briskly, ‘have you come up with any information? What are the police saying about them?’
‘They are Napoleons. French coins from years ago.’
‘You see,’ she said as she swung back to Flynn. ‘They match. Where did they come from?’
Flynn refused to discuss it. He wanted her to forget all about gold and wallets.
When he didn’t respond, she said, ‘It’s obvious that Morrell must have had more gold coins on him which the killer stole and then used them to frame you.’ She put out a hand and tentatively touched his sleeve. ‘Do you agree?’
He looked down at her pale pink fingernails on his arm but said nothing.
‘Also,’ she said, undaunted by his silence, ‘I went to your landlord again.’
‘No, Dodie. Stay away from him.’
‘I went with Mama Keel this time.’
Oh, she was clever. If anyone was going to loosen their tongues, it would be Mama Keel.
‘So?’ he asked.
‘They’re thinking about it.’ She rolled her eyes with impatience. ‘So don’t give up hope.’
‘Stop it, Dodie.’
Her fingers curled around his cuff.
‘I can’t,’ she whispered.
‘You must.’
‘No.’
‘I don’t want you hurt.’
‘I am already hurt. Because you’re in here.’
He wanted to touch her face, to taste her skin one more time.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘Though Christie may be threatening me, it’s only with his lawyer. He told me to go to Hector Latcham and —’
Flynn’s hand seized her arm. He shook it hard. ‘Why? Why the hell would you go to Hector Latcham? Keep away from him.’
‘Hector Latcham?’
‘Yes.’ The word snapped out of him.
‘Why? He’s
your
lawyer.’
‘Like hell he is. Parfury is —’
‘I work for Mr Latcham, sir,’ Parfury said mildly over by the door.
Flynn’s heart shut down. His skin grew cold. After all he’d done to protect her, he’d not allowed for this, not this…
‘Flynn?’
He was on his feet and standing right in front of Parfury. ‘Give me two minutes,’ he said urgently. He saw the lawyer glance warily at his clenched fists. ‘Two minutes. That’s all. Let me have two minutes alone with her.’
‘No, I can’t, it’s against the rules.’
‘Then break the goddam rules. Two minutes.’
‘No, Mr Hudson, I…’ But something Parfury saw in him made him change his mind. He gave a quick rap on the door and made his exit. ‘Two minutes,’ he muttered. ‘I’m counting.’
The moment the door swung shut, Flynn pulled Dodie to her feet and spoke fast. ‘Don’t go near Hector Latcham. You hear me? He’s dangerous.’
‘But he was helpful. He is Ella Sanford’s friend and so is being kind to —’
Flynn gripped her shoulders. ‘Remember I told you that the mobsters had another guy on this island, my contact here. Named Spencer?’
Her lips opened, their colour drained away.
‘His real name is Hector Latcham. He’s the one who hired thugs to beat you up. So don’t tell me that mob lawyer is helpful and kind. Don’t —’
Without warning he pulled her against his chest, so hard that her chin nearly cracked a rib. ‘Dodie, you must swear to me you won’t go near him again. I didn’t tell you his name before because I figured it meant you wouldn’t go near him. I was trying to keep you safe.’
She stood still and silent in his arms, but he could feel her heartbeat. Out of control. Quietly she started to talk.
‘Flynn, this means you won’t get out of here. Not with Hector Latcham overseeing your case at the trial. I’ll arrange a different lawyer immediately, I can’t…’ The words seemed to swell in her throat. ‘I can’t… bear to think that…’
‘Don’t, Dodie.’
She lifted her face and he kissed her mouth. He had only seconds left. ‘Promise me you won’t go near him.’
‘I promise, but —’ Suddenly she pulled back from him, eyes huge. ‘Ella!’
‘Ella Sanford? What about her?’
‘She was meeting him today to ask him all about Portman Cay.’
Before
‘They are Napoleons. French coins from years ago.’
‘You see,’ she said as she swung back to Flynn. ‘They match. Where did they come from?’
Flynn refused to discuss it. He wanted her to forget all about gold and wallets.
When he didn’t respond, she said, ‘It’s obvious that Morrell must have had more gold coins on him which the killer stole and then used them to frame you.’ She put out a hand and tentatively touched his sleeve. ‘Do you agree?’
He looked down at her pale pink fingernails on his arm but said nothing.
‘Also,’ she said, undaunted by his silence, ‘I went to your landlord again.’
‘No, Dodie. Stay away from him.’
‘I went with Mama Keel this time.’
Oh, she was clever. If anyone was going to loosen their tongues, it would be Mama Keel.
‘So?’ he asked.
‘They’re thinking about it.’ She rolled her eyes with impatience. ‘So don’t give up hope.’
‘Stop it, Dodie.’
Her fingers curled around his cuff.
‘I can’t,’ she whispered.
‘You must.’
‘No.’
‘I don’t want you hurt.’
‘I am already hurt. Because you’re in here.’
He wanted to touch her face, to taste her skin one more time.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘Though Christie may be threatening me, it’s only with his lawyer. He told me to go to Hector Latcham and —’
Flynn’s hand seized her arm. He shook it hard. ‘Why? Why the hell would you go to Hector Latcham? Keep away from him.’
‘Hector Latcham?’
‘Yes.’ The word snapped out of him.
‘Why? He’s
your
lawyer.’
‘Like hell he is. Parfury is —’
‘I work for Mr Latcham, sir,’ Parfury said mildly over by the door.
Flynn’s heart shut down. His skin grew cold. After all he’d done to protect her, he’d not allowed for this, not this…
‘Flynn?’
He was on his feet and standing right in front of Parfury. ‘Give me two minutes,’ he said urgently. He saw the lawyer glance warily at his clenched fists. ‘Two minutes. That’s all. Let me have two minutes alone with her.’
‘No, I can’t, it’s against the rules.’
‘Then break the goddam rules. Two minutes.’
‘No, Mr Hudson, I…’ But something Parfury saw in him made him change his mind. He gave a quick rap on the door and made his exit. ‘Two minutes,’ he muttered. ‘I’m counting.’
The moment the door swung shut, Flynn pulled Dodie to her feet and spoke fast. ‘Don’t go near Hector Latcham. You hear me? He’s dangerous.’
‘But he was helpful. He is Ella Sanford’s friend and so is being kind to —’
Flynn gripped her shoulders. ‘Remember I told you that the mobsters had another guy on this island, my contact here. Named Spencer?’
Her lips opened, their colour drained away.
‘His real name is Hector Latcham. He’s the one who hired thugs to beat you up. So don’t tell me that mob lawyer is helpful and kind. Don’t —’
Without warning he pulled her against his chest, so hard that her chin nearly cracked a rib. ‘Dodie, you must swear to me you won’t go near him again. I didn’t tell you his name before because I figured it meant you wouldn’t go near him. I was trying to keep you safe.’
She stood still and silent in his arms, but he could feel her heartbeat. Out of control. Quietly she started to talk.
‘Flynn, this means you won’t get out of here. Not with Hector Latcham overseeing your case at the trial. I’ll arrange a different lawyer immediately, I can’t…’ The words seemed to swell in her throat. ‘I can’t… bear to think that…’
‘Don’t, Dodie.’
She lifted her face and he kissed her mouth. He had only seconds left. ‘Promise me you won’t go near him.’
‘I promise, but —’ Suddenly she pulled back from him, eyes huge. ‘Ella!’
‘Ella Sanford? What about her?’
‘She was meeting him today to ask him all about Portman Cay.’
Before
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