Page 138 of The 6:20 Man

He looked out again and saw her enter Valentine’s room. She closed the door behind her. Devine slipped out into the hall and wondered if Speers was enjoying a sexual encounter with Valentine as she had with him.

Why should I be special?

But then he heard snores wafting up from the main floor. He edged down the stairs and saw Valentine sleeping on the couch. Now he understood. That was why she had gone there first, to make sure the Russian wasn’t in his bedroom.

Devine went back to his room.

A couple of minutes later there was a knock at his door.

“Yeah?”

“It’s Helen.”

“Give me a sec.”

Devine sat up in his bed, laid his pillow next to his right hand, sat back against the headboard, and slipped his hand under the pillow where it gripped something.

“Come on in.”

The door opened and Speers stood there in her nightgown that hit at midthigh. It was transparent enough with the backlight from the hall illumination to get his full attention. She had nothing on underneath.

“What’s up?” he said evenly.

“I’ve missed you,” she said.

“I’ve been here all evening.”

“You know what I mean.”

Do I?thought Devine. “With the way you’re dressed, I guess I do, yeah.”

She came in and closed the door behind her, locking it.

“I’m not sure Jill and Valentine are asleep,” he said.

“I think Jill went out. Will is snoring on the couch. Pizza and beer do it every time. He’s gonna have a coronary any day now.”

She sat on the bed next to him, drawing her legs under her, and studied him. He made no move to draw closer.

“What? You’re no longer interested?” she said.

“I’m just trying to understand why a young, beautiful, newly graduated lawyer needs to knock on my door. You can do a lot better than a thirtysomething Wall Street wannabe like me.”

She said, “You undersell yourself, Travis. You’re good-looking. And you’re working in a field where you can make a lot of money. That’s an attractive package. And you were a soldier, too, so you know how to take care of yourself. And me.”

I don’t think you’d have any problem taking care of yourself, thought Devine.

She reached out and put a hand on his thigh. “It’s not complicated, Travis.”

“It’s all complicated, Helen. And for that reason, I think you need to go back to your room.”

She eyed where his hand was under the bed and he saw something in her expression he didn’t care for.

She knows.

“All right, but remember one thing.”

“What’s that?” he asked.