"Sorry, we drank all the Evian. You know how Jim is about his designer
water. Can't get enough of it."
"Screw you," Phillip said, but without heat. He glugged the chilly
Pepsi, then raised a brow when Ethan came up to inspect his work.
"Nice job."
"Gee, thanks, boss. Can I have a raise?"
"Sure, double what you're getting now. Seth's the math whiz. What's zip
times zip, Seth?"
"Double zip," Seth said with a quick grin. His fingers itched to try out
the electric screwdriver. So far, nobody would let him touch it or any
of the other power tools.
"Well, now I can afford that cruise to Tahiti."
"Why don't you grab a shower--unless you object to washing with tap
water, too. I can take over here."
It was tempting. Phillip was grimy, sweaty, and miserably hot. He would
cheerfully have killed three strangers for one cold glass of
Pouilly-Fuisse. But he knew Ethan had been up since before dawn and had
already put in what any normal person would consider a full day.
"I can handle a couple more hours."
"Fine." It was exactly the response Ethan had expected. Phillip tended
to bitch, but he never let you down. "I think we can get this deck
knocked out before we call it a day."
"Can I--"
"No," Ethan and Phillip said together, anticipating Seth's question.
"Why the hell not?" he demanded. "I'm not stupid. I won't shoot anybody
with a stupid screw or anything."
"Because we like to play with it." Phillip smiled. "And we're bigger
than you. Here." He reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet
and found a five. "Go on down to Crawford's and get me some bottled
water. If you don't whine about it, you can get some ice cream with the
change."
Seth didn't whine, but he did mutter about being used like a slave as he
called his dog and headed out.
"We ought to show him how to use the tools when we have more time,"
Ethan commented. "He's got good hands."
"Yeah, but I wanted him out. I didn't have the chance to tell you last
night. The detective tracked Gloria DeLauter as far as Nags Head."
"She's heading south, then." He lifted his gaze to Phillip's. "He pin
her yet?"
"No, she moves around a lot, and she's using cash. A lot of cash." His
mouth tightened. "She's got plenty to toss around since Dad paid her a
bundle for Seth."
"Doesn't look like she's interested in coming back here."
"I'd say she's got as much interest in that kid as a rabid alley cat has
in a dead kitten." His own mother had been the same, Phillip remembered,
when she'd been around at all. He had never met Gloria DeLauter, but he
knew her. Despised her.
"If we don't find her," Phillip added, rolling the cold can over his
forehead, "we're never going to get to the truth about Dad, or Seth."
Ethan nodded. He knew Phillip was on a mission here, and knew he was