Trust Me

instant Desdemona could not breathe. “No.”
    “He’s the only one with a motive. He hates my guts.” Tony’s voice gentled. “I’m sorry, kid. I know how this is hitting you.”
    “I don’t believe Stark would do such a thing.”
    “It’s the only explanation that fits the facts,” Tony insisted. “Don’t you see? He wants me out of the picture, and he’ll do anything to get rid of me.”
    “You think he’s jealous? Tony, that’s ridiculous. Stark isn’t the type to get insanely jealous.”
    “He’s jealous all right, but that’s only part of it. Don’t forget that he also thinks I tried to rip off his damn security program. A guy like that doesn’t forgive or forget. He’s decided that he can kill two birds with one stone. He figures he can have his vengeance and turn you against me at the same time.”
    “For crying out loud, Tony, you’re beginning to sound like a character in a play.”
    “You know what they say about real life and art imitating each other.”
    Desdemona closed her eyes and tried to think. “We’ve got to talk. We need to put everything down on paper and look at the facts in a clearheaded, rational manner. Frankly, Stark is very good at this kind of thing.”
    “For Christ’s sake, Desdemona, whatever you do, don’t tell Stark that I’m in town and that I found the gun. Stark wants to nail me, don’t you understand? He’s got his own agenda.”
    “Calm down, Tony. I promise you that I won’t do anything without talking it over with you first.” Desdemona reached for a pen and some paper. “Give me the address of your motel. I’ve got to do dinner with the family tonight. If I don’t show up everyone will be wondering where I am. But as soon as I’m free I’ll drive to your motel. We’ll talk.”
    “Okay. But be careful, kid. Stark is dangerous.”
    “He speaks very highly of you, too.”

    “Hey, where’s Tony?” Henry asked as he and Kirsten strolled into the restaurant’s private dining room. “I thought he’d be back in time to join us.”
    Stark watched as Desdemona turned quickly and smiled very brightly.
    “I was just telling everyone that he left a message on my machine. He said that he couldn’t get a reasonably priced flight out of L.A. You know how expensive it is when you try to book at the last minute. He’s going to see if he can get a better fare tomorrow or the next day.”
    Stark looked at her across the table. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was lying through her pretty little white teeth.
    Desdemona gave him a fleeting smile. Her gaze slid away from his. She bent her head and immersed herself in a conversation with Kyle, who was seated next to her. Kyle launched into a detailed description of yet another critically acclaimed performance of Monsters Under the Bed.
    Stark studied the graceful curve of Desdemona’s neck.
    She had definitely lied.
    He contemplated that raw fact as he sat quietly at the table amid the flock of Wainwrights. He tuned out the cheerful din of voices that surrounded him and concentrated on the realization that Desdemona was lying not only to him, but to her family as well.
    There was only one person on the face of the earth who could cause her to do that.
    No one seemed to notice Stark’s withdrawal from the conversation. The natural exuberance of a table full of Wainwrights together with Jason and Kyle was more than enough to mask his silence. It wasn’t as though he was the world’s greatest conversationalist in the first place.
    Stark ate methodically, making his way through the grilled salmon he had ordered. The juicy fish had been excellently prepared with a crust of herbs and lemon, but it was sawdust in his mouth.
    Stark knew for a fact that Tony was in town. He had checked the airline computers. Tony had arrived on a late-afternoon flight. And then he had vanished.
    The question was why had Desdemona lied. Stark thought he knew the answer. She would do anything to protect her precious stepbrother.
    Bits and pieces of the lively Wainwright conversation floated past Stark’s field of awareness. He registered them automatically with a portion of his brain.
    … Ian still thinks that he’s going to be able to get an angel to back one more production at the Limelight. He never gives up, does he? I swear, he’d do anything to save that theater….
    … Macbeth told me and Kyle that we can work on the next Strolling Players production. He says we’re real pros now….
    … Our