can handle things at the club until it opens. I don't have to put in an appearance until at least six o'clock.'
'Mariko?'
'Mariko Inamura. My assistant manager. The best thing that's happened to me since I came to Japan. She's smart, trustworthy, and works like a demon.'
Alex repeated the name to himself until he was sure that he would remember it. If he had a chance to talk with Mariko, she might inadvertently reveal more about her boss than he could learn from Joanna herself.
'Well,' he said, 'if you're sure you have the time, I'd like nothing better than a tour.'
He had expected to make up his mind about her during lunch, but he had reached no conclusions.
Her uncommonly dark blue eyes seemed to grow darker still. He stared into them, entranced.
Joanna Rand or Lisa Chelgrin?
He couldn't decide which.
----
8
At Joanna's request, the hostess at Mizutani telephoned the Sogo Taxi Company. The cab arrived in less than five minutes, a black car with red lettering.
Joanna was delighted with the driver. No one could have been better suited than he was for the little tour that she had in mind. He was a wrinkled, white-haired old man with an appealing smile that lacked one tooth. He sensed romance between her and Alex, so he interrupted their conversation only to make certain that they didn't miss special scenery here and there, using his rearview mirror to glance furtively at them, always with bright-eyed approval.
For more than an hour, at the driver's discretion, they cruised the ancient city. Joanna drew Alex's attention to interesting houses and temples, and she kept up a stream of patter about Japanese history and architecture. He smiled, laughed frequently, and asked questions about what he was seeing. But he looked at her as much as at the city, and again she felt the incredible power of his dark eyes and direct stare.
They were stopped at a traffic light near the National Museum when he said, 'Your accent intrigues me.'
She blinked. 'What accent?'
'It isn't New York, is it?'
'I wasn't aware I had an accent.'
'No, it's certainly not New York. Boston?'
'I've never been to Boston.'
'It's not Boston, anyway. Difficult to pin down. Maybe there's a slight trace of British English in it. Maybe that's it.'
'I hope not,' Joanna said. 'I've always disliked Americans who assume an English accent after living a few years there. So phony.'
'It's not English.' He studied her while he pondered the problem, and as the cab started up again, he said, 'I know what it sounds like! Chicago.'
'You're from Chicago, and I don't sound like you.'
'Oh, but you do. Just a little. A very little.'
'Not at all. And I've never been to Chicago, either.'
'You must have lived somewhere in Illinois,' he insisted.
Suddenly his smile seemed to be false, maintained only with considerable effort.
'No,' she said. 'I've never been to Illinois.'
He shrugged. 'Then I'm wrong.' He pointed to a building ahead, on the left. 'That's an odd-looking place. What is it?'
Joanna resumed her role as his guide, although with the uneasy feeling that the questions about her accent had not been casual. That sudden turn in the conversation had a purpose that eluded her.
A shiver passed through Joanna, and it felt like an echo of the chills that she endured every night, when waking from the nightmare.
----
9
At Nijo Castle, they paid the cab fare and continued sightseeing on foot. Turning away from the small Sogo taxi as it roared off into traffic, they followed three other tourists toward the palace's huge iron-plated East Gate.
Joanna glanced at Alex and saw that he was impressed. 'It's something, huh?'
'Now this is my idea of a castle!' Then he shook his head. 'But it
'Mariko?'
'Mariko Inamura. My assistant manager. The best thing that's happened to me since I came to Japan. She's smart, trustworthy, and works like a demon.'
Alex repeated the name to himself until he was sure that he would remember it. If he had a chance to talk with Mariko, she might inadvertently reveal more about her boss than he could learn from Joanna herself.
'Well,' he said, 'if you're sure you have the time, I'd like nothing better than a tour.'
He had expected to make up his mind about her during lunch, but he had reached no conclusions.
Her uncommonly dark blue eyes seemed to grow darker still. He stared into them, entranced.
Joanna Rand or Lisa Chelgrin?
He couldn't decide which.
----
8
At Joanna's request, the hostess at Mizutani telephoned the Sogo Taxi Company. The cab arrived in less than five minutes, a black car with red lettering.
Joanna was delighted with the driver. No one could have been better suited than he was for the little tour that she had in mind. He was a wrinkled, white-haired old man with an appealing smile that lacked one tooth. He sensed romance between her and Alex, so he interrupted their conversation only to make certain that they didn't miss special scenery here and there, using his rearview mirror to glance furtively at them, always with bright-eyed approval.
For more than an hour, at the driver's discretion, they cruised the ancient city. Joanna drew Alex's attention to interesting houses and temples, and she kept up a stream of patter about Japanese history and architecture. He smiled, laughed frequently, and asked questions about what he was seeing. But he looked at her as much as at the city, and again she felt the incredible power of his dark eyes and direct stare.
They were stopped at a traffic light near the National Museum when he said, 'Your accent intrigues me.'
She blinked. 'What accent?'
'It isn't New York, is it?'
'I wasn't aware I had an accent.'
'No, it's certainly not New York. Boston?'
'I've never been to Boston.'
'It's not Boston, anyway. Difficult to pin down. Maybe there's a slight trace of British English in it. Maybe that's it.'
'I hope not,' Joanna said. 'I've always disliked Americans who assume an English accent after living a few years there. So phony.'
'It's not English.' He studied her while he pondered the problem, and as the cab started up again, he said, 'I know what it sounds like! Chicago.'
'You're from Chicago, and I don't sound like you.'
'Oh, but you do. Just a little. A very little.'
'Not at all. And I've never been to Chicago, either.'
'You must have lived somewhere in Illinois,' he insisted.
Suddenly his smile seemed to be false, maintained only with considerable effort.
'No,' she said. 'I've never been to Illinois.'
He shrugged. 'Then I'm wrong.' He pointed to a building ahead, on the left. 'That's an odd-looking place. What is it?'
Joanna resumed her role as his guide, although with the uneasy feeling that the questions about her accent had not been casual. That sudden turn in the conversation had a purpose that eluded her.
A shiver passed through Joanna, and it felt like an echo of the chills that she endured every night, when waking from the nightmare.
----
9
At Nijo Castle, they paid the cab fare and continued sightseeing on foot. Turning away from the small Sogo taxi as it roared off into traffic, they followed three other tourists toward the palace's huge iron-plated East Gate.
Joanna glanced at Alex and saw that he was impressed. 'It's something, huh?'
'Now this is my idea of a castle!' Then he shook his head. 'But it
Similar Books
Armando Returns (Barboza Brothers)
Reeni Austin
Heart of Ice
Carolyn Keene
Boy Crucified
Jerome Wilde
Watching You
Michael Robotham
The Dark Between
Sonia Gensler
The Ambushers
Donald Hamilton
Aztlan: The Last Sun
Michael Jan Friedman
Fight
London Casey, Ana W. Fawkes
Tales of the City 04 - Babycakes
Armistead Maupin