Flirting with Felicity (19 page)

Mary Beth raised her hands toward the sky. “Finally, she
listens to me.” Then with less drama she added, “I’m glad. I think the two of
you would be good together in more ways than one.”

Wild longing tore through Felicity. A part of her desperately
wanted Mary Beth’s belief in her and Blake to be true. Felicity wished she
could tell Blake how much she cared about him. She ached to say the words, but
doubted he’d want to hear those feelings. He’d had plenty of opportunities to
tell her his own feelings in Hawai‘i, but he hadn’t. Not directly, anyway.
She’d been the one to read into his words.

The hotel was all he’d ever wanted from her.

“Why did you stop by?” Felicity asked, trying to force her
thoughts in a different direction.

“To see if you want to help with dinner tonight at the
restaurant. Marie volunteered to come sit with your dad if you do.”

Felicity frowned. “I don’t know. I’m hesitant to let him out
of my sight now that he’s back and remembering.”

“How about if, when he wakes up, Marie comes down and sits
with him in the restaurant. He’d be close.”

“All right,” Felicity relented. “When he wakes up. I could
use the distraction.”

Mary Beth smiled. “Yeah, it must be tough having to think
about a man like Blake all the time. Really, Felicity, I think you have the
wrong impression about why he’s still here. If he wanted to, he could have
brought his lawyers into this battle days ago. Instead, he’s the one trying to
negotiate.”

“He offered me a million dollars for the hotel.”

Mary Beth’s eyes widened. “That’s a lot of money.”

“The building and the businesses within are worth more than
that.”

“What’s your relationship with Blake worth to you?”

Felicity stiffened. “I have no idea what to believe anymore
when it comes to that man. Is he the best thing that has ever happened to any
of us, or the worst?”

Mary Beth tilted her head, studying her with a mixture of
hope and resignation. “I think you know the truth, if you’d only be willing to
acknowledge it.”

Felicity’s throat closed up at the quiet observation. She
didn’t like the turn this conversation was taking. It was getting entirely too
personal for her. “Blake will show his true colors soon when we must make a
decision about the Bancroft. Of that, I have no doubts.”

“There might just be a happy ending for all of us because of
Blake, especially for you,” Mary Beth said with a smile.

Felicity bristled. “I wouldn’t count on it. I’m not sure
happy endings exist outside of fairy tales.”

“Well, maybe it’s time for that to change,” Mary Beth said,
fixing her friend with a look of sheer determination.

“You look happy,” Mary Beth said as she moved past
Felicity to deliver a fresh batch of focaccia to be sliced and served to their
guests.

The door between the restaurant and the kitchen flapped open
as Casper entered, revealing a quick glimpse of Felicity’s father. He sat at a
table in the restaurant with Marie who coaxed him to eat the cioppino Felicity
had just sent out for his dinner. On the other side of the kitchen, helping
Michael with prep, was Blake. He looked so at ease in her kitchen now, like he
belonged there. Felicity allowed herself a satisfied smile. “I am happy. As
weird as it seems, everything is going better than it ever has for me. I could
get used to this.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth, when the door opened
again revealing two uniformed police officers. Felicity’s body flushed hot then
cold as she stared at the two men. What were they doing here? She and the
policemen stared at each other for a second before she moved away from the
pass-through window and said, “Can I help you?” in what she hoped was a steady
voice.

The older of the two uniformed officers stepped forward. “We’re
working a case, ma’am. We need to speak with Blake Bancroft.”

All the voices of her crew died, and the staff members turned
to stare at the men as they made their way toward Blake. The only sound in the
kitchen was that of sizzling meat. Instinctively, Felicity’s eyes moved to
where Blake stood beside the prep table.

“Thank you, ma’am, we’ll take it from here.”

They moved past her to Blake. “Are you Blake Bancroft?” the
older officer asked.

“I am,” he said, his eyes narrowing on the two men before
him. “What’s this about?”

“Is there somewhere we can talk privately?” the older officer
asked.

Blake’s jaw set into a hard line. “Not until you tell me what
this is about.”

“You’ve been named as a person of interest in the assault of
a young photographer named Jack O’Conner.”

“Who?” Felicity asked, coming to Blake’s side.

Blake’s gaze softened momentarily at he turned to her.

The younger officer responded, “We have a witness who saw you
leaving the scene of the attack, and we found your fingerprints on his camera—a
camera that was used a few times to bash him over the head.”

The photographer from Hawai‘i? The one Destiny had sent to
capture pictures of her and Blake?

Blake remained silent as he reached inside the pocket of his
pants, withdrew his cell phone and placed a call. “Marcus, send my legal team
to the Bancroft Hotel immediately. Thanks.” He hung up and returned his cell
phone to his pocket. “As soon as my lawyers arrive, we can talk about whatever
you want.”

The young officer paled, but the older man stepped forward
and signaled for Blake to walk before him. “We can take you in to the station,
if you’d prefer.”

“No,” Felicity objected. “You can talk in my office.” She
moved in front of Blake. “Right this way.” The four of them made it as far as
the doorway of the restaurant before two men with cameras rushed forward,
snapping pictures, one after another. And standing off to the side, but
instantly recognizable by the bright color of her hair, stood Destiny Carrow.

Felicity froze. Destiny. Photographers. This could not be
good for either her or Blake.

“Come on,” Blake said as he slipped his arm around her waist,
turned her face in to his chest, and hurried them both across the lobby and
down the long hallway toward the business office. Once she and the officers
were inside, he shut the door with a resounding click.

Felicity collapsed into a chair, expelling her breath in a
rush. “Was Jack O’Conner the photographer who you talked to in Hawai‘i?”

“You heard that?” he asked frowning, studying her face.

She nodded.

“So you did know the victim?” the older officer asked.

“We met briefly,” Blake replied, dispassionately.

The words were devoid of concern, yet the presence of the
policemen in her office, along with the fact that Blake had called his lawyers
caused her heart to palpitate. “Is the man okay?” she asked.

“He’s hurt pretty badly.” The gravity of the young officer’s
tone sent her heart beating even faster. “He’s in Harborview right now in
critical condition.”

“This has to be a mistake,” Felicity said, ready to defend
Blake. “Why would Blake do something like that?”

The older officer shrugged. “It happens all the time with
photographers and celebrities.” He turned his gaze on Blake. “Where were you
last night at ten forty-five?”

Blake stood, leaning against the wall, with a look of cold
indifference on his face, saying nothing. Why wasn’t he defending himself?

“Blake was with me last night,” she said, her tone overly
loud in the quiet of the room. Wasn’t he? She suddenly questioned herself. He’d
left her alone in her hotel room after the paramedics had examined her father.
Did that mean he didn’t have an alibi? Even so, she knew that Blake didn’t do
it. If he’d gone back to his room, then all she had to do was give the hotel’s
security tapes to the police to prove Blake hadn’t left the hotel again after
they’d brought her father home.

“Felicity, say no more until my lawyers arrive,” he
instructed in a calm tone like he’d had to put up with this kind of situation
more than once in his life.

In silent dread, she snapped her mouth closed. The sound of
her heartbeat filled her ears as they waited another ten minutes simply staring
at one another.

When the door of her office opened once more, three men in
expensive suits entered the suddenly overcrowded space. One of the men moved to
greet the officers. One made his way to Blake’s side. The other came for her. “We’ll
take things from here, ma’am.” His gaze was alarmingly sharp as he motioned
toward the door. “You can wait outside.”

She looked over at Blake. He nodded and offered her the hint
of a smile as she moved into the hallway. The door of her office closed behind
her. She stared at the wooden door as her mind began tormenting her with all
kinds of vague, disastrous possibilities.

“Looks like Blake’s in some serious trouble.”

Felicity turned to see Destiny.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m waiting to see what happens now,” Destiny said. “That’s
what good reporters do—they watch, listen, and anticipate.”

Felicity’s stomach felt as if it were being squeezed in a
vise. “Will you do something for me, Destiny?”

“Depends.” Destiny raised a perfectly sculpted brow in an
unspoken question.

“Go away and leave things alone.”

Destiny shook her head, her red hair spilling around her
shoulders. “I can’t do that.”

Felicity frowned at the woman before her. “We used to be
friends. What happened?”

Destiny’s face went blank. “It’s really nothing personal. I
just needed to move on.”

“That’s a lie, and you know it. What’s really happening? How
did you know the police were coming to talk with Blake? If I thought you
capable of such a thing, I’d say you set this up. The friend I used to know
wouldn’t have done something so cruel.”

The barb must have struck a nerve, because Destiny stiffened.
“You have no idea what it’s like to want something so desperately that you’d do
just about anything to get it.”

Felicity met Destiny’s gaze. “You’ve met my father. You know
that’s not true. What do you gain from all of this, Destiny? You said you were
desperate. Desperate for what? There has to be a reason. You’re not the
self-sacrificing type.”

Destiny bristled. “I’ve changed.”

“I’d find that easier to believe if you weren’t the cause of
Blake’s latest troubles.”

“I’m not the cause,” Destiny countered, then pressed her lips
together as though forcing herself to say nothing more.

“But you know who is.”

“You know.” Destiny straightened, then glanced down the
hallway as though searching for a way to end their conversation. “I think I’ll
take you up on your suggestion to leave. After all, I have a story to write.”
She moved quickly down the hall and out the front door.

Felicity was tempted to follow her onetime friend to see what
she would do next, and perhaps who was the “cause” she’d referred to only
moments ago. But she couldn’t leave, not during the dinner rush. But there was
one person who might be able to help. She reached for her cell phone and re-called
a previously dialed number.

The call was answered in one ring. “Hello, Felicity. How can
I help you?” Peter, Blake’s driver asked.

“Are you parked out front?”

“As usual.”

“Do you see a red-haired woman leaving the building?”

After a slight pause, Peter asked, “Miss Carrow?”

“That’s her.”

“She’s getting into a taxi.”

If Peter could follow Destiny to see where she went or whom
she talked to, he might discover some information they could use to help Blake
get out of his current situation with the police. “Any chance you could follow
her and see where she goes? It’s really important, Peter. Blake’s in serious
trouble, and Destiny might be the reason why.”

“You’ll look after Blake while I’m gone?” he said, his voice
suddenly strained.

“Consider it done.”

“I’ll call back as soon as I know something.” Peter hung up.

The same moment she ended the call, the door of her office
opened and the two policemen came out. With a nod to her, they headed down the
hallway. Blake’s lawyers came out next, and after promising to call him in the
morning, they followed the policemen until only she and Blake remained.

In that endless moment, their gazes met and held. She had an
almost overwhelming desire to go to him and fold him in her arms, but she held
herself back. “Are you okay?” she asked, breaking the spell between them.

“I didn’t assault that man.”

“I know. I’ll have Edward pull the security tapes from the
hotel that will prove you were here last night. You were here, right?”

He nodded. “Don’t worry, Felicity. My lawyers will take care
of everything.”

She prayed he was right.

Blake stood and came toward her. “Have you been standing out
there the whole time they were questioning me?”

She nodded. “I had company. Destiny followed me here.”

“Ah, yes. I saw her in the lobby,” he replied, his eyes
intent on Felicity’s face.

“While we were out here talking, she said something that
makes me believe she’s up to something.”

He quirked an indifferent brow and said, “I suspected as much
from the first day we met.”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I asked your driver to follow her
when she left here. Who knows, maybe he’ll discover something.”

The warmth in his gaze told her he was pleased. His manner
was relaxed, in spite of all he’d been through in the last half hour. “It’s the
tail end of the dinner rush. Are you still needed in the kitchen?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Then let’s head back.” He turned toward the lobby, then
stopped, hesitating, no doubt remembering the photographers that waited there.

She reached for his hand. “Come with me. There’s a back way.
I have no interest whatsoever in giving those photographers any more fodder
than they already have.”

He tightened his hand around hers, giving her a
conspiratorial smile. “I couldn’t agree with you more.”

Blake and Felicity were alone in the kitchen two
hours later when Peter called back. “What have you got?” Blake asked after
Felicity turned the phone on speaker so they could both hear.

“Destiny went to Harborview to visit someone named Jack
O’Conner in the ICU. Then she went to the
Seattle Gazette
’s
headquarters. I saw her meet Reid Fairfax in the lobby, before they both got
into the elevator. That’s as far as I could go,” Peter explained.

“Reid’s Destiny’s editor,” Felicity replied. “She probably
met up with him to tell him about the story she intends to write to accompany
the pictures that were taken of you with the police.”

“Where are you now?” Blake asked his driver.

“Outside the building. I didn’t want to hang out in the lobby
and look suspicious. I’m no detective.”

“You did great, Peter, thank you. Stay there, and just keep
an eye on things. I’m going to call my detectives to come and relieve you.
They’ll be there soon.” Blake hung up the phone.

“You’re excited.” Felicity’s gaze was on his face.

“We’ve finally got a break. The pieces of the puzzle are
finally starting to come together,” Blake said.

“What do you mean?”

“So you remember the picture we found in the book in my
uncle’s hotel room?”

She nodded.

“I learned today that the man with my grandfather in that
picture was Byrne Fairfax. Reid Fairfax’s grandfather and a former partner in one
of my family’s early businesses. Destiny is the link we’ve been waiting to
find.”