Smokescreen, page 15
The main electronic component was high tech, a miniaturized version of a computer motherboard. An adapter connected the main component to three cords. Fitting into those cords were the power source, the magnetic card that could feed into any credit card or ATM slot, and the flash drive that contained all of his ingenious programming. With all eight pieces intact, that programming could change the world in a matter of seconds.
Vernon understood that his supporters had given him financial backing as a way to advance their political agenda. Vernon didn’t care about their secondary objectives. He only cared that the Americans would take notice, that they would feel the pain of having their world come crumbling down around them the way his had so many months before.
He glanced over at his suitcases by the door, hating that recent events were forcing him to flee the home he had shared with his family. One suitcase held his basic necessities, the clothing and personal items he would need until he could return home. The other contained his memories, various photos and other reminders of what had been stolen from him.
A heavy sigh escaped him, and Vernon gathered the papers in front of him. With his worksheets in his hand, he stood and crossed to the fireplace in his living room. He picked up the matches off of the mantel and struck one to life. Then he held the flame to the corner of the papers he held and lowered them into the fireplace. He stared at the flames without seeing them, his entire focus already on what would come next.
* * *
The gallery manager, Evan Bridgeton, looked at the two photos on the work table in front of him. One of the paintings was of the cliffs in Ireland, and the other was of a sidewalk café in Paris. “These are the paintings that were stolen.”
“Stolen?” Quinn immediately straightened. “I thought they were destroyed in a fire.”
Evan shook his head. “That’s what we thought too, but the arson investigator and the police believe that a small fire was set to mask the theft.”
Quinn’s mind quickly readjusted to this new information. “How many paintings do you believe were stolen?”
“Only these two.”
“Wait a minute.” Taylor spoke now, her eyes wide. “You’re telling me that someone broke into a warehouse filled with valuable artwork and didn’t steal anything but my paintings?”
“That’s right.”
“How many other paintings were there in the warehouse?” she asked.
“Thousands,” Evan told her. “We’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“Why would someone go to so much trouble to steal my paintings?” Taylor asked. “And why these two? They don’t have anything in common.”
Quinn laid a hand on her shoulder. “Except that they were painted by you.”
Taylor sighed. “Yes, except for that.”
Evan picked up the two photos. “Can I keep these? The police will want copies.”
“That’s fine.”
“Thank you for coming in to help us sort this out. Thefts at our gallery are rare, so we take these matters very seriously.” Evan reached out and shook Taylor’s hand. “Felicia or I will be in touch as soon as we learn anything from the police.”
“Thanks,” Taylor said before turning to Quinn. “I still can’t believe this.”
“Don’t think about all of this now.” Quinn glanced at his watch. “Come on. We should have just enough time to make our train.”
“I thought we weren’t leaving until tomorrow.”
“Change of plans.” Quinn led her outside and then lifted his hand when he got to the curb. As soon as they were safely inside a taxi, he gave the driver the address of their hotel.
She looked at him, confused. “I thought you didn’t want to go straight back to the hotel.”
“It shouldn’t matter now,” Quinn told her, but still he shifted to look at the cars behind them.
“Okay,” Taylor said skeptically. “I’m trusting you.”
Quinn’s eyes came back to land on her. Then he reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Always a wise decision.”
* * *
He was bringing Taylor home to meet his parents. How was it that he had never thought of this trip in quite that way before? Quinn looked over at Taylor who was still blissfully unaware that they were taking the train to Alexandria instead of Williamsburg.
The train rolled into the DC station, and Taylor shifted, her eyes remaining closed as she continued to doze beside him. Quinn knew that she was exhausted, and he suspected that their trip to New York had only made it worse. After spending two nights in the same hotel suite with her, he knew that she was staying up late at night as though afraid to go to sleep. She was also prone to getting up at least once or twice during the early morning hours to make sure nothing had changed since she had gone to bed.
The fact that she had claimed that her time in New York was the best she had slept since Paris made him wonder exactly how much she had been sleeping while in Virginia. Maybe spending a couple of nights at his parents’ house would give her the chance to find some peace for a few days and some time to unwind. Of course, that was assuming that she could handle the inevitable questions and speculation from his family.
Until Quinn had purchased their tickets in New York, it hadn’t dawned on him that this would be the first time he’d brought a woman to his parents’ home since Emily. Now he wondered how Taylor would feel about the underlying meaning his family would read into this momentous event. At least his mother and sisters would recognize his visit with Taylor as momentous. His dad would probably just look at him in his quiet way, offer his unspoken understanding and support, and then welcome Taylor into their home.
As the train rumbled out of the DC station, Quinn pulled out his cell phone and sent his mom a text message to tell her that his train was on time. He had considered surprising her completely, but he didn’t think she would appreciate being caught unprepared for company. Not that Quinn had ever seen it happen, but he knew his mother. She loved to fuss over him, and she wouldn’t be happy if he denied her the opportunity.
Plus, from a purely selfish perspective, Quinn knew that by announcing his arrival, he was guaranteed to get some of his favorite meals over the next few days. He couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten a good pot roast.
As the train neared the station, Quinn put his hand on Taylor’s shoulder and shook her lightly. When she didn’t stir, he spoke softly. “Taylor. Wake up.”
She cracked one eye open. “Are we there already?”
“Yeah,” Quinn said as the train slowed and then gradually came to a stop. “This is our stop.”
Taylor shifted to sit up straighter, rolling her shoulders back to stretch. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep the whole way.”
“That’s okay. You needed it.” Quinn stood up and retrieved their luggage from the overhead bin. He led the way down the aisle and off of the train. As he expected, his mother was standing on the platform waiting for him.
“Quinn!”
“Hi, Mom.” Quinn glanced back at Taylor long enough to see the confused look on her face. Then his mother had his face in her hands and was pulling him toward her to kiss his cheek.
“Oh, it’s so good to have you home.” Eileen Lambert beamed at her son. Then her gaze shifted to the woman who had stepped beside him.
“Mom, this is the friend I was telling you about,” Quinn said and then looked at Taylor with a mischievous smile. “Taylor Palmetta, this is my mom, Eileen Lambert.”
Eileen reached for Taylor’s hand, grasping it with both of her own. “It’s so nice to meet you. I have heard so much about you from my boys and Riley.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Taylor smiled at her and then sent a chastising look at Quinn before turning her attention back to Eileen. “Riley speaks highly of you. And, of course, I already know that you must be a saint to have survived Quinn and Tristan as teenagers.”
“They definitely kept life interesting.” Eileen laughed. She motioned toward the stairs leading away from the platform. “Let’s get you home. I’m parked over this way.”
Quinn nudged Taylor forward and fell into step behind his mother. He leaned over and spoke quietly in Taylor’s ear. “By the way, we’re stopping in northern Virginia for a few days.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Oh really?”
“Do you mind?” Quinn asked, suddenly wondering if surprising her was such a good idea after all.
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“Is there any chance we can go eat at Red Hot & Blue?”
“How did you know there was a Red Hot & Blue up here?”
“One of my favorite art stores is down the street from there.” Taylor grinned at him. “And we have to go right by Arlington every time we go to the temple.”
Quinn laughed. “I suppose we can find time to eat out.”
“Then I’m sure we’ll get along just fine this weekend.”
“That’s all it takes, huh?” Quinn asked now. “Some good food and all is right in your world?”
“Pretty much,” Taylor nodded. “That and being somewhere that no one is following me.”
“Yeah, I thought that my parents’ house might have some advantages in that area of your life too.”
Taylor reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Thanks.”
Quinn winked at her. “Anytime.”
24
“You invited the whole family over?” Quinn asked his mother as Taylor stood at the kitchen counter slicing a tomato for the hamburgers he and his father were preparing to grill.
“Of course I invited everyone.” Eileen nodded. “When was the last time you saw your sisters?”
“Debbie came down for Labor Day weekend.”
“And she spent most of her time on the beach while you were working.” Eileen picked up a plate of raw hamburger patties and passed them to Quinn. “Make sure to tell your dad that Taylor wants hers well done.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Quinn took the plate from her, glanced over at Taylor and then headed outside onto the deck where his father was heating up the grill.
“Quinn said all of your daughters live nearby?” Taylor asked once Quinn closed the door behind him.
Eileen stirred some mayonnaise into a bowl of potato salad and nodded. “We try to get together at least once every month or so, but any time Quinn or Tristan comes to town, it always turns into a family reunion.”
“I imagine they don’t get the chance to come home very often.”
“Some years are better than others.” She looked out the window at her husband and Quinn, a smile lighting her face. “My husband sure loves it when the boys are home. You can imagine how outnumbered he is the rest of the time.”
“Oh yeah,” Taylor laughed. “My dad’s been feeling that way for a while now. My brother is just finishing his mission in Brazil, and I think out of everyone, Dad is the most anxious to get him home.”
“Quinn was telling me that you’ve been living in Europe.”
Taylor nodded, a quick thrill whipping through her at the thought of Quinn telling his mother about her. She let her eyes wander to the two men outside. The scene was so all-American, the bond between the two men almost tangible. She looked over at Eileen, suddenly feeling a bit hesitant. “Do you think they’d mind if I sketched them?”
“I don’t see why they would.”
“I’ll be right back.” Taylor hurried into the living room and grabbed her bag, pulling her sketchbook and a pencil out as she came back into the kitchen. Dropping her bag on one of the kitchen chairs, she did a quick pencil sketch of Quinn’s father, complete with the spatula in one hand. The love and joy on his face was visible as he glanced over at his son. Quinn was leaning against the deck railing, his hands tucked into the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt and one foot crossed in front of the other. He was home in every sense of the word.
Taylor lost all track of time and of what Eileen was doing in the kitchen as she let her focus center on Quinn and his father. She finished one sketch and was considering starting a second when Quinn pushed away from the railing and headed for the door. Not sure how Quinn would feel about being her model of the moment, she closed her sketchbook and dropped it and her pencil into her bag as the back door slid open.
“Hey, Mom. Dad says he needs a clean plate to put the burgers on.”
Eileen handed him the platter that was already on the counter. “After you give that to your dad, I need you to get some napkins from downstairs.”
Quinn gave the plate to his dad and then motioned to Taylor. “Come on; I’ll show you Dad’s man cave.”
“Man cave?” Taylor asked curiously.
“Yeah.” Quinn opened a door off of the hallway and started down the stairs. “It’s where he goes to hide from all of the girls.”
“I’m surprised my dad never thought to do something like that.” Taylor laughed. She followed him into the basement where a big screen television was set up along with three recliners. “Are these other chairs for you and Tristan?”
“When we’re home.” Quinn grinned at her. “But we might make room for one more while you’re here.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, really.” Quinn reached for her hand and leaned down to kiss her.
In that moment, Taylor let herself believe that she was the center of his world. She could see her future, rich with adventure, family, and love. At the center of it all was Quinn. When he pulled back, Taylor smiled up at him. “Is that why you wanted me to come down here?”
Quinn grinned back at her. “I have a feeling we’re not going to get a lot of alone time this weekend, especially once my sisters get here.”
“In that case—” Taylor’s eyes sparked with mischief as she pulled him closer for another kiss.
Quinn held her close for a moment and then stared down at her. “You know, I like the way you think.”
Taylor laughed. “You’d better get those napkins before your mom comes down to get them herself.”
“She would too.” Quinn crossed the wide room and opened a door on the far side. A moment later he reemerged holding a package of napkins. “Let’s go see if the terrible trio has shown up yet.”
“Terrible trio?”
“Three girls sharing a single bathroom upstairs. Believe me, I’m lucky to have escaped with my sanity.”
“That must have been years ago.”
“And I’m still trying to recover.” Quinn led her back upstairs where the kitchen was now crowded with people.
“Look who’s returned,” one of them said as she hugged Quinn. “It’s the prodigal son.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Quinn smirked at her. Then he motioned to Taylor. “Taylor, this is my brother-in-law, Steve, and these are my sisters.” Quinn pointed at each as he rattled off their names. “Cassie, Debbie, and Wendy.”
“Nice to meet all of you,” Taylor said as she replayed the three names in her mind. Cassie, Debbie, and Wendy. Her thoughts quickly jumped to the conversation they’d had about his brotherly protectiveness. But just now, he didn’t name an Emily. She looked over at Quinn, her curiosity piqued. Who was Emily then? An old girlfriend maybe? Or a friend of the family? The way Quinn had mentioned her so casually at the train station a few days ago, she had just assumed Emily was one of his sisters.
Wendy took a step forward. “Quinn said that you’ve been living in Europe. That must have been incredible.”
“It was.” Taylor smiled at her.
“Did you visit Paris?” she asked. “I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“I did,” Taylor said, but before she could expand on her answer, Quinn nudged her toward the table.
“Come on. Let’s eat while it’s hot.” He pulled a chair out for Taylor. “If we wait to eat until after Wendy is done grilling you about Paris, we’ll all starve to death.”
“Very funny.” Wendy rolled her eyes and then lowered her voice and spoke as though her comment were only intended for Taylor. “He always gets grumpy when he’s hungry.”
“That would mean he’s always grumpy,” Debbie chimed in.
Quinn just shook his head and sent his father a pitying look. “How do you handle them all on your own, Dad? We’re completely outnumbered.”
“I don’t know why they pick on you, son,” David Lambert said as he approached the table. “They’re always nice to me.”
“Figures,” Quinn muttered.
“Come on. Everyone sit down.” Eileen carried the bowl of potato salad from the kitchen and set it down on the table.
Quinn waited for all of the women to sit down before he claimed the chair beside Taylor. The moment everyone was seated and the blessing on the food was said, Wendy started in on Taylor about Paris again.
“Was the Eiffel Tower incredible?” Wendy asked. “You must have gone there.”
“I did,” Taylor nodded. “I actually did a couple of paintings that had the Eiffel Tower in them.”
“Oh, I would love to see them.”
“Maybe we’ll take you with us to New York in January for Taylor’s showing,” Quinn said, as though it were already a given that he would accompany Taylor to the event.
Taylor instantly smiled, unable to deny the pleasure that surged through her as Quinn spoke of a future that included her.
“That would be so cool!” Wendy’s eyes widened with excitement.
“Maybe we’ll all go up,” David said now. “I’m sure Tristan and Riley will be there.”
“They’d better.” Taylor grinned and then turned to look at Quinn. “I just hope the navy cooperates and doesn’t send Quinn and Tristan somewhere that week.”
“We might consider putting in for a few days of leave.”
“Wow.” Cassie’s eyebrows lifted, and she gave Quinn a speculative look. “He never does that for us.”
“I’ll put in for leave when junior arrives,” Quinn said, pretending to be offended. “Or at least when you bless him.”
“Or her.”
Taylor just smiled as the bantering around the table shifted from one topic to another. The Lambert family was a lot like hers. She could understand why Tristan had chosen them to be his own and why Riley enjoyed her visits with them so much.
