Dark Impulse Ch. 20

With a raised eyebrow, David glanced at his friend as he waited.

"Obviously she's going to learn the news now."

* * *

The Cloisters

Grace walked through the Cuxa Cloister garden, taking in the fresh air and late morning sunlight in the hopes that they would somehow renew her spirit after it had nearly been torn apart from the experience of seeing Gabriel again after so long.

She sat down on a nearby bench and closed her eyes, remembering the feelings of yearning that had stirred within her when he had taken her into his arms. The look in his eyes when she accused him of having an ulterior motive for seeking her out, and that his talk of love was nothing but smoke and mirrors to confuse and trap her.

He said that I couldn't be more wrong. My God, why do I always have to feel like a lovesick teenager around him? Why can't I just resist him and get on with my life?

She felt a burning sensation behind her closed lids as her conscience intervened, whispering to her in a loving tone.You know why. You know what you must do.

Grace jumped as her cell phone rung, interrupting her thoughts. "Hello?"

She heard the sound of a man clearing his throat. "Darling, it's me. David."

She suddenly felt as if all her blood had turned to ice, her heart pumping in vain. She exhaled slowly. "David, you startled me. Thank goodness that you're all right."

"For the most part, yes." He paused for a moment before he continued in a low voice.

"Grace, I... the events of the weekend have forced me to seriously consider our situation and what the future holds for us. You were constantly in my thoughts."

She sighed, clutching the phone tighter. "I thought of you also. I was so afraid for you, and I felt incredibly guilty for not dropping everything and flying over there at the first opportunity."

David clicked his tongue in disagreement. "No, you did the right thing by not coming. It's a media circus here; I wouldn't want you or Rafe to be exposed to such scrutiny."

Grace brought a hand to her temple, trying to massage away the tension which seemed to reside permanently beneath the skin, flesh and bone.

"What else did you want to say?"

She heard him take a deep breath. "I've been thinking about what you said to me on the phone two nights ago. I couldn't think of anything else. Amazing Grace..."

David bit his lip hard, hating the way his voice wavered.

"I have loved you since the moment I first laid eyes on you that day on the mountain, and I will love you until the day I die. Grace, I know how deeply unhappy you are, and even though everything in me screams to hold on, I couldn't do that to you. You win, my love. I'll give you a divorce as soon as I return."

Grace clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound that threatened to escape the confines of her throat. She felt a mixture of shock and worry, but mostly relief.

Hot tears trailed down her face, ruining her carefully applied mascara.

Joy at an impending divorce. How odd that must seem, but that's how I feel.

She sobbed quietly into the phone. "Oh, David. Thank you."

A tear ran down David's cheek as his voice hardened.

"There's something that I want in return."

Grace dabbed at her face with a tissue, a cold feeling growing in her stomach.

"Which is?"

David glanced at Liam, whose expression was unreadable as he stared back.

He returned his attention to the phone. "It concerns the masquerade gala. I don't need to tell you how important this event is. I would greatly appreciate it if the decision to terminate our marriage is kept under wraps until after the party. This means that I'd like for you to perform a masquerade of your own, my dear. Pretend to be a loving wife, that's all that I ask. Support me and stand beside me in the public eye."

She considered his words and decided that it was a small price to pay for her freedom. One night of press coverage, playing a happy couple for the cameras.

What could possibly go wrong?

"All right, David. I'll do it."

"Thank you, Grace. This means a lot to me. I'll ask the doctor to release me as soon as possible so I can come home, hopefully tomorrow..."

Grace's eyes widened. "Doctor? Where are you now?"

"I'm in the hospital, darling. I was in pretty bad shape when I was found."

The cold sensation in her stomach multiplied. "My God, what happened to you?"

"I don't want to get into it again. I'm sure the news channels will show my press conference ad nauseum for the rest of the day. Where are you?"

Grace stood from the bench and began to pace. "I'm at the Cloisters. Something happened at the university and I needed to go somewhere where I could think."

David frowned. "What happened? Was anyone hurt?"

Her teeth clenched as she glared at the phone before returning it to her ear.

"Yes.I was hurt beyond belief. I felt betrayed, disappointed that my husband would stoop so low as to have my office completely destroyed for certain items that weren't on the premises."

He flinched at the hot anger in her voice. "Poppet, I have no idea what you're talking about."

At his words, Grace threw her head back and laughed bitterly. "You don't? Maybe you should ask those apes that work for you what I mean. I'm as certain that you sent them on a search and destroy mission for the shirt as I am about my own name."

He shuddered hard as his mind raced.

"Why would I do something like that, Grace? You told me that you burned it, so why would I be so distrusting and resentful of you to do something so malicious?"

She was silent, and David pushed on.

"Did you lie to me before when you said you incinerated the shirt?"

Her throat was as dry as a desert, but she managed to reply. "Yes."

David ran a hand over his face. "Why?"

"Because I was afraid of you. I still am."

"And what did you hope to gain from keeping these items that could send me to prison for the rest of my life? Or execute me if I'm sent to Texas for the trial? This isn't a game, Grace. This is my life!"

Grace licked her lips nervously.

"All I wanted was security, some leverage in case you didn't agree to a divorce."

He leaned forward in the hospital bed. "Well, I have agreed to it and I give you my word that I will follow through. Please dispose of the evidence as soon as possible."

She briefly thought of Mosely. "I'll be rid of it by this time tomorrow, I promise."

David heard a noise in the room and looked up to see Liam opening the door for the Scotland Yard inspector. He returned his attention to the phone.

"Good. I have to let you go now, Grace. I have one more favor to ask of you."

"Yes?"

His eyes narrowed. "Wear your blasted wedding ring for once."

* * *

David returned the phone to its cradle and directed his attention to the inspector.

"What can I do for you, Inspector Chambers?"

The portly man stepped closer to the hospital bed, his face pale.

"I apologize for interrupting your rest, Mr. Anami, but I have alarming news."

David's brow creased at the other man's words. "Yes?"

"Your associate, Colin Westbridge, was found dead less than half an hour ago."

David gasped in shock. "What? Oh my God! How did this happen?"

Chambers tilted his head, regarding Anami's reaction. It seemed genuine.

"I will tell you, but first I must ask both of you a few questions."

David's gaze went over the inspector's shoulder to rest on Liam, who was silent.

He met Chambers' eyes again. "Go ahead."

The inspector cleared his throat. "When was the last time you saw Westbridge?"

"Saturday afternoon."

Chambers scribbled in his notebook. "He never confided in you about any problems, personal or financial?"

David shook his head. "Colin wasn't exactly the type to open up to others in regard to his private affairs, and even if he was I would have been the very last person with whom he would have discussed them."

Chambers raised an eyebrow. "Why, exactly?"

Liam spoke up. "Because he hated Mr. Anami as well as myself, Inspector. He deeply resented the fact that he had to sell his business to David, and he didn't exactly keep his hostility toward us a secret. The man was a troublemaker, pure and simple."

Chambers turned around, facing Liam.

"Let's move on to you, Mr. Kilpatrick. You were seen arguing with Westbridge today in the cafeteria. Would you care to tell me what the two of you were discussing?"

Liam's eyes darkened, flashed. "I'd be glad to. Colin approached me in his usual hateful manner and taunted me, saying that he knew the identity of the man who sent the death threat."

The inspector's eyes widened. "What happened next?"

The Irishman sighed. "Westbridge wanted money from David in exchange for the information, and I lost my temper. I asked him if he was the one behind it all, the hate mail and Cooper's death. He just smiled at me, and I wanted to throttle him. I forced myself to cool down and I told Colin that I would pass the message to David."

David's eyes narrowed at Liam. "This is the first I've heard of this, Inspector."

Liam looked back at David, his eyes apologetic.

"The opportunity never came up, mate. Believe me. All our energy was focused on the press conference. I was going to tell you when the time was right."

David leaned back, his cloudy gray eyes meeting and warring with stormy blue. "'When the time is right,' you say. Now he's dead, along with his secrets."

Chambers was uncomfortable with the sudden tension in the air.

"Mr. Kilpatrick, where were you this afternoon?"

Liam studied the inspector closely.

"I was in one of the hospital offices, making phone calls. There is a nurse on duty who can verify that, Inspector, in case you're making any assumptions. What's more, there was a point when I called Westbridge's home and spoke with him."

Chambers wrote more notes. "About?"

Liam crossed his arms. "The conversation involved a business meeting that had to be canceled because Anami was missing. I called to ask Colin if it was possible to reschedule."

"What time was this?"

Liam thought for a moment. "Five minutes past four. We spoke very briefly, and by the end of the call he sounded rather rattled."

"By what, do you think?"

A wry smile appeared on Liam's lips. "I have no idea. Inspector, it is quite obvious where this line of questioning is going, and you're clearly wasting your time. I have been here at the hospital since 6:30 this morning, and I haven't left. My presence here will be fully accounted for once you ask the staff, I'm sure."

Chambers closed his notebook and returned it to his coat pocket.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Kilpatrick, since I know that neither you or Mr. Anami could have been involved. I received information a few moments ago about the state of the body and Westbridge's home, and everything suggests that he committed suicide. The police found vast amounts of cocaine on the premises, his wrists were violently slashed with the same razor blade that was used for the drug, and there are witnesses in the building across the street that clearly saw him jump to his death."

Liam snorted in disgust. "Well that's a bit over the top, even for him."

David looked at Chambers. "Poor Kitty. Was she the one to find the body?"

The inspector nodded grimly.

"Mrs. Westbridge returned home soon afterward to find several police officers surrounding the scene. She saw her husband, bloody and broken on the pavement."

David shook his head sadly. "Thank you for informing us, Inspector."

"I apologize again for bearing such news during your recovery. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Inspector Chambers." Liam smiled as he opened the door for him to leave. Once the older man had left the room, Liam leaned against the closed door and whispered under his breath, "And good riddance."

David stared at his heart rate monitor as he heard an incensed Liam sit once more in the chair.

"Can you believe the gall of that man? He knew all along that it was a suicide, but he singled me out for his twisted amusement! 'Where were you at the time of the murder, Mr. Kilpatrick?' As if this was some bloody cheap paperback mystery!"

He raised a hand to silence Liam. "What did Westbridge actually say to you?"

Liam loosened his tie, leaning back in the chair with a sigh. "He wanted to blackmail you, David. He said that he saw what happened to Cooper that night, and he wanted ten million pounds by tomorrow or he would go to the police."

David was silent for a moment. "And what happened during the phone call?"

"I challenged him, threatened him. I knew that he was lying about seeing everything. No one could have possibly known such things, David. What I told Chambers was true; we did talk very briefly, and Westbridge was definitely afraid when the call ended."

David frowned at his friend. "And then he slit his wrists and threw himself off a building."

Liam shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes cool.

"After doing half the coke in South America? Apparently so."

"Why would someone do that? Make a threat and then kill himself?"

Liam stood up and leaned over the bed, his face just inches from David's.

"Who cares? That's one less vindictive asshole that we have to deal with, mate. If he did indeed know something, as you said before, his secrets are dead now."

David looked up at his oldest friend, and for the first time he felt as if he didn't know him at all.

"That's a rather cold way of looking at the situation, isn't it?"

Liam pulled away and walked toward the door.

"Where Westbridge is concerned, it's the only way. I certainly won't miss the bastard, and considering the extremely ill will he had for us, neither should you. Now enough talk on this unpleasant subject; I'm going to seek out the doctor and see about getting you released tomorrow. Cheer up, man! We're going home soon!"

He left the room, leaving David to stare at the door after him.

Yes, but what will happen to home once we return?