French Silk(69)

Now, her lack of an overt response angered him. He'd been going through hell these last few days. It was time he spread around some of the misery. "Is this when you got rid of the gun?"

"What?"

Since they hadn't spoken for several moments, the abrupt question took her off guard. "You heard me. Did you come straight here from the Fairmont and throw the gun in the river?"

"I've never owned a gun."

"That doesn't answer my question, Claire," he said, raising his voice. "You've got a legion of friends, any one of whom might have acquired a revolver for you."

"None did. I wouldn't even know how to fire one."

"Blowing off a man's balls at close range doesn't require sharp-shooting skills."

She folded her arms across her middle and hugged her elbows. "It's chilly out here. Can we go now?"

He was supremely exasperated with her and the situation. Nevertheless, he slipped off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. His hands slid beneath her hair and lifted it from the collar, then lingered. He placed his thumbs beneath her chin and tilted her head up.

"If you came here at all that night, Claire, what did you do?"

"I sat on one of these benches and looked at the river."

"Sat on a bench and looked at the river."

"That's what I said."

Cassidy would have given anything he owned, or ever hoped to own, to know the truth behind her steady amber gaze. But he didn't. And until he did, he was playing with fire every time he came near her. "We'd better go."

They walked in silence back to French Silk. When they reached the door, he drew her around. "Claire, I strongly urge you to retain a criminal defense attorney."

"How close are you to arresting me?"

"Close. Your story is riddled with coincidences. If you're not outright lying, you're concealing the truth. Maybe you're covering for somebody else. I don't know. But you're not being straight with me. I know you're betting against the odds, but there's no statute of limitations on murder. As long as the case remains unsolved, I'll keep digging. Sooner or later I'll turn up the one element that brings everything together." He paused, giving her ample time to refute him. Disappointingly, she didn't. "Hire a lawyer, Claire."

She stared into space for a moment before looking up at him, her expression firmly resolved. "No, I won't do that. I have a business lawyer who-handles French Silk's contracts and an accountant who takes care of the taxes. Its growth made them necessary, but I didn't like relinquishing even that much control over something that belongs to me."

She drew a deep breath. "I won't entrust my life to a stranger. I trust my instincts over anyone else's when it comes to what's right or wrong for me. When I was a child, social workers and judges, so-called experts, told me that the best thing for me was being separated from the people I love. Well, they were either dead wrong or unconscionable liars. So I don't trust the system, Cassidy." She shook off his jacket and thrust it at him. "Thank you for the free advice, but I don't want a lawyer."

"Have it your way then," he said impatiently. "But I think you're making a big mistake."

"At least it's my mistake."

"And don't leave town."

"The day after tomorrow I'm going to Mississippi."

That struck him like a bolt out of the blue. "What in the hell for?"

"The location shoot for the spring catalog."

"Cancel. Or postpone."

"Out of the question. This has been scheduled for weeks. The crew has been hired. Yasmine can't undo those arrangements. Anyway, we have to shoot before fall sets in and while the foliage is still green. You can't shoot a spring catalog against an autumnal background."

"Interesting, but the judicial system doesn't revolve around photography sessions."

"And I don't coordinate my business with the judicial system's schedule. Your choices are limited, Cassidy. Short of arresting me, you've got to let me go."

His hands were tied. She knew that as well as he did. Without any evidence on which to base a charge, he couldn't detain her any more than he could detain Ariel and Josh Wilde.

Sensing his dilemma, she smiled. "Good night, Cassidy."

"Damn. You're enjoying this, aren't you?" His hand shot out and trapped her jaw, his fingers biting into her cheeks. "Listen," he said, bending close to her face, "up till now, I've gone out of my way to give you the benefit of the doubt. No more, you got that?" He leaned in closer, his voice becoming a growl. "Sure, I want to f*ck you, but don't let that go to your head. First and foremost I want to prosecute and convict Jackson Wilde's killer. Don't make the mistake of forgetting that, Claire. This may only be a game to you, but from now on, I play dirty."

She yanked her head free of his grip and shoved him away. "Thank you for the beignets and café au lait, Mr. Cassidy. They should have been my treat."

She slipped inside French Silk and slammed the door in his face. He cursed expansively as he heard the bolts clicking into place.

* * *

Ariel impatiently tossed aside her magazine. It was late and she was perturbed. The man in New Orleans had promised to call her tonight no matter how late. It was now well past midnight.