Chapter 9: Cause for Concern
Julie's hands shook as she scribbled the note to Donovan there on her dining room table.
In tear-smeared ink were the words: DIANA RECORDED US LAST NIGHT.
Donovan wanted to believe she was mistaken, that she only thought this. He wondered, Why does she believe that?
Julie started writing again and paused to smooth her tears away.
Donovan held her close and whispered in her ear. "Just tell me."
Julie cleared her throat, then whispered back, "She tried to play the recording for Nathan."
"Tried? What do you mean tried?" He spoke in a normal tone of voice, still not totally convinced a whisper was necessary.
Julie's lips trembled as she said, "She-she had a recording device. Nathan said she'd used it to bug his office before. And even before he came in the office, she repeated to me some things you said last night, like she was there… with us."
"Like what?"
Julie reached for a napkin and then dabbed her eyes. "About us getting married after the war ends and you wanting to kill her."
Donovan swallowed. Is it possible, that Diana was in the room with us last night? Did she hear everything?
"What else?" he asked, fearing it what might be true.
"She asked me if I enjoyed your company last night. She said that she pretended to be me when you were held captive at the embassy and that you enjoyed kissing her because you thought she was me."
It wasn't Diana, It was the blonde, he thought.
"Did you … kiss her?" She asked.
"I don't know."
"Did you kiss somebody?"
He nodded, thinking, there's no need to be jealous if that's what you feel, Julie. No, she feels violated if Diana was present when we were… He could not decide what was worse, the thought that he had kissed Diana, or that she had recorded him and Julie being intimate. He attempted to piece together the information presented, to reach a conclusion about Julie's sudden paranoia and realized elements of evidence were missing.
"What happened with Bates?"
"Diana insisted you and I are sleeping together, and that I'm sharing secrets with you in bed."
"Not necessarily in bed," he teased. Julie's look of hostility told him it was not funny to her. He started to massage her neck with his left hand. Her muscles were tense, and she leaned against him.
"I don't think we can do this anymore."
"What?"
"Us, I don't think it's safe." She pulled away from him. "Maybe we should just lay low until after the war ends. Not see each other."
"And what, you're quitting the resistance too?" he questioned, not that the latter was more important to him.
"I may have to. If Bates or Diana don't have my apartment bugged now, I wouldn't put it past either of them to have me followed. And Diana already knows about us." Her tears started to fall again. Donovan watched her throat muscles contract as she swallowed. "Sh-she said you loved me so, but that Sean loved her.
Donovan's stomach twisted at the mention of his son's name.
Diana has Sean. I'm not giving her the satisfaction of ruining this relationship…
"I do love you," he reminded, giving her a gentle hug. He felt her heart beating a hundred miles an hour against him. "But waiting until the war ends… we don't know when that will be. And the resistance needs your connection with Bates. Maybe give it a week or two. Don't contact any of us or The Club Creole. Maybe Bates will back off if you don't do anything suspicious."
She nodded against him. "I thought if he's having me watched, it's not even safe for you to leave."
"I guess I'll just have to stay here for two weeks then." He pressed a kiss to one of her cheeks then the other. "We'll give Diana a good show, won't we?"
"We did last night." She chuckled softly.
Whether it was an admission of Julie's paranoia or her acknowledgment that last night's lovemaking was the best session they had experienced in a long time… He wanted to relive it. Never mind that it was only going on six p.m.
"Can I stay tonight?" He kissed her lips.
"Why not? I'm already guilty?" She forced a smile. "You want dinner?"
"Anything you got is fine."
