“Just trying to keep all the lines straight,” I said. “He and at least one of Graves? men were killed at
the same time. Don?t you wonder why?”
He leaned forward and said, “I?ll find out why when it?s necessary.”
“You know what I think, Mr. Stoney?” I said. “I think you want to neutralize me and I?m not sure
why. Like I said, I thought we were both on the same side.”
“I told you last night, I enforce the law my own way,” he said. “Be advised.” He turned abruptly,
elbowed his way through the chitchat, paid his respects to Babs, and left. She breezed back over.
“You?re just the life of the party,” she said. “So far you?ve talked to Chief Findley, Stoney, and Sam
Donleavy, and all three of them have left the party.”
“I do seem to have that effect on people, don?t I?”
“Well, darling, Doe is still here. All is not lost.”
“I keep telling you—”
“And I don?t believe a word of it,” she said, finishing the sentence, and went off to attend to
something.
1 stepped out onto the terrace but the rain had started, its first big drops splattering me, so I stood
under an awning, watched the thunderclouds gather around the penthouse, and listened to the wind
give the chimes a nervous breakdown and the rain grow to a steady downpour.
Doe moved on me slowly, stopping here and there to chat as she came through the room. Finally she
stepped outside and stood there, staring up at me.
“I?ve called you and called you today,” she said, somewhat sternly.
“I don?t spend a lot of time around the hotel,” I said.
“Come back to Windsong with me tonight,” she said in a half-whisper.
“You?re crazy. What do you plan to do about Harry? He?s—”
“He won?t come out there. He stays at the townhouse during the racing season. He doesn?t like to
make that long drive twice a day. Are you going to make me beg you, Jake?”
“Don?t be silly.”
“I?m spoiled, Jake,” she said with a laugh. “Nobody?s ever denied that.”
“Nobody ever complained either.”
“I want to make love to you again I want it tonight. I don?t want to wait a minute longer.”
“It?s getting too touchy,” I told her. “Even Titan knows all—”
“I don?t care about Stoney. He?s my godfather; he should want what?s best for me and if he doesn?t,
the hell with him. We?re talking about you and me and tonight That?s all I care about. I want you. I
want to make up for twenty years.”
