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“I couldn’t stand it It hurt too much,” the admission came out in a low, tortured voice

“What hurt exactly? Writing your daughter off like bad business?”

“I didn’t write her off There was nothing to go on,” he practically shouted, surging to his feet behind the desk

“Who said I was talking about her?” Ellie asked, then turned and left his office

He called her nanored her pleas for affection for twenty-four years

When she got ho machine It was Hawk

She called hiain by men whose priorities didn’t match hers

“I told your answering service it was an eency,” she said after he picked up and without even identifying herself

“Miss Wentworth?”

“Yes”

“It has only been five hours since you called”

“An eency implies immediate reaction is necessary, Mr Hawk I’m surprised your clients are tolerant of your definition”

“You are not one of my clients”

“Nevertheless…”

He sighed “I will admit that I would prefer not to have this conversation, but to clarify, the demise of a relationship due to information I provide is not a five-alarm fire in my book”

“It should be when you got your facts wrong”

“Please, Miss Wentworth I’ve heard it all before Tearful begging and bribery are going toto convince me to call my client and tell him there was a mistake There was no mistake”

“You’re so sure of that?”

“Absolutely positive”

She shook her head at his arrogance, but only said, “I have no interest in you calling the deceiving rat who employed you”

“Then what do you want?” theskeptical

“I want to knohere you, or your operative hen these pictures were taken”