"But isn't that the same thing?" I asked.
"Hardly." Through gritted teeth, she explained, "I wasn'toutside. I was in the doorway."
To me, that seemed like a distinction without a difference. "Yeah, but I could stillseeyou from outside."
"It was an oversight, I assure you." She turned accusing eyes to Jack Ward. "You said his estate was private."
"Yeah? Andyousaid you were going to the bathroom."
She frowned. "What?"
"The bathroom," he repeated. "So unless you were planning to pee off the front porch–"
"What?" she sputtered. "I'd never!"
He looked unimpressed. "If you say so…"
"You're barbaric. Youdorealize that, don't you?"
"Hell yeah," he said. "But at least I do my business in the house."
I almost snickered. He was goading her. That much was obvious, even to me – a total stranger. But the way it looked, she was totally missing it.
I watched in silent wonder as she launched into a long explanation of how she only opened the door because she thought she heard a noise on the front porch.
Oh, please.It was the dumbest excuse I'd ever heard, unless of course, she was starring in a slasher movie, in which case her logic made total sense.
When he didn't bother with a reply, she demanded, "And what aboutthis?"
His eyebrows lifted. "This?"
She extended an arm and pointed a bony finger in my direction."Her."
He looked to me, and then to the rug that lay twisted at my feet. "Yeah, well…" He shrugged. "These things happen."
At this, evenIhad to frown. If people soaring through the open doorway was a regular occurrence, this guy's life had to be a million times more exciting than mine.
Then again, hewasJack Ward. I'd seen his picture on the back of all those books. They were the same books that had formed the foundation for some of the most popular movies in the world.
In what couldn’t be a coincidence, my sister's fiancé had starred in those movies. In fact, the newest flick was still killing it at the box office – hereandoverseas.
Near the door, Imogen was still sputtering. "These things happen? Not to me, they don't."
Yeah. Well, they did now.
But I didn't say it. Instead, I glanced around while she continued to complain, even as Jack Ward continued to look oddly unconcerned.
He hadn't even bothered to shut the door.
I spoke up. "Maybe you should shut that. You know, to keep the bugs out." It was, after all, nearly summer, and the place was surrounded by acres of dense forest.Bug Central, right?
Imogen gave me an irritated look. "What an excellent idea." Stepping aside, she made a grand sweeping gesture toward the open doorway. "Off you go."
I glanced toward the door. "Sorry, what?"
She smirked. "It's called a hint, dearie."
Dearie, my ass.She could hint all she wanted, but I wasn't leaving, not without making sure that my sister hadn't been screwed over. "Just to make sure," I said, "you're with Jack Ward? AndnotFlynn Archer?" I looked from her to him and back again. "Right?"
