Rebecca could totally immerse a man in quicksand in three seconds flatif he let her.
Gabe twisted his mouth free, and sucked in a lungful of oxygen. Then tried sucking in another lungful. Then tried a more intelligent movelike removing his hands from her body and swearing.
Swearing worked. She opened her eyes, staring at him as if her vision were submerged in a fog, but her hands slowly dropped from his shoulders. It seemed a year or two later before she got around to rocking back on her heels. Well, she murmured.
He didnt like the way she said that Well. He didnt trust the way her right eyebrow suddenly arched, either.
If Id known you kissed like that, cutie pie, Id have pressed for a sample long before this, she announced.
God give him strength. It was an accident.
I know.
It wont happen again.
The wonder was that it happened at all. Every time Ive been around you before, I was pretty sure you were more tempted to kill me than kiss me.
I was. I am. And if you hadnt been living a sheltered life hunched over a keyboard, youd have known the chemistry was there. Where I come from, you dont wake up a sleeping lion. Now I assume, five miles back, you must have had some reason for throwing your arms around me?
Reason? She said the word like it was alien. With Rebecca, that was certainly possible. For one long, horrifying minute, her soft green eyes stayed glued to his face, studying him, making him feel aggravatinglynaked. But then she blinked, and abruptly lifted her hand, as if just then remembering she was holding a piece of paper. Of course I had a reason. A superb reason. Gabe! You wont believe what I found!
Well, she was diverted from talking about all that touchy, tricky chemistry business, but calming Rebecca down when she was excited had a lot in common with containing a rumor in Washington.
Gabe saw the letter, read the letter, was dragged into Monicas bedroom closet, where shed found the letter, but even after they headed back downstairs, she was prancing with energyand trying hard to make him eat crow.
Did I tell you Id find something? Did I?
Now listen, shorty, youre getting your hopes sky-high. This really isnt proof of anything
Its proof that there could have been another factor involved in Monicas murder. Its proof that someone besides my brother was butting heads with Monica in the same general time period around her death.
Yeah, he saw it that way, too. And it burned his butt that an idealistic, altruistic hopeless dreamer of a mystery writer had managed to find the clue instead of himespecially since hed turned the damn mansion upside down himself three times now, and come up with nada.
Because Gabe wasnt born yesterday, he carefully sneaked the letter away from her and folded it neatly in his pocket. A Los Angeles address for this Tammy Diller had been on it, an address Rebecca had certainly seenbut hopefully wouldnt remember. The back of his mind was already clicking with plans. As soon as he got home, he could probe the data bases on the computer for info on that name and address. If anything panned out, hed need to make travel arrangements for a trip to L.A.
First, though, he had to get rid of Rebecca. How a woman could still be so fired up in the middle of the night was beyond himespecially a woman who looked like shed tangled with a whole gang in a back alley. Her face was as white as a virgins wedding dress, and the gash on her forehead was clearly swelling under the bandage.
You never believed Id find anything, now did you? Just like you didnt believe me about my mother months ago. Logic isnt always more valuable than intuition, love bug. A woman and a man simply think differently. Even if I hadnt read a ton of reference books on crime-solving, sometimes a woman can just sense things
When she had to stop to take a breath, he broke in. I admit it. You did good. But its going on 4:00 a.m. I think its time we called this a night.
You mean go home? From the look on her face, the idea was as appealing as a case of chicken pox.
Im beat. Im ready to pack this in, and Im sure not leaving you alone here. You got a good lead he hastened to get that in, before she could praise herself for another hour and a half on the subject and as soon as I catch a few hours rest, Ill run with it.
Well, I agree, if youre beat, you should go home. But I could stay and keep looking a little longer. Maybe Monica had some other hiding places
Maybe she did. But thats a needle-in-a-haystack possibility, considering all the people whove been over this place. And the letter is something concrete that can be pursued immediately. Besides which, weve been at this for hours
Im not tired, she immediately assured him. He saw the mutinous thrust of her chin.
His chin was bigger, and his scowl had a long history of intimidating potential mutineers before. The hell you arent. You look like the battered loser in a cat fight, and youre not going to tell me that you arent starting to feel those bruises. That bump on your forehead alone has to hurt like a bitch. Now wheres your car?
She didnt look even nominally intimidated, but the question effectively distracted her. About a mile past the main gate. There was a bunch of big old walnut trees that made for a perfect dark place to park. And if I parked that far away, I figured no one would see me when I climbed the fence
I dont want to hear any more about your breaking-and-entering debacle. God, she was going to give him gray hair. Until meeting her, hed considered himself a relatively young thirty-eight. Thered been nothing to turn his hair white but death, destruction, and a few terrorists from his Special Forces days. Wherever your car is, it sounds too far to walk. Mines parked out front, so Ill just drive you there. Now whered you leave your wet sweatshirt?
In the kitchen. She glanced down at the black V-neck sweater, and abruptly clutched the neck closed. Heaven knew why. Hed seen her bra, seen her cleavage, seen every inch of her long white throat more than once tonight. Geronimo persisted in responding to her, no matter what repression techniques Gabe tried.
Id better put my sweatshirt back on, but where should I put the sweater back?
Just keep the sweater. I cant imagine anyone would know or care if you borrowed it. Ill get it from you and return it sometime, but putting on a wet sweatshirt on a cold night doesnt make any sense. Just grab itand that packsack you carried in with youso we can go.
I think I may have left a light on upstairs. And I have some stuff to clean up in the closet. And Id better wash out that shot glass
There was a reason Gabe always worked alone. His employees were good at teamwork, and often enough his staff paired up for different projects. Not him. He just didnt like depending on other people. He liked being able to move fast and streamlined.
By the time Rebecca was done with all her messing around, he could have finished a slowpoke sucker.
He ushered her outside, turned to lock up the front door, and motioned her toward the long, low antique Morgan.
She wolf-whistled. Almost as good as a man. What a darling, she murmured.
Yeah, she is. 55. But she was cosseted as a showpiece for most of those years, so she doesnt have that many miles on her.
By the time Rebecca was done with all her messing around, he could have finished a slowpoke sucker.
He ushered her outside, turned to lock up the front door, and motioned her toward the long, low antique Morgan.
She wolf-whistled. Almost as good as a man. What a darling, she murmured.
Yeah, she is. 55. But she was cosseted as a showpiece for most of those years, so she doesnt have that many miles on her.
You can still get parts?
Not easily. Parts are not only hard to find, they cost an arm and a leg. Damn few antique dealers even know this breed of car anymore.
But you dont care, do you? Shes worth all the trouble.
Yeah. He hadnt expected Rebecca to understand. He opened the passenger door and watched her long, slim legs disappear under the long, slim console. The aggravating thought crossed his mind that she was made for the car.
Lack of sleep was obviously the reason he wasnt thinking clearly. He closed her in, locked her door and hiked around to the other side. The engine purred as soon as he turned the key.
What a beautiful baby, she murmured.
Her comment about babies inevitably reminded him of the comment shed made earlier about sperm banks. He told himself to keep quiet, that it was none of his businessbut the comment had nagged at the back of his mind all night.
For a few minutes, he stayed silent. The storm had died, but a fine silver mist was still drizzling down. Grass and trees glistened in the ghostly night as he tooled down the driveway, stopping to unlock the gate with a set of keys. No one seemed to be awake or alive for miles. There were no lights, and no sounds but the rustling trees and the whisper of that diamond-studded mist.
Locating her car was easy; there were no other vehicles on the road. He pulled up behind the cherry red Ciera and glanced at her. Shed raved pretty enthusiastically about his car, and coming from the Fortune family, she could probably have owned a fleet of Morgans if she chose. Instead, shed picked solid, reliable wheels. A wholesome four-door, yet. A capital F family carfor a lady who made no secret of her desire and love for familyand somehow he just couldnt let it go.
You arent serious about looking into sperm banks.
Sure I am. While the engine idled, she ducked her head to gather up her things.
The last I knew, a husband was sort of the usual way to get a baby. Or at least some guy in the direct picture.
Usually, she agreed wryly. Believe me, I havent quit looking. But being a Fortune has a few disadvantagesa lot of guys were more interested in courting the family money than me. And sitting home writing books doesnt make for meeting a lot of new men, either. It just isnt that easy to find a white knightor it hasnt been for meand Ive got a biological clock ticking loud and strong.
Ill bet you have been prey to a lot of fortune huntersbut youre hardly ancient.
Old enough. Thirty-three is a good, healthy age to have a child. And, thankfully, this is the nineties. No ones going to look sideways if I choose to be a single mom. This is an ideal time for me to have a babyIm ready, Im healthy, Im financially prepared to be a parent, and Im dying for a baby. Or six.
Six? Gabe swallowed hard. You dont think sperm banks are a littledrastic?
I think marrying the wrong man just because Im hungry for a family would be drastic. Im sold on true love, cutie, and have absolutely no interest in settling for less. But I also want a family. Children to love and care for. For sure itd be better if there was a loving dad in the picture, but if thats not in the cards, theres no reason I cant deal from another deck.
Have you talked this out with your mama?
Kate? Rebeccas grin was amused. You think my mom would talk me out of this?
Damn straight he did. Sperm banks, for Gods sake!
Well, I hate to disillusion you, darlin, but my mom would back me up all the way. She always has. From the day I was born, Kate encouraged me to take my own roads. I know on the surface no one sees us as alikeshes a hardheaded, practical businesswoman, a high-profile achiever. No accident that shes the head of a financial empire. Im not like that, Gabe, never will be. But she pushed me toward writing, pushed me toward living my life on my own terms, my own way, and taught me never to back down from what I wanted and believed in. Believe me, my mom wouldnt give me any argument over this.
Somehow Gabe thought otherwise. Somehow he was damn sure Kate would like her youngest married off, preferably to a guy who could keep her impulsive baby safe and under control. Sperm banks didnt fit in that scenario, no way and nohow.
Rebeccas gaze roamed his face. Something in the way she probingly studied him aroused an uneasy feeling. You dont have a male biological clock ticking of your own? No desire to have a son, a daughter, family to come home to at night? A new generation of Devereax?
The past generation of Devereax wasnt anything worth repeating, he said shortly. I dont have your idealistic view about families. They only read great in storybooks.
Thats an awfully cynical view, cutie.
Realistic, he corrected her, and abruptly leaned across her chest to open her car door. The whole personal nature of this conversation was crazy. It was past time to cut it off. You go home, soak out those aches and bruises, get some sleep. Dont even think about that letterIll follow through with it. Stay out of it from now on, Rebecca.
Ill be darned. Did you suddenly get elected my boss?
Four in the morning, and she still had the energy to dish out grief. Look, you came up with a lead. You did really good. You did more toward helping your brother than a whole team of people have done so far. But that letter also changes things, because it potentiallypotentiallyputs another suspect in the picture.
So?
So, if there is another potential suspect, that person is also a potential murderer. And dammit, shorty, thats nothing to take lightly.
Yes, Gabe.
Even if this Tammy Diller had nothing to do with Monicas murdersomething was wrong there. She doesnt sound like anyone you need to be messing with. You stay away from her. You hear me?
I sure do, cutie.
She pushed open the door and climbed out, but for a few moments she poked her head inside the darkened car and just looked at him. Shed been smiling before then. Smiling in a distracting, mischievous way that made him unsure how much she was putting him on and how much she was telling him straight.
But suddenly she wasnt smiling. This strange, warm, intense look shone from her eyes, making his pulse chug with alarm. For one horrifying moment, he was scared she was going to throw her arms around him againand for damn sure, it was alarm that was chugging through his pulse, not anticipation.
I know you dont believe this, she murmured, but Im a big girl and I can take care of myself. Get some sleep yourself, Gabe. And for sure dont waste your time worrying about me.
Not worry about her? Gabe watched her sprint toward the red Cierashe dropped her backpack, picked it up, stubbed her toe when she almost trippedand then finally made it into her car, which, he noted without surprise, wasnt locked. She didnt lock her door. She believed in love and white knights. As far as Gabe could tell, she really believed that right would prevail and nothing could hurt her.