you’re completely insane.”
“You’re not the first to suggest that.” He zipped his bag, not breaking his pace. His movements were precise and economical. He took a last look around the room. Everything he had taken was black. That meant he thought the meeting would take place at night. Tonight?
“You’ll need me,” I told him.
“Pumpkin,” he held my eyes, and suddenly the room seemed unnaturally calm. “The last thing I need is to be worried about you. Stay here. Be safe.”
That stopped me for a minute. It was the way he looked at me. Then I registered what he had said. “First of all—” I followed him into the living room— “don’t ‘Pumpkin’ me at a time like this.” He ignored me. “And secondly, what makes you think you need to worry about me? I’ll have you know I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
He grabbed his leather jacket from the back of a chair. “Really?”
“Really.” I disregarded his sarcastic tone and stood, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands relaxed at my sides. “You probably don’t know I have a black belt in Tae Kwan Do.”
“Impressive.” He paused. “Why is it that I’ve never known you to practice?”
“Well,” I held my stance, looking (I hoped) defiant and athletic, “getting the black belt was my goal. After that I sort of…”
“Stopped?”
“Well, reduced the frequency and intensity—”
“When?”
“What?”
“When did you get your black belt?”
I lifted my chin. “A while ago.” He raised his eyebrows. “All right,” I admitted, “I was seventeen.”
“That is impressive, a black belt at seventeen. Luckily my mother raised me to be a gentleman, so I won’t point out how long ago that was.”
Bastard. “The point is, I can take care of myself.”
He finally lost his cool. “Yes, I’m sure I’d feel much better knowing that when some psycho pulls a gun on you you’ll be able to wow him with a rusty roundhouse. Look,” he cut off my response, closing the distance between us to grab my shoulders, “these guys are professionals. They took Cece with no trace, and they’ve made no mistakes so far in dealing with your uncle. They are undoubtedly highly armed and highly alert. You cannot pull a Nancy Drew and save the day. I’m going to go wherever they tell me, do whatever they tell me, and I’m going to give them the money to get your cousin home. That’s all.”
I looked into his eyes and I didn’t believe him. He kissed me quickly and made for the door. If he thought I was going to stand helplessly by and tell him to be careful—like hell I would. “Jack!”
“Charley.” He looked back at me as he opened the door. “I’ll call as soon as I know anything. Stay here. Stay safe.” And he left.
Damn. “Be careful!” I yelled after him.
I looked at the closed door, trying to get my breathing back under control. Then I picked up the phone and dialed. “Brenda? You have to come over right away. With your car.”
Chapter 9
I knew it would take Brenda close to an hour to make it over the bridge and across town to pick me up. I put the time to good use, pacing and fuming and pacing and worrying and pacing and cursing. Why the hell didn’t I smoke?
Finally I heard a knock on the door. “Thank God! You made great time —” I choked back the rest of my words when I opened the door. It wasn’t Brenda.
“Inspector Yahata.”
“Mrs. Fairfax.” The detective inclined his head slightly, and in the time it took him to look up and say my name I swear he made a comprehensive visual survey of me, the room behind me, and probably the hotel hallway in both directions. “Were you expecting someone?”
I had a momentary brain freeze. “Expecting?” I echoed.
Suddenly he was in the room, although I don’t think I actually saw him move. “Are you alone, Mrs. Fairfax?”
Okay, I had to get control of this situation. I had to get rid of him. “Yes,” I said giddily. “Yes,
“You’re not the first to suggest that.” He zipped his bag, not breaking his pace. His movements were precise and economical. He took a last look around the room. Everything he had taken was black. That meant he thought the meeting would take place at night. Tonight?
“You’ll need me,” I told him.
“Pumpkin,” he held my eyes, and suddenly the room seemed unnaturally calm. “The last thing I need is to be worried about you. Stay here. Be safe.”
That stopped me for a minute. It was the way he looked at me. Then I registered what he had said. “First of all—” I followed him into the living room— “don’t ‘Pumpkin’ me at a time like this.” He ignored me. “And secondly, what makes you think you need to worry about me? I’ll have you know I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
He grabbed his leather jacket from the back of a chair. “Really?”
“Really.” I disregarded his sarcastic tone and stood, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands relaxed at my sides. “You probably don’t know I have a black belt in Tae Kwan Do.”
“Impressive.” He paused. “Why is it that I’ve never known you to practice?”
“Well,” I held my stance, looking (I hoped) defiant and athletic, “getting the black belt was my goal. After that I sort of…”
“Stopped?”
“Well, reduced the frequency and intensity—”
“When?”
“What?”
“When did you get your black belt?”
I lifted my chin. “A while ago.” He raised his eyebrows. “All right,” I admitted, “I was seventeen.”
“That is impressive, a black belt at seventeen. Luckily my mother raised me to be a gentleman, so I won’t point out how long ago that was.”
Bastard. “The point is, I can take care of myself.”
He finally lost his cool. “Yes, I’m sure I’d feel much better knowing that when some psycho pulls a gun on you you’ll be able to wow him with a rusty roundhouse. Look,” he cut off my response, closing the distance between us to grab my shoulders, “these guys are professionals. They took Cece with no trace, and they’ve made no mistakes so far in dealing with your uncle. They are undoubtedly highly armed and highly alert. You cannot pull a Nancy Drew and save the day. I’m going to go wherever they tell me, do whatever they tell me, and I’m going to give them the money to get your cousin home. That’s all.”
I looked into his eyes and I didn’t believe him. He kissed me quickly and made for the door. If he thought I was going to stand helplessly by and tell him to be careful—like hell I would. “Jack!”
“Charley.” He looked back at me as he opened the door. “I’ll call as soon as I know anything. Stay here. Stay safe.” And he left.
Damn. “Be careful!” I yelled after him.
I looked at the closed door, trying to get my breathing back under control. Then I picked up the phone and dialed. “Brenda? You have to come over right away. With your car.”
Chapter 9
I knew it would take Brenda close to an hour to make it over the bridge and across town to pick me up. I put the time to good use, pacing and fuming and pacing and worrying and pacing and cursing. Why the hell didn’t I smoke?
Finally I heard a knock on the door. “Thank God! You made great time —” I choked back the rest of my words when I opened the door. It wasn’t Brenda.
“Inspector Yahata.”
“Mrs. Fairfax.” The detective inclined his head slightly, and in the time it took him to look up and say my name I swear he made a comprehensive visual survey of me, the room behind me, and probably the hotel hallway in both directions. “Were you expecting someone?”
I had a momentary brain freeze. “Expecting?” I echoed.
Suddenly he was in the room, although I don’t think I actually saw him move. “Are you alone, Mrs. Fairfax?”
Okay, I had to get control of this situation. I had to get rid of him. “Yes,” I said giddily. “Yes,
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