Free Love Entwined by Danita Minnis Page B

murder.
    The background check confirmed the link to her ambitious beau. She had been seen on Emil’s arm at several industry functions. Her parents were exactly who she claimed they were. She had indeed graduated from the Sorbonne, though she had not mentioned it was with honors. Emil had handpicked his creative partner for this mission.
    While he was angry with himself for wanting more time with Amelie before exposing her, he took great satisfaction in setting in motion his plans for Emil Garamonde. He spent the morning on a conference call with Dylan spelling out how to make the Garamondes remember whom they were dealing with. The German plant’s timetable was moved up to the end of the month. Re-opening the facility with the latest equipment would send all of Bijou’s customers his way.
    But he would not stop there. He would also recruit Emil’s workers from various facilities with competitive wages the Frenchman could not match even if he stopped whoring and gambling away his inheritance. And that was only the beginning.
    James and Lyle his groundskeeper came to the study door with the security advisor, Chief Bryant.
    “Sir, we have a cabin broken into not a mile from the brook where the shooter made his attempt. They used one of your rifles,” Lyle said.
    Roman turned to Chief Bryant. “Any fingerprints?”
    Bryant shook his head. “None. Whoever it was knows your layout here. They disabled the cameras at the front gate and waited for the changing of the guards.”
    “But they did not come in that way,” Lyle added. “There’s a track of fence down the road been cut near that wooded glen. Found a few deer wandering around on the road.”
    That was where he had taken Amelie on a tour of the land. But she could not have known he would take her to the secluded valley. Maybe she had someone follow them.
    Roman glanced at Lyle. “Ellsworth see anyone?”
    “No sir, the intruder was long gone by the time he returned to post.”
    Bryant handed him the report. “It is too early to tell about the London incident, but we are checking surveillance of the garage.”
    “We’ll talk soon, Bryant,” Roman said.
    When the security chief left, Roman turned to James. “How is Ms. Laurent?”
    “Quiet as a mouse, sir. She spends her days in the drafting room. Caroline saw her at the pool a few nights.”
    “She hasn’t wandered around yet?”
    “I think she’s afraid of getting lost.” James grinned.
    Roman flipped through Bryant’s report. “Yes, there is that.”
    “I have kept security away from her as a precaution,” James said.
    “Good. I don’t want her to feel like a prisoner. It is better that she move about unrestricted. I want to see what she does with her free time.”
    “I’ll tell the London office that you won’t be in while things get sorted out,” James said.
    “I can’t take off now, not with the launch of the new line. Why, I’m still not finished with the grunt work. There are contract revisions, new hires, tell them I will be in as planned next week.”
    “Then we’ll have Chief Bryant send someone with you.” James pursed his lips.
    “You know I don’t want anyone following me around when I’m busy. My travel schedule won’t kick back into high gear for another few months. For the most part I’ll be in Yorkshire while we work on the new designs.”
    “What if the assassin follows you to Germany or France?” Lyle asked.
    “I’m counting on that.”
    “I knew it!” James complained to Lyle. “He is attempting to use himself as bait.”
    Lyle shook his head regretfully. “Been planning this since the London incident.”
    “The thought had crossed my mind.” Roman put the report down and sat back in the chair.
    “We don’t even know who we are dealing with,” James said.
    “It has to be Emil Garamonde, unless there is someone else I’ve slighted recently.”
    Lyle rubbed his chin in thought. “There must be a better way to draw the person out into the