Now You See Him(66)

She'd forgotten how well he knew her. "As you wish, Miss Neeley," he said politely, backing out of the doorway. "I'll be in my office, Sir Henry."

She watched him disappear. Was that message for his bombastic superior, or for her? If he thought she was ready to hear excuses, or listen to threats, he was mistaken. A confrontation was the last thing she was ready to face.

She simply wanted to get home. Away from deceit. She gave Sir Henry what she knew was a ghastly smile. "You've been very kind," she mumbled. "I won't trouble you further."

"Miss Neeley, are you feeling well?" Sir Henry rose, his bluff, hearty face creased with worry. "Let me get Charlie back, have him see you…"

She bit back the scream that rose in her throat, knowing it would only convince Sir Henry that she needed to be placed in good old Charlie's competent hands. "I'm just relieved my cousin is being looked after, Sir Henry. Thank you again."

While the old man didn't look convinced, he also looked like a man willing to believe what would cause him the least personal trouble. "If you're certain…?"

"I'm certain." She should hold out her hand to him, put the horrible interview to an end, but her palms were covered with cold sweat, and she knew they would be trembling. She backed away toward the door instead, still smiling.

"We're having a little cocktail party tonight to welcome some London men to the island," Sir Henry said. "Perhaps you'd like to join us. I could send Charlie to fetch you."

God, was the man a totally oblivious idiot? It was no wonder the sun had set on the British empire if he was a representative of the foreign service. "Thank you, but no. We're flying out tomorrow, and I think I should stay with my cousin. Goodbye, Sir Henry." She escaped before he could come up with any more idiotic suggestions.

The hallway was cool and deserted. She'd been half-afraid that Michael would be lying in wait for her, ready to pounce, but he was nowhere to be seen. Apparently he'd taken her at her word.

She passed the young man who'd first brought her to Sir Henry, and he fingered his much-abused necktie nervously as she walked by. She had a fleeting, wistful fantasy that it had been Michael she'd nearly strangled. Except with him she wouldn't have stopped short of asphyxiation.

The taxi she hadn't requested was waiting for her. The man who poked his head out the passenger side was dark, with black, friendly eyes. "Miss Neeley. I'm to take you back to the hotel."

She didn't even consider it. She asked too many questions, knew too much, showed up in the wrong places at the wrong time. She was a major inconvenience, and they'd gotten rid of her once. If she got into that taxicab, she might never see the United States again.

It was late afternoon, with the heat of the sun fading slightly. "I'd rather walk," she said.

"Miss, it's too hot and too far to walk."

"I need the exercise."

There was no mistaking the panic in his voice. "I have orders…"

She turned. "From whom?"

He looked confused, guilty, for a moment. And then he jammed the car into gear and took off into the busy streets of the tiny port city. She watched him go. She didn't turn and look back at the embassy. She knew someone was watching her, and she knew perfectly well who that someone was. She didn't have to catch him in the act to know. Indeed, he was far more clever than she'd ever imagined. She probably wouldn't see him if she turned to look. But he would be there nonetheless, watching.

He would know she hadn't taken the bait, hadn't been fool enough to get into the taxi that would take her heaven knew where. He could make of that what he wished. But if she hesitated on the sidewalk too long he might come after her. And she didn't think she could stand that.

Her slender leather sandals were part of the new clothes Daniel had provided for her, and after the first hour they began to hurt her feet. She ignored the discomfort. She needed to walk. To walk and walk and walk. To breathe in the fresh salt air, to feel the breeze on her face, to empty her mind and her heart and simply be. She paid no attention to the direction her legs were taking her. She just kept walking.



"What the hell do you mean, you don't have her?"

Niall Regan shrugged, determined not to show fear. "She wouldn't get into the taxi. She said she wanted to walk."

"Sweet heaven, and you let her? She was so damned close, and you just let her go? Why didn't you follow her?"

"She started to get suspicious. Damn it, we were still at the embassy. Anyone could have come out, started asking questions. I couldn't risk it."

"Didn't have the nerve to risk it, you mean." The voice was cool, scathing. "It's a good thing we don't have to count on the likes of you. If you'd done as you were told, things could have been finished by now. As it is, we'll have to wait until tomorrow and grab her at the airport, if we have to. I'm not happy."