think you might use that word. Although
suicidal
is probably more accurate.”
“You know who tried to kill her,” Joel said slowly. His eyes widened. “You
told
her?”
“Domino effect. I had to give her something. Besides, she deserved to know.”
Joel shook his head. “Big mistake.”
“Maybe. I’ve made a few.” He started toward the elevators. “But now the only important thing is damage control.”
“Wait. You had a telephone call.” Joel searched in his jacket and found the message. “Jamie Reardon. He’s in London and wants you to call him back right away.”
Nicholas took the message. “May I use your office?”
“By all means.” Joel gestured to a door down the hall. “I live only to be of use to you, Nicholas.”
“I’m glad you’ve finally accepted that,” Nicholas said, poker-faced, as he strode toward the office. “You were a little slow in the beginning.”
He heard Joel’s muttered curse behind him.
He was still smiling when he reached Jamie. “You’ve found something?”
“Conner got the name of Kabler’s informant in Gardeaux’s camp. He’s here in London. One Nigel Simpson, an accountant. Do you want me to try to negotiate to get him in our pocket as well as Kabler’s?”
A surge of excitement flickered through Nicholas. “You’re certain it’s him?”
“Conner says it’s him and that rabbit would be too scared to commit himself unless he was damn sure. Do you want me to approach Simpson?”
“No, I’ll catch the next plane. Don’t let him out of your sight.”
“No problem. He’s spending the night at his favorite call girl’s apartment. I don’t think he’ll be on the move.” Jamie chuckled. “Well, except inside the woman. I imagine she’ll inspire a bit of movement. She’s reputed to be a very kinky lady. I’ll be at 23 Milford Road. I’ll be driving one of the old black Rolls-Royce taxis.” He sighed. “They’re gradually disappearing, you know. They’re being replaced by sleek monstrosities with no sense of history. Sad.”
“Just so Simpson doesn’t disappear.”
“He won’t. Have I ever failed you?”
“A h, you are sitting up. That is good.”
Nell looked up to see a tall, leggy brunette in the doorway.
The woman was dressed in jeans, a man’s striped shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbow, and a leather vest. She smiled. “May I come in? You don’t know me, but I feel as if I know you. I’m Tania Vlados.”
The name was familiar. “You sent me the flowers.”
The woman nodded and came forward. “Did you like them? I grew them myself.”
Tania Vlados had a faint accent at odds with her very American attire. “They were lovely, Miss Vlados.”
“Tania.” A smile lit her face. “I feel we are going to be great friends, and I’m always right.”
“You are?”
“My grandmother was a Gypsy and she used to tellme I did not have the sight but I have the sounding.” She dropped down in the chair. “That I hear echoes of the soul.”
“How … interesting.”
Tania chuckled. “You think I’m crazy. I don’t blame you. But it is true.”
“Do you work here at the clinic?”
“No, I work for Joel. I’m his housekeeper.” She stretched her legs out in front of her. “And before you ask, that doesn’t mean I occupy his bed as well as his house.”
She stared at her, shocked. “I would never ask a question like that.”
“No? You’d be surprised how many people do. There’s no privacy left in the world.” Her eyes glinted with mischief. “Most of the time I tell them I do. It drives Joel insane. He’s old-fashioned, you know.”
“No, I didn’t know.”
She nodded. “You do not notice much during the first weeks. You are too full of sadness. It was so with me.”
Nell stiffened. “You’re no housekeeper. You’re another one of those psychiatrists Joel’s been sending in here. Well, you can just leave. I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Psychiatrist?” She smiled with
suicidal
is probably more accurate.”
“You know who tried to kill her,” Joel said slowly. His eyes widened. “You
told
her?”
“Domino effect. I had to give her something. Besides, she deserved to know.”
Joel shook his head. “Big mistake.”
“Maybe. I’ve made a few.” He started toward the elevators. “But now the only important thing is damage control.”
“Wait. You had a telephone call.” Joel searched in his jacket and found the message. “Jamie Reardon. He’s in London and wants you to call him back right away.”
Nicholas took the message. “May I use your office?”
“By all means.” Joel gestured to a door down the hall. “I live only to be of use to you, Nicholas.”
“I’m glad you’ve finally accepted that,” Nicholas said, poker-faced, as he strode toward the office. “You were a little slow in the beginning.”
He heard Joel’s muttered curse behind him.
He was still smiling when he reached Jamie. “You’ve found something?”
“Conner got the name of Kabler’s informant in Gardeaux’s camp. He’s here in London. One Nigel Simpson, an accountant. Do you want me to try to negotiate to get him in our pocket as well as Kabler’s?”
A surge of excitement flickered through Nicholas. “You’re certain it’s him?”
“Conner says it’s him and that rabbit would be too scared to commit himself unless he was damn sure. Do you want me to approach Simpson?”
“No, I’ll catch the next plane. Don’t let him out of your sight.”
“No problem. He’s spending the night at his favorite call girl’s apartment. I don’t think he’ll be on the move.” Jamie chuckled. “Well, except inside the woman. I imagine she’ll inspire a bit of movement. She’s reputed to be a very kinky lady. I’ll be at 23 Milford Road. I’ll be driving one of the old black Rolls-Royce taxis.” He sighed. “They’re gradually disappearing, you know. They’re being replaced by sleek monstrosities with no sense of history. Sad.”
“Just so Simpson doesn’t disappear.”
“He won’t. Have I ever failed you?”
“A h, you are sitting up. That is good.”
Nell looked up to see a tall, leggy brunette in the doorway.
The woman was dressed in jeans, a man’s striped shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbow, and a leather vest. She smiled. “May I come in? You don’t know me, but I feel as if I know you. I’m Tania Vlados.”
The name was familiar. “You sent me the flowers.”
The woman nodded and came forward. “Did you like them? I grew them myself.”
Tania Vlados had a faint accent at odds with her very American attire. “They were lovely, Miss Vlados.”
“Tania.” A smile lit her face. “I feel we are going to be great friends, and I’m always right.”
“You are?”
“My grandmother was a Gypsy and she used to tellme I did not have the sight but I have the sounding.” She dropped down in the chair. “That I hear echoes of the soul.”
“How … interesting.”
Tania chuckled. “You think I’m crazy. I don’t blame you. But it is true.”
“Do you work here at the clinic?”
“No, I work for Joel. I’m his housekeeper.” She stretched her legs out in front of her. “And before you ask, that doesn’t mean I occupy his bed as well as his house.”
She stared at her, shocked. “I would never ask a question like that.”
“No? You’d be surprised how many people do. There’s no privacy left in the world.” Her eyes glinted with mischief. “Most of the time I tell them I do. It drives Joel insane. He’s old-fashioned, you know.”
“No, I didn’t know.”
She nodded. “You do not notice much during the first weeks. You are too full of sadness. It was so with me.”
Nell stiffened. “You’re no housekeeper. You’re another one of those psychiatrists Joel’s been sending in here. Well, you can just leave. I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Psychiatrist?” She smiled with
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