She realized she was holding her breath, let it out in a rush. “Jesus.” She lowered the gun quickly.
“What the fuck?”
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m, umm.” She glanced away, and her eyes fell on the cell phone. In her haste, she hadn’t hung up. Shit. No way to reach it without making it obvious. She looked away, set the pistol on the counter. Praying Bennett wouldn’t speak, wouldn’t draw Daniel’s attention to the phone. “I’m just jumpy.”
Daniel gave that single laugh sound he made, touched his fingertips to his temples. “Well, that woke me up.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Just, you know, don’t shoot me.”
She worked practiced muscles to conjure a smile. The mirror bounced it back to her. It looked natural enough. “No promises.”
He laughed. “I was going to call room service. You want anything?”
“A salad? Whatever looks good.”
“You got it.” He started to close the door. “Be careful, okay, Hopalong?”
“I will.” The moment the door was closed, she stepped over to it and eased the lock button in. Then she picked up the cell phone.
“You know,” Bennett said, “secrets are the death of trust.”
“What do you know about trust?”
“Elaine, that’s a topic I know thoroughly. That and love. The poets don’t have a thing on me when it comes to love and trust. Neither do the divorce lawyers. Without love and trust, I’d be out of work. So tell me, why don’t you want your loving, trusting husband to know you’re on the line with me?”
She couldn’t think of an answer, kept her mouth shut.
“Let’s try another. What’s up with Daniel? He seemed a little off at the Market. Of course, until then he didn’t know what I really look like, did he?”
Her skin goose-bumped despite the steam in the air.
“Still,” he continued, “funny that he would ask about the police.”
“We’re going to go to them.”
“Of course you’re not,” Bennett said. “You’re going to pay me and get on with your lives.”
“I don’t have the necklace.”
“Don’t try to tell me it went over the cliff with your cute little car. I know better.”
“No,” she admitted.
“So where is it, cupcake?”
“Listen,” she said. “I understand how this sounds. But it’s the truth. Daniel is . . .” She took a breath. “He’s having memory problems.”
“What, has he got amnesia?”
“Yes.”
There was a pause. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not.”
“Amnesia.”
“Yes. Or something like it. A blackout. His memories are coming back, but not . . . He won’t know where the necklace is.”
“Huh.” Bennett’s voice was oddly thoughtful. She’d expected mockery, incredulity, even threats. But quietly taking it in? Maybe even believing? She hadn’t dared to hope.
“So the thing is, we can’t pay you. I would, I really would. I just want this over. But I used most of our cash to buy that necklace. We can’t sell the house or anything, not right now, not while I’m—”
“Dead. Sure. I understand.”
“You—you do?”
“You know what else? I even believe you.”
Could this be? “I’m telling the truth.”
“I just don’t give a damn.”
The fragile hope collapsed. “But—”
“You’re going to pay me. I’ve still got your star performance, and I’m still happy to let it out there. Maybe I’ll make a Web site. WatchLaneyThayerGobbleCock.com. What do you think?”
“I—”
“But you know what? That’s not the real reason you’re going to pay, sister. It’s not for your career, or to avoid criminal charges, or even the way you’d humiliate your husband. Not anymore. Now you’re going to pay because you don’t want Daniel to find out the truth all over again.”
Her stomach twisted. “You evil—”
“Yeah, yeah, my karma’s rotten, I know. But Dan didn’t handle it well the first time, did he? I bet he was hugging the toilet and retching his guts out.”
It took all her effort, but she made herself speak. “I told you. I don’t know where it is.”
“Find it. Fast.”
And then he was gone, and she stood naked, shivering, holding a dead phone to her ear.
5
Dressed only in his underwear, Daniel leaned on the balcony railing. Below, Beverly Hills spread out in a dream of shiny affluence. Angelenos moved down the sidewalks, shopping bags in hand. A soft breeze tugged at the trees. Somewhere a horn honked.
He smiled and stretched. His body was warm with sunlight and sex. They’d made love again, slower this time, sweeter, their eyes locked, the whole experience filled with a glowing charge. He had lost everything, and then discovered that it wasn’t gone, only hidden. And now that he had found his way back to his life, he would never lose it again. His memory would return in time. His beautiful girl would stand with him, help him through. He wasn’t alone anymore.
Daniel wandered back into the suite, left the door open so the wind could tug at the curtain. Through the bathroom door he could hear the whir of the hair dryer. The room was gorgeous, tastefully modern and sumptuous in every detail. It beat the crap out of the Ambassador.
A soft knock at the door made him jump. “Yes?”
“Room service.”
He snagged a robe from the closet, tied the belt as he walked to the door. A glance through the peephole showed a server holding a heavy tray at shoulder height. Daniel opened the door, and the man walked in. “Good afternoon, sir.”
“You too. Just put it over there?”
The man nodded, carried the tray to the bed. When Daniel pulled out cash, the server shook his head. “The manager, Mr. River, took care of it, sir.”
After the man left, Daniel rapped on the bathroom door, told Laney the food had arrived. He lifted the heavy silver cover off her salad and his own meal, steak sandwich with blue cheese and caramelized onions. He used the bottle opener to pop one of the Sierra Nevadas and took a long, lovely swallow.
Laney walked out of the bathroom on a cloud of steam. Her robe was open, and her skin was bright pink. She caught him looking, smiled, and went to the tray. “Man, that sandwich looks great. Why did I order a salad?”
“I’ll share.”
“I love my husband.” She sat on the bed with one leg curled beneath her, and lifted half the sandwich, leaning over the tray to take a bite.
Daniel sat on the bed against the headboard. The steak was tender and bloody and dripping juice.