Circle Of Fire

He smiled and pulled a chair out for Eleanor. Some days at the office were definitely tougher than others.

Eleanor's laughter ran softly across the murmur of conversation, a smooth and seductive sound. Maddie gritted her teeth and tried to ignore it. A hard task since Eleanor appeared to be holding court at the far end of the room, with practically every male at the table hanging off each huskily delivered word. Only Hank seemed immune to the woman's all-too-obvious charms.

Maddie scowled down at her plate. Hank sat on her left, his chair too close for comfort. She didn't dare move around too much. Every time she did, their arms or knees brushed. It was an intimacy that left her feeling ill.

Eleanor laughed again. Maddie stabbed a piece of meat on her plate and quickly ate it. Maybe her best course of action was to get away from here as quickly as possible.

'I like a woman who enjoys her meat,' Hank said, a suggestive leer touching his thin lips.

Her stomach turned. If she had to put up with another five minutes of this man, he'd quickly learn just how little she was enjoying his company.

'I don't eat it much,' she said, glancing at the other end of the table when there was another burst of laughter.

Eleanor had one hand draped over Jon's shoulders, her golden head close to his. They were a good match, she thought, watching the light run through Jon's hair as he laughed softly at something Eleanor said.

Maddie scowled and looked back down at her plate. At least she had an answer for her earlier question. She'd rather sit next to a dozen Hanks than watch Jon with another woman.

She stabbed another piece of meat, then held it up on the fork and glared at it.

'I think it's dead,' Hank said, dry amusement in his tone. 'As I think the boyfriend might be, if you ever get him back this evening.'

She glanced at him, startled that her thoughts were so obvious. 'He's not my boyfriend…' she hesitated and felt heat creep through her cheeks when Hank raised an eyebrow. Their act earlier had certainly suggested they were lovers, and she couldn't very well deny it now. 'I mean, we're old friends, but no longer an item, as such.'

'Both free spirits, hey?'

Maddie shrugged. She'd never been a free spirit where men were concerned. Maybe that was why she'd married Brian. She pushed her plate away, suddenly not hungry any more.

'Odd coincidence that you both happened to be in Taurin Bay at the same time,' Hank continued lightly.

'Especially given that you checked into the same inn.'

She licked dry lips. 'Yes, it is, isn't it?'

'Not married by any chance, are you?'

She smiled grimly. 'I was. My husband is dead.'

'Oh,' Hank murmured. 'Sorry to hear that.'

He sounds real sorry, too,she thought sarcastically. She listened to him tap his knife lightly against his plate and found herself gritting her teeth again.

'We've had a bit of trouble around these parts, you know,' he said after a moment.

Her gaze jerked up to his. His dark eyes were watchful. He was baiting her, she realized, trying to make her give something away. 'Really? What sort of trouble?'

'Kids have been disappearing lately. The only link between any of the disappearances was the fact that the families stayed here in Taurin Bay.'

She swallowed nervously. How much had been written in the local papers about the missing teenagers?

Was Hank telling her more than he could have found out from the local news?

'Bet that has played havoc with tourist numbers.'

Hank smiled, though no humor touched the darkness in his eyes. 'It hasn't yet, luckily. It will, if they don't get some results soon, though.'

'I'm sure the police are working on it.'

'Oh, I'm sure many people are working on it.'

He smiled when she looked at him. She was reminded of a vulture hungrily watching its prey.

'Then someone will catch them.'

Hank leaned back in his chair and continued to smile lazily at her. 'Personally, I doubt it. So many kids disappear every day in this country that it's become an unfashionable crime to pursue.'

She frowned. 'This is different though.'

'Oh? How?'

'I remember reading a bit about this in our local paper. Haven't sixteen kids disappeared?'

He smiled. Something in his eyes suggested she'd just made a major mistake, though she wasn't exactly sure what it was. 'So they say. No one's really sure of the exact number.'

She swallowed. The exact number was currently seventeen, if you included Evan. 'Well, that's a rather large number to end up missing from the one area, isn't it? It'd have to raise the police's suspicions.'

'But they haven't all disappeared from this area. I said the only known connection between the disappearances was Taurin Bay.'

'Oh.'

'So which newspaper did you read all this in?'

She shrugged uneasily. 'Just a local paper. The Mail, I think. Or it could have been the Courier.'

'I'll have to hunt the articles up. Been keeping something of a scrapbook on the case.'

Maddie forced a smile. It would only take one phone call to discover her lie. 'Something to show the grandchildren later in life?'

'Something like that.' His dead gaze ran past her for a moment. 'That boyfriend of yours is getting mighty friendly with Miss Dumeresq.'

'Let him. I don't care.' She threw her napkin down on the table and pushed her chair back. Enough was enough.

'Going already?' Hank raised his eyebrows at her, a knowing smile touching the corners of his thin mouth.

'It's been a long day,' she replied tightly. And it looked as if it was going to be an even longer night.

Jon could take his turn on the damn sofa tonight—if he even bothered coming back to the room, that was.

'I don't suppose you'd like company?'

She glanced down sharply at Hank. He smiled blandly back.

'I meant to the door, of course.'

'Of course,' she muttered. 'But I'll be fine, thanks.'

He nodded. 'See you tomorrow, Miss Smith.' He gave her a smile that held more than a hint of malice, then added, 'Maybe.'

A chill ran down her spine. Maybe going up to the room alone wasn't such a good idea. She glanced back at Jon and found her gaze meeting his. But there was no comfort to be found in the blue of his eyes.

He was doing his job, and she was only getting in the way. His gaze said as much.

She licked her lips and turned away. Hank's gaze burned a hole into her back as she walked quickly from the room.

'What about that nightcap, then?' Eleanor arched an eyebrow at him and walked her fingers down his chest.

Jon stopped her hand when it reached his stomach. 'You choose. You know the town better than I do.'

'There's a lovely little bar a couple of blocks away, on Fourth. Blue Moon, it's called. And the best thing is, it's only a five minute walk from my place.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'That sounds like an invitation.'

'Play your cards right, and it just might be,' she purred and lightly kissed his ear.

He resisted the temptation to move away from her touch and glanced down the table at Hank. The man was looking far too smug for Jon's liking. Eleanor's tongue whisked across his ear. This time he did pull away, smiling