Page 59 of Until the Sea Runs Dry

“Her relationship to me, or lack of it, isn’t any of your concern. What is, though, is why you have stopped her in the first place? What exactly has she done?”

Under Logan’s burning rage, the cop was losing some of his bluster.

“You have it mistaken. I didn’t stop her. I found her here with the car pulled over in a very dangerous situation. It was only as we were talking that I recognized your dog. As it seemed unlikely that you would let a stranger have him, I wanted to establish her reason for having him.”

His blatant lies caused outrage to flood through Jane, turning her blood hot.

“Is that true?” Logan turned those intense green eyes to her.

“No. I was trying to explain that I was having car trouble, but he wasn’t interested in that. He just kept asking questions about you.”

The angrier Logan became, the more his eyes glittered like diamonds. Rather than explode with rage, his voice grew quieter, something that made both the cop and Jane, nervous. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

“How did he find out about me?”

“He called Summers to confirm my identity. Summers is the one who must have mentioned you.”

“Mr. Steel, far be it from me to interrupt what is obviously a lover’s quarrel, but there’s a bigger problem at play here: she was driving without a licence which is a criminal offence in California. I should arrest her right now.”

Logan closed his eyes, unable to reconcile the day he was having. His shoulders tensed. For a brief moment, he looked like a beaten man who had been shoved into a hole, but was trying to claw his way out.

And he found his way in one simple word.

Jane had heard it too, the opening that Logan jumped at.

“You said you should arrest her. Is there is something I can do to persuade you to drop this? This is a unique situation after all.”

The cops eyes turned shrewd. “Give me a moment.” He went back to his car and made a call.

Jane wrung her hands, compelled to both explain and apologize.

“I wasn’t thinking about a licence. I just wanted to do something for myself. I had no idea it was going to end like this. I’m sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused.”

“It’s not your fault. I didn’t think of it either. I should have, though. Then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

His words were clipped. She wasn’t sure if he was angry at himself or her. With the kind of life he lived, she wouldn’t have thought much was out of his control, yet he was genuinely worried. Before she could make any more of it, the cop returned, a jaunt to his step. His small eyes narrowed into slits.

“It’s clear this boils down to an unfortunate state of affairs. While I am sorry for the recent difficulties you have faced, a crime has been committed today. Question is, what are we going to do about that?”

Jane frowned. “I don’t understand what you are asking.”

A snort of disbelief shot out of Logan.

“I think I do.”

He turned to the policeman. “What can I do that would be a suitable gesture of appreciation for dropping the charges?”

The cop smiled at Logan pleasantly, as if the two were exchanging pleasantries as opposed to the blackmail that was going down.

“Well, now, my missus is just the biggest fan of yours. It’s coming up to our twenty-fifth anniversary. I think she would just about die if I were able to take her to one of your movie premiers. You know, a big one, with lots of other celebrities in attendance?”

There was a lazy half smile on Logan’s lips, though his eyes were so cold, it was a miracle the cop didn’t freeze under their gaze.

“Give me your details. I’ll have my manager send you a pair of tickets for my next movie.”

The cop beamed, white teeth glinting. “That is mighty kind of you, mighty kind. Of course, there will be an overnight stay at a five-star hotel too? That would finish off the night like no other.”

Logan didn’t bother to speak, managing only a curt nod.

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