Eve smiled faintly. “Now you’re just showing off.”
“Maybe a little.”
Eve stared her directly in the eye. “I can be as determined and stubborn as you are, you know. You’ll get tired of saying no to me. We’ll work it out.” She turned and walked out of the studio before Kendra could answer.
“I feel as if I’ve gone through a tornado.” Joe was chuckling as he fell into step with her as they went out to the car. “Though I should have expected it when I brought two strong women together and set them against each other.”
“And then stepped back and let me handle the battle,” she said dryly. “Why?”
“I thought you had a better chance with her. She was already antagonistic toward me.” He opened the car door for her. “And you did well.”
“Sparks. Lots of sparks.” She added thoughtfully, “But she’s astonishing. She could help us, Joe.”
“That’s what I told you. And that was a minor demonstration. I’ve seen her do things that were positively stunning.”
“And she’ll be difficult.” She gestured impatiently. “But that doesn’t matter. You’re right, Joe, she’s worth it.” She looked back at the studio. “Look, we have some time. I’m going to go to the hotel to shower and wash my hair. Then we’ll—stop laughing, Joe.”
“It’s amusing. I knew that you wouldn’t be able to keep from washing her criticism away.” He sniffed teasingly. “Even though it’s totally unnecessary. I can’t smell even the faintest hint of jet fuel about you.”
“But she could, so it must be there. I’ll just make sure to get rid of it.” She added thoughtfully, “And I’ve been wondering what it must be like to be surrounded by obnoxious scents that no one else even notices.”
“It could work the other way, too. Some scents are wonderful.” He kissed her cheek. “And you smell just fine.”
“You’re biased. I’ll still take that shower. Then we’ll go to lunch and give her four hours to call us. That should be enough time. She wants her part in this over quickly. She has a deadline with her Justin.”
“And if she doesn’t call us?”
That was a distinct possibility. Eve had annoyed Kendra, pushed her and guilted her into taking on a job that she didn’t want. But Eve had an idea that the comparison she had drawn between Beth’s prison and the life Kendra had led when blind would weigh heavily on her. Heavily enough to swing Kendra into their camp?
What would they do if Eve had guessed wrong?
“Why, then we’ll just have to go after her, Joe.”
* * *
KENDRA CALLED JOE THREE HOURS LATER. “Come and get me at the studio. I’m leaving my car here.”
“You’re going to help us?”
“Don’t pretend you’re surprised. You brought Eve Duncan here to draw me into the web. She did it.” She paused. “I don’t like the fact that she read me that well.”
“You should talk. The pot calling the kettle black.”
“Maybe. But I still feel uneasy. You’re good at manipulation, Quinn, but she goes deeper beneath the surface. That can be dangerous. What is she to you?”
Joe looked at Eve in the seat next to him. “Everything,” he said simply. “So you’d better give her what she wants, Kendra.”
“Is she listening?”
“Yes, you’re on speaker.”
“Good, then I won’t have to repeat myself. I don’t care what she wants. I don’t care what you want. I’ve spent time helping patients in mental institutions. If it’s possible that there are abuses happening at this one, it needs to be looked into. I just don’t want this Beth Avery to be a victim. There are too many victims in this world.” She continued brusquely. “Look, I have to be through with this job by day after tomorrow. I don’t have time for you to find a way to get into that hospital. Since they know you, it would be too risky. So you’re out of it. I’ve arranged to do it myself.”
“Really? And how did you accomplish that?”
“I called my mother two hours ago and told her that I needed a favor.” She added bitterly, “You don’t know what a sacrifice that was. My mother always demands a payback.”
“Your mother?”
“She’s Professor Deanna Michaels with UC San Diego. She’s a noted historical authority but she has mega influence with every political, medical, and educational board in the state. I told her I needed a valid reason to be given free access at that hospital tomorrow morning. She just called back and told me it was set up, and they’d welcome me with open arms.”
“Your mother appears to be very efficient. How did she manage that?”
“She had the lieutenant governor contact Harry Pierce, the chief administrator, and tell him that they were sending a music therapist to examine the facilities and records to see if the hospital would be a candidate for a state grant to help the treatment of the inmates.”
“State grant? California is almost broke.”
“So? That wouldn’t stop a liberal government from funding mental-health initiatives. Believe me, no one will question it. Once I’m accepted inside, I’ll find a way to get rid of the escort they give me and get the information you need. I’ll be ready to leave here in an hour to drive to Santa Barbara. We’ll check into a motel for the night, and I’ll be ready to storm the gates at eight in the morning.”
“We’ll be ready to storm the gates,” Eve corrected. “You’re right, Joe can’t come, but there’s no reason for me not to go with you. You can get me in as your assistant.”
“You don’t look like an assistant.”
“I can be unobtrusive. I’m going.”
Silence. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow morning. Come and get me.” She hung up.
Eve smiled faintly as Joe pressed the disconnect. “It appears she’s jumped into the fray with both feet.”
“She doesn’t know any other way.” He started the car. “But she’s right, you don’t appear subordinate in the least. Even when you’re trying to be unobtrusive, you can’t turn off what you are.”
She shrugged. “Then that’s her problem. She obviously wants to run things. Let her find a way to get me in under the radar.”
He smiled. “I’d like to go along and watch. It would be a hell of a lot more amusing for me than staying at the hotel and researching Pierce and all of the hospital personnel.”
“Somehow, I don’t believe tomorrow is going to be in the least amusing,” she said dryly. “But it will definitely be challenging.”
* * *
KENDRA MICHAELS WAS WAITING outside the door of her studio with a duffel and a guitar case beside her when they pulled up an hour later. “Right on time.” She opened the rear door and got into the car. “I just finished and locked up.”
“A guitar? I don’t really think that will be necessary,” Eve said.
“It is for me. It relaxes me to play when I’m in a strange place.”
“And do you always have extra luggage at your studio?” Eve’s gaze was on the duffel Kendra had thrown on the seat beside her.
“Yes, I do make house calls if my students need me.” She met Joe’s gaze in the rearview mirror as he drove out of the parking lot. “And I can never tell when I’ll need to take off on one of these missions impossible the authorities throw at me.”
Joe smiled. “But they’re not impossible for you, Kendra.”
“I wasn’t referring to myself,” she said bluntly. “And they shouldn’t be impossible for the police or FBI if they’d just block out everything around them and concentrate on what’s before them. Then I wouldn’t have to be involved. And that goes for you, too, Quinn. You’re very perceptive and smart as a whip. You should apply yourself.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, but I have an idea that I’d have to go around blindfolded a year or two to even approach your skill. Frankly, I don’t have the time.”
“Not when you can call on me,” she said dryly.
“Exactly,” he murmured.
“Don’t get cock
y. You brought in reinforcements. Your Eve is the one who got me on board.” Her gaze shifted to Eve. “And I’ll do better on my own. Change your mind about going in with me.”
Eve shook her head. “Beth Avery is my responsibility. Besides, two can be better than one. I won’t get in your way.”
“No, you won’t,” Kendra said coolly. “If you do, I’ll run right over you.” She turned back to Joe. “What can you tell me about Beth Avery’s quarters at the hospital? I suppose you checked everything out when you went to question the people there.”
“Right now, the woman they’re calling Beth Avery is being held in solitary in a room on the first floor. She’s being taken care of by Pierce, and she’s not being allowed any visitors and has only a private nurse in attendance.” He added, “The room from which she escaped is on the third floor in a deluxe suite where she’s supposedly been living since she came there at seventeen. That floor is designated only for rich or famous clients who have been committed for varying lengths of time. There are only two other suites on that floor. Only one is occupied at the moment. Beth’s suite was Room 305.”
“Very good. Where is the human resources office?”
“First floor, second hallway off the reception area. I downloaded a complete floor plan of the hospital from the Internet and it’s on my iPhone. I’ll send it to you when we get to the motel.”
“And what do we know about Harry Pierce?” Eve asked. “If he’s Beth’s personal doctor, he has to be involved in whatever is going on with her. How long has he been her psychiatrist?”
“Since she came to Santa Barbara. He accompanied her from the hospital in Boston, where she stayed when she was first injured. The Avery family insisted he be taken on the staff as her doctor. He was young, and his credentials were only fair and not up to the hospitals standards. But the administrator caved because the Averys were such heavy donors.”
“But you said Pierce was the administrator now,” Eve said.
“He had over a decade to insinuate himself into a very comfortable niche. With the Averys backing him, it’s not surprising he was able to establish his own little kingdom.”
Eve’s lips twisted. “With Beth as the crown jewel.”
“Anyone else we should know about?” Kendra asked.
Joe shook his head. “Give me a break. I only had one visit and the info I could gather on the Internet.”
“You didn’t give me a break,” Kendra said. “I’ll give you what you need but I want—” She broke off as her cell rang. “Oh, shit. It’s my mother.” She hesitated, then reluctantly answered the phone. “Hello, Mother. I can’t talk right now. I’ll call you later. No, I’m not with a student. I’m on my way to Santa Barbara.” She listened again, then said slowly and distinctly, “No, I do not want you to come to Santa Barbara and help. You’ve done everything I needed you to do. I have everything under control. Nothing is going to happen to me. It’s not as if I’m going to do anything dangerous. I just have to go in and absorb a few impressions. Stop worrying.”
Evidently, Kendra’s relationship with her mother is as complicated as mine with Sandra, Eve thought. Kendra was so confident that it was strange to see her this soothing and apologetic.
“No, it won’t be like that,” Kendra said. “Do you think I’d let myself in for that kind of punishment again? I’m not a fool, Mother.” She drew a deep breath. “I have to go now. I’ll call you tomorrow night. It’s going to be fine.” She hung up and leaned back in the seat. “Dammit, I didn’t want to ask her to pull those strings to get us into the hospital. I was afraid that she’d be on my case once she had time to think.”
“It’s natural that a mother would be concerned about her daughter,” Eve said quietly. “It’s understandable that she’s protective.”
“You think you understand?” Kendra asked fiercely. “Not unless you grew up with my mother. She’s stronger than almost anyone I know. Protective? Hell, yes, she wanted to be protective of me. I was blind, for God’s sake. But she wanted me to be as strong and independent as I could be, so she kept herself from sheltering me and made me face the world and find ways to cope.”
“But she changed once you gained your vision?”
“She tried to let me go.” She shrugged. “Something happened to me on an FBI case I worked on. It scared her. She doesn’t like my taking chances. I had to reassure her.” She met Eve’s gaze. “Sorry I jumped on you. You’re right, it’s a natural maternal instinct.” Her lips twisted. “I guess you recognize the signs. You told me it was really your mother who sent you to look for Beth Avery. She appears to be cut from the same cloth as my mother.”
Except that there was nothing strong about Sandra, and the only maternal affection she possessed had been for Beth.
“No?” Kendra’s gaze was narrowed on Eve’s expression.
Eve forced a smile. “Not exactly.” Kendra’s vision might not have had the same fine-tuning as her other senses, but she was entirely too sharp. “Mothers are different. Just as people are different. But I’m glad that you had a woman like that in your life to raise you.”
“So am I.” Kendra’s gaze was still on her face. “But mothers can be a challenge, can’t they?”
Change the subject. Eve was feeling as if Kendra were seeing right through her. “What about your father?”
“My mother divorced him. She said it was because of his other affairs, but I think it was really that he wasn’t a cheerleader for me. She wanted him to be as supportive as she was.” She tilted her head. “You?”
“My father?” She was startled. She hadn’t expected the subject to be turned back to her. “I never knew him. I’m illegitimate. So you see, we’re nothing alike.”
Kendra was silent. “I’m not so sure. Maybe not on the surface.” She looked down at her iPhone. “Quinn, it’s hours before we get to Santa Barbara. I can’t sit here with nothing to do. Will you give Eve your phone and have her send that floor plan of the hospital to me? I should be able to memorize it before we get to the hotel.”
“Big task unless you have total recall,” Joe said as he handed Eve his phone. “I don’t recall that as one of your gifts.”
“It’s not,” she said absently as she retrieved the e-mail from her phone. “But I had to train my memory from childhood, and I’m pretty good. Braille doesn’t really cut it when you’re a blind musician. It can be terribly frustrating…”
* * *
“I THINK I LIKE THIS PLACE,” Eve said, as they parked in front of the long, rectangular, stone motel that hovered on a cliff over the beach. Its paned windows reflected the rays of the setting sun, and it looked clean and bright and sturdy. “Did you stay here before, Joe?”
“No, I was in and out of town too quickly.” Joe got out of the car in front of the front entrance. “I’ll go check in for us.” He nodded at a large white building high on a hill across the harbor. “That’s the mental hospital. It will take about ten minutes to reach there tomorrow morning.” He disappeared into the motel.
“Very impressive.” Kendra got out of the car and stared up at Seahaven Behavioral Health Center. “But not threatening.”
“Did you expect Frankenstein’s castle?” Eve asked.
“No, just a comment. I know that bad things sometimes come in pretty packages.” She took her duffel out of the car and turned to Joe as he came back out of the motel. “Room service?”
“Minimal. Sandwiches and drinks.” He handed her a key. “Your room is around the corner and two doors down.”
“Minimal is all I need. I’ve got to call my mother back, then try to sleep. I’ll see you both in the morning.” She moved down the walk, wheeling her duffel behind her.
“I believe we’ve been dismissed,” Joe said. “Do you want to go find a restaurant?”
“No.” She cast one more glance at the hospital before she turned away. It wasn’t Frankenstein’s castle, but it was beginning to loom large in her imagination. Had Beth been able to look out those windows and see a
ll this freedom around her? “Minimal is enough for me, too. Let’s just shower and get to bed.”
“Sounds good. But I have a few follow-up calls I have to make, too.” He took out the bags. “I’ll shower first and make them while you take yours.”
CHAPTER
6
“YOU’RE ON EDGE. I CAN ALMOST FEEL IT. What can I do?” Joe asked quietly as he paused in the bathroom doorway to look at her standing by the window. He was towel-drying his hair as he came out of the bathroom. He had another towel draped around his waist, and with his bare chest and powerful, naked thighs, he reminded Eve of a gladiator. “You don’t have to work with Kendra if you don’t want to. We can find another way. I just thought this would be easier.”
“Easier? I don’t think Kendra Michaels could ever be termed easier,” Eve said. “It’s fine, Joe. I’d tell you if it wasn’t. You know I’m not shy about voicing opinions.” She was gazing out the window at the surf crashing on the beach several hundred feet below the motel. She couldn’t see the hospital from that window, but she knew it was there, and the knowledge was hanging over like a heavy fog. “Yes, I’m on edge. What do you expect? What if we’re wrong? What if that woman you saw in that hospital bed is Beth Avery? It’s such a fragile fabric of evidence. We’re operating on instinct and dreams and hope.”
“So what’s new?” He took her in his arms. “And what’s wrong with it? It usually works for us.”
She buried her face in the wiry hair on his chest. He smelled of clean soap and the faint musk that was distinctly his own. Even if she were as blind as Kendra had been, she knew she’d know Joe by the scent of him. She closed her eyes and breathed deep. “I love the smell of you. Have I ever told you that?”
He chuckled. “Not that I recall. It must be Kendra’s influence.” He kissed her long and hard. “Perhaps we’d better explore that concept. I’m ready…”