it?’
Kaz sat cross-legged on Devlin’s bed, absently sipping the glass of wine he’d poured for her. Devlin was sprawled in the chair, nursing a glass.
‘Jeff eats at the place she works lunchtime, on a regular basis. Big tipper. You’ve seen our girl. That wouldn’t be the only thing to catch her interest. At a guess, they’ve walked out a few times together and Jeff is cooling, letting his eyes stray. So she was willing to take my money for information. He eats there usually at the weekend, sometimes Thursday also.’
‘Tomorrow is Thursday.’
‘And I guess we know where we’ll be eating lunch.’ He paused. ‘I questioned her as closely as I could, Kaz, without making her suspicious. It didn’t sound as if she’d ever seen Jeff with a child, or heard him talk about one.’
Devlin saw something in her face crumble. It hadn’t been much, just a tiny glow of hope. She chewed her lip, head down. Then she looked up, eyes so brave he had to grit his teeth.
He’d beat Jeff Elmore bloody, when they found him.
‘We didn’t really expect it, did we?’ She sighed. ‘After running into Gwen like that, it must have made him cautious. He has to have someone looking after Jamie for him. He’ll have a place outside the city. Fiesole maybe. Jamie will be there.’
‘We’ll find her.’ Devlin reached over and took the almost-full glass out of her hand, hooking up a strand of hair. ‘We can plan in the morning. Jeff has no idea that we know about Jamie. We can work with that. You need to sleep. You want to go back to your own room, or stay here?’
‘My own room,’ she said, after a second. ‘I need some time to think. Thanks, Devlin.’ She laid her hand over his. ‘Thanks for everything.’
She lay face down on the bed, a pillow under her chin, putting her thoughts into order. She pushed Devlin, and sex, to the back of her mind. She had to focus on Jeff, how to draw him out, get him to admit –
The phone rang. She reached over.
‘Mum? What is it? No, we were out.’ Guilt flashed through her. She’d turned off her mobile when she went to Devlin’s room, and never turned it back on. Her mother was crying. ‘What’s the matter? Tell me.’
Devlin finished his wine, looked at the glass Kaz hadn’t drunk and left it on the side table. The maid hadn’t been in. The bed was still rumpled from the afternoon. Wrecked actually. He straightened the covers, picked up a pillow from the floor. The faint scent of vanilla drifted up to him and his belly contracted. Scent is the deepest trigger.
He jumped when someone thumped hard on the door, and kept thumping.
‘Kaz!’ She almost fell in when he opened it. The quip about changing her mind died on his lips when he saw her face. ‘What the hell is it?’
‘Uncle Phil. Mum just rang. She tried earlier. He … he was killed this afternoon.’ She looked up, her eyes wide and blank. ‘Someone shot him.’
‘Money.’ A light breeze blew across the hotel’s breakfast terrace, stirring the tablecloth. Kaz buttered a chunk of bread, hesitated, then put it into her mouth. Devlin watched her. Her face was still pale from shock, but she was functioning. He relaxed a little.
‘Sounds like a plan.’ He stirred his coffee. ‘How?’
‘Doesn’t really matter. It’s just a cover for me needing to find him, one he’ll go for.’ She shrugged. ‘Something left over from the marriage that needs both our signatures, before I can realise the asset. A painting of Oliver’s? He gave us one for a wedding present and another when Jamie was born. It would make sense if I wanted to get rid of them. Jeff won’t be interested in all the lawyer stuff.’
‘But he will want his cut.’
‘Of course.’ She met Devlin’s eyes squarely. ‘He doesn’t know that I know about Jamie. He’s bound to be wary but he won’t know that’s the real reason I’m here. But there is one thing –’
The way she paused, Devlin knew he wasn’t going to like
Kaz sat cross-legged on Devlin’s bed, absently sipping the glass of wine he’d poured for her. Devlin was sprawled in the chair, nursing a glass.
‘Jeff eats at the place she works lunchtime, on a regular basis. Big tipper. You’ve seen our girl. That wouldn’t be the only thing to catch her interest. At a guess, they’ve walked out a few times together and Jeff is cooling, letting his eyes stray. So she was willing to take my money for information. He eats there usually at the weekend, sometimes Thursday also.’
‘Tomorrow is Thursday.’
‘And I guess we know where we’ll be eating lunch.’ He paused. ‘I questioned her as closely as I could, Kaz, without making her suspicious. It didn’t sound as if she’d ever seen Jeff with a child, or heard him talk about one.’
Devlin saw something in her face crumble. It hadn’t been much, just a tiny glow of hope. She chewed her lip, head down. Then she looked up, eyes so brave he had to grit his teeth.
He’d beat Jeff Elmore bloody, when they found him.
‘We didn’t really expect it, did we?’ She sighed. ‘After running into Gwen like that, it must have made him cautious. He has to have someone looking after Jamie for him. He’ll have a place outside the city. Fiesole maybe. Jamie will be there.’
‘We’ll find her.’ Devlin reached over and took the almost-full glass out of her hand, hooking up a strand of hair. ‘We can plan in the morning. Jeff has no idea that we know about Jamie. We can work with that. You need to sleep. You want to go back to your own room, or stay here?’
‘My own room,’ she said, after a second. ‘I need some time to think. Thanks, Devlin.’ She laid her hand over his. ‘Thanks for everything.’
She lay face down on the bed, a pillow under her chin, putting her thoughts into order. She pushed Devlin, and sex, to the back of her mind. She had to focus on Jeff, how to draw him out, get him to admit –
The phone rang. She reached over.
‘Mum? What is it? No, we were out.’ Guilt flashed through her. She’d turned off her mobile when she went to Devlin’s room, and never turned it back on. Her mother was crying. ‘What’s the matter? Tell me.’
Devlin finished his wine, looked at the glass Kaz hadn’t drunk and left it on the side table. The maid hadn’t been in. The bed was still rumpled from the afternoon. Wrecked actually. He straightened the covers, picked up a pillow from the floor. The faint scent of vanilla drifted up to him and his belly contracted. Scent is the deepest trigger.
He jumped when someone thumped hard on the door, and kept thumping.
‘Kaz!’ She almost fell in when he opened it. The quip about changing her mind died on his lips when he saw her face. ‘What the hell is it?’
‘Uncle Phil. Mum just rang. She tried earlier. He … he was killed this afternoon.’ She looked up, her eyes wide and blank. ‘Someone shot him.’
‘Money.’ A light breeze blew across the hotel’s breakfast terrace, stirring the tablecloth. Kaz buttered a chunk of bread, hesitated, then put it into her mouth. Devlin watched her. Her face was still pale from shock, but she was functioning. He relaxed a little.
‘Sounds like a plan.’ He stirred his coffee. ‘How?’
‘Doesn’t really matter. It’s just a cover for me needing to find him, one he’ll go for.’ She shrugged. ‘Something left over from the marriage that needs both our signatures, before I can realise the asset. A painting of Oliver’s? He gave us one for a wedding present and another when Jamie was born. It would make sense if I wanted to get rid of them. Jeff won’t be interested in all the lawyer stuff.’
‘But he will want his cut.’
‘Of course.’ She met Devlin’s eyes squarely. ‘He doesn’t know that I know about Jamie. He’s bound to be wary but he won’t know that’s the real reason I’m here. But there is one thing –’
The way she paused, Devlin knew he wasn’t going to like
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