William. Billy?

“Yes, I’m satisfied,” she said slowly. “But I’m not through with you. I need everything you can pull up on this orderly. Will you send it to my phone?”

*   *   *

THE SUN WAS BEGINNING to come up over the dark sea when they left the IHOP forty minutes later.

Eve stopped as they reached Sam’s car. “I’m not going to say thank you again. But I owe you, Sam.”

“That’s always a plus.” Sam shook her hand. “I’ll remember and use that IOU if I need it.” He turned to Kendra. “How about you?”

“Am I grateful?” Kendra thought about it. “No, I gave you an entertaining experience. If anything, you owe me.” She turned back to Eve. “I’ll get my bag from your car. Sam can take me to the airport and drop me off.” She checked her watch. “I should get back in plenty of time for my appointment with Justin.”

“Just as you planned,” Eve said as she unlocked her car and took Kendra’s case from the trunk. “I’m glad you were able to fit me into your schedule.” Such polite, almost stilted words, and yet they meant so much. Kendra would resent thanks, but she had opened new doors for Eve in so many ways. She handed the duffel and guitar case to Sam. “Take care of her.”

He shrugged. “As if she’d let me.” He strolled toward his car.

Eve turned back to Kendra. “Good luck with Justin.”

“Thank you, I’ll need it. He’ll need it.” She frowned. “I don’t like leaving you like this. It feels … unfinished.”

“You’ve done everything we asked of you.”

“I certainly did. And more.”

Eve chuckled. “And more,” she agreed. “So why does it feel unfinished?”

“I guess I’m afraid that you’ll lose everything we’ve won if I’m not there to help. Though I admit that you were pretty good tonight.”

“Thank you,” she said gravely. “I’m honored by your opinion.”

“No, you’re not.” She stood looking at her. “I do admire you, Eve Duncan. I hope you find your sister alive and well.” She paused. “If you get stuck and need to talk through something, you have my number. I can’t guarantee I’ll be available, but I’ll do whatever I can to help.” She smiled slightly. “You can never tell, I might even be persuaded to help you and Quinn wrap up this mess.” She turned and walked toward Sam’s car. “But not until I finish working through this breakthrough with Justin…”

*   *   *

JOE WAS STANDING ALONE on the verandah overlooking the beach when Eve reached the motel.

He did not look pleased.

Well, what could she expect? She would have been angry, too, if he had closed her out.

“Are you communing with the seagulls?”

He didn’t look at her. “For lack of better company. Did you take Kendra to the airport?”

“No, Sam did.” She came to stand beside him and looked down at the blinding bright sunlight on the sea. “I called you and told you I was safe as soon as we left the hospital. I did what I thought was right, Joe.”

“I know you did. It doesn’t help. It’s going to take a while to forget sitting here twiddling my thumbs all night worrying about you. I was tempted to go in and stage a little raid of my own. And I wouldn’t give a damn about losing my badge.” He glanced at her. “Do this again, and I just might do it.”

He meant what he said. Joe never bluffed. “I’ll keep that in mind. Anything else?”

“Yes.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. It was hard, passionate, and completely sensual. Then he let her go and turned away. “I’ve been thinking about doing that all the time I’ve been wondering if you were going to get your head blown off by a security guard.” He moved down the verandah steps to the walk. “Now let’s go to the room, and you can get me up to speed. Then you can go to bed until at least noon since you haven’t slept all night, while I download some of those files Sam stole for you.”

“That sounds like a plan.” She reached out and touched his arm. “I’ve got the name of the man who—”

“Don’t touch me.” He moved away from her. “Not now. I’m feeling fairly explosive, and I’m trying to be civilized. You know I’m not real good at control.”

“And you know I don’t give a damn.”

“But I do.” He unlocked the door and let her precede him into the room. “Now sit down and talk to me.”

“The man who helped Beth escape was Jessie William Newell. He’s an orderly at the hospital.” She pulled out her iPhone and accessed the file Sam had e-mailed to her. “Age twenty-eight, high-school education at a school in Denver, served in the Marines for four years, worked as a trainer at a gym in Boulder for three years. His mother still lives in Boulder. He’s been working at the hospital for the last eighteen months.” She looked up from the screen. “And he’s been working principally on the third floor for the last year. No remarks on any unusual interaction with Beth Avery.” She handed him her phone. “Here’s his photo. Nice-looking guy. Very polite. And Kendra is very sure that he’s been helping Beth.”

“Why?”

Eve briefly filled him in on their encounter with Newell on the third floor of the hospital and the deductions Kendra had made from that meeting. “I didn’t notice even a small percentage of the things that Kendra did, so I have to take her word for it.”

“But you’re willing to do it?”

She nodded slowly. “I trust her, and I trust the logic that she brings to the table.”

His eyes were narrowed on her face. “But that’s not all, is it?”

She smiled faintly. “You know me too well. Logic is all very well, but I’ve never been able to guide my life by it. I’ve been touched by too many totally illogical elements over the years.” She paused. “Newell’s middle name is William.”

“I noticed. And you made the leap to the Billy of your dream?”

“Why not? He was in close association with Beth during those last months. It’s not ‘logical’ that Beth would be able to be helped by someone not in that group.” She added, “And that she would be thinking about him while she was escaping.”

“Did you discuss this with Kendra?”

She grimaced. “No, I wanted to maintain my credibility with her. I’m not sure she’d understand why I’d rely on a dream to furnish me with vital information. It’s definitely not her modus operandi.”

“I don’t know. We might be surprised.” He was gazing down at Newell’s dossier. “He lives at Sungate Apartments in the city. Apartment 2A. You said that you ran into him yesterday afternoon. That means he’s probably working days at the hospital, and we can reach him at his apartment tonight.”

Eve nodded. “That’s what I thought. And we can work on checking out those other Beth Avery files today.”

“Later.” He didn’t look up from the iPhone. “Go to bed and get some sleep.”

She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again with the words unsaid. She was tired, and she would need to be alert when they met Newell. “You’re right.” She headed for the bathroom. “I’ll shower, then take a nap.”

She leaned back on the door after she had closed it. She hated this coolness between them. No, not coolness. That term could never describe what she and Joe felt for each other. Even though they were at odds for the moment, there was heat that made the hardness give off sparks.

But it was still disturbing to know everything was not serene with them. Oh, well, they’d work it out. If she didn’t believe that, she’d be truly upset.

She stripped off her clothes and stepped under the shower. Relax. Sleep. Get on with the task of finding Beth.

And hope like hell that she hadn’t damaged anything that couldn’t be repaired in her relationship with Joe.

*   *   *

APARTMENT 2A.

Drogan glanced down at the address for the orderly Newell that Pierce had given him that morning, then started to climb the steps to the second-floor walkway.

Pierce hadn’t wanted to give him the list. He’d been afraid that Drogan would cause an “awkward” incident that would reflect on him.