Frosted (Moreno & Hart Mysteries)

by Allison Brennan

  “Why are you suspicious of me?” Dave asked.

  “I wonder.”

  “Yesterday afternoon was the first time I said anything, I swear.”

  Krista didn’t want to believe him. “Why here? Who told you about this place? Could Adam have been set up? Maybe he was sent here to get him out of his apartment.”

  “So,” Scarlet said, “someone could search his apartment.”

  David shrugged. “I just heard about it. They had room for us.”

  “Who did you hear about it from?”

  “I—” His face fell. “No. You’re just being ridiculous.”

  Krista had had enough with the business manager. “Dammit, Dave, who?”

  “Tiffany told me about it last weekend. We were meeting and she said she was in a wedding at the lodge, and that it would be a good place to get away. And after the thing with the champagne and Adam worried about his upcoming audition, I thought time off would be good for him.”

  He sounded sincere, but Krista was still angry about the article. “Tiffany,” she said flatly. “And you didn’t think to tell us?”

  “I didn’t think about it at all. I told her I was too busy right then, but when Adam got spooked by his girlfriend getting sick on champagne, we decided it would be a good time for a getaway.”

  “Do you travel with all your clients?” Scarlet asked, suspicion oozing from her voice.

  “No—yes—sometimes.”

  “What is this all about?” Trina walked up to Krista. “Are you trying to get Adam back, and your speech earlier was just bullshit?”

  Krista glared at her. “Shut up.” She turned back to Dave. “Is Tiffany as dumb as she acts?”

  “She’s not dumb.”

  He didn’t sound convincing.

  “Look,” he said, “she’s a nice girl who hasn’t had a lot of breaks. She got her breasts enhanced because her last agent told her it would help her—and then she gets offered these shit roles as a bimbo or slut, and she can do more than that. She wants to do more than that. I convinced her to go in and get the silicone implants removed, and the surgery is next week. She and her boyfriend had an argument about it. I think that’s probably why he didn’t come with her this weekend.”

  “His name?”

  “I—why is that important?”

  Scarlet said, “It’s all important until we know what this unknown person wants from Adam.”

  Adam stepped back into the room. “It’s done,” he said. “I’m really sorry, Kay.”

  She took a deep breath and let the anger go. It wasn’t going to do her any good to be seeing red all day. “I know,” she said. And meant it. Adam really did look upset by the whole thing, and it was clear he hadn’t known what Dave had done. “Adam—we asked you earlier what you bought in South Africa. Maybe it wasn’t what you bought, but something that was given to you. A gift?”

  “Nothing—just the scarf for my mom, and I gave it to her the night I came back.”

  “What did you bring with you from your place? The person was searching your suitcases and drawers.”

  “Just one suitcase and a carry-on.”

  Scarlet glanced at Krista. “If it was drugs or contraband, security would have caught it.”

  “Right,” Adam agreed. “I had to walk through a machine to get on the chartered plane.”

  “Chartered plane?”

  “Yeah, they flew me there and back in style. It was very cool.”

  “What do you have with you here at the lodge that was also with you in South Africa?” Krista asked.

  “Uh—”

  “Like, did you use the same suitcase?”

  “No, I used my bigger one there, but I have my carry-on with me and my smaller suitcase.”

  Krista told Dave and Trina to stay put, and she and Scarlet followed Adam into his bedroom. She searched his carry-on, looking carefully at the seams, even unzipping the nylon liner. But nothing seemed out of place.

  “What else?” Krista asked. “Clothing?”

  “I guess ... I don’t really remember.”

  “Computer? Phone?”

  “I had both with me.”

  Krista said, “Give Scarlet your phone. I’ll go through your computer.” Krista wished Mac were here—he was the computer expert—but she wasn’t too bad with technology and much better than Scarlet.

  They worked in silence for fifteen minutes. Even Adam was quiet.

  Suddenly, Scarlet said, “That jacket.”

  “What about it?” Adam asked.

  She tuned his cell phone to face him. “This jacket. The bomber jacket you wore to dinner last night.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Let me see it.”

  Adam looked around then walked to the closet and retrieved it. “Forgot I hung it up.”

  Scarlet grabbed it. She examined the zipper, then looked at his phone, then enlarged the photo.

  “Krista,” she said, and turned the phone to her.

  And Krista saw exactly what Scarlet did. The zipper on the jacket in their hands had three small leather tassels to help pull it up and down. The zipper on the jacket on the phone had the same tassels, but there were only two—one looked like it had been broken off.

  “This photo was taken last month,” Scarlet said. “Where were you?”

  “Last month? When?”

  Scarlet looked at the photo details. “November thirtieth. Right after Thanksgiving.”

  “Oh—I remember that restaurant. That’s the week before I went to South Africa. I went to dinner with some friends.”

  “This isn’t the same jacket.”

  “Of course it is. I took it with me to South Africa, sure, but I love the jacket. I wear it everywhere. See? It’s worn and everything.”

  “It’s not the same. Look at it closely. Feel it.”

  He did. At first he didn’t believe her, but as he inspected it closely he said, “Maybe you’re right. My jacket had a small tear in the lining here at the bottom. But I haven’t worn it much lately, because until November it was hot, and before that I was working on Moon Drop and I didn’t have it with me when we were shooting in Florida.”

  Scarlet scrolled slowly through the photos that were taken from that dinner before he left for Africa. Adam was only in a couple photos, he was mostly taking pictures of his friends.

  One of the people in the background looked familiar.

  “Well, shit.” She showed Krista. “Look.”

  “The valet.”

  “Chad.” She showed Adam. “Do you know him?”

  Adam shook his head. “I mean—he parked my car.”

  “And he was at this event. In the background, not with your group.”

  Scarlet took the jacket and felt around. The lining was a thick fleece. She inspected the seams carefully. And then she saw the stitching inside with a slightly different colored thread.

  She pulled out her pocketknife and opened the seams. At first Adam balked, but Krista hit him in the arm and he was quiet.

  Two minutes later, Scarlet pulled out the fleecing.

  Embedded in the fluff were dozens of small, rough cut diamonds.

  “Oh, shit,” Krista and Scarlet said in unison.

  They both looked at Adam. He stared, in complete shock.

  “How did those get in my jacket?”

  “It’s not your jacket,” Krista said.

  Chapter Eight

  Krista peered out the window at the lodge’s front entrance three stories below. She hated waiting for things to happen, but right now she didn’t have a choice.

  Mac had run a background check on Chad Hopkins, the temporary valet sent over by the staffing agency. Turned out, the real Chad Hopkins wasn’t actually at work this weekend. Mac had run down his cell phone number and reached him in Las Vegas, where he was enjoying a spur-of-the-moment vacation. After threatening to rat him out to the staffing agency, Mac learned that Chad had shown up for work Wednesday, but some guy approached him and offered him five-thousand
dollars cash for his weekend gig, giving some story about being a tabloid photographer who needed to be on site at the lodge to photograph a celebrity. The guy making the offer wouldn’t give his name, but Chad got the license plate on his vehicle, just in case the whole thing turned out to be a scam. Mac traced the vehicle tag to a Blake Johnson of Los Angeles, and a Google search of the man confirmed he was the person pictured in the background of Adam’s photo.

  Mac was still digging for more on Blake Johnson while Krista and Scarlet focused on gathering evidence against him. They needed something to make it clear Adam had nothing to do with the smuggling, that he’d been an innocent victim.

  Krista’s phone vibrated with an incoming text and she checked the message.

  “Okay, Scarlet’s in place,” Krista told Adam. “You ready?”

  “This is never going to work,” he said. “We should just call the cops.”

  “We will.” Krista crossed the suite to the elevator. “But all we have to give them right now is a bunch of speculation. We need evidence so you don’t take the rap for this. Do you even understand how serious it is to smuggle diamonds out of Africa? We’re talking about a major international crime.”

  The elevator arrived, and Krista stepped in, followed closely by Adam. He seemed nervous, and he absolutely never got nervous. But right now he was pasty white.

  “You okay?” Krista asked, and jabbed the button for the ground floor.

  “No.”

  “You gonna be sick?”

  “No.”

  But his hands shook slightly as he zipped up his leather jacket. Maybe the fact that he’d unwittingly smuggled what had to be millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds into the country was starting to sink in.

  “This is going to work,” Krista assured him. “It’s a good plan.”

  “It’s ludicrous,” he said.

  Wow, an SAT word from Adam. He must really be freaking out.

  “What if it doesn’t work out?” he asked.

  “If it doesn’t, then we go with your plan and call the police,” Krista said. They hadn’t told Dave and Trina about the diamonds or the plan. Krista didn’t trust either of them, and while they didn’t seem to have the personalities to be international jewel thieves, she wasn’t going to risk it. The fewer people who knew that they’d found the diamonds, the better.

  “I don’t see what you’re so worried about,” Krista continued. “The diamonds are locked in the room safe. Scarlet’s hiding in the parking garage. She’s right where she needs to be to record everything Blake Johnson does after we lure him into our trap. Just relax, all right?”

  He scoffed. “Right.”

  “Jesus, Adam. You’re the actor. I’m the one who should be nervous here.”

  The elevator doors parted and they headed across the lobby. Adam still looked jumpy, and Krista elbowed him in the ribs. “At least tell me you remember your lines.”

  He ignored her quip and held the door for her, letting a gust of frigid air into the lodge. Krista didn’t even have to fake a shiver.

  At the valet stand Blake Johnson snapped to attention and strode over. “Going out, Mr. Brock?” As expected, his gaze dropped to Adam’s jacket.

  “Just grabbing a sandwich.” Adam handed him the valet ticket. “We’re in the white Jeep.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Blake stepped over to the cabinet and rummaged for the Jeep key as Krista rubbed her arms.

  “I should have worn my coat. Feels like a front coming in.”

  “Want my jacket?” Adam looked at her.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Really, take it.”

  He dropped it over her shoulders as Blake watched, riveted. He was practically drooling, and Krista knew their plan was going to work. When they returned from lunch Krista would “accidentally” leave the jacket in the Jeep, where Blake would no doubt see it and make a grab. Meanwhile Scarlet was in place in the parking garage to record him stealing it. Earlier Krista had sneaked into Blake’s room in the staff wing to plant a hidden camera, so they could get footage of him tearing through the lining to look for the diamonds. If all went according to plan, they would simultaneously get evidence against Blake Johnson and exonerate Adam of any involvement smuggling the stones.

  Blake grabbed the Jeep key and darted a longing look at Krista before sprinting across the driveway to the parking garage.

  “This isn’t going to work,” Adam muttered beside her.

  “Think positive.” She couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. He’d never been a worrier—that was her department.

  “Are you sure the camera’s in place?”

  “I planted it myself.”

  “You sure it’s working? The battery’s not out or anything?”

  She gave him a baleful look.

  “I’m just saying, Krista. What if your equipment’s bad? You were never great with technology.”

  “We’re professionals, Adam. And cheating spouse cases are our bread and butter. We do surveillance practically every week.”

  Blake returned with the Jeep in record time and rushed to get Krista’s door. His look was intense, and for a minute she thought he might snatch the jacket right off her shoulders.

  She smiled at Adam over the Jeep. Everything was happening perfectly. This was going to work.

  The throaty growl of an engine had Krista turning around, and a shiny black Ford F-250 rolled to a stop behind them. The door swung open and an impossibly sexy man with a two-day beard slid from the truck.

  Krista’s stomach dropped.

  R.J. peeled off his shades and looked at Adam. Then his blue eyes settled on Krista, and she felt a hot rush of nerves.

  No, no, no. This wasn’t happening. Not now.

  R.J. tossed his keys to the valet. Blake caught them one-handed and watched, perplexed, as he sauntered up to Krista.

  “What are you doing here?” she sputtered.

  He stopped in front of her. He looked at Adam, then at her again, and she felt the heat of his gaze from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She wasn’t cold anymore, but it had nothing to do with the jacket.

  “Just passing through.” He lifted an eyebrow at her. “You got a minute?”

  Chapter Nine

  Krista led him around the side of the lodge where they could have a private conversation. She didn’t like leaving Adam alone with his stalker, but the real target was the jacket, which was still draped over Krista’s shoulders.

  She stopped and gazed up at R.J. “You have to make this fast.”

  He folded his arms over his big chest. “I just drove three hours to have a conversation with you.”

  “This isn’t a good time, R.J. I can’t explain everything, but—”

  “Fine, I’ll make it quick. Are you back together with your ex?”

  “No.”

  “What was it? A one-night stand?”

  “No! It was nothing. Just a stupid reporter who made up the story.”

  “He didn’t make up the picture of you two having dinner.”

  The fury she’d felt with Dave was back again. “Scarlet was there. She was cut out of the picture. Really, it’s nothing.” She felt butterflies in her stomach. There was something in his look. “Why are you really here, R.J.?”

  He gazed down at her, and she knew. She knew the reason, even if he wouldn’t say it.

  He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m worried about you.”

  “Why?” The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy now.

  “This guy hurt you. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “There is no this, I told you. That story wasn’t real.”

  He stared at her and she couldn’t read him, as much as she wanted to. He looked like a protective older brother, but maybe there was more to it. The way he looked at her ... There was nothing brotherly about his gaze.

  I just drove three hours to have a conversation with you.

  She wasn’
t sure how she felt about that, and she didn’t have time to analyze it now.

  “Listen, I can’t explain everything because I’m in kind of a jam right now and—”

  “What is it?” His brow furrowed and his entire muscle-bound body went on alert.

  “It’s work-related. This case is a mess, and me standing out here with you is making things worse and—”

  “Oh, yoo-hoo!”

  They turned to see Scarlet trudging down the steps of the deck, a phony smile plastered on her face. Krista could tell she was pissed.

  “R.J., so glad you’re here. Perfect timing, as always.” She rolled her eyes at Krista, her jaw tightly clenched. “Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve had a few changes to the plan.”

  “What plan?” R.J. asked.

  “What happened, Scarlet?” Krista asked.

  She stopped beside them, hands on hips. “While you two were having your little pow-wow over here, Chad went on his lunch break.”

  “Shit.”

  “Who’s Chad?” R.J. wanted to know.

  Krista checked her watch. “Where’s Adam?”

  “I took him upstairs to sit tight with Dave. He doesn’t have the jacket, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

  “Who’s Dave?” R.J. growled.

  “Time for plan B,” Scarlet said, looking at Krista.

  “Which is what?”

  “I’m still working on it.” Scarlet punched R.J. in the arm. He frowned and Krista noted that he almost rubbed his bicep. “And since you screwed everything up, Mr. Flynn, you get to help.”

  #

  The Harrison-McKinley wedding was in full swing when Scarlet took a seat at the bar.

  “Tanqueray and tonic with a twist.” She set her purse on the counter and looked at Krista. “What? We should relax. We’re on vacation.”

  Krista snorted.

  “We at least have to look like we are.”

  “I’ll have a white wine spritzer,” Krista told the bartender.

  Scarlet shook her head as Krista pulled out her phone. “Okay, R.J. just texted me,” Krista said. “Everything’s in place.”

  “How’s my app working?” Scarlet asked. She didn’t like lending anyone her phone, but it was part of the plan. She’d downloaded an app that fed footage from the security camera that Krista had hidden in Chad’s room directly to her phone in real time.