Blake didn’t respond. He didn’t even act like he’d heard him.
Charles tried not to panic. It wasn’t like his dad to be so indecisive. “All right. We’ll talk about it when your sisters arrive,” he said.
Blake leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.
A few minutes later Charles heard footsteps on the stairs and promptly poured Aunt Fiona a shot of whiskey, neat, and Aunt Nita a glass of wine. They were going to need it.
Fiona was fresh from a massage and still in her dressing gown as she sauntered into the library.
Nita was still in a state of defiance, and was experimenting with makeup and hair color. She looked ghastly to Charles, but since he was still pissed off at her, he was secretly pleased that she looked like a tramp.
“What’s going on?” Fiona asked, and then frowned when Charles handed her the whiskey.
Nita took the wine without comment, but her senses were on alert. Blake looked like shit, and the air was so charged with energy she could feel it. “Blake? What’s happening?” she asked.
“Dad doesn’t feel well,” Charles said. “Uncle Jack has been arrested for that man’s murder. The authorities have video proof of him going into the lake house to get the rifle, then bringing it back and cleaning it later.”
Fiona moaned and covered her face.
Nita frowned.
“There was video equipment set up at the lake house?” she asked.
Charles shrugged. “It seems so.”
“Did you know?” she asked.
Charles rolled his eyes. “Hardly.”
Nita downed her wine like it was water and then set the glass down so hard it shattered.
“You know he did that,” she muttered.
Charles’s shoulders slumped. She was talking about Andrew, saying that Andrew had been the one who turned their uncle in. “Yes.”
“Well, shit,” Nita said. “Why didn’t he try to blackmail us with it? He knows we would have paid.”
“Maybe he was afraid it would shorten his life,” Charles muttered, thinking of the people recently targeted by the family.
Nita sighed. “Who knew the slick bastard had a streak of honesty? But more to the point, where does this leave us?”
“I don’t know, but I need you to see to Dad. I have to go call the lawyer and let him know Uncle Jack has been arrested.”
The sisters looked at each other and then at their brother.
“What’s wrong with him?” Fiona said.
“He just quit talking,” Charles said, and headed to the office to make the call.
*
It was late in the evening.
The Pharaoh brothers were gone. Jesse was feeding the chickens, and Bowie was at the barn when Constable Riordan drove up to the Youngblood home.
Leigh was in the kitchen making supper, and Talia was in the living room, stretched out on the sofa and looking out the window. “Leigh! Someone just drove up!” she called.
Leigh wiped her hands and turned down the fire on the chicken she was frying. She saw the vehicle through the window and recognized the constable’s car.
“It’s Constable Riordan,” she said, and hurried to open the door just as he began to knock. “Good evening,” she said.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Youngblood. I know it’s late in the evening for a house call, but I have some important information.”
“Come in,” Leigh said, and then introduced Talia. “Constable Riordan, you remember Talia Champion.”
Riordan nodded at Talia. “Yes, I do, and may I say how happy I am to see you alive and healing,” he said.
“I don’t remember your help in rescuing me, but I am very grateful,” she said.
“Have a seat,” Leigh said.
“No, no, I won’t stay that long, but Chief Clayton and I both agreed that it was only proper that you hear this news from one of us. And since I was on my way back to the office, I volunteered.”
The back door slammed, and then they heard footsteps moving quickly through the house.
“That’s Bowie,” Leigh said, with a smile. “He enters and exits a house just like his daddy.”
“What’s going on?” Bowie asked.
“I came to tell you that we arrested the man who killed Stanton today. He confessed after the fact, but it didn’t matter. We have proof.”
Leigh’s chin came up, as if she was bracing herself for yet one more blow. “So it wasn’t Justin after all.”
“No, ma’am, it was Jack Wayne.”
Leigh blinked. It was her only physical reaction.
Bowie felt blindsided. He’d laid the steak knife they’d taken away from Justin across that man’s plate. It was a good thing he hadn’t known then. He would probably have put it in his back, instead.
“Did he say why?” Leigh asked.