French Silk(78)

Yasmine responded enthusiastically. "We could shoot the model from the back, looking into the mirror, and it could reflect one of the guys watching her through the balcony doors. We could close those gauzy curtains so you'd see only the silhouette of a man."

"It'd be a good shot to feature that backless bra you designed, Claire," Rue said around a rattling cough.

"Leon?"

"Sounds fab. But let's wait for a cloudy day to do the interior shots. I want to take advantage of this glorious sunshine while it lasts."

The weather cooperated with Leon's wishes. Consequently, the morning sessions went well. By noon they had completed three shots.

"We'll resume after lunch," Claire told everyone as they trooped up the front steps toward the welcome shade of the veranda, where Agnes Monteith was waiting with a cordless phone.

"A call for you, Miss Laurent. A Mr. Cassidy. I told him we were serving lunch, but he was insistent."

"Yes, he would be." Frowning, Claire took the phone but waited until everyone was inside before saying anything. "Hello, Cassidy." Her voice didn't convey any friendliness.

"How's Mississippi?"

"Hot."

"No hotter than it is here."

"Oh?"

"Don't sound so innocent. I'm catching hell from Crowder."

"About that newspaper story?"

"You saw it?"

"Before I left New Orleans. According to Ariel Wilde, I'm quite a tart, aren't I?"

"Much ado about one little kiss."

It hadn't exactly been "one little kiss," but Claire refrained from pointing that out. "You should have thought of the consequences before you kissed me."

"I thought about them. At the time, the consequences didn't seem to matter a whole hell of a lot."

Breathless and feeling overly warm, Claire sank into the nearest wicker chair, wishing she could think of something to say that would fill the awkward silence.

Cassidy said, "Ariel called Crowder even before she went to the press. Apparently she's got somebody tailing you."

The thought of someone, a stranger, covertly watching her made her feel like she needed a bath. "Damn her! Why can't she just leave us alone? Why can't you?"

"Look, the last couple of days haven't exactly been a picnic for me either."

"I don't suppose Crowder was too happy with you," she remarked.

"He threatened to take me off the case."

"You don't want that, do you?"

"No."

"How is Crowder responding publicly to the newspaper story?"

"He's denying everything."

"How can he?" Claire exclaimed.

"It's their word against ours that I kissed you. Who is Joe Public going to believe, a religious nut or the district attorney?"

"Crowder would lie to protect you?"

"Not me. He'd lie to protect the office. He's a politician first, and supports the establishment as fiercely as you oppose it."

Claire was trying to assimilate it all when a chilling thought occurred to her. "In order to get back in Crowder's good graces, you almost have to indict me. That's the only way you can prove to Joe Public that you're unbiased and that my seductive powers have no influence over you."

"Hell no," he said with asperity. "It's nothing like that."

"Isn't it?"

"All right, to some extent that's true. But it has nothing to do with politics and Crowder. The only person I have to prove something to is myself. I asked for this case. I demanded it. And now that I have it, it's my responsibility to bring Jackson Wilde's killer to justice." In a softer voice, he added, "No matter who it is. That's why…"

"That's why what?"

"That's why I obtained a search warrant for French Silk this morning."

His statement produced a severe and gut-wrenching reaction. The thought of her personal things being handled by strangers was untenable. "You can't do that to me, Cassidy!"

"I'm sorry, Claire, but I can. I have. In fact, I'm due there now."

He hung up without saying goodbye.

As she rejoined the group for the cold buffet, she stubbornly maintained her smile and tried to act nonchalant, but apparently she didn't fool anyone.

Mary Catherine pulled her aside. "Is everything all right, dear? You seem upset."

Affectionately she squeezed her mother's hand. "I'm fine, Mama."

"The call was from Mr. Cassidy, wasn't it? Did he ask you about Reverend Wilde again?"

"No. Nothing like that. Are you having a good time? What kept you and Harry occupied this morning?"

Mary Catherine launched into a lengthy description of her activities. Claire found it difficult to concentrate on what her mother was saying. She made appropriate remarks in all the right places, but her mind was on the police search of her private property. God only knew what her employees would think. Later, she would call and assure them that the search was nothing to be alarmed about.

She executed her duties that afternoon, but her mind kept returning to the strangers in uniform who were pawing through her, Yasmine's, and Mary Catherine's bureau drawers, rifling through their official papers, rummaging through their closets, and manhandling their personal things.