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in mind. With them so close, his threats could be carried out quite easily. And if Alex and Tina were
killed on Distingue, Joe Dougherty would unload this house and his share of the island so fast your head
would swim to watch. And because he's offered the best price and would be a fast buyer, Ken Blenwell
and his grandparents would become sole owners.
I think Bill's right, Sonya said.
Saine shook his head. Maybe. I still don't think so. Blenwell is too level-headed, too
What are you protecting him for? Bill sud-denly asked. He let go of Sonya's hand, pushed his chair
away from the table and got to his feet, his anger giving him a nervous energy that bristled al-most visibly
all over him. You put members of the Dougherty staff to the most grueling kind of questioning,
intimidating them, letting them know you suspect each and every one of them, but when it comes to
another very likely suspect outside the family, you grow lenient and doubtful.
Call it intuition, Saine said.
Bull. I've never seen you operate on intuition yet, Peterson said. You've got reasons for
dis-missing Kenneth Blenwell from the list of sus-pects. I just wish I knew what those reasons were.
What are you implying? Saine asked, redden-ing.
Bill hesitated a moment too long before he said, calmly, Nothing. I wasn't implying anything at all.
The scarlet color drained slowly out of the bodyguard's face, like water from a keg tap, and the
tension in his broad shoulders slackened and disappeared altogether. I'm just doing my job, he said. He
was not offering any excuses, but ex-plaining the situation to a bunch of inattentive children.
Of course you are, Bill said. I'm sorry, Ru-dolph. It's just that I keep thinking what someone
wants to do with those two kids" he motioned with his hand toward the small dining room off the
kitchen where, out of sight, Bess and Helga were playing with the children "and I want to start hitting
someone, anyone. And now, when he al-most kills Sonya
I know, I know, Saine said. We're all on edge, and we all have a right to be. But I'm the one best
qualified to investigate things like this, no matter what any of you may think of my methods.
Bill nodded. And now, he said, shouldn't we get Sonya to bed? She's going to be stiff as a board
in the morning; she'll need all the sleep she can get.
By all means, Saine said.
I can get there on my own, Sonya said.
Peterson said, Nonsense. He helped her from her chair and made her lean on him as they walked
out of the kitchen, down the corridor and up the main staircase.
At the door to her room, Bill said, Sonya, are you certain that you're all right? You look awfully
pale. If you want me to, I can get the Lady Jane going and run you over to the family doctor on
Guadeloupe, have you there and back in a jiffy.
I'm a nurse, remember? I know what I'm doing. She smiled at him affectionately, pleased by his
obvious concern. I've got a bruised throat, which will take a couple of weeks to go away com-pletely.
And I've got a splitting headache. But a few aspirins and a good night's sleep are just the medications I
need for both complaints.
Sure?
I am, yes.
He looked directly into her eyes, so evidently concerned about her that she was, for a moment,
disconcerted. I didn't want to see you get hurt, Sonya. I never thought you'd become so awfully
involved with this thing.
It's hardly your fault, she said.
His face grew tight and angry. That madman said it was the children he wanted. Why come after
you?
He didn't come after me, she reminded him. I stumbled across him in the garden. He was probably
looking for a good observation point; you can see the children's bedroom windows from that part of the
garden. When he realized he'd been seen, he panicked. That's all.
He leaned forward, putting one arm protec-tively around her, and he kissed her, tenderly, on the lips,
dizzying her for a moment before he pulled away again.
I don't want to see you hurt, he repeated.
Don't worry, I won't be, she assured him. I don't intend to go for any more walks, alone, at night.
Not until this thing is over and done with, anyway.
Good.
To change the subject, partly because she was unsettled by his kiss and partly because she was not
up to any tender intimacy just now, she said, Do you think Joe and Helen will be in California by now?
For hours, he said.
Will Rudolph call them?
Yes, on the radio-phone, relayed from Guadel-oupe. It's really a shame that we have to disturb
them now, when their vacation's just begun. They'll want to come right home.
That's best, isn't it?
I guess, he said. Though there isn't anything that either of them can do.
He bent, kissed her again, more quickly this time. Have a good night, he said.
I will.
She watched him walk away toward the stairs, then stepped into her room, closed and locked her
door.
The darkness was empty and still.
She did not turn on the lights, but walked across the room to the largest window.
For a long while, she stood there, very still, star-ing at the palm trees and the lawn and the night sky
and then distant sea beyond, fingering her throat, swallowing with difficulty, trying to pene-trate the
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