Or warn him not to say too much, Cassie thought uneasily. She turned and watched Jack stride to the front of the restaurant. The man he spoke to looked to be in his midthirties, dark hair, dark eyes, and the kind of good-humored expression that made you instantly like him.
He glanced toward the back of the restaurant, and when his gaze met Cassie’s, recognition and something she couldn’t name sparked in his black eyes before he turned back to Jack.
They conferred for a few minutes longer before joining Cassie. Jack made the introductions. “This is Sergeant Vargas with the Galveston PD. Celeste Fortune.”
Vargas nodded and reached to shake Cassie’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Fortune. Jack’s told me a lot about you.”
Her brows lifted in surprise. “He has? Just now?”
Vargas grinned. “He’s a real fast talker, our Jack.” He clapped Jack’s shoulder. “Mind if I have a minute alone with Miss Fortune?”
Jack frowned. “Is that really necessary?”
“I think so.”
Jack hesitated, obviously displeased by the sergeant’s suggestion, then he shrugged and backed off.
Vargas waited until Jack was out of earshot, then he took the seat across from Cassie. “Jack tells me you ran into a little trouble today. Care to tell me what happened?”
Nervously, Cassie toyed with her cup. “I’ll tell you what I know, which isn’t much. But first…I wonder if I could ask you something.”
When the waitress brought Vargas over a cup of coffee, he thanked her politely, then immediately refocused his attention on Cassie as he stirred a packet of sweetener into the liquid. “What is it?”
“Could I see some identification?”
He looked surprised by the request, but he obligingly hauled out his badge and ID and allowed Cassie to scrutinize his credentials.
Satisfied that he really was a cop, she glanced up with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. It’s just…I don’t really know Jack Fury very well. I only have his word that he’s who he says he is. Unlike you, he wasn’t willing to show me any identification, but I take it you know him? You can vouch for him?”
“Jack?” Vargas took a careful sip of his coffee and grimaced. “We go way back. Worked a case together five years ago and we’ve been buddies ever since.”
“Then he really is a cop?”
His gaze met Cassie’s over the rim of his cup. “He was one of the best when I worked with him.”
She sat back in relief. “That’s good to know. All that business about an international jewel thief…Interpol…I didn’t quite know what to believe.”
Vargas’s expression turned sober. “Here’s what you can believe, Miss Fortune. If Jack Fury thinks you’re in danger, you’d better listen up. He has the best instincts of any cop I ever knew. His investigative techniques may be a little unorthodox, but I learned a long time ago there’s usually a method to his madness. And as for his integrity…I’d trust him with my life.”
He sounded so sincere, Cassie couldn’t help but believe him. She nodded gratefully. “Thanks.”
“Now let’s get back to you,” Vargas said briskly. “Tell me what happened today.”
“There isn’t much I can add to what Jack told you on the phone. The boat I took out earlier exploded in the Gulf. I don’t know how or why. All I know is that one minute everything seemed fine, and the next thing I knew, it was in flames.”
“You were in the water at the time?”
“Yes, I…” She glanced down. “I dropped something in the water and I jumped in to get it. That’s when it happened.”
“Lucky timing.” Vargas stirred another packet of sweetener into his coffee. “The boat is registered in your name?”
“No. It belongs to a man named Ethan Gold. But I had his permission to use it,” she rushed to assure him. “I’m staying in his beach house this weekend.”
“Where can I reach Mr. Gold?”
“It’s Professor Gold. He teaches drama at the University of Houston. But I’m…not sure where he is at the moment.” Cassie was treading in dangerous water. She had to be careful because if she admitted who she was, all sorts of questions would ensue. And possibly a few legal entanglements as well. She might even be thrown in jail until her cousin surfaced to vouch for her.
If she surfaced. Cassie was no longer certain that she could count on Celeste to bail her out of trouble. Truth be told, she was no longer certain of anything. What had started out as a harmless charade had suddenly turned very deadly, and Cassie didn’t know what to do. Who to trust. But until she had a chance to think things through, maybe even confer with an attorney, self-preservation told her to keep her mouth shut.
“Professor Gold is out of town this weekend,” she explained. “I don’t know where he is.”
“Do you have his home address?”
“Not with me. I’m sure I have it somewhere back at my hotel. I think he lives in the West University area.”
He glanced up. “You think? You don’t know?”
Cassie tried to shrug casually. “We’re not that close. He was my drama professor years ago. We’ve kept in touch sporadically through phone calls and letters, but I haven’t actually seen him in quite some time.”
“But he offered you the use of his beach house and boat. Sounds to me as if you two are still pretty close.”
“Not really. He’s…a very generous man.” Cassie had no idea if Vargas believed her or not. She could read nothing from his expression.
Very deliberately, he stirred even more sweetener into his coffee. “Did he ever mention any trouble he might be in?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know anyone who might want him dead?” Vargas said bluntly.
Cassie gasped. “Dead?”
“Boats don’t just explode for no reason, Miss Fortune. If Professor Gold wasn’t the target, then we have to assume that—”
She was. Or, more accurately, Celeste. A shudder ripped up Cassie’s spine. She had the sudden urge to tell Vargas everything, but the fear of repercussions—namely, jail—held her back.
“Is there anyone who would want to harm you, Miss Fortune?”
“I…don’t know.”
His gaze darkened as he leaned toward her. “If I were you, I’d give the question a great deal of thought. Like I said, boats don’t just explode.” He scooted out of the booth and stood. “In the meantime, I’ll need the professor’s address and phone number. Have Jack give me a call when you get back to your hotel.”
Cassie glanced up. “That’s it? That’s all you need from me?”
His gaze bore into hers. “Unless you have something more to tell me.”
“Uh, no, I’ve told you everything I know,” Cassie said nervously. Even though his expression remained neutral, she had a feeling he could see right through her.
But all he said was, “I’ll be in touch.”
Cassie turned to watch him leave. Just outside the door of the restaurant, he stopped to have a word with Jack who had changed from his swim trunks into jeans and a casual shirt. He and Sergeant Vargas conversed for several minutes, then Vargas disappeared and Jack entered the restaurant.