As she stood there, looking at Harry,
her eyes examined his face, looking for- what, she wasn't sure.
"What are you doing here?" she asked at last, trying
to remember that she was *supposed* to be angry with him. But
he looked even better now than he had the last time she'd seen
him - *leaving with Felicia*, she reminded her traitorous heart
as it sped up.
"I came to see you graduate," he told her.
"I guessed *that*," Laura said with a hint of sarcasm.
"I meant why are you *here*. Now?"
"I saw you leave with that bunch - didn't like the looks
of a couple of them -"
"Is that so? You happen to be talking about my friends,"
she told him, conveniently forgetting that she never really cared
to see any of them after this evening.
"Then I think you need to be more careful about the friends
you choose," he countered.
"You're right. I should. Beginning with you -" She turned
away from him to the telephone, then realized that she *still*
didn't have a dime. "Damn!" she muttered under her breath.
"Why don't I drive you home?" he suggested. "My
car's over there-"
She looked at the BMW that he pointed to. "Still going first
class, eh, Harry?"
"Of course. I promise to drive you home and then leave, Laura.
You won't have to spend anymore time in my company than you want
to."
There was something different about him, Laura decided. He seemed
more proper, more reserved. More like an older version of Daniel.
Stuffy, almost. "I can call Mother-" she began, only
to stop and frown.
"What?"
"She's out to dinner with Daniel and my sister and her husband."
"I suppose you could always walk," he said, "if
being in my company bothers you so much. Take your chances that
your friends won't come looking for you."
After a quick glance down the street, Laura turned and went toward
the silver rental car, pulling open the front door and getting
inside before Harry could say anything else. Once he had set the
car into motion, she sat back, glad that the darkness of the evening
made it possible for her to observe his hands on the steering
wheel. "So. How's Felicia doing these days?" she asked
as he changed gears.
The question caused him to miss a gear, resulting in a grinding
noise that brought a frown to his face. "I wouldn't know.
Haven't seen her in over a year."
"Oh. How did the job go?"
"It didn't," he said shortly, shifting gears more smoothly.
"Turn here, right?"
"Yes." She sat back. He was acting as though *he* were
the injured party. As though *he* hadn't done anything wrong.
The thought fueled her anger again. "Thank you for the birthday
card."
He shrugged. "I was in Nice, and happened to remember that
it was your birthday."
Just *happened* to remember, Laura repeated to herself. Why the
arrogance of the man. He'd lied to her - well, not lied, precisely,
but he hadn't told her everything about his little *trip* to France,
and now here he was acting as if they were little more than acquaintances.
As if they hadn't gone through that hell in Flynn's warehouse
together. He came to a stop before the house, looking at the dark
windows with a raised eye brow. "Guess they're not home yet,"
Laura commented.
"Do you have a key?"
She smiled at last. "Who needs a key?" she asked, pulling
a hairpin from her hair and holding it up.
His answering smile relaxed his face. "Glad to see you haven't
changed entirely."
He got out of the car and came around to open the door, and Laura
waited. When he started to follow her, she turned. "Where
are you going?"
"Walking you to the door. If you don't mind, that is."
She grasped the hairpin tightly and resumed her movement, aware
that Harry was close behind her. So close that she could feel
the heat emanating from his body. She put the hairpin into the
lock, but the thing refused to open. Her hands were shaking -
something she blamed Harry for. "Here," he said, holding
out his hand for the pin, "let me have a go at it."
She watched as he did the same thing she did- but with rock steady
hands, and then heard the soft "click" of the lock opening.
Turning the doorknob, he pushed the door open, then stepped aside
before handing her the "key". "There you are."
She took the hairpin, and looked up at him. "Thank you -
for bringing me home, and for unlocking the door-"
"It was my pleasure. Will you be all right until your mother
returns?" he asked, his hands now in his pockets.
"Yes," she said, and he turned to leave. Laura let him
get to the steps before she said, "but I'd appreciate some
company, Harry."
"Even mine?" he asked.
There is was again. That intimation that she had hurt him somehow.
"Even yours, Harry," she assured him. "Come in."
**********
He looked around the living room as she turned on the lights,
watching as Laura moved to the bar. "Brandy?" she offered.
When he looked askance, she smiled. "I'm having spring water.
The only time Mother lets me drink is when Daniel's around."
"They seem to be getting on rather well," he said, seeking
a relatively safe topic of conversation as he sat down. "I'll
have some brandy, yes. Thank you."
Laura poured the liquor, then her own sparkling water, and went
to sit on the brick hearth. "So. What have you been up to?"
"Nothing much. Trying to keep busy," he said, adding
*so I don't have time to think about you* to himself. He thought
he'd been prepared to see her again. Thought he was over his infatuation
with those elfin eyes and that gamine smile framed by dimples.
Heaven knew that he'd tried his best to forget her - but she'd
clung to his mind, hiding behind a screen, waiting to pop back
out and yell "Surprise!" when he least expected it.
"What about you? Besides school, that is? I saw that article
in the paper about you."
She blushed. "It was nothing," she insisted. "Mother's
told everyone she's met about it. I really wish she would stop
-"
"Why? Does it embarrass you that you cared enough to help
that old woman when that cut purse too her bag?"
"Of course it doesn't. But all this fuss about my simply
doing what was necessary -"
"Makes you uncomfortable," he guessed. When she nodded,
he said, "You were never the shrinking violet before."
"Maybe I've grown up a little," she told him. "Realized
that I'm capable of making mistakes, of misjudging people -"
"Well, we all make that mistake from time to time, don't
we?" he commented.
Rising to refill her glass, Laura said, "Like your leaving
with Felicia without telling me about it, you mean?"
Harry took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Laura," he said
into the quiet room.
Laura, about to take a drink of the clear, bubbly water, stopped.
"What?"
"I'm sorry for not telling you that Felicia was going with
me. I had agreed to help her on the job before I ever met you.
To have left her hanging would have been extremely bad form."
He took a sip of his brandy. "Of course, the way things turned
out-"
Laura sat across from him, pulling her legs beneath her. "What
happened?" she asked.
Harry's smile reminded her of those wonderful days in London.
"Still full of questions, I see." Loosening his tie,
he said, "Let's just say that Felicia had no compunction
about leaving *me* hanging. After it was over, all I could think
about was getting back to London and seeing you." His gaze
fell to the amber liquid that he absently swirled in his glass.
"But you weren't there."
He sounded like a little boy who'd lost his best friend, and Laura's
anger evaporated. "I'm sorry too, Harry. I should have stayed,
waited for you to come home- given you the chance to explain."
"I never wanted to hurt you, Laura. You were the best thing
that had happened to me in a long time- but you were so damn *young*-"
"I'm not now," Laura reminded him, rising from the chair
to close the distance between them.
"I know," he said, reaching out to take her hand in
his. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for your birthday. But I didn't
think you wanted me to be -"
"Daniel was here. Mother threw a party - and then they argued
over the gift he brought for me."
"What gift was that?" Harry asked, pulling her to sit
beside him on the sofa, his arm still around her.
"A car."
"A car?"
"Well, he didn't actually *bring* me a car. He was going
to buy one for me- whatever kind I wanted."
"And your mother objected?"
"She insisted that I could drive her car if I needed one
- that a car was entirely TOO expensive a gift. He promised to
get it for me when I went to college," she added with an
impish grin.
"Ah. Where are you going?"
"I got a scholarship for Stanford," she told him.
"It's a good school. San Francisco's a lovely place -"
"It's one of my favorite places in the entire world,"
she said. "Maybe you could- come visit me there?" she
asked, not looking at him.
"We'll see," he replied. "You never told me what
you've been doing since coming home."
"Not much, really. I had to go to school last summer to make
up for the time I missed while I was with Daddy - so I could graduate
*this* year."
"Still planning on being a private dick?" he asked,
seeing her smile at the phrase.
"Of course."
"I believe I saw a "Sherlock Holmes" retrospective
at a theatre near here. Care to see it?" He looked at his
watch. "I think we can catch the last two features if we
hurry."
Laura was on her feet in an instant. "Let's go, Harry."
**********
After the last feature, Laura and Harry left the theater laughing.
"Now *that* is the way a detective should be," Laura
said. "Reasoning, not brute force."
"I still prefer Bogart's Sam Spade," Harry insisted.
"You would," Laura said, slipping her hand into his,
only to be startled when Harry shook his head.
"Uh-uh." He brought his arm around her shoulders. "There.
Isn't that better?"
Laura nodded. "I'm glad you came, Harry."
"So am I. If for no other reason than to apologize for what
happened. If there was a way I could make it up to you -"
"You can," Laura said. "You can kiss me."
Harry stopped, pulling Laura around before him, "I don't
think that's a good idea, Laura."
"Why not?" she wanted to know. "The reason you
had before doesn't apply now. I'm eighteen now. Legally an adult.
You can't get into trouble for kissing me now -"
"Depends on what your definition of 'trouble' is," Harry
said ruefully.
"I guess you're really not sorry about what happened,"
Laura decided. "I think it's time to go home now-"
She was caught off guard by the feel of Harry's lips on hers.
She slid her arms around his neck, her fingers curling into the
dark hair on the back of his head. Just when she thought her lungs
would burst from want of air, Harry released her to pull her head
to his chest. Laura could hear his heart beating loudly- or what
it her own heart that sounded like a bass drum? She snuggled against
him, never wanting him to let her go.
Harry closed his eyes, trying to regain his composure. What was
it about this girl- this woman that made hi want to hold her to
him forever and ever? She was, despite her protestations, still
a child, still untouched by the realities of the world. Most of
them, anyway. They were from two different worlds, and those worlds
simply couldn't coexist peacefully.
Laura opened her eyes and saw the advertisement on the front of
a nearby museum. "How lovely-" she sighed.
"Yes," Harry agreed. "It is."
She giggled. "I was talking about that," she said, pointing
to the photograph.
Harry turned to see what she was referring to, then led her in
that direction. "Not bad," he agreed. "But the
photo doesn't do it justice."
Laura turned to look at him, her eyes wide. "You've seen
the 'Rajahs Star'?"
"A few weeks ago in Cairo. It was on display there. It's
the largest nearly perfect diamond in the world, perfect round
cut- and when it's held to the light, there's a brilliant blue
star right in the center."
"Nearly perfect?" Laura asked, frowning.
"There's a flaw in the center that creates the diamond effect,"
he explained, his gaze searching the face of the small museum.
"It was very nearly tossed out when the defect was discovered,
but the Rajah saw the star and insisted that he had to have it."
He stepped back to look at the top of the building.
"What are you looking for?" Laura asked after watching
him for several moments.
He smiled down at her, putting his arm around her again. "Nothing.
Just an- occupational hazard, I suppose. Let's get you home before
Daniel and your mother call out the police to look for you."
"They won't. They think I'm still at Marlene's party,"
Laura told him, but let him lead her down the street to the BMW.
**********
Daniel sat on the sofa, watching his companion. "Stop pacing,
Abigail. I'm sure Laura will be home presently."
"She left that party over three hours ago, Daniel,"
Abigail fretted, sitting down beside him. "According to Mrs.
Travis, someone spiked the punch and things got out of hand -"
"By that time, Laura had had the good sense to leave,"
Daniel assured her. "You really have to learn to trust your
daughter's instincts, Abigail. They're really very good, you know."
The sound of a car's engine broke the silence, and as it stopped
in front of the house, Abigail would have gotten up. "It's
about time," she said, only to be pulled back to her seat
by Daniel.
"Don't lay into her as soon as she comes in, my dear,"
Daniel cautioned. "Give her a chance to explain."
The front door opened, and a moment later, Laura entered the room,
with a tall, dark haired man behind her. Daniel rose upon seeing
those familiar features. "Harry? Where on *earth* have you
and Laura been all evening? You'd better have a very good explanation."
To Be Continued . . .