and thoughtful voice. “I can see we have several problems here that need very badly to be resolved.”
“Oh, you noticed that?”
“It was a little hard not to notice. First of all, you deny that anything is wrong here, despite the fact that your sister is missing.”
“Jo’s staying with an aunt,” Elizabeth said flatly.
“You don’t have an aunt.”
She stiffened and her eyes flashed. “What did you say?”
He sighed. “I said, you don’t have an aunt.”
There was more than anger in her vivid eyes now, something like fury. Her voice shook a little. “And just where did you get that information?”
“It’s amazing what information you can dig up if you know where to look. Pinnacle has a newspaper, Elizabeth, and like all newspapers it keeps back issues on microfilm. I looked up the accounts of your parents’ deaths, and your court battle to keep what was left of your family together. According to those accounts, the judge was persuaded to let your sisters be put into your custody because there weren’t any other relations. No aunts, no uncles, no cousins.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “When did you look it up? Today’s Saturday; the newspaper office is closed.”
Kelsey rubbed his jaw, studying her. Then he sighed. “Place has a flimsy lock,” he offered.
“You broke in?”
He winced. “Let’s call it entry without the proper permission, shall we?”
She pressed her lips together, but said nothing.
Kelsey eyed her for a moment, then nodded, satisfied. “As I said, the first problem is that Mallory apparently has you convinced that if you just keep quiet, Jo will be fine. The third problem is that you trust me about as far as you can throw your horse. And the fourth problem is that you very obviously suspect I’d do just about anything—using you included—in order to get what I want.”
Elizabeth remembered that first kiss in the kitchen and the shocking interlude on the porch last night, and lifted her chin. “Suspect? I
know
you would!” she snapped.
For the first time in his professional career, Kelsey was torn. He knew the most important thing was to get Jo back safe and sound; there was no doubt of that. But as important to him as a young girl’s life was Elizabeth’s opinion of him. And in the back of his mind in that alert place born years ago out of necessity, a clock was ticking away vital moments.
He sighed. “Elizabeth, sit down, please. We need to talk.”
“We’ve already talked.”
“No.” Kelsey shook his head wryly. “We haven’t. And now we have to, because there isn’t much time.”
Unwillingly impressed by the gravity of his face and his sober gray-blue eyes, Elizabeth moved to the couch and sat down. “What do you mean—not much time?”
Kelsey remained where he was, looking at her and wishing everything were different. She suspected his motives, and he couldn’t blame her for that. Only time would teach her to trust him, and how much time did they have? And what would happen if the desire he could feel throbbing constantly throughout his body, a desire he knew she shared, caught them both before she learned to trust him? What would that do to them?
“Elizabeth …” He sighed roughly. “I don’t want to scare you, but I’ve been in this business a long time, and I’ve seen a great many hostage situations. They’re potentially explosive for manyreasons. If a hostage knows who the captors are, there’s always the possibility of testifying later in court. And if a hostage is held because of some information she has, she isn’t going to just forget it. Not, at least, as far as her captor is concerned.”
She stirred a little on the couch, staring at him with mistrust on her face but anxiety in her eyes.
Kelsey hurried on. “If Mallory’s holding Jo only until he gets something done—gets the evidence out of the way of whatever he’s doing—then maybe he will let her go, because then it would just be her word against his. But
“Oh, you noticed that?”
“It was a little hard not to notice. First of all, you deny that anything is wrong here, despite the fact that your sister is missing.”
“Jo’s staying with an aunt,” Elizabeth said flatly.
“You don’t have an aunt.”
She stiffened and her eyes flashed. “What did you say?”
He sighed. “I said, you don’t have an aunt.”
There was more than anger in her vivid eyes now, something like fury. Her voice shook a little. “And just where did you get that information?”
“It’s amazing what information you can dig up if you know where to look. Pinnacle has a newspaper, Elizabeth, and like all newspapers it keeps back issues on microfilm. I looked up the accounts of your parents’ deaths, and your court battle to keep what was left of your family together. According to those accounts, the judge was persuaded to let your sisters be put into your custody because there weren’t any other relations. No aunts, no uncles, no cousins.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “When did you look it up? Today’s Saturday; the newspaper office is closed.”
Kelsey rubbed his jaw, studying her. Then he sighed. “Place has a flimsy lock,” he offered.
“You broke in?”
He winced. “Let’s call it entry without the proper permission, shall we?”
She pressed her lips together, but said nothing.
Kelsey eyed her for a moment, then nodded, satisfied. “As I said, the first problem is that Mallory apparently has you convinced that if you just keep quiet, Jo will be fine. The third problem is that you trust me about as far as you can throw your horse. And the fourth problem is that you very obviously suspect I’d do just about anything—using you included—in order to get what I want.”
Elizabeth remembered that first kiss in the kitchen and the shocking interlude on the porch last night, and lifted her chin. “Suspect? I
know
you would!” she snapped.
For the first time in his professional career, Kelsey was torn. He knew the most important thing was to get Jo back safe and sound; there was no doubt of that. But as important to him as a young girl’s life was Elizabeth’s opinion of him. And in the back of his mind in that alert place born years ago out of necessity, a clock was ticking away vital moments.
He sighed. “Elizabeth, sit down, please. We need to talk.”
“We’ve already talked.”
“No.” Kelsey shook his head wryly. “We haven’t. And now we have to, because there isn’t much time.”
Unwillingly impressed by the gravity of his face and his sober gray-blue eyes, Elizabeth moved to the couch and sat down. “What do you mean—not much time?”
Kelsey remained where he was, looking at her and wishing everything were different. She suspected his motives, and he couldn’t blame her for that. Only time would teach her to trust him, and how much time did they have? And what would happen if the desire he could feel throbbing constantly throughout his body, a desire he knew she shared, caught them both before she learned to trust him? What would that do to them?
“Elizabeth …” He sighed roughly. “I don’t want to scare you, but I’ve been in this business a long time, and I’ve seen a great many hostage situations. They’re potentially explosive for manyreasons. If a hostage knows who the captors are, there’s always the possibility of testifying later in court. And if a hostage is held because of some information she has, she isn’t going to just forget it. Not, at least, as far as her captor is concerned.”
She stirred a little on the couch, staring at him with mistrust on her face but anxiety in her eyes.
Kelsey hurried on. “If Mallory’s holding Jo only until he gets something done—gets the evidence out of the way of whatever he’s doing—then maybe he will let her go, because then it would just be her word against his. But
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