Sleep No More

CHAPTER

14

“GELBER’S DEAD,” JOE SAID BALDLY to Eve when he strode out onto the patio, where she and Beth were still sitting an hour later. “I don’t know all the details. It happened sometime between midnight and three this morning. Unknown perpetrator, stab wound to the heart, several other wounds on his body.”

“Drogan?” Eve crossed her arms across her chest as a chill went through her. “Knives. He used a knife on Newell.”

“That’s my bet,” Newell said as he came out on the patio. “Maybe he was trying to get the same information we were from Gelber.”

“He didn’t try too hard,” Joe said. “That wasn’t his main objective. I’d say it was only important to him to get rid of Gelber in the quickest manner possible. Otherwise, he would have spent more time on Gelber before he killed him. You said he enjoyed torturing you.”

“Oh, yes, he did that,” Newell said grimly. “Every little stinging wound. You’re probably right. Drogan was going to leave any cleanup retrieval from his office for later.”

“Dead,” Beth repeated dazedly. She couldn’t seem to take it in. “Gelber’s dead? But we were going to see him.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “Three people died yesterday. Now Gelber? Because of me?”

“No, because a son of a bitch is trying to cover his tracks,” Eve said bluntly. “And he doesn’t care whom he hurts to do it. Stop blaming yourself. All you’re doing is trying to survive.”

“I’m not blaming—” Beth lifted her shoulders as if to ease the tension. “Well, maybe I was, but it’s difficult—” She took a deep breath. “So we won’t be able to find out what Gelber knew about my accident and the therapy that—”

“I didn’t say that,” Joe said. “We managed to get into Gelber’s office, and Newell was able to access the records and make a disc. That should tell us a lot. But it seems you had over six months of in-depth sessions with him. Newell has to go through it and try to organize the information and eliminate repetitions. Evidently Gelber drummed several points over and over into your mind.” He paused. “One of them concerned Cara Sandler, Beth’s friend who was with her at the ski lodge.”

“Cara? Why?”

Newell raised his hand. “Don’t ask me anything yet. I just noticed the repetition of the name when I located the records. I didn’t have time to do anything but copy the record before we had to bolt out of there.”

“We haven’t had time to make any inquiries about Cara Sandler since you told us about her,” Eve said. “I believe we’d better get moving on it.” She turned to Joe. “I’ll do that if you want to concentrate on the disc.”

“Newell will be doing most of it, but I’d like to be available to help.” He glanced at his watch. “But we’d better get a little sleep before we go into high gear. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Eve said as she turned to Beth. “I think we all need to stop and get our breath, don’t you?”

She smiled crookedly. “If that’s possible. I feel like curling up in bed and pulling the covers over my head. I guess I shouldn’t admit that. You all seem to be so cool and calm.”

“You’re doing fine, Beth,” Newell said gently. “No one expects you to accept murder without flinching.”

“I can’t help what you expect of me.” She turned and moved heavily toward the glass doors leading to the house. “I’m just trying to work my way through this. I know Hans Gelber was probably a scumbag and that he might have done terrible things to me, but it’s too remote to me right now. It’s not real. All that’s clear is that he’s dead. I’m going to bed. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

Eve frowned as she watched her go into the house. “We’re throwing too much at her at once. I keep forgetting that she just woke up into a world that she can’t possibly understand. Hell, even if she hadn’t had that kind of experience, she might still be responding in the same way. Murder isn’t exactly common.”

“Understatement.” Newell’s gaze was on the glass doors. “But she’s making a good adjustment. I admire her resilience. You can see how torn and confused she is about believing that any of this is real.”

Eve nodded. “And we were just talking earlier about how you sometimes have to look beyond reality.” She grimaced. “She can’t quite understand ‘spooky’ stuff, but she’s trying to be open to it.”

Joe’s brows rose. “Now I wonder how that subject came up.”

“Not the way you’d assume. I didn’t mention Bonnie.” She picked up her empty cup to take into the kitchen. “I figured that would be too much of a test as to how open she could be.”

“Bonnie?” Newell asked.

“My daughter, who died when she was seven.” She left it at that as she moved toward the doors. “I’m going to hit the shower and go to bed. Do you suppose there’s anything on TV about Gelber’s murder yet?”

“I doubt it. I think they were caught flat-footed. There were no media trucks at the scene when we left,” Joe said.

“Too bad. I’d like to know more.”

“Me, too,” Joe said thoughtfully. “There are a couple things I’m curious about.”

Eve’s gaze narrowed on his face. “Such as?”

“How did Drogan get in? I examined that alarm system, and it was state of the art. I’m not bad, and there was no way I could bypass it. He’s either a positive Houdini with locks and alarms or there’s something … funny.”

“What do you mean? How else could he get in the house?”

Joe shrugged. “Maybe bribery to get the code from the alarm company? It’s a possibility, but it would require either time or extensive funds to do it. I’m thinking it over…”

“Pierce has money, and he’d hired Drogan before.”

“Yeah, like I said, I’m thinking about it.”

“Anything else bothering you?”

“I overheard talk from two of the forensics guys about a note.”

“What?” She frowned. “A suicide note? With all those stab wounds. That doesn’t make sense.”

“No, it doesn’t. That’s why I want to see if the media was able to get a statement from the police about the note.”

“Don’t stay up all night waiting for the media to catch up. It’s almost four, and you didn’t get much sleep last night.”

He nodded. “I’ll only check one time before I turn in. You go on.”

She hesitated, her gaze on his face. His tea-colored eyes were glittering, and there was the tension she knew well. He was wired. Even if he came to bed right now, he’d lie there, his brain moving at hyperspeed, going over possibilities. “Okay.” She slid the glass doors open. “Let me know if you hear anything interesting.”

“I will.” He dropped down in the chair Eve had just vacated. “There should be news on the hour, and that’s in twenty minutes.”

“And five minutes later, I expect to see you,” Eve said sternly. “Or I’ll come down and get you.”

He laughed but didn’t answer her.

Eve stopped by Beth’s room, knocked, and carefully opened the door. Beth was in bed but the light was still on. “Are you okay?”

Beth nodded, then smiled shakily. “You don’t have to be so protective. I told you I was working my way through this.”

“Sometimes it helps to talk it out. I’m here if you need me.”

“I don’t need you.” Then, as Eve started to close the door, “Thank you. I’m … grateful.”

“No gratitude necessary.” She smiled. “After all, we’re family.”

Beth’s smile became steadier. “That’s right, I keep forgetting. That means you’re stuck with me.” She reached over and turned out the light on the nightstand. “Now get out of here and let me see if I can get to sleep in this bed. If I can’t, you may find me downstairs sleeping on that couch in the living room.”

“It looked pretty comfortable.” She paused. “Aren’t you the least bit curious about Gelber’s disc Billy is trying to make sense of?”

“Yes.” Eve couldn’t see her expression in the darkness, but her voice was only a wisp of sound. “But I’m more scared than curious. If what you say is true about Gelber’s manipulating my memories and giving me posthypnotic suggestions, maybe that’s natural. Perhaps I was supposed to be too afraid to delve into what Gelber did. Do you suppose that’s possible?”

Eve felt a surge of anger. “Yes, that’s entirely possible.” She turned. “So we’ll just break through that wall he built around you, ignore what he did, and get what we need. There’s nothing to be scared about.”

“What if I did something … bad.”

“Bullshit. You were a kid. What could you have done?” She started to pull the door shut. “Try to sleep.” She paused a moment outside the door before she moved next door to her room. She had thought that Pierce was the principal villain of the piece, but the more she thought about Gelber, the more she was beginning to give him equal billing. Pierce had been her jailer, but Gelber had robbed her in a hideous way.

Murder was a terrible crime, but so was the crime that Gelber had committed against Beth. There was no way on earth Eve could regret Gelber’s death.

* * *

EVE WAS STILL AWAKE when Joe came to bed over an hour later. “So much for catching one newscast.” She yawned and cuddled closer to him. “Well? Anything about Drogan?”

“No.” His hand absently stroked her hair. “Nothing about Drogan. He’s not a suspect.”

“What?” she asked, startled.

“You heard me. A note was found on the coffee table in the living room written by a Paul Helmer, a director. He confessed to killing Gelber because he allegedly ruined his life by hypnotizing him, then threatening to tell his wife of his infidelities, which he’d confessed while under hypnosis. He stated Gelber was blackmailing him.”

“It wasn’t Drogan?”

“I didn’t say that. I just told you about the note. The police think that since Paul Helmer was a patient, Gelber could have let him into the house. It’s a pat explanation since the house was not broken into, and the alarm was so difficult to disarm. They checked out Helmer with Gelber’s secretary and he’d definitely been undergoing therapy for the past two years.”

“Have they picked up Helmer and gotten a statement yet?”

“Not yet. He wasn’t at his apartment.” He paused. “And they may not get a statement … in time. The note he left was a suicide note as well as a confession.”

Eve was silent, trying to take it in. “All the ends neatly tied up. I suppose it could have been Helmer.”

“If they find Helmer’s body, then the police will close the case without any further investigation.”

“Was the note handwritten?”

“No, computer, but it was signed by hand.” He added dryly, “Much simpler to forge … or easier to persuade someone to scrawl.”

“You’re not buying it.”

“I’m still betting on Drogan. Pierce knew we were getting too close to finding out what happened to Beth. It would be smart to get rid of one of the prime witnesses.”

“You think he planned all this with Helmer?”

“It was clever, and I don’t believe Drogan is that clever. According to his dossier, he’s principally an assassin and good at what he does. But this is an elaborate cover-up, and he’d need someone to do that for him.”

“But is Pierce that clever?”

“He’s capable … and desperate. By using Helmer, no one would be looking at any connection to him. The killing is all spelled out for anyone to see. All he had to do was wait a few days until the police finished getting the info on Helmer out of his files, then send someone to get Beth’s records.” He shook his head. “I don’t know … it’s complicated.”

“So what next?”

“We go through the disc we pulled tonight and see if we find evidence that will skewer that son of a bitch, Pierce.”

“Can’t we go to the police now?”

“We could, but not if you want to protect Beth. You prove that Helmer didn’t kill Gelber and Beth was thirty minutes away, and you set her up. She’s a mental patient who has a grudge against Gelber and wants revenge for an imagined crime against her.”

“Dammit.”

“Exactly. That mental-patient stigma is going to haunt her for the foreseeable future.”

“I hate it.”

“So do I,” he said quietly. “She doesn’t deserve it. But we have to accept the facts and deal with them.”

“The fact is that Pierce put a major stumbling block in our way when he got rid of Gelber.”

“He got rid of Gelber, but we still have the disc. That could clear the path.”

“Then what are we doing lying here when we could be working on that disc?” She sat up in bed and said fiercely, “Beth may be frightened of knowing what’s in it, but I can’t wait.”

Joe chuckled and pulled her back down. “You’ll have to wait. Newell has the disc, and you need to sleep.” He kissed her. “Give it a few hours, Eve.”

He was right. But she was still feeling a sense of sudden urgency. She put her cheek on his shoulder. “I just have a feeling that everything is moving too fast, and we need to keep up. We needed Gelber as a witness against Pierce, but now he’s dead. Pierce is scared, and he’s started eliminating everyone who knew what he did to Beth.”

“If we can catch Drogan, he won’t have a weapon to use,” Joe said. “All we need to do is keep an eye out for him and pounce. There’s no doubt that he’ll stay close to us as he can get. Beth is the target, and I’m the lagniappe.”

“‘Lagniappe,’” she repeated. “That’s the French word for a little something extra.”

“And Drogan was born and raised in Cajun country, so he knows Cajun French. He’s into voodoo. I’ve been thinking of that and wondering how we can use it…”

Eve shook her head and settled closer to him. Joe was thinking, planning, reaching out. She brushed her lips against the warm flesh of his shoulder. “You’d better not be the lagniappe. I won’t have it.”

He didn’t answer and she felt a ripple of disquiet.

Voodoo.

A snake skeleton wound around the throat of a woman buried alive.

Her arms tightened protectively around him.


6:05 A.M.

Twin Branch Arms Motel

“I DON’T LIKE THIS PLACE.” Stella wrinkled her nose as Pierce unlocked the door of Room 7. “It’s cheap and looks like one of the places I took my johns when I was doing tricks.”

“You’re still doing tricks,” Pierce said. “Only you’re doing them when I tell you to do them.” He threw open the door. “Now go change into that gold robe. Gelber should be here in about forty-five minutes.”

“I’m not sure that I want to screw him if he’s going to make me come to places like this.” She opened her overnight bag and pulled out the gold robe. “I’ll have to teach him to treat me as I deserve to be treated.”

“I assure you that you wouldn’t like that at all.” He moved toward the TV across the room. “Be happy that I’m not going to—”

“Don’t turn on the TV.” She had stopped and was stripping and slipping on the gold robe. “I want music. Turn on Queen on the iPod.”

“That’s what you said in the car coming here.” He turned to look at her. “Don’t turn on the radio. Play the iPod. And what’s this obsession with Queen?”

“I like that song, ‘We Will Rock You.’” She fluffed her hair and took her discarded clothes back to the overnight bag on the bed. “I think it suits me. I can see myself rocking the whole damn world.”

“I’m sure you can,” he said dryly. “Just concentrate on rocking Gelber. In the end, that’s all you’re good for. You should be grateful I’m setting you up with a man who will be weak enough to let you control him. You’d be nothing if I hadn’t taken you in hand and taught you. You’d still be a promiscuous two-bit whore putting out for any guy who would buy you a drink or a joint. The idea of your having any lasting effect on anyone is laughable.” He switched on the TV. “And you can’t have your iPod right now. I want to watch TV.”

She smiled. “Then go ahead and watch it, Harry. It doesn’t make any difference now. And I’m grateful for everything you taught me and everything I learned myself just from being with you. But you’re wrong, you know. I will rock the world.”

“Be quiet. I’m trying to watch the news.” He could hear her moving behind him beside the bed. “And settle down.”

“Wouldn’t you like me to give you a quickie before Gelber gets here? I could make it exciting for you.”

“Not now. I have to concentrate on what I’m going to say to Gelber to make accepting you a fair trade for that cashier’s check. It’s not going to be easy. There are some things more important than sex.”

“No, there aren’t. Not if you pick the right moment.”

“That’s your philosophy, a whore’s philosophy.”

“And one you embraced and developed since you met me.” Her voice was soft and seductive. Though he was looking at the TV, he could smell the scent of her perfume as she came toward him. “This is the right moment, Harry.”

“I told you that I—” He turned his head and she came into his line of vision. Shock jolted through him. Her gold robe was hanging open and every step revealed a flash of glowing skin and voluptuous body, but that wasn’t what stunned him. It was her face, her eyes, the expression of total sensuality and power.

“You see it, don’t you?” She sat on the arm of his chair, and one hand was rubbing his chest. “I can make your whole world go away.” Her lips were only a heartbeat away. “Your heart is pounding. You want it.” Her tongue touched his lower lip. “Tell me.”

It was a surrender, but he didn’t give a damn. There was something about her in this instant that was totally mind-blowing. He was on fire. “I—want it. But hurry, dammit.”

“Oh, yes. You’re worried Gelber will interrupt us.” She slid her other hand around his neck. “Don’t you worry. I’ll hurry, Harry.”

A sharp jab in the back of his neck.

He jerked. “What the hell? You clawed me.”

“But you like me to claw you sometimes. I’ve heard you pant and groan as I run my nails over you.” She pulled back from him and smiled. “You thought you were the smart one, but I made you like everything I did to you.” She got to her feet. “I wonder if you’ll like what I did to you tonight.”

“Shut up and come back here.” His voice was hoarse and his throat was tight. He tried to clear it, but it just became tighter. “Stop teasing me.”

“Actually, I’m tempted to see if I could keep you this hot until the very end. Kind of an experiment. But I’ll get more pleasure out of just watching you.” She stood before him. “Like you like to watch me all by myself sometimes.”

He was beginning to feel … panic. Stupid. “I’m tired of games.” He started to get out of the chair.

He couldn’t move.

He tried again.

He was paralyzed!

His heart was suddenly exploding in his chest. Fear. Rage. Terror. “What did you—”

“A dose of medicine for what ails you.” She smiled. “You taught me all about drugs, didn’t you? Everything from Spanish fly to those sedatives you had me giving Beth Avery. You’d have been proud of my choice in this one, Harry. Even though it wasn’t one that was on your recommended list. It’s a little too exotic for your taste. You have no sense of adventure. In about three minutes, you’ll have a massive heart attack, and no one will be able to trace the drug that caused it.”

“No!” The terror was growing. “Antidote…”

She shook her head. “Too late. Relax. Just enjoy looking at me and remembering all the pleasure I gave you.” She reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “And think about all the pleasure this money is going to bring me. I need it if I’m going to rock the world.”

“Please … stop it.”

“Stop the drug? Stop your world from ending? But why should I do that? I have no need for you any longer.” She saw a flickering image on the TV screen from the corner of her eye. “Oh, look, there’s your friend, Gelber. Dead, poor man. He doesn’t appear to need my services any longer, so it’s a good thing I’m here to take this money off your hands.”

“You … knew.”

“About Gelber?” She smiled. “It took a little doing to keep you in the dark about him until I could get you here. But you always underestimated me, and that helped.” She turned his wrist and glanced at his watch. “One minute, Harry. It’s almost over.”

“Fool. You were always a fool. I—won’t die. You probably got hold of the wrong … drug.”

“You’re underestimating me again. If I don’t know, I get a man to serve me who does.” Her smile became mocking. “Guess who taught me that?” She slipped the gold robe from her shoulders and dropped it to the floor. “I want to be the last thing you see when your heart explodes. I want you to take the vision of me to hell to burn you.”

“You’ll … join me.”

“Not for a long time, and when I do, I’ll figure a way to rule in hell, too. Your face is flushing. Ah, it’s coming, isn’t it?”

Pain!

“No…”

“You’re lying. I can always tell.” Her gaze was on his face, greedily absorbing every hint of pain. “Yes, here we go…”

His heartbeat was a painful drumming …

Agony.

He screamed!

His heart exploded!

* * *

IT HADN’T LASTED LONG ENOUGH.

Stella gazed at the slumped body of Pierce in profound disappointment. If she’d known that there would be no lingering pain or humiliating distress, she might have chosen a different drug. Oh well, it was supposed to be safe and foolproof as far as the actual death factor was concerned.

She turned away and picked up the gold robe and slipped it on again before she went toward the bed. She picked up her cell and dialed the number she’d programmed into the phone. “It’s done. I’m ready for you.” She hung up the phone.

She dropped down on the bed and settled back against the headboard. She might as well be comfortable though she doubted she’d have long to wait. She turned up the volume to watch the commentary from the TV hosts on the news story about Hans Gelber while she listened for the knock on the door.

* * *

HER CELL PHONE WAS RINGING, Eve realized drowsily. She’d better get it before it woke Joe.

But Joe was no longer beside her in bed. She sat up straight as the knowledge came home to her. Stop panicking. It was after eight in the morning. He’d probably just gone to the bathroom or downstairs to get breakfast. Or maybe it was him on the phone.

She grabbed the cell from the nightstand and punched the button. “Hello.”

“Kendra Michaels. It took you a while to answer. Did I wake you?”

“Yes.” She rubbed her eyes. “But it was time. I didn’t mean to sleep this long. I haven’t been getting a lot of rest lately. Why are you calling, Kendra?”

Kendra was silent a moment. “Curiosity. I don’t like leaving anything undone. It nags at me. Did you find your sister?”

“Yes, she’s with us now.”

“And how is she?”

“How would you expect her to be? Bewildered, suspicious, scared, brave, angry. I keep thinking of Sleeping Beauty and what she must have faced when she woke. Even if I help Beth through this nightmare, she’ll still have a hell of a lot with which to contend just coping with a life she’s not prepared to face.”

“Even if she gets through?” Kendra asked impatiently. “I thought that finding her would be the difficult part. Why the hell else did you make me come up there and help you? I gave her to you, now it’s your job to straighten out the rest.”

Eve smothered a smile. That rude demand was so typically Kendra. “I’m doing my best. There have been a few obstacles in the path.” She quickly filled Kendra in on everything that had taken place since she had left, and ended with, “But as Beth says, we’ll work our way through it.”

“It doesn’t sound as if you’re doing very well.”

After putting their scant progress into words, Eve could only agree with her. Every time they took a step forward, they were stopped in their tracks. “We have Gelber’s disc. That may lead us somewhere.” She changed the subject. “How is Justin?”

“Good. Breakthrough. I’m working with his parents on the follow-up.”

“Fantastic.”

“Yes, it is.” She added, “Yes, I am.”

Eve chuckled. “No doubt about it.”

“And since I’m so fantastic, it would be very clever of you to try to persuade me to come and help wrap this up for you.”

Eve’s smile faded. “Clever isn’t right. Four murders in the past couple days. You never bargained for that when you agreed to help us. Beth was just a missing person.”

“Who turned out to be a victim of attempted homicide. I’m having problems turning my back on her.”

“You shouldn’t. Beth’s my problem. Concentrate on Justin, Kendra.”

“I am. He doesn’t need me right now. You’d be a good fill-in.”

Eve couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re impossible.”

“I have that reputation.” After a moment, she added, “I don’t like it that Drogan got so close to you. One bad break, and you might have been one of those victims.”

“I don’t need you to guard me. I’m not alone, Kendra.”

“Shit happens.”

“Not with Joe around.”

“If you told Joe I’d offered to come, he wouldn’t turn me away. He wouldn’t worry about how right or moral it was to throw me into the mix if it would deflect attention from you.”

“He’d worry.” But she couldn’t argue that Joe would do exactly as Kendra was guessing. “No, Kendra.”

“Okay. Just tell him that I called,” she said. “And say hello to Beth for me. I’d like to meet her sometime. I’m curious about the chemistry between you.”

“You’re curious, period. You remind me a little of Beth in that way. She has a voracious appetite for learning everything, seeing everything.”

“Understandable. I was the same way after I gained my sight. I was no Sleeping Beauty, but I had my own garden of thorns to fight my way through. Just watch that she doesn’t tear herself to pieces trying to do too much, too soon.”

“That’s the least of my worries right now. The next move is just keeping her safe from Drogan. Thanks for calling. Bye, Kendra.” She hung up.

Too much, too soon.

She could see Beth racing through experiences as she had those downhill slopes, and crashing or burning.

But as she had said, preventing that was low on her priorities at the moment. Forget it. Kendra’s call had made her even more uneasy, and she had to put it behind her.

She swung her feet to the floor as she called Joe’s cell number. “Where are you?”

“Newell’s room, working on the disc. I thought I’d let you sleep.”

“I just woke up.” She paused. “Kendra called and woke me. She didn’t like the idea that Drogan was so close. She offered to come if we needed her. I told her we didn’t need her.”

Joe didn’t answer.

“We can’t put her in the line of fire, Joe.”

“Do you hear me arguing?”

“No.” But Kendra’s prediction about his response had been uncannily accurate. She changed the subject. “Anything more on the news about Gelber’s murder?”

“Yes, Helmer was found dead in his car on Mulholland Drive with his wrists cut.”

Eve inhaled sharply. “Another death.”

“A dagger was found on the seat beside him, and you can bet it will be the one used on Gelber.”

“So the police are going to close the case?”

“Not yet. But it’s heading that way. Everything has been handed to them on a silver platter.”

Clever. So clever. She didn’t want to dwell right now on the timing and efficiency involved in Gelber’s murder.

“Has Newell managed to do anything with Gelber’s disc?”

“It’s gradually coming together. At least some of the pieces.”

She jumped to her feet. At last, something positive in this dark scenario. “I’ll shower and be right there.”

* * *

IT WAS ABOUT TIME, Stella thought with annoyance, as she heard the knock on the door. She had been there for hours with nothing to do but look at Pierce and stare at that dumb TV set.

She jumped to her feet and moved toward the door. “I called you over three hours ago. I don’t like being kept waiting.” She threw open the door. “I did your dirty work for you, didn’t I? I deserve a little consideration.”

“Be quiet.” Nelda Avery came into the room and slammed the door. “You deserve what I choose to give you. And what are you doing opening that door to anyone who knocks, dressed in that slut’s outfit? Didn’t it occur to you that you’d attract attention and be remembered?”

“That’s not supposed to matter. You promised to get rid of the body. Did you take care of the check-in records?”

“No, do you think I’d handle that myself? It will disappear from the computer banks by noon, and the credit-card check-in will be gone as soon as opportunity presents itself. Drogan arranged to have one of his cohorts pretend to be a motel cleaner and remove Pierce in one of the laundry baskets.”

“It sounds risky.”

“It’s efficient. I don’t take chances.”

“Don’t you? Then why contact me to get rid of Pierce? Why not Drogan?”

“Drogan has his hands full right now. I’ve been keeping him very busy. I couldn’t wait. Everything I’ve worked for is beginning to fall apart. Pierce was bungling the entire situation. I had to make sure that no one was left to talk.” Her lips twisted. “According to my reports on you, I thought you might be willing and able to take care of Pierce.” She moved across the room to stand before Harry Pierce. “He looks … distressed.”

“What did you expect?” Stella raised her brows. “That’s what happens when you die like he did. Did you expect him to be happy?”

“I wasn’t complaining, merely commenting. Pierce gave me a good many headaches over the years and a positive migraine lately.” She glanced coldly at Stella. “And I don’t give a damn if it was a painful death. I just had to make sure you’d done what I told you to do. Every report I had on you indicated that you were something of a wild card. I’m pleasantly surprised. It appears that you’re more intelligent than anyone gave you credit.”

“It was probably a man who gave you your report,” Stella said. “You should fire him. Men always think with their dicks and can’t see beyond tits and asses.” She smiled. “But you know that, don’t you, Nelda? You’ve used men all your life. We’re a lot alike.”

“I didn’t give you permission to call me Nelda.” Her tone was icy. “And we’re nothing alike. All you have to do is look in the mirror to realize how wrong you are.”

“Of course, I’m young, and you’re old.” She gazed at her critically. “Though you look pretty good, considering. You must have had work done. It doesn’t surprise me. You know that sex is a weapon.”

“That just shows you how different we are,” Nelda said with contempt. “You start off with sex, but you learn other ways of control.”

“Maybe when you lose the edge. Sex is easier.”

Nelda looked away from her. “Did you establish an alibi?”

“Of course, there’s a young male nurse I’ve been sleeping with for the past two weeks. He’ll do anything I ask him to do.”

“Until you drop him.”

Stella shook her head. “That would be dangerous. I figured that I’d let you take care of him when I’m ready to get rid of him. I know you’ll be willing to tie up that little loose end for me. You wouldn’t want to risk me becoming a suspect.”

“No one is going to suspect you. Not if you did everything I told you to do.”

“But you have to make sure that it’s going to continue like that,” Stella said softly. “Because you’re such a careful woman, and the stakes are so high, aren’t they?”

“They’re high for you, too.” Nelda took an envelope from her purse and threw it on the bed. “There’s the proof of the electronic transfer I arranged into your bank in Grand Cayman, plus your airline tickets to Fiji. You have the very generous fee I gave you to rid me of Pierce together with those two cashier’s checks you stole from him. That means you have close to $2 million to stash in an offshore bank.” She paused. “Theft. And you’ve just killed a man.”

Stella’s gaze narrowed on Nelda’s face. “You think that’s a hold on me that will keep me quiet. It might, and it might not. I’m very smart, and there are ways to get around most crimes. You found that out, didn’t you, Nelda?”

She stiffened. “I thought Pierce was too shrewd to talk to a bimbo like you. Are you telling me that I was wrong?”

“Oh, he didn’t talk to me. He was too busy screwing me. But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t find out what I want to know,” Stella said. “I like secrets, but only when they’re mine. Beth Avery was the big secret that caused Pierce to jump through hoops. Of course, I had to find out what was so valuable that you’d give Pierce such a huge payoff all these years. Wouldn’t you?”

Nelda didn’t answer for a moment. “Yes.”

Stella threw back her head and laughed. “Gotcha. I knew we were alike when I watched you pulling Pierce’s strings.” She dropped down on the bed and drew her leg beneath her. “I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed him shaking in his shoes at the prospect of just talking to you. He liked to play domination games with me, pretending I was you.”

Nelda’s lips tightened. “Oh, did he?”

“But in the end, you and I always won,” she said softly. “Because we were stronger. A man like him couldn’t really touch us.” Her hand was stroking the satin of her robe on her thigh. “No man could.”

Nelda’s gaze was fastened on the hand sliding over the satin. She jerked it away with an effort. “I told you to get dressed. I’m bored with chatting with you. You have to get out of here. You’re taking a private jet out of Burbank at five thirty this afternoon.”

“You’re not bored. I’d never bore you.” She tilted her head. “And there’s a chance that you wouldn’t bore me … at least for a little while. You’re a beautiful woman, and you’ve taken good care of yourself. You’re strong enough that I’d have to fight to keep you from making a slave of me.”

“Go get dressed.”

“Why? You like me like this. I see how you’re looking at me. I knew the minute you walked in the room that I was right about you. You didn’t have to come here. You could have sent someone. You were curious about me.”

“I wanted to be sure you’d done what I’d told you to do.”

“And you were curious to see if Pierce’s toy was worth playing with for a while.” She smiled. “And you found that she is. I can make you very happy, Nelda. I’d be a challenge, and I know so many ways to please you.”

“You’re ridiculous. I didn’t come here to audition a slut.”

“Not until you found out how worthwhile I’d be in your life. Men are too easy for you. I’d never be easy.” She got to her feet in one sinuous movement. “Now I’ll go and get dressed. When I get back from Fiji, I’ll come to you. I’d give you a demonstration. Right now, but you might be a little tense with Pierce staring at us. Personally, I think it would be a kick.” She headed for the bathroom. “I could show you a lot of ways that you’d never—”

“Why?” Nelda’s gaze was narrowed on her. “You have enough money to set yourself up very comfortably. You don’t have to be anyone’s whore. Certainly not mine.”

“I don’t have to do anything. It’s always been my choice.” She paused at the bathroom door. “Why? Because you’ll always be worried that I might be caught, that I might talk if I walk away from you. That would mean I’d always be in danger. But if I walk toward you and become part of your life, then I become valuable.” She smiled. “Oh, and I can make myself very valuable to you. You’d never want me to leave you.”

The door shut behind her.

Stella leaned back against the doorway for an instant as waves of satisfaction surged through her.

Power.

It felt heady and wonderful, and in the past hours she had made great strides. But it was only the beginning. Nelda Avery would throw open new and dazzling doors.

She slipped out of the gold robe and began to dress, humming softly beneath her breath.

“We will rock you…”