Parker glanced down at his new jeans, snakeskin boots and aqua Western shirt with silver snaps. “Only when I come to see you. And what the hell does that have to do with anything?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Why did you do it?” Parker asked crossly.

  “You remember we were going to arrange some accidents for Lauren Michaels?”

  Parker remembered them discussing the problem of Lauren seeing their laundry list. “Yes, but they were to be minor accidents.”

  The man sat back in his chair. “The minor accidents weren’t working, so I decided to up the ante. Tiny was instructed not to hurt the lady, but he was to scare the devil out of her.”

  Parker ran his hands through his hair. “This is unbelievable. What if Tiny had actually hit her?”

  Shrugging, the other man answered, “He didn’t, but he did discover something very interesting.”

  “What?”

  “Greg Williams walked out of the alley beside the restaurant and pulled Lauren out of danger.”

  Shock made Parker’s knees buckle, and he stumbled into a chair. “What was Greg Williams doing at Lauren’s restaurant? He should’ve been running, trying to hide from the police.”

  “Exactly my question.”

  The tension gripping the back of his neck warned Parker that another of his migraines was coming on. He really wasn’t cut out for this level of deception, lying to both his government and his friends. He should’ve never given in to the temptation of the big money waved in front of his face, but he had a weakness for horses and borrowing money from the wrong people. If he had to do it over again, he’d refuse the money. But it was too late; the devil owned him now. “There’s something wrong here.”

  “Oh, I knew there was a reason you were a CIA officer.”

  The insult hit its mark. Parker wanted to respond in kind, but the man sitting across from him had a nasty, vindictive streak. “What are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to set up surveillance of both Lauren’s apartment and restaurant. I think she’ll show up, since she has a passion for that restaurant of hers. Once she does, I want you to go there and see if you can discover where Greg Williams is hiding.”

  “What if she won’t answer the questions?”

  The malicious smile that curved the other man’s lips made Parker shiver. “I know you’ll find a way to get the information out of her. Won’t you, Parker?”

  “Yeah. I’ll find a way.”

  Jimmy arrived at his apartment a few minutes after nine. Lauren and Jon were sitting on the sofa watching TV when they heard the key in the lock. Jon shot to his feet and started across the room. Before he could reach the door, it swung open. He twisted the shaft of his cane with his left hand, and yanked on the handle with the other. A wicked ten-inch blade emerged from black wood. He pointed the knife at the intruder.

  “Jon,” Lauren cried, racing across the room. “Don’t hurt him. I don’t think I could find another Englishman I could teach to make chicken enchiladas.”

  “It’s comforting to know that I’m valued for myself,” Jimmy commented crossly.

  Lauren flushed and looked down at her hands.

  “May I come in?” Jimmy directed his question to the knife-wielding man. “It is, after all, my flat.”

  Lauren took his arm. “Of course you can come in. Jon was just being cautious.”

  Calmly Jon reassembled his cane.

  “Is he always so cordial?” Jimmy asked as he walked into the living room and set down a large white sack on the coffee table.

  “No.”

  “No?” the Englishman croaked. “You mean he gets worse?”

  “No, he doesn’t get worse. I mean there are extenuating circumstances that have made Jon a little jumpy.”

  “A little. Really, Lauren, that’s like saying the soccer fans from Liverpool are a little exuberant.”

  The man across the room chuckled. Jimmy’s eyes met his. “So you’re a soccer fan?”

  “I’ve been known to bet on a game or two.”

  Jimmy pointed to the sack. “I brought you something to eat, since I don’t have anything in the kitchen here.”

  “Thanks,” Lauren said.

  Flopping down on the couch, the young man studied the two people standing side by side. “Who are you?”

  “A Good Samaritan.”

  Jimmy’s forehead wrinkled as he studied Jon. Suddenly Jimmy’s eyes lit up, and he sprang to his feet. “Ah, Lauren, I need to see you in the kitchen.” He clamped his hand around Lauren’s wrist and tugged her into the other room. The instant they were alone, he released her. “I know where I saw him.” He pointed over his shoulder. “His face is spread all over every London paper. He’s accused of murder, Lauren.”

  Tiredly she sighed. “I know.”

  “You know?” Jimmy cried incredulously. “Then what are you doing here, in my apartment, with him? Is he holding you against your will?”

  “No, I’m not,” Jon answered from the doorway.

  They whirled to face him.

  Jimmy glared at Jon. “Listen, mister, I may not have a fancy cane, but I grew up in the back alleys of Liverpool and know a few nasty tricks.”

  Lauren clasped Jimmy’s arms. “I’m here of my own free will.”

  “What’s the matter with you, Lauren? This is not like you. Did he give you something—a pill, a shot, something in your food?”

  “No. The only thing I’ve eaten since I left the restaurant is some blue cornmeal that I fixed this afternoon.”

  “I knew it. I knew it. That stuff is no good. I warned you against eating anything that color, but would you listen? No.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me.”

  “Right-o. That’s why you’ve run off with a murderer.”

  Tired of arguing, she laid her hand on Jimmy’s arm. “Remember the first time we met? You’d gorged yourself on dinner, then tried to skip out on your bill. But I didn’t turn you into the police, did I? Instead, I offered you a job. People said I was a fool to trust you. But I had a feeling about you, Jimmy, that if you were given a break, you’d make it. I was right. Well, I have the same feeling about Jon.”

  “Jon? The newspaper said the bloke’s name was Greg Williams.”

  She waved away the point. “Whatever. What is important is I have the same feeling about him as I did about you. If given a break, he’ll prove himself.” As she argued her point, Lauren realized whoever this man was, she trusted him on some deep, instinctive level.

  Folding his arms over his chest, Jimmy studied the other man. “I hope your instinct is right again, because if it isn’t, you’ll be in trouble up to your little bum.”

  “Why do you say that?” Jon asked.

  “The police came by the restaurant this afternoon, looking for Lauren. They wanted to question her about the accident involving the kiosk today. Apparently the guy who owned it reported the incident.” His gaze locked with Lauren’s. “Why didn’t you tell me about it when you called? I felt like an idiot when the police asked me about the accident.”

  “We were pressed for time, Jimmy, and needed to get out of sight as soon as possible.”

  He nodded. “You have several other problems.”

  “What?”

  “Apparently all of London, except for me, heard about your accident. Parker came by. He said he was worried about you and wanted to check on you.”

  Lauren wilted into one of the kitchen chairs. “How did he hear about it?”

  “I’m wondering the same myself,” Jon said, pulling out another chair and sitting.

  “And then Donald came into the restaurant tonight. He asked why you hadn’t called him. Apparently you and he were to have gone to the jewelers today to pick out wedding rings.”

  “I forgot,” Lauren said, rubbing her temples.

  “Donald’s a good-natured bloke, but he seemed a bit put out.”

  What a mess. Having a husband—or supposed husband—and a fiancé was proving to be a problem. “Thanks, Jimmy.”

  The young man nodded. “Since this guy isn’t too cordial, I’ll stay at my girlfriend’s flat for a few nights.” He disappeared into the bedroom, then reappeared several minutes later with a pack slung over his shoulder. Lauren hugged him.

  “Thank you, Jimmy. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for this favor.”

  “Don’t worry, luv, you already have.”

  Jimmy reached for the doorknob when Jon’s voice stopped him. “You can’t tell anyone about us.”

  Jimmy threw him a hard look. “I’ve already covered your backside. I’ll continue to do it, but understand I’m doing this for her. Not you, Yank. And if you hurt her, you’ll have to answer to me.”

  The two men exchanged some hidden message that Lauren was sure was a male thing. Finally Jon nodded, seemingly unoffended by the threat. Jimmy returned the nod, then departed, leaving Lauren to wonder if she would ever understand the male of the species.

  Chapter 5

  Jon slipped off his sport coat, then checked his watch. It was 9:55. In five minutes he needed to call Diamond in Langley, Virginia. Lauren stood by the door, and from her expression, it was obvious that she was still thinking about the little exchange he’d had with her cook. Jon had to respect the young Englishman. He didn’t back away from a fight. Jimmy was very protective of Lauren, and right now she needed all the protection she could get.

  “I like your cook. When did you get him?” he asked, trying to ease the tension in her frame.

  She leaned back against the smooth wood. “From what you overheard, you can probably guess.”

  “Humor me and tell me the entire story.”

  “I met him about six months after your reported death.”

  He had the feeling she was going along with his claims for the sake of finding a way out of this mess. But he knew she still had doubts, and that was something he couldn’t afford.

  “Jimmy tried to stiff me for a lunch. It was a welcome relief to know I could still feel something strongly, even if it was just anger. I ran after him and caught him. I gave him the choice of me calling the police or him helping me clean up the lunch mess. He did, then stayed to give me a hand with dinner. And the rest, as they say, is history.”

  Jon glanced at his watch again. One minute to go. “I have to call my superior, then afterward why don’t we eat what Jimmy brought?” Jon hoped she would take the hint and put out the dinner, leaving him alone to make his call.

  “All right. I’ll dish up the food. But I’ll be listening.” That keen intellect she possessed showed in her knowing expression. “You can play spy with everyone but me.” Snatching up the sack, she marched by him into the kitchen.

  Damn, she would’ve made a good spy. An even better spy master, he thought as he dialed the phone. He waited, listening to the key sequence that diverted the local call to a special number that tapped into the microwave length, skipped across the Atlantic and accessed Diamond’s private line.

  Again the answering machine clicked on. Where was his boss? It was unlike him not to check messages on this line.

  “Diamond, this is Sapphire. As I told you before, Anthony has been murdered, and I’ve been set up as the prime suspect. Anthony thought he’d discovered the identity of the mole. Apparently the mole figured out he’d been made and killed Anthony. I’m locked out of the embassy and my apartment. I’ve got no access to our computer files, so I need a copy of the embassy files and a laptop.”

  He heard a noise and glanced up to see Lauren standing by the kitchen door, listening to him.

  His gaze never left hers as he continued. “Also, this afternoon someone tried to run Lauren down. She and I are together in hiding.”

  Lauren turned and disappeared back into the kitchen.

  “I’ll check in tomorrow, 1300 hours my time.”

  After he hung up, Jon sat staring at the phone. It seemed as if everything in the world was crashing down around him. Anthony dead. Attempts on Lauren’s life. Diamond unavailable. What the hell was going on here?

  “Are you going to stare at the phone all night or are you going to come and share chicken enchiladas with me?”

  “I’m coming.” He joined her in the kitchen and glanced at the enchiladas covered with a green sauce. “Ah, the dinner you wanted me to order at the restaurant. You sure you didn’t request that Jimmy bring this?”

  Doubt appeared in her eyes at his lack of enthusiasm. “He brought what he had the most of.”

  Spanish rice and refried beans accompanied the main dish. A little bit of Texas in the middle of London. With his first bite of the enchilada, Jon knew why Lauren hadn’t wanted him to hurt her cook. The man made a mean enchilada.

  “You weren’t kidding about Jimmy. He’s a good cook, Lauren.”

  “Don’t let him know. Never can tell what Jimmy will ask for.”

  Jon laughed, not doubting for a moment the wily Englishman would make the most of any opportunity. Lauren put her fork down and stared at him as if he had performed some rare and amazing feat.

  He felt self-conscious and the tiniest bit lost. He laughed like everyone else. Well, maybe he hadn’t in the past few years, but there were reasons for his lack of mirth.

  She smiled back at him, a beautiful smile that lighted her eyes and radiated from her like heat from a warm fire. His body instantly responded to her action. The chemistry between Jon and Lauren had always been hot and intense.

  “May I ask you a question?” Lauren asked before taking a bite of her rice.

  Her voice brought him back to the present with a thud. “Sure.”

  She pointed to his cane, hooked behind him on the chair back. “Do you really need that or do you only carry it for protection?”

  “I need it.” He took another bite of his enchilada. The marvelous taste couldn’t erase the bitterness of his situation. “My kneecap was shattered in the wreck. I’ve had several surgeries. I should’ve spent six more months in physical therapy, but when the new rotation of personnel for the London station approached, our mole got active again. There was a burglary from NATO headquarters of some launch codes. Once they had the codes, we were afraid one of our missiles was going to be targeted.” It had frightened everyone in Washington senseless.

  “And was one?” Worry darkened her green eyes to almost black.

  “There was a try. But since we knew about the missing codes, we beefed up security and prevented the theft. The codes were changed, so even if they had gotten a missile, they would have needed someone who could reprogram the weapon.”

  With shaking fingers, she reached for her glass of water. “Oh.”

  “That’s not what the guys in Washington said. They were a bit more graphic in their descriptions.”

  “So that’s why you came to London early?”

  “Yeah. It would be natural for me to come in with the new assignments. Unfortunately my knee isn’t on a CIA timetable.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “It’s okay if I’m rested. When I get tired, my limp is noticeable and I need the cane for balance. And as you know from experience, if you hit my knee from just the right angle, it folds like a cheap card table. But my superior and I thought it was worth the risk. I wasn’t going to be out in the field, slinking around back alleys. I was supposed to be in an office, analyzing data.” She didn’t look comforted by his explanation. “I have exercises I do every day that supposedly build up my strength and keep the muscles loose.”

  He wished he knew what was going on behind those beautiful green eyes of hers. She toyed with the rice on her plate.

  “How do you know the mole is in London?”

  “We don’t, but I know that whoever this guy is, he was in the information pipeline when I went to see the Czech official. I signed out that day on our sheet, stating I was meeting ‘Bright Eyes.’ That was my code name for the Czech. The communications officer sent a message for me to a neutral third party who set up the meeting.”

  Lauren frowned, but from her expression, she was following him.

  “The mole could’ve tapped into the information at any point from the day sheet to the neutral third party. We’ve tried funneling misinformation along various parts of the line, but so far, none has resurfaced. So my partner and I were trying to track the guy through the crimes.”

  She rested her fork on her plate and folded her hands in her lap. “Do you enjoy the cloak-and-dagger part of your job?” Her tone and the way she avoided his gaze told him there was a lot more to her question than what she stated. And on a gut level he knew she was asking him if he enjoyed lying to her. Amazingly her unvoiced question was like a knife slicing through him.

  “What are you really asking, Lauren?” he asked, careful to keep any emotion out of his voice, but needing to hear her say the sharp words.

  Her head jerked up. Her bottom lip trembled, making him want to lean across the table and kiss her soft mouth.

  “Why did you join the CIA?”

  Coward, he silently replied. So she didn’t have the nerve to ask him why he lied. Well, he’d play the game the way she wanted. Maybe he could make her understand why he did what he did.

  “I was a senior in college. CIA came recruiting. I wanted to do something for my country, and fighting against communism seemed to me the best way to serve.”

  “But?” she prompted.

  Lauren must have caught the bitterness in his voice. “When you try to outsmart those who play by no rules other than winning, you lose, no matter if you beat them. Lying became second nature. Seeing the ugly side of humanity became common. Youthful ideals are crushed under the weight of the reality of what you have to do.”

  He surfaced from the dark images that crowded the halls of his memory. He caught the look of shock and pity in her eyes. For an instant he had let down his guard and allowed her to look into a soul disillusioned and corroded by trickery and deceit. Apparently what she saw shook her to the core. It should have. It scared the hell out of him.

  She stood and gathered their plates. As she ran the water for the dishes, Jon noticed the way her shoulders sagged. No matter that his soul was darkened—he didn’t want to lose her. He rose, walked to the sink and stood behind her.