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He nodded. "So am I, man. She was going to take her medication. Allergy medication. She didn't want to take it with tap water so she was going to the greenroom for a bottle of Evian. She was just standing in the wrong place. Hell of a thing."
"I feel for her kids," I said. "I've done the orphan thing. It sucks."
Jake nodded. "I don't know how they'll get on without their mom," he said. "Not like I have much experience, either. But I can't be such a lousy father that they qualify as orphans."
I blinked for a second and then said, "You wanted to settle down once, you said."
"Yeah. But Emma decided she wouldn't have me."
I nodded. "You going to keep acting?"
"Oh, hell, no," he said. "Silverlight is gonna blacklist me like everyone else. And I can't do that and go to PTA and stuff. I got another job lined up."
"Yeah?" I asked. "What?"
"Dude, me and Bobby are gonna to start up a consulting business. Feng shui."
I had no problem with that.
Next I went with Thomas up to the Raith family homestead north of town. This time we went in the front doors. There were a new pair of bodyguards at the door. They weren't twins, and they didn't have that numb, mindlessly obedient glaze in their eyes. They had evidently been chosen for skill and experience. I was betting on former marines.
"Welcome, Mister Raith," one of the guards said. "Your sister requests that you join her for breakfast in the east garden."
They both stood there waiting to fall in around us, so it didn't exactly come off like an invitation, but from the attention, they might have been as concerned with protecting us as watching us. Thomas took the lead by half a step, and I fell in on his right. I was quite a bit taller than him, but his expression had taken on a confidence and sense of purpose I hadn't seen in him before, and our feet hit the floor in time with one another.
The guards accompanied us out into a truly gorgeous terraced garden, a number drawn straight from the Italian Renaissance, with faux ruins, ancient statues of the gods, and a design overgrown enough to prevent seeing much at a time, the better to spend more time exploring. At the top of the highest terrace was a table made of fine metal wire twisted into looping designs, with matching chairs spread around it. A light breakfast was laid out on the table, heavier on the fruits and juices than was my habit. But then, my habit was usually to eat any leftovers from dinner for breakfast first.
Lara sat at the table, wearing white clothing accented with embroidered red roses. Her hair was drawn back into a loose tail, and she rose to greet us both with outstretched hands.
"Thomas," she said. "And Harry."
"Sis," Thomas replied. "Should I assume from our greeting that there's been a change of management?"
She took her seat again, and Thomas joined her. I took a seat opposite him, so that I could watch his back, and I didn't spare any energy for false smiles. I didn't want Lara to think that we were going to be buddies now, and I suck at faking them anyway.
Lara took in my gaze, her own eyes calculating behind the smile. "Oh, it's just the usual little family spat," she said. "I'm sure Father is going to be angry with me for a while and will forget all about it."
"And if he doesn't?" Thomas asked.
Lara's smile grew a little sharper. "I'm sure he will." She took a sip of orange juice. "Unfortunately, Thomas, I don't know if he's going to be as forgiving to you."
Thomas inhaled sharply.
"I'm sorry," Lara said. She looked like she meant it.
"You're turning your back on him?" I asked. "On your brother."
Lara lifted a hand. "I do not want to, but my father's antagonism with Thomas is well known. If I am to maintain the fiction that my father is in control of his House, Thomas cannot remain. I'm not going to have you removed, of course, Thomas. But I do have to cut you off. You no longer enjoy the protection of House Raith-in any overt sense, in any case. And I am truly sorry for it."
"The twins," he said. "They put you up to this. They wanted me gone."
"Madrigal did," Lara confirmed. "Madeline didn't particularly care, but she has always indulged his tantrums. And simply put, I needed their support more than I did yours."
Thomas took another deep breath and nodded. "Things might change later."
"I hope so," Lara said. "But for now, there is nothing else I can do. Don't approach me openly again, Thomas. Don't visit. Don't claim Raith as your home. Lose the credit cards, and don't try to touch your accounts. You've got something tucked away?"
"A little," he said. "The money doesn't matter."
Lara set her orange juice down and leaned back in her seat. "But Justine does," she said.
"Yes. Madrigal would love to get his hands on her."
"He won't," she responded. "I swear it to you, Thomas, that I will keep her safe with me. I can do that much for you, at least."
Something eased out of Thomas's shoulders. "How is she?"
"Distant," Lara said. "Very vague and distracted. But happy, I think. She speaks of you at times."
"You'll..." His face twisted in distaste.
"Actually, no," Lara said.
Thomas frowned at her.
"Why don't you go see her," Lara suggested, and nodded toward a lower portion of the garden, where I could see Justine, in her wheelchair, sketching something on a pad across her lap.
Thomas rose like a shot, then visibly forced himself to slow down, and went down the winding path to the girl, leaving me alone with Lara.
"He really doesn't belong here, you know," she said. "Like Inari."
"How is she?"
"In traction," Lara said. "In a room with her boyfriend at the hospital. He isn't in much better shape. They're always talking, laughing." She sighed. "It's got all the signs of love. I spoke to her, as we agreed I would do. I don't think Inari will be one of us after all. She said something about doing feng shui in California."
"I didn't know she knew martial arts," I said.
Lara smiled a little, watching Thomas. He was kneeling beside Justine, looking at her sketches and talking. She looked weak but delighted, like when they take terminal kids to Disneyland on those talk shows. It warmed the heart at the same time it wrenched it. I didn't like the way it made me feel.
"Just to be up-front with you, Lara," I said, "I don't trust you."
She nodded. "Good."
"But we've got a hostage crisis on our hands."
"Of what sort?"
"Family secrets. You know mine about Thomas."
Her eyes were unreadable. "Yes. And you know about my father."
"If you spout off about Thomas, I spout off about your dad. We both lose. So I think it would be best if we agreed to truce of mutual honesty. You don't have to like me. Or agree with me. Or help me. But be honest and you'll get the same from me. If I'm about to go hostile, I'll tell you that our truce is over. You do the same. It's good for both of us."
She nodded slowly and then said, "Your word on it then?"
"My word. Yours?"
"Yes. You have my word."
We both tucked into breakfast then, in silence.
Half an hour later Thomas rose, leaned down, and brushed his lips against Justine's cheek. He stood up rather abruptly, then turned and hurried away with tense, pained motions. He didn't look back. As he approached, I got a good look at his face.
His lips were burned and blistered. He walked past us as if we weren't there, his eyes distant.
"He was always a romantic." Lara sighed. "She's protected. The little idiot should never have let himself feel so much for prey. It was that last time together that did it, I imagine."
"Had to go both ways."
"Greater love hath no man," Lara agreed.
We left. Thomas and I got into the Beetle and I asked him, "You okay?"
His head was bowed. He didn't say anything.
"I asked after Inari," I said.
His eyes moved toward me, though he didn't lift his head.
"She's in traction. And she's in love. Gonna be weeks before she and Bobby are going to get to do anything. No crimes of passion."
"She's free," Thomas said.
