CHAPTER 26
Duncan wanted to follow Methos, but he knew he had to make sure Claudia was safe.
She'd told him what had happened inside the reception hall. She'd cut in on the dance Richie
and Beth had been sharing, needing him for some press pictures the morning paper wanted for
their story on the event.
She hadn't seen exactly what happened, but gathered that a man had approached Beth before
she got back to the table … he handed her a packet and pointed to a man at the top of the stairs,
saying it was a gift … from the gentleman.
"What was in the package Claudia?" Duncan had a bad feeling.
"Some photos … and a video tape." Claudia told him.
"Did you see what was in the photos?"
Claudia shook her head. "But whatever it was, it upset Beth … Richie and I came back in the
room as she was opening it and she turned so pale … like she'd seen a ghost."
"Damn." Duncan cursed himself for leaving her unprotected like that.
"Duncan … there's more …" Claudia told him as they reached the coat check and found Joe
collecting everyone else's things.
"The man on the stairs … he was an immortal."
Joe told them Richie and Amanda had hustled Beth out of the gala and to the limousine, not
stopping to collect their coats. "We thought we needed to get her home as soon as we could … I
think Methos might have caught up with them … Richie was hoping Claudia would find at least
one of you before they left."
"Methos?" Claudia asked, and Joe realized he'd slipped … this new immortal knew him only as
Adam … Duncan ignored the slip. There wasn't time to worry about that.
"Joe can you make sure Claudia gets to her hotel suite?" Duncan asked as he put them in the
second limo … hailing a cab for himself and not waiting for an answer.
Back at the house, Amanda and Esperanza helped a very shaken and pale Beth upstairs to
change out of the gala dress.
Richie and Methos waited until they had closed the door to Beth's room before opening the
package and inspecting it's contents.
"Damn this sick bastard" Richie cursed as he flipped through photo after photo of what he knew
must have been Craig Ralston's crime scene and autopsy photos, passing them to Methos one
by one … until he came to the last photo. "Oh dear God."
Methos stopped what he was doing and looked over Richie's shoulder to see what had drawn his
attention. It was the photo of a woman who looked a little like Beth. The woman was in what
appeared to be a hospital bed … her throat slashed …
"Who do you think that is?" Richie asked as Methos turned the envelope the photos and tape
had come in upside down over the dining room table. A blood stained hospital bracelet fell out.
Methos groaned inwardly as he held the bracelet up to the light. "Leandra Ralston" he read.
"It's the woman in the institution. Devan knows the truth … and of course … he knows where
Beth is."
"What have you found?" Beth asked as she came in the door, followed by Amanda and
Esperanza. A draft from the front door made them turn, relieved to see Duncan walking through
it.
Beth's freshly scrubbed face was pale and her eyes were red. She'd changed into a light blue
pair of sweatpants and an oversized white sweatshirt. Her hair had been pulled back from her
face in a long ponytail.
"Let us handle this Beth." Adam began as he walked over to her, trying to coax her into going
back upstairs. "You've had a tremendous shock and should try and rest … try not to think about
it."
"Try not to think about it?" Beth protested. "How can I do that Adam? One minute I'm dancing
the night away without a care in the world and the next some man hands me a package of photos
featuring the bloody remains of my husband. How can I not think about it?" She broke down and
let him pull her into his arms as she cried.
Amanda had changed as well and she, Duncan and Esperanza walked over to the table where
Richie was still looking through the photos.
"Mater dei" Esperanza crossed herself as she looked at the gory display.
"Esperanza." Adam said as he led Beth to the sofa and urged her to sit down with him, not taking
his arm from around her. "We're going to have to close the shop for a few days … It's not safe …
and it might be a good idea if you went to stay with your sister until this blows over." He knew
that it would be tough enough to keep the truth from Beth if the other immortal showed up … but
Esperanza had a sharp eye and there wasn't much she would miss.
"But Beth … she needs me … " Esperanza argued.
"We'll stay with her Esperanza … " Amanda said as she came to put an arm around the older
woman, leading her toward the stairs to pack some things. The older woman didn't like it, but
something told her that she needed to distance herself from this … the evil was close … very
close.
Duncan slid the photos and the bracelet back in the packet. His cell phone rang and it was Joe.
Claudia was safely stowed away in her suite and he wondered if he should come there.
"If you could check to see what the latest is on Asher Devan and Blake Mitchell ... I think that
would be better Joe. There's nothing you can really do here, but that information would help us."
Joe agreed.
Beth was slowly pulling herself together, willing herself to be strong … to focus on the fact that
there were people around her who were determined to keep her and her baby safe.
"Besides the photos … what else was in the packet?" she asked, moving from under Adam's arm
to sit on the edge of the sofa. Adam took the opportunity to rid himself of the jacket and tie he
was more than tired of wearing, tossing them across the back of the sofa.
"Did you see all of the photos?" Duncan asked, bringing the packet and the tape with him as he
moved to sit on the arm of the chair Amanda occupied. She had come back into the room when
Esperanza indicated she didn't need help packing.
Beth shook her head as she wiped her face one more time with her hands.
"I only had to see a few to know where they had come from." She replied. "They were all of
Craig weren't they?" she asked, and Duncan knew he couldn't lie to her.
"Most of them were … but not all … the last photo was of a woman." He admitted.
"What woman?" Beth asked "Show me." Adam moved forward to put his arm around her, not
knowing what the shock was going to do to her.
Duncan shook his head. "I'm not going to show you … not now … but you know her."
Beth took in a quick breath, fearing it was one of her sisters or someone else she cared about.
"It was the woman who took your place in the institution …" Duncan told her.
The news did not bring relief. "She was dead wasn't she?" Beth said in a very still, calm voice.
Duncan nodded.
"And the tape?"
"We haven't looked at it yet … we don't know." Adam told her.
"Put it in."
"Beth why don't you let us watch it first? Make sure …" Adam tried to reason with her.
"Please … put it in … I need to know what he's done … what he's doing. You can't protect me
from all of this Adam … you know I won't be able to rest anyway … " She argued, her voice
determined.
Adam studied her face, trying to look for any sign that she might back down … sadly, there was
none. She was determined and he didn't have the right to stop her from watching it. He nodded
to Duncan who put it in the VCR and pressed play.
Richie came to stand behind the sofa, his arms crossed, his face full of worry. Amanda pulled her
knees up in the chair, hugging them tightly as she waited.
Duncan wanted to follow Methos, but he knew he had to make sure Claudia was safe.
She'd told him what had happened inside the reception hall. She'd cut in on the dance Richie
and Beth had been sharing, needing him for some press pictures the morning paper wanted for
their story on the event.
She hadn't seen exactly what happened, but gathered that a man had approached Beth before
she got back to the table … he handed her a packet and pointed to a man at the top of the stairs,
saying it was a gift … from the gentleman.
"What was in the package Claudia?" Duncan had a bad feeling.
"Some photos … and a video tape." Claudia told him.
"Did you see what was in the photos?"
Claudia shook her head. "But whatever it was, it upset Beth … Richie and I came back in the
room as she was opening it and she turned so pale … like she'd seen a ghost."
"Damn." Duncan cursed himself for leaving her unprotected like that.
"Duncan … there's more …" Claudia told him as they reached the coat check and found Joe
collecting everyone else's things.
"The man on the stairs … he was an immortal."
Joe told them Richie and Amanda had hustled Beth out of the gala and to the limousine, not
stopping to collect their coats. "We thought we needed to get her home as soon as we could … I
think Methos might have caught up with them … Richie was hoping Claudia would find at least
one of you before they left."
"Methos?" Claudia asked, and Joe realized he'd slipped … this new immortal knew him only as
Adam … Duncan ignored the slip. There wasn't time to worry about that.
"Joe can you make sure Claudia gets to her hotel suite?" Duncan asked as he put them in the
second limo … hailing a cab for himself and not waiting for an answer.
Back at the house, Amanda and Esperanza helped a very shaken and pale Beth upstairs to
change out of the gala dress.
Richie and Methos waited until they had closed the door to Beth's room before opening the
package and inspecting it's contents.
"Damn this sick bastard" Richie cursed as he flipped through photo after photo of what he knew
must have been Craig Ralston's crime scene and autopsy photos, passing them to Methos one
by one … until he came to the last photo. "Oh dear God."
Methos stopped what he was doing and looked over Richie's shoulder to see what had drawn his
attention. It was the photo of a woman who looked a little like Beth. The woman was in what
appeared to be a hospital bed … her throat slashed …
"Who do you think that is?" Richie asked as Methos turned the envelope the photos and tape
had come in upside down over the dining room table. A blood stained hospital bracelet fell out.
Methos groaned inwardly as he held the bracelet up to the light. "Leandra Ralston" he read.
"It's the woman in the institution. Devan knows the truth … and of course … he knows where
Beth is."
"What have you found?" Beth asked as she came in the door, followed by Amanda and
Esperanza. A draft from the front door made them turn, relieved to see Duncan walking through
it.
Beth's freshly scrubbed face was pale and her eyes were red. She'd changed into a light blue
pair of sweatpants and an oversized white sweatshirt. Her hair had been pulled back from her
face in a long ponytail.
"Let us handle this Beth." Adam began as he walked over to her, trying to coax her into going
back upstairs. "You've had a tremendous shock and should try and rest … try not to think about
it."
"Try not to think about it?" Beth protested. "How can I do that Adam? One minute I'm dancing
the night away without a care in the world and the next some man hands me a package of photos
featuring the bloody remains of my husband. How can I not think about it?" She broke down and
let him pull her into his arms as she cried.
Amanda had changed as well and she, Duncan and Esperanza walked over to the table where
Richie was still looking through the photos.
"Mater dei" Esperanza crossed herself as she looked at the gory display.
"Esperanza." Adam said as he led Beth to the sofa and urged her to sit down with him, not taking
his arm from around her. "We're going to have to close the shop for a few days … It's not safe …
and it might be a good idea if you went to stay with your sister until this blows over." He knew
that it would be tough enough to keep the truth from Beth if the other immortal showed up … but
Esperanza had a sharp eye and there wasn't much she would miss.
"But Beth … she needs me … " Esperanza argued.
"We'll stay with her Esperanza … " Amanda said as she came to put an arm around the older
woman, leading her toward the stairs to pack some things. The older woman didn't like it, but
something told her that she needed to distance herself from this … the evil was close … very
close.
Duncan slid the photos and the bracelet back in the packet. His cell phone rang and it was Joe.
Claudia was safely stowed away in her suite and he wondered if he should come there.
"If you could check to see what the latest is on Asher Devan and Blake Mitchell ... I think that
would be better Joe. There's nothing you can really do here, but that information would help us."
Joe agreed.
Beth was slowly pulling herself together, willing herself to be strong … to focus on the fact that
there were people around her who were determined to keep her and her baby safe.
"Besides the photos … what else was in the packet?" she asked, moving from under Adam's arm
to sit on the edge of the sofa. Adam took the opportunity to rid himself of the jacket and tie he
was more than tired of wearing, tossing them across the back of the sofa.
"Did you see all of the photos?" Duncan asked, bringing the packet and the tape with him as he
moved to sit on the arm of the chair Amanda occupied. She had come back into the room when
Esperanza indicated she didn't need help packing.
Beth shook her head as she wiped her face one more time with her hands.
"I only had to see a few to know where they had come from." She replied. "They were all of
Craig weren't they?" she asked, and Duncan knew he couldn't lie to her.
"Most of them were … but not all … the last photo was of a woman." He admitted.
"What woman?" Beth asked "Show me." Adam moved forward to put his arm around her, not
knowing what the shock was going to do to her.
Duncan shook his head. "I'm not going to show you … not now … but you know her."
Beth took in a quick breath, fearing it was one of her sisters or someone else she cared about.
"It was the woman who took your place in the institution …" Duncan told her.
The news did not bring relief. "She was dead wasn't she?" Beth said in a very still, calm voice.
Duncan nodded.
"And the tape?"
"We haven't looked at it yet … we don't know." Adam told her.
"Put it in."
"Beth why don't you let us watch it first? Make sure …" Adam tried to reason with her.
"Please … put it in … I need to know what he's done … what he's doing. You can't protect me
from all of this Adam … you know I won't be able to rest anyway … " She argued, her voice
determined.
Adam studied her face, trying to look for any sign that she might back down … sadly, there was
none. She was determined and he didn't have the right to stop her from watching it. He nodded
to Duncan who put it in the VCR and pressed play.
Richie came to stand behind the sofa, his arms crossed, his face full of worry. Amanda pulled her
knees up in the chair, hugging them tightly as she waited.