TENDER DECEIT (Mystery Romance): The TENDER Series ~ Book 1

by H. Y. Hanna

  Leah stared. “Is that a real stethoscope?”

  “Yes,” Toran said evenly.

  “What on earth do you need a real stethoscope for? You’re not planning to treat any of the other guests, are you?” Julia laughed.

  Toran ignored her laughter. “I like to be prepared.”

  Prepared for what? Leah’s eyes seemed to ask, but she didn’t say anything. With another puzzled look at Toran, she turned and followed Julia to the bedrooms to get changed.

  Leah smoothed her dress down nervously, silently reproaching Julia as she eyed herself in the mirror. How was she supposed to get around Warne’s mansion, unnoticed, dressed like this? Her friend must have picked the most outrageous nurse outfit in the store! The red and white striped bodice hugged her upper body, revealing more of her small cleavage than she would have liked, and the starched white skirt ended well above her knees. Her bare legs were encased in nothing except a pair of matching white heels, which looked lethal enough to kill patients with, and the little white cap with the red cross on her head looked more slutty than matronly.

  Leah sighed. She wondered what Toran would think of her costume. Then her mouth tightened, wondering why she should care. The man was a jerk. A total jerk. He was nothing like the boy she used to know. It was good that this was nearly over, Leah told herself. Then she could put it all behind her and return to her life in London. Forget about Toran James.

  She bumped into Julia as she came out of her room. She stared. Well, her outfit was obviously the second most outrageous one in the store because Julia’s was clearly the first. In fact, her friend’s nurse costume made her own look almost conservative! Julia’s white skirt was even shorter than Leah’s and her breasts were spilling out of the starched white top with a plunging V-neck collar outlined in red. She wore knee-high white socks with white patent platforms and a frilly white cap perched askew on her gleaming black bob. She looked like a cross between a fantasy Florence Nightingale and a naughty Tokyo schoolgirl.

  “Er… I thought Bentley Warne is really into conservative values and all that. Is he going to be happy for his guests to turn up dressed like this?” asked Leah, pointing to their outfits.

  Julia laughed. “Oh, old Bentley won’t be dressed anything like this. And neither will his wife, Susan. She’ll probably be in some medical version of a pearls and twinset.” She giggled. “But it is a fancy dress party and Bentley knows that people like to let loose and have a good time. You should have seen the costumes last year! The theme then was witches and vampires—this year is tame compared to that. Don’t worry—Bentley is a businessman first and foremost. He might cultivate the wholesome, family values image, but when it comes to the crunch, he’ll give people what they want, what makes him popular. It’s how he’s made his billions. Besides, the money is all going to charity. C’mon…” She led the way back to the lounge.

  Toran blinked when the two of them re-entered the room, but refrained from comment. Leah hated to admit it, but he looked incredibly sexy in his doctor’s outfit, the soft blue fabric of the scrubs moulding to the muscles of his chest and setting off the darkness of his hair, which had been tamed into a semblance of order. Silently, he handed her a white surgical face mask and Leah had to smile at his foresight.

  “You’re not wearing that?” Julia stared, horrified, at the cheap, cotton masks. “It will totally ruin your costume!”

  “We need to keep a low profile and not be recognised by any of Warne’s men,” said Leah.

  “Oh, there’ll be so many people there, no one will be able to pick you out of the crowd.” Julia waved her hand. “Trust me, I’ve been to Warne’s parties before. It’ll be a total crush. Anyone who’s anyone will want to be there.”

  “Let’s hope he’s still as popular,” said Toran dryly as they followed Julia to the internal door for the garage.

  Bentley Warne’s house really did deserve the title of “mansion”. It was a sweeping, four-storey residence built in the French colonial style with a formal circular driveway set amidst landscaped gardens. The black and gold iron gates which normally protected the property were thrown open as a steady stream of Porsches, Ferraris, Jaguars, Mercedes, and BMWs rolled through. Champagne-coloured fairy lights had been strung across some of the miniature potted trees flanking the front entrance and their golden glow was matched by several globe lanterns scattered throughout the grounds. With the dusky twilight settling around them, the lights amongst the trees and bushes looked like giant, magical fireflies.

  Julia had dispensed with her driver that day to help protect their anonymity, but now Leah wondered if that had been a good idea as she saw several other guests staring at them, obviously wondering why Julia was driving her own car. Leah kept her eyes averted as they alighted at the front door and Julia handed the car keys to the parking valet. She only breathed easier when they had joined the throng of people heading up the steps into the house. Both she and Toran had their surgical masks on, so the only thing really recognisable about them were their eyes, but still, Leah didn’t want to take chances.

  At the door, they were stopped by a tall, turbaned Sikh who looked like the twin brother of the doorman at the Raffles. He held out a white gloved hand for their invitations and Julia handed over the three gold-embossed cards. Leah held her breath, but he barely gave the cards a cursory glance before bowing to them and turning to the next guests.

  They stepped through the double front doors into the interior of the house and Leah felt a thrill of triumph: they were in.

  CHAPTER 27

  Leah looked around in awe as they stood in the huge foyer. The ceiling soared up in a dizzying atrium which could have easily given any of the shopping centres on Orchard Road a run for their money. In the centre of the foyer, a curved staircase swooped upwards, and to the right of the staircase, a wide hallway, covered with Persian rugs, led towards the back of the house. Opening off from the hallway were several sets of double doors. The first set led into the formal ballroom, gleaming with gilt-edged mirrors and sparkling with chandeliers. A jazz quartet were playing energetically in the corner and couples were bobbing and spinning in time to the music.

  Adjoining the ballroom was the dining room, laid out with a full buffet and featuring a bubbling miniature fountain in the centre which spouted not water but liquid chocolate. Fresh fruit had been arranged around the fountain and people were congregating eagerly around it, stabbing a piece of strawberry or banana with a toothpick and dipping it into the thick, gooey chocolate.

  Julia had certainly been right about the crowds. There were people talking, laughing, dancing, networking in the ballroom, in the adjoining buffet room and music room, along the hallway, around the foyer, up the staircase… it would certainly be easy to get lost in the crush of bodies. Especially as Julia was right again and most of the women had elected to come as various versions of sexy nurses, while the men mostly sported the ubiquitous doctor’s white coat.

  Leah did a double take as one man in a white coat walked past her. It was Detective Inspector Ravi, his moustache as impeccable as ever. He looked like he could have easily taken on the role of a senior consultant in some TV medical drama, except that he looked so ill at ease in his costume that she almost had to laugh. An Indian lady dressed as a Scrub Nurse was walking next to him, smiling and talking to friends. From the familiar way she had her hand tucked into his arm, Leah guessed that she was the inspector’s wife and that he had been dragged here on social duty.

  Leah felt herself being pushed forwards as more guests entered the house behind them and was grateful for Toran’s strong arms around her. He guided her expertly to one side of the foyer and lowered his head to hers.

  “That way.”

  She looked the way he was indicating, down the hallway, to the very bottom, where the corridor bent in an L-shaped turn to the right and was obscured from view. A man in a dark suit stood nonchalantly, just at the bend.

  “How do you know?” asked Leah.

  “I
did some research this morning. Checked out the architectural plans for this house.”

  “You saw the… how on earth did you manage to get those?” Leah stared at him.

  Toran’s mouth was covered by the mask, but she could see the smile in his green eyes. “You know a good journalist never reveals his sources. Besides,” he glanced down the hallway again, “that guard is a dead giveaway. Warne has obviously opened his house to his guests, but he’s still keeping a guard posted near his study.”

  At the mention of the Australian property tycoon, Leah realised that they hadn’t seen their host yet. She wondered where he was—probably in the main room, schmoozing with the key players of Singapore society. She could see Julia already drifting into the ballroom, chattering excitedly to another Singaporean socialite who was wearing a nurse’s uniform to rival hers.

  Leah tugged at her own hem then realised uncomfortably that by pulling one end down, she was exposing the top half even more. She caught Toran’s eyes lingering on her chest and felt slightly embarrassed by her meagre cleavage.

  “Um… this is really designed for a more well-endowed woman,” she said, tugging the neckline up, then bit her tongue, annoyed with herself. What had she said that for? It sounded like she cared whether he found her figure attractive.

  Toran’s eyes laughed at her over his surgical mask. “Haven’t you heard? Size doesn’t matter. It’s what you do with it that counts.” He winked.

  Leah rolled her eyes at him and fought the urge to return his smile. What were they doing? Here they were in the middle of the enemy’s lair and they were flirting and trading sexual innuendoes? It must be nerves, she told herself. She took a deep breath and tried to school her features into a serious expression.

  “So what do we do now?”

  “We need to get past that guard,” said Toran, serious again as well.

  Leah looked around them. “How?”

  Toran was silent for a moment, then he said, “I’ve got a crazy idea. I don’t know if it will work, but it’s worth a try. Get as close as possible to the bend without catching the guard’s attention and wait. The minute he leaves his post, go down the hallway and round the corner. The study is the second door on the left.”

  “But what are you—” Leah found herself talking to Toran’s retreating back as he left her.

  Following his instructions, she drifted slowly down the hallway, careful to avoid catching the guard’s eye. When she got as close as she dared, she turned her back to the guard and leaned casually against the wall, facing two other women who were gossiping avidly. From a distance, she probably looked like she was joining in their conversation. Carefully, she tilted her head so that she could see back up the hallway, trying to find Toran in the milling throng.

  She spotted his tall figure easily and she noticed with a mixture of amusement and alarm that many of the women around him were also eyeing him with interest. His compelling green eyes would have been enough without the fantasy sex appeal of his costume. If this was a TV medical drama, then Toran would definitely be the resident heartthrob. The surgical mask, despite covering half his face, only added to his air of mystery. Leah hoped that none of the women would be tempted to approach him. She told herself that it was because she was worried about their identities being discovered and not for any other reason.

  Toran positioned himself carefully just at the top of the hallway, right where it joined the foyer, and tilted his head upwards, staring intently up at the atrium. He craned his neck from side to side, then gasped loudly and made sounds of surprise and horror, as he continued to look upwards. In a minute, several people around him also started looking up, their brows furrowed in puzzlement. More people joined them. Soon a small group of people had collected around Toran, all staring intently up at the atrium ceiling. Some nudged each other questioningly, some pointed upwards and asked questions, but most just stared and craned their necks too.

  The crowd around Toran got bigger and bigger. Leah glanced over her shoulder. The guard had come forwards a few steps and was looking at the crowd with wide, curious eyes. He was obviously desperate to see what everybody was looking at. He glanced back along the bend, then after a moment’s indecision, left his post and walked swiftly up the hallway.

  Instantly, Toran melted quietly out of the crowd. He kept his face down and moved casually down the hallway. The guard walked past Toran without even a glance and joined the crowd of people looking up at the atrium. Leah met Toran’s eyes and hastily remembered his instructions. Quickly, she turned and darted down the hallway and around the corner. The second section of the hallway was shorter, ending in a smaller, inner lobby which obviously led to the back of the house. A few doors lined the left wall of this section of the hallway. Leah stopped at the second door and tried the handle. It turned easily. She opened the door and slipped inside, Toran at her heels.

  Leah shut the door behind them and leaned on it, letting out a big breath. They both removed their masks.

  “I can’t believe you pulled that off,” she said, shaking her head and laughing softly.

  Toran chuckled. “Never underestimate the power of ‘sheep brain’ in people. Sometimes, the simplest ideas work the best.”

  “It won’t keep the guard there for long, though,” warned Leah.

  “No, I know, but that’s fine. As long as we’re quiet in here, it doesn’t matter if he returns to his post. In fact, having him there is an advantage because he’ll stop any random guest wandering in here, which means we won’t get disturbed.”

  “Unless it’s Warne himself,” said Leah.

  “Unless it’s Warne himself,” agreed Toran. “But let’s hope that he’ll be so busy entertaining his guests, he won’t think of coming into his study all evening.”

  He turned away and began to search the room. Leah followed his example. Warne’s study was slightly bigger than her father’s, but furnished in a similar way with a large executive desk by the windows and a bank of bookshelves lining the walls. Toran moved swiftly to the desk and began systematically going through the drawers. Leah went around and looked through the cupboards, opening and shutting them as quietly as possible.

  “Nothing,” said Toran, straightening up from the desk and exhaling in frustration. “I was expecting that, but somehow I had hoped I wouldn’t have to deal with this.”

  Leah moved to see what he was indicating. A small steel safe sat just behind the desk, positioned so that Warne could easily swivel in his leather chair and access it. Toran crouched down in front of the safe door.

  “You think the keys are in there?” asked Leah

  “It’s the most likely place. Unlike your father, Warne probably wouldn’t be thinking of unusual hiding places. He relies on the high level of his normal security to protect him.” Toran spun the combination experimentally.

  “Don’t tell me you’re going to crack the safe?” said Leah, disbelievingly.

  “I’m going to try,” said Toran, taking the stethoscope from around his neck and putting them into his ears. Bending his head towards the safe, he pressed the silver chest piece from the stethoscope onto the steel surface, directly above the combination, and began to twirl the dial.

  “I thought you were joking when you said you knew how to crack safe combinations,” said Leah.

  Toran grinned, but kept his eyes on the dial. “Blame my unusual education. Actually, the principles of safe-cracking are fairly simple. This combination dial is attached to a spindle which runs through a wheel pack with several wheels in it. One for each number in the combination. When you turn the dial, the spindle turns the wheels… and each one has a notch cut into it. If you dial the right combination, it’ll rotate the wheels so that all their notches line up perfectly—and the lock will open. So it’s really just a matter of working out the number on the dial that corresponds to each notch. Each wheel makes a particular click when its notch is aligned in the right place. You can find that by listening and working out which is the right click…”
He pressed the stethoscope chest piece harder against the safe and leaned in to listen as he turned the dial again. “Aha.”

  “How long is this going to take?” asked Leah.

  Toran looked up at her. “Honestly? I don’t know. It could take a few hours. You can’t always know when you’re going to hit the next notch. And the more wheels there are, the longer it takes. I’d say this safe probably has six numbers—that’s standard.”

  “A few hours?” said Leah, aghast. “We can’t stay here for a few hours!”

  Toran sat back. “Do you want to give up? You can go out and join Julia.”

  “No! No, I don’t want to give up,” said Leah.

  “Good,” said Toran grimly. “Because I’m not leaving without the keys.”

  Leah watched as he bent his head to the safe again. He was formidable when he was like this: the fierce determination, the single-minded focus. Maybe this was the quality that Eric Hu and the bullies in school had recognised in Toran and warned them to stay away from him. Once he knew what he wanted, nothing would stop him.

  She drifted to the study door again and pressed her own ear to the wooden surface, listening to the sounds of the party. The hubbub of conversation and laughter was even louder now, the sound of people moving about in the foyer even denser.

  Minutes ticked past.

  The room began to feel airless and stuffy.

  The hands of the mantle clock moved gradually around. Outside the windows of the study, the purple dusk of twilight deepened slowly into the blue-black of night

  Leah tried not to fidget. She glanced at Toran every so often, marvelling at his quiet concentration. She drifted back to the desk to watch him, then made herself sit in one of the deep leather guest chairs. She desperately wanted to pace the room, but she didn’t want to disturb him. She glanced at the clock on the wall. They had been here over two hours now.