A Dangerous Game (33 page)

His body looked loose and coltish under his pale suit, but unlike the

self-assured Raoul; he gave the impression that he had dressed

hurriedly, and felt slightly uncomfortable in his smart clothes.
 
His

hair was thick, straight and black and his face had a vulnerable look

that Jacey found surprisingly appealing.

Raoul turned round to follow Jacey's gaze.

"What kept you so long?"
 
he asked the young man in Spanish.

"Carlos has been asking for you."

"Well, now I'm here," the boy said sullenly.

"Let me introduce you to my little virgin brother," Raoul said,

continuing in Spanish.

"Ladies, this is Leonardo, who hates being sociable, and is still young

enough not to care who knows it."

"I don't mind being sociable," Leonardo said.
 
He stared hard at

Jacey.

"I just care who I'm sociable with."

"Shake hands with Dr.
 
Muldaire," Raoul said, 'or you'll have me to

answer to."

Leonardo held out a slim hand to Jacey.

"I'm delighted to meet you, Dr.
 
Muldaire."

"You're a very bad liar," she said, sweetly.

"What have I done to annoy you?"

She wondered why she found his unsmiling mouth so desirable.
 
She had

never been attracted to anyone younger than herself before, but his

finely drawn, slanting eyebrows, his smooth natural tan, and his

narrow, almost feminine hands, were all surprisingly seductive.
 
He

looked untouched, unspoiled and petulant.
 
She felt she wanted to shake

him.
 
Or, she thought, surprising herself, strip off his clothes and

spank him.

"He's an idealist," Raoul said.

"You know what it's like when you're young?"

Jacey smiled at Raoul.

"I thought you were an idealist, too?"

Raoul looked suddenly serious.

"I am."
 
He held her gaze.

"But I'm sensible enough to know who my real enemies are.
 
Leonardo

hasn't yet learned how to make that distinction."

Leonardo had already shaken hands with Ingrid, and treated her to a

brief smile.
 
He turned back to Raoul.

"Must you always make me sound like an idiot?"

"If you dislike Dr.
 
Muldaire simply because you don't approve of some

of her friends," Raoul said, 'you are an idiot."
 
He smiled suddenly

and patted his brother on the shoulder.

"Go and find Carlos, and then go and be nice to Aunt Ana.
 
And stop

looking so miserable."
 
After Leonardo had walked away, he added, in

English: "Don't you have an expression "a pain in the neck"?
 
That's

how I sometimes feel about my dear little brother."

"He's not so little," Ingrid said.

"And he's rather sweet.
 
Is he really a virgin?
 
Maybe I should educate

him?"

"Dear Dr.
 
Gustaffsen," Raoul said, 'it would be much nicer if you

would educate me."

"You don't need educating."
 
Ingrid laughed.

"Does Leonardo approve of Lohaquin?"
 
Jacey asked.

"Like your mother?"

Raoul shrugged.

"Leonardo approves of anything he thinks is unconventional.
 
And

anything he thinks will annoy Carlos and Schlemann.
 
In that respect,

he is certainly like my late mother."

And maybe he could furnish me with the lead I'm looking for, Jacey

thought.
 
Either a direct lead to Lohaquin, or someone who can provide

me with one.
 
I need him to trust me, and unfortunately he won't do

that as long as I'm with Nicolas.

After Raoul had left them to chat to other guests, and Ingrid was

commandeered by a vivacious-looking woman, Jacey wandered off on her

own, hoping to see Leonardo.
 
She caught sight of him several times,

but always at a distance.
 
Then, when she least expected it, she turned

to see him standing close by, staring across at her.
 
He quickly looked

away, but for an instant their eyes met.
 
His expression was angry but

also had a hint of curiosity.
 
He doesn't dislike me as much as he

pretends, she thought.

She decided to shadow him until she was able to corner him.
 
She smiled

to herself.
 
Then she could accuse him of following her.
 
That would

annoy him, and maybe make him defensive but at least it would start a

conversation.
 
Given an opening, she could charm him.

She told herself she was doing this purely to gain information, but she

knew very well that she was also going to enjoy it.
 
No doubt

Leonardo's brothers, and his Aunt Ana (and his mother, when she was

alive) had spoiled him silly.
 
Now someone would have to teach him how

to act like an adult.
 
She would enjoy proving to him that he shouldn't

judge people too hastily.
 
She would enjoy getting him to eat out of

her hand.

As Leonardo moved away, and she prepared to follow, her mobile phone

rang.
 
For a moment she could not place the gentle trilling sound.
 
It

was the first time anyone had contacted her on the mobile since she

started work at La Primavera.
 
Her mind immediately switched from the

pleasure of Leonardo to work.
 
Convinced that it must be an emergency,

she mentally listed her current patients.
 
None of them had any

life-threatening illness.
 
She held the phone to her ear.

A familiar voice said: "Good evening, Dr.
 
Muldaire."

"Nicolas?"
 
She was startled, then angry.

"This number is for emergencies only.
 
What exactly do you want?"

"You," he said, 'of course."

"I'm at a garden party," she said.

"I know where you are," he drawled.

"I always know where you are.
 
And I also know where you'll be in about

twenty minutes."

"Still here," she said.

'm my apartment," he corrected.

"I have something for you.
 
A car will collect you in about five

minutes."

As she started to protest, the phone went dead.
 
She wondered briefly

what would happen if she refused to go with Nicolas's driver when he

appeared.
 
He could hardly pick her up and carry her.
 
She did not

believe that even Nicolas would dare to give that kind of order.

She glanced round.
 
Leonardo had disappeared.
 
There'll be plenty of

time to pursue that lead later on, she thought.
 
Nicolas had aroused

her curiosity.
 
What did he have for her?
 
A present?
 
She rather

doubted it.
 
Not after what he had already told her about the kind of

relationship he wanted.
 
She managed to catch sight of Ingrid and wave

to her, and was looking round for a last glimpse of Leonardo when she

saw the large, dark-suited security man walking towards her.

"You're leaving us, Dr.
 
Muldaire?"
 
Carlos Marquez stopped her as she

reached the edge of the crowd.

"I have another engagement," Jacey said.

She saw Carlos look first at the security man, then back at her.
 
A

chilly smile touched his mouth.

"Of course."
 
He paused for a moment.

"You met my brother Leonardo, I believe?"

"Very briefly," Jacey said.
 
She smiled.

"I don't think he approved of me."

"He's young," Carlos said.

"The young sometimes have foolish ideas."

So that's why you've condescended to speak to me, Jacey thought.

You're worried that your little brother has been indiscreet.
 
She kept

smiling.

"We didn't discuss any of his ideas," she said, 'foolish or

otherwise."

"Good," Carlos said.
 
He stepped back.

"Good evening, Dr.
 
Muldaire."
 
He paused.

"I hope your next engagement is an enjoyable one."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be," Jacey said, sweetly.

At Police Headquarters, the driver used his own card to open the iron

door, and preceded her down the stone-flagged corridors until they

reached the entrance to Nicolas's apartment, where he left her.
 
She

walked down the carpeted, silk-walled corridor to the panelled living

room.
 
Nicolas was lounging in a leather armchair.
 
He was wearing a

dark, formal suit, and a tie, and looked as if he was about to go to a

board meeting.
 
He glanced at his watch.

"Congratulations," he said.

"You must have come straight here."

"Did I have a choice?"
 
she asked.

"Of course," he said.

"You came because you wanted to."

"I came because you said you had something for me," she said.

He smiled.
 
There was a box on the table next to him.
 
He tapped it

with one finger.

"Take this into the next room.
 
When you open it, you'll know what to

do.
 
Then come back to me."
 
He shifted in the chair.