Gift of Gold

Caitlin Evanger.
    The man with the grotesque body and the view into hell was Damon Marcus Kincaid.
    “So you’ve discovered my little secret,” Caitlin said behind her. “Not a pretty picture, is it?” she added mockingly. “I like to think that good art is not pretty.”
    Verity swung around to face her. Caitlin’s eyes were still too bright and her expression too intense but she didn’t look quite as hyper as she had earlier. Slowly Verity redraped the canvas, buying time in which to compose herself.
    “No, Caitlin. It’s not a pretty picture. That’s you on that awful bed, isn’t it?”
    “It’s me.”
    “Oh, Caitlin.” Verity found no words. Sometimes there were no words. Impulsively she walked forward and put her arms around the taller woman, hugging her in the way women have always hugged each other when they sought to give consolation for great grief. “Caitlin, Caitlin, I’m so sorry.”
    Caitlin stood unmoving and unresponsive. “Don’t feel sorry for me, Verity. I will have my revenge. And then it will all be over.”
    Verity released her and stood back, searching Caitlin’s taut, ravaged face. “Revenge against Kincaid? He’s the man in that painting, isn’t he?”
    Kineaid’s name startled Caitlin. “You know Damon Kincaid?” she gasped.
    “He’s a collector of old weapons, among other things,” Verity explained slowly, not wanting to say too much about the pistols. “Jonas had business dealings with him a few days ago.”
    Caitlin’s expression was frozen with shock. “Business dealings?”
    “Jonas brokered a sale of some old guns he had authenticated. It was nothing, really. We weren’t in Kincaid’s office for more than a few minutes. Kincaid didn’t buy the guns and Jonas sold them to another collector.”
    Caitlin closed her eyes. “The world of high-flying collectors such as Kincaid is a small one, I’ll grant you. But the odds of Kincaid coincidentally running into you and Quarrel must be staggeringly high. I can’t believe it.” Her eyes snapped open. “Quarrel knows Kincaid?”
    Verity shook her head quickly. “Jonas doesn’t know Kincaid any better than I do. I told you, we were only in his office a few minutes while he looked at the pistols. It’s just a ghastly coincidence, Caitlin. As you said, the world of big-time collecting is a small one. When Jonas started fishing around for someone who would be interested in the pistols, who lived within a reasonable radius of Sequence Springs, and who could afford them, he came up with a very short list.”
    “I can’t believe it was a coincidence that Kincaid was on that list.” Caitlin leaned heavily on her cane as she moved slowly toward the window. “My God, is it going to come apart now after all my planning?”
    Verity watched her. “Tell me what this is all about, Caitlin. I must know what is going on here. Surely you can see I have a right to know. Tavi tried to tell me this morning that I was involved. She said that if I left and took Jonas with me, everything would change. What did she mean by that?”
    “Tavi hopes to protect me from carrying out my vengeance. But nothing can stop me now, Verity. Not even the fact that Kincaid may have become suspicious. His ego will keep him from behaving cautiously. The man thinks he is all-powerful. He will be certain he can take care of himself. Even if he wonders what is going on, he will still come here tonight and I will have him.”
    “Tell me about him, Caitlin,” Verity said softly.
    “You saw the painting.”
    “He raped you? Cut you with that rapier? Here in this house? In that bedroom you’ve assigned to me?”
    “He and Sandquist. They took turns. They tied me to that bed and they played terrible men’s games until I was unconscious. They hurt me, Verity. I thought they were going to kill me.”
    Verity shivered. “My God, Caitlin.”
    “When I woke up, I was in a motel room a few miles from here. They must have gotten nervous when I passed out and decided to get me out of the house in case I did something awkward like die on them. Or maybe they were just through with me and wanted to get me out of sight. After all, I was no longer very pretty after they had finished with me. All I know is that I woke up alone.” Caitlin turned her proud head to look at Verity. “From the moment I awoke until now, I have dreamed of revenge. I was cheated once when Sandquist got drunk and fell to his death. I will not be cheated again. Kincaid was