Dawn in Eclipse Bay

this country.” Anderson’s rich voice was laced with what sounded like genuine fervor. “I can help her achieve her full potential.”
    “Your patriotic duty to get her elected, is that it?” Gabe asked.
    Anderson’s expression tightened. “I don’t have time for this. There’s no point expecting you to comprehend what’s at stake here. Let’s get down to business.”
    Lillian cleared her throat. “We didn’t actually come here to talk about business.”
    Anderson made a disgusted sound at the back of his throat. “I wasn’t born yesterday. I know why you’re here. You came to bargain for access.”
    Lillian looked baffled. “Access to what?”
    “To Marilyn, of course.” Anderson did not look at her. He kept his attention on Gabe. “We all know that when she’s elected, she’ll have a great deal of power. You want me to guarantee that you’ll have access to her, isn’t that right, Madison? A man in your position likes to have friends in high places.”
    Lillian stared. “You don’t understand.”
    “Of course I do.” Anderson flicked a quick glance at her. “What’s the matter, didn’t Madison tell you how he intended to use those pictures?”
    “But we don’t have any photos,” Lillian said. “Marilyn took the camera, remember?”
    “Don’t give me that crap. I know you had two cameras last night.”
    “Why do you say that?” Gabe asked.
    “You were too quick to turn the first one over to Marilyn when she demanded it.” Flint moved his hand in a small arc. “There’s only one reason why you would do that. You knew you had backup.”
    “That’s not true.” Lillian was indignant.
    “The double-camera routine is as old as the hills.” Anderson cut off her protest with a patently bored look. “It buys the photographer some time to escape an unpleasant confrontation. The victim thinks she’s confiscated the incriminating film and doesn’t realize until too late that there is another set of photos.”
    “You sound familiar with the technique,” Gabe said.
    “I didn’t tell Marilyn because I knew it would upset her. Now that I’m her manager, it’s my job to handle this type of incident. I certainly don’t intend to allow her to be destroyed by the same type of cheap blackmail that ruined her husband’s campaign.”
    “How dare you imply that we would do something like that?” Lillian was furious now. “We didn’t come here to blackmail Marilyn.”
    Anderson paid no attention to her. “Just tell me what you want, Madison, and I’ll see to it that you get it, provided that you destroy those photos.”
    “What we want,” Gabe said evenly, “are some answers.”
    Anderson’s brows came together in a puzzled scowl. “Answers to what?”
    “Did you break into Lillian’s apartment in Portland?”
    For an instant Anderson appeared frozen in place. Then he came up out of the chair. He was practically vibrating with outrage.
    “Are you out of your mind?” he hissed. “Why would I do such a thing?”
    “To look for her computer program,” Gabe said. “You can save the act. It’s good but it’s not that good.”
    “I did not break into her apartment.” Each word was pronounced with unnatural precision.
    “And what about her cottage here in Eclipse Bay?” Gabe said. “I assume that was you, too, but I’ll admit that incident is a little confusing because of the assault on Arizona Snow.”
    “I don’t even know anyone named Arizona Snow,” Anderson gritted.
    “Maybe that was an unrelated event, after all,” Lillian said to Gabe.
    He shook his head. “I don’t know. I can’t get past the coincidence thing.”
    “Coincidences happen,” she pointed out.
    Anderson swung around to face her. “Stop it. Both of you. You can’t make false accusations like this. You can’t prove a damn thing.”
    “You’re right about not being able to prove anything,” Gabe said.
    Anderson settled himself, relieved. “I knew it.”
    “That’s why we came here instead of going to the cops. Of course, if you’d rather we went to Marilyn, we can do that. She might be interested to hear about your legal problems back in the days when you were selling online investments.”
    Shock flashed on Anderson’s face. “Marilyn would never listen to you.”
    “Don’t bank on it,” Lillian responded. “She and Gabe have a history. They go back a long way, I think Marilyn would listen to him if he told her that he didn’t believe that you were a good choice for