Rafe gave a rude grunt and reached for the coffeepot.
Hannah eyed Perry with renewed caution. “You promised your boss that you would produce me tomorrow night, didn’t you? And he’s going to be annoyed if I don’t put in an appearance.”
Perry sighed. “I would take it as a great personal favor, Hannah. Tomorrow night is very, very important to me, careerwise.”
“Who else is on the guest list?”
Perry appeared briefly surprised by the question. But he switched gears swiftly. “The usual local honchos, of course. Plus all the folks who backed Thornley’s previous campaigns. We’ve also got some heavy-duty movers and shakers from Portland coming in. The big catch of the evening is Tom Lydd.”
“Tom Lydd of Lydd-Zone Software?” Hannah asked.
“One and the same.” Perry tried and failed to look modest. “I’ve been courting him for months, trying to get him to endow a research fund at the institute. I don’t mind telling you that the fact that he agreed to attend tomorrow night is a very, very good sign. I’ll have his name on an endowment agreement by the end of the week if all goes well.”
“Big coup for you, I imagine,” Hannah said politely.
“Doesn’t get any bigger than Tom Lydd.” Anticipation glittered in Perry’s eyes. “I think it’s safe to say that if I land an endowment from him, my position at the institute will be rock solid. I’ll be in line to take over as director when Manchester retires next year.”
“Wow,” Hannah said. She paid no attention to Rafe, who was watching her with a bemused expression.
Perry chuckled. “I think we can agree that ‘wow’ is the operative word. I’ve got plans for the institute. Big plans. When I take over I’m going to turn it into one of the most influential social policy think tanks in the country. We’ll be able to make or break political candidates. Anyone in the Northwest with an eye on political office will come to us for consulting advice.”
“All right,” Hannah said. “I’ll do it.”
Perry patted her hand with the same air of condescending approval that he had exuded when he patted Winston’s head. Hannah had the same reaction Winston had had. It was all she could do not to bare her teeth.
She could tell from the glint in Rafe’s eyes that he had caught her reaction. Perry, however, did not appear to notice. Goal accomplished, he was already halfway out of his chair.
“I’ll be very busy tomorrow evening,” he said en route to the front door. “I won’t be able to swing by here to pick you up. Why don’t you meet me at the institute? Say, eight o’clock? Dressy but not formal attire. I’m sure you know the drill.”
“Sure, Perry.” She followed him back outside onto the porch.
He paused on the second-to-last step and glanced over her shoulder, evidently assuring himself that he could not be overheard by Rafe. Then he lowered his voice to a confidential tone.
“What’s with you and Madison?”
“You must have heard by now that Aunt Isabel left her house to both of us. Rafe and I are discussing how to handle Dreamscape.”
A concerned frown furrowed Perry’s brow. “Everyone in town heard about that will. Isabel must have been going senile there at the end. Why didn’t you let the lawyers work it out?”
“Rafe didn’t want to involve lawyers.”
“Is that right?” Perry slanted a thoughtful glance at the door. “Probably thinks he can get a better deal on his own. You’re lucky that I’m the one who happened to drop by this morning. Anyone else might have taken one look at that domestic little scene in the kitchen and jumped to the wrong conclusions.”
“What conclusions?”
“You know what I’m talking about. You, Madison, the breakfast dishes. Hell, it isn’t even nine o’clock yet. Looks like the two of you just spent the night together. If that kind of talk got around—”
She folded her arms, leaned one shoulder against the post, and looked at him. “Are you going to spread the rumor that I’m having an affair with Rafe Madison?”
“Of course not. Hell, I’m probably the one person in town who doesn’t believe that you let him seduce you on the beach the night Kaitlin Sadler died.”
“I appreciate your faith in my virtue. But what makes you so sure I didn’t let Rafe seduce me that night?”
Perry chuckled indulgently. “As I recall, you were a bit naïve, not to say, downright inhibited about sex in those days.”
“In other words, because I wasn’t interested in getting into the backseat with you that night, it’s highly unlikely that I fooled around with Rafe Madison later? Is that your logic?”
Perry gave her a knowing look. “As I said, I realize that there’s nothing going on between the two of you, but a word to the wise. Eclipse Bay is still one very small town. You’d better be a little more careful about appearances in the future. Someone else might get the wrong idea.”
“Thanks for the advice, Perry.”
“One other thing you should know.” He glanced toward the door behind her again and then leaned forward and dropped his voice still lower. “There’s some serious question about Rafe Madison’s source of income.”
“What exactly are you implying, Perry?”
“I’m not one to make accusations, but there’s talk that he may be involved in some less-than-legitimate investments, if you catch my drift.”
“You mean he may be a gangster?”
Perry’s lips thinned. “I’m just saying he might be skating a little close to the edge of the legal ice. Who knows what he’s been up to during the past eight years?”
“Why don’t you ask him?”
“None of my business.” Perry went hastily down the last step. “Well, got to be on my way. Lots to do before tomorrow night. See you at the reception.”
“Don’t worry,” she said softly. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
She stayed where she was, lounging against the post, until the Volvo disappeared at the end of the drive. When she finally turned around, she saw Rafe and Winston gazing at her through the screen door.
“You’ll be happy to hear that Perry doesn’t believe for one moment that anything went on here last night,” she said.
“Hell of a relief,” Rafe said. “Someone who wasn’t quite so high-minded as Decatur might have drawn all the wrong conclusions.”