So Hard To Forget Part 15

She ran her tinge nips over the stubble on his jaw, then outlined the shape of his mouth. "Am I too wanton for you?"

"I like a woman with a healthy appet.i.te." He grasped her hand and kissed her palm.

"I have that. Roger--" He pressed his fingers against her lips so she couldn't finish, "I don't want to hear what your ex-husband said or did. He's a fool and probably blamed his own inadequacies and shortcomings on you."

"If you're not careful, Max, you're going to end up a nice guy in my book."

He was tracing a blue vein that ran from her neck down over her breast. "Why, thank you. Nothing would make me happier than for you to like me."

"Oh, I like you all right." She tried to keep from s.h.i.+vering at his touch.

"And trust me," he said as his tinge nips circled her nipple.

"Don't push it New York." They both jumped when someone rapped twice on the door.

"Max, are you awake yet? Max!" Doug called as softly as he could and still be heard.

Max gave Nicole's breast a long hungry look, then threw back the covers, swung off the bed and grabbed his pajama bottoms. He held them up in one hand as he opened the bedroom door a crack with the other. "This better be good, Doug."

"We've got troubles and they're all headed our way."

Max glanced at his wrist, then realized his watch was on the bedside table. "What time is it?"

Doug tried to wedge his face sideways so he could see Nicole. "About eight. You overslept. Ouch." He rubbed his nose where Max had tweaked it. "What's wrong?"

"The wear her in for a change. Paul tells me there's a disturbance brewing, and we might get some rain and winds. He's going to keep an eye on it."

Max knew d.a.m.n well Doug's urgency wasn't about the weather. "What's the bad news?"

"Helen just called. She was in Miami, staying close to her plane, waiting for us to give her the green light--"

"Was in Miami?" Max snapped. He didn't like the thought of a hitch in his carefully laid plans.

"She was at the airport, in the gift shop getting some magazines, when guess who walked up on her? Talk about bad luck and worse timing."

"Doug, don't tell me it was Gillman."

"It was Gillman."

While Max was cursing under his breath, Nicole joined him. She figured the pajama top was enough cover, but managed to stand just behind Max to block Doug's view.

She didn't care a fig about Gillman or their great sting operation. "Is Helen okay?"

"She's a smart old bird. Thinks fast on her feet." Doug pushed the door open enough to see Nicole, then adjusted his gla.s.ses and combed his fingers through his hair. "Good morning," he said. "Don't worry about Helen. She's fine."

"What about Gillman?" Max wanted to know.

"I think Helen must have missed her calling in life. She could have been a great actress." When Max moved as if to grab him, he talked fast. "She acted shocked and very nervous to see him. When he pressed her as to why she was waiting around the airport, she pretended to break down. That must have given Gillman a jolt to see his hard-hearted mother-in-law crying like a baby." He paused.

Max took another step toward him, with Nicole close behind. Okay, okay," Doug said. "But don't rush me. In a state of ecstatic happiness and hysterical fear, Helen let it slip that Sandra was alive. When Gillman almost freaked out, she let another tidbit of information slip out about Sandra having no memory. Then she gave him some sketchy details about how and where she was found. At first he didn't believe her, but after more tears she convinced him.

"Of course he was furious and wanted to know, as Sandra's husband, why he wasn't notified first. Helen covered that, also, by playing the protective parent and making it clear she hadn't planned to tell him anything, at least not until she'd seen and talked to her daughter. To back up her statement she gave him another shock and let him see how much she hated him, something, for Sandra's sake, she'd always kept hidden.

"Anyway, after her Oscar-winning performance, Gillman demanded to know where Sandra was. He had to drag the location of the island out of Helen." Doug held up his hands to ward off any further questions. "She's fine. Unnerved by the encounter, and I imagine she's mad as a wet hen. But the crux of the matter is, Gillman took the bait. He demanded a seat on her plane, and when she refused, he took off to hire one of his own."

Doug looked at his watch. "Helen will be arriving in St. Thomas in about an hour. And Gillman's plane isn't far behind, only he's landing on Virgin Gorda." "Figures."

Nicole glanced sharply at Max. "What do you mean, figures?"

"The murderer has returned to the scene of the crime." Max tried to bank the anger that threatened to boil over. "The b.a.s.t.a.r.d's as clever and cautious as ever. Unlike St. Thomas, which is in the United States Virgin Islands, Virgin Gorda is part of the British Virgin Islands. It's where Sandra's inquest was held."

He could see Nicole still didn't understand. "When he planned Sandra's murder, he made d.a.m.n sure they weren't in U.S. waters and wouldn't have to face a U.S. court."

"Which side is this island on?" Nicole asked. Doug laughed. "Barely, just barely, U.S. territory." Max thought it amusing, too. "Can you imagine the shock he got when he found out Sandra was alive? But he's still cautious and conniving. I don't think he'll have time to check that little detail about where the doctor's island is. He'll just automatically a.s.sume, if another murder's necessary, he'll have the same British officials to pay off as before. In other words, he's sure he'll walk again."

"Over my dead body," Nicole said, her macabre humor catching both men off guard. Max stared at her in horror. "It was a joke."

"Max doesn't take jokes about Sandra well." "Goodbye, Doug." Max gave him a friendly nudge, making his partner take a step back so he was in the hall. "Does the team know?" When Doug said they did, he started to shut the door, then paused. "How much time do we have before he arrives?"

"He won't want to talk to anyone or call attention to himself. He'll take his time finding a boat to rent and the directions and coordinates to the island. I'd say he'll be here around noon." Doug found himself staring at the ornately carved door that had been shut in his face.

"Max." Nicole knew why he was suddenly so quiet. "It's all right, New York. I'm as ready as I'll ever be, and you and the others will be there. It's better this way."

"How's that?" He shook off the bad Vibes he was getting.

"You won't have to tell Karen and Andy they can't pluck my eyebrows. There won't be time for it. But I still want my boots and jeans back--immediately."

Max wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a shake. "Let's dress and get something to eat."

She expected him to be moody and distant, knowing that his thoughts were a million miles away. Then when Gillman arrived, she would simply be the means to an end. Bait to trap a murderer. She felt suddenly cold. Max was single-mindedly determined to get Gill-man. No, she thought, he was more like a man obsessed with getting justice. It troubled her to realize she hadn't recognized it before.

SHE FELT like a fifth wheel. Everyone was busy discussing their jobs, and she was all but ignored. Actually she felt as if she was just in their way. She strolled out to the patio and found Doug comfortably seated in a lawn chair going through a file. She knew the paperwork involved in operating a company was never ending and couldn't imagine the amount of work needed to keep an outfit like Warner and Hart running smoothly. As she dropped into a chair next to him, he looked up, and she recognized the quick nervous movements of adjusting his gla.s.ses and fiddling with his hair.

"Max's checking and double-checking the video and audio equipment," she said when he glanced over her shoulder searching for her shadow. "And I sent Big Jim to get something to eat."

Doug tried to close the file, but succeeded only in knocking it off his lap. As she helped him gather up the papers, he said, "You're not supposed to give Jim orders and he's not supposed to take them from you."

"Give it up, Doug. Gillman's not here and I'm with you." She glanced down at the photograph in her hand. "I haven't seen this one." It was a picture of Sandra on horseback. She shuffled through a few more photographs and realized they were all of Sandra. "I thought I'd seen everything in Sandra's file. Where did these come from?"

"Max's file." Doug watched her thumb through the stack. "Most of those were gathered from her friends and the organizations she did charity work for."

"This one's good." She handed him a color photograph of her sister in a very brief bikini, her long hair wet slicked back from her face. Nicole touched her own short curls. "It's amazing how much we look alike here, isn't it?" She sensed more than saw him relax, but she hadn't missed his rather guilty reactions. "I wish Sandra and I... Oh, never mind. How did Max get all these?"

"Part of the investigation." He shoved his gla.s.ses up, then gazed out over the swimming pool to the sea. In the process the file slid off his lap again and scattered between them like an oversize deck of cards.

Nicole got down on her knees, b.u.mping heads with Doug as they silently worked at gathering the PhotOgraphs and typewritten notes. He was lying, she was sure of it but she couldn't understand why. Out of the blue and for no ant mason she felt a sinking feeling One by one she handed Doug the pictures, her sister's face swimming and blurring before her eyes.

Doug was watching her. She could almost sense him holding his breath as she held out the last picture. She couldn't take her eyes off it and was almost paralyzed by one thought. Slowly she lifted her head. Their gazes met and held as she whispered, "He was in love with her, wasn't he?"

"I don't--" He glanced up. "Ah, Max!" He didn't bother to hide his relief. Then he got up off his knees, shoved the file into Max's hands, gave him a look of apology and quickly exited the patio.

Nicole was on her feet, too, and handed Max the last of the pictures she'd gathered. "How long were you and Sandra in love with each other?" She wished she'd walked away, given herself some time to absorb what she knew deep down was the truth. Every fiber in her body screamed for her to leave. She didn't want to hear his answer.

Max set the stack of papers and photographs on the table and began straightening their edges. "Sandra and I were never in love, Montana."

Her ugly suspicions were shattered, and she wanted more than anything to give a huge sigh of relief. But the seeds of doubts and uncertainty had been planted. Her instincts told her to back off. If she pressed the issue further, she might learn more than she wanted to.

"I never met her," Max said.

Turn away, she told herself. Laugh it off. Keep your mouth shut. But she couldn't tear her gaze from his hands and the gentleness with which he handled Sandra's Pictures. She thought back to their first meeting and the time they'd spent together in Montana. The attraction between them had been instantaneous. She accepted it for what it was--honest emotion. She was sure Max felt the same.

But now she questioned his motives and feelings. Still, she didn't have the heart to voice her questions. She tried to convince herself that she'd let her imagination run away with her good judgm it. But she was too honest, even with herself, to play that foolish game. She'd never been one to opt for ambivalence because the truth was harder to take or might be hurtful.

Nicole took a shallow breath and asked, "You never met her. But you were still in love with her, weren't you?"

Max felt as if the floor was being pulled out from under him. Tell a lie or the truth, either one was going to hurt her if she didn't let him explain. He wondered if he could explain. "I think I was a little."

"A little? Love triangles and obsessive behavior aren't things I like to be mixed up in, especially when one of the partic.i.p.ants of the triangle is dead, I can't compete with someone who's perfect in your eyes."

Max set the file on the table, turned to face Nicole even though he was at a loss as to how to explain his behavior. "I'm not asking you to compete, just be your selL Nicole gave the file a hard look. "But who am I to you, Max? Sandra or Nicole?" He didn't have time to give her an answer as they were both hailed by Helen Applewhite, flanked by a taller younger woman that Nicole knew to be another Warner and Hart employee.

They watched as Helen jogged up the patio steps, her short gray hair whipped by the wind that had suddenly kicked up. Her cheeks were flushed, and her face was radiant with excitement. She headed directly for Nicole and hugged her tightly, pleased more than she could say when the embrace was returned. When she broke away, she wouldn't let Nicole go and threaded her arm through hers and faced Max. "John can't be very far behind me, Max." She glanced at Nicole and gave her arm a squeeze. "Are you all right? You're not scared, are you?"

Helen's smile lit up her entire face, almost making her look twenty-five again. "I thought he was going to drop dead when he finally believed me that Sandra was alive. Then when I played like I'd slipped up and revealed that she was suffering from amnesia... Oh, Nicky, he's finally going to pay for taking my baby's life!"

Nicole couldn't have gotten a word in if she'd tried, so she only smiled and waited for Helen's excitement to run down. When she felt a drop of water on her bare shoulder, she glanced up in surprise. The formerly clear blue sky was quickly turning dark as rumbling clouds rolled in above them. They made a dash for the door, barely avoiding a thorough drenching.

Yearning for someone to talk to, Nicole stayed close to Helen. But Max and Doug had other ideas. As soon as the two women were comfortable in the airy living room, most of Max's staff joined him and Doug at the opposite end of the room. Helen grasped Nicole's hand and held it tightly, then turned to her.

"You look relaxed and rested, Nicky," she said. "But I get the feeling you're wound up tight as a drum. Something's bothering you."

Nicole knew Helen hadn't missed the new tension between her and Max. "Maybe I'm just a little scared about all this."

Helen smiled. "I don't think so. It would take more than John Gillman to scare you. Is it Max? Has he hurt you?"

Nicole had only been half listening. Her attention was on the group knotted together about fifteen feet away, talking in low voices. She realized she hadn't answered Helen's question and said, "Max? He doesn't mean anything to me."

Helen released her hand, patted her ann and gave Nicole a kiss on the cheek. "I learned from losing Sandra that it's not wise to waste time being foolish." Like Nicole, she'd kept her attention on the group and didn't appreciate being left out of the discussion. She let go of Nicole's arm and strolled across the room. When she tapped Max on the arm, he jumped. "Nicole and I are part of this drama. Would you mind filling us in on what's happening?"

Max skirted around Helen and walked over to Nicole. The others followed. "Gillman's landed in Tor-tola and he's looking for a rental yacht. Tom and Ray are tailing him and Will call us as soon as he leaves the island."

Nicole nodded, her heart in her throat. Max noticed her apprehension and sat beside her. "We would have liked a couple more days to get everything under control, but it looks like it's going to go down quicker than we planned. Nicky, are you okay with the change?"

She noticed that none of them offered to call it off. Her gaze s.h.i.+fted to Helen, and for a moment they stared at each other. "Sure. I'm as ready as I'll ever Helen nodded, her excitement resurfacing. "Thank you, NiCOle, I promise you won't regret it." She realized everyone was listening but didn't care. "I wish Sandra had been more like you."

"Really? Why?"

"Because you're strong. I see now that Harry and I spoiled Sandra and tried to protect her from anything unpleasant. Because of our money and position, we thought we could shelter her from the hards.h.i.+ps and dangers of growing up. We were wrong. She was too trusting, gullible, easily manipulated, and in the end she didn't have the experience, wisdom or the strength to fight Gillman's charm and cunning."

A terrific clap of thunder. broke the uneasy silence that had hung over Helen's words. Time was winding down and Nicole felt suddenly nervous. "I'd like to call my father."

"Sorry," Doug said, looking more distressed with each pa.s.sing moment. "Andy just told me the phones are out. Seems we're getting quite a squall. When the storm pa.s.ses, we'll be back in contact with Tom and Ray."

They waited in silence until Nicole thought she might scream. Glancing at her watch, she realized she'd been standing at the window watching it rain for more than an hour. The storm had moved on, leaving everything glistening wet and she cried with silver. The sun hadn't made an appearance, but she figured it wouldn't be long. She'd hoped John Gillman would be delayed until the storm was over and the sky had cleared.

It wasn't to be.

Jim and LeRoy alerted them from the docks that a yacht had just entered the harbor. Max said, "Okay, folks. This is it but before everyone scatters, listen up. Our mark is here. Don't for a moment let your guard down. John Gillman is a killer, a trained professional and dangerous. Our objective is to get a confession, but our number-one priority is to make sure Nicole doesn't get hurt. If anything goes haywire, it's Nicole you cover." There was a flurry of activity as Max's staff scrambled to take their places and pa.s.s themselves off as servants and employees of Dr. M. Adair Gibson.

Max joined her at the window. "He'll be coming from the docks. You can't see him from here."

"Well, now I know what he looks like. I don't need to see him coming."

Max grasped her shoulders and turned her so she was facing him, with no distractions. "Nicky, listen. Oh, h.e.l.l, I seem to make a habit of hurting you and I'm sorry."

"Do you remember what I said in Montana?" "You said a lot of things."

He knew what she was referring to, but figured if he didn't admit it she wouldn't go on. He was wrong.

"It was just s.e.x. You can't hurt someone if they don't care."

He gazed deeply into her eyes, searching for a crack in the wall she'd erected, but all he could see was her strength and determination. "Liar," he whispered. "You care. You care more than you want me to see or you want to face."

He could feel the heightened sense of excitement in the room. Gillman was getting closer. It meant he wasn't going to have the time he needed to make her understand--but he couldn't leave things the way they were. Glancing toward the doorway, he said, "This is important to me and Doug, also to Helen and everyone who has worked their b.u.t.ts off on the case for more than eighteen months. At first it was my job to put a case together against Gillman. Then I got caught up in the investigation."

"And Sandra? You got caught up in her?"

"Yes. I admit there was something about her that touched some chord, some need in me that I didn't even know was there."

"You fell in love with a dead woman?"

He could hear voices from the patio. They didn't have much time left. "Yes, but not the way you think."

"There can only be one way, Max."

"That's not so." The voice coming nearer was deep, demanding and angry. As he dropped his hands from her shoulders, he slipped one arm around her and slowly turned her so she was facing the room. "We're on."

John Gillman hurst into the living room with Jim and LeRoy behind him. Nicole was the first person he saw, and he stopped, stone still, and stared. The high color in his cheeks rapidly drained away.

After the effect his picture had had on her, she thought she'd be prepared for seeing him in "person. She steeled herself against the revulsion, even fear. He was a stunningly handsome man. Her single thought, looking at him, was that his pictures didn't do him justice. Animated, he had a sleek-cat quality and radiated s.e.xuality. No one could have blamed or found fault in her sister for falling for him.

"Sandra?" John started toward her, his long powerful legs eating up the distance between them. Then he became aware of the man at her side and just as quickly dismissed him. "Sandra! Baby, can it be true? You"'re alive?"

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.