“What’s your sister’s name?”
“Hilary Thomas.”
“Oh, yes! I do know where she is.”
“That’s wonderful. Where?”
“I didn’t take a message from her. But someone called in just a while ago and left a message for Mr. Topelis to pass on to her. Hold the line just a sec. Okay?”
“Sure.”
“I’ve got it written down here somewhere.”
Bruno waited patiently while she sorted through her memos.
Then she said, “Here it is. A Mr. Wyant Stevens called. He wanted Mr.Topelis to tell Miss Thomas that he, Mr. Stevens, was eager to handle the paintings. Mr. Stevens said he wanted her to know he wouldn’t be able to sleep until she got back from St. Helena and gave him a chance to strike a deal. So she must be in St. Helena.”
Bruno was shocked.
He couldn’t speak.
“I don’t know what hotel or motel,” the operator said apologetically. “But there aren’t really many places to stay in all of Napa Valley, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding her.”
“No trouble,” Bruno said shakily.
“Does she know anyone in St. Helena?”
“Huh?”
“I just thought maybe she’s staying with friends,” the operator suggested.
“Yes,” Bruno said. “I think I know just where she is.”
“I’m really sorry about the death.”
“What?”
“The death in the family.”
“Oh,” Bruno said. He licked his lips nervously. “Yes. There have been quite a few deaths in the family the past five years. Thank you for your help.”
“No trouble.”
He hung up.
She was in St. Helena.
The brazen bitch had gone back.
Why? My God, what was she doing? What was she after? What was she up to?
Whatever she had in mind, it would not do him any good. That was for damned sure.
Frantic, afraid that she was planning some trick that would be the death of him, he began to call the airlines at Los Angeles International, trying to get a seat on a flight north. There were no commuter planes until morning, and all of the early flights were already booked solid. He wouldn’t be able to get out of L.A. until tomorrow afternoon.
That would be too late.
He knew it. Sensed it.
He had to move fast.
He decided to drive. The night was still young. If he stayed behind the wheel all night and kept the accelerator to the floor, he could reach St. Helena by dawn.
He had a feeling his life depended on it.
He hurried out of the bungalow, stumbling through ruined furniture and other rubble, leaving the front door wide open, not bothering to be careful, not taking time to see if anyone was nearby. He sprinted across the lawn, into the dark and deserted street toward his van.
***
After they enjoyed coffee with brandy in the den, Joshua showed Tony and Hilary to the guest room and connecting bath at the far end of the house from his own sleeping quarters. The chamber was large and pleasant, with deep window sills and leaded glass windows like those in the dining room. The bed was an enormous fourposter that delighted Hilary.
After they said goodnight to Joshua and closed the bedroom door, and after they drew the drapes over the windows to prevent the eyeless night from gazing blindly in at them, they took a shower together to soothe their aching muscles. They were quite exhausted, and they intended only to try to recapture the sweet, relaxing, childlike, asexual pleasure of the bath that they had shared the previous night at the airport hotel in L.A. Neither of them expected passion to raise its lovely head. However, as he lathered her breasts, the gentle, rhythmic, circular movements of his hands made her skin tingle and sent wonderful shivers through her. He cupped her breasts, filled his large hands with them, and her nipples hardened and rose through the soapy foam that sheathed them. He went to his knees and washed her belly, her long slim legs, her buttocks. For Hilary, the world shrank to a small sphere, to just a few sights and sounds and exquisite sensations: the odor of lilac-scented soap, the hiss and patter of falling water, the swirling patterns in the steam, his lean and supple body glistening as water cascaded over his well-defined muscles, the eager and incredible growth of his manhood as she took her turn lathering him. By the time they finished showering, they had forgotten how tired they were, they had forgotten their aching muscles; only desire remained.