Midnight Jewels

you
?"
    "Goddamn it, don't know." He put a hand to his head. "Feel dizzy."
    Mercy waited no longer. She reached for one of the paper cups that was housed in a dispenser beside the sink, filled it with water and handed it to him. "Here, start drinking."
    "Not thirsty." But he took the cup and drank.
    When he was finished, she filled it again and made him consume the liquid. He started to protest when she refilled it a third time.
    "No more," he muttered. "Feel sick."
    "Good, that's exactly how I want you to feel. But first I want to dilute whatever was used to poison you. Then you can be sick to your heart's content. We'll try to get out whatever's left in your stomach. Drink the water, Croft."
    He stared at her over the rim of the cup. "Poison?"
    "If you really aren't drunk, then you must have been poisoned or drugged.
Hurry
."
    He finished the third glass of water and made a face. "Now what?"
    "Now I get to stick my finger down your throat and make you gag."
    Croft swung suddenly toward the porcelain bowl. "I don't think you're gonna have to use your finger," he said.
    Mercy steadied him while he was thoroughly and violently ill.

    Isobel went in search of Gladstone. When she found him she drew him off to one side. She knew he wasn't going to be pleased.
    "She got him out of the pool before he drowned, but he's pretty far gone," Isobel said quickly. "She thinks he's drunk and she's taking him upstairs to put him to bed."
    Gladstone's eyes burned for a moment. "He should be dead by now. It was supposed to look like a simple drowning accident. A drunk guest slips and falls into the pool. Nothing to worry about at an autopsy."
    "I know. Something went wrong."
    "I do not like incompetence."
    "Dallas or Lance failed. Whichever one of them slipped away for a moment to knock Falconer unconscious and toss him into the pool bungled the job."
    "He should have made certain Falconer was dead!"
    "He couldn't hang around the pool for more than a minute or two," Isobel reminded him. "That was the plan, remember? If the authorities were to ask embarrassing questions somebody here at the party might have noticed that one of the hired hands was missing for a critical few minutes. It had to happen very quickly. Besides, Falconer should have been unconscious when he went into the pool. He should have drowned without any further assistance!"
    "I do not tolerate failure."
    "This failure can be remedied," Isobel assured him.
    "It had better be remedied. I do not like the way things are going. Falconer should not have escaped the trap. The drug should have given him all the symptoms of drunkenness."
    "It did. He seems very obviously inebriated. The problem was that Pennington pulled him out of the pool before he drowned."
    "Keep an eye on Falconer and Pennington."
    Isobel nodded. "Of course, but it's doubtful they're going anywhere. Falconer can barely stand. Soon he won't be able to do even that. In any event they can't get away without us knowing it. If they try, they will only make things easier for us. A drunk, a car and a mountain road. All the ingredients needed for an unfortunate accident. It might, in the end, be the simplest way. It will take care of both of them at once."
    Gladstone nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. It might indeed be the simplest way. Did Falconer get into the vault?"
    "No. It's still locked. Dallas just checked."
    Gladstone nodded again. "Excellent."

----
Chapter FOURTEEN

    Croft was shaking by the time Mercy got him into the shower. Beneath the natural bronze of his skin he was pale. His eyes were stark in his harsh face and it was obvious that the sheer force of his will was the only thing keeping him on his feet.
    But he seemed to be thinking more clearly. At least that was what Mercy told herself as she stripped off her own wet clothes and got into the shower beside him. The hot water felt good. She realized just how chilled she had gotten.
    Croft watched enigmatically as she stepped into the shower. "I get the feeling you're not here to join me in some fun and games." He stood braced against the tiled wall with one hand, letting the water pour down on his head.
    "You're right. I'm in here to keep you from falling flat on your face."
    "Why stop me now? I've been doing a damn good job of it since this whole thing started. Christ, I can't believe I screwed up this bad. This job is coming apart the way my last one did three years ago." He closed his eyes and put out his other hand to help hold himself in an upright