The Right Path Part 19

"Heroin." And a shudder seemed to pa.s.s through him. "I thought it had stopped.

Are you sure she's-"

"She's alive." Morgan gripped his hand as he came to the bed. A wave of pity washed over her-for Iona, for the man whose hand she held in her own.

"She's alive, Dorian. We'l get help for her."

His hand tightened on hers for a moment so that Morgan had to choke back a protest. "Iona," he murmured. "So beautiful-so lost." "She's not lost, not yet!"

Morgan said fiercely. "If you know how to pray, pray that we found her in time."

His eyes came back to Morgan's, clear, expressionless. She thought as she looked at him she'd never seen anything so empty. "Pray," he said quietly.

"Yes, there's nothing else to be done."

It seemed to take hours, but when Morgan watched the helicopter veer off to the west, the morning was stil young. Iona, stil unconscious, was being rushed to Athens. Dorian rode with her and the doctor while Alex and Liz began hurried preparations for their own flight.

Stil barefoot and in her robe, Morgan watched the helicopter until it was out of sight. As long as she lived, she thought, she'd never forget that pale, stony look on Dorian's face-or the lifeless beauty on Iona's. With a shudder, she turned away and saw Alex just inside the doorway.

"Tripolos," he said quietly. "He's in the salon."

"Oh, not now, Alex." Overcome with pity, she held out both hands as she went to him. "How much more can you stand?"

"It's necessary." His voice was tight with control and he held her hands limply. "I apologize for putting you through al this, Morgan-" "No." She interrupted him and squeezed his hands. "Don't treat me that way, Alex. I thought we were friends."

"Diabolos," he murmured. "Such friends you have. Forgive me." "Only if you stop treating me as though I were a stranger."

On a sigh, he slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Come, we'l face the captain."

Morgan wondered if she would ever enter the salon without seeing Captain Tripolos seated in the wide, high-back chair. She sat on the sofa as before, faced him, and waited for the questions.

"This is difficult for you," Tripolos said at length. "For al of you." His gaze roamed over the occupants of the room, from Morgan to Alex to Liz. "We wil be as discreet as is possible, Mr. Theoharis. I wil do what I can to avoid the press, but an attempted suicide in a family as wel known as yours ..." He let the rest trail off.

"Suicide," Alex repeated softly. His eyes were blank, as if the words hadn't penetrated.

"It would seem, from the preliminary report, that your cousin took a self-induced overdose. Heroin. But I hesitate to be more specific until the investigation is closed. Procedure, you understand." "Procedure."

"You found Miss Theoharis, Miss James?"

Morgan gave a quick, nervous jolt at the sound of her name, then settled. "No, actual y, the maid found her. I went in to see what was wrong. Zena had dropped the tray and was carrying on ... when I went in I saw Iona."

"And you cal ed for an ambulance?"

"No." She shook her head, annoyed. He knew Alex had cal ed, but wanted to drag the story from her piece by piece. Resigned, Morgan decided to accommodate him. "I thought at first she was dead-then I felt a pulse. I got her back into bed."

"Back into bed?"

Tripolos's tone had sharpened, ever so faintly, but Morgan caught it. "Yes, she was half out of it, almost on the floor. I wanted to lay her down." She lifted her hands helplessly. "I honestly don't know what I wanted to do, it just seemed like the right thing."

"I see. Then you found this?" He held up the syringe, now in a clear plastic bag.

"Yes." "Did you know your cousin was a user of heroin, Mr. Theoharis?"

Alex stiffened at the question. Morgan saw Liz reach out to take his hand. "I knew Iona had a problem-with drugs. Two years ago she went to a clinic for help. I thought she had found it. If I had believed she was stil ... il ," he managed. "I wouldn't have brought her into my home with my wife and my friend."

"Mrs. Theoharis, were you unaware of Miss Theoharis's problem?"

Morgan heard the breath hiss out between Alex's teeth, but Liz spoke quickly. "I was perfectly aware of it." Alex's head whipped around but she continued calmly.

"That is, I was aware that my husband arranged for her to have treatment two years ago, though he tried to shield me." Without looking at him, Liz covered their joined hands with her free one.

"Would you, Mr. Theoharis, have any notion where your cousin received her supply?" "None."

"I see. Wel , since your cousin lives in Athens, perhaps it would be best if I worked with the police there, in order to contact her close friends." "Do what you must," Alex said flatly. "I only ask that you spare my family as much as possible."

"Of course. I wil leave you now. My apologies for the intrusion, yet again."

"I must phone my family," Alex said dul y when the door closed behind Tripolos.

As if seeking comfort, his hand went to his wife's hair. Then he rose and left without another word.

"Liz," Morgan began. "I know it's a useless phrase, but if there's anything I can do ..."

Liz shook her head. She shifted her eyes from the doorway back to her friend's.

"It's al so unbelievable. That she's lying there, so near death. What's worse, I never liked her. I made no secret of it, but now ..." She rose and walked to the window. "She's Alex's family, and he feels that deeply. Now, in his heart, he's responsible for whatever happens to her. And al I can think of is how cold I was to her."

"Alex is going to need you." Morgan rose and walked over to put a hand on her shoulder. "You can't help not liking her, Liz. Iona isn't an easy person to like.

"You're right, of course." With a deep breath Liz turned and managed a weak smile. "It's been a hel of a vacation so far, hasn't it? No, don't say anything."

She squeezed Morgan's hand. "I'm going to see if Alex needs me. There'l be arrangements to be made."

The vil a was silent as Morgan went up to change. As she b.u.t.toned her shirt, she stood by the terrace doors, staring out at the view of garden, sea, and mountain.

How could it be that so much ugliness had intruded in such a short time? she wondered. Death and near death. This wasn't the place for it. But even Paradise named its price, she thought, and turned away.

The knock on her door was quiet. "Yes, come in." "Morgan, am I disturbing you?"

"Oh, Alex." As she looked up, Morgan's heart wel ed with sympathy. The lines of strain and grief seemed etched into his face. "I know how horrible al this is for you, and I don't want to add to your problems. Perhaps I should go back to New York."

"Morgan." He hesitated for a moment. "I know it's a lot to ask, but I don't do it for myself. For Liz. Wil you stay for Liz? Your company is al I can give her for a time." He released Morgan's hands and moved restlessly around the room. "We'l have to fly to Athens. I can't say how long-until Iona is wel or-" He broke off as if he wasn't yet prepared for the word. "I'l have to stay with my family for a few days. My aunt wil need me. If I could send Liz back knowing you'd be here with her, it would make it so much easier."

"Of course, Alex. You know I wil ."

He turned and gave her a phantom of a smile. "You're a good friend, Morgan.

We'l have to leave you for at least a day and a night. After that, I 'l send Liz back.

I can be sure she'l leave Athens if you're here." With a sigh, he took her hand absently. "Dorian might choose to stay in Athens as wel . I believe he

... has feelings for Iona I didn't realize before. I'l ask Nick to look after you while we're gone."

"No." She bit her tongue on the hurried protest. "No, real y, Alex, I'l be fine. I'm hardly alone, with the servants in the house. When wil you leave?" "Within the hour."

"Alex, I'm sure it was an accident."

"I'l have to convince my aunt of that." He held out his hands, searching his own palms for a moment. "Though as to what I believe ..." His look had hardened when he lifted his eyes again. "Iona courts disaster. She feeds on misery. I'l tel you now, because I won't ever be able to speak freely to anyone else. Not even Liz." His face was a grim mask now. Cold. "I detest her." He spit the words out as if they were poison. "Her death would be nothing but a blessing to everyone who loves her."

When Alex, Liz, and Dorian were gone, Morgan left the vil a. She needed to walk-needed the air. This time she avoided her habit of heading for the beach.

She was far from ready for that. Instead, she struck out for the cliffs, drawn to their jagged, daring beauty.

How clean the air was! Morgan wanted no floral scents now, just the crisp tang of the sea. She walked without destination. Up, only up, as if she could escape from everything if she could only get higher. If the G.o.ds had walked here, she thought, they would have come to the cliffs, to hear the water beat against rock, to breathe the thin, pure air.

She saw, to her pleasure, a scruffy, straggly goat with sharp black eyes. He stared at her a moment as he gnawed on a bit of wild gra.s.s he'd managed to find growing in between the rocks. But when she tried to get closer, he scrambled up, lightly, and disappeared over the other side of the cliff.