Page 20 of Yankee in the Wind

“Pretty much.”

“Did we ever cross paths here?” she asked though she really wanted to ask whether he’d watched her from afar. Whether he’d longed for her like she’d longed for him.

“No.” He smiled, but the expression was sad. “We never crossed paths. I might not have been able to stay hidden if I’d seen you.”

His revelation surprised her. Did this mean that he’d been thinking back to their night together, longing for more? She shook off the thought. Jack wasn’t a sentimental guy, at least Thomas had always said that about him.

“The temptation would have been too great.” He took her hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of it.

She met his gaze and felt the same magnetic attraction that had drawn them together years earlier and culminated in a passionate night of lovemaking.

Jack’s cell phone rang. He let go of her hand. “Yeah?”

Lilly sat close enough to hear the voice at the other end of the line.

“I got the death certificate. It says heart attack.”

“Bullshit!” Lilly cursed.

“Who’s that?”

Jack sighed and put the call on speaker. “That’s River’s cousin, Lilly. Lilly, meet Fox.”

“Take me off speaker now,” Fox demanded. “You can’t just let a civilian—”

“She’s as much a civilian as Phoebe and Michelle are,” Jack interrupted, though Lilly had no idea what he meant by that.

“Why didn’t you say so? Hey, Lilly. And you’re right, it’s bullshit. Thomas was thirty-seven years old. There’s no way he died of a heart attack,” Fox said.

“Can you text me the document?” Jack asked. “Maybe I can talk to the doctor or medical examiner who signed the death certificate.”

“Sending it over now. Do you need backup?”

“To talk to the official who signed the death certificate? No. I’ve got it handled. Be in touch.”

“Check in every few hours so we know you’re still alive.”

“Will do.” Jack disconnected the call.

A moment later, his cell phone chimed, announcing a text message. Jack opened the attachment.

“What does it say?” Lilly asked.

“He died here in D.C.” Jack looked at her. “I’m gonna go and have a talk with this Dr. Amy Price who signed the death certificate. Stay here. Feel free to raid the fridge and the freezer while I’m gone.”

“No way!” She jumped up. “You can’t just bench me. Thomas was my cousin and my best friend. I’m coming with you.”

“Not a chance. Whoever hired the sniper will be looking for you. You can’t show your face outside. It’s too risky.”

“Then lend me a hat and sunglasses, or something.”

He hesitated for several long seconds. Then he sighed. “Fine, but you’ll do exactly as I say. Do we understand each other?”

“I’m not an idiot.”

Less than half an hour later, Lilly’s blond hair was hidden under a dark wig that made her look like Cher and itched like hell. But that was only part of the disguise Jack had insisted on as a condition of her accompanying him. Glasses that were too old-fashioned for her own grandmother to wear sat on her nose. She wore a poofy blouse and an ugly skirt that made her look twenty pounds overweight.

“I look ridiculous,” she complained.