081:

Melia's eyes were darkly angry. Her memories of another time and another place were conflicting with her reality. She got up. "I have to go nurse Abby."

She quickly left the room and flung the back door closed behind her, blindly making her way across the sunlit dappled back yard and up into the shadier trees where the tents were located. She arrived outside her tent and sat down hard in the closest lawn chair. Lindsey, her twenty year old nanny, gave her a curious look and then she reached for Abby, so Lindsey gave her to her, not saying anything, obviously sensing that something was wrong.

Pictures of herself with Kell, involved. What good did fake pictures do anybody? They were easily disputed, in fact, had never been proven to do anything more than a little bad press, and then a lot of good press afterward. They had to be a ruse. If Carlos Villarino was behind them, then it only meant that he was still alive, and still had an agenda.

In fact, she was now sure that it wasn't even anything more than a greeting card, meant to tell her exactly who her enemy was. That he was still alive, that he was still a game player, and that her protectors had failed, and he was still coming after her. It didn't matter that she was the one that had witnessed the murder. That had been a strange side note. He hadn't even counted on her being part of that. Which was why he'd hired Liv Sinclair to finish her off at that point, to make sure she couldn't point the finger his direction. She hadn't even known at that time that he was the one obsessed with her and had sent her the pictures. But now, she was certain. It had everything to do with his obsession.

Why in the world was she this man's obsession?

Unless it now had something to do with revenge. She was Jared Patrick's widow, and she was the sole guardian of his children. Ryan Patrick was her... sort of husband. If Carlos was taking revenge on the Patrick's for the death of Liv Sinclair and the exposure of some parts of his organization because of Jared....

Her mind spun in ever spiraling outward circles. She didn't know, she just didn't know....

And what did Kell have to do with it?

Why send pictures? Why let on? Criminals didn't usually announce themselves this way, did they? Not in the movies. Whatever this guy was thinking, had to be more personal.

It had to have been about Jared.

She did know that she felt responsible. She knew, or thought the right thing would be to give him what he wanted... money.... And be done with it. If money was his objective these days, then by all means... give him the damn money! Money to stop the pictures being published.

When? Tomorrow? How easy was that? She'd take the van, her grandmother's van, the one Danny had used to pick her up at the airport. She'd simply say she was going for a drive, and she'd go drop off the money and come back. No one would have to know.

What about Daddy? He would be making plans to find out who was behind it all. Yeah, but he'd be one step behind her. She knew who was behind it all. She could take the money there, while he was still looking and trying to figure it all out. Who cared about stupid pictures? Not her!

And Kell? Maybe they thought since she and Kell had been working together so much and since on the houseboat he had changed his tune and been open and friendly with her that.... That they were... together.... And that he was somehow involved....

*****