I desperately wanted to chase after Richard, to hold him and make useless offers of comfort. But more pressingly, I needed to know what my part in this whole charade was. I turned back to Jett and said, “He feels very let down. He thought you asked me here tonight to celebrate a book deal with us.”

Jett had the grace to look sheepish. “I’m sorry, Kate, I really am sorry. I feel like a piece of shit over this, believe me. I wanted to tell Richard myself, not let him hear it from someone else. I know he’d have done a good job, but my hands are tied. People don’t realize how little power guys like me actually have.”

“So why did you want me here tonight?” I demanded. “To keep Richard under control?”

Jett shook his head. He half-turned his handsome head to the Fiona. “Tamar,” he said, “why don’t you get yourself another drink?”

The blonde smiled cattily at me and poured herself off the couch. When we were reasonably private, Jett said, “I’ve got a job for you. It’s something that’s very important to me, and I need to be able to trust the person I give it to. Richard’s told me a lot about you, and I think you’re the right one. I don’t want to tell you about

“Are you kidding?” I flashed back. “After the way you’ve just humiliated Richard?”

“I didn’t think you were the kind of lady who let personal stuff get in the way of her work.” His voice was velvet. To an old fan, irresistible. “I heard you were too good for that.”

Flattery. It never fails. I was intrigued, in spite of my anger. “There’s a lot of stuff Mortensen and Brannigan don’t handle,” I hedged.

He looked around him, trying to appear casual. He seemed satisfied that no one was in earshot. “I want you to find someone for me,” he said softly. “But not a word to Richard, please.”

That reminded me how angry I was on Richard’s behalf. “Mortensen and Brannigan always respect client confidentiality,” I said, sounding stuffy even to my ears. God knows what the king of thirtysomething rock was making of it all.

He grinned, flashing a display of brilliant white teeth at me. “Come to the manor tomorrow about three,” he said, not expecting any more problems.

I shook my head. “I don’t know, Jett. We don’t usually touch missing persons.”

“For me? As a personal favor?”

“Like the one you’ve just done Richard?”