CHAPTER 12
Lara sat at the end of the long conference table and waited for the computer to boot up.
Howard hovered at the door. "Do you need anything to write on? Maybe something to drink?"
"I'll be fine, thank you." She did a double take at the computer screen. The desktop was surprisingly bare. There was only one non-system file, and it was labeled Apollo.
"I need to make a round," Howard said. "I'll check on you in fifteen minutes." He strode away, leaving the door wide open.
Security was certainly a priority around here. Lara turned her attention back to the computer. Jack had made sure there was nothing on this laptop pertaining to Romatech Industries or MacKay Security and Investigation. He obviously didn't want her trying to snoop around their business. What could they be hiding?
She'd gotten the feeling that Howard hadn't really liked her being in the security office or looking at the surveillance tapes. And what was the deal with all those weapons, especially the swords? She sighed. More questions to ask Jack.
At least he wasn't trying to hide anything from her regarding the Apollo case. Lara clicked on Apollo and two folders came up titled Negative and Positive. She opened the Negative file and found a brief description of five local women who had been kidnapped. She scanned down the page and realized they were all the wrong age or wrong hair color for Apollo.
She opened the Positive folder and gaped at the screen. There were twenty more folders. Jack had uncovered all this information in one night?
She opened the first folder and found a photo and brief report. A female student with dark auburn hair had disappeared from NYU last month. April.
Lara opened the second folder. A strawberry blonde had vanished from NYU the year before in June. The third folder showed Brittney Beckford from Columbia University, who had disappeared last July. The fourth and fifth folders showed two redheaded students who'd gone missing from Syracuse University.
Was Apollo kidnapping a new girl every month? Lara double-checked the dates. Each girl had disappeared on the fourth Saturday of each month.
How could something so blatant and horrible slip by the authorities? Apollo must be using mind control to cover his tracks so well that no one realized what was happening. In fact, most of these girls were merely listed as runaways. Thank God this criminal was finally coming to the attention of the police.
Lara frowned. Jack had worked awfully hard on this, but it wasn't his case to solve. It was a police matter.
She winced as she scanned the report in the sixth folder. The girl had been a student at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The seventh girl was missing from Princeton, New Jersey. If Apollo was kidnapping girls across state lines, then the case belonged to the FBI.
Even so, she had to hand it to Jack. He was one hell of an investigator. She wasn't even halfway through all the folders, and she was skimming through them fast. She needed hard copies of all these reports so she could compare them to one another. And she needed hours to study the material.
What she needed was a copy of all this. She started to e-mail herself the entire Apollo folder, then hesitated. Would Jack mind? Surely not. He'd said in his phone message that he meant to show her all this information. They were working the case together. She clicked on Send.
"Hello."
She jumped in her chair and spotted a little blond-headed boy at the door. He looked like the boy from the surveillance video. "Hello."
He tugged at his blue-and-green-striped T-shirt. "My name is Tino."
Of course. Constantine Draganesti. "How do you do? I'm Lara Boucher."
He gave her an angelic smile. "I heard about you."
"Great." She turned off the laptop and rose to her feet.
"Tino!" a woman's voice called. "Oh, there you are." An older woman appeared in the doorway and noticed Lara. "I'm sorry. I hope Tino wasn't disturbing you."
"No, not at all." Lara approached them. "I'm Lara Boucher."
"Oh, I've heard about you."
Not again. Lara extended a hand. "How do you do?"
"Very well. My name is Radinka." She shook hands and didn't let go. She peered closely at Lara, then smiled. "Yes. You and Jack will be very happy."
"Excuse me?"
Radinka released her hand, then yelled over her shoulder. "Shanna, you'll never guess who's here."
"Coming." A woman emerged from the nursery, pushing a baby stroller. She was blonde and a little plump from having recently given birth. The babe was a tiny newborn with pink, delicate skin and a fuzzy cap of black hair.
Lara leaned over the stroller for a closer look. "What a beautiful baby." A girl, she figured, from the baby's delicate features. The pink blanket was another clue. She raised her gaze to the baby's mother. "Hi. I'm Lara Boucher."
"Oh. I've heard about you."
"That's what they all say," Lara muttered.
Shanna laughed. "Don't worry. It was all good. By the way, I'm Shanna. My daughter's Sofia. And you met my son, Constantine?"
"Yes." Lara smiled at the little rosy-cheeked boy.
"She's the one for Jack," Radinka announced.
Lara gulped. "I-I wouldn't say that. I hardly know him."
"Well, we'll just have to gossip about him then, won't we?" Shanna's eyes sparkled with humor. "Robby said you were very pretty. He was definitely right."
"Connor said you were trouble," Constantine added.
"Tino." Shanna frowned at her son, then turned to Lara. "Connor's just worried about Jack getting hurt. We're all sorta like family around here. Would you like to have supper with us? We were just headed for the cafeteria."
"I'm gonna have macaroni and cheese!" Tino pranced around the hall.
"I'd love to come, but Howard might expect me to stay put." Lara motioned toward the conference room.
"Oh, don't worry about that." Shanna waved a dismissive hand. "He'll see you on the monitor and know you're with us. Come on."
Lara grabbed her handbag, shut the conference-room door, and accompanied them down the hall toward the foyer. She hadn't eaten yet, so she was hungry, and she was eager to hear some of the gossip Shanna had referred to. At the same time, she figured she'd better eat light. Jack had a date planned for later that night, and it might involve dinner. And other things...
They went down the length of the foyer, then turned right, then left, then another left. The halls were lined with windows on one side, and Lara realized they were circling around a courtyard and landscaped area. The setting sun cast a glare off the windows and lit up the bright red and pink geraniums that bloomed in pots around the courtyard.
In the nearly empty cafeteria, they settled at a table with the baby stroller parked at one end next to Shanna. Lara sat across from her and ate a small salad while she admired the two-week-old baby.
"You want to see what I can do?" Tino asked.
"Of course." Lara figured the little boy wanted some attention, too.
"Tino." Shanna shook her head, frowning.
"Oh. Okay." His shoulders slumped, and he pushed his macaroni around his plate.
Shanna watched him, still frowning, then her face brightened. "I know. You wiggled your ears the other day. You can show Lara that."
Tino sat up, grinning. "Yeah." He turned to Lara. "You want to see?"
"I'd love to." Lara laughed when the little boy's ears moved slightly. "That's amazing. I was never able to do that."
"I can read, too," Tino boasted.
"That's wonderful." Lara pushed back her empty salad bowl. "How old are you?"
"I was two in March." Constantine gulped down some milk,
Two? Lara would have guessed he was more like four, but then she didn't know very much about children.
Sofia suddenly let out a wail, and Shanna lifted her from the stroller. "There, there." She paced around the table, cuddling the baby. "You just had your dinner. Can't you let your mama have hers?"
Lara realized Shanna was only halfway through her meal. Radinka wasn't finished either. She pushed back her chair and stood. "I'll hold the baby."
"Oh, thank you." Shanna transferred the baby to Lara's arms. "She likes to be carried around. I guess it reminds her of being inside of me."
"I don't remember being inside you, Mama," Tino said.
Shanna chuckled as she sat down to finish her supper. "You used to roll around, doing somersaults."
"Cool." Tino attacked a bowl of red Jell-O cubes.
Lara strolled slowly around the table, enjoying the incredible softness of the baby against her chest. Sofia gazed up at her with clear blue eyes. Lara smoothed a hand over the baby's head and felt the downy black hair. Jack's children would have hair like this.
She sighed. What on earth was she doing, imagining Jack's future children? As crazy as it was, she couldn't seem to get too upset. There was something about holding this baby that made her feel very calm inside.
"You're good with children." Shanna scooped some mashed potatoes into her mouth. "Jack is, too."
"He would make an excellent father." Radinka pointed her fork at Lara to add emphasis.
Lara snorted, but she couldn't help but smile. "You two are a couple of matchmakers. But as good-looking as Jack is, I doubt he needs any help in the romance department." She hoped they would come back with something like Jack hasn't been seeing anyone for years. Jack's been as chaste as a ninety-year-old monk.
Shanna reached for her glass of iced tea. "I have to admit, Jack is a very good-looking man."
"Youth," Radinka muttered and shook her head as she cut up the last of her steak. "What's really important is character. Jack is a good man. He's kind, loyal, and dependable."
That sounded all fine and dandy, but Lara still wondered how many busloads of women had chased after Jack. She continued to walk around the table. "I suppose a guy with both good looks and good character would have a lot of women pursuing him."
"I suppose he would." Shanna's eyes twinkled.
Lara blushed. She was so obviously fishing.
Shanna chuckled. "Don't worry. I've never known Jack to have a girlfriend. He always comes to parties alone."
Lara's lungs expanded with a breath of joy.
"But of course, once he arrives, he flirts something terrible with all the women," Shanna added wryly.
Lara coughed when her throat suddenly constricted.
"He's just being kind," Radinka insisted. "He flirted with me at the spring Gala Ball and even asked me to waltz with him. I knew he was just being polite, but still, it made me feel wonderful. Like I was forty years younger."
"How long have you known him?" Lara asked.
"Since I started working here," Radinka said. "About eighteen years now. I used to be Roman's assistant."
"But then I stole her." Shanna looked fondly at Radinka, then turned to Lara. "I met Jack three years ago at my wedding. He goes to all the weddings and parties."
"He's an excellent dancer," Radinka added.
Shanna nodded. "And a good friend. When Angus and Emma were in trouble, he came to help. He helped Ian and Toni, too."
Lara knew who Ian was, but she wondered about the other people. Still, she didn't want to veer off the topic of Jack. "I know he's a sweet guy, but there are some... odd things about him. Exceptional things."
"Like exceptional good looks?" Shanna asked with a sly grin.
"And exceptional loyalty," Radinka said.
"And exceptional availability," Shanna added.
Lara stopped pacing and faced them. "I realize you may not know this, but... Jack has some strange powers. He can actually teleport and move super fast."
Radinka patted her mouth with her napkin, then carefully folded it. "We know about that, dear." She gave Lara a pointed look. "We also know you have nothing to fear from him."
"That's true," Shanna said quietly. "I'm sure Jack's abilities must seem awfully strange to you, but please don't let it scare you away. What really matters is how he uses his powers, and he always uses them for good. You can trust him, Lara."
Was it that simple? Could she just accept him the way he was and trust him? Apparently, Shanna and Radinka did. Lara was tempted to, but at the same time, she wanted answers. And she wanted Jack to trust her enough to give her those answers.
"Well, speak of the devil..." Shanna nodded her head toward the cafeteria entrance.
Lara whirled around and saw Jack standing at the open door. Her heart lurched in her chest. He was definitely exceptional. He was everything she'd ever wanted in a man. You can trust him, Lara.
He walked toward her slowly. He was dressed in faded jeans, a black T-shirt, and black leather jacket. His hair was still damp and combed back from his face. Dark whiskers shaded his jaw. He looked as if he'd hurried here as quickly as possible. His gaze drifted to the babe in her arms, then returned to her face with a heated, golden gleam. She stepped toward him as if drawn by a magnet.
"Oh yes," Radinka announced behind her. "Those two will be very happy."
Lara halted as heat invaded her face. She knew the amused smirk on Jack's face meant he had overheard Radinka's remark.
"Here, I'll take Sofia." Shanna rushed over to relieve her of the baby.
"Hi, Jack!" Constantine ran up to him, and Jack swung him into his arms.
"Hey, buddy. How's it going?" He tousled the little boy's blond curls.
Tino leaned close and whispered loudly, "Radinka says Lara is the one for you."
Lara bit her lip as she grew increasingly annoyed. These people acted like she would automatically fling herself into Jack's arms. It wasn't like the man was irresistible. She could resist him.
On what planet? An inner voice chided her.
Radinka shook her head as she stacked their empty dishes onto a food tray. "If only I could find the one for my son."
"I don't think Gregori's ready to settle down," Shanna whispered.
"Well, he'd better hurry it up," Radinka grumbled. "I won't live forever, and I want to see some grandchildren."
"How are you, ladies?" Jack set Tino down, then gave Shanna and Radinka each a peck on the cheek. "How is Sofia?"
"She's fine." Shanna smiled. "We dragged Lara to supper with us so we could gossip shamelessly about you."
"I see." He turned to Lara, and the corners of his mouth curled up. "Bellissima, you never cease to surprise me. I didn't expect you to come to Romatech."
She shrugged. "I wanted to get some work done on the case."
"And you checked my alibi for Saturday night."
She lifted her chin. "Yes, I did. It's standard procedure."
His eyes twinkled with humor. "Did I pass?"
"I believe so."
"That's good. I wouldn't want you going on a date with a criminal." He drew closer to her as his gaze wandered over her blue sundress, bare legs, and white sandals. "You look very beautiful tonight."
"Thank you." She forgot to stay annoyed. It was hard enough not to automatically fling herself into his arms.
He touched her arm where it was covered with the white crocheted shrug. "This is pretty, but it may not be warm enough for where we're going."
"Where are we going?"
He smiled. "Not to worry, love. I'm sure we can find something warmer for you." He turned to the others and inclined his head. "Ciao, ladies, Tino. I must steal Lara away from you now."
There was an old-fashioned courtesy about the way he bowed. Lara groaned inwardly. Those words old-fashioned kept popping up. She grabbed her white handbag and looked at Shanna and Radinka. "It was nice to meet you."
Shanna patted her on the shoulder. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing you again."
"Definitely." Radinka nodded. "Enjoy your date."
"Oh, we have business to take care of, too," Lara said. "Police business."
Radinka snorted and muttered, "You mean monkey business."
"Can I have a cookie?" Constantine hopped around the table, obviously not in need of any sugar.
"Scusi, signorini." Jack bowed again, then with a light touch on Lara's back, he ushered her from the cafeteria. "I was halfway through my breakfast when Carlos told me that Howard had called and you were here, waiting for me. I came as quickly as I could."
"Thank you. I left a message on your cell phone, too."
"I heard it." He smiled at her as they started down the hallway. "I'm delighted you want to go on a date."
She shrugged. "It's just for a few hours, right? Then we'll get back to work."
"As you wish. Howard said he showed you the laptop."
"Yes. I was amazed by how much information you discovered. It's very impressive."
"Grazie." He turned right and led her into another hallway. "I am determined to find Apollo as soon as possible. I believe he kidnaps a new girl on the fourth weekend of each month."
"I noticed that, too. In a few weeks, he'll strike again."
Jack nodded. "We'll catch him before that."
We? Lara bit her lip. She hated to tell Jack that this was strictly a matter for the police and FBI, especially after all the hard work he'd done. "You know, I go back to patrolling the streets on Wednesday."
Jack halted. "You'll work at night?"
"Yep. Looks like we'll both be working the graveyard shift."
He frowned. "I won't be able to see you very much."
He would miss her? Lara liked the thought of that. "Don't worry. I get a night or two off each week. I might even agree to go out with you again, although that'll depend on whether tonight's date is any good." She gave him a teasing smile.
His frown deepened. "I hope it'll be good. I wanted to share something special with you. A place that I care deeply about."
"Oh." Her smile faded. "Okay."
"But we'll be limited in how long we can stay there." He glanced around the hall. "If it's all right with you, I think we should leave right away."
"Really?" She watched as he opened a door and peeked inside.
"Oh, sorry." He'd interrupted someone at work. He strode down the hall to the next door. "We can always work on the Apollo case later. I've already made a lot of progress, don't you think?"
"Yes, you have." She frowned as he opened the door to a storeroom and peered inside. "Did you lose something?"
"I just don't want us to be seen. Come. This will do."
He caught her arm and dragged her into the storeroom.
Was this his idea of a date? Making out in a closet? She had a brief glimpse of shelves filled with office supplies before Jack shut the door and enclosed them in darkness. "Whoa. I thought we were going someplace special."
"We are, bellissima. I have it all planned out." He wrapped his arms around her. "Gianetta and Mario are very eager to meet you."
"Who are they?"
"They take care of the palazzo for me."
She swallowed hard. "But that's in Venice."
"Yes." He brushed her cheek with his knuckles. "That's where we're going."
Her mouth fell open, then snapped shut as she shook her head in disbelief. "We can't go to Venice. It's about a ten-hour flight, isn't it?"
"We'll need to hurry. We have about three hours at the most."
"Before the plane leaves?" The reality of the situation finally caught up with her. "Then what are we doing here?" Her heart started to race. This was so sudden. And so exciting. "I need to go home and pack. I need my passport." She pushed away from him to get to the door.
He pulled her back so suddenly, her handbag tumbled to the floor. "Bellissima, we're leaving now."
A sudden suspicion snaked through her, and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck rose. "What-what do you mean?"
"I need you to trust me." He wrapped his arms around her tight.
Her skin chilled in spite of the warmth of his body. "Why are we in this closet?"
"So no one will see us teleport."
Lara gasped. "No."
"Yes. You saw me do it before. It's perfectly safe."
"It's perfectly crazy!" She pushed against his chest.
"Lara." He held her by the shoulders. "I would never do this if it could hurt you. I care for you too much to let anything harm you."
He cared? Her heart melted. Unfortunately, the rest of her was still freaked out. "I don't know how to teleport. It scares me. What if I get put back together all wrong?"
"You'll be fine. As long as you're in my arms, you'll be safe."
She swallowed hard. "Wouldn't a plane be safer?"
"Cara mia, we could be in Venice in two seconds."
"That seems hard to believe. And for someone who's been pretending to be normal for the last two weeks, you're suddenly okay with showing me your true self?"
"Yes." He eased his arms around her. "It's a step forward, don't you think?"
He was finally ready to be honest with her? How could she refuse that? "I-I want to move forward."
"Then come with me." He embraced her tightly. "Hang on to me, and don't let go."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and gripped her hands together. "Are you sure this is safe? There aren't any weight restrictions or-"
Everything went black.
She stumbled and blinked as brightly lit candles spun around her, reflecting off gold walls.
"Easy, love." Jack steadied her.
The room stopped spinning, and she realized there were paintings on the walls and ceiling, all outlined with gleaming gold-leaf stucco work. Candles glowed in golden wall sconces and from three ornate chandeliers. Antique furniture was clustered around an enormous fireplace with a marble mantelpiece.
Her feet were firmly planted on a polished terrazzo floor. This sure wasn't Kansas. "Wow."
Jack released her. "Are you all right?"
She looked around the room again. "Wow."
Jack chuckled. "Welcome to my home." He strode toward some French doors and pushed them open. "And welcome to Venezia."