Copper Beach

12

IT WAS THE FAINT CLINK OF METAL OUT ON THE CONCRETE balcony that had alerted him. Even a very small amount of impact noise traveled in steel-and-concrete buildings.

Sam waited in the kitchen, watching the balcony from the shadows of the refrigerator. He gripped his most recent invention in his hand. It resembled a cell phone, but the crystal-powered device had a very different purpose. He was pretty sure that the theory behind the design was solid, but he had not yet had a chance to conduct any real-world experiments. Tonight promised to provide the opportunity for a field trial.

His intuition had been riding him hard all day. It had spiked into the hot zone after dark. He had the sense that things were moving fast, and that Abby was in danger. He had not even tried to sleep tonight. He had spent the night mentally and psychically standing guard.

Out on the balcony, a dark shadow appeared. It dropped easily down from the floor above. For a second or two, the newcomer dangled on the rope he had used for the descent. Then he stepped nimbly onto the railing and down to the floor of the balcony. It was clear he had done this kind of thing before. An expert.

He left the rope dangling and moved swiftly to the sliding glass doors. A small tool of some kind appeared in his gloved hand. A moment later, the sliding glass door slid silently open.

Chilled night air and faint currents of psi whispered into the room when the intruder entered. A talent of some kind, Sam concluded, and definitely a professional. It was a good bet that he had gained access to the building via the parking garage, always the weak point in the security system of any condo tower. Once inside, he would have had access to every floor and the roof.

The intruder moved across the room, going directly to Abby’s desk with the certainty of a man who knew his way around the condo. That raised some intriguing questions, Sam thought.

The guy had a second-story man’s sense of style. He had definitely nailed the cat-burglar look. He was dressed from head to toe in tight black clothing. A black stocking cap concealed his hair and all of his features except his eyes.

At the desk, he stopped, flicked on a small penlight and began to sort through the mail.

Sam walked out of the kitchen and around the end of the dining counter.

“No need for that,” he said. “Abby went through her mail earlier this evening.”

“What the…?” The intruder swung around, spearing the shadows with the penlight. “Who are you?”

“A friend of Abby’s.”

“No, you’re not. Abby doesn’t have any boyfriends. Who are you, and what are you doing in her place?”

“I was just going to ask you the same question.”

“Like hell.”

The intruder sprinted for the open slider. Sam was already moving. He managed to seize the man’s shoulder and succeeded in touching the crystal device to his arm. He sent energy into the fake cell phone. There was a small flash of paranormal lightning. The intruder grunted and started to crumple. He struggled to straighten and resume his flight to the balcony, but he fell slowly to his knees, arms wrapped around his midsection.

Sam yanked off the stocking cap, revealing platinum-blond hair cut in a short, crisp, vaguely military style.

“What the h–hell d–did you do to me?” the intruder got out, teeth chattering.

There was a sharp, excited yip. Newton charged into the room. He went straight to the intruder and started licking his face.

“Hell of a guard dog, all right,” Sam said.

Abby appeared. She had taken the time to pull on a robe. She had a large object clutched in her hands.

“Sam.” Her voice was tight and anxious. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” he said. “Get the lights.”

She flipped a wall switch, illuminating the heavy lamp she carried. Her eyes widened, first in shock and then in outrage, when she saw the man shivering in the middle of her living room.

“Nick?” She put the lamp down on the coffee table. “What in the world are you doing here?”

Nick gave her a disgusted look and continued to shudder. “Your taste in boyfriends is going downhill, Abby. This one just tried to kill me.”

Abby glanced at Sam, frowning. “Whatever you’re doing to him, you can stop, at least until I decide whether or not to call the cops.”

“He’ll be all right in a few minutes,” Sam said. “Probably.” He pocketed the crystal device. “I just temporarily shocked his senses. You know this guy?”

“Nick Sawyer,” she said. She regarded Nick with seething irritation. “And yes, I know him. You could say we’re colleagues of a sort. We both work the book market, but Nick isn’t quite as selective as I am when it comes to clients. I was, however, under the impression, until tonight, that he was my friend.”

Nick muttered something unintelligible. Newton bounced around him, waiting for the new game to begin.

“Give him a minute,” Sam said.

Nick managed to get to his feet. He was still shaky. He was about the same age as Abby, a lean, athletically built man with the sort of clean, chiseled features that could have ensured him a successful career in modeling. His silver-white hair and artificially tanned face served to enhance the vivid blue of his eyes.

He shot a hooded look at Sam, did a quick assessment of the situation and evidently concluded that his best option lay in an appeal to Abby.

“Sorry about this, sweetie,” he said. “I thought you were out of town.”

“That’s supposed to excuse what you just did?” Abby waved a hand toward the open slider. “You just broke into my home. You’d better start talking, and fast, or I’m going to call the police, I swear it.”

Nick exhaled heavily and leaned over to scratch Newton behind the ears. “Take it easy, sweetie. I can explain everything. You know you’re not going to call the cops.”

“Before you say another word,” Abby warned, “if you call me sweetie one more time, I will use that lamp on your head.”

“It’s a little complicated, sweet—uh, Abby.”

“I think we can uncomplicate this thing real fast,” Sam said. “Tell us why you broke in here tonight.”

Nick scowled. “Who is this guy, Abby? I can’t believe he’s a new boyfriend. Definitely not your type.”

“Talk,” Sam said. “Fast.”

Nick shot him an irritated look. “I didn’t break in, I let myself in.”

“That wasn’t a key you used to open the slider,” Sam said.

“Abby and I are old friends.” Nick turned back to Abby and flashed a smile that was as brilliant as his hair. “Isn’t that right?”

“We both know that I never gave you a key to my home,” Abby said. “Gwen has a spare, but you don’t. Why are you here?”

“Believe it or not, just looking out for you. There’s a real hot book floating around. Some kind of lab notebook dealing with crystal experiments. It’s supposed to be about forty years old, and rumor has it that it’s encrypted. If that’s the case, there’s a good chance that some of the people who are after it will be trying to hire you.”

“Don’t give me that blather about looking out for me,” Abby snapped. “You’re trying to locate that book yourself, aren’t you? You came here hoping that you would find a lead.”

“So you are working that job.” Nick jerked a thumb at Sam. “He’s a new client, isn’t he? What’s going on here? You never let clients into your home.”

“You know, I really don’t have to answer your questions,” Abby said. “You are supposed to be explaining why you are here in my living room.”

Nick shrugged. “Like I said, just looking out for your best interests.”

“I got that much,” Abby said, bristling with impatience. “Tell me the rest of it.”

“Okay, okay, calm down. I don’t know a whole lot more than what I just told you. I don’t have a client yet, but the word on the street is that the book is worth a fortune to more than one person. Figured if I got to it first I could hold an auction. This could be the big one for me.”

“Where did you hear the rumors of the book?” Sam asked.

“Like I’m going to tell you that,” Nick muttered.

Sam took the aura-suppression device out of his pocket.

Nick looked bored. “The rumors cropped up in the usual places online. Tell him, Abby.”

Abby folded her arms. “There are chat rooms where collectors and dealers exchange gossip and leads. I haven’t had a chance to check out the usual suspects lately, because I’ve been preoccupied with my own problems. Guess I’d better visit some of the online sites.”

“What have you heard about the collectors who are after the en­­crypted book?” Sam asked.

“Damn it, who is this guy, Abby?” Nick demanded.

“The name is Sam Coppersmith,” Sam said.

He was still trying to get past the comment about not looking like Abby’s type. It occurred to him that no one would think it odd if a cat burglar fell from a tenth-floor balcony while engaged in an act of breaking and entering. Stuff happened. Abby, however, would probably not approve of that disposal plan. She clearly had a history with Nick Sawyer. So did Newton.

“Coppersmith.” Nick frowned. “Name rings a faint bell. How did you find Abby?”

“She found me,” Sam said.

“You’re a talent of some kind.” Nick gave him an accusing look and then turned back to Abby. “You never trust strangers.”

“Sam was referred to me by Thaddeus,” Abby said. “Or maybe it would be more correct to say that I was referred to Sam. Either way, Thaddeus vouched for him.”

“Okay, so Webber approved him. That still doesn’t explain what he’s doing here in your apartment at two o’clock in the morning. You never let your dates stay over.”

Abby flushed. “I thought I made it clear, Sam is not a date. My arrangement with him is strictly business.”

“You never let clients do sleepovers, either. What the hell is going on here, Abby? Why did Webber send you to him?”

“If you must know, Thaddeus thinks I may be in some danger because of that book you’re looking for,” Abby said.

“Damn it, I knew this had something to do with that lab book. You should have come to me.”

“I’ve been a little busy,” Abby said. “Someone is blackmailing me.”

“Shit,” Nick growled. “Who?”

“That’s where I come in,” Sam said. “I’m going to find the bastard.”

Nick frowned. “But you’re after that old lab book, aren’t you?”

“That, too,” Sam said. “But the two projects go together.”

Nick looked at Abby. “Sounds like you’ve fallen into the deep end.”

“Yes,” Abby says. “It appears that is the case.”

“There are some real sharks out there. Are you sure you trust this guy to take care of you?”

“Yes,” Abby said.

Sam told himself that he should take heart from that simple response.

“What is the bastard using as the extortion threat?” Nick said. “You’ve always been squeaky-clean. You don’t even get parking tickets.”

“He knows about my time at the Summerlight Academy and why I was sent there, and he knows who my father is. You know what would happen if my past suddenly became an issue in the media. It could ruin Dad’s chance at the reality series.”

“Screw it,” Nick said. “Let your father take care of himself. You don’t owe him or anyone else in that family a damn thing. They don’t deserve your loyalty. Hell, even if they knew that you were trying to protect them, they wouldn’t appreciate your efforts.”

“It’s not just about protecting them,” Abby said. “We’re not entirely certain yet, but it looks like the blackmailer may know exactly how I took down Grady Hastings in Mrs. Vaughn’s library. If he knows what I can do with encryption energy and decides to fire up rumors about me in the chat rooms, he could destroy my business.”

“Okay, that would not be good,” Nick said. “But according to the rumors, this lab book is attracting some dangerous collectors. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“She won’t,” Sam said. “That’s why I’m here.”

“I’ll be okay, Nick,” Abby said. “I think you’d better leave. It’s late.”

“All right, I’m going.” Nick gave Sam one last glare and then turned back to Abby. “But promise me you’ll call me if you need backup.”

“I will,” she said. “By the way, please use the stairs on your way out. I don’t want any of my neighbors to wake up and see you climbing past their balconies from this floor. I’ve got my reputation to consider.”

“Yeah, right.” Nick coughed. “I, uh, left some of my stuff out on the balcony.”

“Get it,” Sam said. “And then go.”

Nick pretended not to hear the order, but he went out onto the balcony and collected the rock-climbing equipment. When he came back inside, Sam followed him down the short hall and into the small foyer. Newton accompanied them.

Nick opened the door. The outer hall was empty. He gave Newton one last pat and then straightened to give Sam a hard, cold look. He lowered his voice.

“If anything happens to Abby, I’ll be holding you responsible,” he said.

“Understood,” Sam said. “Believe me, if I thought she would be safer far away from this situation, I would have arranged that. But running wouldn’t do her any good. Problems like this tend to follow a person. And even if you escape for a while, they’re lying in wait when you return.”

Nick thought about that for a few seconds. Then he nodded. “You’re right. Guess that makes you her bodyguard.”

“That’s pretty much what it comes down to,” Sam said.

“That gadget you used on me is sort of impressive. Can I assume that you’ve had some practical experience in the bodyguard business?”

“I’ve done some occasional consulting work for a private firm that gets most of its business from a government agency.”

Nick widened his eyes. “You’ve got experience as a consultant? Gosh, darn, that sure makes me feel a whole lot better. Which government agency are we talking about? The post office?”

“Close enough. Time to leave, Sawyer.”

Nick looked down at Newton. “At least you’ve got Newton to help you.”

“Right.”

Nick narrowed his eyes. “Don’t underestimate the dog. Or Abby.”

“I won’t.”

Nick went out into the elevator lobby and vanished into the emergency stairwell.

Sam closed the door, threw the dead bolt and looked down at Newton. “Just you and me, pal.”

Newton looked hopefully at the leash hanging on the coat tree.

“Forget it,” Sam said. “It’s two o’clock in the morning.”

He went back into the living room. Abby was in the process of closing the sliding glass door. The chilly breeze stirred the wild curls of her hair and caused the hem of her robe to flutter around her ankles. She had very nice ankles, Sam thought. Dainty, feminine, sexy.

Abby got the door locked and turned around to face him.

“So do you date a lot of cat burglars?” he asked, before he could stop himself.

Abby made a face. “That is not amusing. But just to be clear, Nick and I never dated.”

“Why not? Seems like you two have a lot in common, what with being in the same business and all.”

Why was he pushing her like this? he wondered. They had more important things to talk about, such as the lab book. But he knew the answer. He had been feeling increasingly territorial all afternoon and evening. Watching Sawyer come through the balcony door and then act as if he had every right to do so because of his personal relationship with Abby had triggered some very primal responses.

“Nick is a friend,” Abby said quietly. “He and Gwen and I go back a long way together. The three of us are like family. For the record, Nick is gay.”

“Huh.” Okay, now he felt like a certified ass. That’s what the old primal-response thing did to a man, he thought. It made him stupid.

Abby watched him with her mysterious eyes. Energy continued to swirl gently in the atmosphere around her. He realized that he was still running a little hot. An edgy hunger stirred things deep inside him.

“That gadget that you used to stun Nick,” she said after a while. “Is that your own invention?”

“Works on crystal energy. But it can only be triggered by psychic currents.”

“In other words, only someone with talent can use it?”

“Yes. I think of it as a bug zapper.” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to suppress the restlessness. “This isn’t a good time to talk about technology. We both need sleep.”

Newton appeared from the hallway. He looked plaintively at Abby.

“He wants to go out,” Abby said.

“He went out earlier. I can’t believe you’re in the habit of taking him out at two in the morning every night.”

“Of course not,” Abby said. “But we don’t usually have so much excitement going on in the living room at this hour. Now he’s wide awake, and so am I. We could both use a stroll to work off some of the adrenaline. I’ll take him up to the garden.”

“In your nightgown and robe?” It dawned on Sam that he sounded like a scandalized husband.

Abby was amused. “Calm down. I’ll put on a coat and a pair of shoes. No one will know that I’m in my nightgown.”

Sam thought about saying something along the lines of “It’s the principle of the thing” but decided that it would only make him look like a Neanderthal.

Abby went down the hall and opened a closet door. Newton trotted enthusiastically in her wake.

“Hang on,” Sam said, resigned. “You’re not going up there alone.”

They took the elevator to the rooftop terrace, went through a set of glass doors and out into the crisp summer night. Low-level lamps marked the winding path through the elaborately planted rooftop garden. Abby and Newton went ahead, to the gate of the section that had been set aside for dogs.

Sam pulled up the collar of his jacket. At least it wasn’t raining, he thought. Abby was bundled up in a long trench coat. She had on a pair of shoes that his sister, Emma, would have called slides, but they looked a lot like slippers to him.

He watched her stoop down to unclip Newton’s leash. As soon as he was free, Newton hurried through the gate and began to investigate a row of bushes, selecting just the right spot. Choices, choices, Sam thought. It seemed like there were always choices to be made in life. And once a man had made his decision, he was committed.

He moved to stand beside Abby, savoring her scent and her unique vibes. She did not try to put any distance between them.

“Sorry I zapped your friend tonight,” he said.

“Nick had it coming. He had no business sneaking into my home tonight to go through my mail. As long as there was no permanent harm done.”

“He’ll be fine. At least I think he will.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Relax. According to my design calculations, there won’t be any permanent damage.”

She looked up at him, her eyes pools of mystery in the darkness. “Have you ever used that gadget on anyone else?”

“No. Haven’t had the opportunity. But I’ve had some experience with a prototype.”

“Great. Wonderful. I’m so relieved to hear that.”

He exhaled slowly. “Nick asked me if I was qualified to act as a bodyguard.”

“You’re not my bodyguard,” she said quickly. “You’re my hired in­vestigator.”

“Comes down to the same thing. And you have a right to know my qualifications.”

“As a bodyguard or as an investigator?”

“Both. I told Nick that I’ve done some consulting for a private contractor that does some work for a government agency.”

She smiled. “The post office?”

“You know, you and your friend have a warped sense of humor.”

“Nick already made that joke?”

“Yeah.”

“Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Go on.”

“I’m trying to explain that I do have some experience in this kind of work. Thought it would make you feel better.”

“You don’t need to tell me your credentials,” she said. “Although I admit I’m curious. But the bottom line is that I know you can handle my situation. I wouldn’t have let you spend the night under my roof if I thought otherwise.”

“What makes you so sure I’m qualified for the job?”

“My intuition, of course. Hey, I’m psychic, remember? You give off all the right vibes.”

He turned to face her. “What kind of vibes would those be?”

“I knew the moment I met you that you’re the kind of man who does what he says he’s going to do. No excuses. In some ways, you’re as hard as any of those rocks in your collection, but you can be counted on to complete the job or go down trying, and it would take a lot to bring you down. You’ve committed yourself to protecting me while we hunt for the blackmailer and the lab book. You would not have made that commitment unless you thought you could carry it out. I realize you have your own agenda, but that doesn’t mean you won’t honor your commitments.”

“You’ve known me for less than twenty-four hours. How can you be so damn sure of me?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Just something about your energy. But I’m not basing my conclusions entirely on my own intuition. Thaddeus Webber thinks you’re the right man for the job. But more to the point, Gwen and Newton approve of you. And Nick, for all his faults, is a pretty good judge of character, too. He has to be, because he deals with some very shady clients. He wouldn’t have left without a struggle tonight if he thought you couldn’t be trusted to do your job.”

“In other words, you trust me because your friends and your dog signed off on me.”

“They’re my family, Sam. I’ve got another, picture-perfect family, but it’s not the same thing. Gwen, Nick and Newton are my real family. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” He reached out and framed her face between his hands. “But there’s something you need to understand. The lab book is important, but you are my number-one priority in this thing. I give you my word on that.”

Her eyes burned with a little heat. “That’s good to know.”

“Is there any other man who might climb through your window tonight?” he asked. “Some other guy who might feel he has a claim on you?”

“No,” she said. She rose slowly on her toes, as if she was making her decision on the way up. The energy around her got a little hotter. “No one else. Not tonight. Anyone I should know about who might feel she has a claim on you?”

“No,” he said.

“That’s all right, then.”

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly, carefully, as if she was conducting a delicate experiment, the outcome of which was designed to satisfy her curiosity but not to oblige her to make a commitment.

Fire roared through him. He lifted his head.

“Don’t know about you,” he rasped, “but as far as I’m concerned, we are not running a field test or a lab experiment here.”

Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll show you.”

He crushed her close and kissed her hard and deep, making it clear that he wasn’t running a test. This was the real deal, and he wanted to make sure she knew it.

She was clearly startled, and for a terrible moment he thought she would retreat. But she gave an urgent little gasp and tightened her arms around his neck. Her mouth softened invitingly under his.

Heat lightning snapped and flashed in the atmosphere. He was suddenly more aroused than he had ever been in his life. It was as if the energy of his aura was resonating with hers in a way that made every sensation more intense, more volatile, more vital.

He was trying to decide how to get her out of the coat and down onto one of the loungers when she planted both hands against his chest and pushed herself a little distance away. She was breathless.

“Newton,” she managed.

He looked down. Newton was sitting at their feet, his head tipped to one side with an expectant air. He had the leash between his teeth.

“Your dog has lousy timing,” Sam said. “But he’s got a point. It’s too cold out here for this kind of thing.”

Abby giggled. Her laughter sparkled in the night. Sam grabbed her hand and made for the glass doors. Newton, leash still in his teeth, dashed after them, excited and enthusiastic.

“He thinks we’re playing a game,” Abby said. She punched the elevator button.

The elevator door opened. Sam pulled her inside. Newton trotted in with them.

Sam hit the button for the tenth floor and pinned Abby to the wall.

“No games,” he vowed.

She struggled a bit. He held her still and kissed her fiercely.

When the elevator doors opened, he was forced to release her. She clamped a hand over her mouth and looked at him with laughter-filled eyes.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

In response, she pointed up at the ceiling of the elevator. He saw the security camera and realized why she had resisted a moment ago. He laughed and yanked her back into his arms, making sure that he was kissing her as the elevator doors closed, making sure that the last image recorded on the security camera was that of Abby in his arms.

Staking his claim.