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rationalized.“We’re family. And we’re just going to look, we’re not going to take anything.”

    Lauren could tell Gerald had stubbornly processed “close enough to legal” to mean illegal. “If it’s okay for family members to open it, then why don’t you have a key to the box?” he argued, and shook his head. “Uh-uh, I won’t do it.”

    Drew watched him, considering. “Gerald, you’re in charge of Dad’s finances, so I know you’ve been there before. You’ll be there to watch, to make sure we don’t touch anything else.” When Gerald still didn’t budge, he said, “What if something’s happened to my dad? Look, I know you like Meg. But what if Meg really did take the jewelry and skip the country? Do you really want to wait until Monday to panic and call the cops when they could be looking for them both by tonight?” He let Gerald waver a moment before delivering the final punch. “What would my dad want you to do?”

    Gerald nodded slowly. “You may be right.”

    Drew gave him a sharp look. “You aren’t afraid of what we’ll find, are you?”

    Gerald narrowed his eyes, taking the dare. “No.” Standing, he adjusted his vest with a determined look and began putting food away. “Just give me a minute. And Lauren has to change into a skirt. Meg is very stylish, and she’d never visit the senator’s bank looking like
that
.” He gestured at Lauren’s jeans and sweater, then noticed her expression. “No offense, sweetie. Meg is aware that Senator Creighton has an image to uphold and it applies to everyone close to him, too. You don’t see the First Lady going around town in jeans, do you? Same thing.”

    Not exactly the same, but she sighed and shruggedit off. He was probably right about the image. “I’ll change.”

    Drew turned a smile on Lauren, gesturing toward the door. “After you.”

    He was entirely too eager. She gave him a measured look. “Why do I feel like you wanted me to suggest this very thing?”

    “Are you waffling?”

    She glared. “I never waffle.” She strode from the room, eager to prove Drew wrong and get on with a proper search for Meg. And to pretend it didn’t worry her that he knew exactly which button to push.

    Any doubts they had about Lauren passing as Meg were quelled as soon as they walked into the bank. Passing through the double doors, a man hurried in the opposite direction, bumping Lauren’s shoulder as they passed. He glanced back with a muttered apology, then stopped and stared.

    “Mrs. Creighton!” The words were an astonished gasp.

    “Hello,” Lauren began, already playing her part, but the man was backing away, mumbling more apologies. He bumped into the outer door, then turned and dashed out to the parking lot.

    “What the hell was that?” Drew asked. He took her by the elbow. “Are you all right?”

    “I’m fine.” She glanced outside where the man was jogging toward his car at a fast clip. “I guess he knows Meg.”

    “Looks more like he owes her money, the way he ran off.” Drew kept a protective grip on her arm until they reached the counter.

    “Mrs. Creighton! How nice to see you again,” the bank clerk oozed. While Lauren carefully forged her sister’s signature, the clerk slipped curious glances at Drew and Gerald. The signature didn’t receive even a cursory inspection. So much for security.

    Lauren tried not to fidget while Meg’s and the bank’s matching keys were inserted in the tiny door. The box that slid out was long and wide, large enough to hold several fortunes in jewelry. She grudgingly conceded that Drew might have reason to be worried. He was wrong about Meg, of course, but he had no way of knowing that. In a couple more minutes, she was sure he would.

    They followed the clerk to a tiny room, barely big enough for all of them to fit comfortably inside. No one spoke while she laid the box on the wide ledge that passed as a table, then squeezed around them, closing the door with a