He grabbed hold of me and returned the kiss, his lips more demanding, more fervent than ever before. I groaned as he slid his cool hands under my thin T-shirt and stroked my skin.
Footsteps slapped against the floor of the hall, then Gabriel’s weak voice called out, “Babe? Can I have some water?”
“Christ in heaven,” Derek muttered against my hair. “We’re doomed, I tell you.”
I laughed to keep from crying. “Yes, we are.”
“No, you’re not.”
“What do you mean, no?” I asked, as I paced around the living room the next day.
“I mean, you’re not going to be in the room with Gabriel and Mary Grace.” Derek went back to testing the tiny microphone at the end of the wire he would tape to Gabriel’s back. Gabriel had agreed to wear the wire in order to tape Alice—or Mary Grace, whatever her name was—admitting she’d killed both Layla and Mr. Soo.
The previous night, after we were so rudely interrupted by Gabriel, Derek and I had stayed up and talked for hours. We’d laughed over the realization that we’d both tried collecting stamps at a young age but found it unspeakably boring. Derek confessed that he’d wanted to join the Royal Navy ever since he saw the Sharks, the Royal Navy’s elite helicopter team, perform at an air show when he was six years old. Sadly, by the time he was old enough to enlist, the team had been disbanded, but he was determined to fly helicopters anyway.
My heart had melted as I pictured a starstruck little boy staring up in awe at the wildly exciting maneuvers of those daring helicopter pilots.
Finally, I had dozed on the couch while Derek placed a phone call to his people at Scotland Yard to find out what he could about Alice’s adventures in Bahrain. According to his sources, she still had a number of outstanding international warrants for her arrest. Once they realized exactly who we were dealing with, Scotland Yard, through Interpol, took control of the investigation, and Derek was duly authorized to run the sting operation. The local police were to follow his lead.
That hadn’t gone down well with Inspector Lee.
And now, as I continued my pacing, I was feeling a little cranky myself. “It’s not like I’ll be in the same room with them. I just want to be part of the action, back where you all are. There’s a small closet inside that workroom. I could just sit in there and—”
“Absolutely not.”
“You can’t keep me away.”
“I believe I can,” he said mildly, as he tested the earbuds attached to the micro recorder.
“But why?” I winced at the whiny tone of my voice. “I’m part of this.”
“That doesn’t mean I’ll allow you to—”
“Allow me?” I glared at him. “You don’t allow me to do anything. I do whatever I want.”
He looked up. “Of course you do, darling. But you’ll recall that I’ve already seen you at the wrong end of a psychopath’s gun, more than once. It’s not good for my heart.”
He patted his heart for emphasis.
I stomped my foot. “That’s so unfair.”
“I’m glad we agree,” he said. “It would be quite unfair of you to put me through that misery again.”
My shoulders slumped. “That’s not what I meant.”
His smile was affectionate. “I know.”
Gabriel and Derek had already decided that I would be their “front man.” I was not impressed with the job title or the description. My duties would predominantly involve schmoozing with Alice at the gala, keeping a sharp eye on her as I drank expensive champagne, nibbled on blinis and caviar, and partied with the rich and famous of San Francisco.
Talk about unfair.
I sat down next to Derek, scooted my chair closer, and put my hand over his. “Derek, I’m serious about this. Alice used me. She pretended to be my friend and wormed her way into my home and my heart. I feel sick about that and . . . and soiled.”
“Darling, no, you mustn’t.” He turned in his chair and wrapped me tenderly in his arms. “I would do anything to wipe those feelings away.”
I sniffled. “I brought her to Dharma and introduced her to my family. To my mother. They welcomed that negative, destructive force into our lives. I’ll never forget the look on Guru Bob’s face . . .” My lips trembled.
“Oh, sweetheart,” he whispered, as he stroked my hair. “Shush now. I know, I know. It’s very painful.”
I nodded, unable to speak.
“Poor darling.” He leaned back and tilted my chin up so I could see him. “But there’s still no way in hell I’m letting you hide in that closet.”
My mouth opened, then closed.
He winked. “Nice try, though.”
Gabriel was still weak but determined to carry on with the sting. I had changed his dressing so that instead of the eight-inch-wide white sterile patch that had covered half his head the day before, he now sported a subtle two-inch-wide tan bandage.
Two hours before departure time, Gabriel had to stretch out on the couch and rest.
I took a good look at him, then glanced at Derek. “I’m concerned his strength will be gone before we ever get to BABA.”