by Lorin Grace
Simon faced the officers and held his hands up in a calming motion. “It’s defused.”
“What is the situation?” demanded a uniformed officer. Mercifully, the sound of the fire alarm stopped.
Simon pulled the last of the wires. “It’s a movie-set prop.”
When the timer on the phone attached to the dummy bomb reached zero, the phone rang a shrill tone, making everyone in the room jump. The speaker activated without anyone touching it.
“Kaboom!” yelled a mechanical voice, followed by inhuman laughter. “This time you didn’t lose your pretty face, nor did he lose his. But this movie prop cost me almost as much as the real thing. Give back the ring or face the consequences.” Computerized laughter filled the room.
The officer joined Abbie and Simon where they stood near the table. “I’m Sergeant Rourke. Can you explain what this is?”
Abbie spoke first. “My stalker is escalating again.”
“You’d better explain, miss, while the bomb squad takes a look at this thing.”
“Sure, but don’t destroy it. Maybe we can finally get a clue.” Abbie told the officer what she knew.
The bomb squad removed the inert bomb, Abbie and Simon gave their statements, and everyone left the room. Then Abbie rushed into the bathroom to put in her brown contacts and hoped Simon could come up with something to tell Patrick.
Patrick used his keycard to open Abbie’s door. Preston crossed the room in three strides and pulled Abbie into a hug while Patrick hovered in the doorway.
“A little privacy, please.”
“Yes, Mr. Harmon.”
Preston didn’t talk until he heard the click of the door. “Of all the stupid things. You should have left with me.”
Abbie stepped out of his embrace. “I was doing my job.”
“But you could have—”
She shook her head. “When you hired me to do this, we both knew there could be danger. Today we were lucky and were in no more danger than any A-list Hollywood actor.”
“When you pushed me out of the room, I wanted to drag you out too, but I knew you could—” He waved his hands helplessly. This time the lump in his throat came for an entirely different reason. “I don’t have many real friends in this world. This isn’t worth having you die.”
Abbie placed her hand over his heart. “I have no intention of dying. If Simon, Adam, and I hadn’t figured the bomb out in the first three minutes, I would have evacuated.”
Preston tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and looked into her eyes. Brown. He preferred her real eye color and the real her. This wasn’t just friends anymore. He stepped closer and ran his fingers down the side of her face. Abbie leaned into his touch. “Abbie, I—”
When the first notes of the William Tell Overture interrupted him, she stepped out of his arms and answered the phone. “Hi, Dad. Don’t worry. We’re fine.”
No, we are not. Preston left her alone to talk with her father.
fourteen
The lights of Boston grew smaller through the jet window. Simon Dermot and Jethro Hastings determined the rest of the weekend plans should be scrapped. The management of the Ritz wasn’t exactly sad to see them check out early. Preston had promised to take Abbie to the missed show after they caught the stalker regardless of where they had to fly. She traced a line of lights on the window and wondered what might have happened if her father hadn’t called. But she knew. Adrenaline and high emotions would have taken over, and she would have confused the momentary safety she’d found in his arms for something lasting. Adam had warned her. So had Alex.
Letting her relationship with Mandy get personal was a mistake, but she cherished that friendship. She wouldn’t mind not being Mandy’s bodyguard since the trade-off was worth it.
If she had allowed Preston the kiss, she would have kissed him back—and she would be useless to him. As she replayed the events of the evening in her mind, things she hadn’t noticed before surfaced. She turned her attention to the other passengers. Simon Dermot and Patrick sat at the front of the plane watching a game on the television. Preston sat across from her, looking out his window. Abbie unbuckled her seat belt and stood. She tapped Preston on the shoulder and beckoned him to the rear of the plane.
The master suite would suit her purposes. With a TV, bathroom, and walk-in shower, she had multiple options to keep what she needed to say private. Preston raised his brows when she shut the door. Abbie put her finger to her lips to keep him from talking while she looked for the remote. Unable to find it, she turned to Preston. “Want to show me your onboard movie collection?”
Preston opened a drawer and pulled out the remote. “Comedy or romance?”
“Romantic comedy?” Abbie pointed at a movie she had seen a half dozen times with her friends. Once the movie started, she beckoned Preston into the bathroom, hoping the noise of the TV would drown out any conversation. “Any chance your security team records or can hear what is going on in here?”
“I don’t think so. Why?”
“Because I think I know how the bomb got in the room.”
The plane dipped, and Preston grabbed Abbie’s arm. “Let’s go sit on the bed. I’d rather not hit my head on the sink in here.”
Abbie followed him out to the bed and sat close to him so she could whisper. After the all-clear, how did you get into my room?”
“Patrick used his key card.”
“Simon told me Patrick wouldn’t have a card to my room. How did he get it? Did he take it when you left the floor?”
Preston closed his eyes. “No, he started to argue with Simon about who should go, but he stopped when Simon ran out of the room. I didn’t see Patrick pick up anything, so he must have had the keycard with him.”
Abbie closed her eyes and pictured other events. “When we came up to the rooms before I found the bomb, Patrick cleared your room, but he didn’t wait for me to open my door to check my room. Which has been Simon’s protocol the entire trip. How long was Patrick with you today?”
“He wasn’t in the negotiation room. Since the office was secure, there was no problem. I didn’t see him until our lunch break.”
“Where was Simon during the day?”
“He stayed at the hotel, supposedly to guard you.”
Simon was keeping Patrick from realizing she wasn’t in the room.
Abby ran her hands over her face. “Both men had access and no alibi for at least part of the day. But Patrick shouldn’t have had access at all, and Simon knows who I am. I am going to assume who ever put the box on the table never opened the door to the bedroom, or he would have known I wasn’t in there recovering from the lobster.” She closed her eyes picturing the room as she found it. The bed was still unmade, so housekeeping hadn’t come in, and she’d had to unlock the bathroom door —locking the door was an extra layer of the “sickness” cover she’d added in case someone came in, hoping they would assume she was in the tub.
Preston stared at her. “Are you saying . . . ?”
“I think so. The pizza guy the other night. How close in build would you say he is to Patrick?”
“No way.” Preston stood, but Abbie pulled him back onto the bed.
“The guard who was supposed to come with Simon to Boston took ill, and Patrick replaced him at the last minute. Do you know any details about that?”
“Other than Wednesday was supposed to be Patrick’s day off, not really.”
“Where did Patrick get reassigned?”
“My uncle’s, I think.”
They sat in silence as the movie couple managed to get themselves in another predicament.
Preston stood to leave.
Abbie touched his arm. “You can’t leave until the movie is over, or it will look odd.”
He sat back down. “You know what
your protectors will do to me if they realize I spent ninety minutes of the flight locked in a bedroom with you.”
Abbie laughed. “I won’t let them. Now, we need a plan. Patrick must realize by now that something is off with me. I shouldn’t have stayed with the bomb, but at the time it seemed like the right thing.”
“I think he believed the story I told him, though it was a bit too Hollywood. But the fact that you pick up snakes may make him wonder.” Preston made a mock horrified face before turning serious. “I can’t believe he is the stalker. Are you sure?”
“More likely he works for the stalker. He doesn’t have a motive to break up your relationships, and believe me, he doesn’t have a romantic interest in you.”
“How do you know?”
“He definitely prefers females.”
“Did he ever prefer you?”
“Let’s just leave it at the fact that Patrick knows firsthand how protective my brothers can be.” For some reason, they had taken a peculiar interest in keeping Patrick out of her life. Except for Alex, they mostly let her choose her boyfriends and stayed out if it. It was hard enough getting a third date once her career became a topic of conversation.
Preston frowned. “I should fire him just for whatever he did to you.”
Abbie patted his shoulder. “It’s only been words for years. Nothing I can’t handle myself, but thank you for caring.”
Preston leaned back against the headboard. “What now?”
“We wait. You walk me up to my apartment, where my dad and at least one brother are probably already pacing.” Abbie sat next to Preston until the movie ended, and they retook their seats for landing, Abbie doing her best to pretend both bodyguards weren’t there.
No one was pacing when Abbie opened her apartment door. Instead, all stood with their arms folded as Preston brought her bag in. Before anyone could speak, Abbie held up her hand. “One: he who gives Preston any flack will be kicked out of this meeting and will be challenged to a round in the gym. Be warned, I am angry, and I haven’t had a good spar in over two weeks. Two: you are all going to give me ten minutes alone. Three: you will wait for me before this officially begins.” She grabbed her bag and walked into the bedroom.
Jethro took a seat and indicated for Preston to do the same. Adam and Alex took their places on one couch. The two brothers Preston hadn’t met sat on the other.
Adam spoke. “Has she been this angry the entire flight?”
“If she was, she hid her emotions well.” Preston turned to the other brothers. “I assume you are Alan and Andrew.”
The brothers nodded, leaving him to guess who was who. Knowing Andrew was younger than Abbie, he hoped he chose correctly.
Jethro spoke. “My daughter can hide her emotions well when she needs to. With four brothers teasing her, she learned fast. I’m surprised she didn’t vent on the flight home.”
“She had her reasons not to, and I think it’s best we wait before I say more. You all may be able to stand up to her in the gym, but I don’t think I dare find out if I can.”
Alex laughed. “Wise man. She plays dirty and has taken us all down at one time or another.”
Preston leaned forward placing elbows on his knees. “One question: What is her history with Patrick Vonn?”
All the brothers leaned forward simultaneously. Preston thought he heard them growl too. “What did the slime do this time?” Adam’s eyes narrowed.
Preston’s gut knotted. This was how the receiving end of their wrath felt.
“Boys.” At the single word from Jethro, they all relaxed. “In high school, Patrick made a locker-room bet about how far he could force her to go and bragged he would drag her to home base. Andrew overheard, and the boys took things into their own hands, and Patrick has relied on innuendo and rumor for most of his retaliation against Abbie since he wasn’t able to win that bet.
“How come none of you told me?” Abbie stood in the doorway in jeans and a T-shirt, drying her hair with a towel. “All these years I thought Alex overreacted because Patrick tried to kiss me. Had I known about the bet, I never would have gone on that date and would have decked him myself.”
Alex shrugged. “At the time his motives weren’t something any of us felt comfortable telling you about. We only told Dad after the fact to save ourselves from being grounded for a year.”
Abbie huffed and walked back into the bedroom.
“And a decade later, Patrick is still trying to win the bet,” Adam muttered.
Preston would not only fire Patrick, he would make sure he left Chicago.
Abbie returned with her hair in a ponytail. “I guess I should have left you with a fourth stipulation not to discuss me, but under the circumstances, I assume Preston started it with a more than fair question about Patrick.” She took a seat in the space between Adam and Alex. Preston regretted not sitting on a couch.
“What do you mean? Preston didn’t tell us what Patrick did.”
“Abbie thinks Patrick is in league with the stalker, and her reasoning is sound.” Preston repeated most of their conversation from the airplane.
Alex turned to his twin. “Do you think he knows who you are?”
Abbie shrugged. “He leered at me after Preston and I came out of the airplane bedroom.” She immediately put a restraining hand on her brother’s arm. “My idea, not Preston’s. I figured between the closed door and the sounds of the TV, we could talk privately.”
Alex sat back but still gave Preston a warning look.
Jethro rubbed his chin. “There is also the outside possibility the culprit was Simon.”
“I thought of that, but he seemed as perplexed by the bomb as I was, and he knows my identity. Adam, you saw him on the video. What do you think?” asked Abbie.
“I agree the bomb surprised him.”
“Simon wouldn’t risk his reputation for something so trivial as mostly harmless pranks against girlfriends. My guess is he is wondering the same thing we are.” Jethro stood and walked to the window. “If we bring Patrick in, he isn’t likely to talk, and that still leaves the stalker to pay someone else off. If we don’t isolate him somehow and he tells the stalker Gale is Abbie, things could escalate dangerously.”
“I think we need to figure out if Patrick knows I’m me or I’m Gale.” Abbie waved her hand. “You know what I mean.”
“How do we do that?” asked Adam.
“There hasn’t been a time in the last thirteen years he hasn’t let some lewd comment out of his mouth when we’ve crossed paths at some event or another. If he runs into me as me, he won’t be able to refrain from saying something. There is some charity brunch tomorrow.” Abbie looked at her phone. “I mean today. Mandy received an invitation to the benefit as it has to do with a children’s charity. She hoped the doctor would give her clearance to go. Alex, do you know if she can?”
“As long as she is in a wheelchair. Daniel is going too.”
“Great. You were already working the brunch. No problem getting me in.” Abbie smiled and turned her head. “Preston, I assume someone in your family would be scheduled to attend. Either your mother or an aunt. So we need Simon to assign Patrick to that duty.”
Alex folded his arms. “I don’t like it. If Patrick does know, he may do more than say something.”
Adam moved forward in his seat. “I’ll go too. We have done three-person teams before, and Patrick won’t know that we don’t have another client.”
“It is better to have an extra guard there anyway if something happens and the Crawfords need us. I don’t want everyone distracted.” Jethro leaned against the window. “I’m going to send Mark Gowen in rather than Alex. Mark has worked with the Crawfords before and can make them his number-one priority.”
“But—” Alex and Adam tried to interrupt.
J
ethro didn’t allow his son to argue. “Alex, I can’t afford to have you there with Abbie. You tend to punch first and ask questions later where she is concerned. Besides, you haven’t had a full day off in weeks since you have been on call for hospital runs with Mandy. Let Abbie cover for you.”
“Now is not the time to say this, but I need to be pulled from Mandy’s detail probably permanently.” Abbie gave a weak smile.
“I know, but not until after the baby comes. Mandy doesn’t need to get used to a new person right now. And there is more to her safety than restraining a half-crazed woman who thinks she should be Daniel’s baby’s mama.”
Preston was impressed by the Hastings’ foresight and wondered if Simon thought of such things when he made his plans.
“One thing more,” said Abbie. “Patrick knows Gale is back in the city. He needs to think I am someplace else.”
“I can come here to pick you up for an outing a half hour before the event,” Preston offered. Then, if he looks at the master schedule, it will show I’m with you.”
“You’ll need to stay here, or your driver will know I’m not around. I am sure there is something wedding related we need to do for three hours. Revise the guest list? Change your mother’s china choice? It’s ghastly.”
Everyone laughed.
Jethro looked at his watch. “It’s nearly one. I’ll call Simon at oh six hundred and let you know if any changes need to be made.”
Abbie hugged everyone, including Preston, as they left. Jethro and his sons shook Preston’s hand. Only Alex’s grip came close to breaking any bones. Preston considered that a good thing.
fifteen
Abbie stifled a yawn. Falling asleep on the job was unacceptable. The temporary blonde spray dye had lightened her hair enough to impress Adam when she met him at the Crawford’s Saturday morning in a pantsuit that allowed her the freedom of movement the dresses of the last couple of weeks had limited. Looking around the banquet hall at the women dressed in spring and summer fabrics, Abbie almost wished she could have worn something more feminine.
