to facilitate a few matters.”
“He works for you?”
“God, no. The arrogant bastard works for himself. But in his infinite wisdom he’s decided to let me run the show.”
“What show?”
He didn’t answer. “Are you coming with me?”
“Where?”
“Aberdeen.”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “Scotland?”
He smiled faintly. “You expected Naples?”
“You said you were on the trail of Cira’s gold. That chest was in a tunnel outside Herculaneum.”
“We might pay a visit there later. Right now we go to Aberdeen.”
“Why?”
“Are you going?”
“Answer me.”
He was silent.
“Damn you. Mike died because you wanted that gold. I deserve to know what’s happening.”
“But then I might not get what I want from you. And you know what a selfish bastard I am.”
“In spades. But why should I give you anything you want?”
“Because you know I want you to stay alive?”
“I don’t know anything about you anymore. It’s been too long.”
“True.” He tilted his head, considering. “Then because I can give you something you’ve been searching for?”
“I don’t want that gold.”
“No.” He smiled. “But you’d give your eyeteeth for a glance at Precebio’s scrolls in that library we discovered in the tunnel outside his villa. And so you should. They’d really fascinate you.”
She stiffened. “The scrolls?”
“Isn’t that why you went back to Herculaneum? You chose not to volunteer for the digs in the city itself. You worked on the outskirts of Herculaneum, in the countryside. Were you disappointed that you never found the tunnel?”
“Disappointed, not surprised. You told me that after the cave-in you’d camouflaged it so well nobody could find it.” Her tone was abstracted as her gaze narrowed on his face. “You went back and dug your way into that library?”
He nodded. “And came out with Precebio’s scrolls written about Cira.”
Excitement seared through her. “All of them?”
“All of them. I’d read about half before the explosion that caused the cave-in. The rest had to be carefully handled to preserve them from damage before I could have them translated.”
“But you had it done?”
He smiled. “I had it done.”
“What did they say?”
“Read them yourself.” He turned and headed for the plane. “There are a few surprises. . . .”
“Are you lying to me?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “I suppose I deserve your suspicion. As you know, I’m not above lying. It’s all part of the game.”
“Are you lying?”
He met her gaze and the mocking smile vanished. “Not to you, Jane. Never to you.” He disappeared into the plane.
S he’s a hard sell.” Bartlett came out of the cockpit as Trevor entered the plane. “Is she coming with us?”
“Yes, have Brenner start the engines.”
Bartlett gazed skeptically at Jane still standing beside the car. “She hasn’t moved.”
“She’s coming.”
“How can you be sure?”
He wasn’t sure. There was no way to be certain of anyone as strong-willed as Jane. He’d done his best to persuade her, but his success depended on how well he’d read her. “I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. She wants Mike Fitzgerald’s killer and she knows I know something about him she doesn’t. And she wants to find out what’s in those scrolls so bad she can taste it. I dangled both in front of her like juicy carrots.”
“What if you’re wrong? What if she turns and walks away?”
Trevor’s lips tightened. “Then I go after her, knock her out, and carry her on the plane. Either way she comes.”
Bartlett gave a low whistle. “I wouldn’t like to be in your shoes when she wakes up.”
“Me either. But there’s no way I’ll leave her where I can’t protect her. There are too many variables to deal with here now.”
“Joe Quinn can protect her.”
“And he’ll try, but Eve always comes first with him. I need Jane to get top
“He works for you?”
“God, no. The arrogant bastard works for himself. But in his infinite wisdom he’s decided to let me run the show.”
“What show?”
He didn’t answer. “Are you coming with me?”
“Where?”
“Aberdeen.”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “Scotland?”
He smiled faintly. “You expected Naples?”
“You said you were on the trail of Cira’s gold. That chest was in a tunnel outside Herculaneum.”
“We might pay a visit there later. Right now we go to Aberdeen.”
“Why?”
“Are you going?”
“Answer me.”
He was silent.
“Damn you. Mike died because you wanted that gold. I deserve to know what’s happening.”
“But then I might not get what I want from you. And you know what a selfish bastard I am.”
“In spades. But why should I give you anything you want?”
“Because you know I want you to stay alive?”
“I don’t know anything about you anymore. It’s been too long.”
“True.” He tilted his head, considering. “Then because I can give you something you’ve been searching for?”
“I don’t want that gold.”
“No.” He smiled. “But you’d give your eyeteeth for a glance at Precebio’s scrolls in that library we discovered in the tunnel outside his villa. And so you should. They’d really fascinate you.”
She stiffened. “The scrolls?”
“Isn’t that why you went back to Herculaneum? You chose not to volunteer for the digs in the city itself. You worked on the outskirts of Herculaneum, in the countryside. Were you disappointed that you never found the tunnel?”
“Disappointed, not surprised. You told me that after the cave-in you’d camouflaged it so well nobody could find it.” Her tone was abstracted as her gaze narrowed on his face. “You went back and dug your way into that library?”
He nodded. “And came out with Precebio’s scrolls written about Cira.”
Excitement seared through her. “All of them?”
“All of them. I’d read about half before the explosion that caused the cave-in. The rest had to be carefully handled to preserve them from damage before I could have them translated.”
“But you had it done?”
He smiled. “I had it done.”
“What did they say?”
“Read them yourself.” He turned and headed for the plane. “There are a few surprises. . . .”
“Are you lying to me?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “I suppose I deserve your suspicion. As you know, I’m not above lying. It’s all part of the game.”
“Are you lying?”
He met her gaze and the mocking smile vanished. “Not to you, Jane. Never to you.” He disappeared into the plane.
S he’s a hard sell.” Bartlett came out of the cockpit as Trevor entered the plane. “Is she coming with us?”
“Yes, have Brenner start the engines.”
Bartlett gazed skeptically at Jane still standing beside the car. “She hasn’t moved.”
“She’s coming.”
“How can you be sure?”
He wasn’t sure. There was no way to be certain of anyone as strong-willed as Jane. He’d done his best to persuade her, but his success depended on how well he’d read her. “I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. She wants Mike Fitzgerald’s killer and she knows I know something about him she doesn’t. And she wants to find out what’s in those scrolls so bad she can taste it. I dangled both in front of her like juicy carrots.”
“What if you’re wrong? What if she turns and walks away?”
Trevor’s lips tightened. “Then I go after her, knock her out, and carry her on the plane. Either way she comes.”
Bartlett gave a low whistle. “I wouldn’t like to be in your shoes when she wakes up.”
“Me either. But there’s no way I’ll leave her where I can’t protect her. There are too many variables to deal with here now.”
“Joe Quinn can protect her.”
“And he’ll try, but Eve always comes first with him. I need Jane to get top
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