Midnight Jewels

brow at Mercy. "There was no problem with the money that was wired into your account?"
    "None at all," Mercy assured him.
    "Excellent. Come with me and we will find a place in my library for
Valley
."
    Gladstone led the other three out into the hall and down the stairs to the lower level of the house. When he opened a glass door at the bottom of the stairs the scent of chlorinated water wafted through. The heavy odor of lush greenery accompanied it. The small party stepped out onto a small platform and found themselves in the midst of a tropical garden. The only thing marring the illusion was the odd hue of the lighting. It lacked the golden warmth of real sunlight. Croft watched Mercy's eyes widen in appreciation as she saw what was on the other side of the door.
    "Good lord, an indoor pool and garden. It's magnificent! It looks like something out of a travel poster ad for Tahiti or Hawaii."
    Gladstone smiled complacently and waved Mercy graciously toward the short flight of steps that led down from the platform.
    The pool room was a giant, indoor tropical setting occupying most of the bottom floor of the large house. The place was filled with broad leaved plants and a variety of exotic ferns. The lighting was subdued and artfully camouflaged. If it weren't for the lack of a sky overhead, the whole setting might have passed for a small slice of tropical paradise, complete with a designer's idea of a waterfall at one end of the curving pool.
    "One can't get all one's exercise skiing," Gladstone explained, descending the steps from the platform. "Isobel and I find the pool a pleasant alternative. In the middle of winter, a few hours in here does wonders to raise the spirits."
    "I can imagine." Mercy started toward a path that wound its way through the heavy foliage to poolside. In a moment she disappeared from sight. Then her voice came clearly. "Come here and look at this, Croft. It's incredible."
    Croft went forward slowly, moving along a narrow stone path that was bordered by lush plants. The greenery in there was damn thick. A lot of it was higher than a man's head. From the platform near the entrance it was possible to catch glimpses of the meandering path, but once down on the floor, the viewer found himself in the middle of a small jungle. Croft looked around with interest, automatically noting the extent of the realism.
    A man could hide in here. Or go hunting.
    He rounded a bend in the path and saw Mercy standing at the edge of the pool, peering into the water. The pool was lit with underwater lights. Mercy was obviously enchanted. Her eyes were full of laughter and excitement.
    "This is amazing. So real and so huge! Have you ever seen anything like it?"
    "Yes, but the last place I saw that looked like this was loaded with insects and one or two snakes. This is a Hollywood version of the real flung."
    "I'd rather enjoy this version than the one that has the snakes and insects. Darn it, I wish I'd brought my swim-suit."
    Isobel moved out of the foliage behind them. "We keep suits on hand for our guests. You'll find one that will fit you in the cabanas near the sauna. Come. I'll show you where the changing rooms are. Please feel free to take a swim whenever you wish."
    Croft trailed slowly after the two women, continuing his examination of the tropical swimming pool. The effectiveness of the illusion did not totally disguise the fact that they were in a huge basement. There were no windows. If the lights were turned off, this place would be a black cavern.
    A few minutes later Isobel led the way out of the garden and indicated a large wooden sauna room and two cabanas.
    "Check inside the cabana to the right for the women's suits. There are several pairs of trunks in the other one." Isobel smiled warmly at Croft.
    Mercy made a pretense of ignoring the smile that was directed at Croft, but he saw the faint narrowing of her eyes as she turned away to open a cabana door. For the second time that day he wondered if she was jealous of Isobel Ascanius. It was an intriguing thought.
    There was no time to pursue the idea, however. Isobel was already leading her guests out of the pool area and through another set of glass doors that opened into a very different room.
    "Erasmus went ahead to open the library. He'll be getting anxious," Isobel explained with gentle amusement. "He is very eager to show off his collection to people who can appreciate it. We have so few guests."
    The room on the other side of a second set of