by Leona Karr
Where was he? She listened, but couldn’t hear any telltale noises that he was still in the suite. He must have dressed and left when she was still asleep.
She stayed in bed for a few minutes longer and nourished a spirit of rebellion. She was in charge of her own life, wasn’t she? Why couldn’t she decide what she was going to do and when she was going to do it? Why was she letting him orchestrate her every move as if she were some kind of puppet?
Carolyn had never been one to lie to herself. The truth was that nothing had changed since she’d been so shaken up by the sick baby and the sample medicine from Horizon. She knew that her own feelings were not top priority in this situation. If she could save the life of a single person, she had no choice but to stay the course until Adam’s investigation was successfully over. Sighing, she threw back the covers and made ready for her first day at the company her grandfather had left in her care.
When she got downstairs, she found Adam sitting with Jasper in a breakfast nook off the kitchen. A beautiful antique sideboard offered a breakfast buffet, and Morna was checking the silver tureens filled with food.
“Good morning, darling,” Adam greeted her as he stood up and put a loving arm around her shoulders. From the tiny tightening at the corner of her mouth, he could tell that she was forcing a smile. When he had eased into bed with her last night, he’d sensed her withdrawal, and at the time he’d thought it was just the unconventional situation. Now he wasn’t so sure. She was as rigid as a store mannequin under his touch.
Jasper rose to his feet in gentlemanly fashion, and Carolyn quickly took a chair next to his. Her uncle’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “I still can’t believe it.”
“Neither can I,” Carolyn responded readily. “I never imagined that I’d be sitting here, having breakfast in a lovely home like this with my uncle.”
Jasper’s narrow face softened a little. “I guess Arthur decided to give us all a surprise. He was a man who decided how things should be and then made sure they turned out that way.” The resentment in his voice was obvious. “Several times I wanted to leave the company, move out of the house, but he always managed to make sure that didn’t happen.”
“Have you always worked at Horizon?” Adam asked as if he didn’t have background reports verifying that Jasper had failed at his own business and depended on his father for his job. Adam wanted to find out how deep the bitterness ran. Why would Jasper remain in his father’s home, instead of moving out with someone like Della? It didn’t make sense unless there was a hidden benefit.
“It was my father’s plan all along that I become a scientist at Horizon. We have one of the best research laboratories in the country. Of course, I could have gone to another company, anytime, for more money.”
“Why didn’t you?”
Jasper’s long, bony fingers tightened on his cup. “There were reasons.” His flat response did not invite any more of Adam’s questions.
“More coffee?” Morna asked Jasper as she hovered near his chair. “Another piece of toast?”
Adam couldn’t help but notice the housekeeper’s solicitous manner toward Jasper. Morna’s almost pleasant expression was a change from her usual glower. Adam had noticed a marked difference in her the minute Jasper had walked into the breakfast room. Inconsistencies in behavior always captured Adam’s attention. Morna was about the same age as Jasper, and Adam wondered if she’d been in the house since he was a young man. When Della walked into the breakfast room, Morna’s glower was back.
“Good morning,” Della said briskly as she nodded at Carolyn and Adam. “I’m surprised to see the two of you up so early. I hope you slept well.”
“Very well,” Carolyn lied, hoping that makeup hid the dark circles under her eyes. She was used to long hours at the hospital during her internship and had managed to function well on very little sleep. The emotional load that Cliff had dumped on her and the revelation that Adam had an “angel” in his life created a different kind of tiredness.
“Thank you for the nice reception last night,” Adam said as he held out a chair for Della between his and Jasper’s. She wore a navy blue two-piece dress that softened her middle-aged figure. Her makeup was carefully applied, highlighting her hazel eyes and widening her lips.
She turned to Morna to give her order for breakfast. Then she reached over and patted Jasper’s hand. “I thought you might want to stay home today and rest, dear. You were up and about most of the night.”
When he didn’t answer, Della turned to Carolyn. “Sometimes Jasper spends half the night poring over his notebooks and charts. He never tells anyone what he’s working on until he’s sure of the results.” There was a warning in her tone as she added, “I hope you’re not going to put pressure on him to share anything until he’s ready.”
“I’m sure Uncle Jasper and I can develop a satisfactory relationship at work and at home,” Carolyn replied smoothly. In medical school she’d learned how to handle people who insisted on telling everyone when to jump and how high. Della’s forceful manner didn’t intimidate her a bit. She was confident she could handle the challenges of the business world, but her personal life was another matter.
Her eyes slid to Adam as he leaned back in his chair. He looked perfectly at ease in his fawn-colored slacks and open-neck shirt. He grinned at her as he caught her appraising eye.
“Darling, would you like another blueberry muffin? I know they’re your favorite.” Adam’s tone was intimate and suggestive, as if they were talking about something more private than muffins.
“Thank you, love,” she answered, masking an honest reaction to his attention. He lied so well it almost took her breath away. He was good, she had to admit. The way his gaze was centered on her, the lingering touch of his hand as he handed her the muffin and his suggestive wink could have sent her emotions reeling if she hadn’t known that his behavior was nothing more than professional pretense.
She turned to Della. “Will Lisa and Buddy be joining us for breakfast?”
Jasper snorted and Della gave a short laugh. “Only if we label lunch as breakfast. They’re night owls. Jasper and I leave for work at eight o’clock most mornings, and we don’t see the children until the evening meal at seven.”
Children? Carolyn was surprised Della used that term, but it seemed to verify her suspicion that Della was the one responsible for keeping her son and daughter dependent and spoiled. Carolyn couldn’t help wondering why her grandfather allowed Della and her grown children to sponge off of him. Maybe Arthur had figured he owed Jasper this chance at domesticity.
“And what are your plans for the day?” Della asked brightly as if Carolyn and Adam were visiting guests with a tourist agenda.
“When would be the best time for us to drop by Horizon?” Carolyn asked, implying that she valued Della’s opinion. “Since we’re all up and ready, maybe we should all go in together this morning?”
Adam resisted putting a hand over his mouth to hide his smile. If he’d ever had doubts about Carolyn’s ability to subtly take charge of a situation, they were gone now. She’d deftly put Della in the position of having to go along with her suggestions or appear antagonistic.
“Well, yes, I guess that would be all right, but you might get a better feel for the place later on in the day,” Della said. “Mornings always start kind of slow, you know.”
“Really? Then that might be the best time to wander around and see what’s happening. What do you think, darling?” she asked, tossing the ball to Adam.
“Great,” he answered enthusiastically. “Honey, I guess we might as well confess. We’re both workaholics,” he told Della and Jasper. You may as well get used to seeing us every time you turn around. Aloud he said, “We’ll try to stay out of your way, though. We don’t want to interfere with your regular routine.”
Della looked at him as if to say, Aren’t you doing that already?
JASPER AND DELLA DROVE their own car, a black Lexus, with Carolyn and Adam in the back seat. As they swept through
the gated community, Adam could tell that Carolyn was overwhelmed by the display of wealth. Her posture was stiff, and she gave every appearance that she was headed for some unbearable ordeal. Last night, when he’d come to bed, she’d looked so tiny, curled up on the far side of the bed, he’d wanted to ignore the promises he’d made to keep his distance. He realized that she had only accepted his support during the evening gathering because she was caught off guard by Cliff.
When they’d retired to their room, she showed a little nervousness, but this morning her behavior had been distant and guarded. Was she troubled about his knowing her personal affairs? Cliff Connors had really thrown her a curve last night, and she probably had every right to be worried about his intentions. Not only could he be a potential blackmailer, but he could be up to his neck in a black-market scam.
Carolyn’s efforts to act the loving wife at breakfast would have fallen flat if anyone had been paying close attention, but fortunately both Della and Jasper seemed to be too caught up in their own world to notice.
As she stared out the car window, he moved closer, slipped his arm around her shoulders and whispered, “It’s going well. You’re doing just fine. Remember, today you’re just a visitor. You don’t have to do or say anything that doesn’t feel right.”
A slight nod was her only response.
As her hair brushed his cheek, a faint scent of rosewater teased his nostrils. Her ivory complexion was soft with a hint of light powder, and her lips were shaped by a kissable pale pink lipstick. Everything about her invited a man’s loving touch, and he fought the impulse to follow through on the desire surging through him. His voice was suddenly husky as he whispered, “Nothing’s going to happen to you. I promise to keep you safe.”
She turned and looked at him with a wan smile on her lips. “I know you will. You’re the best.”
When they reached Horizon Pharmaceuticals, located south of downtown Seattle, their car was promptly admitted through the security gate. Jasper drove to a designated parking area and then motioned for them to follow him and Della into the first building through a private security entrance.
Two twin brick buildings were joined by a second-floor skywalk, and the grounds were circled with a security fence. Only the front business entrance was open to the general public.
ADAM KEPT HIS ARM through Carolyn’s as they walked. The trepidation she was feeling in seeing her inheritance for the first time was registered in the quickness of her breath and the pulse visible in her slim neck. He was certain she was caught up in an aura of total disbelief.
“All the main offices are on the first floor. And there are two rows of cubicles for the business staff,” Della told them, then pointed out a long reception desk just inside the front entrance that kept any visitors in the small waiting area. She explained that identification tags and approved clearance were necessary to enter any other section of the two buildings.
“Arthur’s office is at the end of the main corridor, and mine is next to his.” She motioned toward an elevator. “Jasper’s laboratory is on the second floor and connects to the second building, which houses the production, packaging and shipping departments. What would you like to see first?”
“My grandfather’s office.”
“I’ll be upstairs when you get around to the laboratory,” Jasper said as he punched the elevator button. It wasn’t the most gracious invitation, but the older man gave Carolyn a weak smile that softened his briskness.
Della spun on her heel and led the way down a private hall. Carolyn was surprised there wasn’t a secretary sitting at the desk outside her grandfather’s office. When she asked about it, Della said that Arthur’s secretary had retired after many years of service. The brisk way she said it made Carolyn wonder if the woman’s retirement had been by choice.
Della unlocked the door to the office, and a lingering scent of pipe tobacco greeted them as they entered. Carolyn’s gaze settled on the large leather chair behind the executive desk. The cushions were shaped by long use, and in her mind’s eye she could imagine her grandfather sitting there. The desktop was cleared except for a phone and pipe rack. As she looked around the room, there was little to give her a feel for the man who’d occupied this office for so many years.
As if reading her thoughts, Della said briskly, “We cleared out the office after Arthur’s passing. His computer and files were moved into my office. Most of his personal things were packed up and taken to the house. I see that we forgot his pipe rack.” Her mouth quivered slightly as if she was fighting back some emotion. “You could always tell where Arthur had been by following the scent of his tobacco.”
“I’d like to look through his things sometime,” Carolyn told her. “And also the personal items from his bedroom.”
“Of course,” Della said readily. “I understand.”
“And please bring back his computer and business files.”
“Oh, I’m sure I can provide you with any information you need. You’ll never be able to get a true overview of the company without some personal direction.” Della’s expression had changed, as had the timbre of her voice. She was no longer the accommodating employee.
“We’ll certainly be needing your help, Della,” Adam said smoothly. He wasn’t surprised at the change in attitude. If Arthur had left any clue as to what was going on at Horizon, it might be in his personal files. “We know you’re busy and have a heavy responsibility. Whatever we can do on our own will relieve you in time and effort. I’m sure his computer files would be a help.”
Della must have heard the determination in his voice, because she gave a short nod and said, “All right, I’ll have someone move his computer back. Now, you will have to excuse me. I’ll alert all the department heads that you are on the premises. I’m sure that some of the staff you met last evening will be happy to show you around.”
“Thank you, Della,” Carolyn responded. “We really appreciate what you’ve done to make us welcome.”
“I wouldn’t start stirring too many pots, if I were you.” With that warning, she left the office and closed the door with a punctuating bang.
“Ouch!” Adam said. “I guess we know how she feels about us being here.”
“Do you think she knows the real reason we’re here?”
“Most people view any kind of change as trouble. Della could be as innocent as a snowy-white lamb and still be resentful of our presence. Or she could be damn worried that we’ll turn up evidence that will bring the law down on her neck.” He set his mouth. “It really doesn’t matter. We’ll do what we have to do.”
“I’m not sure what that is,” she admitted as she surveyed the large paneled room. An area for conversation—a brown leather couch facing two chairs—had been set up at one side of the office, near large windows. She walked around the room, hoping to somehow draw in the essence of the man who had spent so much of his life there.
“Why don’t you check the desk drawers and see if they cleared them out?” Adam suggested, realizing she needed something to do.
“What am I looking for?”
“Anything that might be in Arthur’s handwriting. I’ll tackle the cupboards. And I ought to check the built-in bar,” he added with a grin.
Some of the tension left her face as she smiled at him. “Yes, you’d better do that—but not till after lunch.”
They spent the morning searching the office until Adam was finally convinced that nothing the least bit informative remained in any of the drawers and cupboards. If there had been anything that would point to illegal activities in the company, the evidence was gone now.
No one interrupted them during the morning, the phone didn’t ring, and the missing computer and files were not returned. He couldn’t very well force the situation without alerting someone to his hidden interest in the company. Forcing himself to be patient was going to be a challenge.
“What now?” Carolyn asked, disappointed on several levels. She didn’t find anything that would give her a perso
nal glimpse of her grandfather, nothing that gave her an overview of the company and certainly nothing that Adam found of interest.
Adam glanced at his watch. “What do you say we break for lunch? We passed a small seafood restaurant just down the block. We could get a bite to eat and then wander upstairs and pay Jasper a visit.”
Carolyn’s first impulse was to say, no, she wasn’t hungry. She knew that once she stepped out the door, she’d be on display again. An ever efficient grapevine had undoubtedly spread the news that she was in the building.
Adam teased her. “What would you prescribe in this situation, Doctor? A lengthy fast or an indulgence of good food and drink?”
His ability to make her step out of herself and laugh surprised her. Instead of increasing her anxiety, his chiding gave her a strange kind of reassurance. She picked up her purse. “Who’s buying?”
He laughed. “My rich wife.”
He opened the office door and waved her out with an elaborate gesture. There was nothing she could do but straighten her back and walk out into the hall. Della’s office door was closed.
Carolyn breathed a sigh of relief when they made it out the private entrance without running into anyone. As she walked to the restaurant with Adam, she enjoyed a sense of victory that she’d made it through the first morning without any disasters. With Adam at her side, she almost felt invincible.
That feeling was shortlived.
A few minutes after they’d entered the restaurant and given their orders to the waitress, Carolyn’s stomach plunged and she lost her appetite.
“Oh, no,” she breathed as Cliff Connors walked into the restaurant. Her hope that he might not see them faded. His casual stride was purposeful and his smile fixed as he walked directly toward their table.
Carolyn tasted bile as she steeled herself to face the threat Cliff represented. The memory of the night he’d intruded on her and Eric’s intimacy came back with a wash of embarrassment, now mixed with fear. Even though Cliff hadn’t spread the tale at the time, she suspected he’d kept his silence because she knew of his involvement with one of the pregnant nurses. The scales were balanced then, but not now. She realized that money would outweigh anything she could bring against him. What if Adam’s speculation was true? If Cliff spread the sordid tale to the tabloids, her reputation would be ruined. What was the alternative? If she gave in to a blackmailer at this point, where would it end? Her mouth went dry.