Hot colour washed in and out of her cheeks. ‘Damn you, Leah has nothing to do with my business! Which doesn’t need your money either, just a fresh coat of paint and a nail or two! I’ve been waiting for the time, and the money, to do the repairs,’ she lied bravely, only to see his lip curl.
‘Do you take me for a fool? Do you think I didn’t have your financial status checked out? You’re barely keeping your head above water, Hanlon. If your sister has money, which I doubt, then it isn’t in the quantity you need. Only a large slice of the Douglas fortune is going to bail you out!’
Mickey paled at the knowledge of just how much he knew about her lack of funds, but it didn’t alter one basic fact. ‘If you say I need the money, then why are you calling Leah the gold-digger?’ she demanded hoarsely.
The look in his eyes wasn’t flattering. ‘Who would fall under your spell, Hanlon? You needed Leah to bait the trap, and, once you’d caught Peter, your loving sister would hand over all that lovely money to you!’
Her colour rose with her chin. ‘It sounds very plausible, but you’re wrong on every count! There is no plot—at least, not with my family. I don’t know how you came by your erroneous information, but, whoever your nephew has run off with, it certainly isn’t my sister,’ she protested hardily.
Ryan watched her closely for a moment, as if deciding whether he could get away with what he would really like to do, then swung on his heel and went to pour himself a drink. ‘Tell me, did your father have more than one daughter named Leah?’
Never taking her eyes off him for a moment, Mickey crossed her arms defensively. ‘Of course not! But the name Leah is hardly uncommon. Why pick on us?’
Draining a glass of whisky, he walked back to her. ‘Because that was the name Peter gave in his letter. However, as I don’t expect you to believe me, you can read it for yourself.’ He produced the missive from his shirt pocket, rather like a conjurer.
She accepted the letter, but held it as if it might bite her. However, after reading only the first paragraph, Mickey slowly sank down on to the couch, and started from the top. Whoever Peter was, the girl he described certainly sounded like her sister—A black-haired, dark-eyed angel, who loved him for himself. But he knew his uncle wouldn’t approve, so they were going away together. Nobody was to worry; they would come back when they were ready. There was more in the same vein. When she reached the end, Mickey looked up at the now silent man who stood before her.
The heat of anger had died out of her, leaving her, for the moment, uncertain. She clung to the rug, lest it be pulled completely out from under her feet. ‘There has to be some mistake. Leah would never just run off like that!’ She wouldn’t not get in touch either, but you know she hasn’t, Mickey told herself silently.
‘You know her so well?’
Considering she hadn’t even known of her sibling’s existence until eight years ago, Mickey deemed it wisest not to answer that, even though, in her heart, her answer would have been an emphatic yes. ‘You’re wrong. I know you are. Leah is at the university,’ she declared with all the assurance she could muster. If she could use the phone, she’d prove it.
Ryan dropped another bombshell. ‘No, she isn’t. She hasn’t shown up for classes for the past three weeks.’
The absolute conviction in his voice was enough to startle Mickey. ‘Three weeks!’ she exclaimed in dismay, wishing she could argue, but knowing this, at least, had to be true. Because he could only have found out by checking with the faculty.
Ryan, on the other hand, derived no such certainty from her tone. ‘Do you really expect me to believe you didn’t know?’
She glared at him, having had more than enough of his vile accusations regarding both herself and her sister. ‘If you think I’d calmly sit by while my sister ruined her life, you’re very much mistaken!’ Three weeks! Exactly the length of time since Leah had last called her! Surely her sister couldn’t have done anything so foolish as to run off with a strange man?
Ryan snorted disgustedly. ‘Hardly ruined. Peter must be worth half a million dollars at the last count. Not that he can get his hands on it until he’s twenty-five, which might not amuse your sister at all. I imagine she’s been having a whale of a time deciding just how she’ll spend it.’
At that, Mickey shot to her feet, thrusting the crumpled letter back at him. ‘I refuse to listen to any more of this! If Leah isn’t at the university, then she’s with her grandmother.’ That had to be the explanation. She just knew Leah wouldn’t have done any of what this vile man was suggesting. The trouble was, reference to Grandmother Sophie was hardly likely to instil unqualified confidence. Not that she’d reveal her doubts for the world! No, there was a solid-gold reason for her sister not being at the university, and she was going to find out just what it was!
However, before she could say so, her protagonist was exclaiming, ‘Grandmother?’ in a tone which implied she had caught him off balance for once.
Mickey couldn’t hide her look of triumph. ‘You didn’t know about her, did you? It seems you don’t know everything!’
He sent her a stony look, then marched across to the telephone. Lifting the receiver, he held it out to her. ‘OK, ring her and ask her if Leah’s there.’
She would have loved to—anything to rub his nose in it—but it was impossible. ‘I can’t. Sophie doesn’t have a phone.’ Wouldn’t, was actually a truer word. Her eccentricities were as ever, impractical.
With a muttered oath, Ryan crashed the receiver back into the rest, and gathered up his coat. ‘Then we’ll go and pay her a visit. Where does she live?’
He was already slipping his arms into his jacket as her jaw dropped. ‘You’re crazy. She lives clear over in Kitimat. It will take ages to get there!’
For all the notice he took, she might have been saying Leah’s grandmother lived on the moon. He merely proceeded to unlock the door. ‘I came here with the express purpose of bringing Peter home. I have no intention of leaving without him, nor will I give you the chance to warn anyone by waiting until tomorrow!’
It was like batting her head against a brick wall. And Mickey stamped her foot in exasperation. ‘Don’t you listen to a word I say? I’m not involved in a conspiracy. You’ve been reading too many spy novels.’
Over his shoulder, his look was pitying. ‘Having been found out, you’d hardly be likely to admit to anything. Of course, if what you’re trying to do is keep me from discovering Leah isn’t where you say she is, then I’ll just draw my own conclusions.’
Mickey couldn’t think how she had ever thought this man attractive! He was loathsome. Everything she said was turned around to suit his purpose. Nothing would do but to show him how wrong he was to his face. ‘All right, we’ll go,’ she agreed grudgingly, and joined him at the door.
His smile was sardonic. ‘I’m glad to see you’re an intelligent woman, Hanlon.’
She sent him a daggers look. ‘If I’d had any intelligence, I’d have seen you coming!’
‘You’d have to get up very early in the morning to get the better of me,’ he advised ironically, locking the door after them and ushering her back to the lift.
‘It can’t be that difficult, if your nephew managed to do it,’ Mickey observed pungently.
‘He hasn’t got away with it yet,’ he reminded her, and she pulled a face.
‘How old is he?’
‘Twenty-three.’
From the way his uncle had come rushing after him, she’d assumed he was much younger. ‘A little old, wouldn’t you say, to be kept on a leading rein?’ she jeered, not surprised the