Midnight Jewels

lower level of the big house.
    An eerie silence and the familiar combination of chlorine and growing plants hit her as she pushed open the glass doors and stepped out onto the platform. The glowing blue of the swimming pool drew her eye. The room was dark because the overhead lights were off, but not as shadowed as last night when all the lights except those in the pool had been dimmed. Tonight the green glow from the undergrowth lit the paths that led toward the water.
    She was never really certain what made her start toward me pool. Theoretically, she told herself, she ought to check the vault room first. But the aura of the glowing blue water drew her. Lately she seemed to be haunted by that shade of blue. Mercy found herself moving quickly along the white gravel path.
    She saw the dark shape floating in the pool within seconds after leaving the platform. Shock went through her. She got only a glimpse through the palm fronds and ferns of what looked like a black pant leg billowing languidly in the water, but it was enough. Someone was in the pool and whoever it was, he wasn't moving.
    It was the color of the pant leg material that added the extra dimension of horror to the scene. Mercy broke into a run. It was true a few other men had worn dark clothes to the party, but she was willing to bet those guests were all still upstairs. The man in the pool was Croft.
    He couldn't be dead. Not like this. Croft Falconer wasn't the kind of man who would end his life by getting ignominiously drunk and falling into a pool.
    "Croft! Oh, my God, Croft, don't you dare drown like this.
Don't you dare
." Mercy reached the edge of the pool, stumbled slightly as she kicked off her high-heeled sandals and then she dove into the water. Croft was floating as if he were unconscious or dead.
    The skirt of her dress became a heavy, soggy weight almost instantly. But she was only a couple of feet away from Croft. Mercy stroked fiercely and caught hold of his arm.
    Croft moved at her touch, rolling over in the water like a seal and smiling complacently.
    "I knew you'd get here sooner or later," he said. "Never had to depend on anyone else before. Dangerous. But I knew I could depend on you. Strange, huh?"
    Mercy released him as though she had been burned. "What is this?" she demanded through set teeth. "Some kind of game? Croft, you had me scared to death."
    "Not you," he informed her as if he had given the matter some thought. "You're not the kind who gets scared to death. You might be terrified, but you'd keep moving, keep fighting back. It's your nature, you know. By the way, I can see your nipples through that wet material you're wearing. Very sexy."
    "You idiotic bastard," she breathed, staring at his abnormally pleasant expression. "You
care
drunk."
    "I never get drunk," Croft said and smiled wickedly. "But it might be interesting to see you when you're tipsy. Would you lose all your inhibitions and crawl all over me?"
    "There's no point trying to talk to you now. You're too far gone." Mercy began tugging him toward the edge of the pool. He drifted happily along in the direction she was aiming him, neither helping nor hindering her efforts. "We've got to get out of here. For pete's sake, Croft, it's a miracle you didn't drown yourself."
    "I can hold my breath a long time," he confided proudly.
    "Is that so?" She got him to the steps and struggled to get him balanced on his feet in the water. "How long can you hold it?"
    "A while."
    "Oh, that's just terrific. How long have you been floating here in the pool practicing your breath holding skills?"
    He swayed upright in the water, blinking water out of his eyes. "A while," he said again. "A long while." Then he leaned forward as if imparting a confidence. "I was just about to cheat and take a breath when you showed up."
    "How very intelligent of you." She held her dripping skirts with one hand and yanked on his arm with the other. "Come on, Croft. Move, damn it."
    "Don't swear at me. No need to swear. Unbecoming in a lady." His words were only slightly slurred as he staggered up the steps and reached out to steady himself on the rail. "Good thing I didn't have to take a breath. Would have tipped 'em off. They were watching, you know. Wanted to make sure. But now you're here they'll have to pretend everything's hunky dory."
    "Croft, I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, and if you don't want me to swear at you, try behaving yourself."
    "I am behaving. Perfect gentleman.