Hidden Riches

the knuckles. “I’d be happy to arrange for my car to take you to the airport tomorrow.”
    “That’s so nice.” It made her feel ashamed of the urge she had to rub her hand clean on her jacket. “But I’ve already arranged transportation. Please, call me if you—if there’s any news about DiCarlo.”
    “I will. I have a feeling it will all be sorted out very soon.”
    * * *
    When she returned to the Beverly Hills Hotel, Dora waited until the limo had driven away, then simply stood on the sidewalk breathing slowly and waiting to calm. She didn’t want to face Jed until she had herself under control.
    She felt idiotic to be shaken. Though she knew she would have to tell him how the evening had affected her, she wanted to be cool and precise when she did so.
    Then she saw the dark sedan pull up across the street. And the man with the gray suit.
    On a skidder of panic she bolted into the lobby.
    Jumping at shadows, Conroy, she berated herself while her heartbeat roared in her ears. Chin up, she punched the button for the elevator. It was just jet lag. It helped a great deal to believe it. She was overtired and overstressed. Once she’d gotten through relaying everything to Jed, she’d get a good night’s sleep and be fine again.
    By the time she’d ridden up to her floor and slipped the key into the lock, she had herself back in line. She was even able to smile when she walked in and saw Jed scowling out of the window.
    “Ah, you waited up for me.”
    “You’re always good for a laugh, Conroy. You really ought to—” He broke off after he’d turned and gotten a look at her. He hadn’t known anyone could appear so exhausted and still stand on both feet.
    “What?” Such were her nerves that she groped at her throat and stepped back. “What is it?”
    “Nothing. My mind was wandering. Have a seat.”
    “I’d just as soon get out of this dress first.” Habit had her going to the closet for a hanger.
    “Let me give you a hand.” He tugged down the zipper for her. Casually, he gave her shoulders a quick massage and found them, as he’d suspected, knotted with tension. “You want a nightgown or something?”
    “Or something.” She sat tiredly on the edge of the bed to remove her hose. “You had something for dinner, didn’t you?”
    “I’m a big boy now, Conroy.” He unhooked the black strapless bra, tossed it aside, then slipped the thin nightshirt over her head.
    “We had duck.”
    “Beats the hell out of my cheeseburger.”
    “It was excellent. The house—really, you should see it. It’s immense, with all these lofty rooms leading into other lofty rooms. I’ve never seen so many museum-quality pieces in one place.”
    When her eyes began to droop, she shook her head. “I need to wash my face. You should see if you can get some kind of financial report on E. F., Incorporated.” In the bathroom she ran the water cold, scooping it up with both hands to splash on her face. “The butler served coffee out of a Meissen worth ten, twelve thousand.” She yawned and splashed more water. “And a paperweight in the library—an Alméric Walter. I watched one go at Christie’s a couple of years ago for fifteen big ones. Plus this—”
    “I don’t want an inventory.”
    “Sorry.” After choosing a tube from the bathroom counter, she began creaming off her makeup. “I’ve never seen a collection to compare with it. Never heard of one to compare with it. You can’t even call it a collection, really. It’s more of a private little empire.” Dutifully, she dabbed on moisturizer. “And there was something odd about the way he showed it to me.”
    “In what way?”
    “Like he was waiting for me to do something, say something.” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t explain exactly, but the atmosphere was different than it had been in his office.” Her eyes met his in the mirror. There were faint bruises of fatigue under hers and a fragility to her skin now that it was without the shield of cosmetics. “He spooked me, Jed. He was a perfect gentleman, a perfect host. And being alone with him terrified me.”
    “Tell me.” He combed a hand through her hair. “It doesn’t have to make sense.”
    Relieved, she nodded and walked back in to sit on the side of the bed. “He took me all through the house,” she began. “And like I said, there was something off about the way he showed off his pieces. A handful of them in particular. I could feel him watching me when I