„Mexico City!“
„Umm. It’s huge, Sara. One of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Here in the western hemisphere it’s one of the places frequented by a certain kind of ‘in crowd.’ A man can shop for anything, including a fake passport. He can also get lost there and reappear on the other side of the globe without bothering to answer a lot of inconvenient questions.“
She stared at him. „More lore you’ve picked up from writing thrillers?“
Adrian watched the sailing yacht make another pass along the piers. „Legends and tales, honey. A writer of thrillers collects them.“
„Which is probably why Uncle Lowell couldn’t resist feeding you that story of the gold.“
„Probably. Lowell knows a sucker when he sees one.“
„Well, we’ll deal with him later,“ Sara vowed. „In the meantime, we have to deal with Vaughn.“
„Sara, we can’t trust that guy one quarter of an inch,“ Adrian said evenly. „You said yourself he’s a, uh, creep.“
„But he knows where Uncle Lowell is,“ she protested.
„He says he knows where he is. But if we go on the assumption that we can’t trust Vaughn, we have to assume we can’t trust anything he tells us, right?“
„It’s very confusing, isn’t it?“ she groaned. „And in the meantime Uncle Lowell could be in real trouble.“
„I think we’re the ones in real trouble, thanks to good old Uncle Lowell,“ Adrian said, pushing himself away from the rail. „Come on, honey. The ferry will be leaving soon. We’d better get going.“
„Forty-eight hours isn’t a very long time, Adrian.“
„I know.“
„What if my uncle doesn’t get in touch before the deadline?“
„I didn’t set the deadline because I hoped Lowell would have sense enough to contact us. I set it to give myself some time.“
Sara glanced at him in astonishment. „Time to do what?“
Adrian wasn’t looking at her. He appeared to be concentrating on the brightly dressed crowds of casual strollers who were ambling along the waterfront. „Sara, I’m going to leave you alone for a while tomorrow.“ He spoke slowly, as though measuring each word.
„Why?“ she demanded, utterly startled.
He hesitated. „There’s something I want to check out. A man I want to see.“
„Are you going to try contacting that government agency my uncle used to work for?“ she demanded.
„No. I’m not sure we could trust any answers we got from that source,“ he told her honestly. „Look who we’re dealing with from that department now.“
She wrinkled her nose. „Vaughn. I see what you mean. So who are you going to contact?“
„Somebody who may know for certain whether or not Lowell really is in Southeast Asia.“
„But if we don’t know it for certain, who would?“
„Sara…“ Adrian reached out and threaded his fingers through hers. His tone was low and urgent. „Sara, would you please not ask any more questions? Your uncle and I have talked a great deal during the past year. He’s told me things I don’t think he’s told anyone else.“
„But, Adrian…“
„Please, Sara. Just trust me, okay?“
She wanted to scream that no, it was not okay. She wanted to tell him it had nothing to do with trust, that she simply deserved some explanations. Sara was infuriated and frightened and she felt like lashing out but she realized with an instinct that went to the bone that it wouldn’t do any good. Her uncle had apparently shared some confidence with Adrian that neither of them had seen fit to share with her. Adrian would not tell her anything else at this point. She was certain of it.
„If you’ve known someone we could contact all along, why haven’t you already done it?“ she asked in a carefully controlled voice.
„Because your uncle wouldn’t want me doing it unless I thought we had a full-fledged crisis on our hands. Up until now I’ve been going by what he said in that taped message.“
„You’ve been assuming he could handle his ‘old business.’“
„Yes.“
Sara pulled her hand free from his, putting a small distance between them. „All right. There’s not much I can say if you won’t tell me what’s going on. Go ahead and contact whoever it is you think can give us some information.“
„You’re angry, aren’t you?“
„I’m feeling a little annoyed at the moment, yes,“ she bit out. „I don’t like being kept in the dark.“
„I’m sorry, Sara,“ he began but she cut him off.
„Forget it. Just don’t ever again accuse me of playing games. You’re turning out to be a real pro at the art.“
That stilled him for a moment. He said nothing until they were back at the ferry terminal and walking on board the boat. Then Adrian told her the rest of his decision. „It will take me most of tomorrow to do what I have to do. You’ll be alone at the house.“
Sara threw herself down on a seat, her arms folded across her breasts in cool disgust. „Why? Or is that part of the game?“
He sat down beside her, his hands clasped loosely in front of him. He studied his linked fingers. „I’m not playing games, Sara. I have to leave you alone because I wouldn’t dare risk using the phone to contact your uncle’s friend, even if I thought I could get through to him.“
She watched his profile through suddenly narrowed eyes. „You think the phone’s tapped?“
„After meeting Vaughn, I’d say we have to assume the worst, wouldn’t you?“
„Probably. What do you mean, you aren’t sure you could reach this man on the phone even if you did dare use it?“
„From what your uncle says, this guy isn’t the sort who trusts people over the phone. I’ll have to see him in person.“
„Where is he?“
„Not far,“ Adrian answered evasively. „I can catch a plane and reach him in a few hours. I’ll leave as soon as I can book a flight in the morning. I should be home by late tomorrow afternoon.“
„And in the meantime I just sit patiently waiting, is that it?“ Sara muttered.
„Sara, you’ll be safe in the house,“ he told her quietly.
„I’d rather go with you.“
He shook his head, staring down at his clasped hands.
„Can’t you at least tell me why I can’t accompany you?“
„Sara, please – “
She interrupted whatever it was he intended to say with an exclamation of impatience. „Forget I asked.“
They were politely remote with each other for the rest of the day. They walked up the street from the ferry docks and into Winslow so that Adrian could make his plane reservations at a pay phone. Sara was too proud even to attempt to overhear his conversation with the airline clerk. Later she berated herself for not having tried to eavesdrop. At least she could have found out where he was going. When he rejoined her to walk back to the cottage, she asked only if everything was settled.
„I can’t get a flight out until nearly seven tomorrow morning.“
„I see.“
„That means I’ll have to take the first morning ferry to Seattle.“
„Yes.“
His mouth thinned as he listened to her aloof responses. „Sara, there’s one thing I want to make very clear.“
„That would be a change.“
He ignored that. „You’re not to leave the house for any reason after I’ve gone.“
„I understand.“ She didn’t look at him, her gaze fixed stonily ahead.
„Good. You’re safe in the house after I’ve set the alarms. No one can get in unless he decides to use explosives.“
„What a pleasant thought.“
„Don’t worry about it,“ Adrian said dryly. „Just give me your word of honor you won’t leave the house until I get back.“
„Or until Uncle Lowell gets back,“ she amended smoothly.
He nodded. „Promise?“
She wondered briefly what woul
d happen if she didn’t promise and decided not to push the matter. „All right. Word of honor.“
„I swear I’ll return within a few hours, Sara. I’ll be back on the five-fifty-five ferry.“
„I believe you.“
„Then can’t you stop giving me the ice treatment for a while?“ he asked gently.
„Speaking of cold,“ she drawled slowly.
He gave her a sharp glance as they walked down the drive and opened the door of the house. „Is that your imagination I hear cranking up again?“
„I think Vaughn might really be the one they called Wolf,“ Sara told him in a low voice. „It would make sense, wouldn’t it? He was once very close to my uncle, so he might know about the gold.“
„There’s no sense speculating about it, Sara.“
„Why not? Maybe if we speculate long enough and hard enough, we’ll come up with some answers.“
„Not on that subject.“ He stood in the hall for a moment, listening. Then he ushered her inside.
„Just think, Adrian. That creep is probably the renegade. Uncle Lowell might have gone to Southeast Asia thinking he could hunt him down and remove him before he got the gold.“
„Sara, all we’ve got at the moment are a lot of questions. Not answers.“
„But why would Vaughn be hanging around here if he was after Uncle Lowell’s gold?“
„How the hell should I know?“ Adrian stalked into the kitchen and put a kettle of water on the stove.
Sara trailed after him. „Adrian, I think we’re missing something. Something crucial.“
„Like your uncle?“ he suggested bluntly.
„I mean a clue!“ she gritted. „Listen to me, Adrian. Let’s assume Uncle Lowell really does have some connection with that gold and that he had some fantastic notion of giving it to us as a… a wedding gift.“
Adrian leaned against the stove waiting for the water to boil. He crossed his arms on his chest and eyed Sara deliberately. „All right, for the sake of argument, let’s assume it. Now what?“
Sara tried to construct her thoughts into a logical sequence. Frowning intently, she began to pace the kitchen. „Okay, he knows where that gold is but he hasn’t made any attempt to date to retrieve it. At least no attempt that we know of. In that taped message he didn’t say he was going to fetch our wedding gift. He only said he was going to protect it.“
„True.“ Adrian watched her closely.
„Now if he suddenly decided he had to protect it for us, it must be because he got word that someone was out to steal it. We have to assume that very few people would even know for certain that the tale was anything more than a legend. The most logical person my uncle might have confided in besides you or me is his ex-protégé?“
„We’re back to Wolfie?“
„This is not a joke!“ she hissed.
Adrian exhaled heavily and turned around to pour the boiling water into two cups. „I know. Go on.“
She glared at his broad shoulders. „Not only is Wolf or Vaughn or whoever he is the one man who might know about the gold and might even know its approximate location but we have the evidence that Uncle Lowell was definitely thinking about him before he left for parts unknown.“
„You mean that sketch on my manuscript. Sara, that’s pretty damn slim evidence.“
She shook her head. „I don’t think so. I think it means that the man called Wolf was on Uncle Lowell’s mind recently and that could easily be because he had reason to fear the guy was going to make a move on the gold. Something or someone we don’t even know might have tipped him off. Who knows how many mysterious contacts my uncle has left around the world? You yourself are going to try to find one of them tomorrow!“ She flung her hands outward in a sweeping gesture. „Don’t you see? Uncle Lowell is trying to protect our so-called wedding gift from the one man who might be able to steal it.“
„Then what’s Vaughn doing hanging around the Northwest?“ Adrian asked logically. „Why isn’t he in Southeast Asia?“
„Because he doesn’t know where exactly in Southeast Asia the gold is hidden. No one knows except Uncle Lowell. Vaughn is probably looking for my uncle. Maybe he thinks he can use me somehow.“ Sara nibbled on her lower lip while she considered that. „My uncle has dropped out of sight. He told the neighbor he’d gone hunting. Guess who the quarry is?“
„Wolfman?“ Adrian asked mockingly.
„Go ahead and laugh if you want, but I think I’m getting a handle on this.“
„I’m not laughing at you, Sara.“ Adrian handed her a cup of tea. „You may be right for all I know. But I think the first thing to establish is whether or not your uncle is where Vaughn says he is. And I only know one way to do that.“
„Find that man whom Uncle Lowell mentioned. I know. I’m not going to argue with you any more on that score, Adrian. I can see your mind is made up,“ she said wearily.
It was over a rather strained dinner a couple of hours later that Adrian brought up the subject again. Sara was poking idly at the roasted red pepper salad she had made when, after a long silence, Adrian spoke.
„There’s one other thing,“ he began thoughtfully.
She glanced up. „What’s that?“
„Lowell told me the story of the gold for a reason. He knows it forms the kernel of the plot in Phantom.“
„That’s right.“ Sara set down her fork.
„If you’re right about the wedding gift being that cache of gold, then what he was really doing was – “
„Giving you the first clues about what your wedding gift actually was and where it was located,“ Sara finished on a note of excitement. „I can see him doing something like that.“
„So can I. Damn it, I may pound the man into the ground if and when he finally does show up,“ Adrian growled. „He knows I don’t like games.“
The sparse conversation at dinner faded into a very long silence by mid-evening. The strain in the atmosphere grew stronger as bedtime approached. Adrian watched the clock move slowly toward ten and knew from the remote expression in Sara’s eyes that he would be sleeping alone tonight.
He’d been expecting to find himself in a cold bed, of course, ever since he’d awakened that morning and realized that for Sara everything was happening much too quickly. She had a right to some time to adjust to the idea of having him as a lover. After all, she didn’t have all those months of fleshing out a fantasy that he’d had. He was too much of a stranger yet, too much of an unknown quantity.
Adrian inclined his head politely when she excused herself and disappeared down the hall to her own room shortly after ten. He sat in his chair, legs stretched out in front of him, and repeated the admonitions he’d been giving himself all evening.
Not enough time.
Too much of a stranger.
Too many other problems at the moment. Big problems.
And she was mad as hell because he wouldn’t take her with him tomorrow.
All in all, a formidable list, he thought wryly. But the logic and the rationalizations didn’t seem to be making much of an impact on die pulsing desire that was going to keep him awake tonight.
He thought about what he had to do in the morning and told himself that he needed sleep, not a night spent brooding in an armchair. He’d already had enough of those during the past year.
No doubt about it. He needed sleep; he could do without the brooding and he had no right at all to go to Sara’s room. All three things were perfectly clear and logical in his head. But, as he’d learned the hard way, clear logic didn’t always chase away the shadows of emotions. Adrian wondered briefly at that. Emotions were odd things. There had been a time when others had sworn he didn’t have any. Adrian knew better.
Slowly he got to his feet and began a silent tour of the house. Sara would be safe here. The house could keep out intruders. And he would be back for her as soon as possible. Quietly he checked and double-checked the hidden alarms and the exotic barriers Kincaid had helped him install. Lowell, with hi
s skillful hands and his crafty, convoluted mind. Where are you tonight, my friend?
His soft-soled shoes making no sound on the hardwood floor, Adrian walked from one checkpoint to another, reassuring himself that the gift from Lowell Kincaid would be safe. Keeping Sara secure was the most important priority in his world, Adrian realized. It was a strange feeling to accept such total responsibility for another human being. Almost primitive in a way. He considered just how completely she had infiltrated his thoughts and then he headed down the hall toward his bedroom.
He would not pause in front of Sara’s door. He would not listen for a moment to see if she was restless in her bed. He would not stand in the hall and let himself think about what she would do if he opened her door. He was a disciplined man and he could deal with his body’s hungers.
It was the hunger in his mind he wasn’t sure about, Adrian admitted as he approached Sara’s closed door. How did you discipline the need for another person? Especially when you’d spent a lifetime not really needing anyone?
His steps slowed in spite of all the logic and discipline, and Adrian was vaguely aware of his hand curling tightly against his thigh. She would be asleep by now.
Sara lay very still in the wide bed, her hair fanned out on the pillow, and watched the shifting light under her door. She couldn’t hear him but she knew he was standing there. She sensed the tension in her body and realized she was waiting for the door to open. She’d been lying there waiting for it since the moment she’d turned out the light and climbed into bed.
Because, Sara thought grimly, there was no way she could allow him to leave in the morning without letting him know that he had a right to be in her bed tonight.
The knowledge was sure and complete in her mind. She couldn’t account for the certainty, but it was there.
Sara threw back the covers and sat up on the edge of the bed. She was reaching for her robe when the door of her room opened soundlessly. Adrian stood framed in the doorway, his face in deep shadow. Sara’s fingers froze around the fabric of the robe as she looked up at him.
„You’re not asleep.“ His voice was low and gritty; the words a statement, not a question.
„Neither are you.“ Sara let the robe drop from her hand. The wave of longing that swept through her was startling in its intensity. She was afraid that if she tried to stand up she wouldn’t have the strength.