He smiled cheerfully. "Then let Tanek do it. Serve him right."

Drawing and quartering would serve him right. "I won't be dependent on him."

"Then I'll be your creditor until this mess is straightened out."

Her anger against him ebbed away. She had no doubt that it had been Tanek alone who had been the instigator. Joel was an honest man trying to do what was best for her. "Thanks, Joel. But you know I can't do that. I'll have to call my lawyer and see if I can get him to release some of my trust fund."

"Will you think about it for a few days? There's no hurry. You won't be ready for release until next week. I want to take a few more X rays to make sure the bones have knit properly."

"I've been here over three months. I thought you kept only your VIP patients until they were entirely healed."

"And the ones who have no place to go."

Her smile faded. No place to go. No one to go home to. Loneliness.

"Which brings me around to something Tania and I discussed last night. We'd like you to come and stay with us when you leave here. It will give you a chance to get your bearings."

She instantly shook her head. "You don't have to-"

"I don't have to do anything." Joel grinned. "But you'll keep Tania busy, and that will be a boon. She makes my life miserable when she's able to focus her entire concentration on me. We'd be grateful if you'd come."

Relief rushed over her. She had been dreading staying in an impersonal hotel room while she tried to work out a plan. "Then perhaps for a day or so. Thank you."

"Good. Then I'll tell Tania she doesn't have to come in and nag you. Nagging from Tania is enough to give anyone a setback." He stood up. "Now, get some sleep. Do I need to prescribe something to help you?"

"No." Drugs would make her sleep deeply, and sleep always brought the dreams. If she slept lightly, she could sometimes escape from them into wakefulness. "I'll be fine."

She didn't fall asleep for a long time after Joel left. Her anger was slowly dispersing. The shock of learning she was thought to be dead had generated outrage, as if Tanek had stripped her of her background, the foundation that made her who she was.

Or had that foundation already been torn away? She was no longer that woman on Medas, nor the child who had grown up in North Carolina.

Joel had asked her to think about it. All right, consider the consequences. What if everyone did think she had died? On the surface it would be a disaster. She would have no credit cards, no driver's license, no passport. She would not be able to touch the money her mother had left her, so she would be totally without funds. Personally? It was not as if she would be missed. She had no family and she had lost track of the friends she had made in college when she married Richard. He dominated her life from that moment and she'd had no time to form other bonds.

Dominated? She instinctively shied away from the word and then forced herself to come back and look at it. No more lies. No more hiding. It may have been a benevolent dictatorship, but Richard had dominated her. He had not wanted her to have other ties; therefore, she had none.

Now being alone might be an advantage. She would be able to move more freely if everyone thought she was dead. The threat toward her as a target should also be lessened.

If she had been a target. Perhaps Kabler was right and she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nothing else made sense.

But Tanek had not thought chance had anything to do with the attack on her.

Why should she believe Tanek but not Kabler? Tanek was a criminal and Kabler was a respectable officer of the law. The answer must lie in that overwhelming aura of quiet self-confidence surrounding Tanek. She should ignore it and listen to Kabler's more reasonable explanation.

She could not ignore it. Because she did believe Tanek. What did she care if he was a criminal? The only thing that mattered was that he knew about Gardeaux and Maritz and could help her to get to them. It might even be better for her that he was a criminal. Tanek didn't care about the law or the rules by which Kabler was bound. He offered her what Kabler had said was impossible.

Retribution.

"Kabler was here today," Joel said into the phone. "So much for you keeping him off my back."

"He got to Nell?" Nicholas asked.

"According to Phil, he cornered her in the gym. Kabler told her that she was no longer among the living."

"And her reaction?"

"She tore a strip off me. She wants to start the paperwork to come back from the dead."

"Talk her out of it."

"I'm going to let you do that. You'd better be here in three days. I'm releasing her."

"I'll be there."

"What, no argument?"

"Why should I argue? I knew I'd have to do battle with her. I just hoped time would dull her determination."

"Then you have a surprise coming. Tania says she's-well, you'll see for yourself." He paused before adding slyly, "By the way, I may have to replace your Junot as head of security. He obviously did a piss-ant job of keeping Kabler out of the clinic."

"I told him to let Kabler in."

"What?"

"Kabler's a shrewd man. I knew there was a probability he wouldn't be convinced Nell was dead and make the connection between St. Joseph's and your clinic in Woodsdale. I told Junot if he showed, he wasn't to be intercepted."

"Why in hell?"

"We had more to lose than gain. She was well enough to survive interrogation, and Kabler has bloodhound instincts. Once he gets on the trail, he doesn't stop until he trees the quarry. By letting him inveigle his way through Junot's security, we made him feel in control. He treed Nell and got what he wanted. Now he'll leave her alone."

"And what if he'd decided to take her from the clinic?"

"Why, then Phil and Junot would have stopped him." Nicholas's tone was gentle. "Discreetly, of course."

"Of course," Joel said caustically. "I don't suppose it occurred to you to let me know what you'd planned. It's only my clinic and my security."

"Why worry you? It might not have happened. Kabler might have taken Nell's death at face value. Besides, Junot was very disturbed at even the pretense that his system could be breached. I nobly decided to take the entire blame on my shoulders."

Joel snorted.

"I refuse to have my motives maligned," Nicholas said. "I'm hanging up. I'll see you in three days."

Six.

Nell wasn't in her room when Nicholas arrived at the clinic.

"She's working out in the gym," Joel said behind him. "Come on, I'll take you to her."

Nicholas turned. "I thought she'd be getting ready to leave. Have I got the wrong day?"

"I told her I'd release her at noon. She's not about to waste time lolling about when she could spend it exercising. The gym hasn't gotten so much use since that Russian gymnast was here."

Nicholas followed him from the room. "How is she doing?"

"Physically she couldn't be better. Mentally ..."

"Yes?"

He shrugged. "She behaves normally. She's even started to occasionally joke with Phil. If she has bouts of depression, she doesn't let anyone know about it."

"Not even Tania? You said they were close."

"Not as far as I know."

"But you're afraid she's bottling everything up inside her?"

"No question, but there's nothing I can do to prevent it. We'll just have to hope she doesn't shatter at the wrong time." He glanced at Nicholas. "You haven't seen my handiwork yet. I think you'll approve."

"I know I will. You've always done good work."

"But Tania says Nell is exceptional. Of course, she's really complimenting herself." He opened the door of the gym. "She gave me the blueprint."

Nell was alone in the cavernous room, her back turned to them as she did chin-ups on the wooden bar against the opposite wall. She was dressed in white shorts and a loose sweatshirt, and she looked taller than he remembered. No, not taller. Sleeker, leaner, stronger. She hadn't heard them come in, and he could sense a concentration that was nearly tangible as she slowly raised and lowered herself.

"Christ, is she always this intense?" Nicholas asked softly.

"No, most of the time she's more intense. She must be having an off day." Joel raised his voice. "Nell."

"In a minute," she called. She finished the set and dropped lightly from the bar. She turned to face them.

Nicholas inhaled sharply. "What the hell blueprint did Tania give you?" he muttered.

"Helen of Troy. Unforgettable but vulnerable." He smiled with satisfaction as he watched Nell come toward them. "I did good, didn't I?"

"Good? You just may have created a monster."

"I don't think it's had any detrimental psychological effect. It doesn't seem to mean much to her. Tania said she needed a face to open new doors for her."

"It depends on what's on the other side of those doors." He stepped forward to meet her. "Hello, Nell. You're looking very fit."

Nell pulled the hand towel tucked into her shorts and wiped the sweat from her face. "I am fit. I'm getting stronger every day." She turned to Joel. "You didn't tell me he was coming."

"He wants to talk to you." He smiled. "And you've done enough for this morning." He turned and headed for the door. "I'll see you after lunch."

"I wanted to talk to you too," she said as soon as the door closed behind Joel. "Mr. Kabler was here."

"I know. Joel told me. Did he disturb you?"

"No, he was very polite. He didn't even ask many questions."

Nicholas felt a flicker of surprise. "No? That's odd. Kabler usually digs like a ferret."

"He seemed to wish to reassure himself that you hadn't murdered me." She paused. "And to warn me you were a criminal and not to be trusted."

He lifted a brow. "Really?"

"I don't care if you're a criminal, but it does matter if I can trust you. Tania says you always keep your word. Do you?"

"Yes." He smiled faintly. "But don't endow me with any false virtues. I've always found honesty is good business."

"Honesty?"

"My version. I keep my word and I play by the rules of the game in motion. It's important that everyone know where they are with me."

"And where am I with you?" She met his gaze. "You're no philanthropist, and yet you've taken the trouble to bring me here. You've even tried to pay my bills. It might make sense if you thought I could be of use to you, but you're refusing my help."

"I don't need your help."

"Well, I need yours," she said bluntly. "Perhaps need is too strong a word. If you won't help me, I'll still find a way, but it would be faster if you'd help me." Her hands clenched into fists. "I won't be a goat for the slaughter and I won't get in your way. If you won't help me any other way, tell me what I need to know. I'll do the rest."

He was again aware of that terrible intensity she was emanating. "Do you know how many men Gardeaux surrounds himself with?"

"I know that one of them is Maritz."

"Who has killed more men than he can remember. No, I take it back, he remembers every one because he enjoys it. And then there's Rivil, who killed his own mother because she forbade him to join a teenage gang in Rome. Ken Brady considers himself a great lover. Unfortunately, he not only likes to screw women, he likes to hurt them. Gardeaux had to pay a tidy sum to keep them from putting Brady away for a long time when he decided to cut the nipples off his last mistress."

"Are you trying to shock me?"

"Dammit, I'm trying to show you that you're out of your depth."

"You're only showing me that you know Gardeaux and his men very well. Will you tell me more about them?"

He stared at her in exasperation. "No."

"Then I'll have to do it myself. I've already found a little about Gardeaux and Bellevigne."

"Kabler?"

"No, I went to the library and accessed Nexis."

"So that's why you were questioning Phil about computers. He'll be disappointed that you used him. He likes you."