Holdin' On for a Hero (56 page)

“No.”

Ryan blew out his breath. “Senna, if there’s anything you can tell us that will show motive toward the suspect attacking and abducting you, then you have to tell us.”

“No, I don’t,” she argued softly.

“You do if you want to get a conviction,” Ryan countered.

Senna cut her eyes to Konnor. He nodded slightly. She returned her attention to Ryan. “I saw Mr. Harper as I was leaving the university. He…he said he had been trying to get in touch with me. That was true. He’d left a number of messages for me. I simply hadn’t returned his calls.”

“Why?”

“Because it was inappropriate. Mr. Harper has used various excuses since the beginning of the semester to try and convince me to spend time with him. It began with him claiming to be confused and unable to keep up in class. He wanted me to tutor him. I gave him a list of students available for tutoring. He wasn’t interested. He had…something else in mind. He asked me to go out with him on several occasions and I informed him I wasn’t interested. He seemed to think it was because I was afraid someone would find out I was dating a student, and assured me he would be discreet. When I told him that was not the reason, he couldn’t seem to grasp the concept that I simply wasn’t interested in him.”

“Wait a minute!” Ryan snapped his fingers. “I knew I’d heard that name. That was the guy who was in your office the afternoon Paige and I came by to talk to you about Van Dorn.”

“Yes. And yesterday he was waiting when I left and stopped me at my car. When I told him I wasn’t interested and for him to leave me alone, he got angry…and physical. I pushed him away and warned him that if he didn’t leave me alone I would call security. Then I got in my car and left.”

“And you’re absolutely sure this is the same man who attacked you,” Paige said.

“Positive.”

“And you think this whole thing was some kind of retaliation for you turning him down? You mean he was so pissed off and had such a major case of the hots for you that he followed you and grabbed you in the parking lot.”

“I don’t have any clue why he did it.” Senna resented the tone of Paige’s voice and the implications that she had too high an opinion of herself. “All I know is that he is one of the men who attacked me.”

“Well, you sure must be one hell of a—”

“I think we have everything we need,” Ryan cut Paige off. “I’ll get the statement typed up and have you sign it.”

“Fine,” Senna agreed. “Can I leave now?”

“Why don’t you hang around?” Paige asked. “There are still a few questions I’d like answered in regards to the Van Dorn and Weston murders.”

“I think Dr. Laserian has answered all the questions she’s going to for one day,” Konnor said has he took Senna’s arm. “If you’ll please excuse us.”

Paige started to respond but Ryan shook his head and she closed her mouth. As soon as Konnor and Senna left the office she turned on Ryan. “I’m telling you. As sure as I live and breathe, that woman knows something!”

Ryan groaned. “Christ, here we go again.”

Myers Park, Charlotte

Konnor parked in the driveway as Senna pulled her car into the garage. “Why don’t you wait for me at the gatehouse?” she suggested. “I’ll go talk to Min and meet you there in a little while.”

“Sure,” he agreed, but when she turned away he took her arm and stopped her. “Why didn’t you tell them the truth about why you left last night?”

“How could I? If I’d said I didn’t think Southgate was really with the FBI they’d have wanted to know what made me think that, and I couldn’t tell them the information came from you.”

“Why not?”

She drew back in surprise. “I thought you want to keep your…cover or whatever you call it, intact.”

“So you were protecting me?”

“Yes.”

“And here I thought I was protecting you.”

Senna frowned, despite his teasing tone. “I still wish I knew what it is you’re supposed to be protecting me from.”

“Go talk to your aunt. I’ll be waiting.”

“Okay.” She turned and headed for the main house. Konnor watched her cross the yard and disappear through a set of French doors in the rear of the house, and then he turned and walked to the gatehouse.

Senna found her Aunt Minora in the library, sitting by the window with a book in her lap. Senna stopped at the door and watched for a minute. She had never understood why Min had never married. Even now she was a beautiful woman.

At fifty, she looked closer to her late thirties. Her hair was still lustrous and full, a soft blonde that was swept up into a shining chignon. Her skin was pale and virtually wrinkle-free aside from a few tiny lines that appeared beside her sparkling blue eyes when she smiled. She was shapely and slim, elegant in a way that many women strive to emulate but fail to achieve.

As if sensing a presence, Minora turned. A moment after her eyes fell upon Senna, a smile appeared on her face. “Senna, what a lovely surprise. But what are you doing home at this time of the day, dear? I thought you had classes until early evening?”

“I’ve had a little trouble, Min.” Senna crossed the room and settled on the padded window seat in front of Minora. “I wanted to tell you about it myself.”

The smiled on Minora’s face had vanished the moment she heard the word “trouble”. She leaned forward slightly in her chair. Senna could see Minora’s clasped hands tighten in her lap. She tried to make it sound as uneventful as possible when she told Minora about being dragged into the van.

When she finished, Minora stared at her for a long time without speaking. Senna started to worry when the silence stretched out. She questioned the wisdom of telling Minora any more than she already had. After all, Minora was still recovering from the accident that had partially paralyzed her. Even though the therapists were confident that she would eventually regain full use of her limbs, she still had to rely upon a walker to move about on her own.

“There’s more.” Minora broke the silence in an unusually hard and flat tone. “Tell me.”

Senna had never figured out how Minora could read her so easily. Either she was completely transparent or Minora was psychic. At any rate, she had never been able o hide anything from Minora.

“I don’t know how to start…” She looked away from Minora’s searching eyes. “It’s so…impossible to believe.”

“Most things are until we understand the basis.”

Senna smiled as she turned back to face Minora. “That sounds just like Dad.”

A cloud of sadness drifted over Minora’s face. Senna knew she was feeling the loss of her brother as keenly now as ever. “Min, was either Dad or Mom into something special when they…you know.”

“Special?” Minora’s delicate brows drew together fractionally. “In what way, dear?”

“That’s just it. I don’t know. All I do know is that both the police and certain…other people seem to think that I’m connected to Walter’s murder and now Nolan Weston’s.”

“The man they found murdered last night?”

“Yes.” Senna nodded. “You remember him, don’t you? I worked with him at Fermilab. He was the one who sent you lilies and lavender for weeks after you visited with me.”

“Ah, yes. A passionate man.”

Senna couldn’t imagine anyone describing Nolan as passionate. As far as she knew his work was his life. In all the time she’d known him, his love life was best described as nonexistent. But then Minora had always had a profound effect on the opposite sex. Perhaps she had brought out something in Nolan that no one else had.

“Well, anyway…” She pulled her attention back to the moment at hand. “I’ve racked my brain and there’s nothing I can think of other than the fact that I knew both of them, that would connect me. But like I said, other people don’t share my views. After I was asked about what Mom and Dad were working on in Iraq, I started to wonder. Were they maybe working on something new, something they hadn’t told anyone?”

She made a face and laughed at herself. “Would you listen to me? I sound like a cheap spy thriller. What could they possibly have been working on that would be significant now? I mean, they were archaeologists! It’s not like they were into theoretical weapon design or something. Still…” she paused and looked at her aunt thoughtfully. “Do you remember anything that might be important or relevant?”

Minora didn’t answer for a long time then she put her book aside and gestured toward her walker. “Help me, dear.”

Senna moved the walker into place and waited as Minora stood and maneuvered her way out of the room. She left the walker at the foot of the stairs and sat in the lift chair that had been installed after her accident. Senna picked up the walker and climbed the stairs alongside the lift.

Minora led the way to a room on the top floor. It was a room that had not been used in some time. In it were items Minora as well as Senna’s parents had collected from their travels around the world.

Minora stopped beside a large steamer trunk. “See if you can slide this over to one side, will you, dear?”

It took some huffing and puffing, but Senna finally got the old trunk moved aside. She could see that one of the floorboards in the hardwood floor looked as if it had been cut out and replaced. That didn’t surprise her. The house was old and many repairs had been made.

“Take that board up,” Minora directed.

Senna found an old silver letter opener and pried the board loose. Beneath it, buried in a layer of dust and spider webs was a small metal box. She removed it and placed it on the floor, brushing the dust and webs from it.

“What is it?” she asked Minora

“Something I hoped you would never need to see.”

“Why? What’s in it?”

“Your past.”

Senna looked at her aunt in shock. “My past? What do you mean?”

“Find that out for yourself.” Minora turned away. “Your father meant it only for you.

Senna watched as Minora left the room then looked back at the box. She reached out to open it, and then stopped. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what was inside. But curiosity overcame fear and she opened the hinged top.

All that was inside was a smooth stone with symbols etched into its surface.

“Guardian of the Gate,” she whispered as her eyes passed over the symbols.

At that moment, time ceased to have any meaning for her. Her mind retreated to a dark and secret place where images and sounds flew at her from all directions. Nothing made sense or seemed familiar. It was like being tossed into an alien world. Fear swelled inside her as the images came faster and faster. She felt she was being sucked into a vortex where something terrifying awaited. Fighting against the pull, she screamed and suddenly she was once more sitting on the floor in her aunt’s house, staring at the stone in her hand.

Senna had no idea what had just happened and at that moment didn’t want to know. Her heart was still hammering in her chest like she had just run a race, and sweat poured down her face and trickled down her back. As if it was poisonous, she dropped the stone back into the box and slammed the lid.

She returned the box to its hiding place, replaced the board and pushed the trunk over it. She was breathing hard and shaking when she finished. After making sure the door was set to lock, she closed it behind her and ran downstairs.

“Where’s Min?” she asked the housekeeper, Mrs. Mueller.

“Miss Minora is resting. Can I do something for you, Miss Senna?”

“No, thanks.” Senna knew that if Minora had retreated to her room it was a sure sign she didn’t want to talk. “Just tell her I’ll talk to her later.”

She left the main house and started across the backyard. As she neared the gatehouse it occurred to her that Konnor would want to know what Minora had told her.

Now what
? she asked herself. There was no way she could tell him what had just happened. To begin with, she had no idea what really had happened or how to even try and explain it. In fact, the doubt entered her mind that maybe she was losing it. Fear exploded inside her and she ran inside to the comfort of Konnor’s arms. As insane as it was, that was the only place she felt truly safe.

Downtown Charlotte

Ian grimaced as he took a sip of the cold coffee and placed the cup beside the half-eaten sandwich to turn his attention back to his computer screen. He wanted to get the last of his notes keyed in so that he didn’t have to worry about it later.

A knock on his door interrupted his train of thought. He immediately checked his watch. It wasn’t time for his next appointment and Kendal wasn’t due back from lunch for another half-hour.

He rose and went to open the door, only to find himself face to face with a stranger. The man was tall, had black hair shot with gray and a face that looked like it had been carved from stone.

“Can I help you?” Ian asked.

“Dr. Ian Drake?” The man’s voice was deep and resonant even though he spoke softly.

“Yes.” Ian’s reply was a bit hesitant due not only to the surprise of having someone appear unannounced at his door, but the aura the man emitted.

“It’s vital that I speak with you, Doctor.” The man pulled identification from the inner pocket of his jacket. Ian’s eyes widened in surprise.