The Right Path Part 12

She'd be safe now, she told herself as she fought the panic. He'd keep her safe.

"Pul yourself together, Morgan," Nick ordered curtly, "and tel me what happened." "Can't ..." She tried to burrow herself into him. In one quick move he jerked her away, shaking her. "I said tel me." His voice was cold, emotionless. He knew only one way to deal with hysteria, and her breath was stil rising in gasps.

Dazed by the tone of his voice, she tried again, then jolted, clinging to him when she heard the sound of footsteps.

"Hel o. Am I intruding?" Andrew's cheerful voice came from behind her, but she didn't look back. The trembling wouldn't stop.

Why was he angry with her? Why wasn't he helping her? The questions whirled in her head as she tried to catch her breath. Oh, G.o.d, she needed him to help her.

"Is something wrong?" Andrew's tone mirrored both concern and curiosity as he noted Nick's black expression and Morgan's shaking form. "I'm not sure." Nick forced himself not to curse his cousin and spoke briefly. "Morgan was running across the beach. I haven't been able to get anything out of her yet." He drew her away, his fingers digging roughly in her skin as she tried to hold firm. She saw nothing in his face but cool curiosity. "Now, Morgan"

-there was an edge of steel now-"tel me."

"Over there." Her teeth began to chatter as the next stage of reaction set in. Swal owing, she clamped them together while her eyes pleaded with him. His remained hard and relentless on hers. "Near the cove." The effort of the two short sentences swam in her head. She leaned toward him again. "Nicholas, please."

"I'l have a look." He grabbed her arms, dragging them away from him, wis.h.i.+ng he didn't see what she was asking of him-knowing he couldn't give it to her.

"Don't leave, please!" Desperate, she grabbed for him again only to be shoved roughly into Andrew's arms.

"d.a.m.n it, get her calmed down," Nick bit off, tasting his own fury. She had no right-no right to ask for things he couldn't give. He had no right-no right to want to give them to her. He swore again, low and pungent under his breath as he turned away.

"Nicholas!" Morgan struggled out of Andrew's arms, but Nick was already walking away. She pressed a hand to her mouth to stop herself from cal ing him again. He never looked back. Arms encircled her. Not Nick's. She could feel the gentle comfort of Andrew as he drew her against his chest. Her fingers gripped his sweater. Not Nick.

"Here now." Andrew brought a hand to her hair. "I had hoped to entice you into this position under different circ.u.mstances." "Oh, Andrew." The soft words and tender stroking had the ice of shock breaking into tears. "Andrew, it was so horrible."

"Tel me what happened, Morgan. Say it fast. It'l be easier then." His tone was quiet and coaxing as he stroked her hair. Morgan gave a shuddering sigh.

"There's a body at the mouth of the cave."

"A body!" He drew her back to stare into her face. "Good G.o.d! Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes, I saw-I was ..." She covered her face with her hands a moment until she thought she could speak. "Easy, take it easy," he murmured. "And let it come out."

"I was col ecting shel s in the inlet. I saw the cave. I was going to peek inside, then I ..." She shuddered once, then continued. "Then I saw the face- under the water."

"Oh, Morgan." He drew her into his arms again and held her tight. He didn't say any more, but in silence gave her everything she had needed. When the tears stopped, he kept her close.

Nick moved rapidly across the sand. His frown deepened as he saw Morgan molded in his cousin's arms. As he watched, Andrew bent down to kiss her hair.

A smal fire leaped inside him that he smothered quickly.

"Andrew, take Morgan up to the Theoharis vil a and phone the authorities. One of the vil agers has had a fatal accident."

Nodding, Andrew continued to stroke Morgan's hair. "Yes, she told me. Terrible that she had to find it." He swal owed what seemed to be his own revulsion. "Are you coming?"

Nick looked down as Morgan turned her face to his. He hated the look in her eyes as she stared at him-the blankness, the hurt. She wouldn't forgive him easily for this. "No, I'l stay and make sure no one else happens across it. Morgan ..." He touched her shoulders, detesting himself. There was no response, her eyes were dry now, and empty. "You'l be al right. Andrew wil take you home."

Without a word, Morgan turned her face away again.

His control slipped a bit as Nick shot Andrew a hard glance. "Take care of her."

"Of course," Andrew murmured, puzzled by the tone. "Come on, Morgan, lean on me."

Nick watched them mount the beach steps. When they were out of sight, he went back to search the body.

Seated in the salon, her horror dul ed with Alex's best brandy, Morgan studied Captain Tripolos of Mitilini's police department. He was short, with his build spreading into comfortable lines that stopped just short of fat. His gray hair was careful y slicked to conceal its spa.r.s.eness. His eyes were dark and sharp. Through the haze of brandy and shock, Morgan recognized a man with the tenacity of a bul dog.

"Miss James." The captain spoke in quick, staccato English. "I hope you understand, I must ask you some questions. It is routine."

"Couldn't it wait?" Andrew was stationed next to Morgan on the sofa. As he spoke he slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Miss James has had a nasty shock."

"No, Andrew, it's al right." Morgan laid her hand over his. "I'd rather be done with it. I understand, Captain." She gave him a straight look which he admired.

"I'l tel you whatever I can."

"Efxaristo." He licked the end of his pencil, settled himself in his chair, and smiled with his mouth only. "Perhaps you could start by tel ing me exactly what happened this morning, from the time you arose."

Morgan began to recount the morning as concisely as she could. She spoke mechanical y, with her hands limp and stil in her lap. Though her voice trembled once or twice, Tripolos noted that her eyes stayed on his. She was a strong one, he decided, relieved that she wasn't putting him to the inconvenience of tears or jumbled hysterics.

"Then I saw him under the water." Morgan accepted Andrew's hand with grat.i.tude. "I ran." Tripolos nodded. "You were up very early. Is this your habit?"

"No. But I woke up and had an impulse to walk on the beach." "Did you see anyone?"

"No." A shudder escaped, but her gaze didn't falter. She went up another notch in Tripolos's admiration. "Not until Nicholas and Andrew."

"Nicholas? Ah, Mr. Gregoras." He s.h.i.+fted his eyes to where Nick sprawled on a sofa across the room with Alex and Liz. "Had you ever seen the ... deceased before?"

"No." Her hand tightened convulsively on Andrew's as the white face floated in front of her eyes. With a desperate effort of wil , she forced the image away.

"I've only been here a few days and I haven't been far from the vil a yet." "You're visiting from America?"

"Yes."

He made a quiet cluck of sympathy. "What a pity a murder had to blight your vacation."

"Murder?" Morgan repeated. The word echoed in her head as she stared into Tripolos's calm eyes. "But I thought ... wasn't it an accident?" "No." Tripolos glanced idly down at his notepad. "No, the victim was stabbed-in the back," he added with distaste. It was as if he considered murder one matter and backstabbing another. "I hope I won't have to disturb you again." He rose and bowed over her hand. "Did you find many shel s this morning, Miss James?"

"Yes I-I gathered quite a few." She felt compel ed to reach in her jacket pocket and produce some. "I thought they were ... lovely."

"Yes." He smiled, then turned to the others. "I regret we wil have to question everyone on their whereabouts from last evening to this morning. Of course,"

he continued with a shrug, "we wil no doubt find the murder was a result of a vil age quarrel, but with the body found so close to both vil as ..." He trailed off as he pocketed his pad and pencil. "One of you might recal some smal incident that wil help settle the matter."

Settle the matter? Morgan thought on a wave of hysteria. Settle the matter. But a man's dead. I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming. "Easy, Morgan," Andrew whispered in her ear. "Have another sip." Gently, he urged the brandy back to her lips.

"You have our complete cooperation, Captain," Alex stated, and rose. "It isn't pleasant for any of us to have such a thing happen so near our homes. It's particularly upsetting that a guest of mine should have found the man."

"I understand, of course." Tripolos nodded wearily, rubbing a hand over his square chin. "It would be less confusing if I spoke with you one at a time. Perhaps we could use your office?"

"I'l show you where it is." Alex gestured to the door. "You can speak to me first if you like."

"Thank you." Tripolos gave the room a general bow before retreating behind Alex. Morgan watched his slow, measured steps. He'd haunt a man to the grave she thought, and shakily swal owed the rest of the brandy.

"I need a drink," Liz announced, moving toward the liquor cabinet. "A double.

Anyone else?"

Nick's eyes skimmed briefly over Morgan. "Whatever you're having." He gestured with his hand, signaling Liz to refil Morgan's gla.s.s.

"I don't see why he has to question us." Iona moved to the bar, too impatient to wait for Liz to pour. "It's absurd. Alex should have refused. He has enough influence to avoid al of this." She poured something potent into a tal gla.s.s and drank half of it down.

"There's no reason for Alex to avoid anything." Liz handed Nick his drink before splas.h.i.+ng another generous portion of brandy into Morgan's gla.s.s. "We have nothing to hide. What can I fix you, Dorian?"

"Hide? I said nothing about hiding," Iona retorted as she swirled around the room.

"I don't want to answer that policeman's sil y questions just because she was foolish enough to stumble over some vil ager's body," she said, gesturing toward Morgan.