Part 9 (1/2)
”Of course. He introduced us just before you got waltzed out onto the terrace. So your Quinn is Alexander Brandon, huh?”
”So he says.” Having done what she could with her hair, Morgan used a tissue and Storm's lipstick to repair the rest of the damage to her pride.
”And he's gone public, so to speak. It's an interesting ploy, I admit, especially if he's so sure the thief he's after also wears a blameless public face.”
Morgan returned the lipstick and, very carefully, said, ”Tell me something, friend. Is there anybody who doesn't doesn't know what Quinn's up to?” know what Quinn's up to?”
”Outside our own little circle, I certainly hope so.” Storm smiled slightly. ”Wolfe said you'd probably hit me with something when I told you just how much I do know, but I'm counting on your sweet disposition.”
”Oh, yeah? I wouldn't count on that if I were you. I'm not in a real good mood right now.”
Solemnly, Storm said, ”Then I'll have to risk your wrath, I suppose.”
”Just spit it out, will you?”
”I don't really work for Ace Security,” Storm told her in that solemn voice. ”I'm with Interpol.”
Morgan didn't have to look in the mirror to know her mouth had fallen open in shock. ”Interpol? Like Jared?”
”Uh-huh. He's more or less my boss, at least on this a.s.signment. I hope this room isn't bugged,” she added thoughtfully, glancing around.
”Why would it be bugged?”
”No reason I can think of.” Apologetically, Storm added, ”They teach us to be paranoid.”
Morgan was torn between fascination and irritation; fascination because her rather ordinary world had grown in the last few months to include internationally famous cat burglars and Interpol agents, and irritated because those around her had taken their own sweet time letting her in on their plans.
Amused, Storm said, ”Don't blow up, now. If it makes you feel any better, I didn't know Quinn was in on this until just before he was shot, and I had no idea that all the guys knew him.”
Suddenly curious, Morgan said, ”Quinn told me that Max and Wolfe didn't know about his burgling until recently. Did Wolfe tell you how he found out?”
”Umm. Caught him with his hand in a safe in London about a year ago.”
Morgan winced. ”That must have been quite an encounter.”
”The word Wolfe used was tense tense.”
”I can imagine.” Morgan sighed. ”I wonder how Max found out.”
”No idea. And Jared's so furious on the subject I haven't dared ask him. Can't really blame him, I suppose. Nice thing, for an international cop to find out his own brother's an international thief. A bit awkward.”
”To say the least,” Morgan murmured, remembering how Jared had told her not to ”get any fool romantic notions about n.o.bility” into her head concerning Quinn's current a.s.sociation with Interpol.
”A bit awkward for you too,” Storm said quietly.
Awkward? Morgan considered the word and found that her friend had picked a good one.
As the director of the exhibit of an utterly priceless collection of gems and artworks that had just gone on public display, Morgan had access to something that any thief would have sold more than his soul to possess. Any thief.
It was easy enough to say the collection was safe from Quinn, that he was walking the straight and narrow now, bound to help catch a thief he clearly despised. Easy enough to let his charm sway her, his desire ignite hers. Easy enough to gaze into his beguiling green eyes and convince herself that she saw something in him the world would find surprising-if not downright inconceivable.
Easy enough to tell herself she wasn't a fool.
Morgan looked at her reflection in the mirror, seeing a woman who was once again elegant but whose lips still bore the faintly smudged appearance of someone who had been kissed with hungry pa.s.sion.
”Awkward,” she said. ”Yes, you could say that.”
CHAPTER SIX.
”Did anybody ever tell you your timing is lousy?” Quinn asked, shrugging into his jacket. His voice was back to normal, light and rather careless. The earlier biting tone was completely gone. Quinn asked, shrugging into his jacket. His voice was back to normal, light and rather careless. The earlier biting tone was completely gone.
”Only you,” Jared replied, his own voice calm now. ”But I could say the same thing about your timing. Alex, there are a hundred people in that house, and if your theory is correct one of them is Nightshade. So what the h.e.l.l are you doing necking on the terrace?”
”We weren't necking,” Quinn replied somewhat indignantly. ”We hadn't gotten that far-thanks to you.”
Jared let out a short laugh, but it didn't sound very amused. ”For once in your life, will you get serious?”
”I'm completely serious.” Quinn stood up and smoothed his jacket, b.u.t.toning it neatly. When he spoke again, his voice was more sober. ”I had to talk to Morgan, you know that. This is the first time she's seen me socially, and if I hadn't told her who I was supposed to be, G.o.d only knows what might have happened. She tends to be a bit impulsive, you know.”
”Yes, I do know that.”
Quinn shrugged. ”So, since I didn't know how she'd react, it seemed more prudent to bring her out here.”
Jared didn't bother to point out that they hadn't been talking very much when he'd interrupted them. ”Well, do you think you could put your love life on hold long enough to get some work done? You can't really study all the guests if you're out here on the terrace.”
”The night is young,” Quinn reminded him lightly.
He wouldn't have willingly admitted it, but Jared knew only too well that he had about as much hope of controlling Quinn as any man had of controlling the wind. That did not, however, stop him from trying. ”You aren't planning on doing a little night hunting after the party, are you?”
”That depends on what I find here.”
”Alex, it's too risky for you to play both parts all the time, and you know it.” Jared's voice had roughened.
Quinn's voice remained light. ”I know my limits-and the risks. I also have burned in my mind that one good glimpse I got of Nightshade just before he shot me, and if I see anyone tonight who even seems seems to move the same way he did, I won't let him out of my sight.” to move the same way he did, I won't let him out of my sight.”
Jared didn't speak immediately, and when he did it was to make a serious comment. ”We did have a few women on the list; if you're so sure Nightshade's a man, at least that narrows the possibilities.”
”I'm sure, though I couldn't tell you exactly why. His posture, the way he moved, something. h.e.l.l, maybe I caught a whiff of aftershave just before he fired. Anyway, all I can do for the moment is look for anything familiar and listen in case the b.a.s.t.a.r.d gives himself away somehow.”
”The chances of that have to be slim to none.”
”Think positive,” Quinn advised. ”It's always worked for me. Now, don't you think we'd better return to the party before the wrong person notices something odd?”
Jared waited until Quinn took several steps away from him before saying, ”Alex?”