His Brother's Bride

Scott could feel her frustration almost as though it were his own. Hers seemed to be mixed with a bit of desperation, too.

Was it just the fate of William and Cecilia that concerned her? Or was something else sending her over the edge. Like him, maybe. Was it painful for her to spend time with him now that she knew the truth?

“Yeah—it’s him.” He told her about Owen’s attempted blackmail of the woman he’d been living with.

She put one foot up on the dash, her arms wrapped around her middle. “That gives more weight to our theory that Dennis is blackmailing his sister, right? Maybe he took his cues from Owen.” Her voice sounded strained.

Glancing over at Laurel, Scott worried about how much this was taking out of her.

And then told himself to get a grip. Laurel was an investigative reporter. She did this kind of stuff every day.

“Likely Dennis was nervous and checking in with the brother of his mentor for support for his own setup.”

Whether Arnett or Nevil was behind this whole thing or not, Scott was becoming increasingly concerned for the fate of the three missing people.

* * *

LOOKING OUT HER WINDOW at the green-and-golden fields rushing by, Laurel tried to draw from nature’s beauty to combat the dread flowing through her, but with no success.

You didn’t work in New York news without knowing of the Nevil brothers. And while Laurel hadn’t been in the business all that long, she’d been there long enough to know that if they were in any way connected to the three disappearances, their chances of finding William, Cecilia and Leslie alive were much slimmer. Especially since Cecilia had already given up the money.

Of course, she had a lot more to give, and Leslie apparently had an inheritance as well.

But it was unlikely Dennis was doing this job on his own. Arnett had never attempted a crime with such a high price tag either in dividend or penalty.

“Do you know any of the Nevils’ history?” she asked Scott when her thoughts were growing too loud for her to keep them inside.

“Some.” He sounded hesitant. Was he trying to protect her? “I know Murphy said they’re big in the New York crime scene.”

“Carl was one of the biggest until a little over a year ago. This female detective and her partner finally managed to nail him on more than minor charges. He’s up for life. I followed Maureen Maguire’s case from the beginning,” she told him. “She was an incredible detective.”

“How so?” Scott asked.

“She was strong, confident, capable. And truly courageous to testify against him herself.”

“You’re all of those things, you know,” he said, slowing down because of traffic.

“I’m not any of those things.” She’d been a coward her entire life. She would just sit quietly, melt into the background, make herself fit

in.

“Laurel.”

She’d been staring out the side window, but turned at the commanding tone in his voice.

“You are strong,” he told her. “Your life has been extremely difficult but you’ve made the best of it—made a success of it. You’re confident enough to know that you can do what you set your mind to. And, you are the most courageous woman I know.”

Maureen Maguire was courageous. She’d risked her life so that people she’d never even met could live more safely. Laurel lived her life in a little cubbyhole so no one could hurt her.

“You never had the security and unconditional love that most kids take for granted,” Scott continued. “You never had anyone believe in you, love you, simply because you were theirs, yet that didn’t stop you from believing in love. In spite of a lifetime of rejection, you reached out when love came your way. You embraced it with everything you had. Most people would never have dared take that risk.”

Laurel could have argued with him, but he’d just made her feel good in a day that had been nothing but bad.

* * *

EVEN THOUGH THEY’D knocked and found no one home at Dennis Arnett’s house, neither Scott nor Laurel returned to the Blazer. Instead, they walked slowly around the premises, searching for anything they might have overlooked on their first visit.

“Let’s go over here,” Laurel said, heading toward the abandoned side of the building.