secretary to trying to find a good rehabilitation home to stash me in for the next few months.” She added quietly, “She’s not a monster. It would have been a fine, luxurious rehabilitation home with wonderful psychiatrists. But I wouldn’t have been able to take it. And there’s no way I could persuade her not to send me there. She’s always sure she’s right when she wants something badly enough.”
“Bitch,” Catherine said.
Kelly shook her head. “No. You don’t understand. She doesn’t mean any harm. She just wants me to go away.”
“She’s your mother,” Eve said.
“Maybe the stork got the babies confused.” She met Eve’s gaze. “Don’t pity me. Because sometimes I want her to go away, too. Does that make me a terrible person?”
“It makes you human,” Eve said gently.
She nodded. “That’s what Daddy said. But Daddy was angry with her most of the time himself, so I couldn’t be sure.”
“Be sure,” Catherine said. “So you called Venable, and he came and picked you up?”
“He didn’t want to do it. He argued with me. He even hung up on me. But he called back. He said he’d thought about it, and my place was with you.”
“After he realized that you’d be the perfect roadblock to my plans,” Catherine said dryly. “He threatened to do everything he could to stop me from upsetting their plans for Rakovac. Then here you come, and it’s a golden opportunity.”
Kelly nodded. “You’re probably right. He was kind to me, but I think he may be a devious man. But I didn’t care, he gave me what I wanted.”
“A trip to Atlanta and the chance to be dumped on Eve’s doorstep.”
“Yes, and he promised to talk to my mother and convince her that he’d placed me in a secure home where I would receive excellent therapy.” She smiled wistfully. “It won’t take much to convince her. It’s what she wants to hear.”
“Eve’s home may be secure, but I’m leaving it within the next few days,” Catherine said. “And I’m as far from being a therapist as I could possibly be. I’m pretty screwed up myself right now. I could strangle Venable.”
“You’re not screwed up. You’re one of the sanest people I’ve ever met.”
“Your experience is limited.” She pushed the mug closer to Kelly. “Drink your chocolate. Then we’ll talk about where you’re going to spend the next six months.”
“Here, with you.”
“I can’t take care of you.”
“I don’t want you to care for me. I want breathing space until I can figure a way to run my life myself.” She lifted her chocolate to her lips. “I think the best thing for me would be to go and stay at school. I attend the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Then no one would have to bother with me.”
“A college?” Eve said. “But you’re only fourteen.”
“I’m very smart. All the professors decided that I should be at a think tank. Some of them wanted to send me to Harvard, but Daddy said he didn’t want me at a place with that high, edgy profile. He thought the pressure would be less on me in a Southern school. I like it okay there.” She paused. “Daddy told me that I was going to be all right as far as money was concerned. He set up some kind of trust for me. But public opinion matters to my mother, and she wouldn’t let a bank be my guardian. I’m too young, and she’d get a lot of bad press. But if enough time passes, maybe I can work it out.”
“Then perhaps Venable could persuade your mother to send you to school instead of a rehabilitation home,” Catherine said. “I’ll get on the phone and talk to him.”
“It won’t do any good. She won’t give in while there are still media stories about me. And you said that Venable wants me here. He’s not going to help you.”
“No, heaven forbid that he gives me a break.” Catherine drew a deep breath. “Kelly, being with me wouldn’t be good for you. If I thought anything else, I’d take a chance and let you stay with me. But it might even be dangerous. Venable knew that, and he still sent you. I can find you a safe place. I know a lot of people who owe me favors.”
Kelly smiled slightly. “Did you save their lives, too?”
“Look, I’m not some saintly do-gooder. I only went into Munoz’s camp because Venable and I had made a deal.”
“I don’t care. And I don’t think you’re a saint. I made Venable tell me all about you. He told me about Eve, too, so I wouldn’t be upset seeing bones from her reconstruction lying around.”
“Then, blast it, why did you come to me?”
“I like you,” she said simply. “I feel…at home with you. I don’t have to pretend. You don’t pity me, and if you find I can help, you’ll let me earn my way. That’s important to me right now.”
Catherine stared at her helplessly. “Kelly.”
“Let her stay the night,” Eve said quietly. “It’s no use arguing with her. You’re not going to toss her out in the rain. You’ve both had your say. Now you can both let everything simmer until morning.”
“Let? Me? This isn’t even my house. I’m not going to impose her on you. If she stays, we’ll both go down to my tent for the night.”
“You will not,” Eve said firmly. “It’s raining. Rakovac’s man may still be wandering around out there. I’d worry too much to sleep, and I’m much too selfish to permit you to do that. You can have the guest bedroom, and Kelly can sleep on the couch.” She turned to Kelly. “I presume you brought a suitcase.”
Kelly nodded. “It’s on the porch.” She got off the stool and headed for the door. “I’ll go get it.”
Catherine turned to Eve. “I never meant this to happen.”
“I know. Life has a way of slipping in the unexpected just when we have everything neatly planned.” She looked after Kelly, who had gone out on the porch. “But it may not be safe to send her away now. If you’re still under surveillance, Rakovac will probably soon know about her and that she followed you here. Maybe he’ll think you have affection for her. Couldn’t that be dangerous?”
Catherine nodded. “Yes, dammit.”
“Then you have a big problem, and you’ll have to work with it.” She smiled at Kelly as she came back into the house. “Catherine will show you the bathroom while I make up the couch for you.”
“Thank you.” Kelly hesitated. “I don’t want to be a bother, Ms. Duncan. I had to come, but I never meant you to have to-”
“Eve,” she interrupted. “And I wouldn’t have told you to stay if you weren’t welcome. But it’s late, and we all need to get to sleep. We’ll settle everything in the morning. Good night, Kelly.”
“Good night, Eve.” Her voice was low and uneven. She turned to Catherine. “I’ll make it right. I promise. Just give me a chance.”
“Tomorrow.” Catherine led her across the living room toward the bathroom. “I’m not about to give you any encouragement. I like you, I want to help you, but you’re going to be a headache, and I have to find a remedy.” She opened the door of the bathroom and turned on the light. “I’ll see you in the morning. Try to get some sense into your stubborn-” She broke off as she saw Kelly’s expression. She was not crying, but she was very close. “Don’t look like that.” She pulled her close in a quick, hard hug and let her go. “Your mother is an idiot and doesn’t deserve you. Which doesn’t mean I’m going to give in to this idiocy. I just thought you should know that I’m your friend, and I’ll find a way to get you what you need.” She turned away. “Not necessarily what you want.”
“They’re one and the same,” Kelly said unevenly. “And I think you’ll see that you need me, too. I can help you find your son. I’m smart. I see patterns. Just let me show you.”
“No, you may want to help, but I’m alone in this. Good night, Kelly.” She shut the bathroom door and turned and went back to Eve. “Do you need help making up that couch?”
Eve shook her head. “It’s almost done. The couch practically makes into a bed with the press of a button. I’m not much of a house keeper, so I made sure everything around me is easy. Life is too difficult to have to work at the little things.” She stepped back and put a blanket on the foot of the bed. “That should be comfortable. Not that the poor kid will notice. She was almost numb with exhaustion.”
“She wasn’t too exhausted to manipulate her way into staying here tonight.”
“She tried to be honest with you.”
“I know,” Catherine said wearily. “Probably because she knew that I wouldn’t accept anything else.” She shook
