Midnight Jewels

dollars. If someone had wanted to grab a really valuable book the night of the fire, he would have chosen something else to rescue besides
Valley
."
    "But you said most of those other copies were in the hands of European collectors. That doesn't mean this book hasn't made its way here from Europe."
    "It's Graves' copy, Mercy. I'm sure of it. There's too much evidence, including an inscription on the flyleaf from the first owner to his mistress."
    "All right," she allowed, "so it somehow survived the fire. That doesn't mean Graves did. It doesn't mean Graves is Gladstone or that he has come back from the, you should pardon the expression, grave to claim his copy of
Valley
."
    "I know, Mercy," he said gently.
    "But you want to be certain," she retorted waspishly.
    "I have to be certain."
    "Let's get to the important stuff," she continued after a moment. "Are you telling me all this now because of that intruder last night?"
    "I mink it was too much of a coincidence that that particular motel was ransacked last night."
    "Why would someone who was after
Valley
bother with a car stereo and a few wallets?"
    "Camouflage."
    "You've got a complicated mind," Mercy said wearily.
    That annoyed him. "Just the opposite. I devote a lot of time and energy to keeping my thinking simple."
    "Well, take my word for it, it only works when it comes to dealing with women. In that area, I'll agree you're very simpleminded. Outside of that you're devious and complicated and dangerous." She paused for a second. "And I'm probably even more simpleminded for agreeing to let you come with me to Gladstone's just so you can satisfy your curiosity."
    "Mercy—"
    "I suppose I can write off our relationship easily enough. After all, I'm an adult and I've had to bite the bullet before. Heck, I once had to write off an entire engagement. Compared to that, a one-night stand should be chicken manure. But, I'm warning you, Croft, this book is another matter entirely. My whole business future is about to take off and if you wreck it by scaring away my first good client, I'll never forgive you."
    "It was not a one-night stand and you know it. And you're not going to write it off that easily." Croft took a firm grip on his temper. She was deliberately goading him. That knowledge didn't bother him nearly as much as the fact that she was succeeding in making him struggle to contain his rising temper. He had never met anyone else on the face of the earth who could push him so easily to the edge of his self-control. "Damn it, Mercy, how do you manage to do this to me?" Even as he said the words he remembered it wasn't the first time he had voiced the complaint.
    She gave him a fulminating glance. "I don't know what you're talking about."
    "Sure you do, but I suppose you feel you're justified. Is this your idea of revenge whenever you don't like the way things are going between us? Do you get some satisfaction out of pushing me and seeing if you can get away with it?" He realized he was genuinely interested in her response. There were times when he was sure he comprehended the pattern of thoughts and emotions that formed the basis for Mercy Pennington's actions. He felt he understood how her mind worked and knew he understood the important things about her excitingly responsive body. But occasionally Croft acknowledged that there were some areas of Mercy's mind that remained an absolute mystery.
    "If you don't like the way I push you around," she said far too sweetly, "you can always get out and walk back to Denver. As far as I'm concerned we never have to see one another again."
    Croft was startled. He took his eyes off the road long enough to stare at her for an instant. "That's impossible now."
    "I'll admit it would be a long walk."
    "I'm not talking about the walk to Denver. Lady, if you think you can get rid of me that easily, you really are simpleminded. You can't ditch me until I've discovered what it is about you that makes it so easy for you to push me to the edge of my self-control."
    "Is there a danger of pushing you too far, Croft?" Her eyes were wide with brilliant, mocking interest. Mercy turned slightly to regard him more intently. She tucked one foot under her thigh and rested her left arm along the back of the seat. "I'm astonished. You seem to have been totally in control of me and the situation right from the beginning. I was just a puppet on your string, wasn't I?"
    "Some puppet," he muttered. "You're already whipping out a pair of scissors