The new secretary had impeccable credentials, and since theirs was a small office in which everyone worked closely together, Sophie didn’t think that that was an inappropriately personal question. “When you realize that he does not play around with his employees—ever—you’ll relax and forget his looks. In two or three years,” she joked.
he have a lot of girlfriends?”
Since Claire would be involved in facets of his personal life, such as arranging for theater tickets, dinners, and looking after his penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side, Sophie felt that that question, too, was well within reason. “The lady du jour is Kira Dunhill,” Sophie replied with a touch of pride as she named the acclaimed Hollywood actress who was costarring on Broadway with Leigh Valente in a new play scheduled to open that night. ’s a little on the haughty side, but she’s so gorgeous and so talented, who can blame her?”
about Mr. Wyatt? I imagine he’s a little arrogant and temperamental at times?”
’re wrong. He’ll expect your best, and in return, he will treat you with respect. He won’t forget your birthday or patronize you or send you out to buy gifts for his girlfriends. He is also the most even-tempered man alive. He doesn’t even curse,” she added, heading to Mitchell’s office so that he could officially welcome Claire as the new member of their New York team.
MITCHELL BARELY MANAGEDto say a civil good-bye to Matt Farrell before he slammed the phone into its cradle. of a bitch!” he said in English, then he said it again in French. Picking up the Steuben crystal fist that Stavros had commissioned as a gift for him, Mitchell squeezed it in his hand hard enough to pulverize it, were it made of mere stone. He was so furious that his mind refused to accept what he’d just heard, and he had to keep repeating it to himself, even though it made him angrier with each repetition. . . .
Kate Donovan has a child almost two years old who’s been kidnapped, and he is the boy’s father!
There is no doubt of his paternity because there is DNA proof in Gray Elliott’s office!
She didn’t have the decency, or the courtesy, to let him know he has a son!
She is raising his son just as he himself had been raised—without any idea of who his father is!
Somewhere in Chicago, a little boy—his own son—is in danger!
Infuriated beyond all bounds, he looked at the fabulous crystal object in his hand, and in an unprecedented display of rage, he hurled it across the room just as Sophie opened the door. Claire instinctively threw her arms up to protect her head, but Sophie froze in astonishment as the ten-pound object sailed past her, smashed into the wall, crashed to the slate floor, and shattered.
something wrong, Mr. Wyatt?” Sophie asked as Mitchell bounded out of his chair, stalked around his desk, and bore down on her.
I look like something isright ?” Mitchell replied, and began snapping out instructions to her. ’m leaving for Chicago. Call Calli and tell him to pick me up downstairs immediately, and tell him he’s going to Chicago with me. Find my pilots and tell them to be ready to take off in an hour. Call Pearson and Levinson in Chicago and tell them to stand by for a phone call from me in fifteen minutes.”
, the plane’s having maintenance work done. It can’t fly until tomorrow at the earliest.”
get two tickets on the first nonstop flight to Chicago.”
if I can’t get first class?”
whatever you can,” Mitchell said as he headed toward the main office door.
were supposed to have dinner after the play tonight with Kira Dunhill, Leigh and Michael Valente, and Zack and Julie Benedict,” Sophie called after him.
everyone and tell them an emergency has come up and I can’t be there.”
. Wyatt?”
Mitchell turned back impatiently.
is Miss Dunhill’s first opening night on Broadway.”
you for reminding me. Send her a lot of flowers.”
? For missing her opening night?”
’re right. That probably calls for a necklace. Please pick one out and send it over to her,” he said as he shoved the door open.
?” Sophie called, craning her neck because he’d disappeared down the hallway. much should I spend?”
There was no answer. He was gone.
Chapter Forty-six
KATE PACED SLOWLYback and forth across the living room, watching the clock on the wall tick off the seconds of each minute that passed without a return call from Mitchell. The second hand had made a full circle seventy-five times; one tormenting hour and fifteen minutes had passed without a sound from the heartless man she had once thought she loved.
Her uncle, Father Donovan, had rushed over as soon as Marjorie had called him, and now he waited helplessly on one of the sofas for the phone to ring. His head was bent, his hands clasped loosely in front of him. He was praying Mitchell would call.
Gray Elliott was sitting on a stool at the island counter that divided the kitchen area from the living room. He was Danny’s new best friend, intent on doing everything to ensure his safe return. If the darkening scowl on Gray’s face was any indication, he was fantasizing about yanking Mitchell from wherever he was, charging him with a gross lack of humanity, and throwing him in jail for life.
MacNeil was standing at the window overlooking the street in front of the restaurant, where police cars with flashing lights were parked at crazy angles. The sidewalk was packed with reporters, concerned citizens, and curiosity seekers, who were waiting and hoping for information. Kate wasn’t sure what MacNeil was thinking, but he kept glancing at his cell phone as if willing it to ring. He was probably hoping for a tip, Kate thought, a lead that would send all those police cars flying away with sirens wailing to rescue Danny.
Holly had left Maui in the middle of a veterinarians’ conference and was on her way back to Chicago. A task force had been set up in one of the dining rooms downstairs, and calls resulting from the amber alert were starting to come in on the newly installed phone lines. Kate had ordered the restaurant closed within minutes of learning Danny was gone, but most of the staff were still down there, keeping a silent vigil for the little blue-eyed boy with the bright grin who had long ago captured their hearts.
Childress was somewhere on the premises, Kate knew, and she supposed he was downstairs working with the task force.
MacNeil’s cell phone gave out a sharp chirp, and he snapped it to his ear so swiftly that the motion was blurred. A moment later, he turned around and looked from Kate to Gray. lawyers are downstairs—David Levinson and William Pearson. They represent Mitchell Wyatt.”