Page 16 of Finding Amanda

"Oh. Uh . . . apparently, Gabriel knows."

He censored the word that popped into his mind. "How?"

"I don't know." Her voice traveled higher. "It's like . . . he always knew what I was thinking."

"That doesn't make any sense. Someone obviously told him."

“You really think so?" Her voice was almost a whisper.

"I'm sorry, but I can't see how else he'd know.” He kept his tone even. She was scared enough without him making it worse. “What did he say?"

"Um . . . he said 'don't do it' and told me to remember my promise."

“Which was?”

"That I'd never tell."

"What'd you say?"

She sniffed. "Well, I denied it, but, like I said . . ."

Mark's stomach lurched like it hadn't since airborne school. "You're sure he knew?"

"I . . . I could never lie to him."

Unfortunately, she didn't have that problem with Mark. "This is exactly what I was afraid of, Amanda. You can't publish?—"

"I knew you were going to say that."

He glanced at his watch. They'd talked . . . what? Three minutes before she'd gotten angry. These days, that was a record. "I want you to come home."

"Roxie and I have a meeting tomorrow."

"I don't care. I don't want you there by yourself, not if Sheppard's there. And if he knows about the memoir?—"

"I'm not by myself."

"Right, you haveAlan."

"I don't need your sarcasm right now. And that's not what I meant. I'm usually with my roommate, but she went back to the room to sleep off a headache. Besides Susie and Roxie, there are lots of people here. As long as I stay out of the lobby?—"

"Can you do that? What were you doing there today, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be in meetings or something?"

Amanda sighed audibly into the phone. "You know what, Mark? I didn't tell you about Gabriel so you could give me the third degree."

"I'm not. I'm worried about you. I care about you."

"I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"Of course you should?—"

"I have to go."

"Wait!"

She sighed. "What?"

He unclenched his fist and splayed his hand on the arm of the chair. "Why don't I drop off the girls with Chris and Jamie and grab a flight?—?"

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