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The lines on Jack's lean face deepened as he blocked her entrance to the house. "Would you notice if something were missing or out of order?"
"Not really, but Rosa or Roberto would, and they'd let me know. I'm sure it's fine. It's probably my own personal demons lurking in this house that spooked me."
Feeding off her anxiety, Jack pulled his gun from the pocket of his jacket and slipped inside ahead of her. She felt guilty for putting him on edge. The man seriously needed to relax for one day.
Lola peeked around Jack's broad, comforting back. The large foyer looked about as unwelcoming as ever. She took a step down and peered into the great room with its high ceiling and long windows. "At least the flatscreen TV is still here."
"Everything look okay?" Jack stalked into the room, ready to do battle with Lola's ghosts.
"I'm sure everything's fine, Jack." She pointed to his weapon. "But if you want to keep that handy, I'm okay with it."
"Humor me." He gestured with his gun. "Give me a quick tour."
A quick tour of the Famosa manse wasn't possible, but Lola took Jack through all the rooms downstairs and upstairs. He studied the layout as if committing it to memory, which was kind of ironic.
They returned downstairs, and Lola pointed to the sun-splashed kitchen. "I'm going to forage for lunch. I'll set up my laptop so you can do your Prospero research."
Jack grabbed the laptop case where Lola had stashed it in the foyer. He hauled in the rest of the bags from the porch, including his black duffel, and strolled to a small table tucked into a bright alcove off the kitchen.
He pulled out the laptop and plugged it in. "Do you have a password?"
"No." She held up a fairly soft loaf of bread. "Sandwich okay?"
"Sure." He tapped the keys of the laptop and sat back, watching the computer boot up. "Where are the caretakers?"
"There's a small house out back. If they're on the property, they're probably at the house. It doesn't have a kitchen, though, so they keep a supply of food in here." She squirted some mustard on the bread and held up her knife. "I hate to ask the obvious question, but have you looked yourself up on Google yet?"
His long fingers drummed the table. "I used the library computer and did a search of Jack Coburn. The name's not too uncommon, but I'm pretty sure I'm not a Realtor from Orlando, and no hostage negotiators popped up in association with the name."
She squinted at a piece of cheese, holding it up to the light before slapping it on a slice of bread. "Yeah, well, I'm sure that's why I went to Emilio for help. It's not a service you look up in the yellow pages...or the internet."
Jack cleared his throat and Lola glanced up to meet his dark eyes, shining with a light of amusement. "What?"
"Are you sure you're not going to poison me with that sandwich? Looks like you don't trust what you're putting on that bread."
She sliced one of the sandwiches and held up a half. "Do you want me to be like a royal taster or something?"
"No, I trust you."
She knew he trusted her. Trusted her enough to seek her out to get information. And look where she'd led him. Right into a trap along with Emilio.
Lola piled the sandwich halves onto a plate and carried it to the table. She set it down and reached for her purse, hanging on the back of a chair. "I'm going to call the hospital and see if I can get some information about Emilio."
"Would they take him to your hospital, Miami Hope? Maybe you can get in to see him, despite the dragon lady's wishes."
"Yeah, they'd take him to Hope. Whether or not my status there would pave the way for a meeting with Emilio is another story."
Jack returned to the laptop, holding a sandwich in one hand, while Lola called the hospital. Even though she couldn't claim family status, she got one of the nurses she knew who at least told her Emilio was alive but unconscious and in critical condition.
"Doesn't sound good." Lola slumped in her chair, rounding her shoulders. "Do you think someone was watching us or watching Emilio?"
Jack chewed, tilting his head to one side. When he swallowed, he lifted his shoulder. "If someone was watching us, he followed us from your place and I don't think that happened. I made sure of that."
