Page 33 of Deception

“You heard?”

“My eyes may not see twenty-twenty, but I can still hear a pin drop,” the housekeeper said gently.

“But we were in the study, and you were in the kitchen.”

Nadine dropped her eyes. “I may have come to the study door to see if any of you wanted coffee, but when I got there, I couldn’t go into that room again. You didn’t answer. Who is she?”

“I don’t know.” But she was going to find out ... and if there was any connection between the woman and her grandfather’s shooting, Madison was going to find that out as well.

20

Madison walked ahead of him as Clayton rolled her suitcase to her car instead of Nadine’s small apartment behind the big house. She wanted her clothes with her in case she stayed at the hospital for more than what was left of the night. He wasn’t sure what to think of the ISB agent. After she got over the shock, Madison had shifted into cool, calm, and collected—almost like she had ice water in her veins.

She stopped at the car and moved the garment bag to her left hand. “You didn’t have to stay and bring my suitcase, but thank you.”

“No problem.”

She tilted her head. “You say that a lot.”

“What?”

“No problem. You said it just a little earlier, and I believe this morning as well.”

“I guess I do.” She remembered what he’d said this morning? Something he didn’t even remember? His heart warmed when Madison’s mouth quirked upward for what could pass as a tiny smile before she hung her clothes in the car. Her hand brushed against his as she reached for the suitcase, sending a rush through him. “I’ll put it in the trunk for you.”

Even after he closed the trunk lid, the electricity that her touch ignited stayed with him. Had Madison felt it? Probablynot with everything she had going on. He tried to ignore it and turned to her. “I’m really sorry about your grandfather. He’s one of the good guys.”

“He’s going to be all right.”

Even though her voice was firm, her eyes turned even bluer as tears formed in them. Clayton ducked his head. He hadn’t meant to make her cry.

“Are you coming to the hospital later this morning?”

He looked up. Clayton didn’t know how she got herself under control so fast. “My first stop. Maybe your lookalike will be awake by then and can answer questions.”

“I’ll be at the hospital. I’ll try to catch you there.”

He studied her. Most people would take a few days off in a situation like this.

She held up her hand. “I know what you’re thinking, but I can’t sit and do nothing.”

“Do you ever stop? You know, turn the job off?”

“And do what? Being an ISB agent is my life.”

“No close friends?”Or boyfriends?

“I have lots of friends, but none particularly close since I move around a lot.”

She wasn’t going to volunteer whether she had a boyfriend, so it was time to quit fishing. “No one special in your life?”

“I haven’t found anyone who’ll put up with my crazy schedule. Right now I’m based at the Hot Springs National Park, but I travel all over the US. I never know how long I’ll be in one place.”

Madison was holding back something, but he wasn’t sure what. “When do you expect your dad?”

She suddenly looked very tired. “Not today, I’m sure. My call to his cell phone earlier went straight to voicemail, and I left him a message but he hasn’t called back. I don’t know where he is or if he’ll even come. He and Grandfather didn’t have the best relationship.”

“Where do you think he might be?”

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