Now that my life has settled down for the foreseeable future, I am trying to get two chapters of Danger in Paradise out every week while I work on editing an historical romance. I might change my mind, though, and put chapters on the historical online here and download the entire book of Danger in Paradise to this site.
This week’s chapters are 9 & 10. I hope you enjoy them.
NINE
At three a.m., Jessie woke with a start. She and Nick had discussed the case for two hours then had chatted about mundane things until she’d relaxed enough to sleep. It was about nine when she’d reluctantly sent Nick home. Now her dream reminded her of something important that he needed to know for his investigation.
Sitting in bed, she picked up the phone and dialed his number. When he answered on the twelfth ring, she spoke in an frantic tone. “Nick, it’s me. You have to come back right away.”
“Are you all right?” he asked in concern.
Upon hearing his tone, Jessie realized how her own voice must have sounded and calmed to reply, “I’m fine, but I thought of something important. We have to talk—and it can’t wait until morning.”
“Are you sure it’s that important, Jess?” He yawned, and Jessie felt a slight twinge of guilt for having disturbed his rest. But before she could apologize, he added, “I haven’t gotten much sleep the last few nights, and I was doing some heavy-duty log-sawing.”
Oh, well. She’d made the call and woken him. She may as well tell him the reason behind her actions. “It’s about my car, Nick. I’d completely forgotten something.”
“What’s that?”
“Not on the phone. We can’t take any chances.” Although curious as to why she’d said such a thing, Jessie decided against taking her words back. It wouldn’t do any good, anyway.
“Oh, all right,” he agreed. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
For twenty minutes, Jessie paced her apartment in her nightshirt. Nick hadn’t sounded like he wanted to come, but at least, he hadn’t argued about it. He’d accepted that she didn’t want to talk on the phone with almost no questions. Maybe he, too, realized that it could be bugged. Come to think of it, the entire apartment could be bugged!
She had no idea why she was thinking along these lines, but she knew one thing: She and Nick couldn’t discuss anything important in her apartment.
Picking up the phone handset, she stared at it for several seconds. It probably wouldn’t do any good to call and change their plans, because Nick would question her if she did. With a sigh, she returned the handset to its cradle. She should probably start using her cell phone to make calls, anyway. It was less likely to be bugged.
Besides, Nick had probably already left. The only way to keep him from her apartment was to change her clothes and meet him downstairs.
After putting on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, she took her keys, bolt-locked the door from the outside, and took the elevator to the main floor. The clock near the stairwell showed that she paced anxiously for another ten minutes before Nick pulled his RAV4 into the lot.
Jessie raced from the building and made her way through the maze of cars while Nick found an empty space. Even before he could get out, she knocked on the passenger window.
Nick started at the noise but shook his head when he realized who it was. The lock clicked as he unlocked the door for her.
“What the hell are you doing down here in the middle of the night?” he demanded as she got in, closing the door behind her.
“You know I didn’t think it would be safe talking on the phone. Then I got to thinking that if somebody bugged my phone, they could have bugged the rest of my place, too.” When Nick laughed, she shot him an irritated look. “It isn’t funny.”
“Yes, it is,” he said with a chuckle. “You keep accusing me of writing too many spy novels and letting them go to my head. Now you’re acting like this. This isn’t the cloak-and-dagger situation you’re making it out to be. You’ve been reading too many espionage novels—but they haven’t been mine, because I only used those devices once. Or maybe you’ve been watching too many made-for-TV movies.”
Jessie punched him lightly in the biceps. “Stop teasing me. This is serious.”
“I gathered that much. So, what did you remember?”
“My car door wasn’t locked when I finally found it this afternoon.”
“So?”
“So, I always lock it, Nick. It’s a reflex action. I may not have been paying a lot of attention to what I was doing when I went in to work this morning, but I know I locked that door. I remember that much—even if it is rather vague. But when I put my hand in the handle to open it this afternoon, it didn’t beep like it does when it’s been locked.”
“That doesn’t mean anything, Jess,” he said as he took her hand in his. Tension tightened every muscle in her body, but already she could feel that this small touch relieve some of it. He caressed her hand with both of his. “You probably just forgot.”
“No,” she insisted. “I never forget to lock it. I’ve been known to forget to leave it unlocked—like when I house-sit for Mom and Dad and park in their garage. But I never forget to lock it.”
“You’ve been under a lot of stress lately,” he reminded her. “You’re bound to make mistakes. And when you went to work, you were still in a lot of pain. You told me so yourself.”
Jerking her hand from his, she glared at him and enunciated each word with deliberate care. “I did not make a mistake. I locked my car. And now I’m sure that somebody used it while I was at work.”
Nick studied her as he replied. “All right, Jess. You locked your car. Maybe we can narrow down the list of suspects.”
“We sure can, because I’m the only one who has keys. Well, so do my parents, but we both know they’d never do anything like this to me.”
“I don’t doubt that for a second. Are you sure nobody else has keys to your car?”
“Positive.”
“Then why do you think your apartment might be bugged?”
Jessie stared at him, unable to think of a response.
“Oh, God!” she wailed, burying her face in her hands. “Now I’m paranoid. This whole situation’s turning me into a raving lunatic.”
Reaching across the car, he took her into his arms. “You’re not paranoid, Jess, and you’re not a lunatic. You’re just scared senseless.”
“That’s so reassuring,” she said. “Now I don’t have any sense, either.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“You don’t understand, Nick.” This whole conversation was starting to get ludicrous. But she needed to talk this out with him if she wanted answers. No matter how much she needed his support right now, she needed him to comprehend everything even more. And she needed him to find out who was stealing classified information. That meant he had to know everything pertinent to the case, even if it made her look bad. “I had another headache today.”
“Of course, you did,” he comforted. “You took a nasty knock on your head.”
“Stop interrupting me!” she ordered. “I had a headache, so I told Rachel that I was going to take a nap before I went home. I told her that I didn’t want to be disturbed. Then I went back and locked myself in my office. I’ve never done that before. That’s when I laid my head down. When I woke up, I remember thinking how odd it was because I couldn’t remember a single dream.”
“Stop talking like that!” he demanded in a pained voice. “I know where you’re heading with this, and you’re not a nut-case. You’re a healthy, sane woman. And I love you. I won’t listen to this kind of talk anymore.”
“We have to face it, Nick.”
“I’ll face nothing.” He grabbed her head and forced her to look at him. “You’re going through some tough times, Jessie, and I’m going to solve this damned mystery if for no other reason than to prove you wrong about yourself.”
“But …”
“There’s an explanation for all this, honey. All you have to do is stay sane long enough for me prove it. Don’t let the person or persons doing this to you drive you over the edge.” Releasing her, he shook his head. “God, I wish they still made cars bench seats in the front. I can’t hold you and comfort you like I want to in bucket seats.”
“Let’s get in the back.”
When they were comfortable in the back seat, Nick drew her against him, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Content, Jessie released a heavy sigh then said, “You know something, Nick? I want you to be right about this. Honest. But I can’t help wondering about everything. Take the car incident. How else could you explain it?”
“Somebody could have taken your keys without you realizing it. They could have had duplicates made.”
Jessie gasped in horror and grabbed his forearms. His words made more sense than she wanted them to. In fact, they reminded her of something else she hadn’t considered before.
“What is it, honey?” he asked, drawing her back to the present.
“You’re right,” she admitted, her face hot with embarrassment. “It’s a lot less likely that I’m crazy than it is that I’m being framed, which is exactly what somebody who’s gaslighting me could do. Obviously, somebody wants it to look like I’m doing this to keep the heat off them. But who? And why me?”
“I don’t know who yet, but I do know why. It’s got to be because you’re so damned naive. You trust everybody.” He paused a moment for effect. “And there’s one person you trust way too much.”
Delighting in the feel of the furry forearms under her light touch, she giggled. “You’re just jealous, Nick Ramsdale.”
He hugged her and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll grant that. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have an open mind about Hardy. The man’s no good, sweetheart.”
“I don’t call jealousy having an open mind. Besides, the only reason you think he’s no good is because you don’t like him. You don’t have any proof of …” She stopped midsentence. From the moment Nick had heard that she was engaged, he’d been trying to convince her that Todd wasn’t good for her. He’d spent the last few days doing everything he could to break them up. And why? Bbecause he was jealous? Or was something else behind his actions?
Then there was the incident Sunday night. Todd had assaulted her, had threatened to murder her. And Nick had come to her rescue—because he’d stayed nearby to keep an eye on her apartment in case of trouble. Again, there could be two reasons for that. One, that he was jealous; and two, that he knew something about Todd that he didn’t want to tell her.
An unexpected thought flashed across her mind. When she’d last talked to Steve, he’d told her that Nick had said something about running down a lead. But Nick had told her that he was going to do research. That discrepancy could only mean one thing. Nick was hiding something.
“All right, Ramsdale,” she said after only a few seconds of silence. “It’s time for you to cough up all the details. What do you have on Todd that you won’t tell me?”
“Nothing,” he replied with a shrug.
“You’re lying,” she proclaimed. “You always shrug your shoulders when you lie. I first noticed it the day we started dating. You did it when you tried to give me a good night kiss and I wouldn’t let you. You said it was no big deal and shrugged your shoulders. But I could tell by the look in your eyes that it was a huge deal. I’d never seen such a wounded look in my life. Now tell me about Todd.”
“Okay, I admit it,” he said. “You caught me in a lie. But I only have suspicions because of some informants’ claims. I can’t prove a damned thing, and maybe I never will.”
“You are trying, though, aren’t you? That’s why Steve told me that you were out investigating a lead today—or yesterday now.”
“God, that kid’s got a big mouth,” Nick complained.
“And I’m glad. What kind of lead was it?”
“I’d heard that he was taking bribes, that he has his hand in a few cookie jars that it doesn’t belong in. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Conflict of interest kind of things. Unfortunately, I can’t find any evidence that it’s true. And I found out something about his past that was very well hidden.”
“Such as?” she prompted.
“You don’t want to know.”
“Yes, I do,” she insisted. “What kind of trouble is Todd in?”
“None yet. If I prove these allegations, though, he could be ousted from his seat in the state senate. And his chance of getting to Washington will be wiped out forever.”
“Tell me,” she demanded.
“Oh, all right. He’s got deals in some government-contracted agencies—at least, that’s the rumor. But it won’t be easy to prove, because he’s covered his tracks well. I can’t find his name on a single public record.”
“Did you ever stop to think that he’s clean?” she asked. “Did you even once think that you’re only believing these rumors because he’s engaged to me?”
“If I hadn’t come across the information before I found that out, I would have considered it. But everything I’m investigating started long before I saw that article in the paper. I’ve been quietly working on this for the past two months. Then there are some other …”
Nick stopped in the middle of his sentence, and Jessie knew that he’d uncovered something in Maui.
“So, there is more,” she worded as she moved to gaze at him. “I knew that wasn’t all. He could go to jail for something he’s allegedly doing, couldn’t he. For a long time, right?”
Nick crossed his arms over his broad chest and lifted his shoulders. “I don’t know what else I can tell you, Jess.”
“You’re shrugging again.” When his shoulders fell back into place, Jessie giggled. “We know each other awfully well, Nick—so well that I can tell you what’s on your mind. You think I’m going to be upset about something. That’s why you won’t tell me all of your information.”
“It’s all hearsay,” he replied. “I can’t substantiate the claims I’ve heard.”
Jessie caught his slight shrug and knew that he was lying, even if he was willing himself not to react in a way that would show her. Determined to get answers, she asked, “Where did you hear these claims? Are your sources reliable?”
“They always have been before.”
“But it’s possible they aren’t this time?”
“Anything’s possible when you pay low-lifes for information,” he admitted with a grimace. “Look, Jessie, somehow we got off the subject. We need to find out what’s going on at your office. We need to concentrate on that. It’s a hell of a lot more pressing than a few informants’ overactive imaginations.”
“You obviously have what you consider a good reason to believe that their imaginations aren’t overactive.”
“I’m not going to talk about Hardy again tonight,” he declared. “I’m going to discuss your problems and how we can solve them. Until we do that, you can’t commit yourself to me, and that’s most important as far as I’m concerned. Now, who borrowed your car in the past week?”
Knowing that Nick would never continue the subject of Todd in that state of mind, she replied, “Nobody, I’ve never even loaned my car to anybody.” She paused as an unexpected memory came to her. “Wait a minute! That’s not true. Todd borrowed it when his was in the shop about five weeks ago.”
“So, he had your car key for a full day?”
“Two,” she admitted, bowing her head in embarrassment. Then she returned her nervous gaze to meet his. “And he didn’t just have my car key. He had all of my keys. I’d taken one of the days off, so we could look for my ring. The other day he drove me to work and picked me up.”
“That still means he had a full day to do whatever he wanted to with your keys. He had plenty of time to copy them.”
Despite the sound of things, Jessie couldn’t believe that Todd would do such a thing if he loved her. She had to defend him against Nick’s accusations. “But he has no use for them, except maybe the car key.”
“He could have been the one using your car while you napped.”
She shook her head. “I doubt it. He doesn’t have a base decal on his car.”
“Neither do I, but it wasn’t that hard to get on when I was looking for you. I purchased a year pass a few months ago, because I sometimes need to consult with a friend who lives on base.”
“Oh, my God!” she suddenly exclaimed.
Nick laughed. “You’re starting to swear more and more, Mrs. Nelson. That’s three times in less than twelve hours.”
“You’re a bad influence on me,” she returned with a playful grin. “Anyway, you’re right. Todd could have taken my car.” She paused, still having doubts of his role in what was happening. “But why would he?”
“To frame you, of course.”
Sighing, she contemplated his suggestion. “I don’t think so, Nick. I’m sorry, but I just can’t believe Todd would do something like that to me. I believe him when he says he loves me.”
“Why can’t you believe that about me?” he asked.
“I do,” she returned, surprised by his question.
“Well, you’ve sure as hell never given me any indication that you do.”
“I suppose I haven’t,” she granted. “Give me a break, Nick. This isn’t even what we’re discussing right now. We have to deal with my car incident. Instead, you’re trying to convict and hang Todd for some crime you can’t even prove he committed.”
“Well, you sure as hell can’t prove that he didn’t.”
“I can tell you something that might change your mind. I’ve left my purse unattended for hours at a time at the office. I trusted everybody there because we all have top secret clearances. I figured that anybody with that kind of FBI investigation behind them wouldn’t bother confiscating a few dollars that I might have in my wallet.”
“But they might have temporarily confiscated your keys?”
“I’m beginning to think it’s possible.”
“Wonders shall never cease!” he exclaimed with a laugh. “The lady’s admitting she might not know everything that goes on around her.”
Jessie giggled again. “You’re so good at humbling me. You realize what we’ve just done, though, don’t you?”
With a grimace, Nick blew air through his slightly parted lips. “Unfortunately. We’ve just identified every suspect on our list. We haven’t eliminated a single person.”
“It could also mean that any of those people could have had access to my apartment.”
“You mean you’ve finally eliminated Miss Alter Personality?” he teased.
Jessie laughed and hugged him. “All right. I admit that I went off the deep end for a while, but I’m back on dry ground again. And I’m determined to help you find out who’s been stealing government secrets—even if it’s Todd, like you suspect.” When his mouth dropped open in surprise, she laughed again. “Okay, you haven’t said the words. Your implication was all I needed.”
With a heavy sigh of exasperation, Nick shook his head. Jessie smiled. He didn’t want her to help, but he couldn’t see a way out of it, either. A moment later, he confirmed her thoughts.
“I’ll let you help on one condition,” he agreed. “You have to follow my instructions to the letter. Don’t you dare go off on another tangent, or you could get yourself killed.”
She crossed her heart with her finger then held her hand up in a halting gesture. “On my honor, boss.”
“You’d better think of me as your boss,” he said with a nervous chuckle. “If you don’t, you could get in even deeper trouble. Now let’s take a walk on the beach and discuss this in a more pleasant, and bigger, surrounding.”
From the condominium lobby, the figure watched them get out of the car and stroll toward the beach. Those two were getting too close. They had to be stopped before they ruined the plan.
Everything had been working quite smoothly until Nick Ramsdale came onto the scene. That was when things started to fall apart. Controlling Jessie had been no problem, but Ramsdale was getting in the way. He was getting too nosy for his own—and Jessie’s—good. He was obviously very important to her, and that meant trouble in more ways than one. They should have taken Nick into consideration long before they started the project or, at least, in the planning stages. There was only one way out of the problem, too. Jessie and Nick had to be separated—permanently!
TEN
Todd sat at the table in the restaurant, anxiously awaiting the woman who had phoned him earlier. He’d never been happier than he had been in the last three months. Jessie had brought a joy to him that he hadn’t known since he’d caught his fiancee in bed with another man. He’d finally found another woman to love, and she’d done the same thing. Actually, she hadn’t, but it hurt just as much. And he’d had the same reaction.
In a way, he was glad that Ramsdale had shown up when he did. He hadn’t wanted to kill Jessie, but it could have happened if Ramsdale hadn’t stopped him. It was hard to keep from buying a thank-you card and sending it to Ramsdale anonymously. The only thing keeping him from the nearest Hallmark store was that Ramsdale was too smart. He would figure out in a second who had sent it.
Motioning to the waitress carrying a coffee pot, Todd asked for a refill. She poured more into his cup then moved on while he sipped the steamy liquid. Across the building, several women came in the front door. Todd tensed. Would one of them come to his table? When none did, he sighed in relief.
Who was this woman who’d been calling him for the past four months, anyway? Why wouldn’t she give him her name? What a stupid question! He knew why. She wouldn’t tell him who she was because she was blackmailing him—and doing a damned good job of it. He didn’t know where she’d gotten her information, but she knew all about the mistake he’d made thirteen years ago.
Thirteen years ago, he thought. How appropriate. The last thing he needed now, though, was bad luck. No, the last thing he needed was that story to hit the papers. That would ruin his career faster than Ramsdale or Jessie could if they reported his jealous rage.
One mistake! That’s all it had been in his thirty-five years of life. One mistake made when he had just graduated from college, and this woman had somehow found out about it. He’d been completely clean before and after that time he’d lost control. He hadn’t even gotten a traffic citation until he’d back-ended Jessie’s car—just as the woman had instructed him to do.
That was another thing. Why did that woman want Jessie involved? Why not just blackmail him for money? He had plenty that he could give her. It didn’t make sense. Jessie was a sweet, innocent woman—quite unlike the blackmailer. Although he wasn’t sure, he suspected it pertained to Jessie’s civil service job that the woman had told him about.
Two more women walked into the restaurant, followed almost immediately by another woman and a man. The long-haired brunette thanked the man while she searched the room until her gaze fell on Todd. Then she strode confidently to the table and sat down.
“Nice of you to meet me here so early,” the brown-eyed brunette said as Todd examined her.
“I didn’t have much choice,” he returned. She wasn’t very tall—maybe five-four—and her features were rather sharp. Not at all like Jessie’s smooth-flowing facial structure. “Who are you, anyway?”
“Now, Senator Hardy, you know I can’t tell you that,” she replied with a smile. “Did you take care of everything last night?”
Todd sighed loudly and sipped his coffee again before he responded. “I couldn’t. Jessie was nice and cooperative by being in bed, but I accidentally woke her up.”
“She didn’t see you, did she?” the woman asked.
“No. I picked up the lamp I’d knocked over and got into the guest bedroom closet as fast as I could. She called Ramsdale, but I don’t think it was because I’d scared her. She said something about her car then asked him to come over again.”
She chuckled. “Not satisfying your fiancee in bed?”
“Not all women want to go to bed before marriage,” Todd shot back. Then, realizing that his overreaction to the question would only cause the woman more suspicion, he calmed somewhat and explained, “She must have changed her mind about meeting him in her condo, because she got dressed and left. I waited about five minutes before I got out. I even went down the stairs so she wouldn’t see me get off the elevator. It’s a good thing I did, too. She was pacing in front of the door like a caged cat. I had to go out a different door.”
“And you don’t think she knew you were there?”
“Absolutely not. I wonder why she wanted to see Ramsdale in the middle of the night.”
“I don’t know,” the brunette said, “but I don’t like it. He’s becoming a real pain in the backside. It’s time to get rid of him.”
Todd stared at her in amazement. Was she talking about killing Ramsdale? Or did she just want to get him out of Jessie’s life. He could probably handle the latter, but the first? Leaning across the table, he whispered, “If you’re thinking what I think you are, you can forget it. Publish whatever the hell you want to. Trying to bug her condo was bad enough. I won’t kill the man.”
“Who said anything about killing him?”
“That’s what getting rid of people usually means to a blackmailer, isn’t it?”
“Not necessarily. Maybe we could give him a new idea for a book that would take him out of Hawaii.”
Todd shook his head slowly. “It wouldn’t work. Jessie said they have a bond between them that can’t be broken, and I believe her.”
“What kind of bond?”
“How the hell do I know? She wouldn’t tell me. I didn’t even know they knew each other until a few days ago. Why wasn’t I told, anyway? Maybe I could have avoided all these problems.”
“It’s too late for hindsight, Hardy,” the woman replied. “I saw them together last night, too, and now we have to come up with something to break that bond you mentioned. We have to make sure that they don’t see each other anymore. And there’s only one person who can effectively take care of that little problem—her fiancé.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Todd said. “We had a huge fight, and she’s really mad at me right now. She even took off my ring.”
“So make up with her and get her to put it back on.”
“How when she won’t even see me?”
“For God’s sake, what did you do to the woman?”
“That’s none of your damned business,” Todd proclaimed. “The point is we’re on the outs at the moment. And she’s leaning heavily on Ramsdale.”
“Look, Hardy,” the woman said, her voice taking on a menacing tone, “you’re in this for the duration. When my job’s done, so is yours. Or I tell the press everything I know about a certain assault charge.”
That did it! He’d had enough of this woman’s blackmail. “Do you know what’s going to happen before they print anything? They’re going to check all the records. And do you know what they’ll find? Nothing, because I talked her into dropping all the charges.”
“Don’t be so sure, Hardy,” the woman said as she rose. “I found out about it, remember? The press can confirm anything that I can. Stay near the phone. I’ll have another job for you real soon.”
She stalked out of the building, leaving Todd to contemplate her words. When he’d gotten into this mess, he’d been desperate to protect his job. Then he’d met Jessie—and had unexpectedly fallen in love. Then, without warning, Ramsdale had appeared and now things were out of control. Nothing was going right. And nothing would until he could think of a way to separate Jessie and Ramsdale without either suspecting what he was doing.
***
Jessie pulled up beside the guard gate and rolled down the window of Nick’s RAV4. When the guard came out of the booth, she passed him her badge. “Good morning. I’m borrowing a friend’s car, while mine’s in the shop. I need a pass to get to my office for the rest of the week.”
After the guard wrote her a pass, she thanked him, put it on the dashboard, and drove on. She didn’t like not having her own car, but Nick had a valid point. If she didn’t have it, nobody from the office could use it.
He had also confiscated most of her keys, leaving her with only the bolt lock for her apartment and the ones to get into her offices. Those she carried in her pocket as he had instructed. She didn’t like that, either, but she’d agreed so Nick wouldn’t worry.
Pulling into a parking place, Jessie looked up to see if the car would be visible from the window outside the office. She wasn’t sure, so she backed the Samurai out of the space and drove closer to the building. Finding an empty spot directly in front of the windows, she parked again. Now she could see it when she made her hourly check.
Even as she locked his car door, she wondered the advisability of doing as he’d instructed. She would look awfully suspicious if she checked on the car that often, and that would make her colleagues question her. Then again, it would also assure her that she didn’t lose it.
On the way into the building, her mind wandered to Nick’s desire to contact Todd that morning. With Todd busy in the state capitol building, though, Nick might not even be able to get hold of him. Now she wished Nick had told her why he wanted to talk to Todd. If he had, she wouldn’t be so nervous about the meeting. As it was, she didn’t know what to expect—except that a meeting was possible. Hopefully, Nick would call her as soon as he set up a time, like he’d promised.
While she waited for the elevator, a man’s voice startled her.
“I know it’s awfully early for you to be at work, Jessie,” Gary teased, “but the least you can do is pretend that you’re awake.”
“Gary!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t see.”
“Didn’t hear me, either. I said good morning, and you didn’t answer. What are you doing here at this hour?”
“Trying to get a decent parking place,” she answered as the elevator doors opened. Getting on, she waited for Gary to join her before she pushed the appropriate floor button. The doors slid shut with a thud. “I understand you heard about my little incident of a misplaced car yesterday.”
“I sure did,” he replied. “I attributed it to your headache. How are you feeling this morning?”
“Better. The headache’s gone and so is most of the achiness. Unfortunately, my neck is still killing me.”
“Maybe you should have a doctor look at it.”
“Naw. It’ll be okay in a few days.”
“It could be whiplash.”
“I know, but I’d rather not bother a doctor about such a little thing.”
“Whiplash isn’t exactly little. I’ve had it, and it hurts like hell.” The doors opened, and he held one while Jessie exited the elevator then followed her. “In fact, I still have trouble sometimes.”
“Then you must know that there’s nothing a doctor can do that I can’t.”
“Rest would help—complete and total bedrest.”
Jessie grimaced at the idea. “I don’t even like to put my head down on anything my neck hurts so bad.”
“Stop on your way home and get one of those contour pillows,” he suggested, working the numbers on the combination lock. “I have one, and it works wonders. Really gives my neck support.”
“Thanks for the tip. Maybe I’ll do it.”
After Gary signed in, Jessie did the same while he opened the door. As soon as she could, she got out her keys and slid one into the lock on her office doorknob. To her horror, it wasn’t locked. Thank goodness, she’d put the classified documents in her desk!
She couldn’t show Gary her concern. If she did, she might give herself away. Strolling to her desk, she unlocked it then put her purse in the drawer. Immediately, she took out the paperwork and began perusing it. Everything seemed to be in order, but she needed to go through it more carefully to be sure.
“Are you going to try to stick it out all day?” Gary asked from her doorway.
Jessie looked up at him, stunned that he’d seen what she was doing. But Nick had warned her to do everything in her power not to give away her emotions, so she maintained a calm tone. “I thought I’d try. Why?”
“You’re pushing it, Jessie. You’ve got plenty of sick leave. Go ahead and take some.”
“What about the lost documents?”
Gary’s eyes narrowed as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. “Documents? Plural? I thought there was only one.”
“There is,” she said. She’d already blundered once. She had to be extra careful about what she said next if she didn’t want her name associated with a second missing document. On top of that, Gary had closed the door again, and it made her nervous. Todd had scared her more than she’d thought if it still bothered her to be alone with a man other than Nick. Drawing on all the reserve calm she possessed, she asked, “Why would you think otherwise?”
“You’re the one who said documents.”
“I didn’t mean to.” If nothing else she said that day was the truth, at least the last statement was. She had definitely not intended to use the plural. “And I don’t want to take leave for a little pain in the neck.”
“It doesn’t look little from the way you’re moving. You can spend the morning going through the files if you want to, but I want you out of here by noon. Understood?”
“Understood,” she acknowledged. “Now may I please get to work? I want to finish this file from yesterday before I get another one.”
When Jessie found nothing else missing, she dismissed her concern as part of the headache she’d had the previous day. Maybe she hadn’t locked her door as she’d thought. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that she’d forgotten something recently.
About ten o’clock, Rachel poked her head around the doorway and told Jessie that she had a phone call. Thanking the secretary, Jessie picked up the handset. “This is Jessie Nelson.”
“And this is your only true love,” Nick said merrily.
“Todd!” she returned with an impish giggle. “I didn’t expect you to call.”
“What a comic,” he responded. “The man’s a jerk, and you know it. Forget him and make a life with me.”
“No fair trying to coerce me when I only had three hours of sleep. I need more than that to fend off your crazy ideas.”
“It’s not crazy,” he declared. “And I’m going to get you to agree—very soon. Now, on to why I called. I got hold of your not-so-only true love. We’re meeting for lunch.”
“Really?” she asked, her interest piqued by the mysterious tone in his voice. “Where?”
“There’s no way I’m telling you that. You’ll show up and blow everything.”
“What if I promise not to?”
“I still won’t say. I will tell you one thing, though. Our meeting’s in a very public setting. I want to try to bait him into showing a little of his temper.”
“Nick!” she exclaimed. “You can’t! You could get hurt.”
“I know what I’m doing, honey, so settle down.”
“Is something wrong?” Gary asked from the doorway. “I heard you call out.”
Jessie shot her startled gaze to her boss. Her face heated in embarrassment. She should have known better than to be so loud at the office. Inhaling deeply to still her nervous reaction, she replied, “Nothing’s wrong, Gary. I just overreacted a little to something somebody told me.”
“Nick Ramsdale?” When she nodded, Gary said, “I’m not so sure I like the idea of that guy hanging around you. I read an article about him that Lisa found in an old magazine she had laying around the house. You know my wife. She saves everything. The man’s a womanizer, Jessie. You’re too good for him. Tell him to get lost.”
“Jess?” Nick asked into her ear. “What’s going on there? Who are you talking to?”
“My boss. I have to get back to work. You can reach me at home later. Gary’s kicking me out of here at noon so I can get some good rest. And I’m so tired I’m going to take him up on it.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll either call or drop by, so keep yourself available. Bye now.”
“Bye.” Hanging up the receiver, she glared at Gary. “You’re my boss, Gary—not my mother. You can’t tell me who I can and cannot associate with—unless, possibly, that person is a threat to secrets here. And Nick’s definitely no threat.”
“He could be,” Gary worded flatly. “If you ask me, he has an unnatural interest in your work.”
“He does not. And even if he did, I wouldn’t tell him anything confidential. I don’t even tell people what I do for a living.”
“I still say you shouldn’t be around him,” Gary said as he left. “And I want you to give some serious consideration to telling him to get out of your life.”
Stunned, Jessie stared at the empty space where Gary had stood only a moment before. What right did he have to tell her that she shouldn’t be around Nick? Gary didn’t even know Nick. Besides, she didn’t care what that article said; Nick was no womanizer.
She’d read every article about Nick that she’d ever seen, and not one had even insinuated such a thing. Then again, it was possible that something had been printed in Hawaii while she was in D.C. She wouldn’t have seen that article, because her mother told her that she would never send anything about Nick to her after he’d hurt her by getting her pregnant. What she needed to do was have Gary bring the magazine to work so she could read the article. That was the only way she would believe it was true.
Suddenly, another idea came to her. Gary was on the list of suspects she’d made with Nick the night before. If he’d somehow found out about that list, Gary might be using an imaginary article to get her away from Nick. Then Gary would be free to do whatever he wanted to her because she wouldn’t have any protection.
No doubt remained. She had to be careful around Gary, as well as everybody else in her office.
***
Nick waited impatiently on the nearly white sand of Waikiki Beach. There were plenty of people present—plenty of people to witness a violent state senator. He just hoped his plan worked.
Seeing Todd strideacross the beach, Nick rose so Todd could see him. This wasn’t going to be easy given Todd’s well-defined public image. The man obviously hid his emotions very well when he was around his constituents, and Nick had every reason to believe that wouldn’t change in these circumstances. With any luck, his plan could easily make the senator lose his cool façade.
Nick inhaled as Todd came to a stop before him. It was showtime. God, he hoped this worked.
“Okay, Ramsdale,” Todd said. “I’m here. What the hell do you want?”
“It’s not so much what I want,” Nick explained, struggling to keep his voice calm. “It’s more what I don’t want. I don’t want you to bother Jessie anymore. I don’t want you anywhere near her.”
“What the hell?” Todd exclaimed. “Jessie’s my fiancee. I have every right to be near her.”
“After Sunday night? I think not. I’ve loved Jessie for a long time, Hardy. Ever since she was a student in my class. At first it was physical, but after just one date, I fell head-over-heels in love. I lost her to my best friend years ago, and I’ll be damned if I’ll lose her again. You assaulted her Sunday night,” Nick declared, his voice rising so the sunbathers and swimmers could hear him, “and I won’t let you do it again. Just get out of her life. And stay the hell out.”
“I love Jessie, too,” Todd returned. “If you want her, you’re going to have to fight me like a man. You’re going to have to win her heart, because right now I have it.”
“The hell you do!” Nick reached into his pocket and withdrew something in his fist. Watching Todd’s expression, he slowly opened his hand. As Nick had hoped, Todd’s eyes widened in surprise. In the middle of Nick’s palm lay Jessie’s diamond ring.
“Where did you get that?” Todd demanded.
“I took it off her finger,” Nick replied. “Not only that, but she didn’t offer so much as a smidgen of resistance. She didn’t even make a token complaint.”
“I don’t believe you!”
“It’s true. And she’ll tell you the same thing if you ask her. We have a very tight bond, Hardy, one that even you can’t break. And if you try, do you know what’s going to happen?”
Todd grabbed for the ring, but Nick quickly closed his hand. Glaring at the slightly taller man, Todd folded his hands into fists and raised them before his face. “I have a Golden Glove award, Ramsdale—two of them, in fact. Let’s have it out.”
Glancing around them, Nick stifled a satisfied grin. His plan was working. Most of the people nearby watched the scene with interest. He struggled to keep a straight face and spoke calmly. “I don’t fight men smaller than I, not unless I have to save the life of the woman I love.”
“I could tear you apart!” Todd shouted.
“Probably, but I’m not going to give you the chance. I’m leaving now, Hardy,” Nick said as he started away. Then he stopped and faced Todd again. “By the way, here’s your ring back. Jessie won’t be needing it.”
While Todd stood by in stunned disbelief, Nick tossed the ring high into the air. Todd jumped in a desperate attempt to catch it, but the ring sailed well above his head and landed about five feet out into the ocean.
“You God damned bastard!” Todd cried out. “I’ll kill you for this!”
Chuckling under his breath, Nick walked away. That was exactly what he’d been waiting to hear. Todd had shown everybody on the beach that he had a temper, and he’d threatened murder. If that didn’t keep State Senator Todd Hardy away from Jessie, he didn’t know what would. It would probably even expose him if he was involved in espionage. And Nick was positive that he was, because despite what he’d told Jessie, he’d uncovered more than a connection with government-contracted agencies. He’d also heard a rumor that Hardy was involved with an Iranian contact.