Page 31 of Ghosts

“Let me see.” She held out a hand that wasn’t quite steady. He placed the picture on her palm and Rayne leaned forward. A second later her jaw tightened as she slowly lifted her head to meet his worried gaze. “Yes. That’s her.”

“Why would Nat have a picture of your mother?”

“I think this was taken the day she arrived in Austria for our graduation,” she told him.

Niko arched a brow. “How can you know?”

“I remember the dress.”

“It’s . . . distinctive,” Niko agreed.

“My mother has never been known for her modesty,” Rayne said dryly.

“Why was she at the fountain?”

“She was probably headed back to her hotel in Salzburg.” Rayne furrowed her brow, visibly trying to recall the events of the day. “She’d stopped by before breakfast, which was weird.”

“Why would that be weird?”

“She hates getting up early.” Rayne’s expression was distracted. “But I assumed she hadn’t gone to bed after the flight. She brought me my graduation present. And then . . . oh.”

Niko leaned toward her. “What?”

“She brought Nat a gift as well. I remember being surprised.” She grimaced as Niko sent her a confused frown. “To be honest, my mother and your sister never really liked each other. Nat thought my mom was a selfish bitch, and my mom thought Nat was too opinionated.” She shrugged. “They were both right.”

Niko couldn’t argue about Nat being overly opinionated. Their mother said she’d started arguing the minute she came out of the womb.

“What was the gift?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Nat took the package and put it in her desk. She had a strange smile on her face. It was . . .” Rayne struggled for the right word. “Triumphant,” she finally said. “I meant to ask her about the gift later, but there was so much going on, it slipped my mind.”

Niko tried to imagine why Tami Taylor Jefferson would bring his sister a present. A girl she didn’t even like. And why had his sister hurried to take a photo of Tami as she left the school grounds?

There was one explanation that would answer both questions.

“Do you think the gift was the five thousand dollars that my sister gave to Henri?”

Rayne’s face was pale, but with a grim determination she put the van into Drive and squealed out of the gas station.

“Let’s find out.”

CHAPTERNINE

Rayne parked across from her mother’s mansion and drew in a deep breath. She’d hoped it would steady her nerves. It was a wasted effort. Coming to this place was always stressful. And that was when she wasn’t about to confront her mother.

Even worse, her mind was in a tangle of confusion. On one hand, she knew that Niko was right. Everything pointed toward Tami Taylor Jefferson somehow being involved in the events leading to Nat’s death. On the other, she couldn’t imagine how the two could possibly be connected.

It wasn’t like Nat ever came to stay with her in Chicago. And Tami wasn’t friendly with the Scantlin family. How could their paths have crossed?

Rayne was jerked out of her thoughts as Niko unhooked his seat belt, obviously preparing to join her. She reached out to grab his arm.

“Wait.”

He sent her a puzzled glance. “What’s wrong?”

She grimaced. He wasn’t going to like this. “I think I should speak to Tami alone.”

“Why?”

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