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Libby had the list they’d made the night before, and he picked it up as though he needed a reminder. “I trust you both, but could anyone have seen you disarm the alarm as you came into the house?”
“Absolutely not,” Mrs. Lopez exclaimed. “When I come in first, no one’s with me, unless…” She paused a moment. “Sometimes Manuel is working in the yard, but he knows the code, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, he does. What about you, Tomas? Has Julian or Adolfo seen you punch in the code?”
“No, they come in an hour after I arrive.”
“Well, someone found a way to gain entry, and we need to find out how today. Please make us something with plenty of protein for breakfast, Tomas. We’ll need all our strength.”
“Of course, right away.” He hurried into the kitchen.
“Mrs. Lopez, don’t have the girls clean around the elevator until the arson inspector and insurance adjuster are finished and say they may.”
“Yes, sir.” She handed Santos a tabloid. “Have you seen this? It looks as though someone photographed the wedding from a boat.”
Libby leaned close to study the photo. “It’s a poor angle from the water, and with the dim light at sunset, Maggie and Rafael are barely recognizable.”
“True, but look at the background,” Santos pointed out. “Anyone who didn’t know where the Aragon house is located will be able to walk down the beach and find it easily. This is from yesterday. I didn’t look at the newsstands when I went to the airport, but we could also have been in other papers.”
“Rafael asked my father not to sell his photos, but clearly this isn’t one of his,” Libby murmured. “Someone might have taken photos of the fire last night.”
“Probably.” He chucked the paper on the table. “I don’t even have to face a bull to land in the tabloids. When Adolfo arrives, I’ll ask Tomas to send him for today’s papers.”
Tomas brought them tall glasses of cranberry juice. “Would you like for me to add something to these?”
“On another morning, perhaps, but I’m in enough trouble without adding liquor to the mix. Libby?”
“No, thank you, I’m fine with straight juice.” She took a sip and waited until Tomas had returned to the kitchen to speak. “Do you think we’ll have time to visit Orlando Ortiz today?”
Santos leaned back in his chair and covered a wide yawn. “No, I might be able to work him into the afternoon, but I’d not be at my best. The cologne photo shoot is tomorrow, so I’ll call Ortiz later and make an appointment for Wednesday. I’ll let him wonder why I want to see him.”
There was so much going on there that morning, Libby had pulled on her jeans and yellow sweater rather than jogging clothes. “Do you want me to just stay out of your way today?”
“You won’t be in the way. Maybe you ought to call your folks and see if they made it home safely.”
“Barcelona is seven hours ahead of the time in Minneapolis, so I’ll have to wait, but I’m not telling them about the fire.”
“That’s undoubtedly wise. Think of something that’s true.”
She flashed a disarming smile. “What I remember from yesterday doesn’t fit under a PG rating.”
“But it’s true. Make them do the talking. Maybe they had a particularly interesting flight home.”
“Let’s hope.” She hadn’t bothered with braiding her hair and wore it up in a ponytail. She adjusted the elastic band and lowered her voice. “We may not have time to schedule a workout. Do you ever take naps?” Her sultry tone offered more than refreshing sleep.
“I’m going to make a point of it today, if I can get upstairs.”
Her smile turned seductive. “There’s a lock on the den door.”
He checked his watch, but there wasn’t time before everyone he expected to arrive showed up at his door. “I love your concept of exercise.”
She leaned forward and licked her lips. “I tailor the program to the individual.”
He looked down at the table and remembered all too vividly how they’d used it last night. He could almost taste her and took a drink of juice to clear his mind. “By the time you leave, I won’t be able to walk into a room here and not think of your routines.”
“I believe variety is the key to an effective workout program, don’t you?”
“Definitely, but I’m also fond of the old standards.”
