Chapter 20

Arif decided finally to give up on Sarla. He had covered every inch of the entire enormous Sin City complex, and she was nowhere to be seen. He had even hung around outside each of the Ladies Loos for long enough to make some of the girls look at him suspiciously -- and some, interestedly. Even if his wife had come here tonight -- as Lena's computer check had shown -- she had obviously left by now.

With whom? he wondered, clenching his fist involuntarily. And where did she go from here?

Then he realized what he was doing and smiled bitterly.

I'm jealous, he realized. I'm jealous of a wife I was so sick of just hours ago that I was willing to commit suicide to be rid of her.

He grinned at the absurdity.

A pair of very elaborately groomed and accoutred young women leaning against the bar beside him mistook his grin for a come-on and grinned back invitingly. They seemed very high, and very friendly. Arif ignored them.

Brushing back the flick of hair that kept falling over his forehead, he made his way to the exit. Time to get out of this party palace. Time to get on with the plan he'd decided on before he left office earlier this evening. Time to die.

He nodded absently at the purring goodbyes of the miniskirted ushers at the exit, and walked across the parking lot. Out of habit, he started scanning the rows upon rows of cars parked in neat files, patting his pockets for his car keys, then caught himself.

Your car's in a garage, and it's going to be there a while, remember? You smashed it up on Marine Drive when that stupid woman rammed into you.

He shrugged and began walking toward the gates. He would catch a cab to the Reay Road godown, open his father's desk drawer, take out the pistol, write the goodbye note to Sarla, and then...

"Hey."

The voice was female, deep and very sexy.

He turned, expecting to see another over-imbibed party poodle looking for a one-night stand.

And was taken by surprise.

Merlyn stared up at him from the interior of a massive luxury car, looking up through a half-scrolled-down rear window.

"You look like you could use a lift," she said, smiling. "And I owe you one anyway, don't I?"