Nick smiled and drank some of his beer.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.
“Coppersmith as in the Coppersmith mining company?” Fallon Jones said. He sounded interested now.
“Yes. And also as in Coppersmith Consulting,” Judson said.
“Never heard of Coppersmith Consulting.”
“We’re a small security outfit,” Judson said. “Specializing in psychic investigations. Sort of like Jones and Jones.”
“Yeah? Lot of psychic investigation agencies out there. Most of them are frauds.”
“We’re a little different,” Judson said. “Like you. And by the way, we’ve never heard of you, either. But we need to talk.”
“Why is that?”
“I’m calling from a small island in the Caribbean. We pulled what’s left of a man named Daniel Parker out of an underwater cave today. He was murdered a little over a month ago. He left a message for whoever found him, a scrap of paper with the name of your firm on it.”
“You’re right,” Fallon Jones said. “We need to talk.”
Forty-six
This Jones and Jones agency had Daniel Parker working undercover in yet another low-profile agency affiliated with the government’s intelligence community,” Judson said. “He vanished without a trace over a month ago. Jones said they tracked him to an island in the Caribbean but not to this island. That was the end of the trail.”
Nick studied the screen of his computer. “From that point on, Parker paid cash. Chartered a boat to bring him to this island where he evidently intended to meet up with Spalding.”
“Jones says he thinks Parker stumbled into Spalding’s operation while he was working another case,” Judson said. “Instead of reporting back to Jones and Jones, it looks like Parker went rogue. Saw a chance to make some easy money. Jones thinks he probably tried to blackmail Spalding. But if that’s the case, Parker was way out of his league.”
They were gathered on the veranda of the hotel’s open-air bar. Gwen lounged in her chair and toyed with the little umbrella in her colorful rum-based drink. She contemplated the glorious island sunset. It was the same color as her drink.
“Spalding planned to go to work for this Nightshade bunch that Jones told you about?” she said.
“Jones says Nightshade is a group of talents who have developed some kind of formula that enhances a person’s natural paranormal abilities,” Judson said.
Nick’s platinum brows shot up. “Cool.”
“Not so cool, according to Jones,” Judson said. “Apparently, there are some major side effects, the kind that make ’roid rage look like a common cold. Also some serious withdrawal issues. Skip even a few doses and a user will sink rapidly into insanity. Suicide is the usual result. Jones and Jones has an antidote, but no one ever calls for it. Nightshade would prefer not to leave any trail.”
“Damn,” Nick said. “Why does there always have to be a downside? Guess we now know what happened to the two guys you took down here on the island before you went on that last dive.”
“Yes, I think so,” Judson said.
“They ended up in the local hospital,” Gwen said. “Their boss was dead. You were swimming for your life, and there was no one around to give them a dose of the drug or call this J-and-J outfit.” She sighed. “How sad.”
“Except for the part where they murdered one guy and tried to kill me,” Judson said.
“Except for that part,” she agreed.
“I got the strong impression from Fallon Jones that Nightshade has a company-wide policy of abandoning its agents who are unlucky enough to get caught,” Judson said.
Elias whistled softly. “Tough outfit.”
They watched the sunset in silence for a while. The men drank their beers. Gwen sipped her umbrella drink. After a while, she looked at Judson.
“Sounds like your former client, Spalding, and his two men sold their souls to this devil called Nightshade,” she said.
“According to Fallon Jones, his chief client, an organization called Arcane, has been trying to control rogue talents, including Nightshade, since the Victorian era,” Judson said. “We stumbled into the middle of a turf war that has been going on in the shadows for more than a century.”
Elias snorted. “More like they stumbled into us.”
“Regardless of your point of view, contact has been made,” Judson said. “And early indications are that the Coppersmiths and this J-and-J agency are on the same side.”
“Or maybe just temporary allies,” Elias said. “There’s a hell of a lot we still don’t know about this Arcane bunch.”
Judson’s smile was cold. “And a hell of a lot they don’t know about us.”
“And it’s going to stay that way,” Elias said. His voice was flat and hard.
“Right,” Judson agreed.
“Hey, everyone’s got secrets,” Nick observed. “Doesn’t mean you can’t do business together.”
“No,” Judson said. He drank a little more beer and lowered the bottle. “It doesn’t mean that at all.”
Gwen sensed the energy in the atmosphere and smiled. She was feeling it, too, she thought.
“I get the impression that this Fallon Jones person may have suggested a business arrangement of some sort?” she said.
Judson watched the hot sunset streak the sky. “Jones mentioned that his agents work on a contract basis. He brought up the fact that he could use the expertise and the vast resources of an experienced security consulting firm that had global connections and a very solid cover.”
Elias paused his beer in midair. “Vast resources?”
“He recognized the Coppersmith name,” Judson said.
“Huh.” Elias thought about that. “Well, he’s right about one thing. Coppersmith, Inc., would make a hell of a cover. Our business interests give us an excuse to go just about anywhere in the world at any time. Hell, we’ve got our own jets, our own helicopters, our own ships.”
“It occurs to me,” Gwen continued, “that Coppersmith Consulting is in need of a new client to replace the one that recently went out of business.”
“That occurred to me, as well,” Judson said.
“If you’re taking on a new client, you’re going to need to hire some new talent,” Gwen said. “Someone who can talk to ghosts at crime scenes, for example.”
“And maybe a guy who can get through locked doors,” Nick said. “One who can hack into just about any computer. Someone with connections in places where those ritzy Coppersmiths generally don’t hang out.”
His tone was as cool and cynical as ever, but Gwen recognized the hope and longing just beneath the surface. Like her, Nick was looking for a place he could call home, a place where he belonged. He was searching for a family of his own.
Judson smiled at Gwen and Nick. “Coppersmith Consulting is hiring, and the firm could use your talents.”
Nick nodded once, satisfied. “Just so you know, since I’ve been assisting your father, I’ve developed a taste for first class when it comes to travel and accommodations. That corporate-jet thing sure is convenient.”
“I’ve created a monster,” Elias said. “But his B-and-E skills make him worth it.”
Forty-seven
That night, Judson made love to her beneath a brilliant Caribbean moon that splashed the sea with silver light. Gwen abandoned herself to his touch, savoring the tenderness and the power that he brought to the bed they shared. But it was the sense of intimacy that flared between them that she would treasure all the days of her life.
When it was over, Judson rolled onto his back and pulled her down across his damp, heated body.
“I love you, Dream Eyes,” he said. “I have since that night in Seattle.”
She laughed. “You were looking for some hot sex that night because you thought it would take your mind off the dreams.”
“That’s what I told myself at the time, but when I didn’t get the hot sex, I realized I was wrong.”
/> “And just how did you figure that out?”
He smiled and twined a strand of her hair around his finger. “Because it dawned on me that if I couldn’t have hot sex with you, I didn’t want to have it with anyone else, even if it meant that I wouldn’t get a break from the dreams. How long is it going to take for you to figure out that you love me?”
“Oh, I fell in love with you that night, too,” she said.
“Is that right?” He looked pleased.
“I knew from the start that you were the one I’d been waiting for. But I screwed up our first date when I offered to fix your dreams, didn’t I? You got pissed off and disappeared to Eclipse Bay.”
“You felt sorry for me because of the dreams. Pity was the last thing I wanted from you.”
“I knew you were having a few dream issues and I was sympathetic, sure. I also knew I could probably fix your dreams. But that had nothing to do with falling in love with you.”
“You’re positive?”
“I told you,” she said. “I never sleep with clients. I certainly don’t fall in love with them, either. I love you, Judson. I have from the start and I always will.”
“Glad we got that settled.” He smiled and framed her face between his hands. “I could only think about two things that month in Eclipse Bay—you and that damn recurring dream. It was only a matter of time before I went looking for you. But I told myself I needed to clear up the dream issues first. Then Sam called and told me that you had a problem.”
“What a coincidence. I spent that month telling myself that I would see you at the wedding,” Gwen said. She touched one fingertip to the corner of his mouth. “I had a cunning plan.”
Judson’s eyes gleamed with laughter. “What was your cunning plan?”
“I wasn’t going to say a word about your dream issues at the wedding. I was going to pretend that I couldn’t see a thing wrong in your aura. Instead of talking about my terrific skills as a psychic counselor, I was going to try to seduce you instead.”
“A very cunning plan, all right. I can guarantee you that it would have been successful, too.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Without a doubt,” he assured her. “I can prove it.”
“How?”
“You can try your cunning plan on me right now and we’ll see if it works.”
“What a brilliant idea.”
She kissed him there in the moonlight and put her cunning plan into action.
The results were extraordinary.
Forty-eight
The day of the wedding had been made-to-order for an outdoor ceremony. Legacy Island was bathed in the warm glow of a summer light that was unique to the San Juans. But it seemed to Gwen that the Coppersmith family compound at Copper Beach was illuminated with a little extra energy.
The sun flashed on the surface of the sea. The air was so crystalline that the small, neighboring islands appeared to be within touching distance. And as if hired by the wedding planner to make the picture-postcard scene perfect, a pod of majestic orcas cavorted offshore. They danced in and out of the water as though their sleek, black-and-white, multi-ton bodies were weightless.
“You look beautiful,” Gwen whispered to Abby.
They were in a small alcove of the old mansion that Abby and Sam now called home. Gwen was making final adjustments to the elegant folds of Abby’s satin and lace gown. Through the open French doors they could see that the rows of linen-draped folding chairs on the groom’s side of the aisle were filled.
In addition to the Coppersmith family and friends, all of the local residents of the island had been invited to the ceremony and the reception. Judging by the throng, Gwen was sure that everyone on Legacy had accepted the invitation.
But the bride’s side was not empty. True, Girard, the wedding planner, had discreetly packed that side by ensuring that many of the locals were seated there. But Abby’s stepbrother and her half sisters had shown up. Her father and stepmother had sent regrets, but given that they were currently locked in the midst of a nasty divorce, that had not come as a surprise to anyone, least of all Abby.
Gwen knew that Abby had been genuinely touched when a handful of her reclusive rare book clients arrived. Grady Hastings, a young man who had been involved in the case that had brought Abby and Sam together, was also present.
“Why am I nervous?” Abby asked. “I shouldn’t be nervous.”
“Brides are always nervous,” Gwen said.
“How would you know that? You’ve never been a bride. Wait until it’s your turn. We’ll see who’s nervous.”
Nick appeared at the entrance to the alcove where Abby and Gwen waited. He always looked good, Gwen thought. But he was especially dashing and sophisticated in his new, elegantly cut tux.
He smiled at Abby and Gwen. In a rare show of emotion, moisture glinted in his eyes.
“I have the most beautiful sisters in the world,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically husky.
“And we have the most handsome brother on the planet,” Gwen said.
“I’m happy for you, Abby,” Nick said. “You’re getting a real family.”
“I’ve already got a real family—you and Gwen are as real as it gets,” Abby said. “I couldn’t ask for a better family. I’m just adding on a husband and a few new relatives today.”
“Things will be different now, though,” Nick said.
“No, they won’t.” Abby stepped forward and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Nothing will ever change what the three of us have.”
“We will always be family,” Gwen said. She kissed Nick’s other cheek and stood back.
“Okay, then.” Nick looked satisfied. He blinked away the sheen of tears and offered his arm to Abby. “Let’s do this. I think Sam is getting nervous.”
“Nothing makes Sam nervous,” Abby said.
“Trust me, the possibility that you might run off and leave him standing at the altar is more than enough to scare the living daylights out of him,” Nick said. “Speaking personally, I sort of enjoy that look of incipient panic in his eyes.”
Gwen smiled. “But it’s not going to last long because Abby is not going to leave him at the altar.”
“No.” Abby wrapped one white-gloved hand around Nick’s arm. “Never.”
The musical cue sounded.
“Here we go,” Gwen said. She gave Abby one last sisterly kiss, careful not to spoil the bride’s makeup, and picked up the basket of flowers.
Sam was waiting at the altar but he was not alone. His best man, Judson, was there, as well.
Judson never took his eyes off her as she walked slowly and serenely down the aisle to take up her place as maid of honor. She smiled at him from beneath the brim of her flower-and-bow-trimmed hat. The heat of love burned in his eyes.
* * *
SOMETIME LATER, GWEN stood just inside one of the large, white tents that had been set up for the reception and watched the bridal couple finish the first waltz.
“Got to hand it to Girard.” Nick swirled champagne in his glass. “He pulled the whole thing off without a hitch.”
“If you ask me, that man should be commanding troops,” Judson said. “The military missed out when Girard decided to go into the wedding planner business.”
“He did command troops for a while,” Nick said. “Girard was in the Marines for ten years.”
Judson smiled appreciatively. “I believe it. Not everyone can get away with telling a bunch of Coppersmiths and the entire population of Legacy Island what to do and how to do it. Between you and me, is Girard his real name?”
“Can’t tell you that,” Nick said. He sipped his champagne and lowered the glass. “I was sworn to secrecy on the subject. Now, if you want to discuss his tats—”
“No,” Judson said. “I don’t.”
“Pity,” Nick said. “Real works of art.”
“I think it’s time to change the focus of this conversation,” Gwen said firmly. “Tats and names aside, G
irard produced an absolutely gorgeous wedding. Of course, it helps that Abby and Sam are so perfect for each other. Look at the way they’re gazing into each other’s eyes. You can feel the good energy from here.”
The waltz came to a slow, elegant stop. The crowd cheered when Sam kissed Abby. Then, abruptly, the musicians changed tempo, the signal that everyone was invited to dance.
Nick put down his wineglass with grave deliberation. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to ask Girard to dance. He’ll probably give me some static because he’s very conscious of his responsibilities and position as the planner.”
“Tell him I said that at a Coppersmith wedding, everyone dances,” Judson said, “including the wedding planner.”
Nick flashed a brilliant smile. “Thanks. I’ll do that.”
He glided away through the crowd.
Judson took Gwen’s hand.
“Dance with me, Dream Eyes?” he asked.
“Certainly.” She let him lead her out onto the crowded floor. “I’ll even promise not to crash your dreams while we dance.”
He pulled her into his arms. “You’re welcome in my dreams anytime.” He tightened his arms around her. “I love you, Dream Eyes.”
“I love you, Judson.”
The Phoenix stone on Judson’s hand burned with the heat of summer light and the fire of love.
• • •
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Jayne Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes
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