Wildest Hearts

her.”

    “Sir.”

    Oliver paused briefly, surprised by the urgency in Bolt's normally emotionless voice. “What is it?”

    Bolt looked at him. “I just wanted to remind you, sir, that Mrs. Rain has only been living here for a very short time.”

    “So?”

    Bolt coughed discreetly. “So she may not yet be fully conversant with your, uh, requirements vis-à-vis a wife.”

    “Are you trying to tell me I shouldn't come down on her like an avalanche just because she's put me through hell for the last hour?”

    “There is an old saying, sir. You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. And itis only six-thirty, sir.”

    “I'll be damned,” Oliver muttered. “The woman reads your manuscript, tells you it's wonderful, and the next thing I know she's got you eating out of the palm of her hand. What the hell is going on around here?” He turned and stalked out the door without waiting for an answer.

    Annie poked her head out of the kitchen. Her eyes looked huge and serious. “There you are. I was wondering where everyone was.”

    Oliver scowled at the sight of her. Annie looked disheveled and anxious. Her hair was even more wildly tangled than usual. There was dried mud on her shoes and her stockings were snagged. A terrible fear ripped through him.

    “Annie, what happened?”

    Annie stared at him, her lower lip trembling. Her eyes filled with tears. Then, with a small, indecipherable exclamation, she hurled herself straight into his arms.

    “For God's sake, what's wrong?” Oliver crushed her to him. She felt small and soft and so very vulnerable. “Are you all right?”

    “I'm okay.” She sniffled loudly against his shirt as she wrapped her arms fiercely around his waist. “Honest. Just a little shaken, that's all.”

    “Where have you been? Why are you late?”

    “I went to Bainbridge Island.”

    “To see a client?” Oliver held her gently away from him so that he could search her face.

    “To see a man named Wally Thorpe.”

    Oliver's fingers tightened roughly on her shoulders. “Why in God's name would you want to see Thorpe?”

    Annie blinked the last of the tears out of her eyes. “You know who he is?”

    “He's the mechanic who serviced Daniel's plane the day he vanished.”

    Annie frowned. “How did you know that?”

    “I told you, I made certain that the investigation of your brother's accident was very thorough.”

    “Yes, you did, didn't you?”

    “I didn't talk to Thorpe myself but the authorities did,” Oliver said. “The company that rented the plane to your brother cooperated in every way. There was no evidence that anyone had tampered with the plane or that anything had been overlooked in the servicing of the aircraft.”

    “Nothing at all?”

    “No. Annie, why did you suddenly take it into your head to talk to Thorpe today?”

    “I didn't talk to him. He wasn't there.”

    Getting the answers was not going to be easy. Annie was frazzled and nervous. Oliver summoned all of his self-control and patience.

    He put his arm around Annie's shoulder and steered her down the hall to the study where Bolt waited. “What made you decide to look for Thorpe?”

    Annie started to answer and then broke off when she saw Bolt. She smiled weakly. “Hi. Sorry I'm a little late. Hope dinner's okay.”

    “There is no problem with dinner, Mrs. Rain.” Bolt's eyes skimmed over her, noting her unkempt appearance. “Are you all right?”

    “Uh-huh.” Annie dropped into the nearest chair. She stuck her feet out in front of her, leaned her head back, and rested her arms wearily on the arms of the chair.

    Oliver sat down behind his desk. “Bolt, will you please bring us some tea?”

    “Yes, sir.” Bolt disappeared through the door.

    Oliver felt his insides gradually unclench. She was all right. She was safe and sound, that was the important thing. He could breathe freely again. But something had happened, and he had to find out what it was. He deliberately gentled his voice.

    “Tell me why you tried to find Thorpe, Annie.”

    She regarded him solemnly. “I got a phone call this afternoon. The caller didn't identify himself.” Annie paused. “Or maybe it was a woman. I really couldn't tell. The voice on the other end of the line just said that if I wanted to find out what had happened to my brother, I should find the mechanic who had serviced his plane.”

    “Shit.”

    Annie blinked. “Yes, well, at any rate I called the aviation