by Bev Dulson
‘What, so I just leave my husband and jump into bed with you?’
‘I aint got a problem with that if you don’t and besides we have slept together twice.’
‘First time we were in different rooms and tonight was an accident.’
‘Like I said the universe keeps pushing us together,’ he pushed himself off the bed and took a step towards her, his hands on her shoulders, pulling her close. ‘Look, we don’t have to make any decisions tonight, let’s sleep on it.’ He took her hand and led her back to bed. ‘You create the life you want, Scouse.’
Magenta found the boys still around the island in the kitchen in the brownstone, glued to Tango’s laptop, the numerous empty coffee cups and their five O’clock stubble, both indicators that they'd been up all night. She thought she would’ve had a restless night too after the events of the previous day and being back in the brownstone, making her feel both unsettled and uncomfortable. She had slept in one of the spare rooms, no way was she going into the room she used to share with Max. Once her head hit the pillow, she was asleep, if her mind had wanted to go into overdrive her body craved sleep.
‘Well you two look like you’ve bonded over finding out who the phantom cleaner is.’
Hunter looked up. ‘Morning, gorgeous,’ he eased himself off the kitchen stool, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her close and kissing her on the top of her head. ‘Sorry I didn’t make it to bed last night.’
‘S’ok.’
She didn’t take it any further, she knew the last thing he’d want to do was sleep in one of Max’s beds.
‘Was worth burning the midnight oil though. We went through all the lists Logan sent over last night and...’ Tango turned his laptop round to reveal a picture of a staff ID badge for the cleaning company hired to keep the brownstone spick and span, Erika stared back at them.
‘Bloody hell!’
‘She went by the name of Stacey Maxwell.’
‘Stacey Maxwell? Could she really be that stupid?’
Hunter raised an eyebrow. ‘Although it’s obvious to us, we are struggling to find an actual link to Max, proper physical evidence.’
‘We’ve sent this over to NYPD this morning, as far as they are concerned it’s just more evidence against Erika, but again, doesn’t prove a link to Max. They can get her on entrapment and now breaking and entering, but they aren’t looking for anyone else in connection with the crimes. They think she was acting alone.’ Tango explained.
‘For what reason? What motivation could she possibly have unless she was working with someone else?’
Tango shrugged at her. ‘The cops can’t make a connection and they don’t have the manpower to investigate a theory, as far as they are concerned it’s case solved.’
Mags ran her hand through her hair and sighed. ‘So, the bastard is getting away with it again.’
‘As if we’d let that happen, we just have to serve our own brand of justice. You’ve taken him down before, babe. We can do it again.’
‘Just don’t know if I have the fuckin’ energy, I need to get out of this house, it’s messing with my energy levels I need to get the house on the market. Now I know how my tapes got stolen, I don’t need the house anymore and I certainly don’t need any reminders of Max.’
‘C’mon then, let’s get back to Logan’s.’
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Logan’s building was still surrounded by the media, but Magenta didn't care, not now it was all over the socials that Erika was behind the drugs that led to her getting arrested, she could hold her head high again. Which she did as Tango opened the car door, Hunter got out first, taking her hand to help her out. He let her go towards the front doors of the building, his hand at the small of her back, guiding her and his eyes on the reporters gathered, he wasn't about to let his guard down.
‘Magenta, how does it feel to be released after a false imprisonment?’
‘Ms Valentina, do you know why Erika had a vendetta against you?’
‘Magenta, do you think your ex-husband is behind this?’
Magenta ignored the shouts from the assembled press, the only one that made her flinch was the question related to Max. However, behind her oversized sunglasses, no one could see the flicker of anger in her eyes, she didn't think, she knew!
Logan's penthouse was abuzz with people, Trine, Johnny, Juke as well as Logan and of course, Johnny's bodyguard, Romeo. It all felt a little overwhelming for her as she entered the lounge, everyone talking at once. She drowned the voices out as she was enveloped in hugs. She looked out towards the balcony and realised she hadn't had any fresh air since she was walking back from Grand Central with Hunter before her arrest.
‘Hey guys, I just need to grab some air, give me a minute, then we'll talk, there is so much to go over.’
She headed for the balcony, glancing over her shoulder she saw Hunter disappear into the office with Tango. She pushed the door open and straight away felt the sun's rays warm her face. She took a deep breath, she just needed to focus and try and sort out her messed up head.
‘I've just been going through the mail and I think we've had another visitor.’ Tango handed Hunter a handwritten envelope, no stamp.
‘Any CCTV?’
‘I'm on it, your book was inside the envelope.’
‘Any message?’
Tango shook his head. ‘Not in so many words, but there does appear to be a section of the book missing.’ He handed it over.
Hunter could tell by the weight of the book that it felt lighter. He flicked through it, quickly getting to the bit where the pages had been torn out. He knew immediately which chapter was gone. It was the bit where the hero rescued a woman from being attacked and the hero had left the attacker fighting for his life in a coma, not quite true to real life but not far from it. When he was writing it, he couldn't bring himself to kill off Sergeant Travis for a second time. This sent the biggest message of all, not only did someone know who he was, they knew what he had done. It left him not only open to attack, but Mags too. He had to tell her what was going on, it could all be linked to what was happening to her.
‘Tango, I need that CCTV and I need it now. Whoever this is…’ He didn’t finish his sentence. Only Mags knew what had happened when he was Jason Lomax, he wasn't about to confide in someone else. There was a little niggle at the back of his head, but someone else did know and it must be someone connected to his old regiment.
‘Top of my to do list.’
Mags was still on the balcony when Hunter came out of the office, he ignored the others who were sitting around the island in the kitchen and went straight out to her.
‘Hey, you.’ He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back into his chest and rested his head on her shoulder, planting a kiss on her cheek. ‘You OK?’
She sighed. ‘I am now.’
He spun her round in his arms so she was facing him. ‘There's something I need to tell you.’
She frowned. ‘I don't like that tone in your voice.’
‘I was trying to sort it, I didn't want to worry you with everything that's been going on, but it hasn't gone away, it’s only got worse.’
‘Bloody Hell, Hunter, just spit it out.’
‘I've been getting messages about my book, someone who knows that I was Jason and what happened with Sergeant Travis. I think they want to expose me, or at least try to blackmail me. They haven't shown their hand yet, but I'm worried about your safety.’
‘Shit! Do you think its Max?’ Her hand was resting on his forearm; she moved it up caressing his bicep in a movement that was so familiar to her.
Hunter shook his head, his own hand on her shoulder, his thumb stroking her collar bone. ‘There's no way he could know, only you and I know.’
‘I haven't told a soul.’
‘Babe,’ he leaned in resting his forehead against hers. ‘I know, I trust you with my life. No, it has to be someone from my army days. I need to do some research. I've asked Tango to get m
e the CCTV footage from here, but I doubt there will be anything on it, there hasn't been previously.’
‘What? You mean they have sent hand delivered messages?’
He nodded. ‘That’s why I’m telling you, I know we have Tango around and God knows, I wouldn't let anything happen to you, I just need you to be on your guard. I'll fix it.’
Her arms wound themselves around his waist. ‘And I won't let anything happen to you. I love you la.’
‘God, I bloody love you too.’ His hand cupped the side of her face, pulling her into his kiss.
Her body responded straight away, with the craziness of the last few days, she’d missed his touch. Her hands travelled south to grip his firm butt, pushing him closer to her, even a millimetre of space between them was too much.
Trine had been watching Mags and Hunter on the balcony, they had been deep in conversation, they were always so tactile with each other, they seemed to have their own private communication going on with all their touches. She supposed it was down to their shared history and yet, reuniting only over the last few years made them seem like a crazy in love pair of teenagers. Would they have been like she and Dean if they had been together for the last twenty years? Their conversation seemed to have finished and now they were locked in a passionate embrace. She sighed, the only passion she had felt recently was when she was around Johnny, but that was dangerous, not like Hunter and Magenta whose passion was fuelled by love, what must it feel like to be loved like that? She was entirely sure that if she gave into her lust, that's all it would be, lust, then there would be no chance of fixing her marriage. But did she want to fix it? Dean hadn't been in touch since she banished him from the hotel room and sent him packing. She couldn't help but feel hurt that he wasn't even bothering to fight for her. Serve him right if she did go off with Johnny rock star. She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment, she just wanted to be loved, was that too much to ask
‘Hey, Scouse, dollar for them.’
She frowned as she opened her eyes. He was like a genie popping up all of the time. ‘For what?’
‘For your thoughts.’ He followed her line of sight, seeing Magenta and Hunter making out on the balcony. ‘Love's young dream, makes you sick doesn't it?’
She shrugged her shoulders. ‘She's my mate, I’m happy for her, she's having a rough time, I’m glad she’s got Hunter.’
‘You're having a tough time too, who’s got you?’
‘I've got me, I'm sure we've had this conversation before, knight in shining armour remember?’
‘Ah yes, to which you described your husband as a dickhead in tinfoil.’
She narrowed her eyes. ‘You just wanted to say that again didn't you?’
‘Just reminding you of what your subconscious already knows. Look Scouse, you know I'm crazy about you, just say the word babe.’
‘I will not be another Johnny Kidd wonder shag.’
‘And it would be so wonderful.’
She tried to bury the laughter that was bubbling up in her tummy. He did something to her, made her feel like laughing again, he made her feel sexy, he made her feel wanted but those were still not the reasons to shag him senseless.
He could tell she was trying not to laugh. He tipped his head to one side and smiled, he reached out, taking her hand. ‘C’mon Scouse, get out of your comfort zone, it’s where the magic happens.’
‘Right, team meeting now, we need to sort this mess out once and for all.’
The spell was broken by Magenta’s voice as she came back into the penthouse.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Magenta joined the others around the Island in the kitchen and was closely followed by Trine and Johnny. She frowned at the sight of Juke standing next to a whiteboard with post it notes on it and a marker pen in his hand.
‘Someone’s obviously been raiding my office.’ Logan sounded less than impressed.
Juke wrote Magenta’s name on a pink post it note and slapped it onto the middle of the white board
‘What the fuck are you doing, Juke?’
‘Magenta, darling, you know I'm a visual person, if we're gonna solve this crime, then I need to see what's going on.’
‘You're not Jessica Fletcher.’ Magenta was amused at the role Juke was taking on, he’d even appeared to have dropped his ‘Y’all’s’ and was talking like some English Lord.
‘God Lord no, I see myself more as an Agatha Raisin type character,’ he responded as he put a green post it on the board with Erika's name on it and drew and arrow from Magenta to Erika. Taking another post it note in orange, he added Jax Buckley. ‘We now know that Erika stole Magenta’s tapes and we also know thanks to Logan’s digging around that Jax Buckley gave those tapes to Highway 65. Logan can you confirm that the initial findings that Highway 65 knew nothing about them being stolen are still the case?’
Logan frowned but nodded. ‘Yeah, like I said, Deacon is a good guy, I trust him.’
Mags shared a bemused look with Hunter as she watched Juke standing there, arms folded across his chest, the marker pen being tapped against an elbow as he listened intently to Logan, he was clearly taking this crime solving detective role seriously.
‘So,’ Juke tapped his chin with the end of the marker pen. ‘What is the connection between Jax and Erika?’
‘Already on it,’ Trine had her iPad in her hands as was busy scrolling. ‘Erika was careful with her social media, mainly posts of food and exercise, but here is a post dated 12 months before she started working for the company, she must've missed it or forgotten to delete it. The caption reads, #MyOne.’ She turned the iPad round to the table to reveal selfie of Erika and Jax, the location was Laguna beach, California, he was kissing her cheek as they both looked lovingly into the lens.
‘Bingo!’ Juke shouted as he drew a line to Jax from Erika and put a heart in the middle of the line.
‘OK, so Erika got the tapes to Jax, but how did they get to Roxie? How did Erika end up being the bands social media person and do you still think Max is involved?’ Johnny asked.
‘One question at a time, my darling,’ Juke instructed.
‘Max is deffo involved.’
Logan nodded his head. ‘I agree with Magenta, there is no way he didn’t know what Erika was up to, I could see it in his face and his bravado was too much, just couldn’t get him to admit it.’
‘So, Logan, you think Max had something over Jax, so he got him to pass the tapes on…Erika was the perfect cover story, couldn’t be connected to either Jax or Max, but she stupidly left a photo on her Instagram which ties her to Jax. Max would be able to coach Erika on the interview for the Broken Arrow gig…’ Hunter started tossing ideas around.
‘Now you mention it, at the time of the interview I was massively impressed with her knowledge of the music industry, and how it worked, also she knew lots about Broken Arrow. I even joked that she must’ve had inside knowledge.’
‘What did she say to that, Logan?’
He frowned, recalling the moment. ‘She didn’t say anything, she just smiled and shrugged. She was just so more knowledgeable than any other candidate, she was the obvious choice.’
‘What about her references?’
‘I’ll have to get HR to look into that, but if there had been a problem it would’ve been flagged at the time.’
‘References are easy to fake so we’re probably wasting our time on them,’ Hunter sighed.
‘Boom, I’m on a roll today,’ Trina lifted her head back up from her iPad. ‘Roxie’s Instagram.’
‘What am I looking at?’ Magenta screwed her eyes up. ‘All I can see is a photo of hands being held…’
Hunter grinned. ‘You little beauty, look at the tattoo.’
Trina nodded. ‘Yep, she’d taken a screen shot and compared it to the picture on Erika’s Instagram. Jax had his arm around her shoulders; a very distinctive tattoo of a Phoenix was on the inside of his wrist. That same tattoo appeared in the photo of Roxie holding hands with a mystery man #
thirddate.’
‘Ooh, now this is getting juicy. Jax has been a busy boy. Do you think Erika and Roxie know about each other?’ Juke was loving this turn of events.
‘What if Roxie is just a pawn in this?’
Magenta frowned. ‘You best not be sticking up for the bitch that stole my songs, you’re meant to be on my team.’
‘I am babe, always,’ Hunter placed a hand over hers. ‘I’m just thinking aloud…she didn’t steal the songs, Erika did. Roxie has always maintained they are her songs, she just wants a music career, right? So what if she meets Jax, he sweeps her off her feet, gives her the songs and says he can get her a record deal, all she has to do is say she wrote them. She’s new to the industry, that doesn’t seem like a big deal, so she says yes, she just wants to sing and she wants that record deal. She gets the guy and she gets a career, just one little white lie. She thinks it won’t do any harm…’
‘Until she discovers she’s singing Magenta Valentina’s song and now she’s way in over her head. By jove, Hunter, I think you’ve cracked it.’ Juke clapped his hands, his marker pen dropping to the floor.
‘Hold on Juke, this is just speculation, we don’t have any proper evidence.’
‘I think I need to pay a visit to Jax,’ Logan said.
‘And I need to drop in on Miss Roxie Meyers.’ Magenta folded her arms across her chest.
Tango spoke for the first time. ‘Guys, get some sleep, Magenta, you’ve had a crazy 48 hours, go and rest, you want to be rested for when you speak to Roxie. And you too Logan, you can deal with Jax tomorrow, you won’t be at your best if you’re running on empty.’
Both Magenta and Logan shot Hunter a look. He nodded slowly. ‘He’s right guys, we’re all done in. We need to sleep.’
After an epic sleep and a long lie in, it was lunchtime by the time Magenta was on her way to Roxie’s hotel. The girl may be number one, but she couldn’t afford the highlife just yet – she was staying in a Holiday Inn Express.
