by Loyd, Sandy
“I’m quite capable of driving down and talking with the deputy on my own.”
“You’re my client, remember?”
He smiled at the audible sigh hitting his ears.
“I haven’t paid you a dime,” she said. “Remember?”
“I told you, I’m doing this as a favor to your sister.”
“Mr. Roberts—”
“Jason,” he said, cutting her off.
“Jason.” She paused and added in a curt tone, “I’m not stupid. Let me guess. Your office is in a high-rise in Boca. I’m betting on a top floor with an ocean view, and that doesn’t come cheap. I’ve decided I’d rather not be in my sister’s debt.”
“Then I’ll bill you what I was planning on billing her.”
“I’m not sure I want you as my lawyer.”
“You want me as your lawyer. Trust me.” Jason swiveled around to look out the floor-to-ceiling window at the panoramic ocean view. His grin spread. “Besides, Jimbo only works for me. He’s found out a few interesting details. We can use the drive to update you. I told him to keep working, but like I said, he only works for me.”
“Sounds like a bribe, or even a threat.”
“Take your pick. I use what works.”
She sighed and remained silent. He held his breath, not completely sure of the outcome.
“I guess I can keep you on for another day or so.”
His smile returned. “Good. I’ll drive. How’s three o’clock sound? I know we’ll hit traffic, but that’ll give me time to tie up a few loose ends.” When she neither agreed nor disagreed, he went for broke. “I’ll pick you up. We’ll go to dinner afterward. I bet you haven’t eaten a decent meal all weekend.”
“We’ll see,” was all she said before hanging up on him.
Jason rolled her comment around in his brain and stared unseeing out the window. “Yes, Mrs. Carter. We will see.”
Chapter 5
Claire checked her watch. Two forty-five. Mr. Roberts would be here shortly.
Instantly, her thoughts shifted to the pushy attorney. She had faith he’d help her find her answers. But now that she could think more objectively, a few things bothered her—like the way he’d sidestepped her inquiry about Crystal without explaining their connection. She didn’t trust her sister, for good reason, and she wasn’t about to trust him.
When her buzzer sounded, she tapped the button. “Yes, Amy?”
“Gordon Wilson’s on the line. Says it’s important.”
“Okay.” Claire closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. The last thing she needed was a call from her financial planner.
“Gordon? I’m surprised to hear from you. I thought we took care of business weeks ago. Is something wrong?”
“Why are you selling off your portfolio?”
“There must be some mistake. I’m not selling anything.”
Dead silence permeated the line.
“Gordon?” A feeling of foreboding settled in the pit of her stomach when he remained silent. “Are you still there? What makes you think I’m selling?”
Finally, Gordon cleared his throat. “Claire, I don’t know how to break it to you, but there’ve been several Internet trades on your account in the past two hours. Half your stocks have been sold and the proceeds sent to another bank.”
“That’s impossible.”
“I put a hold on the account and called the minute I caught it. Thank God I happened to be going through your files, checking to see which stock to sell in order to buy the stock you asked me about, remember?”
“Yes. I remember the conversation. But I didn’t authorize any other transactions.”
“Would Carl be selling off? It is a joint account, and he has the right.”
“I don’t think so,” she said, not wanting him to know that Carl had disappeared. “We haven’t discussed our conversation. Usually, he lets me handle the money side of things.”
“I’m aware of that.”
Claire expelled a large breath. The man didn’t know the half of it. Despite coming from wealth, Carl Carter had no clue about earning money. No clue as to saving or investing it either. The only thing Carl was good at was spending. The headache she’d tried to avoid loomed larger than ever.
“Can you keep the hold? I’m not sure if or why Carl made the transactions,” she lied, knowing full well the bastard was trying to rip her off. “But he’s unavailable right now.”
“Okay,” Gordon said. “E-mail me a request, and I’ll keep it for as long as I can. If someone’s gotten hold of your security information, you might want to consider placing the remaining shares into another account for protection. I’ll also start an internal investigation to try and find out where the trade was initiated. But I gotta warn you, that’s like finding dirt in sand.”
“I will. Thanks, Gordon. I owe you.”
Claire hung up and sat back with closed eyes, blocking out pain.
At least Carl wasn’t dead. Yet why would he take what he already considered his? She was amazed he even knew how to access the stocks, much less have knowledge on how to sell them. He’d never been interested in them before. If nothing else, this confirmed the idea of him disappearing on purpose. Once again, she could kick herself for not divorcing his ass instead of giving him one last chance.
She glanced at her watch before she stood and grabbed her briefcase. Too late to call the attorney and cancel. She might as well meet with the deputy in Key Largo to see if he’d uncovered Carl’s whereabouts, and then go from there. She walked out of her office.
When Amy looked up, she said, “Can you make copies of these and make sure Gwen gets them? Put the originals on my desk.”
“Sure thing,” her assistant said in her perky voice.
Watching Amy sashay away to make copies, Claire now wondered about the office gossip. During their last big fight, Carl had denied there was anything going on, and she’d believed him, mainly because Amy didn’t seem like the type to sleep with another woman’s husband. But what if the rumors were true? After all, sleazy men like Carl tended to take advantage of innocence. Claire was proof of that.
The elevator doors opened. Jason stepped into the reception area and strode up to Amy’s desk where Claire still stood. Funny, she hadn’t paid attention to his looks during their meeting, and didn’t remember him being so attractive. She definitely noticed now that her fears over Carl floating in the ocean were officially snuffed out.
Claire heaved her briefcase’s strap over her shoulder and pushed out thoughts of Carl and his misdeeds. “You’re prompt, Mr. Roberts.”
“I try to be. And it’s Jason, remember?” He pinned her with a stare and grinned.
“Jason,” Claire murmured grudgingly, struggling with her reaction to that beautiful smile, one adding an element of innocence to his demeanor. In a conscious effort, she clenched her fist, stilling the urge to brush away an errant lock of black hair that fell over his forehead, wondering if it felt as soft as it looked, and also wondering why he had such an effect on her.
“Shall we go?”
Mutely, she nodded. It wasn’t so much boyish charm that made Jason so attractive. Claire was used to charming men like her husband. It was that he seemed so oblivious to his charm and so totally different from Carl, who used charm to manipulate.
While discreetly glancing at him, she noticed Jason was dressed much as he’d been the day she’d met him. He wore South Florida’s summer business uniform, neatly pressed Dockers and a short-sleeved polo. His clothes emphasized a physique radiating strength and stealth. She thought it odd how the shirt’s navy color highlighted those intense blue eyes, which added to his innocent, boyish appearance while contrasting so starkly with the powerful man lurking within.
For heaven’s sake, she wasn’t some infatuated teenager with her first crush. Claire gave herself a mental shake and followed him to the elevator. Didn’t she have enough on her plate in dealing with Carl without being enamored with one of Crystal’s frien
ds?
Once the elevator doors closed, the space immediately diminished in size. Her lungs wouldn’t inflate. Though staring straight ahead, her senses seemed heightened. She felt Jason’s presence as if an electrical current surged nearby. The hairs on her body tingled at the exact moment the tangy aroma of deodorant mixed with aftershave wafted under her nose.
The doors opened and they headed for the glass entrance. When he stopped to hold the door for her, she rushed past, relishing the bright Florida sunshine, and thankful to be out in the open where she could finally breathe again, no matter that the temperature and humidity were stifling.
She sighed and slid into the passenger side of his silver Mercedes. It was going to be a long afternoon.
• • •
Twenty-five minutes later, while driving south toward Key Largo and after just exiting the turnpike, Jason glanced at Claire, who stared out the window, a solemnity etched into her expression. He’d endured her silent treatment for most of their brief association and should be used to it. In reality, her silence alone didn’t bother him. What bothered him more was the sense of impending doom emanating from her.
“I don’t think he’s dead,” he said, hoping to ease some of the anxiety that hung about the car.
Her shoulders stiffened and her body tightened. Even her hair looked stiff. “I already know what you think, so tell me something different.”
“Okay.” A slight smile tugged at the edges of his lips and turned into a full-on grin. Claire’s irritation was a huge improvement. She was much easier to deal with when her body language shouted bristling annoyance rather than dread. “How long’s he been cheating? And why’d you keep it from me?”
Oops. Smooth move and definitely the wrong questions he realized too late as her chin jutted defiantly and angry green eyes flashed daggers of fury aimed directly at him.
Yet, she didn’t answer. Instead, after throwing her mental barbs, she returned her attention to the window and kept it there, silently gazing at the passing scenery once more. Only this time her demeanor revealed an outraged edge.
“So you’re not going to talk to me?” he said moments later, once the silence in the car became deafening. “How can I help if you don’t talk to me?”
“I don’t want or need your help. Not anymore.”
“Hey, I’m sorry about the cheating crack. Okay? It was unprofessional and uncalled for. I have no excuse other than I’m trying to find answers. Isn’t that what you hired me to do?”
When she sat stonily silent with a mutinous expression, his frustration mounted. He took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten. What was it about the woman that brought his irritation to a head so quickly? After another few miles of total quiet, he tried again.
“Look, I was goading you. I thought if I threw that out, you’d be more forthcoming.”
“Didn’t work, did it?”
“No.” He shrugged. “But I was only trying to find out what’s going on.”
“Why? So you can dissect my pathetic marriage?”
Her statement stunned him into silence. He had no answer. Who was he to throw stones when he had his own pathetic marriage to get over?
“I’m on your side, Claire,” he finally said.
“I don’t believe that.” Her voice turned more contemptuous. “You’re on Jason Roberts’s side, and you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t really trust you because you’re also on Crystal’s side.”
“This has nothing to do with Crystal,” he shouted back, unsure of why her accusations got to him. He squeezed the steering wheel until the urge to hit something died down.
Why the hell did it matter what she thought about his association with her sister? He couldn’t ignore the strange vibes he’d picked up as to Claire’s relationship with her twin.
What’s up with that?
Even though he wondered, he added in a calmer voice, “What goes on between us is confidential. Crystal’s a lawyer. She knows that.”
“I don’t like the connection.” She crossed her arms, still fuming. “It’s a conflict of interest.”
He snorted. “No, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is. I think we should call it quits. I don’t know why I let you get this involved in the first place.”
“You know why. Crystal called me and said you needed help.”
“Exactly. You owed Crystal.”
“I don’t fricking believe this,” he muttered.
Jason shook his head, not bothering to hide his astonishment. Casting a glance skyward, he quickly prayed for divine intervention in dealing with the recalcitrant lady while taking a deep breath to contain his temper.
“Initially, yes,” he said as calmly as he could. “But the favor to Crystal’s ended. Now I’m here because something’s going on, and I truly want to help.”
“Is that so?” Her incredulous expression replaced the disdain that had been prevalent during most of their heated exchange. “Well, nothing’s going on that I can’t handle easily enough with another lawyer, preferably one who doesn’t know Crystal. You’re right about Carl. He’s not dead, so you can call off the investigator. You’re both fired.” Her voice hardened as her jaw tightened. “Send me a bill. I certainly don’t want to have to pay him for finding out information I already know. Stop the car and turn around.”
Okay, so Claire had reservations, which he could understand. But she couldn’t be totally dismissing him. Could she?
“I wouldn’t advise that.”
“I don’t care what you advise. I agreed to include you in this meeting with Deputy Snyder, against my better judgment. But it was a big mistake. So, turn around and take me home.”
“I’m not turning around. We’re almost there.” When he noticed the way her spine stiffened and her expression closed even tighter, he pulled over to the side of the road. “Think about what you’re saying. I’m here now, and you should go in to see Deputy Snyder if only to finish what you started. Once that’s done, we can go from there.”
Claire glared at him. And even though the effect was muted through dark glasses, he felt the irritation she projected. He let out a relieved breath when she nodded and said in a resolute voice, “Okay. But once it’s over, your responsibility toward me will end.”
That’s what you think, sweetheart, Jason mused as he watched the stubborn expression flit over her lovely face.
Claire Carter intrigued him. There was no way he was going to drop it. Not when his interest had spiked, leaving him filled with questions from the moment he’d met her. He’d be damned if he’d let a little thing like her reluctance get in the way of satisfying his curiosity.
• • •
Claire reached for the door handle but was only halfway out of the car before Jason stood beside her, offering a hand. She flashed him a heated look, which he completely disregarded.
“I don’t need your help,” she snapped, annoyed that she couldn’t ignore his imposing presence.
The last hour spent in the confined space was the longest of her life. All she wanted at this point was to get away from him and forget she ever met him.
“Sure you do,” he said much too pleasantly. He chuckled. “Cheer up. It’s not the end of the world. We’ll work it out.”
She didn’t answer except to send him another fuming glare. She wished he’d quit being so nice, quit being so efficient and so insightful. It was as if he knew exactly what she was thinking and what she needed. And how could he? No one knew that, not even herself.
Why had she agreed to this? She should have called the deputy and told him about the stocks. Too late now. No way she could tell Snyder without Jason overhearing. The man already knew too much of her personal business, thanks to what Jim O’Malley had obviously unearthed.
Carl’s affairs were old news, but after being duped with a promise to change, the thought that he might still be cheating enraged her. Having Jason blatantly throw it in her face only made her angrier, mostly with herself for being so stupid. She’d si
mply find another lawyer for help in dealing with Carl. And the new lawyer could deal with the deputy at the same time.
Having no choice, she allowed the irksome attorney to lead her inside the building. The guy had a knack for taking charge.
Deputy Snyder stood waiting at the same door as their last meeting. And just like then, Claire hated the thought of being in the airless room with the commanding man next to her.
“Thanks for coming. Have a seat.” Snyder gestured to the table.
“I no longer believe anything happened to my husband, Deputy Snyder. He disappeared on purpose.” Claire nodded and sat in the chair Jason had pulled out. “I hate wasting your time. I apologize for not calling, especially since I know how busy you are.”
“Then Mr. Roberts filled you in on the drugged champagne.”
“Drugged champagne?” Her gaze moved first to the deputy before it settled on Jason. “He forgot to mention that.” The condemning look she sent him didn’t faze him as he met her stare without flinching. She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice when she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t have a chance. You fired me, remember?” he taunted.
“Mrs. Carter,” Deputy Snyder interjected, pulling her attention back to him. “One of the flutes was laced with scopolamine and morphine. Are you familiar with the drugs?”
“I’ve heard of them,” she answered, looking down at her hands.
“When combined, they cause delirium and amnesia.”
“You’re telling me I was drugged?”
“Your symptoms point to it.”
“Carl drugged me?” Claire blinked back tears and absorbed the implications. “No. I refuse to believe it.” She turned her focus on Jason. “You knew the whole time?”
“Claire—” Jason said, but was cut off when Snyder asked, “Do you know of any reason why your husband would go to such trouble?”
Suddenly, it was all too much. She couldn’t stay here a moment longer. “Take me home,” she demanded of Jason while abruptly getting to her feet. “I don’t want to hear any more.”
