Pretending to hesitate, Laura turned back to look at her. She was holding the blue poodle that Daniel had mentioned. "I shouldn't be here. If he finds out-"
"Well, we'll just go inside so he won't," Gwen said in a firm tone of voice, stepping back. "Come on, girl." Laura finally followed, entering the spacious suite, looking at the bus cart and food on the table. Once the door was closed, Gwen put the dog down, and it started barking at Laura. "Really, Fluffy," her owner admonished. "Go lay down." The small dog obediently went to a dark blue satin pillow that was laying on the floor and jumped onto it. She lay down, but kept her tiny dark eyes on the stranger.
"I interrupted your breakfast," Laura said, making a move toward the door again. "I'll come back later-"
"You're not goin' anywhere," Gwen said, pointing to a chair. "Park it." She secured the chain on the door before joining Laura. "I was finished with breakfast anyway. You look terrible, honey. Are you okay?"
"I'm not- sure," Laura admitted haltingly, looking at her hands in her lap. "I shouldn't have come. If he finds out that I came here- that I asked anyone for help-" Laura bit back a soft sob on a shuddering breath. The dog lifted its head.
"What kind of help? Who *is* that guy, anyway?" Her eyes filled with suspicion. "You're not a hooker, are you?"
"No. Not the kind you mean, anyway. Nigel's a high roller. Sets up high stakes poker games for people."
"So how did a girl from a spot in the road in Texas meet up with someone like that?"
"I was working in a bar in Dallas when he came in. He was so charming, so nice. And I loved the way he talked. He left me a hundred dollar tip- and he came back the next night, and the night after that. Spent a lot of money on me." She toyed with a gold bracelet on her wrist. "No one ever did that before. When he left, I went with him. There wasn't anything holding me in Dallas."
Fluffy slowly descended from her pillow and cautiously approached Laura, sniffing at her legs. "Go lay down, Fluffy," Gwen said again, but Laura shook her head as she reached down to pet the animal.
"That's okay. I like dogs."
"Fluffy doesn't usually take to strangers," Gwen commented, watching as the dog licked Laura's fingers before settling onto the dense carpet beside Laura's feet. "What happened when you got here?" she asked, continuing the conversation.
"He bought me new clothes, sent me to a beauty parlour- and then -" Laura deliberately broke off, as if she were ashamed to continue.
"He asked for something in return," Gwen guessed.
Laura nodded. "He had a game last night. And he made me- entertain his 'clients' after," she admitted. "He wanted me to do whatever I had to do to keep them happy," Laura said quietly, sounding ashamed of what she might have done to accomplish that objective.
"You're not going back," Gwen announced, her angry tone causing Fluffy to look up at her mistress in alarm, then head back to the cushion.
"I have to," Laura insisted. "I don't have any money. And if I stay in Cannes, he'll find me and force me to-"
Gwen stood up. "Stay here." She went into the bedroom, and returned with her voluminous handbag. "How much will it take to get you home and settled?" she asked.
"Oh, no. I couldn't," Laura insisted, shaking her head.
"Of course you can. I'll call downstairs for a cab to take you to the airport right now." She opened her purse to reveal a rather sizable amount of cash, and Laura's eyes widened.
"I never travel overseas without having cash on hand," she said, counting out what looked to be well over three thousand American dollars. "Now, this will get you a ticket home and take care of things till you get settled," she declared. "What about your passport? Do you have it with you, or did he take it?"
"I know where he keeps it."
"Can you get it?"
"I think so. He's out of the hotel right now- probably setting up another game for tonight. But, Gwen, I can't-" Laura protested as she took the money.
"Look, consider it a loan, if you'd rather." She picked up the phone. "This is Gwendolyn Maxwell - I need a taxi at the front door going to the airport . . . No, not for me. It's for a friend."
"I can't thank you enough, Gwen," Laura said as Gwen hung up the telephone.
She handed Laura a card. "Just look me up when you get settled. And if you need anything, let me know."
"I will."
"Go and get your passport. It's best if you're gone before that louse gets back." She opened the door. "Good luck. And remember next time some good looking, charming man appears on the horizon that it's probably best to just let him keep right on going."
"I will. Thank you again," Laura said, and gave the woman a hug, sniffling as she did.
"There now. No tears. What is it they say? That this is the first day of the rest of your life? Don't want to start it out crying. Might set a dangerous pattern."
Laura nodded and slipped out of the suite. As the elevator doors closed, she saw Gwen pick up Fluffy, watching her departure with sad eyes. The moment she was alone, Laura leaned against the wall of the elevator, smiling. Resisting the temptation to count the money she'd been given, Laura waited for the doors to open in the lobby and headed toward the front doors. She noticed the taxi sitting before the hotel, waiting, and looked back to make sure Gwen hadn't followed her.
No one seemed to have noticed her exit, and so Laura turned to the black Mercedes in which Daniel was waiting. Noting his curious expression, Laura smiled and patted her pocket. "Let's get out of here," she said, closing the door.
"Excellent idea. I thought we might go to Paris for awhile," Daniel suggested, accelerating smoothly into the traffic.
"Paris?" Laura questioned. "What about Harry?"
"We can call the house in London and let him know that our plans have changed. Or perhaps Rome might be a better idea?" he mused.
"What happened to Hong Kong?" she asked.
"It's still there. But I thought we'd wait on that until Harry could join us," Daniel informed her. "He seemed a bit put out at the idea of my showing you around instead of his doing so. And I'd hate to disappoint the lad," he said with a grin. "How much did you get out of her?"
"Oh," Laura sighed, pulling the money out to fan herself with the bills, "just- five thousand."
Daniel's eyes widened as he took the money she held out and placed it into his jacket pocket. "Five thousand? She had that much in cash with her?"
"She had a lot more than that. I have no idea *how* the woman manages to get it through customs, and I wasn't about to ask."
"Good idea," Daniel agreed, shaking his head. "What on earth did you tell the woman?"
"Oh, just that you were a sleaze ball who was forcing me into prostitution to keep your high rolling gambling clients happy," Laura said airily.
"Indeed?"
Laura laughed as he turned into the drive that led up to the villa.
"I always knew you were a natural, my dear."
"That's now what you thought when you first met me and you know it, Daniel Chalmers."
"Yes, well, I fully admit that I was wrong about you. You're good. Now, if we could just get rid of that lingering bit of conscience -" Laura started to deny his words, but Daniel lifted his hand to still her words. "I can tell that it bothered you, taking that money from Gwen Maxwell under false pretences."
"She just seemed so nice," Laura admitted at last.
"Believe me, my dear, she can afford it. And she's got a history of helping people in trouble. So don't worry your head about it any longer, hmm?" He brought the Mercedes to a stop before the front door and they got out. "You go and throw some things into a case. I'll make the reservations for Paris- or would prefer Rome?"
"Rome, I think," Laura decided, entering the house before him and going to the stairs. "What about Harry?"
"I'll call him as well," Daniel promised.
"Don't tell him about what we did. *I* want to do that."
"I won't breathe a word," Daniel said, moving off toward the study to make his calls.
Laura climbed the stairs, reminding herself that Daniel was right. Gwen Maxwell had more than enough money. If the woman wanted to be gullible enough to give it away, why not take advantage of that fact? She opened the door of her bedroom and had taken two steps when she heard a soft groan from the direction of the bed. Freezing in her tracks, she remained with her hand on the doorknob. "Who's there?" she asked.
Another moan came, a little louder this time, followed by "Laura? Is that you?"
She recognized Harry's voice and went to the bed, turning on the light as she sat down on the edge. "This is a surprise," she said, leaning over him to give him a kiss. "Daniel's downstairs calling you," she said.
"Thought I'd just drop in unannounced," he told her in a slow voice that made Laura frown. He winced when she moved, and the frown deepened.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he told her, but Laura could tell he was lying. He was pale. *Too* pale. "Daniel."
"I'll go let him know you're here in a minute," Laura said, moving closer, watching as he seemed to go even paler than he was. "You're hurt," she told him, pulling the covers back, ignoring his feeble attempt to prevent it. The sight of blood on the white sheets made Laura gasp in horror. "Harry, what happened?" she asked, examining his side, then his back. Feeling the wound there, she rose quickly. "Stay there. I'll get Daniel."
She ignored the blood on her hand as she ran out of the room to the landing, calling Daniel's name. "Daniel!"
He was just coming up the stairs. "I just tried to call Harry, Laura," he was saying. "He's not there-"
"he's *here*!" Laura exclaimed. "And he's hurt!"
Daniel ran up the remaining steps to follow Laura back into her room. "Good Lord," he sighed upon seeing Harry laying on the bloody sheets. "Harry. What on earth-?" he asked, gently rolling his son over to examine the wound. "A knife?" he guessed.
His teeth clenched against the pain, Harry met Laura's eyes. "Got caught off guard," he told Daniel.
Daniel didn't even look up at Laura as he barked out orders. "Get Gretchen, Laura. Have her find some clean linen. But first have her fetch me a bowl of water and some bandages."
"Is he going to be alright?" she asked, wondering why she was experiencing déjà vu.
"He will be if I can stop this bleeding. I'll get him stabilized. I need you to look in my address book in the study and find Dr. Farbengené's telephone number. Call him and tell him that Harry needs him."
Laura found the housekeeper and send her on the errands Daniel set for her, then continued to the study to find the doctor's telephone number. Henrí Farbengené was well known in the circles in which Daniel and Harry traveled. The doctor had a reputation of helping people injured in the commission of a crime- Finding the number, she dialed it and waited for someone to answer. "Hello?" she said when someone did- in French, of course. And for the life of her, she couldn't recall a word of what she'd learned of that language. "Dr. Farbengené?" The woman on the telephone said something, then the line went quiet for a moment.
"Hello?"
"Dr. Farbengené, I'm calling for Daniel Chalmers-"
"Ah, yes. How is Daniel? I heard he was here in Cannes-"
"He needs you to come to the villa, Doctor," Laura said, cutting him off. "Harry's been injured."
"Harry? What kind of injury, Miss-?"
"Laura. I'm -"
"I've heard Daniel mention you," Henrí said. "Calm down. What sort of injury does Harry have? Bullet wound?"
"No. A knife wound. It's in the back. Just below the- third vertebrae-" She suddenly remembered where she'd heard that the first time, and her fingers clenched on the telephone in anger.
"Has he lost a lot of blood, then?"
"That's an understatement, Dr. Farbengené. And I think it happened in London."
"And he made it here? Tell Daniel that I am on my way."
"Thank you." Laura hung up the telephone, her expression thoughtful as she returned to the bedroom where Gretchen was just carrying the stained sheets out.
"Did you reach him?" Daniel asked, looking up at her as he finished applying a bandage to Harry's back.
"Yes. He's on his way," Laura informed him. Her eyes met Harry's. "You made a try for the Lavulite, didn't you?" she asked.
He closed his eyes. "Wanted to protect you," he told her, sounding tired.
"I don't think this is the time, Laura," Daniel told her.
But Laura ignored Daniel's softly spoken words, ignoring the hint of warning in the tone. "You wanted to protect *me*? Haven't I *proved* that I can take care of my*self*?" she asked. "If I'd been there-"
"I was wrong," Harry admitted. "Won't make that mistake again," he promised, holding out his hand to her. "Promise. Next time, we go together."
"There'll *be* a next time, then?" Laura asked, looking at Daniel, who hovered nearby.
"He was lucky, I think. Neff's blade didn't get in far enough to do serious damage, as far as I can tell. Henrí will be able to tell more, but beyond the loss of blood, I think he'll be fine."
Laura brought Harry's hand to her cheek. "Thank God."
"Forgive me?" Harry asked, managing a small, weak smile.
"I'll think about it."
***
Dr. Farbengené confirmed Daniel's diagnosis, then set up the transfusion using the equipment he had brought with him. "You are a very lucky man, Harry. But then, you have always been, no?"
"It would seem that way," Harry agreed.
"I'll give you something for the pain-" he began, opening his black medical bag, but Harry spoke.
"No. I'll be fine."
Henrí stopped, looking at him. "I'll leave it with Laura and Daniel in case you change your mind."
"I won't use it."
Henrí shook his head, smiling. "You are much like Daniel at times. He has a - dislike for drugs as well."
"Seen too much of the dark side of them, I guess."
"I suppose so. I will send your Laura in now to keep an eye on you. And I will return tomorrow to check on your progress."
***
Laura paced across the room, as Daniel stood in the door of the parlour, waiting, watching. "He's coming," he said at last, and Laura turned to join him as the doctor entered the room. "Henrí?"
"He will recover, old friend. It was mostly loss of blood, as you surmised. I have begun the transfusion and given him something to head off a possible infection." He held out a bottle of pills. "These are for pain. He refused to take one. But just in case-"
Laura held out her hand to take them from him. "I'll see that he takes one if he needs it."
"And try to keep him quiet and still. Too much movement will make him bleed again. I will be back tomorrow morning to check on him. And if you need me before that, you know how to reach me."
"Thank you, Dr. Farbengené," Laura said in a quiet voice.
He bowed over her hand. "I leave him to your care, mademoiselle."
"I'll walk you out, Henrí," Daniel said.
Laura put the pill bottle into her pocket, then climbed the stairs to enter the bedroom. Seeing Harry laying there on the clean, white sheet, the IV bottle hanging above him, with the tubing running into his arm, she was hard pressed to maintain her anger over his deception. She placed a hand to his forehead, and he opened his eyes. "Hello there," he said.
"How are you feeling?"
"Tired."
"Then sleep. You need to rebuild your strength."
"Once I'm well, we'll go to Hong Kong," he promised. "And then to Los Angeles."
"Los Angeles? What for?"
"The gems will be there in a few months. I've lost them twice now. It won't happen a third," he declared, sounding stronger. "This time, we'll get them. Kessler and Neff be damned."
It was a challenge now, Laura realized. And Harry wasn't one to back down from a challenge.