Shattered Mirror (Eve Duncan #23)(14)

Eve looked back at the reconstruction. “I don’t believe he’d pay someone else to do this. He’d want to do it himself.”

Joe’s raised his brows. “A hunch?”

“I guess it has to be one. But he wanted to completely destroy what she looked like, what she was. If he went to all that trouble, I think that he’d want to make sure that he’d done it.” She paused. “Or perhaps that he wouldn’t miss the pleasure it would give him. I can see him sitting there watching the flames, planning the presentation in that damn gold box.”

“I can, too.” He stepped behind her, his hands on her neck, his thumbs massaging. “How long before you get to the final stages?”

“Maybe tomorrow night.” His thumb pressure felt wonderful. She hadn’t realized how tense she was until Joe released it. She’d been working very fast in spite of the care she’d been taking. “I’ll try to stop when Michael gets home from school and be with him until it’s his bedtime. You’ve been carrying the full load with him, Joe.”

“Neither of us has been complaining. Sometimes I feel as if he’s condescending to keep me company.” He chuckled. “Except we both have such a good time. If you like, I’ll take him to a movie tomorrow evening.”

“On a school night? Sylvie is important, but so is Michael. I won’t cheat him.” She turned her head and pressed her lips to his hand on her neck. “And I won’t cheat you, Joe.”

“Have it your way. I know you will anyway. Then I’d better let you get back to work now.” His hands fell away. “But you won’t mind if I take Michael over after supper tonight? I’ve been working on his karate. He’s been doing pretty well.”

“And how’s he been doing with Gary?”

“He doesn’t talk about it. But no more bruises.” He paused. “And when I’ve been at the soccer practices, I’ve noticed a certain watchfulness in our bullyboy. I don’t know if he can figure Michael out.”

“No one can,” Eve said. “You just enjoy him.”

“Well, I’ll make sure that Michael will be able to get both enjoyment and satisfaction from anyone who throws a punch at him from now on.” He brushed a kiss on her temple. “Trust me.”

“I always do.” Her gaze went back to Sylvie as she heard Joe leave. There was no question she’d have to work most of tonight if she was to break for the hours she’d designated for Michael tomorrow. But she’d planned on it anyway. The nose and the mouth were always so difficult because the depth was never really possible to calculate. She had the cheekbones and the chin, but that mouth … Sometimes she had to leave it for the final sculpting phase and hope that the subject would let her know which way to go. But if she did additional measuring on the mid-therum region, it might help.

“We’re getting there, Sylvie.” She started measuring that space below the nasal cavity. “I can already see it coming together. It may not be clear to you, but it will once we start the final sculpting. That’s when you get to give me your input…”

CARNEGIE RESIDENCE HALL NEW YORK CITY

“You don’t talk to me about Jock,” Darcy turned in her bed to look at Cara, who had just slipped into her own bed a few feet away. “Why not?”

Cara sighed. She had been waiting for this. She had managed to put Darcy off for the last few days because their individual schedules were both so busy. But tonight, Jock had taken them both out to dinner at Marea’s, and she had been aware of Darcy’s curiosity rising as the evening had progressed.

“Why should I talk about him?” She punched her pillow and settled herself more comfortably in bed. “You should be able to judge Jock for yourself. We’ve seen him a couple times since the concert, and you seemed to get along. And you talked to him more than I did at dinner tonight.”

“That doesn’t mean he paid more attention to me. You sat there and smiled and listened, and I could see that he was aware of every motion you made.” She wrinkled her nose. “If I didn’t like you, it might have upset me. I’m too vain not to resent not being the center of attention.”

“Imagination. You were the center of attention. Jock even mentioned how beautiful you were.”

“Yeah, and he’s been charming and fascinating and made me pretty dizzy. All that sex appeal in that gorgeous facade is almost irresistible. I hope you know how self-sacrificing I’m being not to find a way to take him to bed.”

Cara felt a ripple of shock. “Are you?” Then she recovered. “Why should you be? That’s up to you and Jock, isn’t it?”

She chuckled. “But that rocked you a little. I can see it. I’ve never made a secret that I enjoy sex as long as it doesn’t interfere with my studies. You’ve always been cool with it.”

“Don’t be crazy. You’re twenty years old. Your choice. Why shouldn’t I be cool with it? It’s none of my business.”

“But Jock is your business, so it made you blink. That’s why I said it. I wanted to see if I could ruffle you a bit.” She smiled mischievously. “And crawl under that wall that you’ve built to keep me from finding out what I want to know. I’m not like you. I have a tendency to barge in where angels fear to tread. While you’re thoughtful and sensitive, and you care about feelings and all that business about allowing people ‘their space.’”