Page 17 of The Playboy Meets His Match
“No one is making any accusations at this point,” Rob said. “We just need to be more alert.”
They continued discussing the problems at Wescott Oil, but the conversation wasn’t as free as before, Jason noted and the group soon broke up with suggestions on how to catch his quarry and more good-natured teasing. Before they disbanded, he managed to ask Rob to wait a few minutes.
As soon as they were the only two left in the room, Jason closed the door. “I want to tell you what I learned from Merry.”
Rob burst out laughing again. “How’d she get past your alarm?”
“It’s a thousand years old, and I’m having a new one installed today. Dad put that other one in when I was a kid.”
“You didn’t take her car keys?”
“Shut up, Rob, and let me tell you something.”
Grinning, Rob nodded. “Go ahead.”
“She told me about Dorian jilting her sister.”
“Which he denies. Is there any proof?”
“Not a shred. She said that he always had reasons for what he did or did not do. He avoided leaving any incriminating trail: no pictures, no ring, nothing. She’d bought a wedding dress and was planning her wedding when he left. He cleaned out her account.”
Rob’s brows arched. “Any proof of that?”
“No, but I wanted you to know what Merry said.”
“Merry? You’re on a first-name basis. That’s good.”
“I’m telling you, shut up.”
Rob laughed and then sobered. “Do you believe Meredith Silver? Slashing Dorian’s tires and bursting into the club doesn’t give her much credibility.”
Jason remembered big smokey eyes, her earnest voice. “I think she’s telling the truth.”
“We’ll keep an eye on Dorian. In spite of his rock-solid alibi, it’s beginning to sound suspiciously as though he’s our man. And if he is, I don’t need to tell you, he’s dangerous.” Rob clamped a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “There’s a good rookie cop I can get when he’s off duty to help you keep an eye on the Valkyrie.”
“Go to hell, Cole. I’ll find her today.” Jason snapped, knowing he would be in for teasing for the next few weeks, if not longer.
The two men walked out together and parted in the parking lot. As soon as he slid behind the wheel, Jason turned the ignition, driving out of the lot and heading for the Royalton Hotel. He was going to find Merry Silver and when he did, she wasn’t getting away again.
Two hours later, as he sat in a hot car across from the Royalton, he swore under his breath. “Where is she?” he asked himself, climbing out of the car and deciding to take another approach to locating Merry.
Merry spent the morning looking at apartments, finally deciding on one a block off Main Street. She met the landlord at the office, a tall, gaunt man named Willard Smythe who was unhappy to discover she didn’t have a regular job. For once in her life, Merry tossed out a mention of her mother’s vocation and as she expected, she won Mr. Smythe’s grudging approval.
He reminded her of a crane, with his long legs and tufts of blond hair and a peculiar way of jutting his head out, and she suspected he would have liked to turn her away.
“This is a very quiet area, Miss Silver,” he stated firmly.
“I lead a very quiet life,” she said, or she had until Jason Windover had crashed into it.
“Hmpf. Most of our tenants are widowed or married. We don’t have young singles. Now on Berry Street there are two apartment complexes you might find more to your liking.”
“I like this place. It’s quiet and charming. May I see the apartment that’s available?”
He sighed and stood. “Come this way.” He stopped at the door to look at her. “Miss Silver. Let me repeat—this is a very quiet place. There are no wild parties.”
Since when did she look like the wild-party type? she wondered. “I promise that you’ll never know I’m here except when I pay my rent.”
“Yes. Well, we’ll hope,” he muttered and turned to lead the way to a small apartment that faced the front gates.
