“Are you so ready to sign your life away? Eat the soufflé,” he said, quietly.
She picked up her spoon and then put it down again. “Sign my life away?” Dinner purged it way up her throat, she couldn’t eat another bite.
“An ill-used expression, Kyra, sorry.” He shrugged.
A tear ran down her face. He reached over and wiped it with his thumb, skeeving her out.
“After dinner we’re going to take a ride. I’ll explain everything. This offer comes from my boss at the loan company, not me, Kyra—”
She cut him off. “I have to talk to them,” she practically yelled.
“Quiet. No, I’ll be doing the talking. I wanted you to understand the terms. This offer comes from them, not me. Understood?”
Washing his hands of the act, clever him. “Understood.” She resigned herself to her fate. There wasn’t any way she could pay off the seventy-five thousand dollars.
“I want you right now, with some discretion, to look at the guy in the corner. Take in every detail you see and retain it. Got it?”
“Yes. Why?”
“No questions, just do what I ask.”
She turned, looked over her left shoulder toward the bar. Her gaze lingered on the man Joe wanted her to study. The guy filled the whole corner—he had to weigh three hundred pounds if he weighed an ounce—gross. Greasy hair held in place by his comb-over. And let’s not even talk about his table manners, or lack of. Revolting didn’t even come close to describing him. She kept her gaze moving until it landed on the bar. She signaled the waitress. Stalling—she knew she was stalling. How can I get out of this? The guy must be a Whale. Joe better not be offering me to him. I’d throw up on the spot or, worse, kill myself.
“Can I get you something, miss?” the waitress asked.
“Yes, a glass of water please.”
The waitress walked away from the table. “Did you see the man I was speaking about?”
“Yes, and he’s absolutely gross.” Kyra didn’t bother to lower her voice.
“Kyra, I’m not going to tell you again to keep your voice down.” She didn’t like the hard edge his voice held. “We’ll talk about him on our ride. You done?”
Joe got up without waiting for her answer. Running after him, she noticed each step slammed to the floor as he marched away. Not mad but angry, she thought.
Chapter Three
Kyra rushed after him, grabbed his arm. “Why are you angry? I’m the one being put on the spot here.”
“I’m angry because you show no discretion. You’re rude.” He turned back to the elevator.
“Rude?” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You’re the one who asked me to check him out and for what? You think I’m stupid? I’m not doing him.” Her face was bright red, her freckles a darker brown when she finished, her breath short. She knew she needed to compose herself.
“I didn’t ask you to, did I?” He stepped into the elevator, adjusted his tie.
She followed. “What was the purpose of the look and see?”
“I already told you we’d talk in the car. Please don’t cause a scene, Kyra. Like you, I need my job.”
They rode down in silence. Dear God, what did I get myself into? Kyra couldn’t focus. The trek to the car felt like the final walk of a ‘condemned woman’ on her way to the chair. Dead Kyra walking. They reached his car. No surprise he drove a Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 convertible, silver. It was a beautiful, sleek car. My dream car, in the exact model and color. Why him? Boy, life wasn’t fair.
“Does it have a V8?”
“You know something about cars?”
“No, only this one. I’ve always dreamed of owning one. It’s in my color too.”
“Yeah, it’s a V8, and it handles beautifully.”
“I bet. What year is it?” He helped her into the car. Always the gentleman, she thought.
“It’s a 2009.”
Zooming out of the garage, he turned right onto the back roads. The car rode smooth, Kyra didn’t even feel the motion. Leaning her head back into the seat, she noted its comfort. What it must feel like to drive this machine. He started talking, drawing her back to reality.
“I want to lay the whole thing out for you before you interrupt. Afterward I’ll answer any question you have, okay?”
“Okay.” Tapping her finger on her leg was her only outward sign of nerves.
“The group chose you for two reasons. First: you’re pretty, with a great shape. Second: because of the unique position you hold.”
Oh, shit! It’s worse than I thought.
“They set this up to give you a choice. You guessed the first choice. Mr. Garcia is a Whale and he likes redheads. You fit the bill. He spends literally millions at the casino each year, so they like to give him what he wants. He likes oral sex.”
I don’t know if I can keep my dinner down. Jesus Christ.
He never looked at her. He drove around while he spoke, looking out the front windshield. Joe showed no emotions. What was this guy, a robot?
“Your second choice involves your job.”
“My job?”
“Remember, no interruptions until I’m done,” he reprimanded her. “You work at the cemetery, correct?”
He looked over at her, but she didn’t know whether to respond or keep quiet. She nodded yes.
“You do all the cremations. Correct?”
“Yes,” she whispered. This had to be a nightmare. Kyra pinched herself, flinched. Nope, it’s not a damn dream.
“Okay, this is difficult for me…” He paused for effect, but he wasn’t fooling her. “They need you to dispose of a body for them.”
*
She woke with her head between her knees. Joe was holding her head down. He’d parked the car on the side of the road. It had to be a nightmare. Did he say he wanted her to dispose of a body for him?
“Kyra, are you all right?”
“No, I’m not okay. Are you for real?” she screamed.
“I’m afraid I am.”
She felt him staring at her. What was she going to do? If she said no, would they kill her? They’d need to, she thought. Her other choice was to be on her knees with the dirty, disgusting man in the corner. They picked him on purpose and it hit her hard. They wanted her to get rid of their body, not do the man. Who would?
*
Joe watched her process what he’d said. She looked green. If she throws up in my car, I’ll hit her. No pity, he told himself. No one was to blame for this situation, but her. For God’s sake, she’s losing her kid and she’s still here gambling. Yeah, no pity. He put the car in gear and started driving again.
*
“There’s no choice number three, Joe?” she asked, with hope.
“I’m afraid not.”
“You set it up this way, knowing I couldn’t do him. You really only gave me one choice…”
“You have two choices, Kyra.”
“Yeah…if I pick the man how many times do I have to do him?”
“Until he gets tired of you.”
Oh my God! He can’t be serious. Once would be too many times. “You’re saying this wipes out my debt completely. That I walk away with cash. How much cash?” Trying to reason through this craziness, she saw a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe, just maybe, she could provide Trevor with some stability in his life.
“You get a clean slate and one hundred thousand dollars.”
“When do I have to give you my answer?” She grieved.
“I really want your answer now, but I’ll give you until Thursday night. We’ll meet at the casino and enjoy a nice dinner in the Whale room again. Afterward, we’ll take another ride to discuss all aspects of the deal.” He mentioned dinner like that alone would sway me. Idiot.
Inhaling deeply, hoping to find her calm, she thought things will work out. He’s given her time to come up with a counter offer. As he pulled into the casino parking garage she realized she had only a few minutes to ask questions.
“Why me? I’m sure there are other people who owe you more money, so why me?”
“You don’t owe me anything, Kyra. You owe my bosses. Why you? I would think it’s obvious—you have a unique job. Plus, you’re beautiful. My bosses find each an asset. Beauty offers so many possibilities. Remember, you’re the one who put yourself in this position.
“You’re small potatoes to these guys, a pawn, but right at the moment, a necessary pawn. Either take care of their Whale or take care of their body. It’s your choice.” He pulled into a parking space next to her car. He reached into his jacket, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to her.
“What’s this?” Kyra asked.
“I took up some of your time tonight. My bosses want to show their generosity.”
The insult hit her hard. The bastard’s treating me like a hooker. It doesn’t matter if I performed or not. His way of showing her what he thought of her. Throwing the envelope back at him, she got out of his car, holding her head up high. Then she walked away without another word, tears streaming down her face. Dear God, what have I done? You did this to yourself, Kyra. Only you. Joe’s cold, unforgiving words echoed in her head.
She sat in her car for a long time. Crying, pounding her hands on the steering wheel and then crying some more. Finally, putting the key in the ignition, she started the car and drove away. On the dark stretch of road, her mind played back Joe’s conversation. She knew her third choice was death. Right now it was the cleanest choice. A choice her son would be able to live with—not knowing how low she’d sunk in life.
On the ride home she went through the usual feelings after losing. The anxiety hit hard, like a wave crashing down on her every time she thought of the three thousand dollars she’d lost tonight.
“I’m such a loser,” she screamed.
Oh God, how did I get this low? No pride, choice or self-esteem left. Forced now to give up total control over her life if she agreed to do what they asked. I just need one big win and then everything will be fine again. She lied to herself.
She looked at the clock on the dash—8:00, too early to go home. The silence there would give her too much time to think. More than anything she wanted a drink. Where would she go on a Tuesday night? Then the thought hit her. Dina’s having a small party tonight. Maybe she’d go. Christ knows she needed to get her mind off her problems for a while.
*
Kyra knocked on the door. Dina swung open the door. Smiling at Kyra, she hugged her and pulled her into the room. She only knew Dina from work. They weren’t really close, but she needed human contact tonight. Hugging her back, she looked around at Dina’s guests. Mostly men, she noticed.
“I’m so glad you came, Kyra,” Dina sang.
“Me too. I needed a night out. Thanks for inviting me.”
“Come in. I’ll get you a drink. Introduce you to some people.” She leaned in, whispered, “I mean people as in men.” Dina laughed.
Kyra rolled her eyes for effect. Dina had been trying to set her up since she heard about the divorce. She studied Dina. Long, black hair, beautiful black eyes, her high cheekbones were to die for, full lips, and a nose a little too big for her face. Otherwise, she would have been flawless. Not only tall, but graceful, Dina glided back to the bar to get her drink. Kyra watched her every movement, wishing she could be graceful instead of clumsy.
“I’m good, Dina. I don’t need a man in my life right now. You know what I mean?” Kyra felt Dina should understand. She’d been divorced twice. Well, maybe she didn’t understand. Dina always had a boyfriend.
She had to give Dina credit for putting herself back out there. We each have our vices, Kyra thought. Dina’s is men—mine the casino. She held a genuine affection for Dina. She didn’t have a mean bone in her body, plus she was a great secretary.
Unfortunately, she was one of those women who always needed a man around. Felt everyone else did too. Kyra didn’t. In fact, since she’d found gambling, she’d lost interest in sex.
“You don’t know what you want right now. Divorce is confusing. What do you want to drink?” Dina jumped from one subject to the next.
“I’ll have a rum and coke with lemon.” She scanned the room.
“Here it is.” Turning back to her, Kyra accepted the drink.
“Thanks. I’m really glad I came.” Kyra smiled.
“Me too. Ohhh…he’s yummy,” Dina crooned, looking across the room.
Kyra followed her gaze to the front door and had to agree. A looker, in a rough kind of way, he stood about six feet tall with brownish-red hair, more red than brown. His jeans were comfortably broken in, draped nicely over a firm ass. He wore a light jacket with a tight, black tee under it, displaying well-defined chest and abs. Oh yes, he could be a distraction.
“Who’s he?” Kyra tried for casual.
“Jake Carrington. Lieutenant Jake Carrington. The perpetually single male. Attentive, hot and a great date, but don’t get serious…commitment phobias,” Dina whined.
“Really? I could use a distraction.”
“Oh no you don’t. He’ll break your heart. You don’t want a relationship until you date him. Then wham…he’s got a hold on your heart and then he walks away. Oh, but what a ride.” Dina grinned like the devil.
Kyra couldn’t help but laugh. It felt good after the day she had. “I wouldn’t mind the ride.” They both turned back to the bar, laughing.
*
“What’s so funny?” Jake asked, amused when both women jumped.
“I…I didn’t see you there, Jake.” Dina leaned into him, kissing his cheek.
“Hi, Dina. What’s new?”
“Nothing, you?”
“Same old thing.” He stood there, looking between Dina and her friend. Years of reading people and situations told him they’d been speaking about him.
“Um, Jake, this is my boss, Kyra.”
“Hi, Kyra.” He held out his hand, she took it. Nice, firm handshake, he thought.
“Hi, Jake.”
He normally didn’t go for redheads, but this one…Yeah, he’d have to give her a try. Realizing he’d held her hand just a little too long, he dropped it.
“You’re Dina’s boss. I thought you worked at the cemetery, Dina?” He turned, looking back at Dina.
“I do.”
“Oh, what do you do there, Kyra?” He turned back to her.
“This is normally a conversation stopper…oh well. I cremate people for a living.”
“Seriously?” He stared into her eyes, waiting for the punch line.
“Seriously.” She smiled.
“Interesting.” Jake scratched his chest.
He reached behind the bar and poured himself a glass of bourbon. For the life of him he couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“What do you do, Jake?” Kyra asked.
“I’m a cop. A homicide cop.”
“Interesting,” Kyra said.
He liked a woman with spunk and this one oozed it. “I asked for that one.”
“You did,” Kyra responded.
“You look a little nervous Kyra, don’t like cops?” he joked.
“I have no problem with them, actually never thought about it.”
“Ouch.” Jake frowned. He had a live one here, but she was hiding something. He could pick on things like that. It’s what made him a good cop. Trying to camouflage it, he thought it would be interesting to find out her secrets. He smiled inwardly.
“Sorry, I’m told I can be a bit abrasive.”
“Yeah? Who told you that?”
“My soon-to-be ex-husband.”
Another conversation stopper, Jake thought. The three of them stood there in an awkward silence.
Jake broke the silence. “Who wanted the divorce?” Both women looked at him like he’d grown a third eye. Oops, wrong question.
“He did, but it’s mutual.”
She offered no more. He really should move on, say hi to the guys. Kyra held his attention though, few had since Mia.
“Kyra—Gaelic isn’t it?”
“Yes. My name warns you, in case you couldn’t tell by the red hair and freckles that I’m Irish.”
Laughing, he said, “Me too.”
“Nooo.”
“You take no shit from anyone, do you?”
“Seriously, no…I don’t.”
“Good for you.”
Neither noticed Dina move on to another group, leaving them alone. Jake looked down at Kyra, got lost in her eyes. The green so vivid, but they held a sadness that tugged at his heart. Great, Jake, how stupid—what are you thinking? He didn’t need any baggage, he had his own. He hadn’t gotten over Mia. They still hadn’t talked since the night she walked out. He’d no business flirting with another woman. It meant nothing, but how long could he wait for Mia to make up her mind?
“Jake, I lost you there for a moment, where’d you go?” Kyra said, snapping her fingers.
“Oh, nowhere important.” He shrugged.
“Okay, fine.” She looked embarrassed, turned away from him. Jake grabbed her arm.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. I have no right to be talking to you. You’re in the process of a divorce. I recently broke up with someone.” He abruptly stopped talking.
“It’s okay, Jake, a little distraction never hurt anyone. It’s good to know where we’re both coming from. Do you want to grab a drink somewhere?”
“Yeah, I’d like to.” A smiled tugged at the corners of his mouth, she made him for his misery.
“Okay, where?”
“Is the Holiday Seasons good?”
“Yes.”
Chapter Four
“I’ll see you in the morning Dina, thanks again for the invite.”
“Take care. I’ll want details tomorrow,” Dina whispered into Kyra’s ear.
“Good night, Dina.” Jake kissed her cheek.
“Be good, Jake.” Dina smiled.
“Why? That’s no fun.”
Jake walked Kyra to her car. “Thanks, I’ll meet you over there.”
“You don’t want to take one car?”
“No, I think two cars are better.”
Burn in Hell_A Jake Carrington Mystery Page 2
