Page 19 of Inevitable Secrets

“What kind of attack?”

Henry took a deep sigh and Taylor reached over and grabbed Derrick’s hand. “It was an attempted attack on you, Taylor.”

Taylor’s stomach dropped. She had known it had been her. That she was the real target and the reason her husband had been injured, very nearly killed.

“But the assailant was killed on site.”

“Was anyone else hurt?” Derrick asked.

“A hospital security guard was shot, but his injuries are not life-threatening.”

“Who?” Taylor asked. “Who was the person, the one attacking me? Do I know him?”

“It was Richard Tappen,” Henry replied, eyes locked with Taylor.

“What?” Taylor was, once again, completely floored. “No, no way. He couldn’t have—”

“Tappen?” Derrick questioned. “The guy who gave you all that bullshit when you took over?” he asked Taylor.

“Yeah, that’s Tappen, but—”

“Well, seems he didn’t take to the changes like you had hoped,” Derrick said and Taylor turned and glared at her husband.

“The police are going to be at the mansion when we get you there,” Henry explained, interrupting Taylor’s silent scolding of her husband. “We needed to evacuate the hospital so a full-scale investigation could be performed to ensure Tappen was the only assailant.”

“Mansion? My father’s mansion?” Derrick asked. “Why the mansion? Why can’t we go to our penthouse?”

“It is not secure,” Henry informed Derrick.

“No way, you checked it out.”

“There is no way I can control access with the number of residents that live there,” Henry explained. “I can control it better with you two at the mansion.”

“Okay,” Derrick said, “I guess that makes sense.”

“Wait a minute!” Taylor shrilled into the headphones, making both men wince and look her way. “There is no way that Tappen did this.”

Henry looked at Taylor and put a hand on her arm. “Taylor, I responded when I heard there was a situation. I saw him taken down. I reviewed the security footage. He came in with a semi-automatic rifle and demanded access to Derrick’s hospital room. It was Tappen.”

Taylor shook her head, “I am telling you, Henry, something isn’t right. That guy was not the shoot-‘em-up type.”

“Taylor, he hated you,” Derrick said.

“No, he hated the idea of me,” Taylor explained. “Seriously,” she defended as she met disbelief in Derrick’s face, “we have been working together on some projects lately and even he said he felt terrible for how he acted when I took over. I just replied to an email from him today, and he was asking how you were doing,” she said looking at Derrick.

“Maybe it was a cover,” Derrick said. “A way to get closer to you.”

Taylor shook her head. “No, I don’t buy it,” she said. “My gut tells me no, and I trust my gut.” She turned her attention back to Henry, “I want to see the video.”

Henry hesitated. “Taylor, I don’t think—”

“Tay, you don’t want to see that,” Derrick said quickly.

“Actually,” Taylor said, in a tone that brooked no challenge, “I do. When we get to the mansion, I want to see that video.”

“I have it downloaded on my phone,” Henry informed Taylor.

Taylor cocked her head, “How? You know what? Don’t tell me. Show it to me,” she instructed in her business tone. When the towering man made no move, Taylor’s irritation ratcheted up a dozen notches. “Now, Henry!” she demanded.

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