Grand Passion

more in-depth work, myself,” Max said, not bothering to hide his sarcasm. “And I don't want it put on the back burner. I want top-of-the-line service. All right. We'll see you sometime tomorrow. Make it before noon, O'Reilly.”
    He hung up the phone and regarded Cleo with brooding eyes.
    Cleo moistened her lower lip. “What did Mr. O'Reilly say?”
    “He said, and I quote, ‘You always want top-of-the-line service, you son of a bitch.’”
    “Oh.” Cleo smiled ruefully. “I'll bet you always get it, too. There was no need to be rude to Mr. O'Reilly. I'm sure he's doing his best.”
    “I wasn't rude, I was firm. He's turned up absolutely nothing so far.”
    “He found Ben.”
    “That has nothing to do with this other matter.” Max paused thoughtfully. “At least, I don't think it does.”
    Cleo straightened her spine, alarmed by the tone of his voice. “Of course it doesn't. How could it?”
    “Damned if I know. None of this makes any sense at the moment.” Max grabbed his cane and got to his feet. “Come on, we're going downstairs to let the others know what's happening.”
    “Max, I told you, I don't want everyone worrying about this.”
    “Too bad. They're going to have to worry about it. I'm going to see to it that everybody worries.”
    Cleo frowned. “I think we should keep this between ourselves.”
    “I want everyone in the family to know what's going on so that everyone can keep an eye on you.”
    “I'll feel like a prisoner.”
    “That's the whole idea.” Max crossed the room, reached down, and caught her hand in his. He yanked her lightly up off the bed. “Let's go.”
    “I would like to remind you that I'm the one in charge around here.” Cleo went to the door and threw it open with a defiant flourish. It was much easier to feel defiant when you were once again feeling quite safe, she discovered. “I don't recall giving you permission to run things.”
    “It must have slipped your mind.” Max herded her out the room. “You've been busy lately.”
    “Max, this is not a joke.”
    “Christ, Cleo, you don't have to tell me that. You gave me a hell of a scare today. By the way, don't worry about me being in charge for a while around here. I'm good at running things.”
    “That's what Kimberly said.”
    “Speaking of Kimberly, when did she leave?”
    “Right after we had a cozy little chat on the beach.”
    “What did you two talk about?” Max urged her down the second flight of stairs.
    “You, for the most part.”
    “Sounds dull.”
    “I assure you, Max, you are never dull.”
    They had reached the first floor. Sylvia looked up from behind the desk. She glanced first at Max's set face and then gave Cleo a concerned look.
    “Everything okay?” she asked.
    “No,” Max said. “Everything is not okay. Call the others. I want everyone in the kitchen in five minutes.”
    Cleo rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Max. You're carrying this a little too far.”
    But Sylvia was already hurrying around the edge of the desk. “I'll find everyone.”
    Cleo threw Max a disgusted look as Sylvia dashed down the hall. “No one around here jumps for me like that.”
    “It's the difference between our two different management styles,” Max explained. “You operate with what is generally called the consensus style.”
    “What do you call your style?” Cleo shoved open the kitchen door. “A dictatorship?”
    “Don't knock it. It works.”
    “Where did you learn it?”
    “From Jason.”
    “I don't believe it,” Cleo declared. “I think it comes naturally to you.”
    One by one the others gathered in the kitchen. Sammy clung to his mother's hand, his eyes widening as he realized how serious the grown-ups were behaving.
    “I don't think we should include Sammy in this,” Cleo whispered uneasily to Max. “He'll be scared.”
    “He's part of the family,” Max said. “He already knows something is going on, and if we don't tell him what it is, and that it's under control, he'll be frightened. This way he'll feel included, and he'll know that action is being taken. That should reassure him.”
    “Since when did you become an authority on child psychology?” Cleo asked.
    Max looked at her. “I was a child once, myself.”
    “I find that extremely difficult to believe.”
    “I'm not surprised. So do I.”
    Cleo watched the expressions on her friends' faces as they gathered around the nook table. Andromeda, Daystar, Trisha, Ben, Sylvia, and little Sammy all glanced first at