Radclyffe - Honor Reclaimed

"It didn't look like it was over." Diane's voice held no hint of censure, only an undertone of sadness. "Of course, you don't owe me any explanation."

"I do." They were inches apart, and Valerie wanted to touch her, as if her flesh could somehow instill in the other woman a belief in the truth of her words. "I'm here, in your home, and I do owe you an explanation."

"I wondered why you hadn't responded to my"—Diane laughed— "not-so-subtle hints that I was interested in you. I hadn't thought to ask if there was someone else. Foolish of me-"

"That wasn't the reason that I didn't respond," Valerie said quietly. "And I wanted to."

"Is it because of.. .Cam?"

Diane stumbled over the words, and Valerie knew that it hurt her to say them. What surprised her was that it hurt her to hear Diane's pain. "I'm sorry. No. It was because I wanted..." She stopped, considered carefully what she was about to say. "I wanted to be sure you never regretted anything that happened between us, And I knew that could never happen until I told you about Cameron."

"Were you going to?"

Valerie hesitated. "I don't know. It's not just me involved."

"You said that Blair knows. So I assume she knew the night of the gallery showing?"

"Yes."

"And you're still alive? Amazing."

"Blair knows her lover."

"Any woman can be tempted," Diane said bitterly. "Believe me, I know."

"Tempted, yes—but anything more than that is not going to happen with Cameron Roberts."

"But you want it to." Diane wrapped her arms around her body just below her breasts, as if to ward off a chill. The room was warm. "I could see from across the room how much you wanted her."

"I did, yes." Valerie drew one leg up onto the sofa so that she could turn and look directly into Diane's face. "I did want her, out there just now. When we ended things, there was a part of me that hadn't said goodbye. I wanted to say goodbye tonight." She extended her arm along the sofa back until her fingertips almost touched Diane's shoulder. "Now I have."

"Is it that easy?" Diane did not move away or lean into Valerie's touch.

"I've just accepted what I've known for a long time. So in a way, yes, it was easy."

"All right."

Valerie stroked Diane's shoulder and then pulled her hand back. "There's something else that you should know. About when Cameron and I were together."

"No, there isn't. Whatever it was or wasn't is none of my business." Diane caught Valerie's hand as she was about to move away. She clasped Valerie's fingers between her own and rubbed her thumb back and forth over Valerie's knuckles. "Why did you come here Tuesday night?"

"To be with you. I don't know why, but I wanted to be with you now. I.. .needed to be with you."

Diane nodded. "I'm glad."

"There are other things I haven't told you," Valerie said quietly.

"There always are."

Chapter Ten

T his is Cameron Roberts. I'd like to speak to the chief of staff, please."

"It's 4:30 in the morning, ma'am," the polite male voice informed her. "I'll be happy to take a message."

"You might want to check your priority list before you do that." Cam heard a rustle of papers. When the duty officer spoke again, he sounded as if he were standing at attention.

"I'll put you right through, ma'am."

"Thank you. Scramble it, please."

"Yes, ma'am."

Within seconds, Lucinda Washburn answered, her voice brisk and sharp. Cam had no doubt she'd been awake.

"Problem, Commander?"

"Call it precaution, ma'am. I'm in Manhattan. I suggest you give Stark a few extra people for this afternoon." Despite the fact that their transmission was scrambled and therefore presumably secure, Cam left nothing to chance where Blair was concerned. She expected that Lucinda would get her meaning without further explanation.

"Any particular reason?"

"Just a feeling."

"That's good enough." Lucinda sighed. "And the Eagle?"

"I imagine Tom will already have that covered." Cam knew that Tom Turner, the president's security chief, would have pulled out all the stops for the president's first public appearance since the attacks. No doubt every FBI agent, Secret Service agent, and NYPD security officer available would be detailed for Andrew Powell's visit to Ground Zero. "But Egret tends to fly far from the nest."

"God, that she does," Lucinda said with a fondness that was apparent even over the line. "You don't have anything specific?"

"I've only been here a few hours, but things are loose at the Aerie. I don't like it."

"Damn. Neither do I. You'll stay close this afternoon?"

Cam smiled, a cold, hard smile. "Count on it"

"I'll see that she leaves here with extra people."

"Thank you. Oh, and one other thing."

"I knew yesterday that you wanted something in particular," Lucinda said. "What is it?"

"Not what, who."

"Let's hear it."

"I want Felicia Davis detailed to me as of today."

"That's going to be difficult. The security clearance will take time, and there's only so much I can do to go around the Justice Department's special investigative committee."

"If we're going to find these people," Cam said with certainty, "it's going to be through some connection to Foster. I need a computer expert for that."

"I can get you someone.. .There is at least one Justice agent who is supposed to be the best they ever had. A bit of a renegade, apparently, but—"

"Won't work," Cam interrupted. "Felicia is one of mine already. She was vulnerable during the assault, just like Stark. She's lucky to be alive. There's no way she's involved."

"I'll see what I can do, but these things don't come free."

"Oh, I know that. If there's some price attached, I'll pay it. Now, as to the other team members—"

Lucinda laughed. "You've been busy since we talked yesterday."

"Things are bad up here," Cam said quietly.

"Yes. Whom do you need?"

Cam told her and waited.

"That shouldn't be a problem. Consider it done unless you hear from me by midday."

"I'll have them working by then."

"Yes," Lucinda said, "I imagine you will. Good hunting, Commander."

*

Cam was thinking about the hunt as she poured her first cup of coffee at a little after seven a.m.

"I see you still remember where the essentials are," Diane said from behind her.

Turning toward the kitchen door, Cam smiled. "Hope you don't mind."

"Mmm, not at all. I like a resourceful woman, especially in the morning." Diane, dressed now in a pale green silk blouse, tan slacks, and low heels, glided across the burnished-steel-and-granite Architectural Digest kitchen to the counter. She reached past Cam for the coffeepot, and in an unusual move, was careful not to touch her.

Despite Diane's casual tone, Cam thought she detected signs of tears beneath her hostess's flawless makeup. "Rough night?"

Diane laughed and shook her head. "Don't you know that's something you should never say to a woman? It suggests either that my age is showing or that I simply look like hell."

"Neither is ever the case," Cam said seriously. "But it has been a hell of a week."

"Oh God, hasn't it?" Diane's hand trembled slightly as she raised the coffee cup to her lips. She sipped and leaned one hip against the counter edge, facing Cam. "Did you sleep at all?"

"Not much." Actually, not at all. After she and Valerie had talked, she'd tossed and turned on the sofa for several hours before retreating to the balcony again in defeat. She'd almost napped on the lounge chair, but the litany of things yet to do kept repeating in the back of her mind and prevented her from slipping completely into sleep. Finally, she'd given up and called Lucinda. Now, showered and dressed in black trousers and a dark polo shirt, she'd exchanged her fatigue for the exigency of the day to come. "Blair is coming up this afternoon with her father."