Soft Focus (23 page)

IT TOOK THREE TRIES BEFORE HE COULD MAKE
the card key work in the slot. He finally got into the darkened hotel room. He went straight to the minibar. When he removed the miniature bottle of scotch he noted with disgust that his hands were still shaking.

“Shit.”

He could still feel the unpleasant prickles created by the slowly evaporating adrenaline. His insides were ice cold. He felt light-headed.

It had been close. So damn close that he knew he would probably have nightmares for a while. In his head, he could still hear the sucking rush of air as the car swept past only inches away. If he hadn't glanced back over his shoulder at that precise instant . . .

If he hadn't reacted with blind instinct; if he hadn't relied on the reflexes the martial arts training had given him. . .

He did not want to think about what had almost happened, but he could not get the images out of his mind. The windows of the steel-colored rental car had been tinted. He had not been able to see the driver's face. But that did not matter.
He knew who drove a steel-gray rental car here in Mirror Springs.

He downed the scotch and went to the window. He stared into the thickly wooded river canyon while he waited for the liquor to melt the ice in his gut.

His mother had been right. His half brother detested him. But until tonight, Hayden thought, he hadn't realized that Jack hated him enough to try to kill him.

“I CAN'T BELIEVE
it.” Elizabeth stormed across the landing that separated her sleeping loft from Jack's. “Are you totally nuts? You went to their house? Searched their
bedroom
?”

“What can I say?” He opened the closet and took out a fresh shirt. “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

She stared at him, momentarily speechless with shock and outrage. Under any other circumstance she would have enjoyed watching him change clothes. She had never seen another man who looked so interesting without a shirt. But the shock of hearing that he had spent the afternoon committing an act of breaking and entering while she had been at the spa with Vicky overwhelmed everything else, including the sight of his bare chest.

“You could have been arrested,” she blurted.

“I doubt it.” He shrugged into the shirt and started to fasten the buttons. “Holland doesn't want the police dragged into this any more than we do.”

“You can't be certain of that.” She realized she had begun to wave her hands in the air. Never a good sign. “Jack, you ran a terrible risk.”

“Take it easy. No harm done.”

“Is that so? Well, if it wasn't such a risk, why didn't you tell me what you planned to do before you did it?”

He glanced at her as he rolled up the cuffs of his shirt. “Because I knew you'd have a fit.”

“I've got a right to have a fit. Good grief, when I think of what might have happened. And it was all for nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

“Not entirely.” He managed to look offended. “I told you, I found some red paint.”

“Big deal,” she shot back. “We already suspected that the red-paint stalker routine was a publicity hoax. It's not connected to the theft.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

She folded her arms and glared at him. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“I'm not sure,” he admitted. “But it occurs to me that if Dawson Holland is thinking about getting rid of wife number three, making her the victim of a stalker might be one way to handle the problem.”

Elizabeth swallowed. “You're right. It would certainly make a change from car accidents.”

“Yes, it would.” Jack walked toward her. “What did Vicky say when you told her about Dawson's history of bad luck with wives?”

“She was cool about it.” Elizabeth turned away. “I got the impression that she thinks I'm not real bright when it comes to men.”

Jack came up behind her. His hands closed over her shoulders. “She said that because you're with me?”

She cleared her throat. “Something along those lines, yes.”

“What about you, Elizabeth?” His voice was very even, completely without inflection. “Do you still think I made a fool out of you six months ago? That I used you?”

She gazed straight ahead, very conscious of the weight
and heat of his hands. “This isn't a good time for this kind of discussion.”

“Did you love Garth Galloway?”

“Garth?” Stunned by the unexpected question, she stepped quickly out from under his hands and whirled around. “What in the world does he have to do with any of this?”

“Your brother-in-law said you loved Galloway but that you found out after the takeover that he had only asked you to marry him in order to please his mother. Merrick told me that Camille Galloway wanted the Aurora Fund in the family.”

Elizabeth groaned. “Merrick talks too much.”

“Is it true?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes,” Jack said. “It matters.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “Why?”

“Because it makes me wonder just how badly you got hurt by what happened two years ago and how much you blame me for it.” His gaze was intent and steady. “It makes me wonder if you think Vicky's right about you being not too bright because you're sleeping with me. It makes me wonder if—”

The muted rumble of his cell phone sounded, cutting off the rest of his words. An impatient expression flashed in his eyes. Then he reached for the phone lying on the end table.

“Fairfax here,” he said brusquely, his gaze still on Elizabeth's face.

His expression turned to stone as he listened to whoever was speaking on the other end of the connection. He said nothing at all in response. A few seconds later, he ended the call and just stood there, looking at her.

A rush of anxiety swept through Elizabeth. “What's wrong?”

“That was Hayden.” Jack drew a long breath. “He thinks I
tried to kill him sometime late this afternoon. From what I can gather, someone almost succeeded in running him down with a car at about the time I was returning from the Holland place.”

“THIS IS A
waste of time,” Jack said as he followed Elizabeth off the elevator.

“Quit whining.” She led the way down the hotel corridor to Hayden's room. “You've already made your position clear. But I still say we've got nothing to lose.”

She came to a halt in front of Hayden's door and knocked. Behind her, Jack loomed, grim-featured.

Hayden opened the door. He looked surly and resentful. But Elizabeth got the impression he had been in that mood before he realized who was standing in the hall.

He gave Jack a disgusted look and then pointedly ignored him. He studied Elizabeth.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

Elizabeth caught the scent of alcohol on his breath. He'd been drinking, she realized, but he was not yet drunk.

“I think it's time the three of us talked,” she said.

“I'm more than willing to talk to you,” Hayden drawled, “under the right circumstances. But I haven't got a damn thing to say to Jack.”

Elizabeth flattened a hand on the door and pushed firmly inward. “Unless you like being played for a sucker, I think you'll want to cooperate with us.”

Hayden fell back, scowling. “What's this about being played for a sucker?”

“Someone's playing some unpleasant games,” Elizabeth said. “You aren't the only victim.”

She walked into the room. Jack followed without a word and closed the door.

“Sit down,” Elizabeth said to both men. “Try to deal with this as adults. Hayden, we need some answers from you.”

Hayden sprawled in the chair and looked mutinous. “I don't see why I should tell you a damned thing about what I know or how I came to know it.”

Jack said nothing. He just stood gazing stoically out the window.

Elizabeth sighed. This was even harder than she had imagined. She could only give thanks that none of her family relationships had taken this terrible turn. She made a mental note to transfer a nice, fat sum from the Aurora Fund into Merrick's account the moment she arrived back in Seattle. It was worth every penny to know that, whatever else happened, she had family she could depend on in a crunch.

“Someone is handing out warnings,” she said to Hayden. “It sounds like you got one earlier today. We got one last night.”

“What are you talking about?” Hayden muttered.

“Two thugs waylaid us on the road and tried to beat up your brother.”

“Half brother,” Hayden said automatically. “And I don't believe a word of it. He looks fine to me.”

“It's the truth,” Elizabeth snapped. “You may not trust Jack, but I think you know that you can trust me.”

“Yeah? How do I know that?”

Elizabeth just looked at him. He had the grace to turn a dull red. She noticed a room-service tray in the corner. There was a large pot of coffee and some sandwiches on it. She found a clean cup on top of the minibar and crossed the small space to help herself to the coffee.

“We think that someone who is here in Mirror Springs for the auction has decided to try to scare off some of the competition,” Jack said from the window.

“Someone such as yourself, maybe?” Hayden's jaw tightened. “I'm surprised you used a car, Jack. Next time try a gun. Hit-and-run with a car usually leaves some trace evidence.”

“If you really think I tried to run you down,” Jack said, “go to the cops.”

“With what?” Hayden growled. “I can't prove a damn thing, and you know it. But I saw the car. Silver gray. Just like that rental you're driving,”

“There must be a couple of hundred silver-gray rentals in town this week.”

“Stop it.” Elizabeth slammed down her cup. “I will not tolerate these stupid accusations. Jack had nothing to do with whatever almost happened to you this afternoon, Hayden.”

“Is that so?” Hayden gave her a politely inquisitive look. “Were you with him all afternoon? Can you vouch for his whereabouts at approximately four o'clock?”

Jack turned his head and gazed at her with laconic amusement. She knew exactly what he was thinking. She had been on her way home from the spa at four o'clock. He had not been with her. He had been driving back from Holland's house.

“Jack was not with me,” she admitted quietly. “But I know that he would never do what you've suggested.”

“How can you be so damned sure of that, given what he did to you?” Hayden asked.

“What are you? Crazy?” She looked at him, amazed at how deep his bitterness had gone. “Grow up. Jack might be a little ruthless when it comes to business, but—”

“A
little
ruthless.” Hayden uttered a short, sharp laugh. “That's a joke, and you know it. Look what he did to Galloway. Hell, look what he did to you six months ago. I can't
believe you've bought his line of bull. You always struck me as smart, Elizabeth. At the very least, I would have thought that you were intelligent enough to learn from your mistakes.”

“And I think you're too smart to let the anger and bitterness of the past blind you to the facts,” she retorted. “No, I didn't like what Jack did at Galloway, but at least I now know why he did it. He was trying to get justice for your brother Larry. Given the same set of circumstances, I might have done something similar.”

Jack gave her a quick, surprised look over his shoulder. But he said nothing.

“I'm not sure what that says about you,” Hayden drawled. “I heard you were engaged to Garth Galloway and that the stress of the hostile takeover wrecked your relationship. Didn't that mean anything to you?”

“Garth wasn't exactly a paragon of honor and manly virtue. He only wanted to marry me to help his mother get her hands on the Aurora Fund,” she said.

Hayden snorted. “I'll bet Jack told you that.”

“No,” she said quietly. “Garth told me that himself. He was very, very clear on that point.”

A short, awkward silence fell. Hayden's mouth was a grim line.

“Sorry,” he said after a while. “I know how it feels to have someone lie to you like that. And how it feels to fall for the lie hook, line, and sinker. I really thought that Gillian—Hell, never mind. It doesn't matter now.”

“You're right,” Elizabeth said. “It doesn't matter now. What matters is that you stop blaming Jack for everything that's ever gone wrong in your life and start dealing with reality. We've got a problem here. It could be a lot more serious than any of us first thought.”

Hayden eyed her morosely. “What's more serious than almost getting killed in a hit-and-run accident?”

Jack finally turned away from the window. “Actually getting killed in a hit-and-run accident.”