serious attempts on her life.”
Emma bit her lower lip and blinked her eyes several times. “Then it’s true. Someone’s trying to kill Oma. I can’t believe it. I knew it, but to hear you say it makes it so real, so horrible.”
“I’m sorry, Emma. It must be very upsetting. But at least you got help for your grandmother, and that’s what’s important right now. We have to do everything we can to keep her safe.”
Emma thought for a moment. “I’ll move out there with her, at least for now. If I’m there at the house, I can keep an eye on her, make sure no one gets to her … hurts her.”
“If you can do that, I think it’s a great idea. And I have an even better one, if you’d be willing to entertain it.”
“Sure. Anything for Oma.”
“I talked to her about this yesterday, when I saw her there at her offices in Los Angeles. But she pitched a fit—wouldn’t hear of it. Maybe you could persuade her….”
“If you think it’s a good idea, I’ll give it a try. What is it?”
“I know these two men—dear, dear friends of mine for years—who are professional bodyguards. They’re the best of the best … former FBI agents who’ve provided security for some of the—”
“No, no. Oma would never —”
“I know. She nearly threw me out of her office on my ear when I mentioned them to her. But if she could only meet them. They’ve got more charm than the law should allow. I promise you, she’d want to marry John and adopt Ryan on the spot.”
“I can’t imagine her agreeing to have bodyguards. My grandmother really values her privacy. That’s why she insists on having her staff live in separate quarters from the main house.”
“I understand. But for right now, until we can figure out what’s going on and who’s trying to hurt her …”
“I agree. It’s a good idea. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.”
Hearing another particularly loud and unpleasant blast of noise from the shed, Savannah glanced over at the studded microphone and thought of the unpleasant men she had encountered in the past twenty-four hours.
“By the way,” she said, “I had the misfortune of literally bumping into Vern yesterday at your grandmother’s offices. What can you tell me about him?”
Emma’s big green eyes went cold at the mention of his name. She crossed her arms over the front of her tank top. “Vern is a slimy rat, pure vermin, who should have been exterminated long ago.”
“That was pretty much my take on him, too.”
“He should have been arrested for what he tried to do to my grandmother.”
“What she told me was true, then? He tried to seduce her?”
“ Seduce her? Rape her is more like it. He snuck into her house at night and tried to climb into bed with her while she was sleeping.”
Emma smiled a nasty little smirk and nodded. “She hurt him really bad. It’s a wonder she didn’t shoot him. He’s lucky to have escaped with his life.”
Savannah chuckled. “I like your grandmother. I’m sure mine would have reacted the same way. We come from feisty stock, you and I.”
Emma laughed. “It’s true. We do.”
“And does Ada know about all this?”
“She does. Oma told her right away, but she refused to believe it. Called my grandmother a liar.”
“I’m sure that went over well with Helene.”
“I think Ada believed her more than she let on. Right after it happened, Ada took away Vern’s new Ferrari and his president’s Rolex. I’m sure there was some sort of connection.”
“Poor Vern.”
“Yeah. Life was hardly worth living for him without his new Ferrari and Rolex. He had to go back to his old Rolex and last year’s Ferrari.”
“Not to mention his flat, bruised equipment.”
At that moment, the back door opened and a guy with spiked black hair, heavy eye makeup, and at least half a dozen studs protruding from his face walked in. He carried a guitar decorated with a skull and crossbones. His bare chest bore the tattoo of a giant grim reaper.
Just the sort of
Emma bit her lower lip and blinked her eyes several times. “Then it’s true. Someone’s trying to kill Oma. I can’t believe it. I knew it, but to hear you say it makes it so real, so horrible.”
“I’m sorry, Emma. It must be very upsetting. But at least you got help for your grandmother, and that’s what’s important right now. We have to do everything we can to keep her safe.”
Emma thought for a moment. “I’ll move out there with her, at least for now. If I’m there at the house, I can keep an eye on her, make sure no one gets to her … hurts her.”
“If you can do that, I think it’s a great idea. And I have an even better one, if you’d be willing to entertain it.”
“Sure. Anything for Oma.”
“I talked to her about this yesterday, when I saw her there at her offices in Los Angeles. But she pitched a fit—wouldn’t hear of it. Maybe you could persuade her….”
“If you think it’s a good idea, I’ll give it a try. What is it?”
“I know these two men—dear, dear friends of mine for years—who are professional bodyguards. They’re the best of the best … former FBI agents who’ve provided security for some of the—”
“No, no. Oma would never —”
“I know. She nearly threw me out of her office on my ear when I mentioned them to her. But if she could only meet them. They’ve got more charm than the law should allow. I promise you, she’d want to marry John and adopt Ryan on the spot.”
“I can’t imagine her agreeing to have bodyguards. My grandmother really values her privacy. That’s why she insists on having her staff live in separate quarters from the main house.”
“I understand. But for right now, until we can figure out what’s going on and who’s trying to hurt her …”
“I agree. It’s a good idea. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.”
Hearing another particularly loud and unpleasant blast of noise from the shed, Savannah glanced over at the studded microphone and thought of the unpleasant men she had encountered in the past twenty-four hours.
“By the way,” she said, “I had the misfortune of literally bumping into Vern yesterday at your grandmother’s offices. What can you tell me about him?”
Emma’s big green eyes went cold at the mention of his name. She crossed her arms over the front of her tank top. “Vern is a slimy rat, pure vermin, who should have been exterminated long ago.”
“That was pretty much my take on him, too.”
“He should have been arrested for what he tried to do to my grandmother.”
“What she told me was true, then? He tried to seduce her?”
“ Seduce her? Rape her is more like it. He snuck into her house at night and tried to climb into bed with her while she was sleeping.”
Emma smiled a nasty little smirk and nodded. “She hurt him really bad. It’s a wonder she didn’t shoot him. He’s lucky to have escaped with his life.”
Savannah chuckled. “I like your grandmother. I’m sure mine would have reacted the same way. We come from feisty stock, you and I.”
Emma laughed. “It’s true. We do.”
“And does Ada know about all this?”
“She does. Oma told her right away, but she refused to believe it. Called my grandmother a liar.”
“I’m sure that went over well with Helene.”
“I think Ada believed her more than she let on. Right after it happened, Ada took away Vern’s new Ferrari and his president’s Rolex. I’m sure there was some sort of connection.”
“Poor Vern.”
“Yeah. Life was hardly worth living for him without his new Ferrari and Rolex. He had to go back to his old Rolex and last year’s Ferrari.”
“Not to mention his flat, bruised equipment.”
At that moment, the back door opened and a guy with spiked black hair, heavy eye makeup, and at least half a dozen studs protruding from his face walked in. He carried a guitar decorated with a skull and crossbones. His bare chest bore the tattoo of a giant grim reaper.
Just the sort of
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