“Have you eaten?”

“What? No. I’ll be all right.”

She looked fragile, terrifyingly so. Part of him thought she deserved to hurt, was tempted to leave her with her misery. But he picked up the phone and asked for room service.

“I don’t want anything.”

“Just be quiet.” He ordered up soup and tea, then began to prowl the room.

How could he have misjudged her so completely? Pegging people quickly and accurately was one of his most finely honed skills. He’d seen an intelligent, interesting woman. A classy one, with humor and taste. But beneath the glossy surface, she was a liar, a cheat, and an opportunist.

He nearly laughed. He’d just described the boy he’d worked half his life to bury.

“In your notes you say you haven’t seen Seth since he was about four. Why did you come here now?”

“I thought I could help.”

“Who?”

The hope that the pain would begin to recede gave her the strength to open her eyes. “I don’t know. I thought I could help him, and Gloria.”

“You help one, you hurt the other. I read your notes, Sybill. Are you going to try to tell me you care about him? ‘The subject appears healthy.’ He’s not a fucking subject, he’s a child.”

“It’s necessary to be objective.”

“It’s necessary to be human.”

It was a dart, sharp enough to strike her heart and make it ache as well. “I’m not very good with emotions. Reactions and behavioral patterns are more my forte than feelings. I’d hoped to be able to keep a certain distance from the situation, to analyze it, to determine what was best for all involved. I haven’t been doing a good job of it.”

“Why didn’t you do anything before?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you do anything to analyze the situation when Seth was with your sister?”

“I didn’t know where they were.” Then she let out a breath and shook her head. It was no time for excuses, and the man staring at her with those cold eyes wouldn’t accept them in any case. “I never seriously tried to find out. I sent her money now and again if she contacted me and asked for it. My connection with Gloria was usually unproductive and unpleasant.”

“For Christ’s sake, Sybill, we’re talking about a little boy here, not your views on sibling rivalry.”

“I was afraid to get attached,” she snapped out. “The one time I did, she took him away. He was her child, not mine. There was nothing I could do about it. I asked her to let me help, but she wouldn’t. She’s been raising him all alone. My parents have disinherited her. My mother won’t even acknowledge that she has a grandson. I know Gloria has problems, but it can’t be easy for her.”

He simply stared at her. “Are you serious?”

“She’s had no one to depend on,” Sybill began, then closed her eyes again as a knock sounded on the door. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can eat.”