The Virgin Mistress (23 page)

Austin swore and grabbed pen and paper. “Give me the details.”

Twenty minutes later, he had everything he needed…and enough work to keep him busy the rest of the night. “I'll do what I can, man,” he assured Nate. “I'll call you in the morning.”

“My butt's toast if you don't track down the money trail, Austin,” he said somberly. “He had all the access codes, everything he needed to take whatever he wanted. If you can't find where he hid the money, I'm going to jail.”

“It's not going to come to that,” Austin replied. “I know it's hard, but try not to panic. I'm not going to let anything happen to you.”

Confident of his ability, Austin meant every word. Nate was one of his oldest friends, and Austin didn't stand by with his hands in his pockets when someone he cared about was in trouble. He'd do whatever he could to help. He booted up his laptop and began the tedious task of trying to track down money that Dennis LeRue had squir
reled away God only knew where, he found himself chasing shadows. He worked long into the night, and as one hour gave way to another, then another, it became increasingly obvious that this wasn't something he was going to be able to do from a distance. He had to go back to Portland.

H
e didn't want to leave Rebecca.

The thought nagged at him the rest of the night, making it impossible to work, to sleep, to do anything but restlessly pace his hotel room. When he'd first made arrangements to come to California, he'd known it was only for a limited time, and he'd been fine with that. He'd do his duty by the family, find whoever was trying to kill Joe, then head back to Portland where he belonged.

It had all sounded so simple. But that was before he'd known that Joe had more enemies than a con man. And before he found himself falling in love with Rebecca.

Dammit, he fumed, what was he supposed to do now? His life, his friends, his business, were all in Portland. And Rebecca was here. This was where she felt safe, where her roots were, where Joe and Meredith and the rest of her foster family was. How could he ask her to
leave that and go to another state, another city, where she would know no one?

Frustrated, he almost called her in the middle of the night. They needed to talk. But even as he reached for the phone, he knew this was a conversation they needed to have face-to-face. But first he had to talk to Joe. He'd made him a promise he'd find the man who tried to kill him, and now he was going to have to renege on that promise. The least he owed him was an explanation.

 

It was barely seven when Austin showed up at the ranch, but he wasn't surprised to find Joe already at breakfast. His uncle was one of those type A personalities who had too much energy to lie in bed in the morning like a slug. For as long as Austin could remember, the family had teased Joe about making his first million before most people were even out of bed in the morning. If he ever slept in, it was time to call the doctor.

Seeing him now, Austin could believe it. In the process of taking his first sip of coffee of the day, Joe smiled broadly at the sight of him. “Hey, what are you doing here so bright and early on a Monday morning?” With a nod of his head, he motioned to the buffet, where Inez had set out a tempting array of rolls, muffins and danishes. “Grab something to eat and some coffee and sit down and tell me what's going on. I hope you've got some news for me.”

He had news, all right, but Austin doubted that he would see it as good. “Finish eating. This can wait,” he told him as he stepped over to the buffet and poured a cup of coffee. “Where's Meredith? Sleeping in?”

“No, she took the boys to school,” he replied. “She spent the weekend in Palm Springs, so she felt like she needed to give them a little extra attention this morning.”

“No kidding? What was she doing in Palm Springs?”

“Pampering herself at a new spa. She said she needed a break because of the shooting.”

That was one way to deal with stress, though not the way Austin would have chosen, but he couldn't blame her for needing a break. “She was standing right next to you when the shot was fired. That's got to haunt her. Not only did she see you almost get killed, but she must be wondering what would have happened if the shooter's aim had been off. She could be dead right now.”

Startled, Joe nearly choked on his coffee. “Do you think the shooter was after her instead of me?”

Taking a seat at the table, Austin shrugged. “Whenever you've got bullets flying around, you've got to consider the possibility that they could be meant for anyone. Meredith doesn't have any enemies, though—at least not that anyone's mentioned—so I doubt she was the target. You, on the other hand,” he added dryly, “have any number of friends and acquaintances who would like to blow your head off.”

Grinning, Joe didn't deny it. “People shouldn't be so damn sensitive. Everybody takes everything so personally nowadays. They don't understand that business is business.”

Austin just rolled his eyes. “It's that kind of arrogance that probably almost got you killed. You need to make peace with some of these people, Joe. You know it's the right thing to do.”

“The only peace some of them want is a piece of me. But I'm trying,” he added when Austin gave him a hard look. “Rebecca suggested I might need sensitivity classes. So how are the two of you doing? I noticed she's been helping you a lot with the case.”

Austin knew what he was asking—just how close were
they getting?—but he had no intention of going there. Until he'd had time to talk to Rebecca and find out if she loved him as much as he loved her, he wasn't discussing their relationship with anyone.

“She's been very helpful,” he said easily.

Waiting for him to go on, Joe prompted, “And?”

“And nothing.”

Irritated, Joe scowled. “Is that all you can say? I was hoping—”

Suddenly realizing what he was saying, he snapped his mouth shut, but it was too late. Austin was on to him. Giving him a narrow-eyed look that had made more than one guilty party squirm in his seat over the years, he said silkily, “Don't stop there, uncle. Just what exactly were you hoping?”

“Nothing,” he said innocently. “Nothing at all.” Abruptly changing the subject, he nodded at the oversized envelope Austin had brought with him. “What's that?”

Austin knew exactly what he was doing, but he was just as thankful for the distraction as Joe. “It's my report on the investigation.”

Surprised, Joe reached for it eagerly. “You've finished?”

“Not exactly, but I've been called back to Portland on an emergency.” Quickly telling him about Nate and the money his partner had embezzled from him, he said, “Nate's an old friend, and I can't turn my back on him when he needs help. And to be perfectly honest, I'm not any closer to solving the case than I was the day I came to town.”

He hated like hell to admit that, but there was no getting around it. “I've got a list of suspects a mile long, some more suspicious than others, but nobody stands out in the crowd. And that irritates me. You called me down here
to do a job for you, and I haven't done it. I'm sorry about that.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Joe said with a scowl. “The police have had a whole team of detectives on the case for weeks, and they haven't been able to solve it, either. So don't you dare apologize. We may never know who the shooter was. Unless he tries again.”

Austin wanted to tell him that wasn't going to happen, but they both knew it could. “Thanks for understanding,” he said gruffly. “I want you to know that just because I have to leave doesn't mean I'm giving up on the case. I just have to put it aside for a while.”

“Don't worry about it,” Joe said as they both rose from the table and shook hands. “Nothing's going to happen fast around here, so go ahead and help your friend find his money before that bastard partner of his buries it in the Caymans and it's lost to him forever. He needs you right now more than I do. And who knows? The police may turn up something while you're gone.”

The front door slammed then, and they both turned to see Meredith walk in from taking the boys to school. Dressed in a simple cotton dress and sandals, she looked rested and almost like the old Meredith Austin remembered from his childhood. Then she saw him and she immediately stiffened. “You're an early bird this morning. What's going on?”

She made no attempt to hide the hostility she felt for him, but Austin didn't take it personally. If he'd been in her shoes, he probably would have felt just as hostile. Someone had tried to kill her husband, and all the detectives investigating the case could talk about were their suspicions of her and the rest of the family.

“Austin just came by to give me a report on the case
and say goodbye,” Joe replied before he could say anything. “He's going back to Portland.”

“Goodbye?” she repeated, turning to Austin with widened eyes. “Did something happen while I was in Palm Springs? I didn't realize you'd found the shooter.”

“I haven't,” he said, “but something's come up in Portland that I've got to take care of, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to work on the case again.”

“I was just thanking him for all his help and wishing him a safe trip home,” Joe added. “The case will still be here when he gets back.”

“But what about the shooter?” she asked worriedly. “He's still walking around. What if he tries something again?”

“If someone's going to kill me, they're going to do it whether Austin's here or not,” he retorted. “That's just a chance we'll have to take.”

“I don't think you have anything to worry about,” Austin told them both. “Whoever the shooter is, he's not an idiot. He knows the police are still on the case. You can bet he's not going to do anything until things quiet down again, and that could take months.”

“So don't get your nerves in a twist,” Joe told Meredith pointedly. “You don't need to run off to Palm Springs again. Everything's fine.”

At any other time, Patsy would have sent him a murderous glare, but not today. Oh, no, not when she was feeling so good. Let him have his condescending attitude, she would have the last laugh. Austin was giving up! He might claim he had an emergency, but he wasn't fooling her. He was running back to Portland with his tail between his legs because he didn't have a clue who the shooter was and knew he never would.

If she wouldn't be giving herself away, Patsy would
have laughed right in his and Joe's faces. They'd both thought they were so smart. Joe had gone on and on about Austin and what a terrific detective he was—he was smarter than the police. He'd find the shooter. Yeah, right. He hadn't done squat! And she was thrilled. Now if the police would just drop the case, too, she'd be home free.

Not that she was worried, she assured herself smugly. Thaddeus Law was an idiot—she didn't have to worry about him or those bumbling jackasses he worked with. They didn't suspect a thing about the poison—or who she really was—and she was going to make sure things stayed that way. Her new friend, Mr. Pike, would take care of that sniveling little brat, Emily, and then there'd be only one person left in the entire world who could ruin things for her.

Meredith.

Sweet, wonderful Meredith, she thought bitterly. Everyone had always thought she was such a little angel, so kind and giving and loving. They'd never seen her for what she really was—a selfish bitch who didn't care about anyone but herself.

Fifteen years, she raged silently. She'd lost fifteen years of her life, her baby daughter, Jewel, and the childhood she hadn't been able to share with her, and any chance for happiness in the future. All because of Meredith. And now, God only knew where her sainted sister was. If there was any kind of justice in the world, she'd gone completely batty after she'd been released from the St. James clinic and was now living on the street out of a shopping cart.

Stark images flashed before her mind's eye at the thought, and it was all Patsy could do not to laugh in triumph. Revenge really was a wonderful thing. And she wasn't through with her dear sister yet. Oh, no. Not by a
long shot. It might take him awhile, but Edward Garrison would find Meredith for her. And when he did, she'd have another little
job
for Mr. Pike to take care of for her. Then she would finally be safe and no one would ever be able to hurt her again.

That's the day she would celebrate with the finest bottle of champagne in Joe's wine cellar. In the meantime, she hugged the thought to herself and once again played the role of sweet, loving, concerned Meredith. If she nearly choked on the part, no one had to know that but her.

“It isn't that my nerves are in a twist. I just don't like the idea of a nutcase walking around with a gun. But if Austin's not concerned, then I don't need to be, either. After all, he's the expert.”

Pasting a deliberately cheerful smile on her face, she gave Austin a hug that didn't hold an ounce of true affection. “Well, I've got to go—I've got a hair appointment. Have a safe trip home, and make sure you call when you come back to town. Joe sleeps better when he knows everything that's going on with the investigation.”

And so did she. But for completely different reasons than Joe. She didn't like surprises. But now that Austin was definitely leaving, there wouldn't be much chance of that. Feeling like she'd just won the lottery and didn't have to share it with anyone, she wished Austin a safe trip home and sailed out to her hair appointment, laughing all the way.

 

“Martha, thank God you're back!” Rushing into the therapist's office, Louise hugged her and found herself on the verge of tears. “I've been frantic to talk to you!”

“So I've heard,” she said, returning her embrace. “The minute I came in this morning, Julie told me you'd called to move up your appointment. What's going on? We were
going to meet at your house on Friday, weren't we? What's happened?”

Not surprised that Martha had jumped to the conclusion that something was wrong—very little had gone right over their last few months of therapy—she smiled tremulously, her brown eyes shining. “Nothing's wrong. At least I don't think there is. I just went out with Lucas and…”

“What? It was a success? A disaster? What?”

“I remembered him.”

Thanks to all their sessions, Martha didn't have to ask who. In all the times she'd been Louise's therapist, there had always been only one “him.” Without a word, she shut the door to her office so they could talk undisturbed, then waited for Louise to take a seat on the chaise lounge that often helped patients relax. “Tell me,” she said quietly.

Louise needed little more encouragement than that. It seemed like she'd waited a month instead of just the weekend for Martha to return from Chicago, and the second she sat down, the words just came tumbling out. “There's no name. No face. I know that must sound silly to you, and I can't tell you any more about him than I did the last time we discussed him.”