[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

attempt.
She said that if he didn t want his child, it didn t matter, because she did. Bernadette is her whole life.
Hunter checked his watch.  We d better get cracking. Ritter doesn t like to be kept waiting.
Colby had a suspicion that Hunter knew a lot more about Bernadette s missing father than he was
willing to say.
 Rodrigo looks familiar, he murmured as they walked down the hall.
 Does he? Hunter asked in a deliberately light tone.
Colby stuck his hands in his pockets.  He loves that child, he said, thinking aloud.  He was ready to
deck me for what I said to her.
 He d marry Sarina in a minute if she d have him, Hunter replied.  She won t. She has nothing to do
with men.
Colby s high cheekbones flushed with embarrassed guilt. He was glad his friend was looking the
other way. He knew, as Hunter didn t, why Sarina had nothing to do with men. But it raised another
question.
How had she managed to get involved with Bernadette s father, after the pain he d caused her?
WHEN HE GOT TO RITTER S office, the silver-haired elderly man wasn t alone. He had Alexander
Cobb s family friend, Jodie, in his office as well. The young woman was flushed and traces of anger
were still visible in her eyes.
Ritter gave Colby a look that promised retribution at a later date, but he didn t say a word about
Bernadette at the moment.
 Miss Clayburn has just quit her job as Brody Vance s assistant, Ritter said with a wry smile,  so
we re rehiring her as a computer expert. Cobb says she s on a par with cybercrime experts in his
agency, he added.  I d like to put her to work doing extensive background checks on certain
employees.
 We ve got a member of the drug lord s team working here, haven t we, sir? Colby asked Ritter.
 Almost certainly, Ritter replied.  After what happened in our own warehouse, I m convinced that
we ve still got an illegal shipment of drugs hidden somewhere as well. We had a close call.
 Colby and I had a closer one, Hunter murmured dryly with a smile at Jodie Clayburn.  If Miss
Clayburn hadn t driven that car right into one of the drug smuggler s accomplices, Colby and I would
both be dead right now and so would DEA senior agent Alexander Cobb.
Jodie smiled.  I still can t believe I did that, she pointed out.  I m much better at fighting crime with
computers than cars.
 That s what you ll be doing from now on, Ritter told her, and outlined her salary and
responsibilities.
She accepted the new job at once, and thanked Eugene. Hunter walked her out to her car. She could
finger the female member of the drug smuggling team, who was Brody Vance s girlfriend, and she d
actually planted a bug for Cobb under the woman s table at a local coffee house and obtained
evidence of drug smuggling. Cara had been arrested, but Jodie was in danger. Cobb was taking her
down to his ranch in Jacobsville for a few days for safekeeping. It was Brody Vance who d let Cara
Dominguez into the warehouse parking lot in the first place. He d bailed Cara out of jail, and
pretended innocence.
But Ritter knew he had to be involved somehow.
Ritter sat back in the conference room chair and glowered at Colby Lane when they were alone.
 I know, Colby said on a sigh.  I ve been unreasonable about the child. But there s an excuse, even if
it isn t much of one. He got up, pulled the drawing Bernadette had made out of his pocket, unfolded
it and placed it on the polished wood surface of the boardroom table in front of Eugene Ritter.
 So? It s a drawing, Ritter said, puzzled, as his blue eyes met Colby s dark ones.  The child has
talent.
Why are you showing it to me?
Colby s face tautened.  That  he put his finger on the man in fatigues with the machine gun in the
drawing   is the SOB who shot my arm to pieces in Africa! And this, he added, indicating the path
between two tall trees,  is where it happened.
Ritter frowned.  You told the child?
 I told her nothing, he returned curtly.  I ve told no one. There were eight other people with me in
Africa, including Hunter, who saw it go down. None of them ever discussed it with anyone else, much
less a little girl!
Ritter sat back in his chair heavily. He didn t know what to say.
 The day I first saw her, in the hall here, she came right up to me and said that if I hadn t moved so
slowly, I wouldn t have lost my arm, Colby added heavily.
 I& don t understand, Ritter murmured.
 Neither do I, Colby said flatly.  I m sensitive about my handicap, he added.  I don t discuss it with
anyone except Hunter and my old comrades.
 Perhaps her mother told her& ?
 I haven t seen her mother for almost seven years, Colby interrupted, and then clamped his jaw shut,
because Ritter hadn t known there was a prior relationship.
Eugene s silver eyebrows arched.  You knew Sarina before you came to work here?
Colby picked up the drawing and took his time refolding it.  We were married once. Briefly.
 The child&  Ritter began at once.
 & is not mine, Colby said firmly, in a tone that didn t invite further speculation.
 You re sure of that? Eugene plowed right ahead.
Colby s eyes lowered to the boardroom table.  I m sterile, he said in a haunted tone.
Ritter s indrawn breath was audible.  I m sorry. I have two sons. I can t imagine not having them. He
stood up.  But none of this is a reason to make Bernadette s life difficult. She takes enough heat from
other students without getting it here where her mother works as well.
Colby scowled.  Heat from other students? he asked blankly, before he remembered what Sarina had
said about putting the child in a predominantly Hispanic school.
Eugene s eyes were old and wise.  Didn t you have problems in grammar school?
 I went to a grammar school on the reservation, he replied.  All Apache.
 Well, Bernadette isn t so lucky, the old man told him.  She s had her problems with prejudice, in
Arizona and now here. It s one reason Sarina moved into a heavily Hispanic district. Bernadette fits in
there better than she does in a predominantly white school. In fact, he added,  Hunter s daughter,
Nikki, goes to the same school. They ve had their own problems.
Colby put the drawing back into his pocket.  That doesn t explain why she has to stay in the canteen in
the afternoons, he said slowly.
 Day care costs as much a week as Sarina makes, Eugene said flatly.
Colby stared at the older man.  What if a woman had two or three kids?
 It would cost more than she made at most clerical positions to put them in day care, I suppose.
 That s not right, Colby said harshly.
He shrugged.  Tell the government. Meanwhile, I let Bernadette sit in the canteen, where she s no
trouble. It s my corporation. I can do what I like in it, within reason. His blue eyes narrowed.  And
you won t cause her any more problems, will you, Lane?
 No, sir, I won t, Colby replied quietly.  I didn t understand the situation at all.
 None of us understands it, Eugene muttered, turning.  How any man could turn his back on a
beautiful child like that is beyond my comprehension.
 I know what you mean.
 Well, let s go through the warehouse one more time, he told Colby,  and see what we can turn up.
 Right behind you, sir.
THE SECURITY GUARD who d let the drug smugglers into the warehouse was in jail pending
arraignment. Ritter and Colby talked to the other two security guards, who maintained that they hadn t
seen anything suspicious. They did a cursory search, but turned up nothing that looked like drugs.
Ritter contemplated having the warehouse searched inch by inch, but Colby felt that constant
surveillance would yield better results. He recommended the placement of additional hidden cameras
and recording devices, which would be unknown even to the security guards.
The suggestion made Eugene grin. He agreed at once, and Colby felt better about his earlier faux pas. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]