The Price of Trust
Chapter 1
Actor silently let himself into the upstairs common room. He drew up short at the light from beside one of the wing backed chairs. Teresa looked up from a book and stared at him. He moved cautiously closer.
Terry eyed him up and down. He was clad in black pants topped by a black turtleneck sweater and carrying a grip. Instinctively keeping her voice low, she asked wryly, "Going out to heist a museum?"
Actor shook his head and in an equally low voice replied, "No. Actually going to a party."
"Where?" asked Terry curiously.
"An estate about five miles outside of London."
Terry nodded. "And you are going dressed like that?"
In response, Actor lifted the grip. In a spontaneous moment, so alien to him, he asked, "How quickly can you get a bag together?"
Terry did not allow herself to think twice about it. "Black cocktail dress?"
"Perfect."
"Where will we change?"
"There is a night club in London that I use sometimes. It has very spacious lavatories."
Naturally the man would have a favorite bathroom in London. Terry put aside the book and rose to her feet. "Give me a minute."
Actor watched her slip out the door. Dio, what had possessed him to invite her along? If they got caught the Warden would have Actor's palle. Ah, but that just added to the excitement of trying not to get caught. He had to hand it to Teresa, she returned in a very short time with her own grip.
"Window?" she asked.
Actor nodded going to open the window and pull aside the bars. "Casino and Goniff are playing cards downstairs."
Terry took his bag as he eased out the window and down the trellis. Reaching the bottom, he looked up and held out his arms. First one bag, then the other, was dropped to him. He set them aside and watched Terry ease herself out the window. Actor gave a mental sigh of relief when the girl chose to descend via the trellis. Though he had seen her do it numerous times without mishap, it still shot his heart up to his Adam's apple to watch her launch herself from the window into the tree and swing down from the branches. He picked up the bags as she reached the ground.
"Lead on MacDuff," she whispered to him.
They dodged across the lawn and through the woods to the edge of the estate. At the broken section of stone wall, Actor went over first with the bags and turned to help Teresa over, though she really did not need any assistance. They climbed out of the bar ditch to the silent deserted stretch of lane.
Terry's eyebrows went up at the vehicle parked beside the road. It was large and black and powerful and British . . . and definitely not the Packard. She ran an appreciative hand along the smooth black metal fender as Actor placed their bags in the trunk. He moved up to hold the left front door open for her. Terry slipped onto the elegantly upholstered seat and thought she should have been wearing something other than her pants and boots in this car. The dashboard was a dark burled wood adding to the luxurious feel of the vehicle. Actor slid behind the wheel on the right and started the powerful engine up.
As they drove down the lane through twilight, without lights, Terry asked, "Yours?"
"Let us say I have unlimited access to it," he replied carefully.
"I'd like to see it in the daylight sometime," said Terry. "How fast is she?"
In response, Actor downshifted and in moments they were flying. They entered the curving stretch of road that wound through dark woods and small hills. Actor drove it like a race car, clutching and shifting. Emerging to straight open road a couple miles further, he eased his foot back and allowed the car to slow to a reasonable speed. Glancing at Teresa, he could barely see her face clearly in the dim light, but knew her eyes were sparkling and could see her white teeth in a huge grin. It brought a bigger smile to his face.
"I want to drive it!" Terry said with breathless excitement.
"Absolutely not!" Actor said firmly. "This is not your sports car. It handles differently.. You would take it across a pasture and rip the bottom out of it."
"No I wouldn't," objected Terry. "Oh, please, Actor, teach me to drive it."
"We'll see," he replied with a smile at her enthusiasm.
They drove in companionable silence for several miles.
"I am curious, Teresa," broached Actor. "Why did you agree to come?"
"I don't know," admitted Terry. "The excitement of doing something forbidden. And I will happily grab every moment I get to spend alone with you that isn't part of our 'work'."
He nodded in acceptance, secretly pleased she confessed to enjoying his company.
It was Terry's turn. "Ah, but more interesting, why did you ask me along?"
"Spur of the moment decision," he replied non-chalantly.
"Un-uh," she objected. "You don't do anything without thinking it through first. Give."
Actor chuckled. "Truly, Teresa, it was a sudden impulse. I do enjoy your company also. And I have always told you how much I enjoy dancing with you."
GGGGG
Actor stood impatiently in the storage room at the back of the nightclub. The slightly muted sound of Big Band music pulsed through the walls. A door opened allowing a blast of the bouncy music to precede the owner of the nightclub. Paolo grinned at his friend.
"Is not like you to bring a ragazza with you, Attore," the slightly olive skinned thin man teased his friend. He pushed his dark hair back with both hands before hefting a box of contraband Italian aperitif to his shoulder.
Actor shrugged. "Sometimes it pays to change one's routine. And sometimes the woman is worth it."
"She does not look your type, my friend. Is she even Italiana?" Paolo had seen her come in, dressed in trousers and boots.
"Looks may be deceiving," countered Actor, playing the game with his friend. "I believe she is un quarto. Una romana."
"Ma! Romana women are nothing," scoffed the man with a grin. "Give me a good siciliana."
Actor chuckled. "As I recall it was a 'good siciliana' who got you in so much trouble."
"You should talk! It was because of a woman you ended up in an American prison." Paolo eyed Actor skeptically. "And clocks. Clocks?"
Actor grinned crookedly. "Good clocks. Delft. And so was she."
After adjusting the case of liquor on his shoulder more securely, the dark haired man gave a last grin before settling his features into those of the Paul his patrons knew him as and went back out into the bar. Paolo, real name Mario, had known Actor at a much earlier time . . . in an Italian jail.
Actor looked at his watch again. It was unlike Teresa to take so long to dress. The door to the ladies room opened and she stepped out. He stared. She set her bag on the floor, taking a couple steps forward and posed with coy sophistication for his perusal. The con man swallowed. He had seen Teresa dressed up before, in fact he had dressed her before, but this woman watching him seductively was not the woman he had dressed, yet again, she was.
The black dress, not one he had purchased, was cut low in the front, just a bare shade above the level of indecency. The material was soft and clung to her curves down to the waist from which it draped in gentle folds. He had a sudden urge to feel its softness and remove it from her body to find the pleasures that were beneath it. His gaze lowered to follow the silk clad smooth slim legs and shapely ankles above the incredibly high heels of the black shoes she was wearing. Actor's eyes wandered slowly upward. A delicate chain encircled her throat with a single teardrop diamond. The diamond earrings he had given her after one of their missions dangled from her ear lobes. Her makeup had been expertly applied; just a touch of eye shadow to bring out the sparkle of her deep green eyes, a bit of mascara to accent them. Dark red lipstick enhanced the slight fullness of her lower lip, causing it to beg for a kiss. The silky auburn hair was swept back from her face and held in place with two combs, allowing the wavy tresses to flow back around her head.
"Now Actor," smiled Teresa. "I have never seen you at a loss for words. Tell me what you think."
He couldn't tell her what he thought. He wanted to forego the party and take her to the house she did not know about and slowly remove that dress and make slow passionate love to her. Instead, he said softly but with feeling, "Bella, amore mia."
Terry allowed her eyes to roam over his body. The black suit and finely ruffled white shirt, topped with black bowtie, accentuated his broad shoulders and slim hips. She smiled appreciatively herself. "I don't need to tell you how handsome you look," she teased. "You already know that."
"Oh, please," he teased back. "I would not wish to deprive you of the opportunity to air your opinion."
"Air my opinion?" chortled Terry. "Caro, you are without a doubt the most deliciously handsome Italian man I have ever met." She scrunched up her face. "Well . . . there was another man . . ." She watched his smile freeze.
"And just who was this paragon to womanhood?" There was a hint of umbrage in the light tone of voice.
Terry smiled. She loved to tease him. "That, caro, is none of your business." She picked up her bag and stepped closer. "I was young and he set my hormones raging . . . which promptly landed my backside on the cobblestones . . . literally."
"Ah," said Actor, "you were sleepwalking then."
"No," she denied. "He was very real, but I thought of him as my pirate. He kind of looked like one."
"So where was this pirate who swept you off your feet and onto you derriere?"
"Italy, where else," shot back Terry as if replying to an idiot.
"Naturally," replied Actor smugly. At least if he was going to be upstaged it was by a fellow countryman. And not an Australian, he could not help thinking with satisfaction. He picked up his grip.
Another blast of music drew their attention to the door leading to the main part of the nightclub. Paolo paused and stared at Teresa. His mouth curved up into a lecherous grin as his eyes scoured her figure. Terry managed not to cringe, but stared back at the man with a look as arrogantly haughty as any Actor could display.
Paolo shot a look at his friend. "Punto, amico."
Actor stepped forward and placed a hand lightly on Teresa's back, escorting her toward the door to the alley. His head turned to his friend and a barracuda grin etched his face that said the appreciation was accepted, but the lady belonged to him.
Out in the cool air of the dark alley, Terry allowed Actor to take her grip and place it with his in the boot of the car. He again held the door for her to get in. This time, she felt her attire was within keeping with the luxury of the vehicle, and so was his. She waited until they had reached the outskirts of London before speaking.
"Interesting friends you have, Vittorio," she said wryly. "And just what 'point' did he make?"
"A compliment to you, Teresa," replied Actor. "Merely a compliment."
She did not ask what kind of compliment. It struck her there was an underlying caution to his response. When she had first met him, he had seemed so inscrutable. Now she could tell the tiny nuances in his voice and attitude she had not been able to see before. Was she getting that good at reading him, or was he becoming less reserved with her? Maybe both.
Actor slowed and turned between two tall brick posts onto a narrow graveled drive that wound through dark woods. They came out into a clearing with a large car park, filled with expensive cars.
The cars did not impress Terry as much as the mansion. It was huge, three stories of gray block and big enough to house all of G-2.
"This place makes the Mansion look like a slum," she said quietly.
"A bit pretentious," remarked Actor. "I prefer palazzi."
"I've seen some pretty pretentious palazzi," said Terry. "By the way, who are we?"
"I am Federico Bellini," replied Actor quickly. The valet was fast approaching. "You were not mentioned."
"I like Teresa DiMarco," Terry came back quickly. "Freddie . . ."
That earned her a glare to which she grinned impishly.
"You will not call me 'Freddie'," the con man said with tight lips.
The valet appeared at his window. Actor turned his head, the patent smile in place on his face. He allowed the valet to open his door and stepped out. On the other side of the car, another valet was opening Teresa's door and handing her out. The same smile was on her face. The exquisitely dressed man and woman met in front of the steps leading up to the manor house. Actor offered his arm and Teresa lightly rested her hand on it.
As the car was driven away, Teresa spoke in a low voice. "You won't let me drive that thing, but you allow someone you don't even know to drive it?"
"Are you going to start an argument, cara?" asked Actor in an equally low voice that had an edge to it. "In which case I will regret my decision to bring you."
"No," Teresa kept the conversation in low tones. "I was merely asking, as it seems you are insulting me."
They paused on the steps to wait for the two couples ahead of them to enter. The conversation changed to Italian.
"Teresa, I am the master of manipulation. Do not attempt to manipulate me. You cannot."
Terry could not suppress the tiny grin that came to her face. "Caro, I am not trying to manipulate you. But you are so much fun to tease. I know I shouldn't because you just don't quite have the hang of dishing it back yet."
Actor glanced down and realized teasing was exactly what she was doing. He gave a long sigh. "I do not know how your family has put up with you."
"Oh now. You know somewhere in that tightly locked big heart of yours, you love me." Whatever response he might have given was missed as she added, "Don't you . . . Freddie?"
The couples ahead moved on into the foyer and Actor and Teresa took their place. Actor gave their names and they were shown into the ballroom, looking just like any other upper crust, high society couple. They moved off to the side and looked around.
Terry mentally shook her head. Except for the language and the clothing, it could have been any one of the parties they had attended in Berlin and Paris. The only thing missing was uniforms. How odd there were no military people to be seen. The music was live and formal. The buffet stretching the length of one long wall was ostentatious to the point of obscene during rationing. And the open bar was . . . well, an open bar.
They moved through the gathering, nodding and speaking to people when spoken to. Actor guided Teresa to an unoccupied table and held the chair for her.
"Would you like me to bring you a plate?" he asked solicitously.
They had both eaten dinner that evening, but Terry was not above partaking of free handouts when they were offered. She nodded with a smile, assured he would bring her a nicely filled plate of a variety of tempting edibles. While he was off procuring food and drink for them, Terry looked around the room. There was not a soul there she was familiar with. It did not bother her. None of the parties she attended on missions with Actor were peopled by anyone they knew. Well, except that one childhood friend of Actor's and that was a fluke.
The woman's eyes scanned the crowd, guessing at the backgrounds of interesting looking individuals. It was a talent she was developing under the tutelage of the master confidence man. One couple stuck out from the rest in their flamboyance and arrogance. She assumed they were the host and hostess of this affair, Neville Hoyt-White and his wife, Camille. Actor was doing the same perusal from his location by the buffet.
Neville was middle-aged with a physique that said rationing and missed meals were not on his agenda. His graying hairline was receding, and what hair he had was combed across his pate in an attempt to camouflage that fact. He talked expansively with his hands and several rings flashed from his fingers.
His wife was svelte and had the glamorous look of a movie queen. She had peroxide bleached hair done up in a mounded wave fashion. Her gown was white and low cut with bare shoulders. A diamond pendent rested just above the dip between her breasts. It was a gaudy piece, Actor noted automatically and dismissed it as not worth a second look. Interestingly, she was not wearing the number of rings her husband was.
Actor returned with two small plates balanced on his arm and two glasses of champagne. He set one of each in front of Teresa and the others in front of his chair. He watched her reaction. She nodded in approval of the variety of foods on the plate. Her head tilted to the side and she eyed him.
"You know what champagne does to me," she hissed quietly.
"Sip it," he replied, "Don't guzzle it."
"I don't guzzle," she shot back, taking a sip.
They picked at the food and Terry sipped slowly at the champagne. Actor had moved his chair closer to hers and casually draped an arm around her shoulders. They studied the other partygoers and whispered occupations and relationships that they made up. Terry knew Actor was continuing to teach her and did not mind it. What she wondered about was the brushing of fingers against her shoulder and upper arm. Terry was unsure if the man even realized he was doing it.
The band played a variety of music from waltzes to boogies. Actor danced the slow ones with Teresa and even a rumba. He seemed uninterested in dancing with anyone else. Terry was enjoying having the man to herself.
Another slow dance ended and Actor escorted Teresa to the side of the ballroom. A bright young blond Englishman in civilian clothes approached Terry.
"Excuse me, Miss," he said with an engaging smile. "Would you care to dance?"
Benny Goodman swing bounced through the air.
Terry smiled just as brightly at the young man who could not have been more than a year or two older than her. "Thank you for asking," she said graciously. "However, I have promised all my dances tonight to this gentleman."
The young man looked up into the haughty countenance of the obviously older man. "Then, Sir, you are most fortunate." He nodded and backed up a step before turning away.
Fortune has nothing to do with it, thought Actor. Then his thoughts darkened as he compared the age of the young man to himself and that of his companion. He stole a look at the woman beside him who seemed unconcerned by the encounter.
"If you wish to dance with someone else, cara, that is quite all right," he said. "I know how much you like to dance to that type of music with Casino."
"Actor, I came here with you and no matter what type of music, I am very happy to save all my dances for you," Terry replied. Then she thought about it. "Unless I am cramping your style."
"Not at all," assured the Italian. "I am happy to dance all of my dances with you."
And to his surprise, it was true. Usually he attended these events with an eye for meeting many different women and hopefully having an after party dance of a different sort with one of them. Tonight, he was content to remain with Teresa. He did not even mind that there would be no post party activity.
Teresa was thoroughly enjoying being able to dance with Actor and have his undivided attention without worrying about covers being blown or Gestapo and SS agents. Sure, they were attending this party under assumed names, but there did not seem to be the danger they were used to.
The next slow dance, they gave up the formal pose they had and moved close together. Actor held her pressed against him. The wickedly high stiletto heels she was wearing brought her up to an even better fit against him. Terry's left forearm rested against Actor's upper arm, her hand on his shoulder rubbing lightly in a circle in time with the music. Their more equal heights had his pelvis brushing enticingly against her lower abdomen. He held her other hand lightly trapped between them. The back of his hand was lightly caressed by her breast. Actor's cheek resting against Teresa's forehead afforded him a wispy whiff of Pond's Cold Cream that was lightly overshadowed by the lavender and vanilla scent he found so appealing. She had obviously applied some to the places he had taught her to make herself more seductive. He wondered if she had applied it to all the places he had taught her. He shifted a bit so he had a view down into creamy cleavage. The temptation was strong to lower his face to where he could better appreciate that soft valley and discover if the scent he enjoyed was there also. That thought caused a tightening in him. The barest catch in the rhythm of her breathing betrayed Teresa's awareness of that tightening. She did not pull away as his arm instinctively tightened around her.
Dio, he needed space and a semblance of reason. Teresa was not one he should trifle with. He stopped moving and pulled back an inch, looking down at her. She looked up at him with curiosity. The large dark pupils in the deep green eyes did not help his reason any. He wondered if the champagne was having its usual effect on her.
"I am finding it a bit warm in here," he said lightly. "Would you care to walk outside?"
"I would love to," she replied softly.
Actor escorted Teresa outside and into the moonlit garden. They wandered down the brick path between the low rows of privet hedge surrounding the formal rose gardens and flower beds. The breeze was slightly cool after the warm stuffiness of the crowded ball room and carried a scent of night flowers. It was a different time and a different place, the peacefulness making the war cease to exist for these few precious moments. They reached a secluded nook with a stone bench and Romanesque marble statues of ancient mythological gods and goddesses and stopped in the shelter of the trees. An almost full moon cast dancing shadows on them and the dimness from the blackout encouraged the use of other senses besides sight.
Actor stopped and watched Teresa turn to stand before him. Her hand reached up to trace fingertips with butterfly lightness along his cheekbone. They continued to follow the line of his jaw to his chin where her forefinger glided up to brush his lips. It was at this point he wondered if he had allowed her to consume too much champagne. With good intentions that were foreign to him, he stepped back and turned her gently but firmly around to face away from him. The good intentions were too foreign to him.
Actor slipped his arms around Teresa from behind and she leaned back so her shoulders and head rested against his chest and chin. Her body was relaxed, eyes closed, a faint smile on her lips. He had mentally berated himself at first for taking her with him to the party, but now was glad he had. It was such a delight, and a relief, to be with Teresa without the watchful eyes of her brother and the other men, and without the worry of having a cover blown by the Germans. It was also a delight to be pulling even this minor con with the woman.
He cleared his mind and concentrated on his senses. The cool night air, soft night sounds, and fragrant scents eased over him like silk. He was fully aware of the woman in his arms, soft and warm, lithe yet rounded, breasts just barely touching his forearms. He slid one hand back in a caress along ribs until he could stroke a thumb along the side of a breast. She didn't object, head turning instead to rest a cheek against him.
Actor brushed lips against her forehead. Teresa moved her head to look up at him, eyes curious at his apparent changes in mood, but still accepting. His other hand came up to brush her hair back so his lips could press kisses lightly down her temple and cheek and jaw line as she moved to accommodate him. His thumb eased over to explore a nipple through the soft material of her dress, palm cupping the underside of her breast. Her eyes closed again as she took a step back to press against him with a slowly exhaled breath, a barely audible moan escaping as he skimmed fingertips down her arm and cupped the other breast. She felt the stirring against her from behind and leaned into it.
After a moment, Teresa straightened and stepped away. Actor watched her inscrutably as she took his hand and led him to one of the larger statues. She stepped up on the base around it and turned to face him, more on an eye level with him. Again fingertips delicately traced his cheekbone to be followed by lips that moved across his cheek and to his ear, softly sucking on the lobe so the tip of her tongue could tease it. When she released it, his lips found hers and they exchanged soft kisses evolving to tongues tasting, dipping, teasing. Teresa's hands slipped under his jacket and explored his chest and his back.
Actor traced a line from her mouth to her jaw with his lips, following down her throat as she tipped her head back to give him access. As he dipped lower, her fingers wove through the hair at the back of his head. The dress was cut in a low V in the front and he realized she was wearing the wispy piece of lace bra that barely covered anything. He nuzzled along the curve of breast, trying to ease the fabric aside to reach what he wanted. A tiny noise escaped her as his tongue followed the edge of lace. He had been right that she had applied scent to that soft valley.
The sound of laughter approaching from the path caused both of them to freeze. Actor rested his forehead against Teresa's chest in frustration for a brief moment as an equally frustrated 'damn' was breathed above him. He felt her kiss on the top of his head before he straightened. He stepped back and she stepped down from the curb, straightening her dress, neither able to look at the other right then. As the muted voices drew closer, Terry slipped her hand inside Actor's elbow and allowed him to lead her away, the spell broken, but the longing still there in both of them.
GGG
There was silence in the car all the way through London, even after changing again at the nightclub, which was miraculously opened for them after closing. Actor drove cautiously, but with enough speed to make sure they reached the Mansion well before dawn. Terry sat in the passenger seat reviewing the evening's events in her mind. She was still surprised at the Italian's ardor in the garden . . . surprised and appreciative of being the recipient of that ardor. She was also surprised at her response to him. If the other couple had not intruded when they had, she wasn't sure she would have had the strength to stop him from going farther if he had not had the strength or desire to stop himself. Normally, she would not have any worry on that account, but this had not felt like a calculated move on the con man's part. In fact, getting to recognize his con now, she was almost positive there had been nothing calculated about it. The trouble right now, was she could not see his face in the dark and did not know what his mood was.
"Are you angry?" she asked calmly.
Actor glanced in her direction. "Angry? At you? Not at all, cara." As she was unable to see him, he was equally unable to see her. Her voice was calm, but that did not mean she was not hiding her true feelings. "Has this upset you?" he asked, just as calmly.
"No," she answered truthfully. "Well, I wouldn't have minded it lasting a little longer," Terry admitted. You're very good at that, caro, as I am sure you are aware."
"So are you." Delightfully good at it.
Terry eased across the seat, giving him a chance to object. When he shifted his shoulder back, she moved close enough to lean her head on it. Actor's arm was free to shift when need be, and he rested his hand on her thigh, kneading it through the trousers she had put on, surprised at how pleasurable it was, even without a dress on. Her fingers traced a pattern back and forth on his forearm.
They had traveled a couple more miles when Terry asked, "What are we going to do with the car?"
"We are going to leave it where it was. It will make its way back to where it belongs."
"Somebody's going to be there waiting for it?" she asked dubiously.
"No. It will be retrieved just before dawn."
Terry snuggled against the tall man's shoulder. "And what happens if we don't get back in time?"
"Then you turn into a pumpkin."
The unexpected whimsy of that answer brought a delighted laugh from the young woman. "A pumpkin. If I turn into a pumpkin, then what happens to you?"
The shoulder beneath her head gave a slight shrug. "I will undoubtedly become the newest admission to Alcatraz."
Terry reached over and patted his thigh. "I'll protect you," she said with a smile.
"And how will you protect me if you are a pumpkin, mia tesoro?" There was teasing in his voice.
"I'll have to think on that one," Terry replied, unable to come up with a quick retort.
Actor squeezed her leg lightly. "I am glad you agreed to accompany me tonight," he admitted.
"I'm glad you asked me to," replied Terry.
GGGGG
Terry sipped on her second cup of coffee for the morning. They had not arrived back at the mansion until 3 am. Actor had the luxury of sleeping two hours longer than she had. Terry had arisen at 6 am, as was her usual routine. She did not want to give her brother any cause for questions if she deviated from that routine.
Garrison had said nothing out of the ordinary when she handed him a cup of coffee after his morning run with Chief. Hopefully he thought she had spent the night in her bed and not out traipsing around the British countryside, almost getting into trouble with their notorious rake. A smile crossed her face as she remembered the stroll in the garden. She knew she should be repentant, but she just couldn't quite get there.
Breakfast had been a noisy affair with Casino and Goniff cutting up, Garrison and Actor watching in disgust, and Chief keeping to himself. Terry had chased them all out of the kitchen so she could clean up in some semblance of peace. She had just put away the last glass when she heard Chief call out.
"Hey, Warden! Brass comin'."
The warning gave Garrison time to get his Ike jacket on and his desk straightened, before going to the door and opening it for the officer. His hackles went up when he saw Col. Yates, followed by two MPs. Now what had the cons done?
Yates barely returned the lieutenant's salute before striding toward Garrison's office. A wave of his hand had the MPs remaining by the door. Craig gave a brief scan of the room. There was nothing but caution and distrust on the faces of his men; no guilt. He followed the colonel into his office and shut the door.
Yates turned on his heel and looked at the younger officer with a sneer. "Let's get straight to the point, Lieutenant. There was a party last night outside of London. An expensive necklace was stolen. Your confidence man was identified as being there."
Garrison took a breath before stepping back to the door. Actor had slipped out again? It was one thing to sneak out to a party. It was another thing to steal jewelry. It was also unexpected. Actor seemed perfectly content to do his heisting outside of England, following the group's ground rules. Damn, he hated when he was kept in the dark. Opening the door, he sharply motioned for the Italian to come. Actor shot him a questioning look before entering the room.
The tension got even stronger. Actor eyed Yates with undisguised disdain. Yates eyed him back with a look that could only be described as triumphant.
"Col. Yates says you were seen at a party in London last night," began Garrison, praying the con man would deny it.
"I did attend a party," admitted Actor confidently.
Garrison could have cheerfully strangled him right then. "He is also insinuating you stole a necklace."
The only outward response was the raising of a dark eyebrow. "I did not steal a necklace or anything else for that matter. I believe the Colonel must be mistaken."
"But you admit attending the party put on the Hoyt-Whites?" parried Yates.
Actor gave him another derisive look. "Yes."
"If he said he didn't take anything, then he didn't take anything," said Garrison firmly.
GGG
Terry entered the common room, walking past the two MPs who ignored her. She walked up behind Casino at the gaming table and leaned on his shoulders.
"What's going on?" she asked in a low voice.
"Don't know," replied the safecracker. "Warden came out and got Beautiful."
Terry's stomach twisted. Had they been seen leaving or entering the estate? She didn't think so. Actor was too careful for that. And there was no one at the party either of them had been familiar with. Chief and Goniff had moved closer.
"Do something to keep the MPs occupied," she said quietly. "Nothing funny."
Goniff straightened and headed for the kitchen. He paused in front of the two guards with a cheerful grin. "I'm gettin' a cuppa tea. You lads want some? I think there's coffee too."
The two glanced at each other. The ride had been quiet and long. They both asked for coffee. Goniff scurried into the kitchen and returned with two cups. He handed them to the guards and began asking questions about what base they were on and where in the States they were from. Terry moved closer to the door to the office, seeming to straighten things on the side table and the around the telephone. Her ears strained to hear what was being said inside the office.
GGG
"Your con man was recognized at the party," said Col. Yates. "An internationally known jewel thief? Come on Lieutenant, do you really expect me to believe he didn't do it?"
Garrison looked at his second. The man wore his usual inscrutable expression.
"Lieutenant, I did not steal the necklace," was all the man said.
"He didn't steal the necklace," came a voice from the doorway.
All three men turned to stare at Terry. Actor shot her a look of warning which she ignored. Terry walked slowly forward until she was standing next to the Italian.
"And how would you know that?" asked Yates.
"Because I was with him the whole time," she replied candidly.
Craig's eyes widened in shock, turning to anger, before closing down to the same inscrutable expression of the others.
"The entire time, Miss Garrison? You didn't go to 'powder your nose' at any time?" asked Yates in disbelief.
Terry seemed to think about it. "Actually, no I didn't."
Yates turned to Garrison. "And you knew about this? You condone this behavior?"
"It was a spur of the moment thing," said Terry off-handedly. "I kind of forgot to tell him." Either way, Craig was in hot water. Better to be an idiot than to be an accomplice.
Yate's attention went back to Teresa. "I don't recall the name Garrison being on the guest list."
"It wasn't," said Terry.
"Teresa," Actor hissed her name in warning.
The girl ignored him, intent on her cat and mouse game with the colonel. "I wasn't invited. However, if you ask some of the other guests, they will remember a Teresa DiMarco being there."
"DiMarco?" questioned Yates.
"Really Colonel," said Terry with disgust, "I crashed a party with a man I shouldn't have been with. Do you really think I would use the name Garrison?"
Yates decided he did not want to continue bantering words with the trashy woman. Obviously she had a poor upbringing, despite her parentage, if she was associating socially with one of Garrison's hoods. He turned his attention back to the confidence man.
"We will obviously have to search your room," he said.
Actor stifled a refusal. There were things in his room he did not wish to be found. Nothing stolen, just personal, and the colonel had no right to see them. It took all of his self-control to remain expressionless.
"Really, Colonel, that is not necessary. If he had stolen the necklace, he wouldn't be stupid enough to leave it in his room," objected Garrison in a tone that was only a hairs breadth above insubordination.
Terry didn't have her brother's restrictions. "Actor is not stupid," she added. "Besides, he has better taste than that gaudy piece the woman was flaunting. It would be too hard to fence. It was that diamond thing on Mrs. Hoyt-White? No one else was wearing anything worth touching."
Actor and Garrison both stared at the girl. Actor was beginning to wonder if he had been teaching her too well. Garrison was wondering the same thing.
Yates was rapidly becoming annoyed. "So perhaps you stole it? You seem to know so much about it."
Terry eyed his with disgust. "It's what I do when I am with them on missions. Maybe you would like to arrest me?"
The colonel did not wish to have anything more to do with her. "I will just have to place Mr. Borghese in the stockade until he decides to tell us the location of the necklace. Or he is sent back to the prison he should never have been released from."
"I don't think that is necessary either," Craig started to say.
"Lieutenant, I really don't care what you think." The officer almost smirked. "You seem to be overly protective of your man. Perhaps I should have you put in the stockade with him." He knew he had gotten the trio's attention with that, not that they showed anything on their faces. "I think not. There would be no one to watch the rest of your men. And I really do not wish to clutter up the stockade with your lowlifes."
Terry started to bristle, but a discrete cough from Actor had her holding her tongue. Yates went to the door and gestured for the MPs to come. He motioned for them to arrest Actor. The two Garrisons kept an angry silence as the Italian's hands were cuffed behind him. The siblings stood in the doorway watching the elegant con man being led away, his demeanor as arrogant as ever.
The two Garrisons stepped into the common room and watched the door close behind Actor and the military men. The cacophony started immediately.
"Wot are they going to do to Actor?"
"You lettin' 'em take him away?"
"What's goin' on, Warden?"
Garrison ignored them and rounded on his sister. "I don't believe you!"
Terry was frustrated, angry and defensive. "Okay, so I was a bad girl. We don't have time for this. Do something, Craig!"
Garrison knew now was not the time to get into it with his sister, but it would not be forgotten. "Did he take it?"
"No!" exclaimed Terry adamantly.
"Are you sure?"
Terry paused. "About as sure as I can be with Actor. We were together the whole time. I never danced with anyone else and neither did he. He wasn't even chasing skirts."
Why would he, thought Craig, he had you. It was unbelievable the two could have done something so stupid and so blatantly against his rules.
"Somebody mind tellin'us what's goin' on?" asked Casino with a hefty dose of sarcasm.
Garrison crossed his arms and looked at his sister, throwing the explanation into her hands.
Terry took a deep breath and let it out. "Actor and I went to a party last night outside of London."
"Together?" asked Goniff in confusion.
They all looked at him in askance.
"Together," confirmed Terry. "Now Yates says Actor stole a necklace at the party."
"But he didn't," put in Chief.
"No," replied Terry.
"At least you don't think he did." Garrison could be sarcastic too when it called for it.
Terry turned to him. "Look, we don't have time for this. We have to clear him or they'll ship him back to stir."
"Or worse," said Craig.
"So what are we going to do?" demanded Terry.
Craig glared at his sister for a long moment. "Okay, so who are these Hoyt-Whites?"
"I don't know," replied Terry.
"How were you invited," asked Garrison, getting into his plotting mode.
"I wasn't," said Terry. "He wasn't directly."
"Do you know how 'indirectly' he was invited?" the irritation was not quite hidden in his voice.
Terry shook her head, face screwed up in frustration. "I don't know. Some acquaintance of an acquaintance."
Garrison shook his head. "So anybody could have set him up."
"Craig, he's too careful to walk into a con," said Terry. "It was either someone he knows or it has been brewing for awhile."
Garrison had already come to that conclusion. For some reason, he believed Actor was innocent of the charge. Why, he couldn't explain. "What name was he using?"
"Federico Bellini."
Craig stared at her. "That's a new one," he said.
"Maybe," replied Terry. "Or a very old one." It was more of a suggestion than a statement.
This called for another in depth reading of the con man's dossier.
"Fred-er-rico, huh," said Casino with a grin. "I hafta remember that one."
"I wouldn't if I were you," said Terry, not bothering to correct him. "I already did. He really didn't like it."
Craig had only been paying peripheral attention. "Didn't like what?"
"Freddie."
Craig gave his sister a 'you didn't' look. She looked back sheepishly. Terry was getting almost as bad as Casino with baiting the Italian.
"So wot are we gonna do, Warden?" asked Goniff.
"I don't know," admitted Garrison. "I have to think on this."
