Liam abandoned his buttons and went to the dresser against the wall. He examined the larger drawers one by one and found her pack pushed well into the back of the lowest.
Silently he pulled the pack from its hiding place and opened the toothed fastening—the zipper, as Mac had called it—and searched among the exotic contents for the one thing he needed to find.
The flat package of paper and cardboard was still there. He unwrapped it with unsteady fingers and found the photograph. Exactly as he’d last seen it in the jungle, dog-eared and creased and faded.
He stared at the photograph until it became a blur of gray shapes. He trusted Bauer’s honesty implicitly. Bauer had seen this photograph, untouched and pristine in its frame, in Perry’s rooms only days ago.
Liam took great care in rewrapping the photograph. He replaced the pack in the drawer and slid it closed.
Still Mac slept. He finished with his shirt and put on his coat, watching her. He wanted to remember the way she was now, when there weren’t any words between them.
Once he’d dealt with Perry he might or might not survive the consequences. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t make Caroline safe by marrying her, but he could be certain she didn’t fall into the hands of a murderer and slave dealer.
And Mac he didn’t have to worry about. Not brave, stubborn, crazy Mac.
His hand was on the doorknob when the first knock struck wood. He opened the door before the next could fall.
A nervous young man stood at the door, his gaze flicking from Liam past his shoulder into the room. Liam recognized him as one of Bauer’s assistants, the boys he hired to run messages and do minor work for his detective business.
“Mr. O’Shea?” the boy said. “Mr. Bauer said I might find you here—”
Liam wasn’t surprised. There was very little Bauer didn’t know or couldn’t guess—about his clients as well as those he investigated. “He has a message for me?” Liam asked grimly.
“Yes.” The boy screwed up his face in concentration.
“He said that Mei Ling has been kidnapped by the tongs. Chen’s already gone to rescue her. Mr. Bauer said to tell you it’s probably a trap, and to warn you—”
But Liam was already moving. He cast a glance at Mac—who hadn’t been awakened by the racket, thank God—and picked up his hat. “I have something for you to deliver. Do you know the law offices of Gregg and Hern down Market Street?”
“Yes sir, but—”
Liam pulled two envelopes from his pocket and pressed them into the boy’s hand. “See that one of these gets to Mr. Hern, and the other to Bauer. Tell Bauer my final instructions are there, in case I’m not able to give them myself. My lawyers will see he’s paid well for carrying them out.”
“But Mr. Bauer said—”
“You’ve done your job, boy. Now do mine.” He gave the messenger a generous tip to mollify him. “If Bauer wants to know where I am, tell him I’ve gone to Chinatown. Go.”
The boy knew better than to argue again. The moment he was out of sight Liam turned for a last look at Mac.
She’d never seemed more beautiful to him.
But his weakness was past. Perry had set a trap for him, and he was going to walk right into it.
He closed the door with no sound at all.
* * *
Mac’s bare feet hit the floor with a thump.
Five a.m., the electric clock on the mantel said. Five A.M., before dawn, and Liam was on his way to get himself killed.
He’d thought she was asleep, and that was the only good thing to be said about the situation. At least she knew where he was going. And she knew she was going to follow.
The air was cool on her skin as she stripped off her chemise. The cloth still smelled of Liam. She held it to her nose, memorizing his scent. The time out of time they’d shared was over, and no matter what happened today or in the days to come Mac knew they’d never get it back.