Nanny (10 page)

“No one in or out of your office without your approval, and all visitors announced by your assistant.”

“Ms. Mulvaney advised the same thing.”

Gabe looked at Summer. “I'm glad to hear it. Next, I'd like a list of everyone entering your building today, along with everyone who works on your floor.”

Cara tapped the paper in front of her. “Here's the floor list. I'll have the complete building roster tomorrow.”

“I assume there are security cameras in place.”

“Not that I know of.” Cara frowned. “They may be hidden, of course.”

Summer made a note in her book to rush a requisition of all security tapes for Cara's building.

“Possibly,” Gabe continued. “Most public buildings have multiple levels of surveillance since 9/11.”

“I can ask—”

“No need. I'll make a few calls tomorrow. The fewer people involved, the better.”

The man was pretty good, Summer thought grudgingly. Was he CIA? Quantico HRT? Secret Service? With the senator's connections, he could be any one of the three. But even then, she didn't like the thought of turning over her responsibility for the family.

Gabe pulled a blueprint out of his black ballistic nylon bag and anchored the sheet with teacups. “The main points of access to the house are here and here. I've added an exterior motion detector by the rear kitchen door and put in an alarm to sound in my quarters. I also suggest glass-break sensors on all the downstairs windows. To be absolutely safe, the upstairs windows should be wired, too, but that's your call.”

“Go ahead,” Cara said tightly.

Gabe tapped six more points on the blueprint. “I'll install monitors on all your major downstairs windows. These should be operational by tomorrow morning.”

The bushes outside those windows limited the range of efficiency for motion detectors, Summer knew. “Pressure plates, I take it?”

“Set to notify me wherever I am. I'll relay any information to you, of course.”

Summer pointed to one corner of the blueprint. “There's a cellar on the west side of the house that needs to be blocked off. I checked earlier and found no interior access, but I want a more careful look tomorrow.”

There was a hint of respect in Gabe's eyes. “So you noticed that. We'll check it out together.”

Not a polite suggestion, but a command.

Summer frowned at Gabe. “What about these small windows near the pantry and the first-floor landing?”

“I'm setting up an interior motion detector to cover that area, but I doubt anyone will try for access there. The windows are too small.”

“Second floor?” Summer shot back. “There are eighteen windows up there.”

“A realtor's dream and a security nightmare.” Gabe looked at Cara. “I'd suggest wireless monitors upstairs.”

“Do it.”

“That means no more sleeping with the windows opened.”

Cara smiled grimly. “Summer has already given me an ultimatum about that.”

“What about that big tree outside Audra's window?” Summer tapped the blueprint. “A well-trained intruder could be across a branch and inside in seconds.”

Gabe's eyes narrowed. “I've got someone coming by tomorrow. He'll see to it that there are no branches with access to the windows or the roof.”

You're good, Mr. Morgan,
Summer thought.
But I'm better.
“There's also the small balcony off Ms. O'Connor's bedroom. Access is possible via the garage roof.”

“Already noted. I'd like to nail that balcony door shut. Then I suggest we wire the porch and roof with motion sensors.”

The senator returned and sat down next to Cara, who looked more tired than ever. “Do what you have to,” she said. “I find I'm not in the mood to use the porch anymore.”

Summer pushed aside her tea. “What else?”

“I've set up a surveillance camera on the front door.” Gabe's eyes narrowed. “It's imperative that all of you check outside before opening the door.”

Cara nodded slowly. “I'll talk to the girls. Thank God, tomorrow's Friday, and I'll have the weekend to explain to them. We're going to have to postpone the ceremony, too.” She took a deep breath. “More calls to make and questions to answer.”

Gabe glanced at Tate Winslow.

Uh-oh,
Summer thought.
What next?

“We'll discuss postponing the wedding later.”

The senator cleared his throat. “I want to take you and the girls up to the ranch in Wyoming this weekend, Cara. You know how quiet it is and how much the girls love riding. It will be better if Gabe's team can tackle all these security upgrades without interference.”

“Go to the ranch? But—”

“I'll fly us up.” Tate slid his arm around her shoulders. “We can be there in time for a late dinner and my ranch hands will provide all the security we need. No one will get past Bud and his men.”

Gabe's jaw worked up and down, which left Summer thinking he didn't like this part of the plan. “Sir? May I remind you that these men are not professionals.”

“You've made your point, Gabe. But we'll handle this part my way.”

There was a momentary silence. “Understood.”

“Ms. Mulvaney can help the girls pack tomorrow so they'll be ready. After breathing in that clear mountain air and taking in a few world-class sunsets, you'll feel like a new woman.”

“I hate it when you
manage
me,” Cara said. “But the ranch sounds like heaven.”

“One more thing. What if Gabe and Ms. Mulvaney take a little trip of their own?” Tate took her hands. “Down to Mexico.”

Cara stiffened. “Absolutely not.”

“We need them to check out the clinic. This is the best time, while we have a security team here at the house and the girls safe with us at the ranch.”

“No.” Cara frowned. “It could be very dangerous.”

“We'll have a good cover story,” Tate cut in. “Gabe had done some research on the place. Ms. Mulvaney could pose as his wife while he investigates the programs at the clinic. They will, of course, need to look around and scrutinize the facilities.”

Gabe sat forward, nodding. “While we're there, I would plan to make contact with one of the clinic's staff, who may have information for us.”

Cara closed her eyes. “Even in prison, Costello is a dangerous man. Assuming that he's behind this, he'll have people watching the clinic. Probably informers among the staff, too.”

“Honey, you can count on Gabe to get in and get out without being detected.”

“And Summer?”

“I'll see that she's safe, ma'am.” His face expressionless, Gabe pulled a map from his nylon bag. “Say the word and we start our preparations.”

Cara stood up slowly. “I wish I had another choice, but I don't.”

“In that case, we'll leave you to it.” Tate nodded at Summer, then followed Cara out into the hall, where their voices drifted away.

Summer drummed a hand lightly on the table. “Just for the record, I'm not window dressing, Morgan. If this is going to work, you need my help.”

“And I assume I'll get it.” Gabe unrolled a map of Mexico. “But I also made a promise that you wouldn't be put at risk. You'd strictly be present as my cover.”

“I'm releasing you from that promise. I'm trained, and I can protect my own butt perfectly well. Meanwhile, I've got security rounds to make.”

Gabe followed in silence as Summer keyed the alarm for a delayed exit. The alarm light began to blink, and he remained at the door, waiting for her to leave first.

“Is this turning into some kind of infantile testosterone match?” Summer's voice was tight.

The alarm continued to count down.

“Well?”

“Not on my part.” Gabe muttered something under his breath and walked out in front of her. “But when the testosterone starts flying, you'll definitely know it.”

chapter
11

U
pstairs in the small room at the north end of the house, Audra eased out of bed, fully dressed. Liberace raised his head as she passed, then settled back down in his cage. Down the corridor her mother was speaking quietly with the senator as they stood outside the master bedroom.

Funny, the way the two of them acted. Like lovers, only trying hard to hide it.

But Audra wasn't a kid. She saw how they looked at each other and how they kissed with a lot of tongue when they thought no one was watching. Audra was pretty sure they were sleeping together, but not here in her mother's house. Probably they went somewhere else, like maybe the senator's town house or even to a hotel.

Thinking about that made Audra feel hot and funny. She didn't like it when her friends asked her things about the senator, like wasn't he handsome and did she think he was a good kisser. For God's sake, he was going to be her stepfather, so what was she supposed to say?

But underneath Audra was curious, even though she didn't want to be. Her best friend, Tracey Van Doren, said that being curious about sex was no big deal.
Her
mother had been married four times and since each husband was younger than the last, Tracey had been curious a
lot.

Audra wondered how it felt, having a man all the way, completely inside you. Sure, she'd done some experimenting with boys. Some of them were friends of Tracey's, and the kissing had been exciting and really cool. But the other stuff had gotten weird. Afterward, she'd felt—

Empty.

She frowned at the darkness, listening to her mother's door close. Were they finally going to give in and stop this stupid charade that they weren't
really
lovers?

Audra heard low footsteps in the hall, then the senator's quiet voice as he passed her door. Talking on his cell phone, probably to Washington or Paris or Bangkok. She had to keep reminding herself how
important
he was. And she liked him—
really
liked him, almost more than she could remember liking her real father, who had been a jerk. Especially when he was drinking.

Audra didn't want to screw things up, either. Her mom was pretty cool—for a mom. She deserved to be happy with an important man like the senator, who could actually sit and
listen
to what you had to say without smirking and being clueless like most grown-ups.

Down inside her jacket her cell phone chirped loudly.

Damn.

Audra answered quickly, keeping her voice low.
“What?”

“Hey, I've been waiting down here on this damned lawn for twenty minutes, freezing my butt off.” Tracey sounded irritated. “Where the hell are you?”

“My mom just got to sleep, okay?”

“No shit. Is he banging her right there in the house?”

“Shut up, Tracey.” It bothered Audra a lot when her friend said dumb things like that. Worst of all, it made Audra feel like some kind of traitor. But they had been friends since they were three, and Audra was pretty sure Tracey didn't mean it. All the tough words were just a cover for The Fear.

Audra had it sometimes, too.

The Fear came when you were certain the other kids laughed about your clothes or your breath or the size of your butt. It came when you were certain your parents would do something ridiculously uncool and make
everyone
point at you and snicker.

Most of all, it came when you felt like Audra did now—alone.

Invisible.

Stupid and clumsy, like no one else had ever understood you or ever could, because you were like from Pluto and everyone else was from Muncie, Indiana.

“Ground control to space head.”

“Shut up,” Audra hissed into the phone, easing open the window next to the big tree on the lawn. “I'm coming out now. See you in two minutes.”

“About time.”

The line went dead.

Audra pulled out a black fire ladder and dangled it from the window, looping the metal clamps over the sill. The ladder was Tracey's, courtesy of stepfather #3, who had been in the insurance business and had a fixation about house fires, maybe because he hated to pay up afterward. He'd been a real cheapskate, Tracey had said, but he knew about how to get out of a house fast.

Like all the other times, the ladder worked like a dream, falling silently and unrolling to its full length. Audra shut off her cell phone and stuck it in her pocket, then worked her way over the sill. Turning carefully, she pulled the window almost shut and then began to pick her way down. Five feet from the ground, she jumped clear, then made her way along a little space behind the bougainvillaeas.

Tracey was sitting on the ground near a big jade plant at the edge of the garage. Huge earphones framed her face as she bobbed her head to unheard music.

“Let's go,” Audra hissed. “And be quiet, because the senator hasn't left yet.”

“No shit.” Tracey brushed off the back of her skintight denim skirt. “Let's go pay a late-night visit. I mean, the man is
such
a stud. Even my mom says she'd be open to a little Oval Office sex with him.”

“Shut
up,
Tracey.” Audra stamped off toward the driveway.

“Hey, I'm sorry, okay?” Tracey caught up and grabbed her arm. “I keep forgetting he's going to be your
father.
Stepfather, anyway.”

“It feels creepy when you talk that way.” Audra jerked free. “Like you don't care about yourself or anyone else.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I don't care much about other people because they suck, but we're best friends, right? We stick together no matter what.” Tracey's face was pale and pinched in the moonlight.
“Right?”

“Sure.” Audra shrugged, feeling uneasy the way she always did when her friend acted odd and hyper like this. “Let's get out of here. If someone sees me, I'll be grounded for the next
century.
”

They picked their way behind another set of bushes, expertly avoiding the gravel. A few minutes later they came to a broad screened porch behind Tracey's house.

Audra sat down on a wicker chair in the darkness, fingering her cell phone. “I think I'll call that cute guy from my biology lab.”

“You think he'll come out?”

Audra shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe we could just talk for a while. I'm only staying thirty minutes, remember? My mom's still mad at me after what happened at the museum today. She's been so hyper lately,” Audra said in disgust.

“At least your mom notices what you do.” Tracey paced in the darkness. “Last night I didn't come home until almost five. Believe me, they don't give Girl Scout badges for the stuff I was doing.”

Audra looked away, angry at the way the excitement had gone out of the night, leaving her empty again, feeling
guilty
though she'd done nothing wrong except sneak outside to keep her friend company. “Big deal.”

Tracey dropped into a swing near the door. “
You're
no damned fun, that's for sure.”

Audra shivered in the darkness, feeling more alone than ever. Facing The Fear.

Sometimes she almost wished she were a kid again, when her only worries were getting her braids straight and remembering where she'd hidden her Little Pony diary.

But mostly Audra wished she were completely grown-up. Then she'd never feel alone and afraid again.

“Want a cigarette?” Tracey tossed something through the darkness.

“Sure.” Everything else so far had been a real bust, Audra thought. Her stomach growled, and she ignored it.

 

Twenty minutes later Tracey was in the middle of her third cigarette and a hectic story about the football player who had groped her after gym class.

Audra glared down at the fluorescent numbers on the watch her mother had given her for her fourteenth birthday.

To hell with Tracey and her stupid stories. She was going home. Sneaking out like this was dangerous—not that there had been any crimes on this street for ages, but Audra knew something was worrying her mom, making her hyper.

Probably some case at work. Though her mom never discussed her job, Audra knew she had to face down angry men and ugly crimes. Secretly, Audra was proud of her mom for doing stuff like that, for being so strong, because sometimes those men went to jail. Then they wanted revenge against the people who'd put them there.

That meant her mother.

They never talked about stuff like that, though. Probably her mother thought she was still a kid and wouldn't understand. Or maybe she didn't
want
her to understand, because understanding changed you.

Audra shivered a little, pulling her jacket tighter as she studied the darkness. She'd called the guy from her biology lab but he sounded odd, so she'd hung up. Probably he'd tell the other kids and they'd all laugh at her. On top of that, the cigarettes were making her stomach churn. She'd have to ditch her clothes and change, or her mother would smell the smoke.

Well, to hell with that.

Audra stood up, scowling—and when she did, someone grabbed her hard from behind, cutting off her breath.