Sea Swept by Nora Roberts

this until you’d formed some impressions of your own. As for the three Quinns, I don’t really know them. I’ve seen them at two funerals. Saw Seth DeLauter with them at Professor Quinn’s. For personal reasons I’d like to see them have a chance to be a family. But . . .” She laid her hands palm to palm. “The best interest of the boy comes before that—and the structure of the system. You’re thorough, Anna, and you believe in structure and in the system. Professor Quinn would have wanted what’s best for Seth, and to repay an old debt, I gave him you.”
    Anna blew out a long breath. “No pressure, huh?”
    “Pressure’s all we’ve got around here.” As if on cue, her phone began to ring. “And the clock’s running.”
    Anna rose. “I’d better get to work, then. Looks like I’ll be in the field most of today.”
    I T WAS NEARLY one P . M . when Anna pulled up in the Quinns’ drive. She’d managed to conduct interviews with three of the five names Cam had given her the day before, and she hoped to expand on that before too much more time passed.
    Her call to Phillip Quinn’s office in Baltimore had given her the information that he was on leave for the next twoweeks. She was hoping she would find him here and be able to file an impression of another Quinn.
    But it was the pup who greeted her. He barked ferociously even as he backed rapidly away from her. Anna watched with amusement as he peed on himself in terror. With a laugh, she crouched down, held out a hand.
    “Come on, cutie, I won’t hurt you. Aren’t you sweet, aren’t you pretty?” She kept murmuring to him until he bellied over to sniff her hand, then rolled over in ecstasy as she scratched him.
    “For all you know, he’s got fleas and rabies.”
    Anna glanced up and saw Cam in the front doorway. “For all I know, so do you.”
    With a snort of a laugh and his hands tucked in his pockets, he came out on the porch. It was a brown suit today, he noted. For the life of him he couldn’t figure why she’d pick such a dull color. “I guess you’re willing to risk it, since you’re back. Didn’t expect you so soon.”
    “A boy’s welfare is at stake, Mr. Quinn. I don’t believe in taking my time under the circumstances.”
    Obviously charmed by her voice, the puppy leaped up and bathed her face. The giggle escaped before she could stop it—a sound that made Cam raise his eyebrows—and defending herself from the puppy’s eager tongue, she rose. Tugged down her jacket. And her dignity.
    “May I come in?”
    “Why not?” This time he waited for her, even opened the door and let her go in ahead of him.
    She saw a large and fairly tidy living area. The furniture showed some wear but appeared comfortable and colorful. The spinet in the corner caught her eye. “Do you play?”
    “Not really.” Without realizing it, Cam ran a hand over the wood. He didn’t notice that his fingers left streaks in the dust. “My mother did, and Phillip’s got an ear for it.”
    “I tried to reach your brother Phillip at his office this morning.”
    “He’s out buying groceries.” Because he was pleased to have won that battle, Cam smiled a little. “He’s goingto be living here. . . for the foreseeable future. Ethan, too.”
    “You work fast.”
    “A boy’s welfare is at stake,” he said, echoing her.
    Anna nodded. At a distant rumble of thunder, she glanced outside, frowned. The light was dimming, and the wind beginning to kick. “I’d like to discuss Seth with you.” She shifted her briefcase, glanced at a chair.
    “Is this going to take long?”
    “I couldn’t say.”
    “Then let’s do it in the kitchen. I want coffee.”
    “Fine.”
    She followed him, using the time to study the house. It was just neat enough to make her wonder if Cam had been expecting her. They passed a den where the dust was layered over tables, the couch was covered with newspapers, and shoes littered the floor.
    Missed that, didn’t you ? she