Fool Me Once (10 page)

Francine
gasped audibly and she paled. “Marc, take a look at that man. Does he look familiar?”

The
Frenchman didn’t turn around. “If you mean the one Olivia’s fiancé was speaking
to, yes. He works for the Svoboda family in Prague.

Francine
nodded slowly, her eyes bright. “I thought I recognized him, even though the
photograph in my file isn’t very good.” She tapped her mouth with a swizzle
stick. “His name is Jan, or something like that.”

The
room started to tilt, and Olivia clutched the arm of her chair, her knuckles
white. “All right, you two. Enough joking.” Her heart skipped a beat. “You
are
joking, aren’t you?”

“Olivia,
I’m sorry.” Marc’s eyes followed the man as he left the casino. “I was in the
men’s room, in one of the stalls. I clearly heard your…” he stumbled over the
word. “I heard Morgan say he was in the market for Semtex, and RPGs.” He closed
his eyes, as though to erase the memory, then raised his head, his expression
bleak. “There was no mistaking what he said. They didn’t know I was there of
course, so I waited several minutes, and then I left.”

Olivia’s
head began to spin; she was having a difficult time keeping Marc in focus.
“You’re sure?” she asked, pushing her hair back over her ear. Maybe she hadn’t
heard him correctly.

He
nodded. “I’m sorry, Olivia.” He glanced at Francine. “Is there anything we can
do? We are meeting some friends for a late supper, but we could drop you off at
your hotel.” He gave a classic Gallic shrug.

Olivia
was afraid her legs wouldn’t hold her up. “Thanks, but I think I’ll sit here
for a few moments.” She picked up her drink with a trembling hand. “I need to
think about this.”

Francine
scribbled a phone number on the back of her card. “This is where I can be
reached for the next few days. Call me if you need me.” Olivia took the card.
“I mean it, Olivia. Call me any time.” With a brief kiss on the cheek, she was
gone.

Olivia’s
disbelief turned to slow, burning anger as her thoughts slipped back in time.
She could smell the heavy, humid air of the greenhouse. She could hear his
words as clearly as if he were standing beside her. He had been so smooth, feeding
her the line about wanting to play poker. And she had swallowed it like some
love-starved spinster! And then tonight, at the villa. Her face burned,
recalling how she’d responded to his kisses. And all the time he’d been using
her as a pawn in his deadly game. She pulled her shawl tighter around her
shoulders, and a soft moan escaped her lips. She didn’t notice Dirk enter the
gaming room, didn’t see his face light up when he spotted her alone in the bar.

“Olivia.”
He stood beside her chair and she looked up, startled. “You look like you could
use some company.” If he was aware of her distress, he was wise enough not to
comment.

She
indicated the chair next to hers with a careless wave. “I can’t begin to tell
you what I could use right now.” Picking up her glass, she was surprised to
find that it was empty. “Except maybe a drink. A strong one.”

Dirk
looked at her curiously, but motioned for a waiter. “You sound upset about
something.”

“You
could say that.” Drumming her fingers on the tabletop, she studied them as
though they belonged to someone else. She stopped abruptly, then turned to the
Englishman. “Dirk, I’d like to ask you something. You look like a man who’s
seen a lot of the world. Tell me, are you often wrong about people?”

He
shrugged, and seemed relieved at the appearance of the waiter. “Not very
often.” He sipped his drink, studying her over the rim of the glass. “What
about you?”

“I’m
the same.” She thought for a moment. “For example, when I do interviews for my
stories, I can usually spot the people who are telling me what they think I
want to hear.” She gave her head a brisk shake. “That’s what makes me so angry
about being taken in. I’m supposed to know better.” She stared into her glass,
and when she spoke her voice was little more than a whisper. “I’m not really
engaged, you know.”

He
seemed surprised. “You’re not?”

She
fingered the diamond on her left hand. A sad smile tugged at the corners of her
mouth. “It’s a long story. But right now, that’s the least of my worries.”

“We’re
talking about Josh, right? That was his name, wasn’t it? The American?”

She
nodded, glancing over his shoulder to scan the room. Josh must be playing
poker, she reasoned, since he wasn’t at the baccarat table. Oddly enough, she
found that she cared how he was doing.

“I
met him about a week ago at a reception for a friend.” She unconsciously
twisted a corner of her shawl. “He said he needed an entrée to the high stakes
poker games. Since I’d done that article I was on good terms with top
management people in most of the exclusive clubs. The engagement was simply a
cover story.”

“Why
did you agree?”

Her
eyes flashed and she answered angrily. “Because I had a temporary lapse of
sanity, that’s why.” She lifted her brandy snifter, and the liquid burned as it
slid down her throat. “But I intend to rectify that. I’m going back to London
in the morning. I’d go tonight if I could get a flight, but I happen to know
it’s too late.” She raised her glass again, missing the flare of alarm on
Dirk’s face.

“Steady
on.” He lounged back in the chair. “It can’t be as bad as all that. What’s he
done?”

She
ignored the warning bells going off in her head. “Actually, it is, and you’ll
agree when I tell you what I learned tonight.” She leaned forward. “I found out
from a reliable source that he’s trying to buy Semtex. And RPGs.”

Dirk
allowed his shock to show. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.
Someone I trust was in one of the bathroom stalls and overheard the whole
conversation.” Unable to face the incredulous expression on his face, she
lowered her head into her hands. “Oh my God, what have I done? I can’t believe
I blurted that out. It was without a doubt the most unprofessional thing I’ve
ever done in my life. Can you possibly erase it from your mind?”

“Can
you?”

She
frowned. “That’s an odd thing to say. But no. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”
Her eyes lost focus, staring into another time. “I saw enough death and
destruction on my recent visit to Afghanistan to last me for the rest of my
life. I saw civilians killed and maimed and guess what? The weapons used were
provided by someone just like him. As if those people didn’t already have
enough hardships.”

She
sat for a moment, lost in thought and then turned to him abruptly, laying a
hand on his forearm. “I know I can’t take back what I said, but please believe
me that it would be better if you forgot about it.”

He
nodded silently. “What are you going to do?”

Olivia
stood up and pulled herself together with a visible effort. “I’m going to get
out of here just as soon as I can. As I said, it’s too late to get a flight
tonight but I’m going home to pack and I’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
She looked at him, misconstruing the concern in his eyes. “Don’t worry about
me, Dirk. I’ll be fine.”

“Maybe
so, but I’ll see you to a taxi anyway.” He escorted her outside and into a
waiting car. “I’m sorry things worked out this way,” he said with a reluctant
grin. “I was beginning to enjoy your company.”

“Good
night Dirk,” she said vaguely, leaning forward to give directions to the
driver. She didn’t notice him staring after the departing car, his brow creased
with worry.

* * *

Olivia
tossed her suitcase onto the bed so hard that it bounced on the soft mattress.
She had to calm down. First, she would pack. She needed time to think, time
alone. Then she would allow herself the luxury of anger.

Within
a few minutes, she was ready for her departure in the morning. She slipped into
a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, hauled her suitcase down the stairs and shoved
it behind one of the massive planters.

She
padded back into the house on bare feet and lifted her face to the soft evening
breeze. It drew her past the pool, where the moonlight shimmered on the water.
Had it been just this morning that she’d massaged Josh’s back, dreaming of a
more intimate relationship? “No,” she cried aloud, trying to shut out the
memories.

Choking
back a sob, she wandered onto one of the paths that wandered through the
garden. The scent of lavender soothed her and she inhaled deeply, aware as she
did so that her heartbeat was returning to normal. Below her, the lights of
Monte Carlo beckoned invitingly. The same lights she’d looked at last night but
now the sparkle had gone out of them.

Seated
on the bench, she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around
them as though warding off any further pain. Then she rested her chin on her
knees and allowed herself to think back over the events of the past week.

*
* *

The
truth was, she didn’t really know Josh Morgan. Dark and dangerous, he had
breezed into her life like a sudden summer storm, and she had been swept along,
intoxicated by his presence. Looking back now, the signs had been there, but
she had ignored them. The way he’d pretended to be attracted to her. That hurt,
but she would get over it. The private jet, the villa… she realized now that it
was all an elaborate front. She wanted to hate him for what he was, to hurt him
in the worst possible way for whatever part he was playing in the insidious
world of illegal arms. And yet she had to admit that every touch, every caress–and
yes, that electrifying kiss earlier tonight–made her heart sing in a way she’d
never experienced before.

Foolish!
That’s what she was. Foolish to consider her own feelings at a time like this.
He belonged in that dark, sinister world that existed with no regard for other
people’s lives. It was too horrendous to imagine.

She
tilted her head to one side, as though listening to a distant sound. The hair
began to prickle on the back of her neck the way it did when one of her stories
took an interesting twist. The pieces of this puzzle weren’t fitting together.
Alex had said that he would trust Josh with his life. Could he have changed so
dramatically since they’d served their countries together? It was possible of
course but why would a rancher from Montana be involved in the sale of illegal
arms? Alex had never been to Josh’s ranch so she didn’t know for sure that he
was a rancher, but the weathered features, the legs and arms sculpted to
perfection by long hours of riding and manual labor…these were definitely not
characteristics one would associate with an arms dealer. Her mind raced. Could
Marc and Francine have been wrong? Could it have been a mistake?  With a
groan of frustration, she raked her fingers though her hair. She wanted so
badly to believe in him, that she had almost convinced herself it wasn’t true.
But the facts didn’t lie…did they?

* * *

The
front door slammed and she slipped off the bench and stepped behind a large
flowering shrub, her heart pounding.

“I’ve
already told you. She wouldn’t tell me.” Dirk’s voice was pitched low, the
tension in it palpable. What was he doing here? Whatever his reason, he sounded
like he was losing patience. “How many times do I have to repeat myself?”

“You’re
sure you didn’t see her talking to anyone?”

“Listen,
Morgan. We’re on the same side, remember?” Dirk covered the width of the patio
in a few steps. “Is there anything to drink around here? God! I need a drink.”

“Over
there.” Josh motioned to the bar. He shoved his hands into his pockets and
stood staring into the pool. “We’re going to have to tell her, you know.” His
voice was resigned. “I don’t see any other way around it.”

Tell
her what? Olivia edged closer, concealed by the vegetation and dark shadows.

“I
know. But I don’t like it.” Ice cubes clinked as Dirk fixed himself a drink.

“Do
you have a better suggestion?” Olivia peeked out from behind a shrub. Josh’s
face looked haggard in the dim light.

“Unfortunately,
no.” Dirk sipped thoughtfully at his drink. “Let’s just be careful not to hurt
her any more.”

Josh
bristled. “I hear you two got on pretty well last night. Is that a personal
request?”

Dirk
shrugged. “Take it however you please. Bottom line is, she was more than just a
little upset. Let’s go easy on her.”

Josh
glanced up toward the bedroom. “I never intended to hurt her,” he said softly.
“That was the last thing on my mind.”

“Well
it’s a bit late now.” Olivia stepped out from behind the shrub and the two men
backed up a step. “Which one of you would like to tell me what’s going on
here?”

“Olivia.”
Dirk took a few steps toward her.

She
held him back with an outstretched hand. “And while we’re at it, what are you
doing here?” She jerked her head in Josh’s direction. “With him?” She didn’t
trust herself to look at Josh and focused her attention on Dirk. “You two
obviously know each other. Convenient, wasn’t it? The way you just ‘happened’
along last night.” She frowned. “Or was it the night before?” She shook her
head. “Oh, who cares?” She stalked past Dirk to the bar. “I need a drink, too.
Then I’d like an explanation.” She splashed some brandy into a snifter.