gutter, Truax. You 're supposed to be a professional.
Zoe smiled at him. She looked better than she had a few hours ago when she had emerged
from the wine cellar, but there was an unnatural brightness in her eyes. He knew what was
causing it. She was feeling the aftereffects of the adrenaline, just as he was.
"Davis was sure that you would never be able to find the bed," she said. "He claimed that
even if you guessed that it was in storage somewhere, there was no way you could find the
right rental facility. He said there were hundreds, maybe thousands of them in the state."
"Probably are." Ethan removed the lid of the clay warmer in the center of the table and
removed another plump corn tortilla. He dipped it into one of the three salsas that the waiter
had brought to the table. They'd finished the salads, but the main courses had not arrived yet
and he was ravenous.
"So?" Zoe prompted.
"The thing is, I didn't need to search every storage locker facility in the state." He took a bite
of the tortilla. "I only had to check out the ones that could be reached within about a
thirty-minute drive from Desert View. I also assumed that in order to remain as anonymous as
possible, Mason would have gone with a large operation that had lots of lockers, not a small
outfit where someone was more likely to remember him. That cut the number of possibilities
down to a manageable number. I got on the phone and started calling."
"Wait a second." Zoe held up a hand. "How did you know that the storage facility had to be
located within a thirty-minute driving radius of Desert View?"
"I got the pickup and drop-off times of the rented truck that Mason used. I knew almost
exactly when he left Desert View with the bed. It wasn't hard to calculate how far he could
have gone, allowing for the time to unload the bed at the locker facility."
He paused to take another bite of the salsa-laced tortilla and noticed that the business dinner
on the other side of the room was breaking up. At the head of the table, the big,
sandy-haired man in the expensive linen blend jacket picked up the tab for the other five
people with an easy flourish.
It was nice to have a large budget for entertaining clients, Ethan thought. He turned his
attention back to his own client and her companion.
Zoe gave him an admiring look. "I'm impressed. You make it sound so simple and logical. The
mind of a detective is an amazing thing."
"Thanks," Ethan said. "I've always wanted to be loved for my mind."
Damn. That was not quite what he had wanted to say, he thought. Maybe he had better lay
off the champagne. It did not seem to be mixing well with the aftermath of the adrenaline
cocktail that still flowed through his system.
Arcadia looked faintly amused, but she did not say anything. If Zoe found the crack about
being loved for his brain inappropriate, she gave no indication.
"I'm still a little confused though," she said, serious again. "How did you figure out which truck
rental company Mason used and how did you find out precisely when he left Desert View?"
Ethan started to answer, but he broke off when the big man in the stylish jacket suddenly
loomed over the table.
"Truax." Nelson Radnor gave him an easy grin. "Good to see you. I hear you closed a big one
today. Congratulations."
"Word travels fast," Ethan said.
"I've got my sources." Nelson examined the bandage that covered a portion of Ethan's jaw and
raised his brows. "Looks like you got knocked around a little."
"Just some flying glass." Ethan glanced across the table. "Zoe Luce, Arcadia Ames. This is
Nelson Radnor."
Zoe made the connection immediately. "Radnor Security Systems?"
Nelson gave her an approving smile. "Right. A pleasure. I understand there was a woman at
the scene this afternoon when Truax took Mason down. Can I assume it was one of you two
lovely ladies?"
"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't make any assumptions," Ethan said evenly. "My client would
like to keep a
Zoe smiled at him. She looked better than she had a few hours ago when she had emerged
from the wine cellar, but there was an unnatural brightness in her eyes. He knew what was
causing it. She was feeling the aftereffects of the adrenaline, just as he was.
"Davis was sure that you would never be able to find the bed," she said. "He claimed that
even if you guessed that it was in storage somewhere, there was no way you could find the
right rental facility. He said there were hundreds, maybe thousands of them in the state."
"Probably are." Ethan removed the lid of the clay warmer in the center of the table and
removed another plump corn tortilla. He dipped it into one of the three salsas that the waiter
had brought to the table. They'd finished the salads, but the main courses had not arrived yet
and he was ravenous.
"So?" Zoe prompted.
"The thing is, I didn't need to search every storage locker facility in the state." He took a bite
of the tortilla. "I only had to check out the ones that could be reached within about a
thirty-minute drive from Desert View. I also assumed that in order to remain as anonymous as
possible, Mason would have gone with a large operation that had lots of lockers, not a small
outfit where someone was more likely to remember him. That cut the number of possibilities
down to a manageable number. I got on the phone and started calling."
"Wait a second." Zoe held up a hand. "How did you know that the storage facility had to be
located within a thirty-minute driving radius of Desert View?"
"I got the pickup and drop-off times of the rented truck that Mason used. I knew almost
exactly when he left Desert View with the bed. It wasn't hard to calculate how far he could
have gone, allowing for the time to unload the bed at the locker facility."
He paused to take another bite of the salsa-laced tortilla and noticed that the business dinner
on the other side of the room was breaking up. At the head of the table, the big,
sandy-haired man in the expensive linen blend jacket picked up the tab for the other five
people with an easy flourish.
It was nice to have a large budget for entertaining clients, Ethan thought. He turned his
attention back to his own client and her companion.
Zoe gave him an admiring look. "I'm impressed. You make it sound so simple and logical. The
mind of a detective is an amazing thing."
"Thanks," Ethan said. "I've always wanted to be loved for my mind."
Damn. That was not quite what he had wanted to say, he thought. Maybe he had better lay
off the champagne. It did not seem to be mixing well with the aftermath of the adrenaline
cocktail that still flowed through his system.
Arcadia looked faintly amused, but she did not say anything. If Zoe found the crack about
being loved for his brain inappropriate, she gave no indication.
"I'm still a little confused though," she said, serious again. "How did you figure out which truck
rental company Mason used and how did you find out precisely when he left Desert View?"
Ethan started to answer, but he broke off when the big man in the stylish jacket suddenly
loomed over the table.
"Truax." Nelson Radnor gave him an easy grin. "Good to see you. I hear you closed a big one
today. Congratulations."
"Word travels fast," Ethan said.
"I've got my sources." Nelson examined the bandage that covered a portion of Ethan's jaw and
raised his brows. "Looks like you got knocked around a little."
"Just some flying glass." Ethan glanced across the table. "Zoe Luce, Arcadia Ames. This is
Nelson Radnor."
Zoe made the connection immediately. "Radnor Security Systems?"
Nelson gave her an approving smile. "Right. A pleasure. I understand there was a woman at
the scene this afternoon when Truax took Mason down. Can I assume it was one of you two
lovely ladies?"
"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't make any assumptions," Ethan said evenly. "My client would
like to keep a
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