out, but he evaded her. ‘Please! Wait a moment. I need to know who gave you this …’
The child dodged a waiter and two exiting diners, weaving around a high chair with a mewling baby, towards the door.
As Kaz started after him, the strap on her bag caught on the edge of the bar and she dropped the envelope.
By the time she’d retrieved it, the child was gone.
Chapter Thirteen
‘Nothing.’ Devlin opened the car door and slid behind the wheel. Kaz was sitting in the passenger seat, clutching the crumpled note. ‘No one at the restaurant remembers seeing the kid before. He doesn’t belong there, or in any of the streets around, as far as I can tell. And Giuliana does not work in this restaurant. You okay?’
‘Mmm.’ She’d been trembling when she darted out of the restaurant. She was calmer now. ‘It’s Jeff’s writing.’
‘You sure about that? It’s not much to go on.’ Devlin tweaked the paper out of her hand. ‘Santissima Annunziata. Ten o’clock tomorrow. Come alone,’ he read aloud. ‘Not even a bloody signature!’ If the note was from Elmore the arrogant prick still thought his ex-wife should recognise his handwriting, and come when he called. ‘Melodramatic crap!’ Frustration bubbled. The steering wheel was there, in his face. He thumped it. Kaz flinched. The impact juddered up his arm. His knuckles stung. Great move, Devlin. Very adult, very productive. He slumped down into the seat, disgusted. ‘Why pull a stunt like this?’
‘Because it’s the kind of thing Jeff gets off on. We’ve been stirring things, showing his picture around, which pissed him off. This is him pissing back.’
Kaz’s fingers, kneading his rigid shoulder, were small balm to his wounded ego. ‘C’mon, Devlin. This is not a screw up. We’ve got what we wanted. We found Jeff.’
Kaz’s eyes narrowed as she stared through the windscreen. They watched a fat black cat trying to decide whether to jump on the bonnet of the car. It squinted at Devlin. When he scowled it decided against, slinking off instead to a sunny door step. Kaz exhaled gustily. ‘We’ve been played. Giuliana, last night. She was told what to do and say. Jeff wants to turn the tables. Now he’s the one calling the shots.’
‘You think?’
‘Why else?’
Devlin buried a hand in his hair. ‘I suppose it figures. You think he’ll show, or is this just a windup?’
‘I don’t know.’ Out of the corner of his eye, Devlin saw her mouth sag as he reached for the ignition. ‘I’ll find out tomorrow.’
‘We,’ Devlin corrected. ‘You’re not going into that church tomorrow alone.’ He rammed the car into gear. ‘I’m coming with you.’
‘Jamie is my child,’ Kaz’s pronounced through gritted teeth. ‘Which means I do exactly as it says in that note.’ She stabbed a finger at Devlin. ‘What happens if you come with me? You beat the truth out of Jeff, on the altar steps?’
‘It’s an idea.’ Devlin was prowling the room, like something caged in a zoo.
‘You don’t think I’m not tempted?’ Kaz sat down heavily on the bed. ‘But I have to try talking to him. First,’ she added as Devlin turned towards her. He was being unusually pigheaded. Arrogant. She should have left him and gone to her own room, not followed him in here, trying to convince him.
‘Assuming the guy shows tomorrow, you think he’s going to give you your daughter, just because you ask him?’ Devlin bounced round as he reached a wall. Kaz shut down the splinter of her mind that wanted to admire the way he moved. She was getting nowhere, trying to argue. Time to go.
She stood. Looking round for her bag, she located it on the window ledge. She padded across.
‘Kaz!’
‘All right.’ She held up a hand. ‘No, I don’t think he’s going to hand Jamie back to me. It’s just a matter of getting his confidence. Then maybe you come in. Maybe!’ she cautioned, as Devlin growled. ‘I’m still going with the story about needing
The child dodged a waiter and two exiting diners, weaving around a high chair with a mewling baby, towards the door.
As Kaz started after him, the strap on her bag caught on the edge of the bar and she dropped the envelope.
By the time she’d retrieved it, the child was gone.
Chapter Thirteen
‘Nothing.’ Devlin opened the car door and slid behind the wheel. Kaz was sitting in the passenger seat, clutching the crumpled note. ‘No one at the restaurant remembers seeing the kid before. He doesn’t belong there, or in any of the streets around, as far as I can tell. And Giuliana does not work in this restaurant. You okay?’
‘Mmm.’ She’d been trembling when she darted out of the restaurant. She was calmer now. ‘It’s Jeff’s writing.’
‘You sure about that? It’s not much to go on.’ Devlin tweaked the paper out of her hand. ‘Santissima Annunziata. Ten o’clock tomorrow. Come alone,’ he read aloud. ‘Not even a bloody signature!’ If the note was from Elmore the arrogant prick still thought his ex-wife should recognise his handwriting, and come when he called. ‘Melodramatic crap!’ Frustration bubbled. The steering wheel was there, in his face. He thumped it. Kaz flinched. The impact juddered up his arm. His knuckles stung. Great move, Devlin. Very adult, very productive. He slumped down into the seat, disgusted. ‘Why pull a stunt like this?’
‘Because it’s the kind of thing Jeff gets off on. We’ve been stirring things, showing his picture around, which pissed him off. This is him pissing back.’
Kaz’s fingers, kneading his rigid shoulder, were small balm to his wounded ego. ‘C’mon, Devlin. This is not a screw up. We’ve got what we wanted. We found Jeff.’
Kaz’s eyes narrowed as she stared through the windscreen. They watched a fat black cat trying to decide whether to jump on the bonnet of the car. It squinted at Devlin. When he scowled it decided against, slinking off instead to a sunny door step. Kaz exhaled gustily. ‘We’ve been played. Giuliana, last night. She was told what to do and say. Jeff wants to turn the tables. Now he’s the one calling the shots.’
‘You think?’
‘Why else?’
Devlin buried a hand in his hair. ‘I suppose it figures. You think he’ll show, or is this just a windup?’
‘I don’t know.’ Out of the corner of his eye, Devlin saw her mouth sag as he reached for the ignition. ‘I’ll find out tomorrow.’
‘We,’ Devlin corrected. ‘You’re not going into that church tomorrow alone.’ He rammed the car into gear. ‘I’m coming with you.’
‘Jamie is my child,’ Kaz’s pronounced through gritted teeth. ‘Which means I do exactly as it says in that note.’ She stabbed a finger at Devlin. ‘What happens if you come with me? You beat the truth out of Jeff, on the altar steps?’
‘It’s an idea.’ Devlin was prowling the room, like something caged in a zoo.
‘You don’t think I’m not tempted?’ Kaz sat down heavily on the bed. ‘But I have to try talking to him. First,’ she added as Devlin turned towards her. He was being unusually pigheaded. Arrogant. She should have left him and gone to her own room, not followed him in here, trying to convince him.
‘Assuming the guy shows tomorrow, you think he’s going to give you your daughter, just because you ask him?’ Devlin bounced round as he reached a wall. Kaz shut down the splinter of her mind that wanted to admire the way he moved. She was getting nowhere, trying to argue. Time to go.
She stood. Looking round for her bag, she located it on the window ledge. She padded across.
‘Kaz!’
‘All right.’ She held up a hand. ‘No, I don’t think he’s going to hand Jamie back to me. It’s just a matter of getting his confidence. Then maybe you come in. Maybe!’ she cautioned, as Devlin growled. ‘I’m still going with the story about needing
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