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I grinned, even though she couldn't see me. "A woman after my own heart. "
Through the phone, I heard Bria typing on her keyboard. She was at the police station, and as soon as I'd told her Clementine's name and description, she'd started searching for information on the giant.
"Here she is. Clementine Barker. Fifty-eight. Lives on Bear Hollow Road. Head of Barker Industries. Private security firm offering personal and corporate protection. I'm looking at the company website right now . . . " Bria let out a low whistle. "Wow. It looks like she's hired at least fifty, sixty giants in the last few weeks, judging from all the announcements on their press page. "
"She actually put all her new hires on her website?"
"Yep," Bria said. "She's got up photos and bios listing all of the giants' credentials. "
"Well, that would certainly fit in with the rah-rah-giants speech she gave in the rotunda earlier. "
I told Bria what Clementine had said about getting her crew together so the giants could finally take what should have been theirs all along from the museum and everyone at the gala. When I finished, Bria hit some more buttons on her computer.
"No arrests on record for Clementine or her daughter, Opal," Bria continued. "But it looks like her nephew has had more than a few brushes with the law. Dixon Barker: bar fights, drunk and disorderlies, even an assault charge he managed to skate on a few months ago. "
"Oh, yes," I said. "I've seen Dixon. He's a real Prince Charming. "
"As for Clementine, it looks like she's kept her nose clean, although there have been several complaints filed against her, her company, and her employees for assault, intimidation, things like that. She's also been questioned in a couple of murders. Seems like a few folks that Clementine was providing protection to died under mysterious, violent circumstances on her watch. "
"You mean that she helped them along herself. Or got a better offer from someone else to eliminate her clients. "
Bria snorted. "I'd say that's a distinct possibility from the autopsy photos I'm looking at right now. Most of the victims were beaten to death. No weapons were ever recovered, so I'd say Clementine used her fists on them. Nothing's stuck, though. Seems like Clementine has enough money and clout to get herself out of most scrapes. That, or she's paid off enough of the right people in the police department to make some of the more serious unpleasantness simply go away. "
I nodded. That sounded exactly like something Clementine would do, given what I'd seen here tonight.
"So what do you need me to do?" Bria asked.
"Grab Xavier and get out here," I said. "Just you two. I don't want a whole bunch of cops showing up, sirens blaring, and spooking the robbers before I'm ready. Also, track down Jo-Jo. Finn had said that she was on a date with Cooper tonight. I couldn't tell how badly Phillip was injured, but at the very least, he's lost a lot of blood, and I want her to be able to heal him just as soon as it's safe. "
"I'm waving Xavier over here right now. I'll call Jo-Jo and tell her to get out there as soon as she can. I'll text you when Xavier and I are on the island. "
"Good," I said. "I've disarmed the rune trap on the bridge, but I'd still leave your car on the mainland side and cross on foot. After the two of you are on the island, stay in the gardens and move through them. That should keep you and Xavier away from any giants who might be patrolling the museum perimeter. I'm going inside right now to get Owen away from Clementine and her men. Once I have him, we'll head to the gardens on the west side of the island. Clementine's set up some cell-phone jammers inside the museum, so if I miss your text or don't respond, you and Xavier work your way through the gardens to that part of the island. That's where we'll meet. "
"See you there. " Bria hesitated again. "And, Gin?"
"Yeah?"
"Watch your back. "
The concern in her voice warmed my heart. It always amazed me how far our relationship had come in the months since Bria had returned to Ashland. How we'd gone from suspicion, anger, and mistrust to understanding, acceptance, and respect.
"Don't worry, baby sister. I always do. "
* * *
I hung up with Bria, silenced my phone and clipped it to my belt, and closed the trunk on the Aston Martin. Then I grabbed the bomb and carefully set it on top of the smooth metal lid so I could study the cluster of wires and figure out which buttons to push to turn the attached cell phone into a timer that would trigger the device.
While I worked, I also turned up the volume on my stolen walkie-talkie. Clementine had trained her crew well, because there was no unnecessary chatter clogging up the airwaves. Just brief bursts of conversation about the giants moving from one room to the next, stripping all of the art from the floors and walls, and loading it up.
"The first truck is full," Dixon said at one point. "We'll have to open the second one now. "
"Roger that," Opal responded. "I've got the rest of the jewelry loaded into the other two cases and ready for transport. "
Once again, I wondered where exactly the giants were stashing the jewelry, but it didn't really matter. I didn't care about the gems and what became of them - only what happened to my friends and the rest of the hostages.
After that . . . silence, as the giants continued with their various tasks. I'd just found the command to program the cell-phone timer when the walkie-talkie crackled again.
"Anton?" Clementine's voice filled the air. "You and Hannah back inside the museum yet?"
