Lillian clutched her untouched croissant. “What are you talking about? What big move?”

“We all know what’s happening up there,” Arizona said. “Problem is, we’ve got no hard evidence yet. I’m stepping up my surveillance work, though. I’ll try to get us some pictures that we can take to the media.”

“You’re a true hero, Arizona.” Photon looked at her with unconcealed admiration. “If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have had a clue. Who knows how long Project Transfer would have gone undetected?”

Lillian was amazed to see Arizona turn pink.

“Just doin’ my duty.”

“It’s people like you who keep this country safe for democracy,” Gabe said.

“Excuse me.” Lillian held up her hand. “As the sole representative of the naïve, innocent dupes of Eclipse Bay, I would like to ask a question.”

“Go right ahead,” Arizona said.

“What, precisely, do you think is going on up at the institute, A.Z.? What is this Project Transfer you mentioned?”

Arizona made atut-tut sound.

The Heralds shook their heads sadly at Lillian’s failure to grasp the obvious.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Gabe hide a quick grin behind his coffee mug.

“Thought it was as plain as the white lines out on the highway,” Arizona said. “The secret gov’mint agency in charge of Roswell and the Area 51 facility has decided it’s attracting too much attention. The Internet was what did ’em in, I reckon. After those satellite images of the old test site went online, they knew they had a real problem. That’s probably when they started making plans.”

Gabe nodded knowingly. “Had a feeling those mysterious fires in New Mexico a while back weren’t accidental.”

“You got that right,” Arizona said. “No such thing as an accident where this bunch is concerned.”

“Plans to dowhat?” Lillian demanded.

Arizona rocked back and forth in her boots and looked grim. “Pretty clear they’re gonna transfer the bodies of those extraterrestrials they’ve got in deep freeze in Area 51 along with the remains of their spaceship and all that alien technology right here to Eclipse Bay.”

Gabe got into the passenger side of Lillian’s car and closed the door. “Makes sense when you think about it.”

“What makes sense?” Lillian turned the key in the ignition and checked the rearview mirror.

“Transferring those frozen aliens and their UFO equipment here. Who’d ever think to look for them in Eclipse Bay?”

“Iknew it, you were enjoying yourself back there, weren’t you? You were actually encouraging A.Z. in her idiotic conspiracy theories.”

“Not like anything I said would havediscouraged her. Everyone knows she lives in her own parallel universe.”

“Doesn’t it worry you that she’s glommed onto the Heralds?” Lillian snapped the car’s gearshift into reverse and backed out of the parking space. “It was one thing when she was the lone conspiracy theorist in town. But now she’s got a bunch of enthusiastic assistants.”

“You’re right,” Gabe intoned darkly. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

“Oh, for pity’s sake.” She turned the wheel and drove out of the parking lot. “You’re determined to make a joke out of it, aren’t you?”

“Look at it from my point of view.”

“What is that?”

“Pondering the possibility that some secret gov’mint agency is getting ready to transfer dead space aliens and their technology to Eclipse Bay makes an interesting change.”

“Change from what?”

“From thinking about that sixth date you owe me.”

“Hmm.” She concentrated on the curving sweep of Bayview Drive. “Hadn’t thought of that. Dare I hope that you might sign up with A.Z.’s happy little band of conspiracy buffs and forget about trying to make me fulfill the terms of that contract you signed with Private Arrangements?”

“Well, no. Thing is, I never forget about getting what I paid for.”

She gripped the wheel. “Gabe, I told you, I’d refund your money.”

“It’s not the money.”

“Hah. With you, it’s the money. You’ve made that very clear from the start. I’ve never known anyone as paranoid about being married for his money as you are.”

“I am not paranoid.”

“The heck you aren’t. On this particular subject, you’re as bad as A.Z. is when it comes to secret government conspiracies.”

He settled deeper into the seat and looked out over the gray waters of the bay.

“I’m not that bad,” he said.

The dry, sardonic amusement that had infused his voice a moment ago was gone now. She shot him a quick glance, trying to read the shift in his mood. But his head was turned away from her. She could discern nothing from the hard angles of his profile.

She turned off the main road a short time later and went down the narrow, rutted lane that led to the old Buckley place. The weathered cottage was hunkered down on a windswept bluff overlooking a rocky stretch of beach. It looked as if it had not been lived in for a long time. The trees grew right up to the edge of the tiny yard. The blinds in the windows were yellowed with age. The porch listed a little to the right. The whole structure was badly in need of a coat of paint.

The only sign of life was Gabe’s gleaming Jaguar parked in the drive.

She brought her compact to a halt in front of the sagging porch.

“Thanks for the lift into town.” Gabe stirred and unfastened his seat belt.

“You’re welcome.”

He opened the car door and paused, gazing straight ahead through the windshield.

“You really think I’m a full-blown paranoid?” he asked quietly.

This was not good. No doubt about it, Gabe was sinking deeper into a very strange mood.

“Let’s just say I think you’re a little overly concerned about the issue of being married for your money,” she said gently.

“Overly concerned.”

“That’s how I would characterize it, yes.”

“And you’re not.”

“Not what?”

“Paranoid. About being married because of your connection to Harte Investments.”

She took a deep breath. “I won’t say that I don’t think about the possibility once in a while. As I told you, I have dated a few men who gave me some cause for concern. But I try to employ my common sense in the matter. I don’t obsess on the idea that every man I meet is only interested in me because of my family’s company.”

“Can’t help noticing that you still haven’t married, though.”

She felt her jaw tense. “The fact that I’m still single has nothing to do with being secretly paranoid about being married for my inheritance.”

“So, why are you still single?”

She frowned. “Why do you care?”

“Sorry. None of my business.” He pushed the door open and got out. “See you later.”

“Gabe?”

“Yeah?” He paused and leaned slightly to look at her.

“Are you, you know, okay?”

“Sure. I’m swell.”

“What are you going to do today?”

“Don’t know. Haven’t decided. Maybe take another walk on the beach. Check my e-mail. Do some research.” He paused. “What areyou going to do?”

“Paint. That’s why I came here.”

“Right.” He made to close the door.

She hesitated, trying to resist the impulse that had just struck her. She failed.

“Gabe, wait a second.”

“What now?”

This was stupid, she thought. Just because Hannah was married to Rafe, it did not follow that she herself had to assume any responsibility for members of the Madison family. Gabe was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. If she had any sense she would keep her mouth shut.

But she could not get past the feeling that something was not as it should be with Gabe. The way he had tried to amuse himself with Arizona’s conspiracy theories and now this swing to another, darker mood did not seem right. He was definitely not in a good place.