Adam stared at Miranda, his gaze intense. “How did my uncle die?”

“Early in the evening, Cal complained of chest pain. He’d never had heartburn, but he claimed that’s what it was.” Miranda flung out her hands in simple despair. “If only I’d taken him to the hospital, but I believed him. Later, we were in the office, checking the computer for the Cancún weather report, and he gasped.” She cast a pleading look at Adam, a lone tear dribbling down her cheek. “A loud gasp like nothing I’ve ever heard. It seemed as if Cal wanted to scream but couldn’t, then he slumped over in his chair. I tried to get a pulse. Nothing. I immediately dialed 911.”

“Why did you leave?” asked Adam. “No one was around when the paramedics arrived.”

“Cal always insisted we be very careful. He didn’t want anyone to know we were involved.” Her eyes darkened with fear. “In the days before he died, Cal said his life was in danger. I was afraid I might be killed.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Whitney cried.

WHITNEY WAITED FOR Miranda to respond. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she repeated.

Her cousin brushed the moisture off her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Whitney, I swear, I never thought you were in the least bit of danger.”

“Why not? We look enough alike to be mistaken for each other.”

Miranda huddled in her chair. “Our eyes maybe, but I don’t think anyone would…” She turned to Adam. “Do you think we look alike?”

“Not to me. But then, I’m sitting very close to you. At a distance, you’re both slim blondes with green eyes-”

“I’m two inches taller,” interjected Miranda. “My face is longer.”

“In the dark-all bets are off,” said Adam. “Someone who didn’t know you well could-”

“Why didn’t you just warn me?” Frustration echoed in every syllable Whitney spoke.

“I didn’t think it was necessary. They aren’t due back until next week.”

“Stop.” Adam held up his hand. “Go back. Explain everything. Who are ‘they’?”

Miranda was silent for a moment as if deciding just where to begin. “Cal and I fell in love. He said he wished he’d met me years ago. You see, Cal always wanted a son. Someone like you.”

If this touched Adam, he didn’t show it. His face remained attentive, yet strangely impassive. It reminded Whitney of the way he’d acted when they’d first met.

“Even though Cal was almost twenty years older, he wanted children. I can’t tell you how excited he was when I told him I was pregnant.”

“Ohmygod,” cried Whitney. “You’re pregnant.”

Miranda lightly patted her tummy. “A little over three months along.”

Whitney’s eyes cut over to Adam. His detached expression hadn’t changed. Was he made of stone? she wondered. The baby would be his cousin.

“If you’re carrying his child, why didn’t my uncle change his will?”

“He wanted you to inherit his real estate. The bulk of his money was in offshore accounts. He arranged it so all of his money would go to our child should anything happen to him.”

“Something did happen to my uncle.”

Unexpectedly there was a flare of biting sarcasm in Adam’s voice. Miranda flinched as if he’d physically slapped her. What was Adam implying? That Miranda had something to do with his uncle’s death? It was a simple heart attack, wasn’t it?

“Your father…Cal’s fa-father-” Miranda’s voice faltered. “Both died at relatively young ages of heart problems. I tried to persuade him to eat better and exercise more but-”

“Did he take any medicine the night he died?”

“No. Why?”

Instead of answering, Adam asked, “Where did you eat?”

“We barbecued at home. Swordfish. It was the only fish he liked.” Miranda forced a laugh. “He loved to fish but didn’t like to eat it. Oh, he would prepare fish like a gourmet, but he just picked at what he’d cooked.” Miranda hesitated a moment, looking out toward the cove where darkness had fallen. “I get it now. You think I killed him.”

“Did you?” he shot back.

“Of course not! I loved him.” Miranda gazed at Whitney. “I guess Cal reminded me of my father, but it was more than that. He was so smart, so well traveled. He was a man-nothing like those boys I used to date.” She turned her attention to Adam again. “I didn’t kill him. Who would want to go into hiding all alone?”

“Why are you hiding?” asked Whitney.

Miranda didn’t respond. Whitney gazed at Adam. His stoic expression hadn’t changed but she suddenly had the feeling he knew the answer. If not, he knew a lot more than he had told her. A slow burn began to creep through her.

“We came down here last December,” replied Miranda. “I didn’t know it at the time, but it was a test of sorts. Cal wanted to see if I liked it well enough to live here full-time.

“On New Year’s Day, Cal told me he was going away-for good. You see, I’d gotten used to him disappearing overseas for weeks at a time for dog shows, but he explained this would be different. He wouldn’t be returning for several years, and he wouldn’t be able to contact me. In short, I might never see him again.”

“Several years?”

“That’s what I asked,” Miranda replied in response to Whitney’s question. “Cal said it might be two, three even five years before he returned. He wanted me to come with him, but he said I needed to think it over very carefully. Would I be comfortable not coming back for such an extended period? Would I be able to exist without contacting anyone?”

Adam asked, “Didn’t his request seem strange?”

“Of course. I demanded to know why, but your uncle said he’d explain the details only if I decided to go with him.”

“How could you agree? Your life, everything is in San Diego,” Whitney insisted.

“Really? What life? Babysitting dogs? I went to junior college, but I’m not like you. I hated it. I never found anything I really wanted to do…except be a mother.”

Whitney understood. Miranda’s family had been cruelly taken from her. She’d never gotten over it. Whitney decided she might have reacted the same way.

Miranda said to Whitney, “I knew you were back in town, but we never saw each other. I didn’t have anyone or anything to keep me here. All I had was Cal. I truly loved him. I was willing to go anywhere with him.”

Whitney couldn’t help feeling ashamed of herself. She should have made more of an effort to see Miranda.

“I slept on it, but first thing the following morning, I told Cal I would come with him.” She was silent for a moment, gazing out at the water as if recalling every detail of that conversation. “Cal explained a little bit about his business. He told me he’d been brokering arms and weapons.”

“Using the dog shows as a front,” interjected Adam.

Wow, thought Whitney. What a scheme. She’d been correct. Adam certainly did know a whole lot more than he had told her. Poor little Jasper had merely been a cover, a reason for traveling overseas.

“Exactly. I was shocked, of course. He’d always e-mailed me pictures of Jasper’s shows. Other events he merely judged, but he always sent me messages, telling me about the places he’d stayed or eaten. Looking back, I guess I should have been suspicious because he never once asked me to come with him.”

Whitney tried to imagine waiting at home for weeks on end. She couldn’t, then she suddenly realized it wouldn’t have been much different from her life during Ryan’s two residencies. He’d been at the hospital six days a week. When he came home, he just wanted to eat, then sleep. He might as well have been on another planet.

“Cal’s clients had been in Africa or South America for the most part, but he brokered the deals in Europe. He always made certain his travel was related to shows. You see, he made arrangements for arms transactions but didn’t actually handle anything.”

“Was it illegal?” Whitney asked.