From Here to Paternity

'He actually knew her as well. You know she was promoting Bill Smith as Tsar of Russia. Well, Pete's the nephew who encouraged her and the Holnagrad Society people to come here for their conventions in the first place.'

'What do you mean about it being an interesting combination?'

'HawkHunter is giving the owner a lot of trouble, and the only time I met Pete Andrews, he was complaining bitterly — almost hysterically — about Hawk-Hunter. But they look like they're getting along now.' She explained briefly about the conflict over the ownership of the land.

She frankly stared for a few minutes. The two were talking seriously, but there was no hint of either cordiality or animosity in their appearances. A waiter hovered near them.

'Mel?'

'Hmmm?' he responded dreamily.

'If her death weren't natural—'

'Jane!'

'No, I'm not suggesting we butt in. I'm just curious. An intellectual exercise. If it weren't natural, why do you think anybody would have done her in? She was obsessive and not terribly likable, but—'

'Jane, I don't know enough about her to speculate and neither do you. More important, I don't want to. I'm on vacation. I've already involved myself a lot more than I should have. It's Sheriff Plumbasket's problem now.'

'Plumbasket?'

'Something like that.'

'I'll probably find out that his name is Jones,' Jane muttered.

'Jane, I wonder if the hotel is full.'

'I have no idea. Why?'

'I was just thinking… since our rooms and travel and meals are all paid for, this trip is virtually free. Except for tips and things.'

'Yes?'

'Well, it seems downright ungrateful not to pay for at least one room. A room where, maybe, you and I could be alone for a few hours.' He ran his hand lightly along her forearm.

'I didn't bring along a decent nightgown,' she warned him, smiling.

'My only interest in your nightwear is getting you out of it, in case you hadn't noticed.'

'I had noticed. And don't think I don't appreciate it. Although I hate to think of the money I've wasted at Victoria's Secret in the last couple months.'

Their love life was about as spontaneous as building a pyramid, Mel had sometimes complained, but the complaint wasn't too serious. He'd accepted, with fairly good grace, Jane's 'rule' which was that she was simply too bone-deep old-fashioned to conduct an affair in her own house.

'I'm the mommy there,' she had told him. 'It's not that I imagine my kids don't know the nature of our relationship, but I just couldn't get 'into the spirit' of the thing with them roaming around the house, blabbing on the phone in the next room, or banging on the bedroom door to ask where I put their favorite jeans.'

She'd gotten so wholeheartedly 'into the spirit' when she was away from home — at his apartment and on the two weekend trips they'd taken — that he'd have been a fool to mess with a good thing.

She hadn't added to her prohibition to lovemaking in her home, Unless we were married, because that was a word neither of them wanted to use.

Yet.

Or maybe ever.

'I think you're right,' she said. 'It would only be polite to pay for a room. Just as a way of thanking our hosts, of course. An entirely unselfish plan.'

'I'll see if there's anything available. Wait right here,' he said.

Jane watched as he left the room.

'Jane… Mrs. Jeffry. Are you alone? Would you like to join us in an after-dinner stroll?'

Dr. Lucke and his dinner companion were standing next to her table.

'Thank you, Lucky, but I'm alone only for the moment. My friend has gone to — to make a phone call,' she improvised, wondering if she was blushing, and if so, whether they could tell in the dim lighting.

Lucky introduced the other man as Stu Gortner, the person who, as Jane had guessed earlier, had debated Doris Schmidtheiser that afternoon. As soon as the introductions were done, Gortner begged off the walk idea. 'Been a long day. Think I'll turn in,' he said with a wink. Jane shuddered. She hated it when men she didn't know winked at her. There was something intimate and creepy about it.

'Ah, well, maybe I'll give it up, too,' Lucky said. 'And just sit with Jane for a minute. Do you mind?'

'Not a bit,' Jane said politely.

When Gortner had gone, Lucky sighed and said, 'I'm sorry. I won't intrude on your evening. I just had to get free of him.'

'Why is that?'

Lucky sighed again. 'I don't like to talk behind anyone's back, but that man is awful. Just awful. Invited me to dinner, then spent the whole time crowing about what he did to Doris. And poor old Doris dead! You'd think he'd know to show a little respect.'

'Oh, you know she's dead? I didn't want to be the one to tell you. Craven of me, I guess.'

'Yes, I know. Tenny called me to get some information for the sheriff about her family and who should be notified and such. But even if she hadn't, I'd have heard. Word's gotten around already.'

'I didn't get to hear the debate,' Jane said. 'I understand Mr. Gortner made her look silly.'

Lucky nodded. 'And he wasn't playing fair, if I can use such a childish term. He's one of those people who tries to win people to his side by ridiculing his opponent.'

'So his arguments on behalf of his — uh— candidate weren't better than hers?'

'Hell, no! Excuse me. Heck, no. He didn't present any really convincing evidence at all, just made everything Doris said look foolish. And, bless her heart, Doris could look pretty foolish all by herself without any help.'

'Why would he need to do that? Just a naturally competitive spirit?'

'I wondered about that, too. Until tonight. See, part of the reason he invited me to dinner was to ask for the Society's backing on some plans he's got.'

'Which are—?'

'See, Stu is an old P.R. man. Made a mint over the years pushing everything from pretzels to presidents of corporations. You wouldn't believe some of the people and things he claims took off like Roman candles because of his publicity. Anyhow, he's really latched onto his candidate, as you put it. He retired two years ago, and when the Iron Curtain came down, he took a trip to Holnagrad and met this guy— Stanislas Romanov.'

'Is that really his name?'

Lucky looked at her. 'That's a very perceptive question. I wish more people had the brains to ask it. I have no idea.'

Jane kept glancing over her shoulder as tactfully as she could. No sign of Mel yet. 'So he met Stanislas?'

'Right. Stu says he took up with him just to keep his hand in the business. Sort of like I work one day a week at the free clinic just to keep in touch. But Stu naturally turned his mind to how to make money off this man.'

'He's found a way?'

'Has he ever! That's what he was bending my ear about. He's signed himself up as this guy's agent. Says he's very attractive — speaks English with a sexy foreign accent, has great Continental manners. All that. Stu wants to bring him over to this country, get him on TV, sell movie rights and book rights and Lord only knows what else. And he wants us to back him up. Sort of be his cheering section. The nerve!'

'That does sound sleazy. The Society won't go along with it, will they?'

'Not if I have anything to say about it. But Stu knows how to convince people of almost anything. He's already got a bunch of members in his corner. They say it's a great way to draw attention to our group and its concerns, make people aware of our heritage, enlist new members, all that. 'Course, they're being had. Stu's convinced them he's doing all this for the Society when he's just doing it for himself.'

Mel came through the doorway and Lucky stood up suddenly. 'I'm sorry for bending your ear like that. Just