"Well, of course. Though Bianca took her maiden name back after the divorce, so I didn't place your name right away. It's been a few years, hasn't it? Not that I mistake gossip-" she fluttered a hand as if fanning away the chaff "-for reality. Was your parting amicable?"

"Now, why would you think that was any of your business?"

"I'd like to determine where your biases lie. And your loyalties. I could easily imagine that Sal Conti played some part in the breakup of your marriage, for example, leaving you with the burning desire to embarra.s.s or hurt him in return. But you might have remained fond of your ex, and be determined to clear her family."

"You go right ahead and speculate, honey. I know how fascinated some women are by other people's love lives."

"Well, honey, while I'm enjoying my speculations, you can circle the block. You just pa.s.sed the Baronessa building."

Ethan didn't actually have to circle the block, since the parking garage that served the building had an entrance on the nearest cross street. Claudia directed him to the portion reserved for visitors. She didn't say a word about his having almost pa.s.sed his target. She didn't have to. Her smirk said it all.

As soon as he cut the engine, she jumped out. That didn't surprise him. This wasn't a woman to sit around waiting on a man, or anyone or anything else. He bet she'd skipped learning to walk in favor of hitting the ground running, and hadn't stopped since.

He hit the b.u.t.ton that locked his car. She was standing on the other side, tapping one foot impatiently, her hands thrust in the pockets of that absurdly bright coat that looked like a double dip of sky.

"So tell me," he said companionably, "is it true you dumped a whole carton of melted ice cream on Drake Anderson's head in front of the power-suit crowd at the Radius?"

She flicked him an annoyed glance. "It was only slightly melted."

"Pretty stupid of him to have shot off his mouth that way, where you could overhear him."

"Drake has a problem knowing when to keep his mouth shut. It's a common failing." The disdain in her glance suggested it was one Ethan shared. She turned and set off briskly for the door to the lobby.

d.a.m.n, but she was cute. Ethan grinned and whistled the first two bars of the William Tell Overture as he stretched his legs to catch up with his pretty blond pa.s.sport.

She held the door open for him. "You haven't talked to anyone here yet, right?" she asked.

"Not yet. I focused on the plant first." And had found one thread worth tugging on, which had led him to headquarters. "I did try to speak to some people here yesterday. Got turned away." He lifted his eyebrow. "Good block."

"I do what I can."

The building itself was one of those oversize gla.s.s-and-chrome splinters modern architects were fond of, buffed and b.u.t.tressed by steel. Attractive enough, Ethan supposed, in its way. But he preferred brick or stone. The foyer made him think of bank lobbies-lots of gla.s.s, a gleaming tile floor, with potted plants huddled in the corners trying valiantly to soften things. One wall held the bank of elevators; another was dedicated to a photographic history of Baronessa's early years.

The executive offices occupied the fifth floor. He pushed the up b.u.t.ton.

She pulled off her coat and draped it over her arm. Ethan sighed with pleasure. Nothing like a long, cool blonde dressed all in black. She'd left her hair down today, too, which made up for the fact that she wasn't wearing a skimpy little skirt like yesterday's. He planned to enjoy looking at her while he could. She wouldn't be around long.

"Who are we talking to first?" she asked. "Nicholas?"

"Good question. I need to see a personnel file. How do I obtain it?"

"First you tell me whose file you need, and why."

He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "And if I do, can you get the file for me?"

Her lips pursed. "I think so, but I have to know why I'm getting it first."

"Ed Norblusky. He worked at the plant until three days after the tasting was sabotaged. He was fired for showing up for work drunk. Seems he shot his mouth off afterward about how he'd teach 'those rich b.a.s.t.a.r.ds' a thing or two. And he's disappeared."

She bounced on the b.a.l.l.s of her feet, excited. "You said you didn't know who it was! This Norblusky-"

"May have just moved, not intentionally disappeared. And people blow off steam all the time without setting fire to an ice cream plant to make their point. But he's worth checking into. I need the name and address of his last employer, his next of kin, his social security number-all of which should be in his personnel file."

She nodded decisively. "I can get it. Nicholas and I deal well together. That's whose approval we'll need."

"Tell me what he's like."

"A man with a mission," she said as the elevator doors opened. Three people got out, giving them curious glances. "He always has a plan, a goal to shoot for. When he was eight, his mission was a puppy."

"Did he get it?"

"Of course. A hyperactive little Dalmatian, cute as could be. He took care of it, too, right from the first. That's why his missions usually succeed. He plans, he works toward that plan and he follows through."

"What's his mission these days?"

"Being the world's best daddy, I think." Her smile was wide and bright, but he noticed that it didn't push any crinkles into the corners of her eyes. "Or maybe Husband of the Year. I'm sure perfect Chief Operations Officer is still high on the list, too."

"Do you always do that?"

"What?"

"Smile harder when something hurts."

Her eyebrows twitched crossly. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm very fond of Nicholas. Naturally, I'm happy for him."

"If all it took to make us happy was the happiness of someone we cared about, the world would need only one happy person. Chain reaction, you see. The original happy person would make everyone he or she met happy, and they'd make all their friends and family happy, and they-"

"You have a strange mind, you know that?"

"So I've been told. Did you know that your eyes only crinkle up at the corners when you really mean your smiles?"

She blinked, opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"I guess not." How about that. She was speechless. He bet that didn't happen often. Whistling softly, he straightened and punched the b.u.t.ton for the fifth floor.

For some reason Claudia's stomach was tight. Not because Ethan Mallory's observation had upset her, of course. He was way off base. She was happy for Nicholas, who deserved every drop of his recent good fortune.

No, it was her distressingly compet.i.tive nature that was to blame. Claudia had long ago acknowledged that she just plain liked to win. The score between her and Mallory wasn't quite even-she remained one up due to her flanking maneuver with the photograph-but he'd certainly narrowed her lead.

He was an annoyingly observant man, though. That was a good quality in a detective, she conceded privately as the elevator carried them to the fifth floor. But tricky in an opponent.

Fortunately, Nicholas wasn't in a meeting or otherwise unavailable. Claudia had very little time to chat with his a.s.sistant before they were told to go on in, which was probably just as well. Mrs. Peabody was trying to give away puppies.

Claudia liked Nicholas's office. The window-walls made it sunny when the weather was clear, and even on a gray November morning like this they imparted a s.p.a.cious feeling. Nicholas was seated when they entered, a big, dark-haired man with what Claudia liked to call laser eyes-sharp and keen as a scalpel.

At the moment he was looking decidedly wary. He stood and walked around his desk, holding out his hands. "I'm delighted to see you, of course, but ... you haven't decided Baronessa needs your attention, have you?"