hadn’t answered. All he’d done was give her a look that told her was guilty as sin.
“It isn’t true,” she’d said again. “Mark, tell me it isn’t true.”
He only raised his hands. “It’s who I am, Paige. I’m sorry.”
She left the prison stunned, broken, and with one pernicious thought pounding in her head. He’d lied to her. For the whole time they’d dated and been married he’d lied to her. He’d been living a double life and she hadn’t once suspected it. She’d been such a fool.
And now he was out. But what in the world was he doing here tonight? Then with a cold chill, she realized—he must be after the necklace, too.
He leaned close to her ear and whispered, his breath warm against her skin. “I know what you’re up to.”
She pulled back, forcing herself to stay cool. He was after the jewels. “Of course, you do. I’m going to get an exclusive interview with Adolphus on this auspicious night. I’m going to be the first to report the proceeds from the auction.”
“That’s my girl. Always honest.”
She cringed at the sarcasm in his tone. She used to confide in him, tell him the tricks she’d play to get interviews. He could still pull her strings.
The song. There was only one more verse left. She had to get to the end of the dance floor. She broke out of his embrace. “I’m sorry, Mark. I must have lost my head. I don’t really want to be seen with you.”
She turned and left him standing there, hating that he was watching her walk away. But she had no choice. She moved through the crowd to the edge of the floor and waved her hanky.
It happened right on cue, better than if she had directed it on a movie set. The drummer gave out three sharp rimshots— sans cymbals—rat-tat-tat. They sounded just like gunfire.
“Aaargh!” The lead singer cried, grasping his chest and hanging onto the microphone stand for dear life as the music stopped and the sound system screeched.
A woman in the crowd screamed. Everyone ducked. Paige watched in sheer relief as Mark turned toward the stage. But she had no time to gloat. She hurried to the display case.
Her hands were remarkably steady as she removed the key from her purse, opened the case. She lifted the necklace off the black velvet neck form, which was shaped like a woman’s neck and bust, complete with clavicles and cleavage. The Fantasia came off easily. Nothing held it in place.
With one swift motion, she dropped the jewels into her satin evening bag. Took out the hanky she’d brought and wiped the glass clean of fingerprints. She glanced up. No one was paying any attention to her.
Heart pounding, she forced herself to walk steadily and headed for the exit.
Chapter Two
Mark knew what Paige had done the second he heard the gunfire.
And he knew it wasn’t gunfire. It was a diversion. Just the way he’d taught her. He spun around and watched her deftly lift the Fantasia necklace out of its case and slip it into her bag. His heart soared with pride for a moment, then chafed with disdain. Who was this hypocrite he’d been married to?
He would have been on her in an instant, but the panicking crowd wouldn’t let him move.
“What’s going on?”
“Someone’s been shot. We’ve got to get out of here.”
Mark pulled his ID from his pocket and flipped it open. “FBI. We’ve got everything under control. There’s no need for alarm.”
But the crowd kept pushing.
A security guard grabbed his arm. “What’s happening? Is Adolphus wounded?”
“I don’t know. Check out the bandstand. The shots came from there.”
“Right.” The guard nodded and headed in that direction. Mark went the other way, fighting through the crowd. He reached the back of the hall just in time to see Paige slip out the rear exit.
He glanced at the display case, hoping he’d been hallucinating and the necklace would be in its place.
Gone. His heart sank. What in the hell was she doing this for?
Whatever her reason, he couldn’t
“It isn’t true,” she’d said again. “Mark, tell me it isn’t true.”
He only raised his hands. “It’s who I am, Paige. I’m sorry.”
She left the prison stunned, broken, and with one pernicious thought pounding in her head. He’d lied to her. For the whole time they’d dated and been married he’d lied to her. He’d been living a double life and she hadn’t once suspected it. She’d been such a fool.
And now he was out. But what in the world was he doing here tonight? Then with a cold chill, she realized—he must be after the necklace, too.
He leaned close to her ear and whispered, his breath warm against her skin. “I know what you’re up to.”
She pulled back, forcing herself to stay cool. He was after the jewels. “Of course, you do. I’m going to get an exclusive interview with Adolphus on this auspicious night. I’m going to be the first to report the proceeds from the auction.”
“That’s my girl. Always honest.”
She cringed at the sarcasm in his tone. She used to confide in him, tell him the tricks she’d play to get interviews. He could still pull her strings.
The song. There was only one more verse left. She had to get to the end of the dance floor. She broke out of his embrace. “I’m sorry, Mark. I must have lost my head. I don’t really want to be seen with you.”
She turned and left him standing there, hating that he was watching her walk away. But she had no choice. She moved through the crowd to the edge of the floor and waved her hanky.
It happened right on cue, better than if she had directed it on a movie set. The drummer gave out three sharp rimshots— sans cymbals—rat-tat-tat. They sounded just like gunfire.
“Aaargh!” The lead singer cried, grasping his chest and hanging onto the microphone stand for dear life as the music stopped and the sound system screeched.
A woman in the crowd screamed. Everyone ducked. Paige watched in sheer relief as Mark turned toward the stage. But she had no time to gloat. She hurried to the display case.
Her hands were remarkably steady as she removed the key from her purse, opened the case. She lifted the necklace off the black velvet neck form, which was shaped like a woman’s neck and bust, complete with clavicles and cleavage. The Fantasia came off easily. Nothing held it in place.
With one swift motion, she dropped the jewels into her satin evening bag. Took out the hanky she’d brought and wiped the glass clean of fingerprints. She glanced up. No one was paying any attention to her.
Heart pounding, she forced herself to walk steadily and headed for the exit.
Chapter Two
Mark knew what Paige had done the second he heard the gunfire.
And he knew it wasn’t gunfire. It was a diversion. Just the way he’d taught her. He spun around and watched her deftly lift the Fantasia necklace out of its case and slip it into her bag. His heart soared with pride for a moment, then chafed with disdain. Who was this hypocrite he’d been married to?
He would have been on her in an instant, but the panicking crowd wouldn’t let him move.
“What’s going on?”
“Someone’s been shot. We’ve got to get out of here.”
Mark pulled his ID from his pocket and flipped it open. “FBI. We’ve got everything under control. There’s no need for alarm.”
But the crowd kept pushing.
A security guard grabbed his arm. “What’s happening? Is Adolphus wounded?”
“I don’t know. Check out the bandstand. The shots came from there.”
“Right.” The guard nodded and headed in that direction. Mark went the other way, fighting through the crowd. He reached the back of the hall just in time to see Paige slip out the rear exit.
He glanced at the display case, hoping he’d been hallucinating and the necklace would be in its place.
Gone. His heart sank. What in the hell was she doing this for?
Whatever her reason, he couldn’t
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