slid in behind the wheel, Erin rolled her head on the seat and looked at him, her expression regretful. "Oh, Max, your beautiful car. It's ruined."
"Don't worry about it. A car can be fixed. Or replaced. The important thing is that you're safe."
"For now, anyway."
Max's hand halted in midair halfway to the gearshift, and his head snapped around. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Erin huddled beneath the jacket, pulling it up tightly against her chin. Above the charcoal suede her face was a pale oval, her eyes dark and haunted. "Surely now you believe that Elise is in danger?"
"Oh, come on, Erin. Don't tell me you're still sticking to that crazy story.''
"Yes. Because it's true. After what just happened, I don't know how you can doubt it."
"Why? Just because your brakes failed?" Max gave a surprised little laugh and shook his head. "Look, Erin, you're upset. Overwrought. It was a freak accident, that's all. These things happen."
"No! No, it wasn't an accident. Don't you see? Someone saw me arrive and mistook me for Elise, just as you did, and sometime today they sabotaged the car."
"You mean while it was parked in the Global lot?" Max asked, incredulous.
"Yes. That's exactly what I mean. Someone there is trying to kill my sister."
Max sighed and raked a hand through his hair, "Look, Erin... this is crazy. No one would—"
"Max, the brakes on that car were working perfectly when I arrived this afternoon."
The insistent tone of her voice stopped him, and he stared at her, his expression a mixture of exasperation and understanding. She returned the look steadily, willing him to believe her.
For an instant Erin thought she saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but then it was gone.
"All right. I'll concede that maybe, just maybe, Elise did see something, or at least thought she saw something, and took off in a panic. Given that, and what just happened, it's understandable that you're feeling a bit spooked, but believe me, you have nothing to fear. There's nothing clandestine or sinister going on at Global. And to set your mind at ease, I'm going to prove it to you."
He pulled a cellular telephone from beneath the dash and punched out a series of numbers.
"What are you doing?"
"You'll see." When she started to speak again he silenced her with a raised hand.
"Charlie? Max Delany," he said into the receiver. "Listen, Charlie, the brakes on Mrs. Holman's car failed, and it's wrecked about a mile down the road from the warehouse." He paused, listening. "No, no one was hurt, but I want you to tow the car into the shop and check it over for me. Yes, right away. And when you've found what caused the problem, call me back immediately."
"Are you crazy?" Erin demanded when he hung up the phone. "I just told you. Someone at Global is trying to kill Elise. It could be the man you were just talking to."
"Erin, for Pete's sake! Charlie has been our chief mechanic since I started the business twelve years ago. Before that he worked for my father. I've known him since I was a kid, and I'd trust him with my life."
"Fine. You do that. But I don't trust him with mine. Until I know what's going on, I don't trust anyone connected with your company."
"Not even me?"
The softly worded question brought her up short. Erin's eyes widened, and she gazed at him, conscience-stricken. "Oh, Max, I'm sorry. You saved my life, and I haven't even thanked you. Please forgive—"
"Shh." He placed two fingers over her lips to stop the flow of words. "I wasn't asking for thanks. What I want to know is, do you trust me?"
"I..." A niggling doubt lingered still, all mixed up with guilt and gratitude. Erin nibbled on the tip of her index finger and met his steady look with uncertainty.
For heaven's sake! The man saved your life, her conscience prodded. You're being paranoid. And a prize in-grate to boot. If it hadn't been for Max, by now you'd be just a charred lump at the foot of the mountain.
"I... I'm sorry, Max. Of course I trust you," she said
"Don't worry about it. A car can be fixed. Or replaced. The important thing is that you're safe."
"For now, anyway."
Max's hand halted in midair halfway to the gearshift, and his head snapped around. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Erin huddled beneath the jacket, pulling it up tightly against her chin. Above the charcoal suede her face was a pale oval, her eyes dark and haunted. "Surely now you believe that Elise is in danger?"
"Oh, come on, Erin. Don't tell me you're still sticking to that crazy story.''
"Yes. Because it's true. After what just happened, I don't know how you can doubt it."
"Why? Just because your brakes failed?" Max gave a surprised little laugh and shook his head. "Look, Erin, you're upset. Overwrought. It was a freak accident, that's all. These things happen."
"No! No, it wasn't an accident. Don't you see? Someone saw me arrive and mistook me for Elise, just as you did, and sometime today they sabotaged the car."
"You mean while it was parked in the Global lot?" Max asked, incredulous.
"Yes. That's exactly what I mean. Someone there is trying to kill my sister."
Max sighed and raked a hand through his hair, "Look, Erin... this is crazy. No one would—"
"Max, the brakes on that car were working perfectly when I arrived this afternoon."
The insistent tone of her voice stopped him, and he stared at her, his expression a mixture of exasperation and understanding. She returned the look steadily, willing him to believe her.
For an instant Erin thought she saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but then it was gone.
"All right. I'll concede that maybe, just maybe, Elise did see something, or at least thought she saw something, and took off in a panic. Given that, and what just happened, it's understandable that you're feeling a bit spooked, but believe me, you have nothing to fear. There's nothing clandestine or sinister going on at Global. And to set your mind at ease, I'm going to prove it to you."
He pulled a cellular telephone from beneath the dash and punched out a series of numbers.
"What are you doing?"
"You'll see." When she started to speak again he silenced her with a raised hand.
"Charlie? Max Delany," he said into the receiver. "Listen, Charlie, the brakes on Mrs. Holman's car failed, and it's wrecked about a mile down the road from the warehouse." He paused, listening. "No, no one was hurt, but I want you to tow the car into the shop and check it over for me. Yes, right away. And when you've found what caused the problem, call me back immediately."
"Are you crazy?" Erin demanded when he hung up the phone. "I just told you. Someone at Global is trying to kill Elise. It could be the man you were just talking to."
"Erin, for Pete's sake! Charlie has been our chief mechanic since I started the business twelve years ago. Before that he worked for my father. I've known him since I was a kid, and I'd trust him with my life."
"Fine. You do that. But I don't trust him with mine. Until I know what's going on, I don't trust anyone connected with your company."
"Not even me?"
The softly worded question brought her up short. Erin's eyes widened, and she gazed at him, conscience-stricken. "Oh, Max, I'm sorry. You saved my life, and I haven't even thanked you. Please forgive—"
"Shh." He placed two fingers over her lips to stop the flow of words. "I wasn't asking for thanks. What I want to know is, do you trust me?"
"I..." A niggling doubt lingered still, all mixed up with guilt and gratitude. Erin nibbled on the tip of her index finger and met his steady look with uncertainty.
For heaven's sake! The man saved your life, her conscience prodded. You're being paranoid. And a prize in-grate to boot. If it hadn't been for Max, by now you'd be just a charred lump at the foot of the mountain.
"I... I'm sorry, Max. Of course I trust you," she said
Similar Books
