His Precious Love

However, the email was too large to be previewed online.

It took Rayna several minutes to download the audio clip. After reducing the volume, she held the device beside her ear.

The audio clip began with only the sound of footsteps before various other noises joined the cacophony as if somebody was watching television.

Rayna sped the clip up.

After listening for a while, she put the playback speed back to normal when she detected the sound of somebody opening the door to enter the room.

“I bought you some strawberries and cherries, Kristie.” A low male voice sounded from the audio clip, followed by the sound of footsteps. “I’ll rinse them in the kitchen, then watch television with you. How does that sound?”

Kristie hummed her assent.

Having listened to the dialogue, Rayna assumed from Kristie’s state that it was during the interval when Curtis brought her back from Yartran.

Why did Ringo’s people plant a bug in Kristie’s place at that time?

She did not delve into it but instead pressed the phone against her ear and listened intently.

Curtis’ tone was gentle when he spoke to Kristie, but she merely responded with noncommittal grunts no matter what he said.

Rayna could sense how awful Curtis must have felt.

Feeling awful herself, she once again sped up the clip.

After a while, Rayna heard the sound of the doorbell, followed by Jeremy’s and Wyatt’s voices.

The group chatted a little while until Jeremy suddenly said, “Have James come over, Curtis. You saw how much Kristie wanted to see him when I showed her his photograph.”

“That’s unnecessary. I don’t need outsiders to be concerned about my sister.”

Silence befell the group.

“Ms. Garland called me, Curtis. She wants to help Jefferson, but she requires the signatures of the politicians who attended the party. It just so happens I’m on that list too.”

“We have long since severed ties,” Curtis said blandly. “There’s no need to consider my feelings.” A while later, Curtis asked Jeremy, “When is the party?”

“Two months from now.”

and place,” the man said

is Arnaud’s turf, Curtis. If you send James, we may

if there’s nothing else to

clip ended at that point. Rayna’s

did she understand how James could have gotten such an accurate inkling of Arnaud’s movements and how

out it was Curtis who told

vibrated at that

her new WhatsApp message and felt her

photograph of an emerald pendant smeared

for James. She would

believe he

pendant, Rayna

drag my brother into this

when he

wall and fell limply onto the floor, startling the others who

When he saw Rayna on the floor, he leaped off

he calmly ordered Kristie, who was passing

awoke, she saw the sun shining outside the window. It

remembered fainting the night

by the recollection of the prior night, Rayna scrambled to locate her phone but could not find it despite her prolonged search. When she pulled open the

grabbed her arm with a look of panic.

back to the bedroom. “The doctor

Rayna flung her arm away to head outside. “I have many things to do,

James can’t be dead!

forward to grab her. “Calm down, Nana. This isn’t

Baby?

belly, and a horrible feeling rose from

to wipe her tears. “What

hugged her and

anymore. She only patted her back in

had cried enough, Jessica pulled her to sit by the bed and poured her

feel horrible at the thought of what happened to

too, but we can’t do anything to help.” Jessica sighed. “Mr. York is there for them, so don’t worry. Take good care of the babies