Rising Storm

that she kept checking to see if anyone was behind her. Which I believe because she was obviously scared as a rabbit.'

'Of course she is!' John snapped in exasperation. 'Weren't you?'

Sarah spun on her heel to face him, her mouth open for a retort.

'No,' Dieter said.

They both looked at him, their mouths open.

'There's no point to continuing this argument. You've both totally lost your focus.' He tipped his chair back and took a whisky decanter and a cut-crystal glass off the low filing cabinet. 'The truth is, we won't know anything until we've spoken to the girl.'

'I spoke to her,' Sarah snapped, pointing to herself.

Dieter poured himself a measure of the single malt and replaced the decanter. He swirled the rich liquor around the glass and then took a sip, closing his eyes with pleasure. 'I've been looking forward to that all day,' he said. Then he put the glass on the desk and pulled his chair forward. 'If you met her with that fire in your eye, Sarah, I doubt that you got much information out of her.'

'Thanks a lot,' she said, clearly wounded by his remark. 'But I got enough out of her to know she's a liability. We've got to get rid of her.'

' What?' John's face was a mask of disbelief. He took a step toward his mother.

'I can't believe you said that.'

With a puzzled expression on her face Sarah looked from John to Dieter and back again. 'For heaven's sake, you guys! All I meant was that I'm not willing to baby-sit someone with the law hot on her trail while you're gone!'

'You're pretty picky all of a sudden,' John said hotly. 'Wasn't so long ago you

—'

The flat of von Rossbach's big hand hit the desk with a resounding slap that made them both jump. He glared at them until they both looked sheepish. 'As I said before'—his voice was deadly quiet—'we need to speak to the young lady.

Would you care to join us, miss?' Dieter looked to the French doors.

John followed his gaze. 'Wendy?' he said.

Wendy peeked around the bush that had concealed her, eyes wide.

'Wendy!' John repeated joyously, and stepped toward her.

She flew into his arms and he held her tightly, burying his face in her hair. They held on to each other tightly for what seemed like a long time, and yet too short a time; his hands stroked her back through the thin nightdress, leaving a trail of warmth on her chilled skin. She opened her eyes to catch Dieter's half smile.

'Hello,' he said.

She smiled back at him.

'Those who eavesdrop seldom hear good of themselves,' Sarah said self-righteously.

Wendy wrinkled her nose. 'Tell me about it,' she growled.

Dieter laughed out loud. 'From Sarah's description I thought you were some kind of shrinking violet.' He grinned at Sarah's offended look. 'Please sit down,'

he invited, indicating the chair before his desk.

John took her hand and led her to the chair, taking the seat beside her without releasing her hand. They smiled at each other as though they were alone and completely at peace. Sarah stood behind them with her arms crossed, frowning—

looking, and no doubt feeling, very much left out. Dieter sighed, not certain if it was at this example of young love or at Sarah's apparent jealousy. He knew that she wanted her son to have someone, just not right now.

Ah, but Sarah, he thought sadly, better now than never at all.

'What happened to your hair?' John asked.

Wendy touched it with her free hand. 'We cut it so I'd look more like Snog's sister. I'm using her passport.' She looked at Dieter. 'That car I drove here in was rented using one of her credit cards.'

'When is the car due back?' he asked.

Wendy shrugged. 'I took it for ten days; I've got seven left. I didn't know how long it would take to get here, or what would happen when I arrived, so I went for a fairly long time.'

Dieter nodded, considering. 'We'll take it back for you,' he said. 'I'll pay the bill in cash so there'll be no paper trail.'

'Thank you,' she said, looking awkward. 'But I'm already imposing so much—'

'Don't worry,' von Rossbach said with a magnanimous wave of his hand.

'Especially at this late date,' Sarah muttered. Then she rolled her eyes at Dieter's disapproving expression. Throwing up her hands, she went to sit in the far corner, in the office's only other chair.

'Tell us what happened,' von Rossbach invited.

Wendy glanced at John, who nodded. She licked her lips and began.

When she was finished Sarah said, 'That was a lot more coherent than your first

recital.'

Wendy looked at John and smiled at him before answering. 'I'm much more rested.' She glanced over her shoulder at Sarah. 'And John makes me feel more secure.'

'The only significant connection between you and the murder would be your fingerprints on the weapon,' Sarah observed. 'Why didn't you take it with you?'

'Gimme a break!' Wendy snapped. 'I was drugged and in shock. For a moment there I was going to run down and report the murder to the desk clerk. All things considered, I think I did pretty well. This might be everyday stuff to you, but it's all new to me. So just back off, okay?'

Sarah blinked and John tried not to smile. Dieter maintained a neutral expression

—with difficulty. 'Given what you've told us,' he said, 'I doubt you were followed.' He looked over at Sarah. 'I also doubt you can be traced. That is'—

he turned back to Wendy—'unless your friends…'

She shook her head. 'No. They wouldn't turn me in. Nor do they know where I am. I've never told them this is where John lives and there's nothing on my computer or in my notes about anything.' Wendy shrugged. 'So things are as safe as they can be under the circumstances.'

Von Rossbach nodded. 'You look tired,' he said gently. 'Why don't you go back to bed? We can talk some more in the morning.'

Wendy glanced uncertainly at John, who squeezed her hand. 'I'll go up with you,' he said. 'I'm tired, too.' But the look he gave her promised at least a few

minutes together. Hand in hand they left the room without looking back.

After they'd gone Dieter and Sarah sat quietly for a few moments. Then Sarah got up from her chair and approached the desk.

'I've never seen you like this,' Dieter observed.

Sarah snorted and half smiled. 'I've never felt like this,' she admitted. As she took Wendy's seat she raised and dropped her hands to slap her thighs. 'It's just that I don't know anything about her.'

The big Austrian laughed and quickly said when she frowned, 'My mother said exactly that when I got my first serious girlfriend.'

Sarah grimaced. 'Yes, well…' She gave him an assessing look. 'How did you know she was out there? I didn't have a clue.'

'The shampoo in the guest bathrooms has a very strong scent,' he admitted.

She tilted her head, looking at him in amused surprise. 'I'd noticed that, but I never realized there was a reason for it.' She shook her head and laughed. 'But even so, I didn't smell her.'

'I thought that was why you stopped using it,' he said. 'So I wouldn't know where you were.'