Earth Angel (13 page)

“Has Catherine been called?” Miles interrupted.

A long pause ensued. “Her house was called,” Byrne said finally. “She wasn’t home.”

“Are you going to track her down like you did me?”

“What the hell are all these questions for? She’ll be called.” Byrne slammed down the telephone.

Miles set his down more thoughtfully. Something would have to be done about Byrne, and quickly. He had some ideas about that, but right
now he had to find his wandering angel. He scowled at the thought that she could make love with him and leave immediately after. The sun was low in the sky, indicating it was late afternoon. Who knew how long she had been gone. Byrne and his damn meeting could wait.

He threw on trousers and a shirt, and grabbed a jacket and tie as he half-ran out of the bedroom. He strode quickly down the hall, past Sheba’s room, then tracked back when something caught his eye.

Catherine had her small weekender on the bed and was calmly packing her clothes into it. Sheba was lying at the foot of the bed, her plumed tail twitching in annoyance.

Catherine glanced at him, then went back to her packing.

“Get out your power suit,” he said, choosing to ignore the bag and her retreat from his bedroom. “Byrne’s just called another emergency meeting.”

She smiled a tiny smile of amusement and set down the shirt she was holding. “For which disaster? The shutdown or the sign?”

“The shutdown. I don’t think they’ve found the sign yet.”

“They will. Earth Angel called the TV stations about an hour ago.”

“You’ve been up for a while,” he commented, walking into the room. He sat down on the bed and stroked Sheba. The cat purred, unconcerned with the awkwardness between the humans.

Catherine turned to look at him. “The agreement’s over, Miles. I’m going home.”

“I can’t allow that. You’ll be doing more Earth Angel things.”

“What will you do? Keep a chain on me?”

He grinned. “Now that has distinct possibili—”

“And after I bailed you out?” The words were light, but her tone wasn’t.

He reached for her. “Catherine …”

She backed away. “What happened was a mistake, Miles. You know it and I know it.”

“It seemed pretty perfect to me,” he said, staring at her. This wasn’t the aftermath to their lovemaking that he’d been expecting.

She shook her head. “Look, it would never work, so let’s not belabor the point.”

“There’s more to this than a difference of philosophies—”

“Miles, I’m determined to expose what’s been going on, and you’re determined to stop me—”

“Because I don’t want you hurt! And because there are other ways of doing—”

“No, there aren’t.”

“Yes, there are.”

“Miles, what are you looking for in a relationship with me?”

“I …” He hesitated, knowing she wanted answers he wasn’t ready to give. “I care. I can’t answer anything more beyond that.”

“I see.”

He felt oddly defeated. Rising to his feet, he said, “Get dressed, Catherine. We’ve got a meeting to go to.”

“I’m not staying here, Miles.”

“Get dressed,” he repeated, and stalked out of the room.

Her uncle looked more livid than ever, Catherine thought as she took a seat at the conference table
as far away from Miles as she could get. It seemed like a dream that she had been in his bed that morning, making love. What was all too real was his lack of an answer to her question.

Risking a glance at him, she saw he didn’t look much better than Byrne. She had the impression the two men were angry with each other, but that notion was ludicrous.

Byrne launched into a tirade on the shutdown valves. Catherine schooled her features into a poker expression. Her aunt Sylvia was sitting next to her, and she had the strangest idea Sylvia was amused by Earth Angel’s latest antics.

“I’m ordering the guards to shoot anyone on sight!” Byrne exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table.

Catherine stiffened. Miles raised his eyebrow at her, clearly telling her he’d predicted this.

“Don’t act sillier than you already are,” Sylvia said. “We’d be up for murder charges. I suggest that we hire more security, have constant checks of the perimeter and all outbuildings, and update the system, as Father proposed. This would never have happened if we hadn’t been so cheap in the first place—”

“We don’t need all that,” Byrne said, gazing around the room, a smirk on his face. “I’ve received some information …”

Catherine suddenly had a bad feeling about that information.

“… that someone has been illegally dumping drums of waste products on a lot at this end of the city, and has put up a sign accusing us of doing it. Well, we have
not
been doing it, but in a magnanimous
gesture I ordered a complete cleanup of the lot.”

Heads nodded sagely. Catherine barely restrained a snort of disgust.

“I have been investigating who the Earth Angel is,” Byrne continued. The smirk widened. “And finally, I have some evidence that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt who this criminal is.”

Catherine didn’t move. Her heart thumped painfully.

“Shocking evidence,” Byrne continued.

Catherine braced herself.

“The Earth Angel is …” Byrne dramatically pointed his finger at the culprit. “Miles.”

Catherine erupted into laughter.

Miles grimaced at her, fighting the urge to either strangle her or kiss her. Both appealed, as usual. But she was lessening the tension in the room. He could see the others visibly relaxing.

“I’m sorry,” Catherine gasped in between fits of giggles. “It’s just that … Miles of all people. That’s a good one, Uncle Byrne.”

“I have information!” Byrne bellowed at her.

Catherine roared.

Miles sat back in his chair and eyed Byrne for a long moment. If there was one thing he knew, it was how not to react. He also knew how to relax in the heat of a crisis. Finally, he said, “Your ‘information’ is nonsense, Byrne.”

“Right before this meeting began,” Byrne said, “a reporter got through and confronted me about a police report that you were at that lot last night. What were you doing there, Miles, if you’re
not
the Earth Angel?”

So much for the record being expunged, Miles
thought. Clearly, the wheels of justice ground slowly. He scratched his chin and said the only thing he could think to say. “I had a tip the Earth Angel would be there, and I went to catch him.”

Byrne gaped at him. “But … but …”

“Catherine can confirm it. She was with me,” Miles added, deciding to stave off any further revelations. If Byrne had found this much out, he’d eventually uncover whose car was involved. “What I’d like to talk about are the leaking drums buried there—”

“Why didn’t you and Catherine catch the Angel?” Catherine’s father asked, obviously curious.

Miles stared at him, his mind scrambling for an answer to the unexpected question.

“You had a tip,” Gerald continued. “You were staking out the field. How could that sign go up without your seeing who did it?”

“Dad, we were …” Catherine looked at Miles in a panic.

“Busy,” he finished helplessly.

“Busy!” Byrne exclaimed. “Busy!”

“Busy, Byrne,” Sylvia said, grinning. “Like you’re busy with that woman up in Ardmore three nights a week—”

“Sylvia!”

But everyone was laughing and smiling knowing smiles. The implication Sylvia had made was clear to everyone. Catherine’s face was bright red. Miles had no doubt she was furious and embarrassed—especially knowing Sylvia had hit the mark. He shrugged. He wasn’t about to confess their real purpose, and he doubted Catherine would, either. She was smart enough to realize that if she did,
the entire family would swing back to Byrne. Besides, her Earth Angel activities would have to come to an end. He doubted she was ready for that.

But Byrne, on the other hand, would
have
to be stopped.

“Well, this is wonderful,” Gerald said. “She’s finally showing some sense in her choice of men.”

The insensitive words were like a slap, and Miles gritted his teeth to hold his temper. This was her father, after all, so it wouldn’t do to punch his lights out. No wonder Catherine kept a lot of emotional doors closed. He looked directly at her and smiled to ease the hurt her father must have caused. “I’m the one who’s showing some sense. I consider myself lucky that Catherine doesn’t run for the hills.”

She frowned, as if puzzled by his words. The funny thing was, he meant them. He reminded himself of the packed bag at his house. He couldn’t let her go, not after the way they’d made love, not after the way she’d possessed him. He could still feel her … feel the way they had moved together … feel the shudder of spent passion rush through him fast and furious.

“People,” Catherine said, “you all are acting as if this is something permanent. Miles and I just had a … date to catch the Angel. I got the tip too.”

“You two are perfectly matched,” Sylvia said, disregarding her niece’s words. “I’ve always thought so.”

“Can we stop playing
Hello, Dolly
and get back to the meeting at hand?” Byrne asked in a loud voice. “I would like to know why Miles and Catherine did not see fit to tell anyone—like our security people or the police—about this tip.”

“Welll …” Miles felt like he was doing a Ronald Reagan imitation.

“There wasn’t time,” Catherine broke in, before he could finish. “We got the tip so late. Besides, it could have been a crank, and wouldn’t Miles and I have looked silly if we were wrong?”

“Makes perfect sense to me,” Sylvia said.

The others nodded. Miles realized that with a little coaching to keep her temper in place, Catherine could sway her relatives into anything. That gave him an idea, a brilliant idea, on how to stop Byrne and keep Catherine with him.

“It doesn’t make sense to me,” Byrne muttered, and took another swig of Maalox. “If the two lovebirds get another ‘tip,’ I suggest they stop playing Nick and Nora Charles and pass it along to someone who can do some good with it.”

“Of course,” Miles said, grinning at the turn of events.

“Besides,” Sylvia teased, “you two might just forget yourselves again under the moonlit sky.”

Catherine smiled thinly. “Thank you, Aunt Sylvia. I do believe we’re at an emergency meeting …”

Everyone straightened and became serious again. Miles raised his eyebrows. His theory had more possibilities by the second.

The meeting lasted about fifteen more minutes, with no solution except to do as Sylvia suggested and beef up the security and update the system. The relatives supported it, in spite of Byrne’s protests about the expense. They also decided to be bold, for once, and host a big media reception as soon as possible. Byrne nearly popped his suspenders at that one.

When the meeting broke up, Catherine made her usual exit, with a flare of skirt across her delicious legs. Damn, but she did it better than anyone else, Miles thought happily.

Unfortunately, it also signaled that she was furious.

He sighed and hurried to catch up with her.

Catherine strode toward the elevator, her annoyance pounding harder with each step.

She couldn’t believe the conclusions her relatives had reached in there concerning her and Miles.
And he’d allowed it!
Her face heated painfully when she thought of the teasing and the way they’d all grinned at her like amorous jackasses.

“Catherine.”

The voice behind her was all too distinctive. She’d heard it whisper her name in the heat of passion. And that was all it had been. Passion. She kept walking.

“Catherine!” He caught up with her in a few quick strides.

“Go away.” Her self-righteous anger weakened with him so close to her. She could feel him again … the way they’d moved together … the way she’d clawed and cried out his name. She wished she had never given in to the fantasy.

“Come on, Catherine,” he said, amusement heavy in his voice. “It was just a mistake.”

She whirled to face him. “And you
let
them make it!”

“What was I supposed to do? Tell the truth?”

“That would be nice for a change.”

“I’d be more impressed with that if
you
hadn’t been Silent Sal.”

She set her jaw, knowing she couldn’t explain why she hadn’t confessed. It had been the prime opportunity to humiliate her family with the revelation
that Earth Angel was among them, yet it had seemed a childish reaction to past hurts. Besides, the tide was turning against Byrne, and she sensed she would have put everyone firmly back in his camp if she’d confessed. Still, she was not about to answer Miles.

“Silent Sal again,” he said.

“You don’t have to be so damned smug,” she muttered as they reached the express elevator between the conference floor and the first floor lobby. She jabbed the down button.

“I’m entitled,” he said, “I did like Byrne’s comment about Nick and Nora Charles. I’m surprised he knew who they were.”

“Only from the movies,” she said. “You don’t think he’s actually read any Hammett, do you?”

“Good point.”

When they were alone in the elevator, Miles said casually, “The police aren’t speed demons.”

“The report probably hadn’t been removed yet.” She shrugged. “It was bad timing.”

“Let’s make sure that’s the only bad timing. Catherine, no more Earth Angel antics. It’s going to be too risky now—”

“This elevator could be bugged,” she reminded him.

He snorted. “I wouldn’t put much past Byrne, but that’s too farfetched even for him. Catherine, promise me.”

She glanced at him, then back at the doors. “I thought my promise wasn’t worth anything.”

“Catherine …” He changed his tone. “What if I told you there’s a way to eliminate Byrne and get all the changes you want for Wagner Oil.”

“Are you going to call a hit man?”

He grinned. “We get the board to remove him as chairman—”

She laughed. “With this crowd? You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Pay attention in there, my friend,” he chided. “Byrne is losing ground with every turn. We only have to push him along.”

She eyed him narrowly. “Oh, sure. If you actually manage this major miracle, who would take his place that has enough sense to move into the twenty-first century? They all think exactly like him.”