Taken by Barbara Freethy Read Free Book Online Page B

nothing,” she said, and then stopped abruptly, a light coming on in her eyes.
    “What? What did you remember?”
    “I’m sure it’s not important.”
    “Let me be the judge of that.”
    “It was just an old pocket watch that belonged to my grandfather. It wasn’t worth anything. It had sentimental value. That’s all.”
    Nick’s muscles tensed. They were finally getting somewhere; he just didn’t know where. “When did you give it to him?”
    She hesitated. “On our wedding night. It was my wedding present to him. He’d admired it earlier, and my grandmother had told me to give it to the man I loved.”

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    “Bingo,” he said, jumping to his feet. “The watch. He wanted the watch.”
    “Why? Why would he want a fifty-year-old watch?”
    “It had to be worth something.” He ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of how valuable an old pocket watch could be.
    “I’m sure it wasn’t,” Kayla replied. “It’s not as if it had jewels on it or anything.”
    “It had something.” He was convinced of that. “Who can tell us more about the watch?”
    She thought for a moment. “I guess my grandmother could. The watch belonged to my grandfather. He passed away two years ago. That’s when she gave it to me.”
    “When can we talk to her? How about now?”
    “Now?” She didn’t sound enthusiastic when she said,
    “I don’t know. It’s not too late, I guess.”
    “Why don’t you give her a call?”
    “You’re very pushy,” she complained.
    “I’m very motivated,” he said shortly. “Aren’t you?
    Don’t you want to know why Evan married you? Why he took your grandfather’s watch?”
    “Of course I do,” she said, sounding more certain. “I want to get to the bottom of this as much as you do.”
    “Then help me. The sooner we find Evan, the sooner you get us both out of your life.”
    “Good point.” Kayla stood up. “I’ll call my grandmother.” She picked up the phone on a side table. Before she could punch in a number it rang. “Hello?” she said.
    Nick saw the blood drain from her face, and he suddenly knew who was calling. He moved quickly across the room, taking the phone out of her trembling hand.
    “Evan?” he said sharply. He heard someone exhale and TA K E N
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    then there was nothing but a dial tone. “Dammit.” He turned to Kayla. “Was it Evan? What did he say?”
    She stared at him, her eyes glittering with emotion.
    “He said, ‘Tell Nick, welcome home.’ ”
    Evan slipped his cell phone into the pocket of his slacks and smiled with satisfaction. Nick was back.
    Things were falling into place exactly as he’d planned.
    Nick and Kayla were puppets on his string, and now they would dance for him. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the flame brightening the dark shadows that surrounded him. He took a long drag as he leaned back against a pil-lar and waited.
    Dusk had fallen over the city. The fog coming in from the ocean had obliterated the stars and the moon. He liked the cool, wet darkness around him. He’d always been a creature of the night. Shadows were his friends. Not that he was afraid of the light. No one was better than him at becoming part of the landscape. He knew how to blend in. He could be anyone he wanted to be, play any role, answer to any name, and wear any clothes. He was so good he could convince a mother he was her son or a sister that he was her brother. He knew how to sell dreams, and everyone had a dream.
    He was the best. And soon everyone would know just how good he really was.
    A flock of night birds squawked as they skipped off the water in the nearby lagoon. It was quiet near the ro-tunda of the Palace of Fine Arts. The building was closed.
    The tourists had gone home. But still he waited. A moment later a sleek, black limo pulled up. He gave it a long look, then tossed his cigarette on the ground and rubbed it out with the heel of his boot.

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    Barbara Freethy
    The driver got out of the car and