And he wasnt supposed to worry about her?
Rebecca parked the rented Ford Taurus in the only spare spot she could find in three blocks, then gulped a breath as she peered out the window. It was incredibly warmer in Los Angeles than in the bitter March winds shed left in Minnesota that morning. But she was really unfamiliar with this part of the city. Late-afternoon sun glinted on the Randolph Street sign. She was on the correct street. There was no way to park any closer to 12970, but she could walk the few blocks.
The neighborhood, though, left a tad to be desired. A cluster of tattooed skinheads were monopolizing one corner. Kids of all ages were hanging out in doorways. Graffiti spray-painted on all walled surfaces offered a free sex education. A man lay sprawled on the sidewalk, either dead or dead drunk; garbage spilled and reeked from rusty containers, and if she wasnt mistaken, this street was sort of owned by the Tigre gangjudging from the tough young fellas sporting that tag on their bandannas and Ts.
Boy, are you a long way from home, Toto. Gulping hard again, Rebecca stepped out of the car and locked it up tight, thinking that shed written about scenes like this a zillion timesbut never directly experienced one before. Through all the nuisance travel arrangements it took to get here, from the flight to L.A. to getting maps and renting a car, shed considered that Gabe would probably have an eensy stroke if he knew she was here.
But then, Gabe had no reason to guess that shed memorized Tammy Dillers address before giving him the letteror that shed be up at first light, putting travel plans in motion.
A hispanic boymaybe twelve?whistled when she walked past. Hed make a tempting father, she thought objectively. Not the child. Gabe. It was relatively more comforting to concentrate on Gabe than to have a heart attack over the blank-eyed guy flicking open his switchblade just off to her left.
Gabe was patient, principled, protective. Outstanding father qualities. No fortune hunteror skinheadwould ever get near his daughter. As far as she could tell, Gabe didnt give a rats tail about money, wasnt swayed by anyone with itor without it. Hed teach a son or daughter the right values. She couldnt imagine him losing his temper. The only thing shed ever caught annoying him waswellher.
That kiss had lingered hard in her mind. It had been a lonely kiss. Hungry. Hot. Sexy. Shed always loved the idea of being blown away by a mans kisses, but it had never happened to her. Of course, the vast majority of her experience had been kissing frogsfellas with their minds more on her familys money than on heror nice guys who seemed to prefer their bathwater tepid. Not hot. Not risky. Not dangerous.