No makeup at all, and Kane noticed immediately that she'd removed the red nail polish.
Even more than young, she looked ... exposed.
Completely vulnerable, stripped of even the few defenses she had managed to erect since waking up with her past a blank page.
"Hi," she said, her voice more subdued than Kane had yet heard it, her gaze fixed on his sister.
"Hello, Faith."
Kane didn't try to approach her, but poured a cup of coffee for her and pushed it across the work island toward her.
She kept her eyes fixed on the cup as she dumped sugar and cream in it, then carried it to the table and sat down across from Sydney.
"I hear you had a close call last night," Sydney said.
Faith's pale lips moved in an imitation smile. "Close enough. If he hadn't made a noise or two getting the window open ..."
"But you didn't see who it was?"
"No."
"So it really could have been Kane the guy was after."
"I suppose so. Detective Richardson seems to think it's possible."
"Kane, I hope you mean to increase security around here. Those guards of yours have their hands full with the media outside."
"I'm calling the security company right after breakfast. A dozen more men and a couple of dogs on each shift ought to do the job."
Faith sent him a quick glance. "Won't the other tenants in the building object?"
It was Sydney who replied. "Probably not. Kane's their landlord."
Faith hadn't realized he owned the building. Or perhaps the entire complex.
He said, "I doubt they'd say much anyway if the object is to keep them safer."
Faith thought he had a point.
After breakfast, Faith and Sydney shared the cleaning chores while Kane got on the phone to his security company. They ignored the dishwasher by tacit consent, both needing to be occupied by the simple physical actions of washing, drying, and putting away the dishes. It wasn't until the women were alone together that Sydney asked a quiet question.
"How is he doing, really?"
Faith didn't know how to answer that except by being honest. "He hasn't said much to me. I think ... he talked to Bishop."
"They've been friends a long time. If anyone could help.."
Faith wondered if anyone could, but all she said was, "I don't know what to say to him."
Sydney leaned a hip against the counter and kept her gaze on the plate she was drying. The delicate charm bracelet she wore tinkled softly.
"There isn't much you can say, I guess. Me either. All we can do is sympathize with someone else's pain. And be here, in case he needs us."
Faith drew a shaky breath. "Yes, but in my case, I could actually be responsible — directly or indirectly — for the murder of the woman he loves." She used the present tense deliberately.
"You don't know that, Faith."
"That's just it. I don't know. And neither does he."
"Still no luck in remembering, I take it."
"None. And even though we've found out some details of my past, nothing is even vaguely familiar to me."
"So it's still possible that whatever you and Dinah were involved in is something you ... brought with you when you came to Atlanta?"
"More than possible. Something drove me to cross the country and come live in a strange city. I just wish I knew what that was."
"You have no idea at all?"
They've taken everything away from me, Dinah.
Everything.
Faith hesitated, then said, "Apparently, my family was killed, murdered, but I don't know why or by whom. Maybe I came here because of that, but if I did, I still don't remember."
"You have had it rough, haven't you?" Syd's lovely face mirrored the compassion in her voice. "I'm really sorry, Faith. I wish I could help."
"You said it yourself." Faith smiled. "All we can offer is our sympathy when someone else hurts. Thank you for yours."
"If there's anything I can do to help, I will. Don't forget that, Faith."
With absolutely no forethought, Faith heard herself say, "Well, there is one thing. You can tell me if it would be as difficult to rappel down from the roof of this building as I think it would."
Sydney paused in putting a stack of plates in the cabinet to give Faith a startled look, then smiled. "Oh. I suppose Kane told you I used to do some mountain climbing."
As a matter of fact, he had not, but Faith forced herself to nod noncommittally, even as she wondered how she had known. Maybe a lingering memory from Dinah? Or maybe something she had plucked out of the air all on her own? This psychic business was very disconcerting.
"It wouldn't be easy for an amateur," Sydney said in answer to the question. "A sheer wall and pitch darkness, the need for silence. But an experienced climber could handle it without much problem, I'd think."
"I see."
Sydney hung her dish towel very neatly on a bar, turning her attention on the task. "I guess Kane also told you that my husband was killed in a climbing accident. "
"I ... No, he didn't. I'm so sorry, Sydney. If I'd known, I never would have..."
"Don't worry about it. David was killed more than two years ago. It isn't a ... fresh wound anymore. In fact..." She laughed suddenly, a sound that was almost convincing. "Never mind. Why don't we finish up in here and go see if Kane's managed to turn this place into a fortress?"
When they emerged from the kitchen, they found that Kane had concluded his business with the security company and was checking with the answering service that had been taking all calls to his main number since the preceding day. He was over by the piano, portable phone in hand, jotting down notes on a legal pad.
"The media, I guess," Sydney murmured.
Faith thought she was probably right, but when Kane got off the phone, he didn't confirm it. Instead, looking at his sister, he said, "The security company had already sent over more people, and the police have made the media move back away from the building, so you should be able to get out of here without too much trouble."
"I should get to the office," Sydney agreed.
"I appreciate your covering for me, Syd."
"It's no trouble. But you should make a decision on the Ludlow building. Max says his foreman has already gone AWOL, and he's going to have to put the crew back to work on Monday no matter what. Either there or on another project."
Kane frowned. "Jed Norris is missing?"
"Well, Max didn't say missing. I mean, he didn't seem worried, just pissed. Said Jed was steady enough when he was kept busy, but apt to vanish if he had too much time on his hands. What do you want to do about the building, Kane? I've already had a couple of calls from the investment group, and they're not happy work has stopped."
In his mind's eye, Kane saw again those cracks in the foundation, and realized that he was no closer now to figuring out the problem. "Let's get an inspector out there to look it over," he suggested. "Maybe he or she can spot something I missed."
"Okay. I'll make the arrangements. Is there anything else I can do?"
"No, thanks."
"What about you two?" Sydney glanced toward Faith, so still and silent by the fireplace.
"We have plenty to keep us busy," Kane said.
But when his sister had gone and they were alone, he found it difficult to speak to Faith. She seemed far away, and he had the uneasy feeling that one wrong word or gesture would send her completely out of his reach for good.
It reminded him of that last morning with Dinah, when he had weighed each word before speaking it, certain that they were at a dangerous crossroads. He hadn't pushed hard enough then, hadn't been honest about what he was feeling.
And I never saw her again. Except cold and mangled on a slab in the morgue.
Kane pushed that terrible image from his mind.
"I've made arrangements to have the bedroom repaired," he said finally, standing in the center of the room with his hands in his pockets as he watched her.