Page 61 of The Unseen
“He’s angry, Quinn. His girlfriend dumped him for another man, his contract in the U.S. wasn’t renewed, and he returned to London to find that no one had particularly missed him. And he’s been rejected for several grants. He was hoping to go off on a dig for a few months in the spring and reestablish his status as a rock-star archeologist, but instead, he’ll spend the next few months searching for a new job.”
“I know he’s disappointed, but a few setbacks don’t normally prompt a grown man to act out in this way.”
Gabe’s gaze slid away from Quinn. “I could do with a beer.”
“What are you not telling me?” Quinn demanded.
Gabe shrugged.
“Gabe?” She was about to press him further when realization dawned. “It has something to do with me, doesn’t it?”
“Leave it.”
“I can’t. I need to know.”
Gabe sighed and met her gaze. “He’s frustrated and upset and he’s lashing out. He thought he could sweet-talk you into taking him back, but once Alex was born, he realized he’s lost you for good.”
“How do you know this?”
“He told me. Or more accurately, he accused me of stealing you from him and taking advantage of your vulnerability to rush you into making a commitment and having a baby, all in an effort to bind you to me.”
Quinn was about to dismiss this foolish assertion when she saw the doubt in Gabe’s eyes. Luke had hit a nerve, exactly as he’d intended to. She came around the table, sat down in Gabe’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Do you really doubt me?” she asked softly.
“No,” Gabe whispered into her hair. “Never. But Luke is right. I did swoop in when you were vulnerable and I did rush you into an engagement, and then I was careless enough to get you pregnant. Perhaps my motives were selfish.”
“Gabe, I know my own mind. Had I not been ready, I would have said no, to both marriage and baby. I am exactly whereI want to be, so can we please put Luke out of our minds once and for all? I don’t want to hear his name ever again.”
“I’m sorry,” Gabe said. “It’s been a strange day.”
“It’s been a strange and wonderful year.” Quinn brushed her lips against Gabe’s, gratified at his body’s instant response. “Should we leave the dishes for tomorrow?”
“Hmm, I think we might have to.”
Quinn giggled as Gabe lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.
THIRTY-TWO
The dishes could wait, but Quinn had to feed Alex before he went to sleep or he’d wake up during the night. He was finally beginning to sleep through until morning, and she was grateful for the uninterrupted sleep. Quinn was too spent to get up after their impromptu lovemaking, so Gabe lifted a drowsy Alex out of his crib and brought him to bed. He settled himself next to Quinn, watching as Alex sucked hungrily, his eyes closed in concentration.
“Have you learned anything new about who the man in the tub might be?” Gabe asked.
“I’m beginning to think he might have nothing whatsoever to do with Valentina,” Quinn said as she stroked Alex’s downy head. “Everyone in Valentina’s life seems to be fairly amiable and helpful.”
“What about Stanislav? Do you think he might be our victim?”
“He’s too young. And honestly, I don’t think he’d hurt a fly.”
“Maybe not physically, but he was an aspiring journalist. Perhaps he wrote something damaging and needed to be silenced.”
Quinn shook her head. “No, I don’t think it’s him.”
“So, what do you know for a fact?” Gabe asked, ever the academic. Since Gabe served as a freelance consultant onEchoes from the Past, it was nice to be able to share her findings with him and exchange ideas. Gabe always had his own unique perspective, which often helped Quinn spin a credible story around the few facts she managed to discover in relation to the subjects of the program.
“I know that a middle-aged man died in the house where Valentina and her family lived with Dmitri Ostrov. It had to havehappened while they were still in residence, given the timeframe. I also know that even if he died of natural causes, which is unlikely, someone went to great lengths to erase his identity and hide his remains.”
“Perhaps Valentina knew nothing of what happened,” Gabe suggested. “The skeleton was found in what would have been Dmitri’s bathroom. Stands to reason that he’s the one who murdered someone and hid their remains.”
Quinn shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. Why would Dmitri want to hide a dead body in his bathroom? Surely his housekeeper would discover what he’d done as soon as she went in there to clean.”
