The Fourteen Million Dollar Poodle Part 9

"Hmm?Don't know.Never seen it." He was lying because he'd fed the poor Doberman from the tin she was now holding not three days ago.

She eased open the lid, careful not to look into the living area."Imbecile," she said. "It is cookies.Dog cookies."

" Oh, probably from that stuff of Mimi's. There was so much of that junk I put it away and probably forgot about it."

She clambered down and placed the tin on the counter, then added the tarragon to herMinestrone deCoqueset Saint-Jaques.

They managed to get through the lunch with more cordiality, and she couldn't help but notice her "discovery" had causedEsme and Jonathon to drop the hostility. While they professed themselves delighted to dog sit Mimi for a few days, Sophie noticed how often Jonathon's eyes strayed to the kitchen counter where she'd so casually left the tin with the cute hand-painted poodle design.

Vince had a.s.sured her his cousins wouldn't put off their murderous intent until they were dog sitting Mimi because, if she died mysteriously under their care, it would be too obvious they'd killed her.

A private investigator friend of Vince's had arranged for the original biscuits to be tested, and they were, as Vince had suspected, laced with poison.The same poison that nearly killed Sir Galahad. But there was no proof thatEsme and Jonathon were to blame.At least, not yet.

She only hoped the trap they were setting caught the two thoroughly unlikable cousins.

After they'd finished eating, Sophie said, "I'll put coffee on." She was a little nervous now, since the next part of their plan involved getting themselves out of the main rooms without causing suspicion. It was the weakest part of their strategy as well as the most important.

She was about to deliver her oft-rehea.r.s.ed line about running down to the corner store to get the coffee she'd supposedly run out of. When she reached the main entrance she'd have the doorman buzz Vince and tell him to come down and bring her some money. She had to play a spoilt princess and refuse to come back up. Neither of them liked the idea of leaving Mimi alone in the apartment with the cousins, though.

She took time to arrange cups and fiddle with cream and sugar, putting off the moment she'd pretend there was no coffee, when she caught a look that pa.s.sed between Jonathon andEsme and decided to wait a minute.

Her patience was soon rewarded.

"Sophie,"Esme said, rising from her chair. "Can I speak to you privately about something?"

The woman had been condescending to downright rude, and now she wanted to speak in private? Vince was right. These two weren't all that bright. Thank goodness. "But of course."

"Excuse us,"Esme said, and walked to Vince's bedroom. Sophie didn't dare look at Vince as she followed in his cousin's wake.

Once they got into the bedroom,Esme shut the door and said, "Um, look. I'm sorry if I was a little hostile earlier. It's just that I care about Vince. He's been hurt by women before."

If Vince had been hurt by women, he carried no scars, and he certainly hadn't told Sophie about it. "Oh, that's sad," she said.

Esmesank down onto his bed, crossed her long, elegant legs, and gazed at Sophie. "I don't want to see him hurt again."

"Are you asking me whatare my intentions ?" she asked, trying very hard not to laugh.

"Well.Um. Yes. Yes, that's exactly it. I am."

"Okay, well, I can tell you-"

"Wait!" the other woman stuck a hand in the air as though she were about to summon a head waiter. "I don't want to do this behind Vince's back. I think we should be completely open." And without giving Sophie a chance to say a thing, she called out, "Vince, honey, Sophie and I would like to see you in the bedroom."

The soft male rumble of voices ceased from outside the door, and Vince said, "Okay," as though it were perfectly normal for women to tag team him in his bedroom.Hmm.

He arrived in a moment and shut the door behind him. He shot Sophie a brief glance so full of meaning she had to turn her head.

"Now, Vince, I asked you to come in because Sophie is about to tell me what her intentions are toward you."

His devilish eyes glittered with amus.e.m.e.nt, and something more. Something that made Sophie's heartforget to beat.

"Well, good," he said, climbing onto the bed beside whereEsme perched and crawling up to the headboard. He stacked a couple of pillows behind him and settled back, long legs crossed at the ankle."As a matter of fact,Esme . I'd like to know her intentions, too."

Torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to strangle him for putting her into this absurd position, she decided if he wanted to play silly, daring games, she could play, too.

"My intentions are perfectly honorable," she said.

He rubbed his jaw with one hand. "Define honorable. Would we be talking marriage here?"

Her nostrils flared slightly, and she stared acrossEsme at her lover, who was settled comfortably as though he planned to stay there awhile. "But of course. I want my six children to be legitimate."

She had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen for a second, but it wasEsme who squeaked, "Six kids?"

"I like children. I'm very good with them," she explained, then smiled a smile so warm it would melt chocolate. "You don't mind, do you, darling?"

"Well, honey, I was kind of thinking two kids myself."

"Bah.Twopet.i.tsenfants? It's not enough."

"Now,Esme ," he said, turning to the woman who was sitting on the bed with a stupefied expression on her face. "I'm going to ask you to help us here. Kind of like a mediator. This is the work I usually do, but obviously, since I'm an involved party, I can't do the mediating. I think I see a middle ground here.

Sophie wants six kids, I was thinking of two. A good negotiator will find a compromise that both parties can live with."

Esmestood and stared from Vince to Sophie and back again. "Are you suggesting you split the difference and have four kids?"

"d.a.m.n, you're good," Vince said, approval in his tone. "You'd make a terrific negotiator if you ever decide you'd like to work."

"I can't believe you'd consider four kids. Do you have any idea how much mess and noise they create?"

He smiled at Sophie, and she felt the warm caress of his tilted lips almost as though he were kissing her. "I'm looking forward to them."

Somehow this whole thing was feeling lessjokey and absurd than when she'd thrown down the six-fingered gauntlet a moment ago. Instead of making him faint with panic, she felt a little that way herself. She'd intended to back him into a corner, so why did she feel intersecting walls nudging her spine?

Her eyes narrowed. She wasn't nearly done. "Naturally, they will all be educated inFrance. My children must grow up French."

"We'll spend summers inFrance, so they'll be comfortable in both cultures."

"But, but," she spluttered, appalled at how utterly appealing this ridiculous scenario felt, "you can't even speak the language."

"I'll learn," he said. "You'll teach me.You and Mimi."

" Mimi," she gasped. For those crazy minutes she'd allowed herself to imagine a future with Vince and her and children, she'd forgotten they were acting out this charade because of Mimi.

The sound of the dog's name seemed to act onEsme , too. She said, "I want you two to stay right here and talk to each other for a few minutes. We'll wait." She smiled like a shark scenting blood. "Jonathon and I will be right outside. I can't wait to tell him the good news that you're finally settling down, Vince." And she hustled out of the room, shutting the door with a click behind her.

"Do you think we've given them enough time?" Sophie asked, her eyes fixed nervously on Vince, who was off the bed and advancing on her.

"Let's give them a little more." And he pulled her hard against him and kissed her.

She kissed him back. Well, what else was she going to do when his big body surrounded her, pulled her in, and held her close?

"I am completely crazy about you," he informed her in a husky tone, staring down into her face as though he wanted to imprint this moment forever.

She tried to chuckle, but it came out more like a heartfelt sigh."Me and my six children."

He kissed her again.Quick and sweet. "Four. And I meant every word. Let's go."

Since she was currently speechless, she let him pull her by the hand and escort her back into the other room.

Jonathon was holdingEsme's leather coat while she slipped her arms into the sleeves.

He smiled the identical shark-looking-forward-to-feeding-time smile as his sister. "So, I guess you're engaged now. Congratulations. We're going to give you two some privacy. We'll call you."

Mimi was sitting in the kitchen, her little pink tongue licking crumbs off the floor, but tore herself away to trot to the door with everyone else. After they'd bid the cousins farewell, and handshakes and kisses had been exchanged, they shut the door and turned to each other.

"Do you think they bought it?" he whispered.

Still unable to speak, she nodded.

"Let's see."

He walked to where the video recorder was sitting discreetly on a shelf where he'd set it up earlier.

He rewound the tape and watched it in the viewing screen. Sophie came close, and by putting their heads side by side they could both watch. He fast-forwarded until a miniEsme and a mini Sophie left the room. Then he slowed the film to normal and watched as a tiny version of himself left. He put an arm around Sophie, feeling her tension as well as his own.

"Yes!" he cried softly as he watched on film as Jonathon glanced around,then went straight to the cookie tin.

Mimi came running when she saw the bone-shaped treats, and they watched her eat one and then take a second one from Jonathon.

"That was a great idea of yours to rub those cookies withfoiegras ," he conceded, watching the finicky Mimi polish off the second cookie.

"Yes. Even the fresh batch from the gourmet dog treat place didn't thrill her."

She leaned her head on Vince's shoulder when he'd stopped the film and put the recorder down.

"I didn't like them, but I can't believe those two would try to harm such a sweet dog."

He snorted. "Those two would sell their mother and father's organs if the price was high enough."

"Is this film enough to stop them?"

"It's pretty good. The rats have taken the cheese, but they haven't fully sprung the trap yet."

"What now?"

"I'm going to bring Sir Galahad home, and when I get back, you'd better be naked."

Eleven.

Atnoonthe next day, Vince called his cousin Jonathon. "Hey, thanks for offering to dog sit, but we've changed our minds. We're not going away after all."

"Why not?"Jonathon asked, the fake concern not remotely masking his glee.

"It's just that. ..uh, we decided with the wedding and all that we've got too much to do to take a vacation."

"I understand. If you change your mind ..."

"Oh, we won't."

"No problem. Hey, after yesterday,Esme was saying how much she misses seeing Mimi. How about we come and take her for a walk?"

"Take Mimi for a walk?" Vince tried to inject the right mixture of panic and bravado into his tone. "Thanks. But we already took her for a long one. She's pretty burned out.Maybe some other time."

" Did they believe you?" Sophie asked when he ended the call.

"Oh, no."He chuckled. "They think Mimi's breathed her last."

Atsix o'clockthe police arrived. With the male officer wereEsme and Jonathon and the family lawyer.

Vince blinked at the entourage. Before he finished asking what was going on, Jonathon said, "We want to see Mimi."

"She's not here."

Esmeburst into noisy tears and said, "You killed her, I know you did."

Vince scratched his head and said, "Maybe you'd all better come inside."

Esmemarched in and called, "Mimi? Mimi?" in a heartrending voice that would have gotMerylStreep nominated for another Oscar and proceeded to throw open both the bedroom doors.

"Where is she? I know you killed her. You never liked her. We're going to press charges, order an autopsy."

"And don't forget the part where you overthrow Great-aunt Marjorie's will," Vince said pleasantly.

Jonathon sent him a glance of intense dislike. "Go ahead and joke about it, but you can't produce the dog, can you?"

"Would someone please explain what is going on?" the lawyer asked sharply.

"Mimi's dead."Esme sobbed louder. "Vince killed her."

"What makes you accuse him of this crime?" the lawyer asked, pinching the knife pleats of his dress trousers and raising the pant leg slightly before sitting down in Vince's favorite chair.

As though he'd told them to, Jonathon andEsme also sat, on the couch facing him. Vince pulled a pine kitchen chair over and completed the family group.