Desert Heat

“Mrs. Brady?” he said.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“I didn’t want to interrupt you until after you had finished your meal, but I wondered if I could have a word with you?”

Without waiting for her to answer, he pulled out the chair opposite her and eased himself into it.

“Who are you?” Joa

He reached into the vest pocket of his well-cut suit jacket, pulled out a thin leather wallet, and handed it to her. Inside was a gold badge and an identification card showing the man’s picture.

‘My name’s Adam York,” he said, when she handed the wallet back to him. He pocketed it quickly before anyone else in the room had a chance to see it. “I’m the local agent in charge of the DEA. Glad to make your acquaintance.”

He held out his hand, and she shook it.

“What can I do for you, Mr. York?” she asked.

He smiled what seemed to be an ingratiating smile. She noticed that his skin was evenly ta

“Call me Adam, Joa

“Haven’t I seen you someplace before, Mr. York?” Joa

“No,” he said. “I don’t believe so.”

But just then she realized when and where she had seen him before. He had been in and out of the ICU waiting room during the morning, mingling with the people waiting there. She had assumed he was co

She regarded him levelly across the bud vase with its single vibrantly pink dahlia. “That’s not true, Mr. York. I saw you in the waiting room this morning. Why didn’t you speak to me there?”

Caught in the lie, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I thought you’d prefer to meet with me privately,” he said. “I didn’t want to cause you any embarrassment in front of your family and friends.”

“Why would I be embarrassed?” she asked.

“We are meeting under very unfortunate circumstances. I don’t want to be insensitive to your needs, Joa

“Like what?”

When Joa

He realized too late that he had lost the advantage. Somehow she had managed to take the interview initiative away from him, and he needed to get it back.

“I like your ring,” Adam York said casually, without breaking eye contact. His unexpected sideways approach, geared to throw people off guard, worked as expected. Involuntarily Joa

“As I’m sure you know, it was a gift from my husband,” she said evenly. “An a

“It looks expensive.”

“Maybe it is. I wouldn’t know about that,” she returned. “As I told you, it was a gift.”

“Do you know where your husband got it?”

Joa

Adam York smiled his white-toothed smile. Joa

“Oh, come now. Aren’t we being a little obtuse?”

Joa

Joa

She signaled the busboy to bring more coffee. When he did, she picked up the cup with both hands, letting her ring finger rest casually around the brim of the cup. The ring was hers. It had been given to her and she had nothing to hide. She was gratified to see that her hands didn’t betray her with even the slightest tremor.

She offered Adam York a thin smile. “Obtuse?” she asked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Do you have any idea how much that ring of yours cost, Joa

“I told you before, it was a gift. When someone gives you a present, it isn’t polite to ask how much it cost, or didn’t your mother ever teach you that?”

“It cost three thousand four hundred fifty three dollars and twenty two cents,” he said deliberately. “One of my agents checked that with Mr. Young himself in Bisbee early this morning. He let us have a copy of the receipt. It’s paid in full.”

“I don’t understand why the DEA should be interested in the cost of my a

He had expected her to crumple then and start spilling the information that would make it easy to nail Andrew Brady once he was fit to stand trial. Instead, Joa

“I hope your agent showed Mr. Young the kind of respect he deserves,” she continued deliberately. “Hiram Young is a sweet, frail old man. I’d hate to think one of your henchmen gave him a hard time.”

“I can assure you that my agent was unfailingly polite,” Adam York replied.

“I’ll just bet,” Joa

“Would you like to see a copy of the receipt?”

“No, thank you. That’s not necessary.” She, too, could be unfailingly polite. “I’m happy to take your word for it.” This time there was no mistaking the sarcasm.

“So. Is giving your wife a diamond ring for an a

“And where the money came from to buy it,” he said. “Have you checked your bank balance lately, Joa

Adam hoped that by continuing to use her first name, he might a