Guilty Pleasures

by Donna Hill

  Finally they were at the head of the departure line.

  The captain tipped his hat. “I hope you all had a wonderful trip. Please join us again,” he said in a thick Spanish accent.

  “What was all the commotion” Jinx asked innocently.

  The captain pasted on a magnanimous smile. “Oh, a sick passenger. Nothing to worry about.”

  They walked down the gangplank and were finally on solid ground. Only to be caught up in the crush of waiting family and friends of the passengers.

  “Look for a white Ford Explorer,” Jinx said. “The keys will be inside.”

  Finally freeing themselves of the mass of people and luggage, they crossed the dock and hurried over the grass to the side of the street where cars were lined up.

  They walked along the rows of cars until they found the Explorer.

  “Is this it” Jake asked.

  Jinx walked up and tried the door. It opened. He hopped in and searched under the mat for the key. “Got it.” He climbed out and opened the back doors, and they began loading their bags.

  Jake got in and checked his watch. “We’re scheduled to make the drop in an hour.”

  “We need to get somewhere out of sight so we can change,” Rita said. “And we have to get the other cars.”

  “Let’s get busy,” Jake said, getting behind the wheel. His cell phone went off. He picked up the phone.

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you have my merchandise”

  “We have it.”

  “Good. We’ll be waiting. Look for a dark blue Taurus. And don’t try anything. You’ll regret it—I promise you.”

  The call disconnected.

  Jake put the car in gear. He glanced over his shoulder. “You need to make that call now,” he said to Jinx.

  * * *

  Lenora put the phone down on the bed. She’d still been unable to reach Traci. That worried her. Traci was supposed to be her eyes and ears from the airport to the ship, especially where Suarez was concerned. But there wasn’t much she could do about it now. Knowing Traci, she’d turn up when it was time for her to get her cut.

  They went back a long way, having met in college. For reasons that escaped them both, they clicked. Traci Jennings was gorgeous and knew it. She taught the petite and almost plain-Jane Lenora to make the most of her assets. How to use makeup and what clothes worked for her body. But there was always that gold-digger streak in Traci. Always out to make money, and she saw wealthy men as her avenue to financial freedom. The mechanics of the plan had been her idea, a way to set them free for good.

  At first Lenora had balked, not wanting to get her hands that dirty. But the more Traci talked, the more it seemed possible. So they put the plan in place, and Lenora made that first phone call.

  She’d had her moments of doubt along the way, but Traci had continued to whisper in her ear that they could pull it off without a hitch. So where was she

  “Did you talk to them” Stan said, interrupting her thoughts.

  She looked up at him, and her determination to free herself was renewed.

  “Yes. Everything is going according to plan.”

  “Thirsty” he asked, walking to the makeshift bar.

  “Yes, a Coke with ice would be good.”

  Stan smiled.

  * * *

  The crew pulled onto a back street and jumped out.

  “Okay, everyone straight on what needs to be done” Eva asked.

  “No room for fuckups,” Jake said, pulling the duffle bag from the backseat. He tossed it into the car they’d pulled up alongside of.

  “You two just don’t screw up,” Jinx said. “We’ll be there.” He and Rita got into the third car after a quick change.

  “See you on the other side,” Jake said, getting behind the wheel of his and Eva’s vehicle.

  The two cars pulled off, leaving the Explorer behind.

  33

  Jake braked to a stop on a side road on the outskirts of Miami. A few cars drove by, but none stopped.

  “You sure this is the spot” Eva asked.

  Jake pulled out the map and compared it to the information on his GPS-equipped handheld. He looked around at the palm trees and the few abandoned buildings. “This is the spot.”

  “Then I guess we just have to wait.”

  Jake leaned his back against the headrest. “When this is over, I want to take a very long vacation.”

  Eva bit down on her bottom lip. She slowly shook her head as she looked out the passenger window. “I have a bad feeling.”

  Jake jerked his head in her direction. “Not again,” he moaned.

  “Something’s not right.”

  If he’d listened to her bad feelings in the beginning, they wouldn’t be sitting here, he thought.

  “So what do you want to do”

  She frowned. “I don’t know. I just get bad feelings—not peeks into the future.”

  “I think that’s her,” Jake said, his voice lifting in urgency.

  Eva drew in a breath.

  “You ready”

  She nodded.

  The dark blue Taurus pulled to a stop.

  Eva opened her door and got out. She opened the back door and took out the duffle bag.

  The driver door opened, and she recognized Stan Ingram immediately. “Where’s the wife”

  “I don’t see a second passenger. Maybe she doesn’t want you to put a face to her voice.”

  Eva swallowed. “Okay. Here goes. You ready”

  “Yep. Got my hand on the dial.”

  Eva slowly walked toward Stan. When she was a little more than a couple of feet in front of him, she could see that he was sweating bullets. He was scared.

  She walked up to him. “It’s all there.”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “You look d-different.”

  “Goes with the territory.”

  “Guess your p-plan didn’t quite work out this t-time.”

  Eva bent her head to look in his car. “Where’s wifey I was really looking forward to meeting her,” she said, dripping sarcasm.

  He grinned. “S-she’s resting. Little trick I l-learned from you.”

  Eva blanched when reality hit. “I see. Well enjoy the spoils. Our business is done.” She turned to leave.

  “Wait.”

  Eva stopped and slowly turned around. “What”

  He wiped his forehead. “S-something that’s b-been bothering me.” He swallowed. “D-id anything … ever h-happen that night”

  Eva rolled her eyes over his body. A slow smile moved across her mouth. “Why Stan, don’t you remember” She turned away and walked to the car without looking back and jumped in. “Little problem,” she said, fastening her seat belt.

  Jake started the engine. “What”

  “We aren’t going to be able to tag both of them. Lenora’s not in the car.”

  “Damn. Maybe that was the bad feeling you were talking about.” He watched Stan pull off from his side view mirror.

  “Let Jinx and Rita know. Don’t want them to be surprised,” Eva said. “Stan’s not so innocent as he pretends to be.”

  Jake made the call to Jinx and brought him up to speed. “Everything else ready Good. We’ll meet you in an hour. Call me when it’s done.” He disconnected the call and pulled off.

  * * *

  Stan was so elated, his hands shook even as he gripped the wheel. When he figured he was far enough away, he pulled over to the side of the road.

  He looked around before he unzipped the bag. His heart slammed in his chest. On top was an oversize clear plastic bag filled with diamonds. Underneath were stacks of brand-new one-hundred-dollar bills, neatly held together by rubber bands. Mesmerized, he slowly lifted the plastic bag and opened it. He took out a handful and stared at their beauty. He was rich beyond his wildest imagination. He would never have thought that all this was on the receiving end of his wife’s little scheme. Now, he could buy love. He wouldn’t have to beg for it or grovel for it again. A
nd there had to be at least …

  Flashing lights filled the interior of the car, bouncing off the diamonds and turning them into brilliant cuts of red and blue.

  A sudden sharp tap on his window caused him to drop his bounty in his lap. His head snapped to the side. A police officer was leaning down into his window with a billy club in his hand. Another officer came up on his other side. The officer on his side signaled for him to roll down his window.

  “License and registration.”

  Stan fumbled for his wallet and more of the diamonds slid between his legs onto the floor of the car.

  “Please step out of the car, sir,” the officer said. “And keep your hands where I can see them.”

  “B-but I was…”

  “Step out of the car,” the second officer ordered.

  Once he was out of the car, the first officer pulled him to the front of the vehicle while the second officer inspected the car. Slowly the officer stood up with diamonds in one hand and a fist full of green in the other.

  “You want to explain all that” the first officer asked.

  Stan’s throat was so dry and tight, he couldn’t get the words out without choking on them.

  “I-I’m a businessman. H-here on business.”

  “Is that right What kind of business would have you transporting what looks like diamonds and a bag full of money on a Miami highway”

  “I…”

  “You can explain everything down at the precinct. I’m sure they’ll sort everything out. Turn around, please.”

  Stan did as he was told. His arms were drawn behind him, and the cold metal of the handcuffs wrapped around his wrists. The officer ushered him to the backseat of the police car.

  The other officer took the bag from the front seat and put it in the trunk of the police car and got in beside his partner.

  “Did you call the impound”

  “Yeah, they’re on their way to pick up the car.”

  The police car pulled off. They drove for about twenty minutes before pulling up in front of the Miami Police Department. The officers got out of the car and took Stan inside the precinct along with the bag from the trunk.

  They brought him over to a bench and told him to sit down.

  He’d never been so terrified in his life. How could he have been so careless as to stop and open the bag on the road Oh, God—he was going to jail. But he wasn’t going alone. He’d tell everything he knew from that night in the hotel right up to when he drugged his wife.

  He watched one handcuffed suspect after another be carted in and out of the precinct. Metal clanging against metal provided background music in concert with ringing telephones, barked orders, and cries of “I didn’t do it.”

  Stan glanced up at the clock on the wall. He’d been sitting there for almost two hours. Where were those cops

  34

  Jake and Eva pulled up to the landing strip and parked the car in the back.

  “They should be here any minute,” Eva said, looking around.

  Jake got out of the car. “I told him to call me when it was done.” He paced back and forth in front of the car.

  “Maybe he couldn’t for some reason.”

  “Like what reason Like trouble You got any more of those bad feelings”

  Eva folded her arms. “He’s your brother.”

  “She’s your cousin.”

  “Then I guess we wait,” Eva said.

  Jake leaned against the side of the car. He looked at Eva. “How are you feeling”

  She shrugged a little, a half smile on her face. “Not bad. Guess that morning sickness thing hasn’t fully kicked in.”

  Jake nodded. “What if it’s a girl”

  “What if it’s a boy” She moved in front of him and stood in between his legs.

  He hooked his arms around her waist. “Scary.”

  “Yeah, scariest thing we’ve ever done.”

  “Yeah.” He lowered his head for a quick kiss when the short blast of a car horn snapped them apart.

  “No time for all that lovey-dovey stuff,” Jinx said, striding from the car. Rita hopped out from the other side.

  “Well, don’t you two look impressive in your little uniforms,” Eva joked.

  Jinx did a short bow. “Miami’s finest.”

  “Got the stuff” Jake asked.

  Jinx held up the duffle bag, identical to the one they took from Stan’s car. He grinned. “Poor old Stan. They’re gonna book him on a bag of dirty laundry.”

  They all broke out laughing.

  “Come on. Let’s get out of here,” Rita said. “These polyester pants are killing me.”

  * * *

  Lenora’s head pounded. She tried to open her eyes but quickly shut them against the light. The pounding continued. But it wasn’t her head. It was the door. She struggled to sit up.

  “Mrs. Ingram. Open the door. It’s the police.”

  Lenora blinked several times, shook her head to clear it. She looked around. Where was Stan

  “Mrs. Ingram! Open the door.”

  Lenora pushed herself to a standing position. She felt sick. She made it to the door and pulled it open. Two uniformed officers stood in front of her with Stan in handcuffs.

  “What’s going on Why is my husband in handcuffs”

  “He had a very interesting story to tell us, Agent Ingram. Why don’t you get your things and come with us.”

  “I want to call my supervisor. I … I’m on special assignment.”

  “We’ve been in touch with your supervisor, Agent Flannagan. He doesn’t know about any special assignment. Come with us, ma’am.”

  She whirled on Stan with fear and fury. “What did you tell them You fool! What did you say” She lunged at him.

  The officer stepped in between them and took her by the arm. “Get your things, ma’am.” He motioned to an officer near a second patrol car. “Secure the room.”

  Lenora got her purse and shoes and was led out of the motel room.

  35

  “So how did we make out” Rita asked as she reapplied her lipstick. She took a look out of the airplane window.

  “I figure minus a couple of handfuls of real diamonds and about ten grand in cash, chalking those up to operating expenses, we cleared close to a mil,” Jake said.

  Jinx whistled. “How sweet it is.”

  Eva looked at the team. “Me and Jake could have never pulled this off without you. You didn’t have to get involved, but you did—and we appreciate it.” She turned to Jake and squeezed his hand.

  “That’s what family is for,” Rita said.

  “When we land in Honolulu, I’m going straight to the beach,” Jake announced.

  Eva’s eyes widened in surprise. “Jake” she softly questioned.

  He leaned in close to her. “When I said I was going to put the past behind me, I really meant it. Might as well get started.” He kissed her lightly. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled.

  ONE MONTH LATER

  Sebastian looked up. Tara was standing in the doorway of his office.

  “This box just came for you.” She walked in and put it on his desk.

  “Thanks,” he murmured.

  “Still no word from Eva”

  “No.” He sighed. He’d gotten a phone call from her several weeks earlier, which he’d told no one about. She’d told him that she was sorry about running out on him, that she loved him and not to worry about her. He hadn’t heard from her since.

  Tara hesitated a moment and then walked out.

  Sebastian looked at the box, hesitating before pulling it toward him. He picked it up. It was kind of light. There was no return address, and the postmark had been smeared by the relentless rain.

  He took a letter opener from the cup on his desk and cut through the tape that sealed it shut. There was an envelope on top.

  He took it out and opened it.

  Dear Bass,

  I can’t tell you how much I miss you, but I am doing well. There is so
much about me that you don’t know, and it’s best that you never do. I’ve enclosed a little something that I hope will help you to get the second location up and running.

  Maybe we will see each other again one day. But even if we don’t, know that you will always be in my heart.

  Love,

  Eva

  He reread the letter and then slowly put it to the side. He peeled away the stuffing in the box and gasped when the contents were revealed.

  There had to be at least fifty thousand dollars in brand-new bills—if not more.

  Mesmerized, he picked up a neat stack and held it in his hand. He didn’t want to think or imagine where the money had come from and how Eva had gotten hold of it.

  She was right. There were things about her that he didn’t know. He shoved the money back into the box and sealed it. And some things were best left in the dark.

  * * *

  “Hey, babe, I’m going for a swim,” Jake called out.

  They’d secured a small house on the big island and were living a life of luxury. Their needs were small, and they had enough money to do whatever they wanted. Eva wanted to start her own small boutique business and had begun seeking supplies. Jake did computer repair when the mood hit him, and Jinx and Rita had decided that the same beautiful weather every day of the year was mind-numbing and had decided to take a tour of Europe, promising to be back for the arrival of the baby.

  “Okay,” she called from the kitchen. “I’ll have lunch ready when you get back.”

  The phone rang. Eva crossed the ceramic-tiled kitchen floor to the phone that hung on the wall.

  “Hello.”

  “Did you think I would not find you”

  Shit. Her heart stumbled in her chest. “Who is this”

  “Oh, I think you know. I want my money back, and my diamonds.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Well, while you are figuring it out, you have one month to return what belongs to me. I told you that night that I would have given you anything you wanted. You didn’t have to steal from me. I will be in touch.”

  The call disconnected.

  How could he know He’d never seen her. Truth slammed her in the chest. “I told you that night…” He thought she was Rita.