by Pam Richter
Julia stole slowly to the top of the stairs. As she peeked over the railing she saw that Robin was at the door, telling someone to go around to the lake entrance because it would take forever to untie all the rope knots holding the door closed.
Julia gave a sigh of relief and replaced the candlestick. It must be Robin's friend, Tony, who had inadvertently caused the crashing pans. He had sure arrived early.
Julia went to the bedroom window and looked out at the lake shimmering with pastel colors in the early morning light. There was a man down below, walking around the cabin, and she watched him curiously, although she could only see the top of his head and shoulders because she was right above him. Robin's best friend.
Julia hurried into the bathroom and turned on the shower. It was freezing cold for a minute and then the hot water cut in. When she got out, she dressed as fast as she could, hopping over to the mirror as she was pulling on her second boot. When she caught her reflection she groaned aloud in horror. Her cheekbone was black and blue. Her hair looked like a bird's nest. To top it all, Juan Carlos had hit her so hard that she had a black eye over the blue cheekbone.
Julia tried to comb out the tangles in her hair, caused by rapturous love-making. Forget make-up. Nothing could hide the startling bruises on her face. Lipstick would appear ludicrous. Right now she resembled a gruesome Halloween mask. She was surprised that she cared what Tony would think of her, but he was Robin's closest friend. He had wound up in the hospital because of her.
She could hear Robin coming up the stairs. He knocked on the open door and stuck his head around it after a moment.
"Hi." He came in and put his arms around her from behind, bending forward so his head was beside hers in the mirror. As their eyes met, he said, "You're absolutely gorgeous this morning."
"Scary or hideous would be more appropriate," Julia answered.
He kissed the normal looking side of her face. "Tony is down below and wants to meet you. And you are beautiful."
Love must have struck him blind, Julia thought, as she turned around to give him a kiss. It was the first one they had had standing up, and it was pretty nice, even though he had to bend down and she was on tip-toe. On any scale it would have been way off the chart.
"Damn. I wish he hadn't come so early," Robin whispered in her ear as he held her. His voice caused goose-bumps.
"I know," Julia said, sighing. She hugged him harder for a moment.
"Tony brought two policemen. Your body guards."
"Why?" Julia asked, smiling and gazing up at him. "I'd take you over any bodyguard the police could come up with."
"Tony and I have to leave you alone for a while. We're going to question the men who broke in here last night. Hopefully, they'll confess before they find themselves lawyers. They don't seem very bright. If they let it slip that Quijada sent them, we'll be in real luck."
"You're going to interrogate them, too?" Julia asked. Tony was a prosecutor, so it was normal that he would be questioning the men.
Robin nodded. "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not a cop. I'm going to bring formal charges against them. I told the police last night I'd come in and fill out the paperwork." He was gazing at her seriously. "Are you disappointed?"
She shook her head. "I don't care if you dig ditches."
"It's happening again." Robin was smiling so broadly both dimples showed.
"What?"
"When I look at you. When I hear your voice. It keeps happening, those little shocks, over and over again."
It hurt when she smiled, but she couldn't help it.
"I don't dig ditches. And I have a lot of explaining to do, now that I'm sure you don't care about the superfluous stuff. But Tony and I have an appointment at the jail in fifteen minutes."
After another long hug she left Robin turning on the shower and started down the stairs to meet his best friend.
Three men were sitting the living room drinking coffee, and none were dressed as policemen, but Julia knew which was Tony immediately. She walked right up to him. "I'm glad to meet you, Tony. We seem to be color coordinated."
He had an enormous bruise on his face that almost matched hers in vivid hues of black and blue. Julia felt drawn to him immediately. He had an open engaging wide smile, like a leprechaun, and brown hair and eyes. She extended her hand.
"Robin didn't do you justice, when he described you," Tony said, as he took her hand.
"I'll bet," Julia said, laughing.
"Just wait. Next we turn a luscious avocado green, and then septic yellow, before it finally fades away."
"I can hardly wait."
"I was looking forward to meeting the woman audacious enough to get Quijada's personal drug records."
"After the fact, it seems foolhardy. I'm sorry you were hurt. I was just planning to copy the stuff and return it. Things sort of got out of control."
"Don't you dare apologize. We're thrilled to have the information. Now let's get you a cup of coffee."
Tony introduced her bodyguards, John Franks and Buddy Hathaway. Both were their early thirties, slightly overweight and cynical looking. John Franks was dark, appearing Hispanic, and Buddy Hathaway was blond, with the type of frosted hair that women spent fortunes trying to get. They looked like real cops in spite of their youth, because of the world weary eyes, looking as though nothing could surprise them.
Tony led Julia into the kitchen and poured her a cup of coffee. After watching him move around the kitchen with familiarity, Julia decided he must own the cabin. He went right to the cupboard that held coffee cups and knew which drawer contained spoons. Robin hadn't known where anything was in the kitchen when she had been cooking and needed a specific type of frying pan, or wanted to know how to light the gas oven last night.
"This is such a beautiful place," Julia said as they went back into the living room. They stood at the windows overlooking the lake.
"Yeah. Robin was up here almost every weekend for six months, overseeing the construction. He's been so busy recently he hasn't been able to come up very often."
Julia wondered why Robin would be here during the building process. Maybe he worked in construction, too.
As they sipped coffee in the living room Tony told her about the fantastic parties they had held in the cabin during the holidays. "Jay and I do all the cooking, of course, cause Robin would burn an egg, or incinerate the place. He's not to be trusted in the kitchen."
"I was at Jay's apartment," Julia said. "Robin had me meet him there when I came back to Los Angeles."
"Because of the bet we made about you," Tony said, nodding. "Jay's the real gourmet cook. I guess you figured that out when you saw his kitchen."
Julia remembered how Robin had bashed his head on one of the hanging pans, but she was curious about the wager the three had made. It was very intriguing.
"I hope you weren't upset," Tony added.
Julia shook her head.
"When lawyers get together they make up silly contracts, and add all kinds of addendum and side issues." He looked uncomfortable.
"I didn't realize Jay was an attorney," Julia said, sipping her coffee.
"We work in the D.A.'s office together." Tony seemed surprised that she didn't know and Julia decided to play dumb so she could find out about the wager. Then she heard Robin on the stairs.
Julia fell in love all over again when she saw his crisp curly dark hair, and the way his body moved down the stairs. With four men in the room, all she could see was Robin. Julia had never been with him in the company of other men before and he seemed to dominate the whole room, like an actor who is so charismatic that you can only look at him, riveted, because of the way his face and form fill the light, or because of some appealing animal magnetism the eyes don't want to let go of.
He came over to her and put an arm around her shoulders.
"Tony, some day I've got to tell you about how Julia kept one of the killers from coming after me." He looked at Julia and winked.
She di
dn't want Tony to know she had practically stripped to keep Mike from going down to help Juan Carlos try to kill Robin and spoke quickly. "Robin told you that one of the guys hit me, because I heard him on the phone. But you should see Robin's knife wound, Tony. He's the one who was really injured."
"You were cut? With a knife?" Tony seemed genuinely concerned.
"It's nothing," Robin said, heading for the door.
"He was dripping blood all over the kitchen before I even realized. Of course, he didn't tell me either," Julia said.
"Hey. We have to get going," Robin said, looking pointedly at his watch. "We're already late."
"You're sure it doesn't have to be checked out by a doctor?" Tony banged his fist on Robin's shoulder, the way men do when they like each other a lot and think it's sissy to hug.
Robin shook his head. Then he gave Julia a one armed hug. "We'll be back in a couple of hours. Tony supplied breakfast. It's in the kitchen."
He leaned over and kissed the top of her head and then winked at her before following Tony to his jeep.
Julia watched them drive away. When she went back inside she found John Franks, the dark cop, in the kitchen. He was scrambling eggs in a frying pan. Bud Hathaway was there too, spreading butter on some toast. They had already set the table.
"So, Julia. You hungry?" John asked.
Julia nodded. He put the eggs and bacon on plates and carried them to the kitchen table.
"That stuff that Robin faxed to the D.A.'s office last night is really causing a stir," Bud said, as they started eating. "But Quijada's not taking it sitting down."
"What do you mean?" Julia asked.
"Looks like he's been spreading rumors in the department that you stole some money from his safe. That's why we have to get you out of Los Angeles, right quick."
"I'm supposed to leave?"
"Didn't Robin tell you?" Bud asked. When she shook her head, he continued. "Yeah. We're taking you to LAX right away. After Tony and Robin come back, I guess. They want you out of this jurisdiction. Of course, it's to keep you safe from reprisal, too. If Quijada really is dealing drugs, he's an angry fella right now."
"I would never take money," Julia said indignantly. "How could Quijada imply such a thing? And I'm not going back to Boston."
"Well, Julia," John said, swallowing a gigantic bite of toast, "you did take things from his safe. The police will have to follow it up, if Quijada brings charges. He may just be trying to muddy the water. Or he may be trying to keep the D.A.'s office from using information that was illegally procured. He's got lawyers advising him. You could come out of it looking pretty bad, if he accuses you of stealing. And the fact that a lawyer helped you do it. The son of a senator, no less. It doesn't look kosher. Not for Robin. Not good for Senator Chavier, either."
"What are you talking about?" Julia asked. "Tony didn't help me. Jay didn't either."
"I'm talking about Robin. But maybe he'll defend you. Best defense lawyer in Los Angeles. For you, he wouldn't charge a nickel."
Both men thought that was very funny indeed.
"Senator Chavier?" Julia repeated, stunned. She didn't follow California politics avidly, but she had certainly heard of Senator Chavier. She'd seen him on television. "Robin's father?"
John Franks was chewing very slowly, like a cow, Julia thought. She was frantic to understand what was going on.
He nodded and kept chewing.
She remembered the beautiful home in Beverly Hills where Robin had taken her to copy the material from Quijada's safe. The home where Robin's dog, Scooter, was. And the ugly yellow truck. Robin had seemed to belong in that house. In a flash she knew it was because he owned it. And he owned this cabin. And he was a famous defense lawyer with a famous senator for a father.
It was such a shock that her ears started ringing and she suddenly felt dizzy. Everything went dark for a moment.
"Hey! Are you all right?" John Franks was looking at her, concerned. He took hold of her shoulder and shook it.
Julia managed to take a deep breath. She had always known that Robin was more than he let on. "Yes. I'm fine."
"Maybe I put too much Tabasco in the eggs," John said.
Julia managed a weak smile. "No, they're fine. Very good. I like them hot."
"I don't think Quijada's going to press charges," Bud Hathaway said, thoughtfully. "But you understand, it's best for everyone if you go. Until the whole thing's resolved."
Julia looked down and nodded. The food tasted like cardboard and felt lumpish in her throat, but she forced herself to finish the meal. She was wondering how she could have been so gullible and naive. Robin must believe her a fool not to have guessed.
Now that she thought about it, she remembered all the hints he had given her. And she remembered that his housekeeper, Sandy, told her that the person who owned the gorgeous home and Robin were inseparable. Sandy also said that she was making Robin ruin a wonderful career. It was all so obvious.
Julia took her plate to the sink and started washing the dishes.
"Don't bother. You should go rest," John Franks said. "We have a long drive ahead of us, back to Los Angeles."
Julia went upstairs to pack her things. It took about two minutes. She came downstairs again and went to the kitchen when she didn't see her bodyguards. They were drinking coffee and playing cards at the kitchen table. She felt restless, like a prisoner in the cabin, and told them she would be outside on the porch.
She took a cup of coffee and sat down and sipped for a couple of minutes, as she watched the sun glinting on the blue water. When she turned around she could see that John Franks and Bud Hathaway had moved into the living room. They were sitting right behind her on the couch, playing cards. Poker from the sound. Probably to keep an eye on her.
The glass dividing Julia from the two men was thick, but Julia had left one of the sliding glass doors open a few inches and she could hear them talking. She wasn't paying any attention, until one of them said, "Tony told me about the bet a while ago. Well, maybe two weeks ago. Right after Robin met her. We were doing an all night stake-out on a man Tony wanted us to watch. He came and brought coffee. Sat down and talked to us for a while. Tony is one goddamn righteous lawyer."
"Good man."
"Yeah."
Julia wished they would go on, but all she heard was the slapping of cards for a while. Then, "Gotcha. You owe me two hundred thou, for the week."
Someone was dealing again. Julia could hear. Her ears were pricked back, totally concentrated.
"Robin's a good guy, too. Cuts a real swath through the ladies, though."
"Yeah. I never seen him with one for more than a couple days. Week at most. Breaks hearts and leaves them high and dry."
"After he gets in their pants. Tell me about that bet he made."
"Seems they were discussing this beautiful, snobbish, Boston socialite type that Robin met in an impound lot. Had her car ruined by the towing guys. Anyway, Robin was evidently smitten. I mean, you can see why. What a bod on that girl. Anyway, they all got whacked one night, after the Senator got a prize from the city for some do-good stuff, you know. And they made the bet. See, Robin had posed as a mechanic, and swore that he could get her to fall for him, even when she thought he was a grungy mechanic."
"Looks like he won the bet."
"Course he did. You see the way she was looking at him?"
Julia was cringing inside, but couldn't make herself get up and walk away.
"How long did they give Robin to get her in bed?"
"Couple of weeks. Looks like he just made it under the wire."
"Convenient. She leaves and he can start randying around again."
"Is that the reason she has to leave? Or is Quijada really going after her?"
"Quijada might be a dangerous guy, from what Tony said. He has that dog, you know? Bruno. He maimed a guy once."
"Yeah. I know. But you think he's going after the babe?"
"She better leave. No matter what. This is a nasty
situation for Robin. And the Senator, if it gets out that she stole stuff. Maybe she did take the money."
"I went upstairs and checked her things as Robin and Tony were leaving the cabin. No money. But it's pretty convenient that she's leaving, now that Robin's finished with her."
"Maybe he really likes her."
"You kidding? When he can have any dame he wants? You think he's going to settle down when he has everything going for him? I do admit, she's beautiful. Even with the black eye. But he has starlets from Hollywood drooling all over him. Models from New York. He's not going to settle down anytime soon, let me tell you."
Julia got up and went into the kitchen, to the phone. Her grandmother Charlotte answered immediately, then started scolding about how Julia hadn't called in a couple of weeks. Julia tuned her out. She stood there, with tears spilling down her cheeks, until Charlotte ended the obligatory chiding and told Julia that she missed her.
"I miss you too, grandmother," Julia said.
"What's wrong?"
"I hate California. Some bad things happened here. I want to come home."
"Well, don't cry, Julia. I'll be at the airport, dear."
Julia threw her cold coffee in the sink and went into the living room. The two cops were suddenly silent as she walked up to them. "I can't see any reason to wait to go to the airport. Robin and Tony are going to be very busy with the information I got for them. I want to leave now."
"You don't want to wait for them to get back?" Bud asked, surprised.
"You two came up together, in your own car," Julia said. "No reason to waste your time, waiting around."
"We don't mind," Bud said. "It's pretty up here. Nice and quiet."
"Well, I do mind," Julia said. "If you don't want to take me, I'll call a taxi." Or take Robin's Harley, Julia thought. She was frantic to leave before he came back. He had played her for a fool and she never wanted to see him again. Robin got a double bonus on his bet. A good lay, and a spectacular trial against Quijada.
