then?” Henry asked.
“Nothing. It’s been four months, and I even had him hire extra men in Boston. I just don’t think she’s in New York anymore,” Michael said dejectedly. “And I wouldn’t know where to start looking outside the two cities.”
“I suppose Macklin looked into the possibility that she was just another guest in the hotel,” Henry stated, knowing that he probably had.
“Oh, yes. He tried everything,” Michael said, turning from the window. “I just think it’s time to hang this one up and go on. She obviously didn’t want me to know who she was, or she’d have told me.”
“I’m sorry. But you’re probably right. She could be anywhere.”
That same phrase had echoed through Michael’s head for months. A dozen times he was tempted to call off the search, when out of despair a new possibility would arise. But enough was enough. This afternoon he’d pay off Macklin, and even if she continued to plague his thoughts, he was determined to get on with his life. After all, it’s not as if she were his missing mother or wife—or even anybody he knew. She was just … that woman. That woman who had come to him out of nowhere. That intriguing woman who was so beautiful, so passionate … and in the end so strangely sad. Lately, he had even been considering the fact that she might not have been real after all. That maybe she was only a fatigue-induced fantasy.
Michael sighed loudly and ran his hand through his dark hair in frustration. With great effort, he attempted to lighten his mood.
“Speaking of lost women, do you suppose your associate will be much longer?” he asked, grinning. “My luck with women lately has led me to become very nervous when they don’t show up when I expect them to.”
Henry chuckled appreciatively. “You can relax on that score with Meghan. She’s as reliable as they come. She’s been in court all week with a tricky suit we filed for a client. She was supposed to finish it up this morning.”
“I understood yesterday when I called to confirm our appointment that she could be a little late. And I came early hoping for the chance to meet you and thank you for the help and concern you’ve given me with the problem of my missing lady. You’re very kind.”
“Not at all,” Henry said self-consciously. “I wish I could have done more. Now, let me check on Meghan for you, and we’ll get started on something that should be a lot easier and more pleasant to take care of.”
When Alderman opened his office door, a flash of red caught the attention of both men. Michael went rigid with shock as he watched a shapely red-headed woman take several steps and enter another office across the reception area. As Macklin had pointed out to him time after time, there were thousands of red-haired women in New York, but Michael would bet his life that only one could walk like that.
He had found her. After four months of worrying himself sick about her. After thousands of dollars of investigators’ fees. After … after everything else she’d put him through, there she was. Pretty as you please. Safe and sound. Every emotion Michael had felt over the last few months came to a head inside him, completely bypassing relief and turning to boiling anger.
“Ah, speaking of the devil, there she goes. Come along and I’ll introduce the two of you,” Henry said cheerfully, oblivious to the fact that Michael was working on a catalog of the various means by which he planned to take his revenge.
The unsuspecting Meghan was just settling behind her desk when there was a brief knock on the door. Henry let himself in, saying, “Meghan. You’re back. How did it go this morning?”
“Fine. I—” Meghan’s whole world stopped short when she spied the man who had followed Henry into her office. The room went suddenly dark. Her heart stood still. The color the wind had blown into her cheeks drained away. Her eyes grew large, then snapped shut in an unconscious attempt at
“Nothing. It’s been four months, and I even had him hire extra men in Boston. I just don’t think she’s in New York anymore,” Michael said dejectedly. “And I wouldn’t know where to start looking outside the two cities.”
“I suppose Macklin looked into the possibility that she was just another guest in the hotel,” Henry stated, knowing that he probably had.
“Oh, yes. He tried everything,” Michael said, turning from the window. “I just think it’s time to hang this one up and go on. She obviously didn’t want me to know who she was, or she’d have told me.”
“I’m sorry. But you’re probably right. She could be anywhere.”
That same phrase had echoed through Michael’s head for months. A dozen times he was tempted to call off the search, when out of despair a new possibility would arise. But enough was enough. This afternoon he’d pay off Macklin, and even if she continued to plague his thoughts, he was determined to get on with his life. After all, it’s not as if she were his missing mother or wife—or even anybody he knew. She was just … that woman. That woman who had come to him out of nowhere. That intriguing woman who was so beautiful, so passionate … and in the end so strangely sad. Lately, he had even been considering the fact that she might not have been real after all. That maybe she was only a fatigue-induced fantasy.
Michael sighed loudly and ran his hand through his dark hair in frustration. With great effort, he attempted to lighten his mood.
“Speaking of lost women, do you suppose your associate will be much longer?” he asked, grinning. “My luck with women lately has led me to become very nervous when they don’t show up when I expect them to.”
Henry chuckled appreciatively. “You can relax on that score with Meghan. She’s as reliable as they come. She’s been in court all week with a tricky suit we filed for a client. She was supposed to finish it up this morning.”
“I understood yesterday when I called to confirm our appointment that she could be a little late. And I came early hoping for the chance to meet you and thank you for the help and concern you’ve given me with the problem of my missing lady. You’re very kind.”
“Not at all,” Henry said self-consciously. “I wish I could have done more. Now, let me check on Meghan for you, and we’ll get started on something that should be a lot easier and more pleasant to take care of.”
When Alderman opened his office door, a flash of red caught the attention of both men. Michael went rigid with shock as he watched a shapely red-headed woman take several steps and enter another office across the reception area. As Macklin had pointed out to him time after time, there were thousands of red-haired women in New York, but Michael would bet his life that only one could walk like that.
He had found her. After four months of worrying himself sick about her. After thousands of dollars of investigators’ fees. After … after everything else she’d put him through, there she was. Pretty as you please. Safe and sound. Every emotion Michael had felt over the last few months came to a head inside him, completely bypassing relief and turning to boiling anger.
“Ah, speaking of the devil, there she goes. Come along and I’ll introduce the two of you,” Henry said cheerfully, oblivious to the fact that Michael was working on a catalog of the various means by which he planned to take his revenge.
The unsuspecting Meghan was just settling behind her desk when there was a brief knock on the door. Henry let himself in, saying, “Meghan. You’re back. How did it go this morning?”
“Fine. I—” Meghan’s whole world stopped short when she spied the man who had followed Henry into her office. The room went suddenly dark. Her heart stood still. The color the wind had blown into her cheeks drained away. Her eyes grew large, then snapped shut in an unconscious attempt at
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