Conall surveyed the map on his computer. It was part of a file Ashforth had collated over the years, tracking Thea Quinn’s movements across Europe from information he’d gathered from different witnesses and even the authorities.
“Why have the police not arrested her?” Conall asked, frowning as he flicked through document after document that Ashforth had loaded onto his computer. Many of them were photographs of her victims. The only victims missing from the images were Ashforth’s wife and security guards, but Conall understood those were perhaps too distressing to have on file.
Ashforth sat on the edge of Conall’s desk, looking out at the view of the serene loch and its surrounding mountains. “Her DNA isn’t human. Which means some authorities have grown a little too curious about it, so I’ve made sure it’s not in the system. And anytime a police officer seemed especially dogged in his or her pursuit of the truth,” he said, turning to Conall, “I silenced them with money. Most of these are city police officers already overworked and underpaid. They’re happy to take the money and let the mystery go unsolved.”
“Not all of them, surely?”
The older man shrugged. “There are other ways to silence someone.”
Unease settled over him. “I dinnae work with murderers, Ashforth.”
His eyes widened. “I would never. I merely meant that … I’ve done things I’m not proud of in my pursuit of Thea. Blackmail, as you know, has been useful in that pursuit.”
Blackmail was dishonorable and against the code of his pack. Conall bristled, not entirely happy to be joining forces with a man who used it like a weapon. But Callie had agreed to go with Ashforth when Conall departed on the hunt for Thea Quinn, and James would stay by her side at Castle Cara.
Pulling up the next document, he frowned at the image of a newspaper clipping. The headline read “MIRACLE CHILD SURVIVES PLANE CRASH.”
“What’s this?”
Ashforth glanced down at the computer. Sadness darkened his expression. “It’s how Thea came to live with us. This is information important to your hunt, Conall. Thea’s parents were British. William and Laura Quinn. They moved to the States before Thea was born and not long after Thea’s birth, Laura worked for my company. She was extraordinarily intelligent and worked her way up to CFO. It meant there wasn’t a lot of time for vacations. During the summer the family always drove up from the city to our estate in the Hamptons and stayed with us for a few weeks.
“Thea had never been on a plane before … so they didn’t know.” He got a faraway look in his eyes. “Anyway, when she was twelve years old, Laura and William took a family vacation to Hawaii.” He looked directly into Conall’s eyes. “Thea knew something terrible would happen. One of her gifts. A preternatural awareness of danger. She told me she’d begged her parents to get off the plane, that she felt funny, but they didn’t listen. Later the investigation unearthed that the plane suffered mechanical failure. It crashed, killing everyone on board … everyone but Thea. Someone found her outside the wreckage with barely a scratch on her.”
Jesus fuck, Conall mused, staring at the newspaper article. No wonder the lass is fucked up. She watched hundreds of people plummet in terror to their deaths, including her parents.
“You can’t bring her back by plane.”
That brought his head up. “What?”
Ashforth shook his head. “I tried a few times to get her on an aircraft and she blew the windshield out of one and fried the engine in another. Obviously before we took off. Thankfully.”
“How did she manage that? What is she?”
“I have no idea. I wish I knew.” Ashforth scowled at the computer. “But when her emotions are heightened … things … happen. Things I’m not sure she can control.”
“So how the hell am I supposed to bring her back?”
The businessman gave him a clipped nod and pushed away from the table. He walked over to the briefcase he’d placed on Conall’s armchair.
Ashforth pulled a syringe out of the briefcase. It was filled with a dark liquid. “A full dose will knock Thea out, long enough for you to get her into your vehicle. I’m afraid the safest way to travel will be by car.”
“I thought you said nothing could harm her?”
“This drug merely weakens her.”
“What is it?”
Looking regretful, the older man shook his head. “I can’t divulge that information.”
Growing increasingly suspicious, Conall relaxed in his chair and eyed the man with lazy perusal that belied his tension. “If you dinnae know what Thea is, how on earth did you concoct a drug that affects her?”
“Trial and error through the years.”
Wait a second … “You experimented on her?”
“When she started to become volatile, we had to find a way to calm her.”
Conall stared at the computer. Question upon question buzzed around in his mind and tightened in his gut.