Unexpected Outcome

And he had a horrible feeling his worst fear about why she’d actually been hired was bang on.

Larry had convinced Robert that his own nephew could be behind the sabotage. So they had Ms. Whoever-she-really-was in here to check him out.

Looking at his watch again, he reminded himself that all he had to do was learn where she lived. Once he knew that, getting her real identity should be easy.

A doorman might be persuaded to talk, if there was one. Failing that, he’d go back to his NYC database.

She might have avoided any link between her Dana Mayfield, OD consultant, phone number and other information, but he’d be able to get a list of the occupants in her building. Then, by process of elimination…

Of course, if it was a large place, that could present quite a challenge. But he’d do whatever he had to, and after he knew for sure…

He put the brakes on his thoughts. He was going to take this one step at a time and he didn’t have much hard information yet.

At this point, the only thing he was certain of was that she lived somewhere in Manhattan. And that it couldn’t be too far from here, because she’d mentioned that she’d walked to the office this morning.

So, first, he’d offer her a ride home. That had to be worth a try, even though he expected she’d turn him down.

If she wasn’t who she claimed to be, she wouldn’t want him knowing a thing about the real her. And that, of course, included where she lived.

But if she didn’t say no… Would that mean he was totally wrong about this?

Uh-uh. He simply couldn’t believe he was.

He heard the faint noise of footsteps on the stairs and waited, not breathing, until the sounds reached the bottom. Then he strode to the end of the hall and did his best to look surprised when he saw her.

“Working late your first day?” he said.

She smiled. “Trying to impress people.”

Opening the door, he ushered her ahead of him, saying, “Which way do you go?”

“North.”

“Ah, me, too.”

“Oh?”

“I’m not on my way home,” he quickly added, remembering he’d told her where he lived. And Murray Hill was more east than north.

“But why don’t I give you a ride. My car’s parked just behind the building.”

“Well, thanks, but I’d rather walk.” She pointed to the sneakers she’d changed into. “I’m all set.”

He nodded. “You’re sure I can’t tempt you, though? It’s still awfully hot.”

“Even so, walking’s the only exercise I get.”

“Ah. Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I guess.” She gave him another smile before heading down the street, leaving him muttering.

Now what did he do? Follow her?

He wasn’t a man who did that, either. And when the idea had occurred to him, earlier, he’d rejected it. But how else was he going to find out what he wanted to know?

He took a few steps toward the narrow passage that led back to the alley—then stopped.

It was rush hour. She’d be walking faster than the traffic was moving.

On the other hand, his car had air, he was wearing a suit and the temperature had to be in the nineties.

But the bottom line was that he didn’t want to lose her. So he removed his jacket, slung it over his shoulder and started off after her on foot.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE FRIEND DANA HAD SUBLET her apartment from always used to describe the building as old but well maintained.

It was a phrase she recalled every time she was standing on the front steps, unable to get the door unlocked on the first try. Or the second.

Not that this was a bad building. Its Chelsea location allowed her to walk just about everywhere. And with only three stories, it was small enough that her neighbors weren’t just anonymous faces. Most of them were even pleasant.

But no matter how many times the super “worked his magic,” as he liked to put it, this lock began acting up again after only a week or two.

If a mugger ever came along while she was struggling with it…

The thought prompted her to carefully scan the street.

The cars that were parked nose-to-bumper along the curb all seemed empty. There were a couple of men carrying briefcases, on their way home from work, a woman walking an oversize dog, and the resident dealer slouched against the building two down from hers, talking on a cell phone while he waited for his next customer.

Nothing at all out of the ordinary, which meant her intuition must be playing tricks.

Twice, on the way home, it had warned her to look back the way she’d come. But when she had, she hadn’t spotted anyone following her.

So what had given her the creepy feeling that someone was?

She’d probably never know, and there wasn’t much use in worrying about it when she had a more pressing concern.

She eased the key into its slot once more, thinking how ironic it was that she now had both a door at Four Corners she couldn’t lock and one at home she couldn’t unlock.

She gave the key a little jiggle before turning it this time, and voilà! Her effort was rewarded with a solid click.

Once in the foyer, she carefully closed the door behind her. Then she passed by the elevator, which was too unreliable to be trusted, and climbed the stairs to her third-floor apartment.

Inside, Dr. Watson greeted her with his customary enthusiasm, meowing loudly while trying to wrap his body entirely around her ankles.

“Hi, Doc,” she said, sliding the dead bolts before setting down her briefcase and picking him up for a cuddle.

The cat, and his name, had come courtesy of her father. One winter night, he and his partner had been checking out a possible break-in on Delancey. They’d returned to the squad car to find Dr. Watson huddled near it, a half-starved kitten that would have lost his ears to frostbite if they hadn’t taken him straight to a twenty-four-hour veterinary clinic.