Silencing Eve

“And I find I’m developing a tendency toward schmaltz, on occasion.” He pulled her down into his arms again. “But strictly sincere schmaltz. Did I embarrass you? You’ll have to get used to it.”
    “I think that’s possible.” The rays of the sun coming into the room were stronger. Life was invading, she realized reluctantly. “It’s almost seven. I suppose we should get up.”
    “In a little while.” He smiled. “I believe my focus is beginning to shift toward—”
    Her phone on the bedside table rang.
    She stiffened. Caleb?
    No, Margaret.
    She accessed the call. “Margaret, where are you?”
    “In Caleb’s room. I’ve ordered coffee and breakfast for everyone. Thirty minutes?”
    Jane looked at Trevor. “Maybe a little longer.”
    “It’s important, Jane,” Margaret said quietly. “Things are breaking.”
    “What—”
    “Thirty minutes.” Margaret hung up.
    “She said it was important,” Jane said as she pressed the disconnect. She lay there, gazing at him. Dear God, she loved him. She didn’t want to leave the cocoon that they’d built together in the past hours. “I guess we have to go.”
    “You know we do.” He got up and scooped her up in his arms and turned in a circle. “And important can be good.” He kissed her before setting her on her feet. “There will be other miracles. They’ll be that much better if we go out and earn them.”
    That’s right, they were just starting out. It was hard to remember that when she had just found out that all the paths they had traveled had come to this wonderful crossroad.
    It was hard to remember and harder to believe.
    No, she would not be negative. She didn’t even know from where that crazy thought had come. She would reach out and grasp that gold ring, and everything would be fine. She would find Eve. She would keep this love. There would be dreams and love and miracles.
    “You take the first shower.” Trevor patted her behind as he nudged her toward the bathroom. “Then you can run down and talk to Margaret. I know you’re going to be on edge once you start thinking.”
    He knew so much about her, she thought as she closed the bathroom door. That knowledge was a miracle in itself. She was already eager to find out what Margaret considered important. She moved quickly to the shower and turned on the spray.
    Trevor said it could be good news. Please, let it be good news, Margaret.
    *   *   *
    “EAT YOUR BREAKFAST, JANE,” Caleb said mockingly as he poured more coffee in her cup. “You have to keep up your strength. I’d hate to waste all my efforts.”
    “Be quiet, Caleb.” Jane turned back to Margaret. “Clocks?” Excitement was sweeping through her. At least one answer in this hellish puzzle. “Bless Kendra. If we can locate those nuclear devices, then no matter what Harriet does, we’ll be in control. We could go forward with finding Eve without that hanging over us.”
    “Not true,” Trevor said. “We have to do more than locate them—have them disarmed. Or at least prevent them from being detonated.”
    “And you said Harriet denied she was going after the detonator this morning,” Margaret said. “But she’ll have to go get it sometime. Could you steal it, take it away from her?”
    “We don’t even know if the detonator is here or in Seattle. And once she has it in her hands, the danger increases. If she panics, she might set it off before anyone could get near enough to her to take it away from her. It would have to be handled with extreme delicacy.”
    “I can’t see her in a panic,” Jane said dryly. “I think she has a keen appreciation of her own value and a well-developed sense of self-preservation.” She added thoughtfully, “But Harriet wouldn’t like to risk defeat. She might set off those explosions from sheer bitchery. She’s supposed to meet with this Cartland. Perhaps we can work something through him.”
    “Or call in Venable,” Margaret said quietly. She held up her hand at Jane’s expression. “I know that you’re afraid that he’ll sacrifice Eve to national security. It’s a legitimate concern after the way he almost got her killed in Colorado. But you have to consider that you may have to do it. You can’t let Harriet even get close to setting off those bombs.”
    “I know that I can’t,” Jane said curtly. “But I’m not going to run that risk while there’s still a chance that we can take care of it ourselves. We still have some time. She’s not