don’t know what you saw on the island, Beth. But everyone there knew you saw something. And it’s obvious that you’re scared. Though if you are scared of something, it’s not really all that bright to go ahead and just answer the door. Actually, you should never just open a door. That’s why most of them have peepholes, you know.”
“Yes, thank you for the lecture. I answered the door like that because I thought you were my brother.”
“You scream when your brother arrives?”
She was glad when the phone began to ring then. She excused herself and went to pick up the kitchen extension.
It was Ashley.
“Hey,” Beth murmured, watching Keith Henson in her living room as she spoke.
“I wanted you to know, there’s an APB out for those people you met on the island.”
She nearly choked. “Which ones?”
“That couple. Brad and Sandy.”
She almost gasped in relief. “Um…why?”
“They’re wanted for questioning. There’s no proof of anything against them, and I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but I happen to know that the nameplate from the Retired! was discovered in the water just off Calliope Key. I thought you should know. I mean, I doubt they’ll show up around here, and hopefully they have no idea they’re under suspicion, but…well, you might have found the remains of one of the Monocos. The powers that be don’t want that news getting out yet, because they don’t want to scare them off if there’s a chance of bringing them in for questioning.”
Keith was still standing in the living room. She had the feeling that he could describe the place in detail if he was asked to do so later.
“Um…” She turned away, not wanting Keith to hear her. “Why do they suspect those two?”
“There’s a reason,” Ashley assured her.
“And that would be?”
Ashley didn’t give her a direct reply. Instead, she asked, “Want to meet me at Nick’s tomorrow? Breakfast, lunch, brunch—whatever works for you. Maybe you can give me a hand.”
Her friend wasn’t going to say any more over the phone, she realized. She was just glad for the information she had gotten.
If anyone was guilty, it was Brad and Sandy. Not Keith Henson or his friends. Not the man with whom she’d already slept, who was standing in her living room, surveying it with what appeared to be a practiced eye.
“Beth?”
“I’m here.”
“You’ll meet me?”
“Sure. I have to run into the office for a little while in the morning, and then I’ll be out.”
“See you then. Be careful, okay?”
Beth paused for a moment. “I will.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
She hung up and found Keith smiling at her. “It really is a nice place.”
“I’m glad you like it.” She was convinced there was certainly nothing evil about the man, so why did she feel uncomfortable?
She still didn’t know why Sandy and Brad were the ones attracting suspicion when others had been on the island, as well, and the Monocos had been missing for roughly a year.
“Are you in Miami for long?” she asked.
“I don’t know. We kind of go with the flow,” he told her.
“Must be nice.”
He studied her for a long moment. “You’re acting very strangely.”
“According to you, I’m always acting strangely.”
“Sorry. And I’m sorry for just showing up, too. I honestly thought I was invited. Since that evidently wasn’t the case—”
“It wasn’t, but you—you don’t have to go,” she murmured quickly.
“You don’t seem pleased that I’m here.”
She smiled suddenly. “Actually, I am,” she told him very softly. Then, because it seemed to her that the tone of her voice was way too intimate, she said quickly, “I’m the one who’s sorry. I…well, to use one of Amber’s words, I suck as a hostess. Can I get you a drink? I think I have wine and beer. Or coffee? Tea? Water?”
He grinned, walking toward her.
She was startled that she was still standing. She felt as if her bones had turned to liquid, destroying all hope of remaining upright.
Then he was there in front of her. He touched her chin, lifting it just slightly. She met his eyes and felt as if they could make her forget the world, melt into his being.
She shouldn’t give so much to someone she had known so fleetingly, she knew. It was one thing to think she had every right to moments of sex, sensuality and lunacy. But this…
This was frightening.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he murmured huskily, his thumb traveling a path along her cheekbones. “When I should have been thinking about so much else.”
She couldn’t think of a thing to say to that.
“Should I leave?” he asked.
“Are we going to go through this again?” she asked very softly.
“I only—”
“If I didn’t want you here, I wouldn’t have asked you to stay. Yes, I know your speech. Don’t get involved with me. Well, we’re hardly involved.”
“You’re mistaken.”
“We have different definitions of involved, then.”
“So this means nothing to you?” he queried.
“I didn’t say that,” she told him. “But involved…that would mean I’d know where you were, not because you owed me explanations, but just because you’d want me to know. Wanting to see me again would be a priority for you, and seeing you would be a priority for me.”
“Beth, right now I can’t—”
“I didn’t ask you to. I’m a grown-up. I’ve made my choice. I don’t want you to go. It’s already late. You’ll leave too soon as it is, won’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then…”
His movement always
