought of the woman who had so many things going on that had to frighten her. Taken aback by how angry she was at the people doing this to Sabrina, Darcy tugged the duvet even closer in under her chin. The last thing on her mind before she fell asleep was how lovely Sabrina had looked with her shoulder-long hair hanging in rich waves around her shoulders.