there’s no way I w ould have put it in there, even by accident. I know how dangerous it is. And there’s no way it fell into the pocket
of my pants while it was in the dresser. I’m more careful than that.” I didn’t add that I had checked to make sure it was
still there after my conversation with Ryan last night. I didn’t want to remind him of the fact that I had adamantly denied knowledge of
the whereabouts of any palladium. Based on the expression on his face, he didn’t need
to be reminded.
“Maybe… maybe it’s possible I put it in there,” Grant suggested haltingly. “ Well, not me, but my vardoger. I don’t remember taking the key to Ryan’s glove compartment, so I could have just
as easily taken the palladium coin and put it in your pocket.”
“But you didn’t know where the coin was,” I said.
Grant shrugged. “I didn’t know where the key to the glove compartment w as either, but that didn’t seem to st op me.”
I was quiet as I digested Grant’s words. I supposed it was possible, although I still
wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know,” I finally said with a sigh. “I don’t think we’re
going to figure it out tonight.” As frightened as I was, I didn’t want Grant and Sarah to panic. I gave Grant a small smile. “On the bright side, Ryan and I won’t have to stare at
you while you sleep at night and trail behind you during the day anymore .”
Grant tried to smile in return, but it looked more like a grimace. “I guess that’s
something.”
We were all exhausted, both mentally and physically, and decided that rehashing the
same questions over and over again wasn’t going to help. It was better to go to bed and wait until tomorrow to go through everything again when I had a clear head.
Ryan stopped me as I was heading to my bedroom. “Caitlin, can I talk to you?”
Simon was a few feet ahead of me i n the hallway and turned when he heard Ryan.
“Sure,” I replied, glancing over my shoulder. “Just give me a sec.”
I turned back to Simon, wh o looked ready to follow me into the living room. “You don’t need to come, Simon. I can talk to him on my own.”
The corners of his mouth turned down. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We still
don’t know how that palladium coin got into your pocket.”
“I doubt it was him. He’s the one that saved me, after all.”
S imon’s jaw tightened at my remark . “Maybe that’s what he wanted. It’s a convenient way to get you to trust him.”
I sighed in frustration. “Simon, please. You’ re grasping at straws . No matter what, I’m perfectly capable of speaking to him alone. I’ll only be a few
minutes.”
I turned around and walked back to the living room, relieved when he didn’t follow me. As
much as I appreciated Simon’s concern, his need to always be watching over me was becoming a little stifling. I wished he had more confidence in me. I tried not to think about how much I had failed at being self-sufficient when Ryan
had to save me .
“What did you want to talk about?” I asked. Ryan gestured towards the cushion next to him as he sat down on the couch . I joined him , although I left quite a bit of space between us. I was exhausted and I had a fe eling that I knew what Ryan wanted to talk about. All I wanted to do was go to bed.
“The palladium coin.”
I nodded, but I didn’t pull out the coin that I had put back in my pocket. “I’m sorry
I didn’t tell you about it. I just thought it was best for less people to know about
it.”
“And how many people know about it?”
“Just Simon, Grant and Sarah.” I looked at Ryan pointedly. “And now you.”
“Grant said he didn’t know where it was.”
I shook my head. “Grant and Sarah knew about it, b u t they didn’t know where I had hidden it . Only Simon and I knew .”
Ryan gazed at me speculatively before speaking again. “Do you think that’s significant?”
“What? That only Simon and I
of my pants while it was in the dresser. I’m more careful than that.” I didn’t add that I had checked to make sure it was
still there after my conversation with Ryan last night. I didn’t want to remind him of the fact that I had adamantly denied knowledge of
the whereabouts of any palladium. Based on the expression on his face, he didn’t need
to be reminded.
“Maybe… maybe it’s possible I put it in there,” Grant suggested haltingly. “ Well, not me, but my vardoger. I don’t remember taking the key to Ryan’s glove compartment, so I could have just
as easily taken the palladium coin and put it in your pocket.”
“But you didn’t know where the coin was,” I said.
Grant shrugged. “I didn’t know where the key to the glove compartment w as either, but that didn’t seem to st op me.”
I was quiet as I digested Grant’s words. I supposed it was possible, although I still
wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know,” I finally said with a sigh. “I don’t think we’re
going to figure it out tonight.” As frightened as I was, I didn’t want Grant and Sarah to panic. I gave Grant a small smile. “On the bright side, Ryan and I won’t have to stare at
you while you sleep at night and trail behind you during the day anymore .”
Grant tried to smile in return, but it looked more like a grimace. “I guess that’s
something.”
We were all exhausted, both mentally and physically, and decided that rehashing the
same questions over and over again wasn’t going to help. It was better to go to bed and wait until tomorrow to go through everything again when I had a clear head.
Ryan stopped me as I was heading to my bedroom. “Caitlin, can I talk to you?”
Simon was a few feet ahead of me i n the hallway and turned when he heard Ryan.
“Sure,” I replied, glancing over my shoulder. “Just give me a sec.”
I turned back to Simon, wh o looked ready to follow me into the living room. “You don’t need to come, Simon. I can talk to him on my own.”
The corners of his mouth turned down. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We still
don’t know how that palladium coin got into your pocket.”
“I doubt it was him. He’s the one that saved me, after all.”
S imon’s jaw tightened at my remark . “Maybe that’s what he wanted. It’s a convenient way to get you to trust him.”
I sighed in frustration. “Simon, please. You’ re grasping at straws . No matter what, I’m perfectly capable of speaking to him alone. I’ll only be a few
minutes.”
I turned around and walked back to the living room, relieved when he didn’t follow me. As
much as I appreciated Simon’s concern, his need to always be watching over me was becoming a little stifling. I wished he had more confidence in me. I tried not to think about how much I had failed at being self-sufficient when Ryan
had to save me .
“What did you want to talk about?” I asked. Ryan gestured towards the cushion next to him as he sat down on the couch . I joined him , although I left quite a bit of space between us. I was exhausted and I had a fe eling that I knew what Ryan wanted to talk about. All I wanted to do was go to bed.
“The palladium coin.”
I nodded, but I didn’t pull out the coin that I had put back in my pocket. “I’m sorry
I didn’t tell you about it. I just thought it was best for less people to know about
it.”
“And how many people know about it?”
“Just Simon, Grant and Sarah.” I looked at Ryan pointedly. “And now you.”
“Grant said he didn’t know where it was.”
I shook my head. “Grant and Sarah knew about it, b u t they didn’t know where I had hidden it . Only Simon and I knew .”
Ryan gazed at me speculatively before speaking again. “Do you think that’s significant?”
“What? That only Simon and I
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