study engineering. But
she never said she was pregnant. That is where the story is different."
Madeleine looked Max straight in the
eyes. "Diana never told Bobby either."
He shook his head. "That's
ridiculous. It's just a story."
"She has a boy and names him
James.... it's Bobby's middle name."
Max turned away and she could see he was
putting the proverbial puzzle pieces together. His middle name was Charles and
some people named Charles went by the name Chas. She watched as he began to
count on his fingers, nine months. She saw the dread in his eyes and regretted
putting it there.
"You know, you're probably right,”
she said throwing the manuscript on the floor. “It’s just a story. People's
lives are not usually so dramatic."
"It could be possible."
"Certainly she would have told
you."
He starred at her for a long moment.
"Julia had cared for me as much as she was capable of caring for anyone,
but she was always looking out for herself first. She chose William Newcomb
because he had money and I had nothing."
"You had something more important
than money; integrity and heart."
"She said she would wait for me
while I went to Cal-Poly because she knew engineers made good money, but I
wanted to go down a different path, one that didn't include marriage to her...
But if she told me she was pregnant-"
"You would have done right by
her." Madeleine shuddered at the thought that she and Max could have had a
life without each other.
"I would have come back to
California, but I don't think I'd have married her." He sighed. "I
wonder what kind of man that makes me."
"Max?" Madeleine held his face
in her palms. "It's probably not true. This story will end with Bobby,
Diana and James living happily ever after. That didn’t happen in this
case."
He stopped and new dread shone in his
eyes. "What happens to Bobby's lawyer wife?"
"I don't know. She hasn't written
that far."' Then she realized what he was thinking. "She could die,
but Diana wouldn't kill her. Romances don't work like that."
"But it could in real life."
Madeleine thought about it. "I
still can't see her killing me."
"She's made herself very accessible
to me."
"Yes, and I'm sure she'd love to be
there for you in every way possible, but I still don't see her killing me to
get you. Julia is vain. She'd rather steal you. She needs to know it’s her
wiles that got you. Plus she and Chas both were here in Los Angeles when I had
the accident in San Francisco."
"I still don't like it."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to read this manuscript
and talk to Lt. White in the morning when I send you back to the safe
house."
Madeleine's back went stiff. "You
will not."
"If it is her, you can't be here. It's
too risky."
Madeleine was about to argue, but the
dark look in Max’s eyes changed her mind. She wasn’t going to give in, but she
wasn’t going to argue about it while he was upset. Instead, she retrieved the
manuscript and settled next to him giving him enough space to read, but still
maintaining contact.
Max leaned over and kissed her temple.
“I love you. You know that.”
“Yes, I do.” She saw the same
determination in his eyes, but like her, he elected not to press his point. She
decided she'd let him read and then she'd use the rest of the night to show him
why he should keep her around.
Chapter Eight
T he phone rang at
8 a.m. Max was just rolling out of bed after Madeleine had woken him in the
most sensuous way possible. It wasn’t unusual for him to wake up with her
making love to him, but he knew her motives were to guarantee he’d keep her
around. He was still bothered by Julia’s manuscript, but was trying to talk
himself into believing it was a whole lot of fiction built on a little bit of
reality.
“Max Delecoeur,” he answered a little
too animated for someone who was supposed to be grieving.
“It's Harry,” Lt. White said on the
other end. "How are things?"
"You know how they are and I don't
like it."
"I don't
she never said she was pregnant. That is where the story is different."
Madeleine looked Max straight in the
eyes. "Diana never told Bobby either."
He shook his head. "That's
ridiculous. It's just a story."
"She has a boy and names him
James.... it's Bobby's middle name."
Max turned away and she could see he was
putting the proverbial puzzle pieces together. His middle name was Charles and
some people named Charles went by the name Chas. She watched as he began to
count on his fingers, nine months. She saw the dread in his eyes and regretted
putting it there.
"You know, you're probably right,”
she said throwing the manuscript on the floor. “It’s just a story. People's
lives are not usually so dramatic."
"It could be possible."
"Certainly she would have told
you."
He starred at her for a long moment.
"Julia had cared for me as much as she was capable of caring for anyone,
but she was always looking out for herself first. She chose William Newcomb
because he had money and I had nothing."
"You had something more important
than money; integrity and heart."
"She said she would wait for me
while I went to Cal-Poly because she knew engineers made good money, but I
wanted to go down a different path, one that didn't include marriage to her...
But if she told me she was pregnant-"
"You would have done right by
her." Madeleine shuddered at the thought that she and Max could have had a
life without each other.
"I would have come back to
California, but I don't think I'd have married her." He sighed. "I
wonder what kind of man that makes me."
"Max?" Madeleine held his face
in her palms. "It's probably not true. This story will end with Bobby,
Diana and James living happily ever after. That didn’t happen in this
case."
He stopped and new dread shone in his
eyes. "What happens to Bobby's lawyer wife?"
"I don't know. She hasn't written
that far."' Then she realized what he was thinking. "She could die,
but Diana wouldn't kill her. Romances don't work like that."
"But it could in real life."
Madeleine thought about it. "I
still can't see her killing me."
"She's made herself very accessible
to me."
"Yes, and I'm sure she'd love to be
there for you in every way possible, but I still don't see her killing me to
get you. Julia is vain. She'd rather steal you. She needs to know it’s her
wiles that got you. Plus she and Chas both were here in Los Angeles when I had
the accident in San Francisco."
"I still don't like it."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to read this manuscript
and talk to Lt. White in the morning when I send you back to the safe
house."
Madeleine's back went stiff. "You
will not."
"If it is her, you can't be here. It's
too risky."
Madeleine was about to argue, but the
dark look in Max’s eyes changed her mind. She wasn’t going to give in, but she
wasn’t going to argue about it while he was upset. Instead, she retrieved the
manuscript and settled next to him giving him enough space to read, but still
maintaining contact.
Max leaned over and kissed her temple.
“I love you. You know that.”
“Yes, I do.” She saw the same
determination in his eyes, but like her, he elected not to press his point. She
decided she'd let him read and then she'd use the rest of the night to show him
why he should keep her around.
Chapter Eight
T he phone rang at
8 a.m. Max was just rolling out of bed after Madeleine had woken him in the
most sensuous way possible. It wasn’t unusual for him to wake up with her
making love to him, but he knew her motives were to guarantee he’d keep her
around. He was still bothered by Julia’s manuscript, but was trying to talk
himself into believing it was a whole lot of fiction built on a little bit of
reality.
“Max Delecoeur,” he answered a little
too animated for someone who was supposed to be grieving.
“It's Harry,” Lt. White said on the
other end. "How are things?"
"You know how they are and I don't
like it."
"I don't
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