"Claudia. Her name is Claudia, and what do you know about her, anyway?"

"Rick mentioned her."

Ethan's mellow mood was evaporating fast. "Rick's got a big mouth."

"Guess it's a sensitive subject, seeing how much she's like Bianca."

"Claudia is nothing like Bianca."

"Oh?" Thomas layered a wealth of disbelief into that single syllable. "She's rich. She's blond. And her family doesn't like you."

"Why is everyone so fascinated by hair color?" Ethan jammed his hands in his pockets. "You have no idea if her family likes me or not. h.e.l.l, neither do I. They don't know me."

"You're investigating them, aren't you? Stands to reason."

Especially if he ended up finding evidence that put her brother behind bars. "Look, what's between me and Claudia is just that-between me and Claudia. I didn't come here for advice on my love life."

"I suppose not." Thomas put the locomotive back on the tracks. "Must be work, then."

"I've got a job for you."

"Oh?" Uncle Thomas straightened slightly. "Well, I don't know ... I'm pretty busy around here."

This was another of their little routines. Now and then Ethan had a task that was particularly suited to his uncle's abilities. Thomas always pretended he wasn't interested, but in truth he loved being asked and enjoyed keeping his hand in. "I need a confused old man who people will bend a few rules to help out."

Thomas chuckled. "Nothing like some gray hairs to make folks think you're harmless, and senility covers a mult.i.tude of sins. What do you need this poor old man to find out?"

"I need to find a man named Norblusky. Rick talked to his sister yesterday. He's convinced she knows where her brother is hiding, but he couldn't get a thing out of her."

Thomas settled down on the tall stool by his workbench, smiling with satisfaction. "Rick's good, but he carries that mantle of cop around with him. People don't like talking to cops. Tell me about it-why you need this Norblusky, what his sister is like, why the man's hiding out."

It was a great relief to do just that, much better than discussing his relations.h.i.+p with Claudia. Ethan paced as he briefed his uncle. Then the two of them brainstormed about the best approach to take with Norblusky's sister, who would be doubly on her guard now.

"Rick didn't think there was much love lost between Norblusky and his sister?" Thomas asked.

Ethan shook his head. "She was wary and closemouthed, but he had the feeling she was protecting herself more than her brother."

"Don't think you need me, then." Thomas sighed and rubbed his hands on his thighs. "Follow the money, son. If she's protecting her own interests, chances are there's money involved. Dig up her social security number and whatever else you can find, and have Ernie check out her bank account."

Ernie was the I.B. Ethan used. He s.h.i.+fted, uncomfortable with what he had to say next. "You think you could handle that? It isn't as much fun as doing an interview, but..."

His uncle's eyebrows went up. "You too busy romancing the Barone girl to dig through files?"

"She'll follow me. Claudia, I mean." Ethan scowled. "If I told you what almost happened today ... never mind. She's sort of involved in the investigation."

"The sister of one of your suspects is involved in your investigation?" Thomas's eyebrows climbed higher. "Rick said something about that, but I thought he must have it wrong."

Ethan didn't know how to explain. Thomas hadn't met Claudia. He didn't realize how impossible it would be to shut her out, or what she was really like. Flamboyant in her own way, yeah, but her way wasn't like Bianca's. With Bianca, everything had always been about her. Not Claudia. Her pa.s.sions revolved around fixing things for others. Helping whoever needed it.

A smile snuck out. Not all her pa.s.sions.

Thomas muttered something under his breath. "All right, all right. I'll help you out. Looks like you're going to need it, with your brain only hitting on two cylinders."

Ethan didn't ask his uncle to explain that comment. He was pretty sure he knew what it meant. They discussed the case a little more, then Thomas asked, "You going to that party your aunt Sophia is giving the twins on Sat.u.r.day?"

"I don't know. Probably." One of his cousins had twin daughters who would be one year old this weekend. Ethan didn't try to go to every family s.h.i.+ndig that came along-in a family the size of his, someone was always having a birthday or an anniversary or something. But the first birthday ... well, that was kind of special. And the twins were cute as could be.

"I've got to buy presents for them," he said. "Any suggestions?"

Thomas waved that aside. "Ask your aunt. That's her department. I was thinking you might bring Claudia with you, let us meet her. Unless this is one of your easy-on, easy-over affairs?" He looked at Ethan over the tops of his gla.s.ses.

"You're pus.h.i.+ng." Was he supposed to make it look as if Claudia didn't matter? Or subject her to a family party complete with screaming kids, Uncle Harold and other hazards?

"I expect you're right not to ask her. She wouldn't fit in."

Ethan shook his head. "I'm not fifteen anymore. That negative psychology bit won't work."

So how was it, he asked himself as he climbed into his car thirty minutes later, that he'd agreed to invite Claudia to the twins' birthday? Manipulative old b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he thought with equal parts irritation and affection, and slammed the car door shut.

Ten.

"Need any help?" Claudia asked as she entered the kitchen that Sat.u.r.day.

Stacy was rummaging in Claudia's freezer. Her new refrigerator had been delivered at last, and she was relocating her perishables. "No, you managed to take long enough on the phone that I'm about done."

"My timing's always been good." She set her purse on the table and began digging through it.

Stacy straightened, holding up a foil-wrapped mystery package. "Is this yours or mine?"

"Must be yours. I label mine."

"You would. 'Dia? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Claudia."

She shrugged. "Nothing major. That was Emily on the phone. Seems there's a big family meeting tonight at Uncle Carlo's house." And she had an idea for how to make use of that, if she could just find her address book.

"Something's wrong with someone in your family?"

"Not exactly. Derrick claims he has something important to reveal about the arson investigation."

"And he didn't tell you about it."