“She likes to think she’s spiritually minded, though instead of falling into new age, she tends toward ‘prepare thyself to be devoured.’ ‘We shall all be atoms within atoms.’ And somehow she gets other people to eat that crap up.”
Jesse straightened and came closer to Ronald. “She’s said that phrase? ‘Atoms within atoms’?”
“One of her freaking mantras.” Ronald wiped his brow again. “She’s been saying it since she got obsessed with Toothy as a kid.”
“Toothy the statue?” Bryce asked.
“Yeah. Why are you asking me these questions? I thought you weren’t involved anymore,” Ronald said. “Why bring in a consultant? Did something happen?”
Bryce usually lied when a civilian asked him that question. From Ronald’s demeanor and questions, Bryce doubted he had anything to do with the ongoing case. The best way to keep him safe would be to keep him out of the way.
Only that clearly didn’t work every time. Jesse was living proof, and he was watching Bryce closely. Their cover story put Jesse in charge, but Jesse waited for Bryce’s signal.
They’d gotten this far following Jesse’s rushed approach. Bryce said, “A suspect was arrested.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?” Ronald said.
“He was stealing another statue. The one in the museum, practically identical to your sister’s.”
“An attempt was made on mine?” Ronald asked.
“Yours?” Jesse said.
“Grandfather made three of them, but insisted they were never together. He left one to my aunt, and two to my father who passed on one to me and one to Renee.” Ronald had to wipe away more sweat. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Bryce held perfectly still, trying to silence the sudden alarm bell that went off in his head. Pieces were whirring into place. Renee’s unconcerned attitude after the robbery, how Alex noted she was pissed off at someone. In Jesse’s recounting of events, Lawson had mentioned the phraseatoms within atoms.
“Does Renee have any dealings with Crowley Construction?” Bryce asked.
“Not that I know of.”
Alex lifted a photo off a table. It was one of a group from Megan and Ronald’s wedding. In it, Megan and Renee were smiling for the camera, arms linked together. “How well do Megan and Renee get along?”
“They’ve been best friends since middle school,” Ronald replied.
“I’ve got a more important question,” Jesse said. “How long have you felt like shit?”
“Just this morning. I’ll feel better when I can go lie down.”
“Mr. Valless, you should get your driver or your butler to drive you to the hospital. Now,” Jesse said. “We’ll take you if you want, but you should go.”
“Why?” Ronald said.
“Because if I was about to open a gate to another dimension in order to end the world and I didn’t have any qualms about murdering people, I sure as shit would poison my husband.”
Bryce hungup the phone after updating Bonnell. He stayed where he was, leaning against his car, while Jesse continued to slowly pace and Alex sat on the hood. The car carting Ronald Valless away took off down the drive, presumably toward a hospital. Bryce hoped so. If Ronald couldn’t trust his staff, the situation was more dire than they’d thought, and it was already getting bad.
“So, are we in trouble?” Alex asked.
Jesse slowed his pacing even more.
“No,” Bryce said. “Bonnell’s not happy, but after she checked on the statue in Boston, she realized we’ve got bigger problems.”
“Statue’s gone?” Jesse asked.
Bryce nodded.
Jesse swore under his breath and went back to pacing, faster this time. Each stride was long, as if, even though he moved on the same path, he might reach somewhere new if he tried hard enough.
