Sweet Fortune

nearby cafe, Jessie was well on the road to recovery. She started to chat conversationally about a wide variety of subjects. They all had one thing in common. They did not touch on the subject of their relationship.
    Later, as Hatch parked his car in front of her apartment, it dawned on him exactly what tactic she had decided to employ in order to deal with the new situation between them. He switched off the engine and sat back to study her in the shadows.
    “I'll be damned,” he said, amused. “You're just going to pretend it never happened, aren't you? You disappoint me, Jessie. I didn't think you'd take the coward's way out.”
    “What did you expect me to do?” she flared. “Throw myself all over you and beg you to marry me?”
    He considered that. “No, probably not. But I didn't think you'd try to ignore the whole thing either. What are you going to do the next time we make love? Act like it's all a huge surprise?”
    “Don't get the idea I intend to make a habit out of that sort of idiotic incident.” She slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder and reached for the door handle. “It's not as if I don't have other, more important things going on in my life.”
    He reached out and flicked the door-lock button, trapping her. “Such as?”
    She sat back in the seat and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “Such as the investigation I'm conducting. I suppose you've forgotten about that, haven't you? You never did bother to tell me about following the money.”
    “Haven't had a chance,” he pointed out. “We've been a little busy today, haven't we? What with getting up at three in the morning to investigate break-ins and making love on your office sofa.”
    She shot him a quick searching glance. “Tell me now.”
    “About the money? There's not a whole lot to tell until we know more about DEL. The first thing to find out is how they finance the operation.”
    “Donations, apparently.” She chewed on her lower lip. “I might know more when I get back from visiting their headquarters.”
    She could not have jolted him more if she had dropped a live grenade into his lap. “Visiting their headquarters?” Hatch shot out a hand and caught her chin, turning her so that she had to meet his eyes. “What the hell are you talking about now?”
    She shooed his hand away and smiled rather smugly. “I've been working today, Hatch. With David's help I tracked down someone who knew Susan Attwood, a young woman named Nadine Willard. She and Susan had both attended one of the lectures DEL gave to interested students at Butterfield College, and Nadine just happened to have an extra invitation to visit DEL headquarters. She said anyone who had one could probably go see the place. It's on an island in the San Juans.”
    “And you're going to go up there? By yourself?”
    “Why not?”
    “Are you crazy?”
    “Probably, or I wouldn't have found myself flat on my back on Mrs. V's office sofa an hour ago.”
    Hatch was incensed all over again. He could not believe the effect this woman had on him. Deliberately he clamped down his ironclad self-control and forced himself to speak coldly and quietly.
    “You are not going up there alone. I absolutely forbid it.” He got a sinking sensation in his gut when Jessie's smile turned even more smug.
    “Want to come with me and see if you can spot the money trail?” she inquired softly. “The invitation is for the bearer and a friend.”
    “Now, hold on just one damn minute,” Hatch ordered, already reeling under the implications.
    “You could always think of it as a mini-vacation, Hatch. I'll bet you haven't taken a vacation in ages, have you?”
    “Dammit, Jessie.” Hatch realized he desperately needed time. “Look, you're not to do anything at all until I get back from Portland, understand?”
    “Portland? You're going down there?” she asked quickly.
    “Somebody has to go, Jessie. I told you it was important. Since your father already has a previous commitment, that leaves me. In the meantime, I want your word of honor you won't traipse off to the San Juans alone while I'm out of town.”
    “Well…”
    “Let me make that clearer,” he said coolly. “You're not getting out of this car tonight until I have your promise not to leave Seattle without me.”
    “Since you feel that strongly about it, I suppose I can wait.” She gave him a triumphant look. “As it happens, I'm going to the science fair too. I won't be going anywhere until Monday. One