by Mia Dymond
He stood and reached for his towel while she nearly plastered herself to the wall. “Relax Bailey, I’m not going to pull you into the pool.”
She nodded stiffly but didn’t move.
“Let’s go to my office.”
He wrapped the towel around his waist, gently laid a hand to the small of her back, and urged her down the hallway and into his office.
“Make yourself comfortable,” he told her as he gestured to the black leather sofa. “I’ll be back as soon as I change.”
Inside the walls of his private bathroom, Ice gave another thought to Bailey’s reaction to joining him in the pool while he stripped off his swim trunks. Unless his instincts were dead wrong, he read panic in her eyes.
He opened a drawer in the vanity, grabbed a pair of black boxer briefs, and stepped into them. It could’ve been something as simple as concern over her appearance yet he didn’t get the impression she worried about ruining her make-up or hair. No, she exhibited an emotion far from concern and his money was on fear.
He reached for a pair of jeans on the counter and then pulled them on. He frowned. Why was she so bothered? It was a swimming pool, not an ocean. He paused at another explanation. Was she afraid of him? And if so, why?
Nah. He shook that ludicrous thought out of his mind as he grabbed a shirt, stuck his arms into the sleeves, and buttoned it onto his body. Whatever her reasoning it didn’t matter now. Besides, he wouldn’t have pulled her in anyway.
He crammed on a pair of socks and his combat boots then re-entered the office. She sat in the same exact position in which he’d left her with her gaze focused on her phone.
He cleared this throat and she lifted her head. “So, tell me what concerns you.”
“Grace’s office has been trashed.”
He clenched his jaw to keep from cursing. “And you waited until now to tell me?”
“You were wet.”
He grabbed his keys from his desk. “Come on, we can talk in the truck.”
“Where are we going?”
“To Grace’s office! I’m assuming the police are there and I need to talk to them.”
“No need, Rambo.”
“What?!”
“Diesel’s already there. I talked to him on the way in.” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “He asked me to fill you in.”
As annoyed as he was, he bit his lip to keep from grinning. He had to admit, he deserved the payback.
“Start from the beginning.” He tossed the keys back to the desk then sat on the sofa next to her.
“I received a call from the security company that the alarm had been tripped and they dispatched the police department to investigate. When they notified me of the break-in, I called here. Diesel said he’d meet the police if I gave you the details. I’m following orders.”
“Why did the alarm company call you?”
“I’m second on the list. Apparently, Grace didn’t answer.”
He stood, grabbed his cell phone from the corner of his desk, and pushed the shortcut to call Harvard.
His teammate answered instantly. “Hey, Ice. Why aren’t you in the water?”
“I was until I found an obstacle.”
“An obstacle?”
“Yeah, a short blonde one. Bailey’s here.”
“Uh, Ice, maybe we should discuss this later.”
“Relax, this is official business.”
“Official business,” Harvard repeated.
“Yes. We’ve got action at Grace’s office. The place was ransacked and the security company called Bailey when they couldn’t reach Grace. Diesel met the police.”
“We’re finished at the storage unit. We can be there in ten minutes.”
“Ten-four. We’re right behind you.”
He disconnected and extended a hand. “Let’s go, Short Stuff. I’ll even give you a boost when we get to the truck.”
“You’re funny.” She rolled her eyes, slipped her hand into his, and stood. “I’ll drive my own car.”
“No.”
“Pardon me?”
“If you visit the crime scene, you’ll do it with me.”
“We don’t know if it’s a crime scene.”
He raised his gaze upward, seeking silent, divine intervention.
“Okay so it probably is,” she mumbled. “What about my car?”
“We’ll decide later.”
She stood silently for a moment with her head tilted to one side as if she were weighing options. Although he thought it ridiculous that she thought he offered options, he waited patiently behind a suppressed grin while he moved his thumb gently over her knuckles. Damn, her skin was soft.
“Fine,” she said finally, “but I don’t need a boost.”
He fought another urge to grin. Options, again. No way in hell could she climb into his truck without flashing anyone near with a very sexy hello from whatever she wore under that skirt.
“You really want to test that theory?” he prompted.
“Not really.” She removed her hand from his grasp and used it to motion at the door while she released a hard breath. “Lead on. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”
***
Ten minutes later, Harvard stood next to Grace’s desk, almost convinced a tornado had blown through the office. Several white bookcases lay on their sides, the contents spilled over the hardwood floor. The desk drawers had been removed and dumped in a pile and paper dripped from the opened filing cabinet drawers. The area rugs had been rolled and tossed in a corner and the sofa cushions, sliced open and thrown to the floor. One thing was for certain: nothing had been left untouched.
Diesel stood in the middle of the room with police detectives while crime scene technicians dusted for fingerprints and scoured the area for evidence.
“Damn,” Ice mumbled from beside him.
“Oh, Grace.” Bailey grasped Grace’s forearm. “I’m so sorry.”
He waited, ready and willing to pick up the pieces when she fell apart. Instead, she frowned.
“What a jerk. It would’ve made things so much easier if he just confronted me.”
He raised an eyebrow, impressed by her reaction. She had every reason to have a major meltdown over this development yet, she wanted a confrontation. Unfortunately, she had no idea of the danger that accompanied her request. He’d never known a criminal who took no for an answer. And, as much as he celebrated the fact that the perp had not attempted to approach her, he couldn’t help but be suspicious. Why hadn’t he approached her? Fear of recognition? Maybe. Fear of being caught? Absolutely.
Diesel left the detectives and joined them. “Our guy entered the outside door to the building and then picked the lock on this door.”
“Cameras?”
“No,” Grace answered. “The building itself is not protected. The tenants are responsible for security of the space. I have a door alarm but no cameras.” She released a soft sigh. “I don’t keep anything valuable here.”
“How did he have time to trash the place if he triggered the alarm?”
“The alarm is silent.” Diesel crossed his arms over his chest. “Notification protocol is to contact Grace, and then Bailey, and then the police department.”
Ice nodded. “The space is small. “He probably had a good five minutes. He took a risk but he had plenty of time.”
“Did any of the other tenants have information?”
“No one else was in the building.”
“Who are they?”
Grace answered the question. “Susan Harris is the accountant in the office across from mine and Dan Brown is an architect in the office at the end of the hall. Both keep limited office hours.”
“He most likely cased the building ahead of time.” Ice voiced the obvious conclusion.
Diesel nodded. “CSI should finish up in a couple hours. Until then, there’s not much we can do.”
Although he refused to voice it, Harvard knew there wasn’t much they could do anyway. Unless evidence provided a suspect, they were bac
k to the basics. They had a threat and now a crime, but still no jewelry or perpetrator.
“I’m not sure you should be alone,” he told Grace.
Bailey nodded that she agreed. “We’ll have a girls’ night at my house.”
“I have a meeting with Mrs. McGuire tomorrow,” Grace said softly.
“I’ll go with you.”
Ice frowned. “Will that make her suspicious?”
“Not at all,” Grace explained. “Bailey arranges all travel for Mr. and Mrs. McGuire. She knows Bailey and I are friends.”
“We’ll swing by here and clean this up afterwards,” Bailey added.
Harvard glanced at Ice and caught the silent message in his teammate’s glare. Although the girls had a viable plan, leaving them alone wasn’t part of it. Someone was spending the night in his truck tonight.
***
Tucked into the shadows between the buildings, he watched the scene as raw, bitter madness clawed at his mind and pushed him near insanity. Cops crawled all over the area, preventing him from returning inside to complete his assignment. What would it take to get her to comply? She seemed like such a complacent woman, one who followed a distinct plan and never varied from it. Obviously, he drew the wrong conclusion. In reality, she insisted on controlling the outcome of every situation presented to her to her advantage.
His contact would be angry, to say the least. He was positive this last attempt would render him successful. He ran a desperate hand through his hair. Where was the merchandise?
Just as he prepared to leave the area, a new man arrived on the scene. Tall, broad, and dressed in regular clothing, he didn’t appear to be law enforcement. Yet, something in his demeanor labeled him a very interested party. He backed further into the shadows and waited for an opportunity to escape without detection. The visitor stood outside for a moment while he talked into his cell phone and then entered the building.
He took the opportunity to leave the area.
Once seated in his car with the engine running, he realized he now had bigger problems than before. Rather than meet his demands, she sought assistance. He slapped the steering wheel with both open palms. His stupidity had now put him in a worse situation than before; there was no way he could get her attention now. And to make matters worse, his cell phone vibrated on the seat beside him.
For half a second he considered ignoring the call. In fact, dumping the phone in the nearest trashcan didn’t sound like a bad idea. Except, he knew for a fact that would only get him in more trouble. Under no circumstances could he escape the watchful eye of his associate; the man had too many methods to find him. Reluctantly, he connected the call.
His associate wasted no time with introduction. “Do you have the object in your possession?”
“No.” He released a shaky breath and relayed the excuse as best he could. “I went over every single inch of the place. She didn’t store it there.”
“This is disappointing. We need the piece and we need it now.”
“I understand, but I’m doing the best I can. And now, there are bigger obstacles.”
“How so?”
“The police are there.”
“Law enforcement is no deterrent to me.”
“The police weren’t the only ones there. It looks like she may have hired a private detective.”
“You saw him?”
“Yes, but I didn’t recognize him. It’s really just an assumption on my part.”
“Did you approach him?”
“And risk being discovered? No.”
The other man released a low chuckle. “Of course not. Did you obtain a photo?”
“No.”
“You’ve gotten yourself in quite a mess, haven’t you? What do you intend to do now?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I need some time to come up with a new strategy.”
“You are out of time.”
“Maybe,” he admitted. “I mean no disrespect but I don’t think any of us can get to her at this point. By the looks of the hired muscle, none of us could get past him.” With nothing left to lose, he swallowed the softball in his throat and asked a question he’d avoided until now. “What if she doesn’t have it?”
“Is that possible?”
“All I know is that our efforts to find it up until now have failed.”
“I am going to assist you only because I refuse to admit defeat. Rest assured, I will obtain the merchandise and then I will deal with you. You will make yourself scarce for now; I will contact you with further direction.”
CHAPTER SIX
The next afternoon, Grace sat in the passenger’s seat of Bailey’s convertible as her friend steered into the McGuire’s driveway and parked, relieved that she had company for today’s visit. Although she hadn’t received a bodily threat, the break-in at the office left her feeling violated.
“Thanks for coming with me,” she told Bailey as they left the car and approached the front door.
“I refuse to leave you alone.” Bailey grinned. “Besides, we’re more intimidating as a team.”
Bailey’s admission made her laugh while she pressed the doorbell. Too many times to count, she and her best friend had managed to wiggle out of some interesting circumstances.
“And,” Bailey continued, “I’m surprised your watchdog didn’t bother us last night.”
She rolled her eyes at her friend’s pun – intended or not. “My watchdog didn’t, but yours did.”
“Huh?”
“You honestly believe we were alone last night?”
“We were. The doors were locked and I know for a fact that not only did Ice call my security monitor, he re-wired my system.”
“We weren’t alone. Ice parked in his truck outside the house.”
Bailey’s eyes narrowed. “You’re kidding.”
“Honest. I saw him about two o’clock a.m. when I got up to get a drink.”
“Oh, brother. The evening would’ve been so much more entertaining had I known that.”
Grace swallowed her response as Louisa opened the door and directed them to the kitchen. No doubt, Bailey would’ve given Ice a hard time for camping outside the house all night. In fact, she’d considered asking him in and then decided against it. He owed her one for saving him from the wrath of Bailey.
Once inside the kitchen, Grace stopped at the long counter in the back, placed her bag on top, and then rolled out the sketches. Bailey stepped close to hold down two of the corners just as Mrs. McGuire entered.
“Hello, girls!”
“Hi, Eileen.” Grace pointed at the paper spread across the counter. “Come, take a peek.”
The older woman approached the counter, glanced at the sketches for a short minute, and then turned to her with a huge smile.
“Absolutely stunning, Grace! This is exactly what I had in mind.”
She tapped a rectangle with one fingernail. “I added more space in the shoe caddy.” She paused to grin at her friend. “Bailey suggested it might come in handy.”
“Good call,” Eileen agreed. “I do have several pairs of shoes.”
“Do you see any changes or additions you’d like to suggest?”
“None at all. This is perfect!”
“Great! I’ll send a team to move the furniture so we can proceed and then things should progress fairly quickly.”
“That’s not necessary,” the other woman said as she turned to look across the kitchen.
Grace followed her gaze with her own, wondering what had drawn her attention. She only noticed Richard standing just outside the back door in conversation with another man.
“Eileen?” she prompted.
“Oh, sorry dear. I meant to say I’ll ask Richard to move them. I’ll have him do it as soon as he’s free.”
“Even better.” She nodded at Bailey to release her hold on the paper, rolled up the plans into a tube, returned them to her bag, and then retrieved her phone from the inside pocket.
“Today is Tuesday,�
�� she said after she accessed the calendar. “I’ll drop back by on Thursday.”
“Wonderful! I’ll see you then.”
Eileen turned to lead the way out of the kitchen and then stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot. I haven’t been able to locate my peacock. I’ve searched the whole house.”
Not surprised by the information, Grace forced a smile. “Thanks. I’ll let Harvard know.”
Once she and Bailey were seated in the car and headed to her office, Grace giggled at Bailey’s first question.
“Did she really say she can’t find her peacock?”
“Yes, but she’s talking about a brooch. It’s a purple peacock with diamond tailfeathers.”
“Good to know.” Bailey grinned. “I was beginning to think she was off her rocker.”
“Well, we were right to assume someone thinks I have the peacock.”
“But you don’t.”
“No, I don’t.”
Bailey parked and Grace took a deep breath just before they entered the office.
“Here goes nothing.” She stepped inside and avoided the clutter as best she could. “What a mess.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll have this cleaned up in no time.” Bailey tossed her purse into a chair behind the desk. “Where should I begin?”
“If you’ll upright the furniture, I’ll clean up all the paper. Once the table is back together, I need to flatten Mrs. McGuire’s sketches so they’ll scan into the computer.”
“This is really a nice project, Grace. Are you going to frame the plans?”
“I think I will.”
“Ok, I’ll get them laid out.”
Grace gathered paper into piles and stacked them neatly on top of the desk. She’d have to take time later to re-sort them. After this fiasco, she seriously considered going completely paperless.
“Oh. My. God.”
Bailey’s outburst caused her to frown as she looked up. “What’s wrong?”
“The peacock.” Bailey spun to face her. “I found the peacock.”
Grace stepped to the table where the purple peacock lay in all its’ glittering glory. “Where was it?”
