“A gun?” He was smiling as he shook his head. “I’m sure you have the best of intentions, but it’s not necessary. This is all a misunderstanding. No one is going to hurt my daughter.”

“You’re right, you’ve already done that. It’s not going to happen again.”

“That’s not fair,” Beth said as she stepped back from Rick. “I know it wasn’t Rick’s fault.”

“Yes, it was his fault. You were his daughter, he had a duty to protect you.” She ignored Beth’s exclamation of protest and went inside the house. The lights were all on, and the floor plan allowed her to see from one end of the cottage to the other. It took only a few minutes to go through the rest of the house. No one lurking. Nothing suspicious.

Except the entire concept that Rick Avery had suddenly been called upon to lure his daughter to meet with him.

It had to be a trap.

Yet, if it was, she was beginning to believe that Rick didn’t realize that it was a trap.

She came back on the deck to see Rick and Beth talking quietly, their hands clasped. How beautiful they were together, she thought suddenly. The resemblance was striking, silky dark hair, wonderful features, that eager smile.

He turned to Eve as she came out of the house. “Satisfied?”

“No, but there’s no one in the house. That doesn’t mean your mother hasn’t arranged something else to surprise us.”

He frowned. “Don’t accuse my mother of anything. You can talk about me, but leave her alone. She only wants what’s best for Beth.”

“Is that why she kept Beth drugged and in that prison of a hospital for over a decade?”

“Beth was ill.”

“Look at her, Avery.” Eve gestured to Beth. “You’ve seen her, talked to her. There’s nothing wrong with her. There was never anything wrong with Beth. Putting her away was just a convenient way for your mother to protect herself and still not let you know she was even more of a monster than you were.”

“She wouldn’t do that. You’re being ridiculous. She’s not a monster. She couldn’t be more loving or protective of me.”

“She protected you a little too much. All your life, Avery. But it became more difficult for her when you developed a passion for young girls. It was a dark passion and not acceptable for the career Nelda was planning for you. I’d bet she provided you with safe amusement in Asia to keep you from staining your reputation here in the States. But you decided to bring one of the girls here. That girl you had at your chalet that night was only twelve years old. The chalet was secluded, and you thought it would be safe to have the girl there. But your mother found out about it and came to tell you that you had to get rid of her.”

“I don’t want to discuss this.” Rick glanced at Beth. “Beth, she’s making it all sound ugly. It wasn’t like that. You know me. I would never hurt anyone. Tell her what kind of person I am.”

“I’ve already told her. Why do you think I’m here, Rick?” Beth looked from Eve to Rick, her expression torn. “I told you, I don’t remember anything, Eve. Rick believes in his mother. How do I know that she’s not everything he thinks she is?” She took a step closer to him. “Doesn’t she have a right to defend herself?”

“Beth, she is defending herself. Everything she’s done has been to defend herself and strike out at any danger to her family and position. Including killing that child at the chalet.”

“No,” Rick said quickly. “Su Kim didn’t die. She was fine. Her father took her back to Macao. I sent a generous bonus to him a few months later.”

“That little girl probably died in Toronto, Canada. It was too late to treat her by the time they got her out of the country to a place Nelda considered safe.”

“That’s a lie,” Rick said. “That’s not what happened.”

“Tell her what did happen, Rick,” Beth said. “I know it’s some terrible mistake about that girl.” She gazed at Eve defiantly. “Why do you keep talking about her? Gelber’s report was probably nothing but lies.”

“But it bothers you, doesn’t it?” Eve asked. “And you were particularly resistant when I asked you about Rick’s attitude toward your young friends.”

“Because it was nasty. Rick’s not—”

“Didn’t you hear him just now?” It was proving almost impossible to break through Beth’s loyalty to her father. “Everything in Gelber’s notes was true. Your father isn’t denying it, Beth. That girl was at the chalet. She was hurt, and he thought she’d recovered.” She whirled back to Rick. “And do you know why Beth didn’t remember anything about what happened at that chalet? Because those wonderful doctors your mother turned loose on her tortured her every time that memory popped up. There’s still so much trauma that she won’t let it surface.”

His eyes widened in shock. “Now that’s a complete falsehood. My mother wouldn’t do—”

“She did it,” Eve said coldly. “It’s clear she’d do anything to protect herself. She probably considered it a fair exchange. You’d made her commit murder by your self-indulgence with that Asian girl. So she took away your daughter, whom she considered a major inconvenience anyway.”

“That’s not true. My mother wouldn’t do anything like that.”

Eve gave him a skeptical glance. “You couldn’t have gone through all these years with her without seeing that side of her. I’m sure she tried her best to hide it from you, but you’re not stupid. Though I can see you accepting whatever she told you because it was more comfortable for you.”

“You think it was comfortable for me to know that Beth was in a mental hospital?” His arm tightened around Beth’s shoulders. “I love my daughter. You don’t believe any of this, do you, Beth?”

“No, of course not.” Beth was shaking her head dazedly. “Didn’t you hear me? I told Eve that it was all wrong.” She lifted her hand to her temple. “But I don’t remember—I don’t understand. She said terrible things about you, Rick. About you and that young girl—and you’re saying that she was there, too. But you wouldn’t do that, Rick. You wouldn’t hurt a twelve-year-old girl.”

“No, of course I wouldn’t.”

“But she was there. You said she was there.”

“Because she wanted to be. I’ve never forced a girl in my life.” His hands closed on Beth’s shoulders, and he turned her to face him. “Listen, Beth.” His voice was soft, urgent. “If she hadn’t wanted me, I’d have sent her away. I spent time with her, making sure. She liked me. She even said she loved me.”

Beth was looking at him with an expression of growing horror. “She was twelve years old.”

“She had a hard life, I gave her enough money so that she’d have a choice whether she wanted to go with any other man again. I wanted to make sure that our time together was only good for her.” His hand stroked her cheek. “So stop looking at me like that, Beth. It hurts me.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she said dully. “But twelve years old, Rick. Why?”

He didn’t speak.

“Why?”

“It’s hard to explain.” He shrugged. “It’s just … preference. Why not? I told you that I didn’t hurt anyone. I made them feel good, not bad.”

“And … how did you feel, Rick?”

“I loved them,” he said simply. “They were fresh and sweet and like the first breath of spring. Nothing complicated, just bright and happy and wanting to make me happy.”

Beth looked as if he’d struck her. “I feel sick.” She closed her eyes. “So wrong, Rick. You’re so wrong.” Her eyes opened, and she whispered, “And if you’re that wrong about those girls, how can I be sure you’re not wrong about your mother’s putting me in that … place?” She stepped back away from him, and her voice broke. “And that Eve’s not right about your turning your back on me because it was more comfortable for you.”

“Because I love you,” he said harshly. “You’re my little girl, my daughter, and I love you more than anyone in the world.” He shot a tormented glance at Eve. “You see what you’ve done? She believes those lies you’ve been telling her.”