Free Copper Beach: A Dark Legacy Novel by Jayne Ann Krentz Page B

at least some of the crystals survived. In the beginning, Dad chased down every lead. Now my brother, Judson, and I do it. But until now, nothing has ever come of any of the rumors.”
     
    “What happened to your father’s partnership with Knox?”
     
    “They worked together for a while. Found a new mine, one that produced copper. They sold out to a big mining company and split the profits. That was the end of their partnership. My father spent his share of the money on exploration and development of another rare-earths mine that became the foundation of Coppersmith Inc.”
     
    “What happened to Quinn Knox?”
     
    “He and Dad lost contact over the years. Knox evidently had a problem with gambling and a few other addictions. But Dad heard from him for the first time in decades when Knox called from his hospital bed to warn him about Lander Knox. Apparently, Lander found one of the crystals that Quinn had kept and learned about the existence of thePhoenix Mine. He has concluded that he was deprived of his rightful inheritance, and he’s determined to find it. To do that, he needs the lab book.”
     
    “You really think this Lander Knox is the person who is trying to blackmail me?”
     
    “I think there’s a very high probability that he’s the blackmailer, yes. But we have to assume that there may be others who will do whatever it takes to get that book.”
     
    “Wow, a lost mine and a missing lab book.” Abby looked genuinely amused. “You know, if it weren’t for the blackmail part, this would actually be one of my cooler gigs.”
     
    “I’m glad you can see the positive side of this situation.”
     
    He studied the tea she had placed in front of him. Normally, he never drank tea, herbal or otherwise. But this tea was a mysterious golden green. He picked up the cup and swallowed cautiously. The brew tasted oddly soothing. He could feel the warmth flooding through him, and it felt good. It occurred to him that he had been cold for a while now. Strange that he had not been aware of it until tonight.
     
    They drank the tea together in silence. Eventually, he put down the cup.
     
    “By now you’ve probably heard the rumors about me,” he said.
     

9
     
    SHE DIDN’T PRETEND THAT SHE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HE WAS talking about.
    “Well, sure,” she said. “Even my friend Gwen has heard them.”
     
    “I didn’t kill Cassidy Lawrence.”
     
    “I know.”
     
    That was not the response he had expected.
     
    “How do you know that?” he asked.
     
    Abby shrugged. “Gwen would never have left us alone together if she thought you were capable of that kind of thing.”
     
    He frowned. “She’s that good?”
     
    “She’s that good.”
     
    “Huh.”
     
    So much for the fantasy of Abby throwing herself into his arms and swearing a vow of unqualified trust.
Take what you can get, Coppersmith.
     
    “There’s one other thing I’d like to clarify,” he said.
     
    “Yes?”
     
    “For some reason, a lot of folks seem to believe that Cassidy and I were engaged.”
     
    “Not true?”
     
    “No,” he said. “We saw a lot of each other for a while, and people made some assumptions. We had an affair, but she was not my fiancée.”
     
    “I see.”
     
    Abby’s phone chimed into the sudden, acute silence. She flinched, clearly startled, and picked up the device. She glanced at the screen, smiled and took the call.
     
    “Talk about a psychic intercept,” she said. She walked out from behind the kitchen counter, heading toward the small desk. “We were just chatting about you, Gwen.…Yes, that’s what I told him. You can take off for Hawaii without having to worry about me.”
     
    Abby stopped in front of her desk and began to flip through a small stack of mail.
     
    “Yes,” she said. “I promise I’ll call Nick if I think I need backup. But I’ll be fine.…Yes.…Good night. Safe trip. I know it’s a job, but try to have some fun in Hawaii, okay?…Yes, I promise I’ll call