Drawn in Blood (Burbank and Parker 2)

“I know.” Sloane stood up, kissed Ben’s cheek. “I know he is.”

“Then you also know why.”

Dangerous territory. Sloane pondered her answer carefully.

Ben answered his own question before Sloane could speak. “Because I killed them. They’re dead. And they’re dead because of me. Everything…all of it…it’s my fault.”

Them? Sloane turned to shoot her father a questioning look.

He seemed as bewildered as she was. So did Leo, who shrugged at Sloane in noncomprehension.

“I doubt he knows what he’s saying,” Leo muttered. “I’ll take him home. It’ll be fine now. Thanks for calming him down.”

“Leo—wait.” Sloane delayed him for a minute as her father went to help Ben to his feet. She kept her voice down so that only Leo could hear. But if there was anyone who’d know the lowdown on Meili’s look-alike, that someone would be Leo. “Are you acquainted with the woman who Wallace brought with him? I think her name is Cindy Liu.”

“Sure,” Leo acknowledged. “That’s Wallace’s architectural protégé, the one I’ve been collaborating with on design projects. She’s a natural.” Leo’s expression softened. “She’s also become more than a protégé to Wallace. I think he’s fallen for her—hard. Not a surprise. He’s always had a thing for Asian women. And this one’s beautiful, smart, and talented. It’s good to see him alive again. I was really afraid his soul had died with Sophie.”

Sloane’s investigative mind had already kicked into high gear. “You said she’s his protégé. How did that happen—did they meet at one of his galleries?”

“No, actually her uncle’s a longtime business associate of Wallace’s. He’s a big wheel in Hong Kong—rich and influential. His name’s Johnny Liu. He and Wallace worked on deals together back in Wallace’s investment-banking days, when he did a fair amount of traveling to the Far East. I also think that Liu is an art connoisseur and that he buys paintings from Wallace’s galleries. Anyway, Liu asked Wallace to help Cindy kick-start her own architectural firm here in New York. And the rest, as they say, is history.” Leo’s lips curved slightly. “Or, in this case, history in the making.”

Sloane smiled back. “Thanks. I’m glad Wallace is finding some happiness, too.” She moved aside as her father guided Ben over and transferred him to Leo, who took Ben’s arm and looped it around his neck in order to haul him out of the office.

“You sure you don’t need help?” Matthew asked.

“No. You stay here with your family. I’ll drive Ben home and stay with him until I’m sure he’s okay on his own.” He half led, half carried Ben to the door.

“Tell Phil I’m sorry,” Ben begged Sloane and Matthew in a tear-clogged voice. “I’m so sorry.”

“He knows, Ben,” Sloane assured him. “And he’d want you to go home and get some rest.”

Ben was placid when he and Leo left. But he was also totally broken.

“I can’t help hurting for him,” Sloane admitted to her father.

“You’d have to be made of stone not to.” Switching gears, Matthew turned to his daughter. “You handled that really well. Talk about crisis negotiation. You’re every bit as good as the FBI claimed. I’m proud of you.”

“But?”

A heavy sigh. “But I’m not only hurting for Ben. I’m really worried about him. He’s drinking himself to death. And now ICE is coming after him for hiring illegals. I don’t know how much more he can take.”

Sloane absorbed that and gave her father a questioning look. “Why do you think Ben used the plural when he talked about everything being hi

s fault? He kept saying they’re dead because of him. You don’t think he did something for Xiao Long we don’t know about, do you?”

Matthew shook his head emphatically. “I know the world is upside down these days. But Ben is not a killer. He’s many other things, clearly more than I knew about, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s just so loaded that he doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

“You’re probably right.” Sloane dropped the subject at that point. She could always pick it up again later, but right now she was nagged enough by her reaction to seeing Cindy Liu and absorbing Leo’s comments about Wallace’s propensity for Asian women to pursue something entirely different with her father.

“Dad, have you met Cindy Liu?” she asked.

“Wallace’s Cindy? Not in person, no. Why?”

“Do you know anything about her background?”

Matthew shrugged. “Only that she has some great educational and professional credentials, which I’m sure is why Wallace agreed to sponsor her. I don’t know much about her personal life, except that she’s brought a little of the old Wallace back, for which I’m grateful. Any reason why you’re interested in Cindy?”

“I just met her a few minutes ago. She so closely resembles another woman I’ve seen, it caught me off guard.” Sloane paused, then went ahead and tested her theory. “Dad, does the name Meili mean anything to you?”