frowned as she added, "He should be back soon. In fact, I was just wondering what was holding him up when you came in. He has tickets to a show tonight and planned to leave early."
"Oh. Well, I'm sure he'll return shortly, then," he said and added, "We'll keep an eye out for him on our tour, but if he should stop back here without meeting us, tell him not to worry about it. We can catch him another time, there's no need to delay leaving."
Amelia nodded, looking relieved that he wasn't upset. "If he returns, I'll tell him you were here."
"Thank you," Vincent said as he led them out.
They didn't go far, just to the next door up the hall.
"This is Phillip's office," he explained as he led the way inside.
"The accountant who's on vacation," Jackie murmured as they paused in front of the empty desk in the outer office. "Is his secretary off while he's away?"
"I don't think so. Sharon would have mentioned if Meredith were away too," Vincent said, then glanced toward the door to the inner office.
Following his gaze, Jackie spotted the cracked open door and raised her eyebrows. "Perhaps she's in there."
Vincent moved to the door and pushed it open. He glanced inside, then went terribly stiff. It was as if someone had shoved a pole up his back. She wasn't the only one to notice.
"What is it?" Marguerite asked with concern as Jackie moved to join him in the doorway.
At first glance everything seemed in order... until Jackie noted the legs sticking out behind the desk, a man's legs in trousers and dress shoes. Those legs weren't moving.
Slipping past Vincent, Jackie crossed the room and moved around the desk, stopping short the moment she was able to see the whole man. She knew it wasn't Phillip, the accountant. He was on vacation. Whoever it was, however, was dressed like an accountant, full business suit, nice tie, expensive dress shoes... In fact, the only thing that ruined the image of the wealthy, successful businessman was the knife in his chest.
Chapter Nine
"I'm guessing this is Stephano Notte?" Jackie asked, unable to look away from the pale, prone man. The mortal vice president of the company who had been missing from his office.
"Yes." Vincent's voice was almost a whisper and she peered his way. On first glance, one could be forgiven for thinking he wasn't affected. His face was a cool mask of indifference, but not his eyes. They were glowing silver-blue and swirling with a mix of pain and fury and what she thought might be guilt. Jackie suspected he feared the saboteur was behind this and was blaming himself for it. She'd like to tell him that it probably wasn't the case, but the plain envelope sticking out of the breast pocket of the man's jacket belied that. The return address was all that was showing, but it was enough; it was Vincent's address.
"He's alive."
Jackie tore her eyes away from the lifeless figure and glanced at Marguerite with surprise. "What?"
"He's alive," she repeated, staying by the door, but pushing it closed after a nervous glance out into the outer office. "I can hear his heart beat."
Jackie turned back to the man and knelt to check for a pulse. She was sure she wouldn't find one, it looked like he'd been stabbed through the heart. Surely he hadn't survived that?
"They must have missed the heart," Marguerite said, apparently reading her mind. "I can hear it beating. It's slow and not very strong, but it's beating."
"I can hear it too." Vincent knelt abruptly at the other side just as Jackie found his pulse. It was thready, but there, she realized with amazement. Stephano Notte wasn't dead. Yet.
"We need to call an ambulance," Jackie said urgently, straightening and moving toward the desk.
"He won't survive long enough for that," Vincent announced. "He's dying as we speak."
"We have to try," she said grimly as she picked up the phone.
"Vincent, what are you doing?"
Marguerite's sharp question made Jackie pause and turn back to see Vincent rolling up his sleeve.
"When I say now, take the knife out," Vincent ordered as he opened Stephano Notte's mouth.
"No, you can't!" Marguerite protested, rushing forward. "Let me."
Jackie frowned, her hand clenching the phone as she tried to sort out what was happening. Marguerite rushed to Vincent's side, but wasn't fast enough to stop him from biting into his own wrist. It was a deep bite and must have been painful, but he didn't even wince.