Spirit Bound - Christine Feehan [107]
“The pictures are sent to a guard at a prison in France. That guard delivers them to Jean-Claude La Roux.” Volstov said the name expectantly.
“That name mean something to you, Aleksandr?” Jonas asked with a small frown.
“He was convicted of running guns some five years ago, but was suspected of everything from espionage to murder. Anyone in his way disappeared. Twice, Interpol agents investigating him disappeared, but no one could connect him.”
Jonas shook his head. “I’ll finish up here and talk to Judith. See if she knows this man or if she has any idea why a criminal in France would want her photograph. Take Shariton to the hospital and get him help for that wrist. Book him on felony assault with deadly a weapon and felony negligent discharge of a firearm. We can add anything else we need to later.”
It took what seemed like forever to answer all the questions and recover two of the five bullets fired. One was in a tree trunk, the second in the branch of the same tree. The others were impossible to recover, although Jonas made a thorough inspection of the area. He interrogated them again, both separately and together, dropping seemingly inane questions into the conversation designed, Stefan knew, to trip either of them up. He had interrogated more people than he’d ever want to admit to and knew the tactics.
Stefan just wanted everyone gone. He had no problem maintaining his role as American businessman Thomas Vincent, but all the same, he was happy enough that the sharp-eyed Volstov had left before he could inspect Stefan too closely.
Aleksandr Volstov had quite the reputation as a police detective and Interpol agent. What was the man doing in Sea Haven? Had he been friends with Ilya? There would be no talking with Judith tonight, not with the sheriff heading to her house to interview her.
What would she tell him about her relationship with Thomas Vincent? Any way he looked at it, she wasn’t going to welcome him with open arms again. He was going to have to crawl back and find a loophole or two to get her to even listen to him.
13
JEAN-CLAUDE La Roux.
Judith stood at the door watching Jonas walk back to his squad car, her entire body numb, the color draining from her face. For the longest time her mind refused to work. She just stared out into the night, shocked, guilt-ridden and afraid. She’d put everyone she loved in danger. Jean-Claude was capable of anything.
She had never really been rid of him, not when he haunted her every night, invading dreams to turn them into nightmares. She would never truly be rid of him, but to know he was keeping tabs on her . . . paying someone to send him pictures for the last five years was truly frightening.
And Thomas. What about Thomas? She was crazy about him. It had happened too fast. Burned too hot. Of course it wasn’t real. And if it was real, if there was a good explanation for everything, she couldn’t risk him. She wouldn’t risk him.
She couldn’t risk her sisters either. Jean-Claude had ordered the torture and murder of more men than just her brother and he was certainly capable of striking at Judith through her sisters. What was he planning? What did he want? She would have to leave. What else could she do? Her mind refused to answer questions, just ran everything together until nothing at all made sense to her.
A sob welled up and she pressed her hand to her mouth to keep from crying.
“Judith?”
Blythe’s voice effectively shredded any control she might have had. Judith flung herself into Blythe’s arms almost before her sister managed to reach the top of the stairs. Blythe caught her, steadied them both and just held her while she sobbed. Judith had no idea how long she cried, but when she looked up, she was surrounded by her sisters—all of them. Her heart expanded, landed in her throat and she cried more.
Blythe smoothed her long hair, murmuring soothing noises. “We’ll deal with it, honey. We will.