Desert Devil

by Rena McKay

  "Such as?"

  "The talk is that they're just waiting for a decent interval of time to elapse after Jason's death before she becomes Mrs. Thorne Taylor."

  "I see." Juli put her drink down. Her stomach felt suddenly queasy. "I take it they're not concerned with how it looks with her already living there under the same roof with him."

  "She doesn't live there," Brian corrected, "at least not yet. She has a home up in Scottsdale, near Phoenix. Another estate, from what I hear."

  "You mean she and her husband lived up there even though the company is permanently located here? I wonder why," Juli mused.

  Brian nodded. "I think a lot of people wondered the same thing. Of course, there are any number of reasonable explanations."

  "Such as?" Juli prodded again. She had the feeling Brian Eames was rather enjoying feeding her this information bit by bit.

  "As I said, Jason traveled quite a bit, so perhaps there simply was no need for him to maintain a home here. And then some people say Nicole Taylor refused to live in Cholla, that she preferred the more active social life Phoenix and Scottsdale have to offer. If that was the reason, I can sympathize with her feelings."

  Juli waited, twisting the salt-rimmed glass nervously. She suspected there was more. There was.

  "And some people say that Jason simply refused to let Nicole live down here."

  "Why?"

  "It seems Thorne and Nicole had a pretty hot thing going before she married Jason. In fact, everyone expected Thorne and Nicole to get married. But all of a sudden she up and married Jason instead. Rumor has it that Jason wanted to keep as much distance as possible between Thorne and Nicole."

  "But surely Thorne wouldn't go after his own brother's wife," Juli protested.

  "No? Perhaps Jason knew his brother better than you do." Brian's laugh was cynical. "But from what I hear, Jason wasn't any too successful at keeping Thorne away from his wife. A few miles aren't about to stop a guy like Thorne Taylor."

  Juli's heart flip-flopped. "Wh-what do you mean?" But she didn't have to hear Brian's reply to know the answer to that question, of course. Thorne had been playing around with Nicole Taylor even while her husband was alive. "Thorne Taylor sounds like quite the lady-killer," she murmured, trying to keep her voice casual, "what with keeping all those swooning secretaries busy and chasing after his brother's wife, too."

  "Actually, much to their annoyance, I think he has kind of a hands-off policy toward company secretaries," Brian conceded. "He does his playing around where it won't disrupt company business. And where marriage is concerned, he has his eye on bigger game, of course."

  "Of course," Juli echoed hollowly. She toyed with the melting ice in her drink. "I presume Mrs. Taylor inherited her husband's half of the business."

  Brian nodded. "Right. And you can bet Thorne isn't going to let that get out of the family."

  Juli remembered her own earlier thoughts that mere physical attractiveness wouldn't be enough to interest Thorne Taylor. She had been right. Nicole wasn't merely attractive; she was stunning, plus being poised and elegant. And she owned half the company. It was an irresistible combination. "You seem rather well informed about everything, considering you haven't been with the company very long," Juli commented with a sideways glance at Brian.

  He laughed. "There isn't too much to do here but talk about each other," he pointed out. With a suggestive quirk of an eyebrow, he added, "And I always like to know where the skeletons are buried. You never know when a little information may come in useful. Right now, for instance," he added.

  Juli felt a momentary twinge of distaste. She had never been one to indulge in the idle gossip that made the rounds of the insurance office where she worked, and she did not find gossiping particularly attractive or admirable. But then she had to admit her own guilt. She had certainly prodded Brian for every bit of information he had given her. She flushed when he commented on that, also.

  "You seem rather interested in the local goings-on yourself," he suggested speculatively.

  "It's just because of… of something to do with David," Juli said evasively. And that was true, she assured herself. She had no personal interest in Thorne Taylor's relationship with his brother's widow, past or present. And yet there was one more question.

  "I wonder if Nicole is here now to announce the engagement."

  "Could be. But the company's annual picnic and barbecue is next weekend. She could be here to help with the arrangements for that. I gather it's the big social event of the year." He paused reflectively. "That might be when they'd choose to announce the happy news, of course. Everyone troops out to the Taylor estate and they barbecue a herd of cattle or something."

  Juli couldn't help laughing at his obvious exaggeration. She took a sip of her drink. "You don't sound very enthusiastic," she commented.

  He wrinkled his nose. "I have the feeling its the kind of thing where you're expected to spear a chunk of meat and eat it at a dead run on horseback, or something barbaric like that."

  "I don't think it could be that barbaric." Juli laughed.

  "You don't think so? Then you don't know our Thorne Taylor. Don't let his sophisticated appearance fool you," Brian warned. "He's not one of your tame, domesticated types, as Nicole Taylor may soon find out."

  Juli shivered, her smile suddenly mechanical as she remembered the way Thorne had savagely ripped and ruined her blouse. Yes, she had no doubt but that he could be barbaric, indeed.

  She drained her glass, intending to excuse herself, but her eyes widened as over the rim she saw a powerful figure standing at the door. There was something almost menacingly predatory in the way his eyes swept over the room. Brian's back was to the door and he didn't see. He talked on, but the words rolled meaninglessly over Juli as Thorne's eyes unerringly found hers even in the dimness of the room. For one heart-stopping moment Juli thought he was going to stride over to the table, but with a motion that shouted pure disdain, he spun on his heel and disappeared.

  What was he doing here? Was he alone? He had departed instantly upon seeing her, almost as if—

  "Are you all right?"

  "What?" Juli's eyes wavered and finally refocused on her companion.

  "You looked so strange for a moment—almost as if you were ill."

  "Oh, no, I'm fine," she assured him. "It just seems a little cool in here after being so warm outside," she improvised. "You were saying—?"

  "I was just suggesting perhaps we could have dinner together. The restaurant here isn't any match for New York's finest, but it's not bad. At least they don't drown everything in grease and chili sauce."

  Juli's heart was unexplainably pounding, and her hand trembled as she replaced the glass on the table. She had held it to her mouth so long while her eyes locked with Thorne's that the taste from the salt-rimmed glass clung to her lips. She licked them lightly, remembering with an odd tremor how close Thorne's lips had come to her own not more than a few hours ago.

  "Let's make a deal," Brian said suddenly, eyeing her closely. "No more talk about the Taylors or Taylor Electronics. I get the feeling that for some reason you find the whole subject upsetting."

  "Only because I… I don't feel they treated David fairly," Juli said faintly. "I really couldn't care less about their personal relationships. And dinner sounds lovely," she added determinedly.

  They ate at the restaurant adjoining the lounge. Brian ordered chicken Kiev, which Juli had to admit looked marvelously succulent and delicious. But she, much to Brian's disgust, she suspected, chose one of the Mexican specialty dinners and enjoyed spicy stuffed peppers called chiles rellenos, frijoles refritos, crunchy jicama salad, and warm, soft tortillas. For desert there were sopaipillas, fluffy golden pillows stuffed with sweetened fruit jam. At the end Juli surreptitiously licked the last delectable bit of sticky jam from her fingertips.

  By that time she was almost relaxed, the tense feeling that Thorne Taylor might somehow barge in at any moment finally disappearing. She could almost f
eel sorry for Nicole Taylor, planning to marry such a headstrong man. They finished the meal with strong, savory coffee, and Brian entertained her with anecdotes about local people and events, humorous, though a bit biting at times. She gathered he regarded his position with Taylor Electronics as primarily a stepping stone to bigger things with a company more desirably located.

  After dinner Brian walked her back to her car. Juli was surprised to find it was almost dark outside. She shivered lightly in her bare-shouldered sundress.

  "I don't suppose you'd be interested in a movie, would you?" Brian asked hopefully.

  Juli shook her head. "Thanks, anyway, but I—"

  "I know. I've already monopolized more of your time than I had any right to on such short acquaintance. Perhaps if I could call you—?"

  "I'm sorry, but there's no phone at the trailer. I guess David didn't feel he needed one."

  "That fits in with what I've heard about David, all right. He wasn't very sociable."

  The comment gave Juli an opening and quickly, without explaining too much in detail her reasons for wanting to know, Juli asked Brian if he could find out a little more about David's work at Taylor Electronics. She said that any information he could gather could be very important to her.

  Brian looked curious, but seemed agreeable enough. "Now I have a favor to ask of you," he returned. "How about coming to the company picnic and barbecue with me next Sunday? I wasn't planning to attend, but together we might get some laughs out of it."

  Juli hesitated, torn by conflicting feelings that had nothing to do with Brian. Attending the barbecue would mean seeing Thorne again. One part of her shrank from that prospect. He was a ruthless, deter-mined man who let nothing stand in the way of what he wanted. He might not be married at the moment; he might even be interested in Juli in some temporary, very physical basis. But marrying Nicole Taylor was his real plan, a plan with which Nicole seemed in perfect agreement. Risking any involvement with him could only mean heartbreak for Juli.

  And yet, in spite of what had happened today, another part of her traitorously tingled with excitement at the prospect of simply being near him again.

  "I promise to be a good sport. I won't complain even if we have to rope our meal on the hoof." Brian grinned and Juli guiltily realized he thought her delay in making up her mind had something to do with seeing him again.

  Now rationalization took over. She had to see Brian again in order to find out if he had learned anything helpful to her. She might, at a gathering of company employees, even find out something useful on her own.

  She smiled at him, quelling a shivery feeling inside, a feeling that was a strange blend of apprehension and anticipation. "I'd love to go with you."

  Chapter Five

  Juli paced the trailer restlessly before Brian arrived on Sunday to take her to the barbecue. Thorne's flowers were in a quart jar on the dinette table, no vase available among David's haphazard assortment of utensils. The other part of Thorne's gift was tucked into her purse for return to him. The more Juli thought about it, the more infuriated she became over what he had done. It was insulting and degrading. If it were not that she was determined to return what Thorne had sent her, she would have called off going with Brian today.

  As it was, she had already nervously changed clothes twice. The backless coral dress she had bought for the occasion somehow looked far more daring and revealing now than it had in the store. She had put it on, uneasily changed to slacks, and then defiantly slipped into the dress again. What would Nicole Taylor be wearing? Something stunning, no doubt. Would she and Thorne take the occasion of this big company event to announce their engagement? Maybe she wouldn't have to stay, Juli thought suddenly. If she could catch Thorne alone for a moment and say what she had to say, she and Brian could just slip away. She doubted that Brian would be disappointed. He still looked on this whole affair as some sort of barbaric Western rite akin to throwing sacrifices to idols.

  Brian whistled approval of the new dress when he arrived. On the drive over to the Taylor estate, he filled Juli in on what he had been able to learn about David's work at the company. It was not particularly encouraging, although it appeared that in the early days of David's employment he had done quite well and even picked up a small bonus for an innovative design change. But he had gone downhill from there. He often left work early on Friday afternoons and sometimes didn't return to work until Tuesday. He was, in fact, close to being fired at the time of his death.

  "I'm sorry," Brian apologized. "I don't know exactly what you wanted to hear, but I doubt that this was it."

  He was right, of course, and Juli felt more bewildered than ever. If everything Brian said were true, why had Thorne bothered to offer Aunt Kate anything? And how, under the circumstances, could David have written that glowingly optimistic letter to his mother? Juli also wondered, as she had before, what he did with his money. Brian, had implied that the job paid well, and David certainly hadn't been overly generous with his mother. Was it possible he did have some secret vice?

  As they passed under the arched entryway, Juli resolutely put those thoughts and questions out of her mind. She had another little matter of importance to take care of here today.

  The park-like area within the large circular driveway was already overflowing with people. A table had been set up for food and drinks, and a whole series of long tables and benches were scattered around to provide eating space. A portable playground had been brought in for the children, and the gate to the swimming pool was wide open, A loudspeaker blared rollicking country music from a small band playing near the barbecue pit. Brian braked to avoid a very small boy on a long-legged horse trotting across the driveway. A herd of noisy, bathing-suited kids stormed toward the pool. Brian said something, but his words were drowned out by the whinny of a horse practically in Juli's ear. The aroma of meat cooking and chili simmering mingled with the smell of sweaty horses and dust. An American flag waved in the breeze; beneath it was a green Taylor Electronics banner.

  Juli felt an unexpected tingle of excitement at the hustle and bustle, the noise and smells and music and laughter. Everyone was obviously having a good time. She craned her neck to watch a group of kids on horseback inside the corral playing what seemed to be a form of musical chairs, astonished at the way the riders flung themselves off their horses and scrambled for seats when the music stopped. It seemed miraculous to her that there were no broken bones or other casualties.

  Brian, grumbling, squeezed his gleaming, freshly washed sports car into a parking space between a dusty horse trailer and a battered pickup. They walked back toward the tables. Everyone seemed to have a soft drink or beer can in hand, but evidently the food wasn't being served yet. An arm-wrestling contest was going on at one table, and another group of people was playing horseshoes. Juli had the uncomfortable feeling of being overdressed. The garb of the day seemed to be Levi's and green T-shirts with the Taylor Electronics emblem emblazoned on the back. Except for Brian, of course, and even his casual leisure suit looked too formal.

  Then Juli spied Thorne. He was supervising the removal of the meat from the barbecue pit. Juli had to admit Brian had been right about one thing. It was more meat than she had ever seen at one time. At least a half, maybe even a whole, side of beef had been cooked in the pit. Thorne was wearing the same jeans and T-shirt as everyone else, but even so, there was something about his powerful physique and authoritative air that made him stand out from the crowd. And where, Juli wondered as she glanced around, was the shapely Nicole?

  "Well, well, our illustrious leader displays another talent," Brian remarked derisively as he watched Thorne.

  Juli felt a small flash of annoyance. Brian didn't need to be quite so disparaging about everything. It was rather generous of Thorne to open his property and provide all this for his employees. But then she scoffed at herself for even momentarily defending him. Thorne probably cold-bloodedly put a dollar value on buying employee goodwill this way. He had certainly seemed
to think he could buy her!

  "I suppose he'll whip out his camera to record all this for posterity," Brian added. "That's another of his talents."

  "Oh?" Juli said, curious in spite of herself.

  "He's rather well known for his desert photography. He's had quite a few photographs published in Arizona Highways and won some awards."

  So that explained why he was up on the ridge taking photographs that first night she had encountered him, Juli realized. She also suspected as she glanced at Brian's slightly scowling face that he was probably envious of Thorne and his talents and accomplishments. She knew the feeling, she thought ruefully, thinking of Nicole being not only gorgeous but a company owner—and competent with horses, besides.

  At that moment the object of Juli's thoughts walked up and put her arm through Thorne's with a possessive gesture that indicated she owned not only the company, but Thorne, as well. She was wearing the uniform of the day, but hers were designer jeans with saucy little red hearts appliquéd to the rear, and she filled out her T-shirt with voluptuous fullness. Her hair was loose and tousled, and she did look stunning, though in a rather different way from what Juli had expected. Again Juli felt uncomfortably overdressed.

  "Well, what do you think? Is she wearing a bra or isn't she?" Brian commented appraisingly.

  For a moment Juli was shocked by Brian's remark, but then she realized it was just part of his generally derisive air, an air she was beginning to realize he put on because he felt uncomfortable and out of place.

  "I'm not sure," Juli returned, smiling. "Shall we go ask her?"

  "Or Thorne," Brian said with a suggestive movement of his eyebrows. "I'm sure he knows."

  That was probably true, Juli thought with an odd little hollow feeling inside as she watched the two of them together. Nicole was introducing Thorne to someone now, her arm still holding his. They might be waiting for a decent interval to pass before marrying, Juli thought cynically, but she doubted if they had bothered to observe such proprieties before establishing—or re-establishing—an intimate relationship.