Dark Fever

‘Enjoy the rest of your holiday. But remember, we may need you to appear in court some time in the future.’

What if they had to release those two men for lack of evidenc

e? she thought as they drove back towards the hotel. She remembered the hatred in the eyes of the man she had picked out in the identity parade; he had wanted to kill her. A shiver of fear ran down her back.

Gil shot her a sideways look, his grey eyes piercing as they assessed her expression.

‘You are quite safe inside the hotel grounds, you know,’ he said gently.

She gave him a startled glance. How had he known what she was thinking?

He said quietly, ‘Our security system is foolproof. No one without identification can move about inside the grounds without being picked up on our hidden cameras or by our security patrols.’

Her mind knew, rationally, that if she was sensible and did not go wandering around the town late at night again she was perfectly safe.

Why didn’t she feel safe, then? Why was she on edge now, in broad daylight, in the safety of Gil’s car?

CHAPTER FOUR

‘I would like to have lunch with you,’ Gil said as they drew up outside the hotel, and Bianca opened her mouth to refuse, but before she could say anything he added, ‘Unfortunately, I must get back to work. My assistant is standing in for me and I have to take over from him. But will you have dinner with me tonight?’

‘I’m sorry,’ she said stiffly. ‘I would like to get an early night, and eating a heavy meal in the evening always gives me indigestion.’

‘That’s because you aren’t used to it. In Spain we always eat late at night, rarely before nine—and our meals are quite heavy, but we don’t get indigestion.’

‘I don’t know how you ever manage to get any sleep when you start eating at nine or ten o’clock at night!’

‘We have our siesta during the afternoon; we don’t need to get in eight hours during the night. Going to bed in the heat of the day is a very civilised way of dealing with our climate—you should try it. We must convert you to our ways while you’re here.’

Somehow his gaze made her nerves prickle—she wasn’t altogether sure he was talking about sleeping. Those grey eyes had a mocking amusement in them that disturbed her.

She looked away, said hurriedly, ‘Well, I’ll skip dinner altogether and just have a light supper in my apartment. I must do some shopping, get some fresh food from the hotel shop. I haven’t been there yet—does it sell salads and cold meats?’

‘It is a mini-supermarket—it carries a very wide range of goods, and I’m sure you’ll find what you want, but if you don’t you only have to ask and we’ll get it for you within twenty-four hours.’

‘I’ll remember that,’ she said as he came round to open the door for her and help her out. ‘And thank you for being so kind and helpful, Senor Marquez—’

‘Gil,’ he interrupted. ‘We know each other well enough now to use first names, don’t we, Bianca?’

Their eyes met and she drew a shaky breath, somehow managed to say huskily, ‘It was very good of you to take me to the police station and interpret for me, Gil. I’m very grateful.’

‘Then have dinner with me tomorrow; I’ve invited Freddie and Karl to dinner—a foursome is much more enjoyable—and you do like them, don’t you?’

‘Yes, very much,’ she said, relieved, breaking into a smile. If they were going to be there she needn’t feel alarmed about being alone with him. She had liked Freddie the minute they met; she would enjoy getting to know her better.

Gil’s eyes watched her with irony as if he knew what she was thinking, but his voice was level and calm. ‘So you’ll change your mind and join us? We’ll eat early, at eight, just for you! The kitchen can cope with that— they’re used to English visitors wanting to eat at unreasonable hours.’

She laughed. ‘It’s hard to change the habit of a lifetime, you know.’

He looked down at her, a tall man with a brooding authority, his eyes holding hers.

‘Changing is what life is all about, Bianca. We do it all the time, minute by minute, day by day, year by year, so gradually that we barely notice. How many times have you met someone you knew ten years ago and been amazed by how much they’ve changed in those years?’ He paused, then said quietly, ‘You can’t fight time or life, Bianca. You can’t stop the clock, or turn it back.’

She felt a surge of the angry, passionate regret she had felt ever since Rob died.

‘Life isn’t fair!’ she broke out and Gil’s mouth twisted wryly.

‘Who promised it would be? It’s time you grew up, Bianca!’