Eye of the Beholder

wife said you were just letting off steam, but I knew better."
    "You were right," Trask said.
    "That's enough, please." Alexa's voice sharpened. "There's no point talking to him."
    Guthrie peered at Alexa and then his big head swiveled back toward Trask. "So what's the master plan, here, Mr. Fucking Hot Shot CEO?"
    "Alexa's right. You're drunk." Trask took her arm. "Get out of here, Guthrie."
    "Think you can get your revenge on Kenyon by fucking his stepdaughter? Is that it?"
    Rage exploded in Trask's veins. He released Alexa and started toward the Lincoln . "I said, that's enough."
    "Trask, no." Alexa snatched at his sleeve.
    He ignored her.
    Guthrie's eyes glinted with malice as Trask neared the car. "Maybe you're gonna try to get your hands on her money, huh? That would sure piss off Kenyon."
    Trask did not respond. He was only a yard away from the Lincoln .
    "Who the hell do you think you are, you son-of-a-bitch?" Guthrie's voice rose. "Leave me alone. I'll have you arrested if you so much as come near me."
    He gunned the Lincoln . It shot forward, tires screaming, just as Trask started to reach for the door handle.
    The two middle-aged couples stood statue still. They stared, bemused, at Trask and Alexa.
    Trask watched the Lincoln disappear into the night. Then he turned to look at Alexa. She was watching him with huge eyes. He groaned.
    "I realize that I didn't make a good impression twelve years ago. And this scene probably didn't do much to improve my image as a fun date. But I wouldn't want you to get the idea that every time I go out I end up in a brawl."
    She blinked a couple of times. Then her mouth curved in a shaky smile. "I'll try to keep an open mind."

    Trask glowered at Calvin Strood , Avalon's chief of police, across the expanse of Strood's dented metal desk. "I told Alexa that this would be a waste of time."
    Alexa, seated next to him, frowned in disapproval. "Don't be ridiculous. We had to report what happened in the parking lot."
    Strood's rawhide and leather features grimaced in a pained expression. He had made it clear that he was not happy about being pulled away from the late-night television news to come down to Avalon's small police station to take the statements. Trask was pretty sure that the only reason he hadn't let one of his officers handle the complaint was because the complainant had recently become the town's biggest employer.
    "We'll keep an eye out for those two who mugged you," Strood said patiently. "But my guess is they're already long gone to Phoenix or Tucson . Even if they're still in town it'll be hard to pick ' em out in the crowd. Avalon is filled with visitors this week. Festival time, you know."
    "Talk to Guthrie," Trask said evenly. Strood's brows rose. "You sure that's what you want me to do? According to what I hear, you and Guthrie were seen engaged in an argument. I believe the exact phrase was, in a heated argument. No one saw the two men you claim tried to mug you."
    "Talk to Guthrie," Trask repeated. "Ask him about the two thugs."
    "Okay, okay." Strood sighed heavily. "But I'm not going to promise anything. You got no names, no descriptions, and no license plate. Hell, neither of you is even hurt and nothing got stolen. All you've got is some wild theory that Guthrie sent two men to rough you up."
    Alexa sat forward tensely. "Are you implying that we made up the whole thing?"
    Strood shook his head. "No, Ms. Chambers. I'm just saying that I haven't got a lot to work with here. I'll do what I can."
    Translated, that meant nothing, Trask thought.

13

    The heels of Alexa's sandals tinged on the mosaic tiles. She came to a halt just inside the vast, unabashedly ornate spa and allowed the sultry atmosphere to envelop her.
    The warmth felt good. The adrenaline had evaporated from her system, but it had left an unpleasant, shivery chill in its wake.
    "This is incredible," she said.
    Water the color of liquid aquamarines lapped at the edges of the room's three freeform pools. In addition to the soaking areas there were two fountains. Neither was operating at the moment. Tiled and gilded pillars rose gracefully into the shadows of the high ceiling. Ranks of webbed loungers and draped massage tents were flanked by an array of palms and ferns.
    An eerie silence hung over the steamy chamber. She and Trask had the place to themselves. The hotel was not scheduled to open until tomorrow. Only a skeleton staff was on duty tonight.
    "Edward told me the architect had done a