“He’s back now,” Gabrielle countered.
But Kat’s mind was already drifting, remembering every touch—every smile. She pulled a silk-covered pillow onto her lap, longing for her mother’s small bed in the pink room of Uncle Eddie’s brownstone.
“He’s mad at me.”
“Um…I believe I said that several days and a couple thousand miles ago,” Gabrielle said.
“I don’t even know why.”
Gabrielle spun on her good foot and eyed Kat. She tossed the designer dress onto the bed and said, “Of course you do.”
“He doesn’t like it when I take chances,” Kat said. “But I really didn’t need help with those jobs, Gabrielle. I wasn’t in that much danger, and if I’d needed help I would have…” She trailed off, studying her cousin’s expression. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” Gabrielle said with a shrug. “It’s just…did you ever think that maybe needing help and wanting Hale are two totally different things?”
Kat was the planner—the thinker—but she sat there for a long time, considering the possibility that Gabrielle might be the smartest girl in the world. Or, at least, in their world.
“Hale’s my best friend,” she said simply.
“I know.”
“I’m not sure what would happen if he became my friend.” boy
“I know,” Gabrielle said, as if she were happy that Kat was finally catching up.
The waves beat softly against the side of the yacht, and Kat felt her stomach turn as she thought about the one question she was almost afraid to ask.
“Do boys always go crazy when you kiss them?”
“Yes,” Gabrielle said simply. “But not in the way that you’re asking.”
Kat might have asked exactly what her cousin meant, but there were too many mysteries in her life—too many vaults she couldn’t crack—and only one that came with a ticking clock, so she reached for the gown.
“Gab, can you help me with—”
But Kat couldn’t finish because the door flew open, and she jumped.
“Jeez, Simon,” she said to the boy who stood panting in the hall outside. “You scared me half to…What’s wrong?”
He looked from Kat to Gabrielle, then back again. His shirt was wrinkled and untucked. He looked like anything but a genius when he said, “Uh…I think you’re both going to want to see this.”
There was a room on the ship that Kat had never seen before. Situated on the top level near the bridge, it had plush couches and a grand piano. There were windows on three sides, and in the distance, she saw the sun setting over the sea. Despite the computers and trays covered with empty Coke cans and half-eaten sandwiches, it felt like a room made for champagne and caviar—maybe because of the view, Kat surmised. Or maybe because Hale was already there, and he was wearing a tuxedo.
“Hubba-hubba,” Gabrielle told him, straightening his tie. But Kat couldn’t take her gaze away from Simon.
“Tell me,” she said.
“Well.” Simon’s voice was scratchy and breaking. He seemed almost afraid to say, “I was going through the files like you asked.…”
“And you found Maggie, did you?” Angus said, when he and Hamish appeared in the door.
“Oh, no.” Simon shook his head. His eyes were wide. “She doesn’t have a file. I mean, there’s nothing about Maggie in the database. As far as I can tell, she’s not even on Interpol’s radar. She might as well not even exist. She’s—”
“Simon,” Hale said, bringing him back.
“Right,” Simon said with a quick point in Hale’s direction. Then he turned back to Kat. “Like I said, I couldn’t find her in the files. So I stopped looking for her.”
“Okay,” Kat said, knowing this was important—that this mattered—she just couldn’t yet imagine why.