Liam

7

“SO, DO YOU LOVE HER?”

Liam sat at the end of the bar with Brian, the two of them sharing a late-afternoon meal. Quinn’s Pub was busy for a weekday, filled with all the regular patrons, the after-work crowd and a few tourists, as well. The pub had appeared in the latest edition of Roamer’s Travel Guide to Boston as one of the truly authentic Irish pubs and Seamus had been pleased with the boost in business-even if the regulars weren’t.

This afternoon Dylan was behind the bar and Brian had stopped by for some dinner before he headed for the station. A half-eaten corned-beef sandwich sat on a plate in front of him. Liam had settled for a burger and fries.

“Aren’t you going to answer my question?” Brian asked.

“Are you a reporter twenty-four hours a day?” Liam countered.

His brother grinned. “I’m used to getting the truth out of people and I don’t think you’re telling me the truth.”

Liam reached out and picked up his glass of Guinness, then took a sip. “I don’t know. I guess, until now, I really haven’t thought about it.”

“Either you do or you don’t. It’s that simple.”

Liam paused. “It’s never that simple. You know me. I need people to like me, especially women. I know what they want and I give it to them. And even after it’s over, after I’ve moved on to the next woman, they still want to be friends.”

“Sounds like you’ve been seeing a shrink,” Brian teased.

Liam pointed to a dog-eared book on the bar. “Ellie left that at my apartment. She’s always got one of these books open. Self-improvement.” He held it up. “Ten Steps to True Love. I’ve been reading it. According to the book I’m ‘Male Type No. 4: the Consummate Charmer.”’ He flipped through the pages and read, “‘The Consummate Charmer feels an almost pathological need for feminine approval. He’ll say and do anything to complete the conquest, then will move on, finding another woman who will give him a fresh ego boost.”’

A frown furrowed Brian’s brow. “That’s not you.”

“Oh, no? Sounds pretty sick, doesn’t it?” Liam sighed. “I think it all goes back to our childhood. I’ve thought a lot about this and what happened to us when we were kids has made us into the guys we are today.”

“Now you sound like a shrink,” Brian said. “We’re Quinns. We’re not supposed to sink into self-examination.”

“Maybe so. But look at us. Conor was responsible for holding the family together. And now he spends his life trying to protect the public the same way he protected us. And Dylan, he rescues the helpless. We were helpless when we were kids.”

“And Brendan,” Brian added. “He was always trying to escape. And now he can’t stay in any one place for more than a month or two. He and Amy live like nomads.”

“I haven’t figured out you and Sean yet,” Liam said. “But then I’m new to this.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Brian said. “It’s only natural that our upbringing affected who we are. Da gone for months at a time, Ma walking out when we were so young, Conor and Dylan and Brendan raising us. And then there were all those Mighty Quinn stories.”

“But our older brothers got past that. Conor, Dylan and Brendan. They all fell in love. So it’s possible.”

“Maybe,” Brian conceded.

Liam silently contemplated the notion of love while Brian finished his dinner. Was he in love with Ellie Thorpe? From the moment he’d first seen her through the lens of his camera, he’d been drawn to her. And then after they’d met, it had been almost impossible to put her out of his mind.

Time and time again he’d tried to rationalize his feelings. Why was she any different than all the other women who had walked in and out of his life? How had she managed to find a place in his heart when the others hadn’t? His brothers might say that it was the Quinn family curse. That if he didn’t want to love her then he shouldn’t have saved her from the burglar.

But Liam knew better. Something had shifted inside him. Gone was his instinct to run, to avoid commitment at any cost. For the first time in his life he actually wanted a relationship to last longer than a few months.

“Maybe you should give it a chance,” Brian said.

“You think?”

He nodded. “The way I see it, we’ve got one shot at it. And if we don’t recognize it when it comes along, then we spend our lives looking. Look at Da. After all those years he’s still in love with Ma. She walks out on him and he’s thrilled to have her walk back in the door twenty-five years later.”

“Not everyone has been happy to see her,” Liam said.

“What is it with Sean?”

Liam shrugged, then nodded toward the door. “Why don’t you ask him?”

They both watched as Sean strolled through the bar. He gave Dylan a wave and sat at the far end before noticing his brothers at the opposite end. He picked up his beer and started toward them. Liam fought the impulse to leave.

“What are you doing here?” Sean demanded, setting his beer down on the bar.

Liam groaned softly. He was in no mood. “Lay off, Sean.”

“You’re supposed to be watching Ellie Thorpe.”

“I’m done. I don’t need your money and I don’t want the job. If you want her watched, then you do it yourself.”

“Pettibone is still in town. We’re this close. You can’t quit.”

“I can and I do. Besides, she knows we’re watching her. If she embezzled that money, she’s probably long gone by now.”

Sean cursed softly. “She knows?”

“Yeah. After I left this morning, I went to her apartment and waited for her. I told her everything.”

“Why?”

“She thought I was some kind of stalker so I had to set her straight.”

Sean let out a tightly held breath. “She’s gone.”

“Maybe not,” Liam said. “You’re under the assumption that she’s in on this with Ronald. I don’t think she is.”

“He’s in love with her,” Brian said, his mouth full of corned beef.

Sean glanced between the two of them. “Aw, hell. I should have know this was going to happen.”

“I’m not in love with her,” Liam said. “Not at all. I’m just not interested in doing your dirty work. If you want to watch her, then go ahead. If you want to chase Ronald Pettibone around Boston, feel free. I’m just saying that I’m done with it.” Liam pushed away from the bar. “I’m going to play some pool. I’m sure there’s some beautiful young thing who needs a partner.”

He left his brothers to discuss the vagaries of love while he wandered to the back of the pub. Two girls in tight shirts and body-hugging jeans had commandeered the pool table, giggling and flirting with the men who had gathered to watch. Liam set a quarter on the corner of the table. “I’ll play the winner,” he said.

They both turned to him and graced him with dazzling smiles. He’d assumed that charming a new woman would take his mind off the previous woman. But as he watched them finish their game, Liam found himself comparing the pair to Ellie Thorpe-and they were suffering in the comparison.

He hadn’t known Ellie for long-not nearly long enough to be sure that he loved her. But he knew the important things: she was honest and kind and stubborn and determined. She was passionate and naive and spontaneous and optimistic. And she had a natural beauty that didn’t fade over time. In truth, Liam could go on and on, listing all the qualities about her that he admired.

He strolled over to the rack and picked out a cue. Maybe that was it. He didn’t just need Ellie or want her, it wasn’t just about attraction. He admired her. She’d walked away from her life in New York and come to Boston to start fresh. Though her history with men had been a series of disasters, she still believed in romance and passion. She wasn’t jaded or cynical or bitter, she was just…Ellie.

“So, are you one of the famous Quinn brothers?”

Liam turned around, startled out of his silent contemplation of pool cues. “What?”

“Which Quinn are you?”

“Liam,” he said. “Liam Quinn.”

“I’m Danielle,” she said.

“And who’s your friend?” Liam asked, nodding toward the redhead.

“She’s not my friend. And you don’t need to know her name. She’s going to lose this game.” The blonde reached out and touched his arm, initiating a flirtation that Liam knew by heart. First, she’d touch him innocently. Then he was supposed to touch her. And then gradually the touching would become more regular and more intimate. And then, after a few hours, he’d kiss her, just a casual kiss at first and then- Liam groaned inwardly. Hell, it suddenly sounded so trite and silly. How many Saturday nights had he wasted charming women just like these two? And where had it gotten him?

Danielle sauntered up to the table and took a shot, banking the cue ball off the rail and sinking the nine in a side pocket. Then she wandered back to Liam, brushing against his body. “So are all the tales true?” she asked.

“Tales?”

“About the Quinn boys. Women do talk, you know.”

“And what do they say about the Quinn boys?”

Danielle tossed her hair over her shoulder and sent him a sexy smile. “They say they’re the best.”

Liam groaned inwardly. He was just too tired to play the game tonight. Or maybe too bored. Or too preoccupied. But the best way to forget about one woman was to spend a little time with another. Liam grabbed the chalk from the edge of the table and ground it onto the end of the cue. “Well, we are pretty good pool players. As for the rest, most rumors are just that-rumors.”

He watched as Danielle’s friend knocked the eight ball into the wrong pocket. Then he grabbed his quarter from the end of the table and shoved it in the slot. The balls tumbled down and Liam reached for the rack.

One game of pool. And if he didn’t find it…interesting, then he’d leave. Liam stepped back from the table and hung the rack on a hook on the wall. And if he managed to go fifteen minutes without thinking about Ellie, then he’d have to consider that a victory.

ELLIE STOOD OUTSIDE Quinn’s Pub, staring at the neon beer signs that glowed from the windows. A damp breeze blew off the ocean, tingeing the air with the smell of the sea. She pulled her jacket more tightly around her body and took a deep breath.

She wasn’t sure what she was doing here, but she knew she had to speak to Liam. She’d watched the attic across the street from her apartment and noticed no movement at the windows. Then she’d stopped at his apartment in Southie and he’d been out. Quinn’s Pub was the next place to look.

Why was she really here? Was it for explanations? Or apologies? Or did she just need to reassure herself that things were completely over with Liam Quinn?

After their confrontation in the attic she’d been so hurt and angry that she hadn’t had a chance to think. Her only impulse had been to lash out at him. But after she’d returned to her apartment and begun to clean up the mess, she realized that whatever Liam believed or did not believe didn’t really make a difference. The management at Intertel Bank was under the impression that she’d stolen a quarter-million dollars.

Before she moved on to a new life, she’d have to clean up the mess from the old. And that meant proving her innocence…and finding a way to rationalize her very passionate but short relationship with Liam Quinn. Ellie looked both ways before crossing the street, then she jogged up the steps of the pub. Loud Irish music and the clamor of voices could be heard from outside and she gathered her resolve, determined to remain unemotional when speaking with Liam.

Satisfied that she was ready, she pulled open the door and stepped inside. The first person she recognized was Liam’s father, Seamus Quinn. Then she saw Dylan, the firefighter, behind the bar with his father. She caught his eye and gave him a little wave. He looked at her for a long moment and then smiled and motioned her over.

“Hey there, Ellie!”

She returned his smile. “Hi, Dylan,” she said, raising her voice to be heard over the music.

“So you’ve decided to venture inside Quinn’s. What can I get you? Have you ever had a Guinness? Or maybe you’d like something more suited to a lady’s tastes.”

“Actually, I don’t need anything to drink. I was just looking for Liam. Do you know where he is?”

Dylan glanced over his shoulder. “He was down at the end of the bar with Sean and Brian. But maybe he’s left. I’ll just go-”

“No,” Ellie said. “I’ll go ask. Thanks.”

She wandered toward the end of the bar and found Brian and Sean. When they saw her, Sean turned to look toward a small alcove in the back. A crowd was gathered around the pool table and she saw Liam there, standing next to a curvaceous blonde in skin-tight jeans. The blonde leaned into him, wrapping her arm around his, and Ellie felt a surge of jealousy mixed with a healthy dose of anger. How quickly he’d forgotten her.

She watched him for a long moment as he leaned over the table and made a shot. He had an athletic grace that made even the act of wielding a pool cue seem sexy and provocative. Ellie’s gaze followed that of Liam’s companion, her eyes fixing on his backside. Whether he and the blonde were together or not didn’t change what she’d come to say.

She walked back to the table and waited for Liam to see her. After he took another shot, he glanced up, his gaze meeting hers. She felt the breath leave her lungs and had to force herself to take another. At first he registered surprise, and then he smiled. Without taking his eyes from hers, Liam tossed his pool cue on the table, knocking the balls in all directions, and circled around to stand in front of her.

“You’re here,” he murmured, his gaze scanning her features as if he hadn’t seen her in years. “I thought maybe you’d left town.”

She shook her head. “Can I talk to you?”

“Sure.”

“Somewhere a bit more private?”

“Liam, aren’t you going to finish our game?”

Liam glanced back at the girl he’d been with, her lips now pursed in a pretty pout. “I can’t. Find yourself another Quinn brother. This place is crawling with them.”

“I think I need to talk to Sean, too,” Ellie said.

Liam called out to his brother and motioned him over. They all found a booth in a dark corner of the pub and sat, Sean and Liam on one side and Ellie across the table.

She tried to avoid looking at Liam, but it was hard. He was staring at her, his eyes fixed on her face. Ellie forced a smile. “I don’t know if you’re still looking for Ronald Pettibone. I mean, you know where he is. But I think I know what he wants.” She reached inside her purse and pulled out a music box.

“What is this?” Liam asked, reaching out to pick it up.

“Ronald gave this to me a few weeks before we broke up. And then right before I left New York, he asked if he could have it back. He said it was a family heirloom. But this isn’t an antique. I was so angry at him, I refused. Then I left New York to start over in Boston. And the next thing I knew, Ronald shows up here. I think he may have been the one to break into my apartment.”

“So do I,” Liam said.

Ellie glanced over at Sean and he nodded in agreement. “And I think this is what he was looking for,” she continued. “I had it in a box down in my landlord’s storage locker. Ronald wouldn’t have known to look there.” She reached out to turn the music box over, her hand brushing against Liam’s. For an instant she remembered what those hands had done to her, how they’d moved over her body, how they’d driven her wild with need. Ellie swallowed hard. “The bottom comes off. You just push that little clip forward.”

Liam popped the bottom off, then glanced up at Ellie. “There’s a key in here,” he said.

Ellie nodded. “It’s for a safe-deposit box and that bank is here in Boston. We came here on a long weekend and that’s when he gave me the music box. We weren’t together every minute and he may have had time to visit the bank. It’s Rawson Bank. They have a branch a few blocks from the hotel where we stayed. I think that whatever is in that safe-deposit box has something to do with the embezzlement.”

“If we could get in the box and-”

She shook her head. “Unless he put the box in my name, we won’t be able to open it. I would have had to sign a card at the bank and I don’t remember doing that, so I don’t think that’s the case.”

Liam handed the key to Sean. “We’ll check it out.”

“No,” Ellie said.

“No?” Sean asked.

“I have a plan. I’m going to call him and tell him that I know about the embezzlement and that I want part of the money in exchange for the key.”

“Ellie, I don’t want you to-”

She held up her hand, stopping Liam’s protest. “I’m going to do this. I’ll do it alone or you can be a part of it. But if I don’t get it straight, then they’re always going to think I’m an embezzler.”

Liam slid out of the booth then reached over and grabbed Ellie’s hand, dragging her after him. “Excuse us, I need to talk to Ellie alone.”

As he pulled her toward the kitchen, Ellie tried to yank her hand away. “You can’t talk me out of this.”

When they reached the kitchen, Liam backed her up against a counter and braced his hands on either side of her, blocking her escape. He caught her gaze, his eyes intense and unyielding. “Ellie, this guy has already proved that he is willing to kill for this money. I don’t want you taking this into your own hands. Sean and I will track down the money and we’ll go to the authorities.”

“No,” Ellie said.

“If this doesn’t work, then Ronald is going to pass the blame to you. And he might walk away from this free and clear while you serve his time in jail. Do you want to risk that?”

“I didn’t do this,” Ellie said.

“I know you didn’t.”

“Do you?”

Liam sighed. “Ellie, I never really believed that you were a part of this. Ask Sean. From the moment I met you, I questioned whether you could have done this. Do you think I would have gotten involved with you if I really thought you were a criminal?”

“And why did you get involved with me?”

“Because…I don’t know…I couldn’t help myself.”

“Or maybe you were just doing a job?”

“I know you’re angry and you feel as if I deceived you and-”

“You did,” she said.

“I’m sorry.” He stared down into her eyes and Ellie willed the tears from falling. Slowly he brought his hands to her cheeks, cupping her face in his palms. He bent closer and she knew he was about to kiss her. At the last moment Ellie turned her head and stepped away from him.

“So how are we going to handle this?” she asked.

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“I-I mean about Ronald. I think I should call him and invite him over. But I don’t want to show him the key right then. He might…”

“Damn it, Ellie, you can’t-”

“Stop,” she said. She took a deep breath. “Maybe I can tell Ronald that I have the key in a safe place. Then we can go get it, then go to the bank, then when we’re there, you can arrest him.”

“I can’t arrest him. Sean can’t, either. According to Sean, once we have Ronald dead to rights, then we call the bank. They call the authorities, the grand jury indicts Ronald, an arrest warrant is issued and then they grab him. It’s all pretty complicated.”

Ellie looked up at him. “I can do this. I know I can get him to tell me what he did.”

This time, Liam didn’t hesitate. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to him, kissing her long and hard. She didn’t pull away. Instead she smoothed her hands over his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. When it was clear Liam wasn’t going to stop until she did, she pulled back, and he pressed his forehead against hers. She wanted to tell him how he’d hurt her, how much she’d cared and how fragile she felt.

But Ellie wasn’t ready to tell him what was in her heart. If he didn’t return her feelings, then she was certain that her heart would break into a million pieces. And this time it wouldn’t mend. She was in love with Liam Quinn, really and truly in love for the first time in her life.

“I should go,” she said.

“No. We’re going to talk about this. If you’re going to do this, I have to know you’ll be safe,” he murmured.

“What should I do? Just tell me.”

“You’re going to call Ronald tonight and say you want to meet him. But it has to be somewhere that we can watch you. And listen.”

Ellie nodded.

“Don’t tell him what you want to talk about. Or if he asks, just mention that thing about finding a job. Keep it light. Make him believe that he’s finally got an opening.”

“I can’t believe I ever cared about him,” Ellie said. “I should have dumped him before he had a chance to dump me.” She frowned. “The only thing I can’t figure out is why he dumped me before he got the key back.”

“He probably figured he could charm his way back into your life at any time. And he had to wait for the right time, once the suspicion was off him. But after you quit at Intertel and came to Boston, it must have taken him a while to track you down.” Liam paused. “Maybe I should be there when you call him.”

Though Ellie would have welcomed his support, she knew she couldn’t fall back into their relationship so quickly. It was easy to love Liam Quinn, to depend upon him. But for once in her life she was going to take off her rose-colored glasses and see the guy for who he really was. A man who had deceived her, a man who had betrayed her.

“I’ll call you,” she said.

“I’ll drive you home.” He touched his finger to her lips before she could protest. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

Ellie nodded. She did feel much safer when he was with her-at least physically. But emotionally she knew that all it would take was another kiss and she’d risk losing her heart. Though he’d been there to save her from danger before, this time she’d have to save herself.

ELLIE SMOOTHED HER HANDS over the front of the black cocktail dress, then tugged at the neckline in an attempt to hide a bit more skin. She’d purchased the dress nearly three years ago for a special date she’d had with a Wall Street stockbroker, thinking that it might impress him. But then he’d called and canceled at the last minute and she’d never heard from him again.

When she’d pulled it from her closet, the tags still dangled from the dress. But at least it would be put to good use now. Tonight she was determined to trap a man and, in the process, to clear her own name.

She should be scared, or at least a little worried that she might not be able to pull this off. But since she’d met Liam, Ellie had learned that even she had the capacity to wield her feminine power. She may not be a femme fatale, but she’d gained a confidence that she’d never had before, secure in the knowledge that at least one devastatingly attractive and charming man found her sexy.

Ellie tugged on the hem, which rose to midthigh. But when she did that, the neckline plunged, revealing a fair amount of cleavage. “Just leave it alone,” she murmured, adjusting her bra. She took a deep breath and examined herself critically. “I look…good.” She turned to her side. “Really good. He’s going to be putty in my hands.”

“Is that what you’re wearing?”

Ellie’s heart skipped a beat at the deep sound of Liam’s voice. He and Sean had arrived at her apartment several hours ago to plant a microphone. And since that time, Liam had been hovering over her, watching her get ready for her “date,” silently observing-and driving her a bit crazy, as well. Sean had merely wished her luck and returned to the attic across the street.

She saw Liam’s reflection in the mirror, his shoulder braced against the doorjamb of her bedroom. “What do you think?” Ellie asked. “I think it will do the trick, don’t you?”

“Aren’t you a little…exposed?” Liam snapped.

Ellie slowly turned to look at him. He was jealous. She smiled inwardly, taking a secret pleasure in that fact. “I want to entice Ronald, to show him that I’m not just some meek little wallflower. I need to appear confident and sexy, the kind of woman who would stand up for herself, who’d be willing to do anything to get what she wants.”

“And you can’t do that in a different dress?”

Ellie frowned. “What’s wrong? You want this to work, don’t you?”

Liam cursed, then turned on his heel and walked back to the living room. Ellie followed him. But as she caught up to him, she realized why he was so surly. “Are you upset because my dress is too sexy? Or because Ronald is going to see more of me than you think is proper?”

He turned on her, his jaw tight, his eyes icy. “You don’t know what Ronald Pettibone is capable of. He tried to kill you more than once. I don’t think it’s wise to provoke him.”

“But…but you’re going to be here to protect me if anything goes wrong. And Sean is watching from across the street. I’m not afraid. I’m just worried that I might mess up.”

“You know what we agreed on, right? If at anytime you feel unsafe, then you say the word ‘hungry.’ Ask Ronald if he’s hungry. I’ll be out of that bedroom in less than a second.”

“All right. But what if he wants to go get the key right away?”

“Just tell him that the music box is in another safe-deposit box with your other valuables. And you can’t get it until tomorrow morning. You’ll get it and meet him at his bank tomorrow to pick up the money.”

“And that’s when we’ll catch him in the act, right?”

“Right. Sean has talked to Intertel and they’ve called the authorities and told them that Ronald is here. They’ll pick him up when he takes the money from the bank.”

Ellie nodded. “And what about me?”

“You’re going to have to tell your story,” Liam said. “But I think it’s pretty obvious that you didn’t have anything to do with this. That Ronald was planning to use you as a scapegoat if things fell apart.” He reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “You can do this, Ellie.”

“I have to,” she said, staring down at their intertwined fingers. It felt so good to have him touch her again. Since he’d kissed her a few nights ago at the pub, they’d maintained an uneasy distance. Ellie still stung over the fact that he had deceived her. As for Liam, he seemed to want her to forget all his transgressions and pick up where they’d left off.

Ellie sucked in a deep breath and the knots in her stomach tightened. After this was all over she had vowed to make another fresh start, to find a new place to live, a new job, to put this all behind her. But when she thought about life without Liam, the pain moved from her stomach to her heart.

The buzzer sounded on the security panel and Ellie jumped. “That’s Ronald,” she said, glancing at her watch. “He’s early.”

“I’m going to be in the bedroom. I’ll be able to hear everything he says.”

“What if he wants to go in the bedroom? I mean, what if I have to-”

Liam’s eyes narrowed. “If he wants that, then you just get him out of this apartment. Under no circumstance are you to-”

“No! I meant, what if he wants to see my apartment?”

He tipped his head back and sighed. “Just try to avoid that. If he does, then I’ll hide in the closet.”

She nodded, then reached over to the security panel and buzzed him in. Liam grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, then lifted it to his mouth and placed a kiss on her wrist. “Remember the word?”

“Hungry,” Ellie repeated.

She waited until Liam was safely in the bedroom, then opened the front door, stepping out onto the landing. When she saw Ronald climbing the stairs, she pasted a smile on her face and tried to appear as nonchalant as possible. “Hello, Ronald,” she said.

He gave her a smile, the same smile he’d given her hundreds of times before. But she’d never really noticed how smarmy it was. “Hello, beautiful.”

“Come on in. Sit down.”

He did as he was told, sauntering inside with a cock-sure attitude. “Nice place,” he said.

Ellie gritted her teeth. As if he’d never seen it before! “Thanks. Can I get you something to drink? I have a nice bottle of wine.”

“Sure.”

She escaped to the kitchen, giving herself a moment to breathe and to compose herself. So far so good. “Are you-” Ellie stopped herself. “Interested in something to eat? I have cheese and crackers.” She’d almost said the secret word! “Focus,” she murmured to herself.

“No,” Ronald replied. “Just the wine.”

When she returned to the living room, she found Ronald standing at her bookshelves, carefully examining the knickknacks she had on display. She held out the glass of wine.

“Thanks,” he said. “I was just noticing. You don’t have that music box that I gave you.”

“Funny you should mention that,” Ellie said.

“Why is that?”

Ellie sent him a shrewd look. “Sit down, Ronald. We need to talk.” When he was settled on the sofa, Ellie took a tiny sip of her wine, marshaled all her resolve and jumped in. “About a week ago, I spoke with someone from the bank. Dana. Do you remember her?” She waved her hand. “It doesn’t make any difference if you do or you don’t. The point is, she told me that you’d left your job. And she also told me that someone had embezzled a quarter-million dollars from the bank. Can you believe that?”

Ronald shook his head, an uneasy expression crossing his face. “That’s terrible.”

“It is. What’s even more terrible is that they have two suspects.”

“How could that be terrible?”

“Because one of the suspects is me. And the other is you. Now, I know I didn’t do this, so that leads me to only one conclusion-that you did.”

“Ellie, I can’t believe that you’d believe that I-”

“Save it, Ronald. I found the key in the music box. I know what you’re trying to do. You broke into my apartment a few weeks ago, looking for the music box. You tried to run me down on the street and to kill me with a falling brick, probably thinking that if you put me in the hospital you’d have more time to search my things. And when that didn’t work, you broke in a second time and ransacked my apartment.”

“Really, Ellie, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I have the key,” she said. “It must be pretty important-important enough for you to search me out. So if you want the key, then you and I are going to have to make a deal.”

He stared at her for a long moment, obviously evaluating the situation and gauging her determination. “Let’s say I did embezzle that money. What do you expect to get out of this?”

“I could ask for half, since you’ve already made it look like I was the one who did this. But I’m not a greedy person, Ronald. I’d be happy with fifty thousand. Enough to buy me a new start, maybe in San Francisco or Chicago.”

“Do you have the key here?”

“No. It’s in a safe place. If you agree to the deal, I’ll get it and we’ll meet at the bank and you can give me my share.”

Ronald opened his mouth, as if he were about to refuse, then laughed sharply. “I think I underestimated you, Ellie.”

“Most men do. They don’t realize what they had until it’s gone.” She set her wineglass down, then stood. “So, do we have a deal?”

He rose and took a step closer. “I guess we do. And maybe we should seal the deal with a kiss? For old times’ sake.”

Ellie couldn’t think of anything worse than kissing Ronald Pettibone, except maybe dental surgery without anesthesia. But she had a part to play and she didn’t want to arouse his suspicions. She gave him a coy smile. “All right,” she said. “To seal the deal.”