Deceptions
Page 8

“That he’s not in any rush to get out.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Chandler looked every month of his eighty-five years. I wouldn’t have said I was sorry to see it. Not only had he ordered the deaths of Jan Gunderson and Peter Evans, but he’d used his mind-control drugs to murder Jan’s father and a friend of Peter’s as a test of his new toy. Two innocent people had died and two equally innocent people were now charged with their murders.
Chandler tottered into the visitors’ area on a cane. Not because the weight of his crimes had finally become too much to bear, but because he hadn’t recovered from being shot in the leg by Gabriel last month.
When a guard strode over to help him, Chandler peered at him.
“I don’t know you,” he said to the man.
“Name’s Ransom. I was here last week when you talked to your lawyer.”
“No you weren’t. I’ve never seen you before.”
Ransom rolled his eyes and took Chandler by the arm to help him into his seat.
Chandler shook the man off. “I don’t know you.”
“Someone’s a little paranoid,” I whispered to Gabriel.
Chandler turned to us. “Mr. Walsh. I don’t believe you were invited to this tête-à-tête. If Eden feels threatened, I can assure you both I’m quite harmless here.”
“Gabriel stays,” I said. “So you’ve decided to speak to me?”
“I have.”
“That means you want something from me. Let’s get that out of the way first.”
“I called you here because I believe we can benefit one another. This was never about hurting you, Eden.”
I leaned forward, elbows on the table. “You forget I heard you give Mrs. Evans the order. Kill the girl.” He’d brainwashed Peter Evans’s wife after having their housekeeper kill Evans.
“Then you misinterpreted, which can happen when you eavesdrop, Olivia.”
Reverting to my preferred name suggested he was anxious to show his sincerity, but . . . well, I had the feeling it took someone a lot scarier than me—or even Gabriel—to make Edgar Chandler anxious.
“I offered to protect you from any fallout after Evans’s death and to help you better understand your situation,” he said. “I tried to work with you.”
That wasn’t quite how I remembered it, but I said only, “You also warned me about the hounds. You said they’d come to Cainsville and, when they did, I’d regret turning you in. Well, they’ve showed up there. Hell, they’ve showed up in a lot of places. But I’m not quite getting the ‘regret’ part.”
“Again, you misunderstood me. I never warned you against the hounds. I can promise they’re no threat to you.”
Bingo. I knew who had Chandler scared shitless.
“The Huntsmen showed you how to perfect your mind control, didn’t they?”
“Huntsmen?” He tried for an air of bewilderment.
“Cwn Annwn,” I said. “I think I’m finally pronouncing that right. Welsh. So many letters. So few vowels.”
“I realize recent events have been confusing, Eden, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“No? Huh.” I looked at Gabriel. “Is it warm in here?”
“Cool, actually.”
“Then why is Edgar breaking into a sweat?”
“It’s a fever,” Chandler said. “I’ve been unwell. I’m also under a great deal of strain. You’ve heard about Anderson’s death?”
“We have,” Gabriel said. Chandler’s former bodyguard had apparently OD’d on morphine in the hospital a couple of weeks earlier. “I presume he was murdered. While you would be the obvious suspect—and mind control the obvious weapon—the fact you contacted us says you are not responsible and, moreover, you fear you’re next.” He motioned toward the guard. “Hence your paranoia.”
Silence dragged on for so long that the guard started walking over, expecting Chandler to declare the visit at an end.
“I need to make amends,” Chandler said finally.
“To us?” I said. “Oh, that’s sweet.”
Chandler looked confused.
I glanced at Gabriel. “Not to us.”
“To the Huntsmen, I take it,” Gabriel said. “You’ve outlived your usefulness, and you could be a threat.”
“There’s someone I need to . . . have removed.”
Gabriel’s brows shot up. “I provide many services, Mr. Chandler, but that one is outside my area of expertise.”
“No, I don’t think it is.”
“Then you think wrong.” A chill crept into Gabriel’s voice.
“All right. If not you, then Olivia here. She has the background for it.”
“Um, no. I—”
“I’ll tell you everything. About the hounds. The Huntsmen. My association with them. Your parents’ association with them.” An anxious smile as I reacted. “That one intrigues you, doesn’t it? I can answer every question you have, for the small price of ‘removing’ a man who, as you will discover, richly deserves it.”
“The name?” Gabriel said.
Chandler turned to him.
“I will require a name.”
A genuine smile spread across Chandler’s face. “How quickly your ethics change, boy. A word of advice: don’t feign outrage next time. It really doesn’t suit you.”