"Mister," the kid said. "Do you know the lady who lives here?

Griff nodded.

"Would you give these to her, please?"

"Just leave them by the door," Griff said.

"I don't know..." the kid looked at the sky. "It might rain."

"Leave them."

He shrugged, set them by the door and hurried down the stairs to his van. Griff watched and waited. The door didn't open, and the flowers seemed to mock him.

For the next five hours, two of them in the rain, he sat on the stairs, alternately phoning and knocking until his battery ran out of juice and his shoes were full of water. Temporarily conceding defeat, he sloshed to his car and went home.

He gave the Marcia Ball tickets to the valet, went upstairs and took a hot shower, and tried to think of a better strategy.

THE ENTIRE TIME G GRIFF pounded on her door, Ca.s.s had been sitting on her couch eating Cheerios from a box and watching old movies. And crying. Initially, her anger had fueled her, but in the end, grief overtook her and drained her dry. pounded on her door, Ca.s.s had been sitting on her couch eating Cheerios from a box and watching old movies. And crying. Initially, her anger had fueled her, but in the end, grief overtook her and drained her dry.

She'd heard him go, listened as he plodded down the stairs in the rain, watched out the window as his car left the lot. Only when she was sure he'd gone did she open the door and peek out. The poor flowers were getting pounded by the rain. She took them in and set them in the kitchen sink to perk back up.

The bouquet might recover, but she wondered if she ever would.

Chapter Twenty-Four.

Ca.s.s didn't sleep much, and she dreamed awful things she couldn't remember, but kept waking her up when she dozed off. She finally got up, took a couple of aspirin and put cold compresses on her swollen eyes. Nothing had ever hurt her so deeply as this. Daniel's betrayal was nothing compared to Griff's.

Mostly, she realized, because she hadn't loved Daniel so much.

Well, she refused to waste any more tears over Griff and his devious ways. She was determined to gut up and go on. Today was a workday for her.

Her phone rang. He was starting early. She removed the compress to look at the caller ID. Sunny.

"Good morning, sis," Ca.s.s said in her cheeriest voice. "How are you today?"

"The question is, Ca.s.s, how are you?"

"I'm fine. Just fine."

"You don't sound fine. You're croaking like a frog."

"Must have been all the yelling I did yesterday."

"Yeah, sure," Sunny said. "I know you must feel like c.r.a.p. How about I work for you today?"

"No. Absolutely not. You're not going to cancel your plans. Mom and Aunt Min have been excited out of their minds about meeting with your wedding planner and getting started on the details today."

"They're excited. I'm not. This is my second marriage. Ben and I want a simple ceremony in the backyard and a lemon cake from the bakery down the street."

"I know. Keep reminding them."

"Have you heard any more from Griff?"

"Not a peep. I think he finally got the message."

"I hope so. If he gives you any trouble, call me and I'll send somebody to toss him out."

Ca.s.s laughed for the first time in nearly twenty-four hours. "You forget I have a baseball bat under my bed."

"Seriously, Ca.s.s, call me if you need me. Should I tell Mom and Aunt Min about this?"

"No. I feel like enough of a fool without everybody knowing about it. Just play dumb, and later I'll tell them things didn't work out for us. Mom will be thrilled."

After she hung up, Ca.s.s wandered into the bathroom and stared at her reflection. Talk about being "rode hard and put away wet." She looked worse than terrible, but her eyes didn't seem quite so puffy after the compress, and her headache had eased some. After showering and dressing, she took half an hour to skillfully apply a ton of makeup without it looking troweled on. Not bad.

She pasted a grin on her face. "It's showtime."

Downstairs, she unlocked the back door for arriving employees and began her usual routine. Her phone rang and she jumped three feet. Pulling her cell from her pocket, she saw the POAC secretary's name and answered. After they ended the call, Ca.s.s checked her voice mail and noted twenty-seven messages from Griff. She should have deleted them immediately, but some m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic perversion had kept her from it. She might even listen to them someday when she needed reminding what an idiot she'd been.

Lunchtime came and went without incident. They had a moderate crowd. With the nearby government offices closed, Sat.u.r.days usually weren't extremely busy.

About three-thirty, Griff walked in the front door. He hadn't shaved, his blue eyes were bloodshot and he generally looked like h.e.l.l.

She met him before he got too far inside. "Griff, please leave. We have nothing more to say."

"Will you give me at least five minutes, Ca.s.s? I need to talk to you."

"Not today."

"When? If I call you tomorrow or come by, will you talk to me?" His eyes seemed to plead, and she almost caved.

"I don't know. There is one question I'd like to ask you, and I'd like a truthful answer."

"Anything," he said. "Ask it."

"Was ZASM responsible for the break-in and flooding here?"

"I swear to G.o.d, Ca.s.s, I knew nothing about it and was in no way responsible." He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. He had the most woebegone expression she'd ever seen as he looked her straight in the eye and sucked in a deep breath. "However, I've had my suspicions about Walt. I can't be sure, but he might have done it. The man is crazy."

Ca.s.s thought she might faint, and her voice quavered as she said, "And this man is your partner? What the h.e.l.l kind of business are you involved in? Where are your ethics? I've heard enough. Please leave. Now."

"Ca.s.s-"

"I don't want to hear another word. If you don't leave quietly, I'll have you thrown out, and if you persist in bothering me, I'll get a restraining order." She turned and walked away before she had a total meltdown.

Hiding out in the office, she sat behind the desk and buried her face in her hands. What was wrong with her? As she'd stood talking to Griff, a terrible longing had come over her, and she'd wanted to throw herself into his arms and have him hold her and comfort her. Was she stark raving mad? He was the cause of her pain.

She clenched her teeth and laced her fingers tightly together until her shaking stopped. She would get through this, she told herself over and over like a mantra. She was a survivor.

BUSINESS PICKED UP FOR dinner, and she was pleased to see several old friends. Ben McKee's sister and brother-in-law, Tracy and Rick, stopped in with their two little girls. dinner, and she was pleased to see several old friends. Ben McKee's sister and brother-in-law, Tracy and Rick, stopped in with their two little girls.

"We've come for the bestest chili in the world," the younger one said.

"And some larrupin' peach cobbler," the other one added. "Uncle Ben says larrupin' means delicious."

Ca.s.s smiled, really smiled, showed them to a table and chatted for a short while. A few minutes later, she was surprised to see Greg Gonzales come in with two women, one older, one younger.

She hurried to the door to meet them. "Hi, Greg. Good to see you."

He introduced his mother and younger sister, Donna, who appeared to have Down syndrome. Ca.s.s greeted them warmly and seated them near the window. "Greg, life has been pretty hectic for me, but I plan to spend tomorrow afternoon making the rest of my selections, and I'll have my choices ready for you by Monday."

"Sounds good. I've been telling Donna and my mother about the chili here, and Mama's been itching to come and steal your recipe."

"Oh, Greg!" his mother said, chuckling.

"I don't like chili," Donna said, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up her face. "But I like hamburgers."

"I'm glad to hear that, Donna," Ca.s.s said. "Our hamburgers are really, really good. Some say the best in Texas."

Donna beamed.

"Let me take your drink orders, and I'll send over a waiter right away."

Martin Sevier from the POAC board brought his family for dinner, as did Sunny's former partner in Homicide. It seemed to be old home night with the number of friends and regulars who showed up.

Ca.s.s stood with her hand on the bar and smiled as she looked out over the diners, listened to the buzz of conversation punctuated by laughter. The smells of chili and onions and sizzling meat were as familiar to her as her own reflection, as were the kitschy decorations on the walls. These sights and sounds and smells were woven into the fabric of her life, and they comforted her. She rubbed her fingers over the bar's smooth wood, where so many fingers had touched before.

Dear G.o.d, she loved this place.

Ca.s.s FELT CONSIDERABLY BETTER when she said goodbye to the last of the staff and made her final walk through Chili Witches. She glanced toward a corner, catching a movement there, and froze when she saw the Senator sitting at the table, a coffee cup in front of him. No matter how many times she encountered him, she would never get used to seeing a ghost. when she said goodbye to the last of the staff and made her final walk through Chili Witches. She glanced toward a corner, catching a movement there, and froze when she saw the Senator sitting at the table, a coffee cup in front of him. No matter how many times she encountered him, she would never get used to seeing a ghost.

"Good evening, Senator. What brings you here?"

"Do I need a reason to drop in?" He looked a bit sad.

"Things are off between Griff and me."

He nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that. I like him."

"Mom doesn't. She'll be delighted."

"He truly loves you, you know. If I had to guess, I'd say Griffin is your soul mate, your destiny. You've been very good for each other. Listen to your heart, Ca.s.s."

"But he lied and came here to use me for his own ends."

"Did he? Are you sure?"

The Senator was gone.

And she was confused.

Suddenly weary to the bone, she set the security alarm, locked up and went upstairs. She gathered all her house samples together and put them in her tote bag by her laptop. After she undressed and pulled on her boxers and a tank top, Ca.s.s fixed herself a bowl of strawberry ice cream with chocolate sauce and pecans, and curled up in bed to eat it.

What exactly was the Senator trying to say to her? Soul mates? Destiny? Soul mates? Destiny? Sounded like so much hok.u.m. Griff was a warty toad. Sure, he had her going for a while, and he was h.e.l.l on wheels in bed, but great s.e.x wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It couldn't replace respect. Sounded like so much hok.u.m. Griff was a warty toad. Sure, he had her going for a while, and he was h.e.l.l on wheels in bed, but great s.e.x wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It couldn't replace respect.

She yawned. Setting her bowl aside, she turned out the light and pulled the covers over her head.

SOMETIME DURING THE night Ca.s.s was jolted awake by a pounding on her door. "Dammit, Griff!" she yelled. "Go away!" She covered her head with a pillow to drown out the noise, and slapped at her alarm clock, which was going like crazy. night Ca.s.s was jolted awake by a pounding on her door. "Dammit, Griff!" she yelled. "Go away!" She covered her head with a pillow to drown out the noise, and slapped at her alarm clock, which was going like crazy.

Her phone began to ring, joining the other raucous ringing and clanging and beeping going on.

What was that smell?

She jolted upright and grabbed her phone. Hank Wisda.

When she answered, he yelled, "Get out, Ca.s.s! Get out! Hurry! The place is on fire!"

She began to cough as smoke seeped into the room.

Chapter Twenty-Five.