Daphne walked into
the small restaurant at the other end of town. In the back, by the window, she
spied Brett’s golden hair and her heart beat faster. He was such a
good-looking, elegant man. And he was rich, and getting richer soon. Just the
kind of guy she’d always been looking for.
She told the girl
at the front that she was expected and her date was already there. Without looking
back, she strode past the flustered girl toward Brett.
He rose, hugged
her and kissed her on the cheek. “Hi.”
She sat down and smiled.
“I have what you’re looking for.” She glanced at the table next to them, where
a couple was in deep conversation. Behind them, a large family group seemed to
celebrate a birthday, complete with noisy children and much laughter. A little
girl shrieked and Daphne shuddered. She’d never saddle herself with a dirty,
noisy brat. Her life would soon be one of leisure and money.
The waiter came and
took their drink order. Brett smiled at her and ordered an expensive wine.
When the waiter,
whose name tag said “Mark,” left, Brett leaned forward. “Did you have trouble
getting it?”
Daphne shook her
head. “No. Isabella usually just turns only the first number on her lock. I
waited until she and Serena walked across the street for lunch and had her lock
open in no time.” She dug in her purse and took out the wax impression she had
carefully placed in a small metal box that formerly held breath mints.
Brett opened the
box and smiled. “Nice. I’ll have a key made from it in the morning. Let’s see
what we can eat here.”
Mark brought their
wine. Brett ordered roast duck Indian style, and Daphne decided on lobster and
filet mignon. She might as well go all out; Brett owed it to her.
With a lot of
noise, the birthday party left.
Daphne frowned. “Why
do we have to meet in such out-of-the-way places? And why don’t we ever go to
your place? I want to be seen with you. Are you ashamed of me?”
Brett shook his
head. “Be reasonable, Daphne. We can’t be seen together until this all is over.
If things pan out, Fernando won’t have any proof that I am involved in anything
shady. But just to be safe, I don’t want some snooping cop to find out that you
and I know each other. And until the formula is in my hands, he might get some
poor detective interested. We don’t want that, right?”
Daphne snickered. “As
long as it’s in Isabella’s house, Fernando won’t be able to lay his hands on
it. She won’t let him in anymore.”
After their food
arrived, Daphne said, “So you’ll get that key made tomorrow and search her
house? I can call you when she leaves to get her brat and go home. You’ll have
plenty of time to get out again.”
Brett swallowed
his bite. “It won’t be that easy. She lives in a neighborhood with several
stay-at-home housewives. If anyone sees me go into her house when they know she’s
not home, we’ll have some serious trouble.”
“Can’t you go
through the back door?”
“There is no back
alley leading to the house. Her back door is in the garage, and I can’t open that.
Anyway, it would be even more noticeable if I were to go in through the garage
door.” He shook his head. “There’s no way around it, it will have to be done in
the evening or in the night, when the neighbors can’t see.”
“How are you going
to do that? She’s such a homebody. She never goes out.”
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