past few days.”
“I’ll tell them, but they may not believe me. Anyone who knows you would know that you thrive on pressure.” He paused. “What am I going to tell Rick?”
“Nothing more than you tell the others. I’m going to call Lisa on the way to the airport and tell her to get her butt on a plane out of Miami and come here and make some appearances with Rick. She’ll distract him enough to keep him from noticing that I’m not around.”
“Do you think she’ll come? She said when she left that she needed a long break.”
“She’ll come. She wants to be first lady, and its time she paid her dues.” She slammed her suitcase shut. “You’ve always felt sorry for her. She knew what the situation with Rick was before she married him. She was ambitious. She said she could work it out.”
“She didn’t know she was going to fall in love with him, Nelda,” he said quietly.
“That’s her problem. If she loves him, she should fall into line and do what’s necessary to give him what he wants.” She called for the car to be brought around. “Damn, I forgot my night cream.” She headed for the bathroom but paused at the door to glance at him over her shoulder. “I may need Spoder to come out to Santa Barbara if I find Pierce too difficult. It should be okay. Rick will behave himself if Lisa is with him.” She shrugged. “If she stays at his side and watches him close enough. He does care about her.”
“Which is very convenient considering they’re married,” he said dryly. “But you counted on that, too, didn’t you?”
“I knew it was a distinct possibility. Everyone loves Rick once they get to know him.” She went into the bathroom and closed the door. She quickly went to the jewelry armoire, unlocked the compartment above the drawers, and drew out a .22 revolver. She stared at it for a moment. She doubted if it would be necessary to use it, but she always believed in being prepared. So stop hesitating and get on the move. She slipped the gun into her tote. Then she relocked the compartment and shut the armoire.
She opened the bathroom door and smiled brilliantly at George. “I’m all ready. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine. It’s not as if I’m not aware of what’s going on. I’ve made sure that what Pierce knows, I know.” She moved toward the door. “I should have taken care of the problem myself from the beginning. But it’s not too late to save the situation.”
“If anyone can do it, you can.”
That weariness in his tone again, she noticed; she’d have to address that attitude when she returned. It could hide signs of an underlying festering that would cause problems. “I’ll call you when I reach California.”
“Thanks.” He turned back to the door leading to his suite. “Have a good flight.”
She hesitated in the hall after she’d closed the door behind her. Should she go back to him and try to smooth away that disturbance?
No, it would be fine until she came back. She couldn’t be everything to everyone. Rick was the important one at present. All the progress she’d attained from years of work could go down the drain if she didn’t take care of this problem with Beth.
As she started down the stairs, her hand slipped into her tote and closed on the revolver. It felt cool and hard and sleek beneath her touch. She had studied a number of guns before choosing this one because it had reminded her of her own personality. She could be just as dangerous and explosive as the weapon in her palm if she chose. She was a great problem solver, and so was a revolver.
Not that she was contemplating solving the problem of Beth with this weapon.
But one must have insurance, mustn’t one?
CHAPTER
10
Seventeen Mile Drive
“VERY IMPRESSIVE,” EVE MURMURED AS she got out of the car and looked up at the house towering above the crashing surf.
The house was English Tudor in design and resembled the castles Eve had seen in England. It would definitely have been more at home in the English countryside than on this lush California coast. “What did you say you did for the owner?”
“I didn’t.” Newell got out of the car. “I was Mr. Dendridge’s bodyguard and personal trainer. He was a great guy. We became good friends before we parted company.”
“I don’t remember any mention of him in