by Marie Astor
There, she thought, this should do it.
She closed the door behind her and headed downstairs, wondering where Daniel was and how was she to find him. She didn’t have to wonder for long—she found Daniel waiting for her at the base of the stairs.
“Wow.” Daniel whistled as he walked up toward her. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you.” Tina laughed. “I might say the same thing,” she added and she meant it. He was dressed in a tuxedo which had been tailored to fit every muscle of his body. The starched white shirt stretched perfectly over his strong, broad chest and was complimented by a black, perfectly tied bow tie. He looked as though he’d stepped off the eligible bachelor page from one of those socialite coverage magazines. It took Tina a moment to remember that Daniel Garrett was one of those eligible bachelors. She imagined hundreds of women would do anything for a romantic evening with him, like the one she’d been enjoying. She bit her lip, reminding herself that this wasn’t a date. Granted, Daniel’s gestures had been romantic, but it was only to prepare them for the roles they would have to play to capture Bassand. At least that’s what she chose to believe.
“Shall we?” Daniel offered his arm to her.
“Yes.”
Tina took Daniel’s arm and they walked across the glistening parquet hallway to the room where the dinner had been set up for them. The butler had seamlessly appeared to open the door for them. Tina walked inside and nearly gasped—the room was dimly lit, so that the effect was that of candlelight. There was a bright light coming from the center of the ceiling focused on the glass display case in the middle of the room. Inside the case, shimmering with indescribable brightness, was what she assumed to be the Eternal Light.
“Is it?” she asked, looking at Daniel.
He nodded. “I thought I’d save the best for last. And I thought we’d have dinner in here so we could enjoy the view.” He gestured at the small round dining table that had been set up against the wall, facing the display.
Tina walked up closer to the display. “I must say it is magnificent. I see now why Bassand took the bait—this must be every thief’s dream. It’s beautiful,” she added.
“I’m glad you think so. I hope to be able to do some good with it. I’m usually not one for public events, but with all the attention drummed up, I’m hoping to raise a significantly larger sum than I paid for it. The money will go to cancer research.”
“So the gala is for real? I thought the whole thing was being set up to ensnare Bassand.”
“Oh, no.” He shook his head. “The gala has been in the works for several months. My social secretary can pull an occasional rabbit out of a hat, but even she would be hard-pressed to gather all the A-listers on the invitee list on such a short notice. It’s been my plan all along to unveil the Eternal Light and announce it’s going up for auction. I’m hoping this private showing will get potential bidders excited before the auction. And now we have an equally important task of catching Bassand with his hand in the cookie jar, so to speak.”
“I doubt Bassand will be able to resist. If I may say so, it’s very noble of you to part with something this beautiful.”
He lowered his eyes, looking grave. “It’s the least I could do. I only hope it can make a small difference.”
Tina studied the expression on Daniel’s face—she remembered that he had always been a very generous contributor to cancer research and wondered if there was a personal reason behind it. She decided it wasn’t appropriate to ask him just yet, but made a mental note to find out—as his supposed fiancée she would have to know this information. But Daniel beat her to it.
“My father died from pancreatic cancer when I was twelve.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “It must’ve been very hard for you.”
“It was. We were very close. He’s the reason I went into technology—he worked for IBM. Everything I did was to make him proud of me.”
“I’m sure he is,” Tina quietly.
“I hope to one day find out.” He smiled, shaking his head. “I’m being a terrible host—our dinner will get cold.”
He ushered her toward the table and pulled out the chair for her.
“I hope you don’t mind that I sent the butler away. I thought I’d serve you myself, so we could get to know each other some more.”
It was an exquisitely planned dinner with caviar, pâté that melted on your tongue, stuffed quails, and the most delicious white chocolate mousse cake Tina had ever tasted. These delicacies were accompanied by Cristal champagne, followed by Chateau Margaux, both of which Tina had never tried until now.
By the time they were having dessert she felt her head spinning—she had lost all track of time, but she knew it had to be getting late. She checked her watch and was shocked to see that it was almost eleven p.m.
“It is getting late,” Daniel remarked before she could voice her concerns. “I’ll have my chauffeur drive you home—at this hour the drive should take no time at all. Unless of course you’d rather stay in one of the guest rooms? Then I could drop you off at your office tomorrow morning.”
Tina gulped—work assignment or not, spending the night under Daniel Garrett’s roof, even if it were in one of his guestrooms, sent shivers down her spine. She was all too aware of Daniel’s gaze on her and of the turmoil raging inside her. Doors could be easily opened and hallways could be easily crossed—and the scariest part was that deep down she knew she wouldn’t mind—in fact she would welcome it. She couldn’t afford even the most remote possibility of such an outcome, and she was pretty sure that if she accepted Daniel’s offer to stay, the possibility would become a reality. Which is why she had to retreat to the safety of her own apartment where she knew neither of them would overstep the boundaries they had to maintain.
“My chauffeur is ready to go at a moment’s notice,” Daniel said, as though reading her thoughts.
“Now would be good,” Tina said, her voice raspy, “excuse me.” She paused to clear her throat.
She wished she could slap herself, or throw a bucket of cold water in her face, or both. Wake up, she wanted to scream, stop making such an idiot out of yourself! Daniel Garrett was a client and she needed a reality check. For all she knew Daniel was probably an incorrigible womanizer who just had to charm every woman who happened to cross his path—like a python hypnotizing its prey, he used his looks and impressive wealth to sweep women off their feet only to move on to the next, more interesting prey. Or worse, he could be testing her. If she succumbed to his charms, how could she have any claim to credibility as his bodyguard? Playtime was over. It was time to get her head back in the game.
“Thank you for a wonderful dinner,” Tina said evenly. “I can only imagine how busy your schedule must be and I really appreciate all the time you took to spend with me today. It’ll help me make great progress on the case.”
He nodded, his expression making it clear that he understood her wanting to keep her distance. “The pleasure was all mine.”
She rose to her feet and Daniel stood up instantly to accompany her.
“I hope to see you again soon,” he said.
“You will—we’ll be working together very closely to get ready for the gala.”
“Great. How about dinner tomorrow? I’m going to be in the city on business and I could pick you up after work.”
“I think it will be helpful if Agent Norris joined us,” she said as casually as possible. She really didn’t think she could make it through another tête-à-tête with Garrett—for all she knew, her reserve could buckle and by the end of the evening she might beg him to take her to his mansion and have his way with her. Agent Norris would be a good buffer to have, plus he would provide them with useful information about Bassand.
“Excellent idea,” he said cheerfully, not looking disappointed in the least. “Why didn’t I think of that myself? Agent Norris is very resourceful. I’m sure he’ll have tons of useful insights for us. I’ll have my secretary make the reservation
—somewhere off the beaten path where we could have privacy. She’ll email you the details. Six o’clock?”
“Great. I’ll be looking forward to it. Now, I’d better go upstairs and change—it’s getting late.”
“Please keep the dress—it looks stunning on you. I’ll have your clothes sent to you.”
She blushed. “If you insist. I guess it makes sense—this way I’ll have it handy to wear to the gala.”
His eyes twinkled. “I have something else in mind for the gala.”
She blushed even more. “Please, Daniel, you don’t have to worry about my wardrobe. I’m sure the FBI might have some input on the matter as well.”
A teasing smile appeared on his lips. “Agent Norris? The man is good at his job, but he’s no fashion expert. If you have him dress you, Bassand will smell a rat, for sure.”
She stifled a laugh—it was difficult to resist a man who was not only handsome and charming, but also funny. “It’s too late to argue. I really have to get going—I have a lot to do in the office tomorrow.”
“I’ll walk you outside.”
He took her hand and she nearly jumped, feeling the current of electricity as his hand encircled hers. She remained silent as they walked to the door, as she feared her voice might betray the turmoil inside her.
Outside, a black Mercedes was already waiting for her. Daniel led her to the car and opened the door for her himself.
“Thank you for a wonderful evening,” he said.
“Thank you.” She smiled. “I had a great time.”
She was about to get inside the car when he took her hand, making her pause for a split second, as his lips touched hers. It was a chaste kiss—like a flutter of butterfly wings, but it made her blood boil with the promise of the passion that lay tamed behind it.
Daniel stood back. “I thought we’d give it a try in case we might have to have some PDAs in front of Bassand.”
She gasped. “Absolutely. Great thinking.” Then she ducked her head and climbed inside the car.
A mischievous smile on his face, Daniel shut the passenger door and gave her address to the driver.
As the car drove away, Tina faintly wondered about how Daniel knew her address. She didn’t remember giving it to him, but she assumed that it had to be in the profile the FBI had prepared for him. At any rate, her mind was too much of a mess to think about it now.
***
At five thirty p.m., Tina rose from her desk and headed for the exit. She was meeting Daniel Garrett and Agent Norris in a small restaurant in Greenwich Village—Daniel’s secretary had emailed her the details earlier. Tina breathed easily knowing that Agent Norris was going to be there—despite her resolve to be oblivious to Garrett’s charms, she really didn’t think she could handle being alone with him tonight.
“Tina?”
Tina heard Janet calling her name as she was passing by the office that Janet and Dennis shared. She could tell that Janet was checking up on her, and she couldn’t say she blamed her—this was a big case for the agency and there wasn’t any room for slip-ups.
“Yes?” Tina poked her head through the door. She nodded at Janet and said a quick hi to Dennis who waved back, but remained absorbed in his computer screen.
“I was wondering if you wanted to get a drink?” Janet asked. “There’s a bar a few blocks away and they do a great happy hour. Dennis and I were going to head over there—would you like to join us? We could all use some unwind time. Don’t you think so, Dennis?” Janet added.
“What?” Dennis asked, pulling himself away from his computer.
“A drink? I think we could all use a drink,” Janet repeated.
“No argument there,” Dennis agreed. “Let’s blow this joint and get loaded.”
“What do you say, Tina?” Janet pressed.
“I’d love to, but I’m meeting Daniel,” Tina halted purposely, noticing Janet tense up, “with Agent Norris for a strategy session,” she added. “We’re all grabbing a bite to eat.”
At the mention of Agent Norris’s name, Janet looked instantly relaxed. “Great idea. I’m sure Agent Norris will have very useful insights.”
“You’re welcome to come if you’d like. I’m sure Agent Norris won’t mind,” Tina said.
“No worries,” Janet said. “We have some more groundwork to do here.”
“I understand.”
“We can touch base tomorrow morning,” Janet said. “Go get ’em.”
Tina smiled brightly. “Thanks. I won’t let you down. See you tomorrow.”
“Smooth going Sherlock,” Dennis quipped once the door closed behind Tina.
“What?” Janet crossed her arms on her chest. “I was worried Garrett pulled a fast one on Tina. Can you blame me for checking up on her?”
“I told you that girl doesn’t need a chaperone. She can hold her own in any situation. In fact, I can’t imagine any guy in the right mind wanting to hit on her—one wrong move and she’ll have you in a headlock.”
Janet shook her head. “Can you please be serious for once? Our professional reputation is on the line here. One wrong move and Bassand will be on to us. And then I doubt our little agency will be in demand much longer.”
Dennis stretched and yawned. “Why don’t you let Ham worry about that—drumming up business is under his purview. Now, I’m feeling very stiff after sitting around the office all day, poring over Bassand and Garrett’s biographies. I feel like I know a little too much about both of them. And I could sure use that drink you were pedaling to Tina.”
Janet frowned. “I wanted to stay a little longer. There are a few more details I’d like to go over with you.”
Dennis waved his hand in dismissal. “There’s no reason we can’t do that over a drink, and that’ll give us the reason to put the whole thing as an office expense.”
“You’re on a roll today. We’re not going to do anything of the kind,” Janet said firmly.
“Come on—let’s get out of here and clear our heads.”
“You’re right. I could use a drink too.” Janet logged off from her computer and reached for her purse. “Let’s get out of here.”
They were about to leave the office when Janet’s phone rang.
“Don’t answer it,” Dennis pleaded.
Janet looked at the caller ID window. “It’s Leonard.”
“Trust dear old Lenny to ruin the night,” Dennis muttered, slumping back into his chair. “I guess that means our drinks are cancelled.”
“That’s right—no drinking on the job.” Janet picked up her phone. “Hi Leonard. What’s up? I see,” she said, listening to Leonard’s frantic voice on the other end of the line. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’s nothing to fret over. We’ll handle it. See you soon.”
“What’s going on?” Dennis asked after Janet hung up.
“Leonard is all wound up. Bassand’s requested a meeting tonight. He wants us to meet his associate. Some woman by the name of Nicole Sheridan.”
“Wow, wow.” Dennis raised his hand. “What makes Bassand think he can just bring every Tom, Dick, and Harry in on this deal? We had an agreement—he can’t just flip on us like that.”
“I agree, but we’re not in the position to argue with Bassand—we have to keep him baited. Besides, what’s the harm in entrapping another criminal? More glory for the FBI, right?”
Dennis shook his head. “We don’t want Bassand to have the upper hand by having too many people working for him. It’ll make things tougher for us.”
“Granted, but I still don’t think we’re in the position to argue with him.”
“We gotta run it by Agent Norris,” Dennis said.
Janet reached for the phone and put it on speaker. “I’m dialing him now.”
“Agent Norris,” the voice on the other line answered after the first ring.
“Agent Norris, it’s Janet Maple and Dennis Walker,” Janet said quickly, “we have a situation on our hands.” She proceeded to give Agent Norris a summary of her co
nversation with Leonard.
“Yes, her name is very familiar to me,” said Agent Norris after Janet finished her summary. “She’s Bassand’s right hand—very skilled and dangerous.”
“So do we allow Bassand to bring in this Nicole character or do we push back?” Dennis asked. “I recommend we push back—we don’t want Bassand calling the shots, and we certainly don’t need another set of eyes on us.”
“But at the same time we might have the opportunity to entrap Nicole Sheridan,” Janet pointed out. “And get Bassand comfortable.”
“Proceed with tonight’s meeting. I have something to sweeten the pot—schematics for the display case for the Eternal Light—it’ll show Bassand that you mean business. You can say that you got it from the company that designed the case for Garrett. If Bassand is having any doubts, this will put them to rest. I’ll email you the plans via the encrypted connection. Agree to Bassand’s conditions, but make it known that there will be no more changes to the arrangement,” instructed Agent Norris. “I suspected he was going to do this—he never operates on his own. Bassand always likes to have someone there to take the fall if necessary. Looks like this time he’s chosen Nicole. So much for loyalty among thieves. Great work you two. Keep me posted on how the meeting tonight goes.”
“Will do,” Janet said. “Thank you, Agent Norris.” And with that she disconnected the phone.
“Well, you’ve heard the man.” Dennis shook his head. “Nicole is in and we’ve got to watch our backs.”
“With a job like ours, it comes with the territory.”
“That is does,” Dennis agreed.
“Don’t tell me you don’t love it.” She nudged him. “Aren’t you even a little bit curious to meet this mysterious Nicole?”
“Yes, I am,” Dennis agreed. “But I have a feeling I might’ve already met her,” he added under his breath.
“What was that?” Janet asked.
“Nothing,” Dennis said quickly. “We should get out of here or we’re going to be late.”
