More Than a Mission - Caridad Pineiro [24]
Elizabeth rolled her eyes upward. “Nat, even if it were a good morning that way, do I strike you as the type to kiss and tell?”
Natalie pointed her index finger in Elizabeth’s face. “So you did kiss. You don’t need to tell me since it’s obvious from the look on your face.”
Elizabeth raised her hands to her cheeks as if to hide what Natalie had seen, but then dropped them back down as the guilt behind that action registered. “You absolutely cannot know that from just one look at my face.”
Chuckling, Natalie headed to the door to the cellar, but paused before going down. “You’re right. I can’t. But you haven’t denied it, so I guess I’m not so far off base.”
With that, the younger woman flounced down the stairs, leaving Elizabeth to wonder what she would do when Aidan showed up for work. If he showed up for work. He had seemed conflicted last night.
Join the club, she thought, admitting that she had been just as puzzled by their rather pleasant, but equally awkward interlude.
But she was here this morning and ready to face him. She had to be here. Plus, she couldn’t let him get the wrong idea about what was happening and how much he affected her.
She wondered again what he would do this morning if he came to work. She got the sense that whenever things got too complicated or didn’t go his way, Aidan was the kind who left.
She only hoped that if he did decide to go, he would honor his promise and not leave her in a lurch. Especially not over the weekend when things would be crazier than ever.
With that thought in mind, she returned her attention to the dessert, the day’s menu and a last-minute trip to the markets for ingredients to complete the chef’s specials for the day.
A footfall close by made him bolt from bed, gun in hand. Whenever he was on assignment, he slept with his weapon within easy reach, tucked beneath the mattress with the handle sticking out for a quick draw.
Lucia held up her hands in surrender. “I’m sorry I woke you, but Walker’s here. He’s got some news.”
Aidan lowered the gun. “Give me a few minutes, please.”
Once dressed, Aidan stepped out into the main area of the suite where Walker Shaw sat on one of the couches, a shuttered look on his face.
“I gather there’s problems,” he said and took a seat opposite Walker.
“You look like hell,” his colleague said. “Rough night?”
“Late night with the Sparrow. First at a local club and then after, when she went for an early-morning stroll,” Lucia advised and brought over a tray with a pot of coffee and some cups. “I had room service bring this up. Figured you could use the jolt, Aidan.”
“Thanks, Lucia,” Aidan said.
Walker added his own thanks and then asked, “Were you able to see where she went? MI6 says there’s been a lot of chatter on the wires lately about the Sparrow. She may be on another assignment here.”
Aidan shook his head while filling up a cup with the heavenly smelling brew. He loaded it up with a few sugars, but kept it black since as Lucia had guessed, he needed a jump start this morning. “Someone slipped out through a secret passage in the cellar of the restaurant. Definitely dressed for a covert op and she was armed…with Mitch’s gun.”
Walker paused with his coffee cup halfway to his mouth. “How do you know that?”
“Although earlier ballistics had the Sparrow carrying a Sigma SW9F, she tucked an HK Mark 23 into her holster. Mitch’s gun was the same make and has been missing since his murder. Plus, it’s not that common a weapon,” Aidan advised.
“Connect the dots, huh? But what about connecting the dots to Prince Reginald’s murder?” Walker challenged and shifted his gaze to Lucia.
“Nothing yet.”
Walker cursed beneath his breath. “Not good, guys. Corbett called this morning. A friend has warned him that the local tabloid—”
“The Quiz?” Lucia asked.
Walker nodded. “The Silvershire Inquisitor, or, as you noted, the Quiz. Seems one of the reporters has a lead on Prince Reginald’s last night alive.”
“If this Quiz is a gossip rag, why the worry?” Aidan wondered out loud as he sipped on the hot