Donovans 01 - Amber Beach

began.
    “I heard,” Archer said. “Ask him if he has any guesses.”
    “You ask him. I’ve had it with being caught in the middle.”
    She threw the receiver at Jake. He caught it without taking his eyes off her. He watched while she got out of bed and stalked toward the bathroom. When the shower came on he let out a silent sigh of relief and lifted the receiver to his ear.
    “What?” he asked curtly.
    “Who was the guy last night?”
    “He wasn’t from this side of the ocean.”
    “How do you know?”
    “The U.S. government thinks it has an in with me, so they have no reason to do a dicey black bag job on a very private residence.”
    Archer absorbed that. “The government has already approached you?”
    “Yeah. Seems the Russians asked for help recovering the Amber Room.”
    “Have you seen it?”
    “No. I don’t expect to, either. I think it’s a wide load of fairy dust.”
    Archer grunted. “Is Honor in danger?”
    “From Uncle Sam’s players? Probably not. After that, all bets are off.”
    “Put her back on.”
    “She’s in the shower.”
    “Shower! Just how close are you and Honor?”
    “About ten feet.”
    “What?”
    “The phone is about ten feet from the shower.”
    “Mallory, you’re pissing me off.”
    “Do unto others and all that. Are you still in Kamchatka?”
    “Why do you care?”
    “If I get taken out, I’d like to think that help was on the way for Honor. The body that washed up here was former KGB. After the wall came down, he hired out his talents. He had a traveling partner. The partner hasn’t washed up yet. The good news is, neither has your brother.”
    “Christ, what a mess. Get Honor out of there! I’ll pay you more than the Amber Room is worth.”
    “I don’t want the Amber Room. I want the truth.”
    “That’s all the Donovans want.”
    “Like hell. What you want is to clear Kyle by hanging me.”
    “If you get Honor out of there, I’ll spread the word that you’re innocent.”
    “Then who’s guilty? Kyle?”
    Archer didn’t answer.
    “Nice try,” Jake said sardonically, “but I’m not buying any more Donovan bullshit. If you find out anything that might help keep your sister alive, don’t forget to call.”
    He hung up on Archer, listened to the shower, and tried to think of how he could keep Honor safe. He was still sorting through possibilities when the shower shut off. A few minutes later Honor walked into the room wearing her baggy black sweat suit. Above the collar she looked fresh and sleek.
    Then Jake saw her eyes. He had been wrong when he told Archer that she was only ten feet away. The kind of distance he saw in her now couldn’t be measured.
    “Who was the guy last night?” she asked calmly.
    “I don’t know.”
    She ran her fingers through her chin-length hair in an automatic fluffing gesture and didn’t say a word.
    “I really don’t know,” Jake said angrily. “He didn’t exactly leave a business card.”
    “Anything else?”
    Her voice was like her expression, cold enough to leave frost.
    “You said you have a sister in Hawaii?” he asked.
    Honor spun toward him. “Why? Is something wrong with Faith?”
    “Archer wants you to visit her. It’s one of the few things we agreed on.”
    “Too bad. I don’t agree.”
    “Snake Eyes is a professional killer.”
    Her eyelids flinched. “All the more reason to keep Faith out of this.”
    “All right. Take a vacation on Tahiti or Easter Island until this is over. Donovan International can hire some bodyguards to haul your luggage. If they don’t know anyone up to the job, I do.”
    “No.”
    “Why not?”
    “As you so cleverly pointed out, I should be around when you find Kyle.”
    “I won’t hurt him. You have my word.”
    “That’s nice. I’m staying.”
    Jake played his last card—the famous Donovan temper. “Just can’t get enough of me, huh?”
    “Yeah, how’d you guess?” she said without interest. “Let’s go fishing.”
    For a few electric seconds Jake measured Honor. Everything he saw convinced him that fishing not only was the best offer he would get from her right now, it was the only one. She was fully capable of walking out and casting off in the boat herself, leaving him standing around with his fine intentions hanging out.
    He grabbed his clothes and started pulling them on.

14
    T HE WEATHER WAS better than Jake’s mood, which wasn’t saying much. Low clouds, lower clouds, fog, drizzle, rain, and choppy water could be seen