one by the front entry,” Roger assured him.
Keith nodded, made his way through the tables out to the foyer, trying to get the layout of the club straight in his head. He looked back. Lee had risen with Roger Mason. The two seemed to be thick in conversation. Amanda had been left to flirt with Matt. Their conversation seemed to be intimate. Hank and Gerald were left to speak with one another. Keith watched the dynamics for a long moment, then hurried up the stairs. Curious that Gerald was here tonight. He’d been under the impression that the man lived farther north along the coast and wasn’t around that often.
It didn’t take more than a few minutes to find her office. He let himself in and closed the door.
THE DOOR FLEW OPEN a second time.
Beth stood there, looking horrified. She swallowed hard and said worriedly, “Ben?”
“It’s all right,” Ben grated out. “You missed me. Barely.”
“Dad? Aunt Beth, what did you do?” Amber cried out indignantly.
“It’s all right,” Ben said, straightening. He stared at his sister, stunned. Beth was pale, in shock. Mortified.
“What?” he demanded.
“You scared me,” she said. “Oh, Ben,” she apologized again. “I’m so sorry.” Then she straightened her shoulders. “What the hell were you doing out there? What did you throw against my door?”
He let his shoulders fall as he shook his head. He noticed the large dining-room chair, now moved over to the side of the entry. “Beth, kitchen,” he said.
“Hey,” Amber protested.
“Get in and lock the door, Amber,” Beth said as Ben took her by the shoulder, prodding her toward the kitchen.
He sighed as she stared at him. “Beth, I didn’t want to have to tell you—there was a dead cat in front of your door.”
“A dead cat?”
“The poor thing had obviously been hit, and it crawled up on your porch to die,” Ben told her.
“Ben, someone threw something against my door,” she informed him.
“It probably fell against it,” he said. “Dammit, Beth. You might have blinded me,” he told her.
She exhaled. “Yeah, sorry. The sound just scared me.”
He set his hands on her shoulders. “Let go, Beth. Let go of this whole thing with the Monocos, okay? You’ll turn both of us into idiots jumping at our own shadows.”
She nodded, touched his face. “I didn’t get you?”
He shook his head. “Man, I’m tired. Good night, okay?”
She laughed suddenly. “What are you doing here?”
“Amber said that she had to give you something back. Do me a favor—don’t tell her about the dead cat.”
“Where is it?”
“In my trunk.”
She shook her head. “I won’t say anything.”
They walked back to the living room. Amber was standing there, arms hugged around her chest. “Leave whatever you brought for your aunt and let’s go, huh?” Ben said.
Beth stared at Amber, frowning. Amber stared back at Beth.
She wanted to say something to her aunt, Ben realized. Something she wouldn’t say in front of him.
It was just going to have to wait until tomorrow.
He swore softly. “Amber, just call Beth in the morning, huh? Let’s go.”
He walked out the front door. He heard Beth say softly, “Amber, it’s all right. We’ll talk in the morning.”
His daughter followed him. He heard his sister lock her door behind them as Amber headed for the car.
A moment later, exhausted, he drove away.
WHEN KEITH RETURNED TO the table, Amanda was just rising. “I was about to show Lee and Matt around the pool area. Join us?”
“Absolutely,” he said. He took a sip of the coffee that had arrived in his absence and arched a brow to Roger. “Coming?”
“I’ll let her show you the way,” he said.
“We’ve seen it,” Hank added dryly.
Keith nodded and followed the others out. Amanda caught hold of his arm. “I really want you to meet Maria Lopez. She’s outside.”
The woman was in conversation with a wiry-looking, older Hispanic man. She was animated and spoke quickly in Spanish, her tone hushed.
Realizing that someone was approaching, they both fell silent. The man rose.
“Manny, how delightful,” Amanda purred. As she stepped forward, he took her arms and kissed her cheek.
The woman, very elegant in a dignified, old-world way, waited.
Amanda stepped back. “I’d like you to meet Maria Lopez, a very famous member of our little society, and Manny Ortega, a musician and a talented man! Maria, Manny, let me introduce Keith Henson, Matt Albright and Lee Gomez.”
Keith thought he saw a flicker of recognition in the man’s eyes. But the older man said nothing, merely exchanging handshakes with them all.
“I’m trying to convince them to come to the Summer Sizzler,” Amanda said.
“Yes, you must come,” Maria murmured politely.
“Will you be in the area that long?” Manny asked.
“We can arrange to be,” Lee said in reply.
“If you’re dancing, we’ll certainly arrange it,” Keith assured her.
She assessed him carefully, her beautifully defined features giving away nothing of either appreciation or dismissal. “It will most certainly be my pleasure,” she said.
“Well, I’m showing my friends around,” Amanda said. “Will you excuse us?”
“Certainly,” Manny said.
As they left, Keith noticed that Manny and Maria didn’t resume their conversation.
He was certain it was because they both suspected that Lee’s Spanish was excellent.
He followed the group around for another few minutes, then glanced at his watch and excused himself.
As he had expected, his car was waiting.
