A Fortune in Blood: A Florida Action Adventure Novel (Scott Jarvis Private Investigator Book 7)

by Scott Cook

  “Nope,” I replied, holding up one of the barrels and shining a light down it. “You’re the first.”

  “How are those weapons?” She asked, coming closer.

  “Disgraceful… no wonder Garcia needs a Marine…” I muttered disdainfully. “Lot of carbon buildup. Firing pins are worn, too, as are the pin springs, trigger springs… these weapons have not been well cared for. I’d love to replace half the parts, but a good cleaning should at least make sure they’re reliable in a fire fight.”

  “Do you expect one?”

  I cast a sidelong glance at her, “No idea. Best to be prepared, though. However, if I have my way, I’ll be attacking Garcia’s camp and freeing Clay and Declan soon.”

  “All by yourself?” She asked with a wry grin.

  I chuckled, “I’m worth like three regular dudes.”

  She locked eyes with me, “I can’t argue.”

  I didn’t’ respond to that. I honestly wasn’t sure how to.

  “You’re upset with me, aren’t you?”

  “You seem to be asking me that a lot… I don’t’ know. I’m not sure what I am at the moment. Frustrated, I guess… confused, surprised… hell… and mad. I’m trying not to be, though.”

  “I’m not the enemy, Scott,” Lisa stated. “Not yours, I never could be.”

  I turned to her, “I’d like to think that, certainly.”

  A small smile flickered across her beautiful features.

  “Why did you come to my cabin this morning?”

  That seemed to surprise her. She looked up at me, “I thought I made that obvious.”

  “Yeah, but why? I mean was it just that you were horny or something else? Because when I woke up you were gone… why?”

  She fell silent for a long moment, “I’m not really sure, other than when I first saw you, all those memories came back… and our hanging out in the kitchen and stuff… I realized how much I’d missed you. I don’t think I have to explain the chemistry we share, do I?”

  “No, of course not… but I guess my question is why you left? You seem awfully protective of Miles Palmer. Does that have something to do with it?”

  Lisa sighed, “I don’t know. I woke up next to you a little while before you got up and I just felt… weird. I can’t explain it, exactly.”

  I frowned, “I’m sorry it was weird to make love to me.”

  She scowled, “Dammit! That’s not what I meant, exactly. It’s… it’s complicated, Scott. And I guess I just felt overwhelmed and needed to be alone for a bit.”

  “Okay, and now that you have?” I asked.

  “It’s still complicated. At least until this mission is over.”

  “So it was just a quick throw, then, huh? A knee jerk reaction but nothing substantial. That’s fine. I’m a big boy, Lisa. I won’t lie and say I didn’t have a sliver of hope when you walked in… but that’s kind of stupid I guess.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Lisa said softly, placing a hand on my arm. “I wish it were that easy. This situation… Miles… it’s…”

  Suddenly it came to me. I felt an irrational and shocking stab of jealousy. I had no right to, but it was there all the same. I squared off with her and we locked eyes, “Are you sleeping with him?”

  Her initial reaction was indignation, “What? How dare you ask—“

  “Are you?” I almost shouted. “Of course I dare, and I do have a right to know… considering last night.”

  She closed her eyes and sighed, “You’re right… yes I am.”

  “Oh, fuck me…” I said, stalking away a few paces and turning back to her. “I should’ve guessed. That’s just great! Just fuckin’ great!”

  She glowered at me with her hands on her hips, “What, are you judging me? Who the fuck are you to judge me? We’ve been apart for eight months now, and—“

  “Your idea,” I said coldly, matching her glare.

  She flinched ever so slightly at that but her dander was still up, “Like I said, it’s complicated.”

  I laughed sardonically, “Oh yeah, real complicated. Multi-millionaire suddenly gets single and now you’ve got a new beau, huh? How long did you wait, Lisa? A couple of weeks or did you pine away for a whole friggin’ month?”

  “God damn you!” She said, her eyes filling with tears. “You don’t know… you don’t know what I’ve been through.”

  I scoffed, “Oh, please! Don’t pull my fuckin’ heart strings, Lisa. You fuckin’ left me, not the other way around. If anybody has a right to be angry, it’s sure as hell not you. Hell, I even supported your decision.”

  “So you are mad,” she stated somewhat accusatorially. “Even though you said you weren’t.”

  I sighed, “I wasn’t mad that you left. I took it on your word as to why you did. It hurt, hurt a lot, but I wasn’t angry then.”

  “But now you are,” She said. It almost sounded as if she was seeking some kind of absolution. That only made it worse.

  “What the hell do you expect!?” I said loudly, trying not to shout. “I show up at your house only to find a damned letter! Then here you come after all this time, playing private eye and banging another man! Mad? No, I’m not mad, Lisa… I’m fuckin’ furious! And you have the balls to try and tell me what you went through? Holy sweet Christ!”

  Some of the wind went out of her sails a little, “Dammit… I only went to him because… and even when I was with Miles, all I could think about…”

  She had to pause for a moment and wipe her eyes. She took several calming breaths, “I get why you’re mad right now. And I know you love… loved… me. Hell, in spite of what I said in that horrible letter, you’ve probably been a monk since I left, haven’t you?”

  I stared.

  “What? Oh… oh, well what do you know?” She asked a little huffily. “Mr. high and mighty had himself a throw. But I guess that’s different than me seeing somebody, right?”

  “You’re the one fucking your boss,” I said nastily and turned away. I picked up another rifle and began to clean it.

  “And who’d you fuck, reverend?” Lisa snapped at my back. “Sharon maybe? Some client? I never said last night was anything more than what it was. A good fuck.”

  I turned around and stared at her. Lisa and I had never really had a fight. The only thing that was close was the time that I’d discovered that Nikki Sloane wasn’t in fact dead. Lisa had wanted to help me get through the pain by making love, but I couldn’t. She’d gotten angry and stormed out.

  Yet this was worse. More heated. No surprise, though. I suppose I had more than a little pent up hurt. And in spite of my trying to be supportive, I was mad about her leaving, especially in light of intervening events.

  On the other hand, something was behind her anger now. I couldn’t tell, at least not at the time, but it was more than just righteous indignation at what she thought was my jealousy.

  “Let me explain something to you, lady,” I said, striding up close to her. “I was in love with you. From the first night to this morning, it was never just a casual toss. And as for who I slept with? Maybe you can read about it in the next book. But it so happens that she was a smart, kind and courageous woman.”

  That stunned her. She actually rocked back on her heels and her voice got very small, “Was?”

  “She… died,” I said softly, my anger draining away like the last soapy dregs down a bathtub drain, “She gave her life to save others. I didn’t know her long, but she was a good person.”

  She reached out and took my hands, “I’m so sorry… I’m sorry for upsetting you about us, too. Or if I misled you this morning.”

  I blew out my breath, “Lisa, I’m not angry because you’re with somebody else. Well… maybe a bit… I’m angry because… because you tore us apart and it looks like it was for no reason. I’m angry because you seem to want me to tell you that it’s okay that you broke my heart. Most of all, I’m angry because I can’t trust you anymore. That hurts worse than anything right now.”

  “Scott,
I told you, I could never be your enemy… you can trust me.”

  I smiled slightly, “I used to be able to trust you. But your relationship and loyalty to Miles makes that impossible right now. You can’t seem to entertain the possibility that your boyfriend might be on the wrong side of this thing. People’s lives are on the line. I can’t take the chance for Clay and Declan’s sake.”

  “You think I’d do something to hurt them?” Lisa asked with true hurt in her voice. “Clay and Missy and the kids are my friends, too.”

  I heaved a sigh, “No, not intentionally. But you’re goals and mine are different. Or could be. It’s not that I don’t trust you at all… it’s that I can’t trust you entirely. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is. As long as you work for him.”

  “Why don’t you like him?”

  “It’s not that… but something isn’t right in all of this, Lisa. I’m not emotionally involved with Miles. I’m only following the evidence and my instincts.”

  She inhaled and let it out slowly, “It’s not that I don’t trust your instincts, Scott… it’s just that I know Miles Palmer. He’s a hardworking and decent guy. I trust him, Scott.”

  I paused but decided I’d just better be honest, “And everything is telling me that I can’t trust Miles. So by extension, I can’t trust you. You’re not my Lisa anymore, you’re his.”

  Her mouth became a hard line before she said, “I’m my Lisa. I don’t belong to anybody.”

  I grinned, “of course not. You know damned well what I meant. And bullshit, you know you were my Lisa.”

  She chuckled, “oh, hell… you’re right. More than you know. That’s one reason I had to go.”

  “As you said.”

  Her eyes got moist, “So what does this mean?”

  I shrugged, “I’m not sure. But it doesn’t mean I hate you, or that we’re not friends… but we can’t do what we did again.”

  She closed her eyes and nodded.

  I sighed, “The point is that he’s where your loyalties lie. I’m not one hundred percent sure he’s the evil genius in this caper. But it seems like a possibility that he’s not so innocent, either. I want to find his wife and see what’s on that side of the coin before I move forward.”

  “Ex-wife,” Lisa pointed out.

  I cocked an eyebrow at her but said nothing on that score, “Exactly. Any ideas on that front? Did you gather any clues in old Saint Louis during your peeping?”

  “Peeping?”

  “Yeah, you’re an investigator now, right?” I asked. “A keyhole peeper, a gumshoe, a shamus… a dick.”

  She flipped me off, “You’re a dick.”

  I actually chuckled. It felt nice to banter with her again, even though part of me knew it was hollow, “Get used to it, kid.”

  “What, you being a dick? Came to grips with that a long time ago, babe.”

  “Now that’s just hurtful.”

  She laughed, “But yeah, I know what you mean. Not quite sure where I’m going with this… I honestly did not see this coming.”

  “That’s what your mom said, interestingly,” I mused.

  “Oh, fuck off!” Lisa giggled. “What’re you Jonesing for Sharon or something?”

  I smiled, “Yeah, right? With her not around, the biting… well let’s call it wit… just isn’t the same.”

  Lisa sighed, “But I really didn’t see this happening. I just thought I was a new business analyst for a big and up and coming company. Now I’m an almost but not quite licensed investigator prowling the jungles of Central America.”

  “Welcome to my world.”

  She fell silent for a moment, “So are we on the same side or what?”

  “That’s up to you,” I said. “Are we?”

  “Why does it have to be black and white?” Lisa asked. “I’m either with you or against you, is that it?”

  “Yeah,” I said, facing her squarely. “That’s exactly it. Lives are on the line. Lives of people I love. There’s no room in my mind for waffling.”

  She considered me for a long time, “No, and I should know better than to even ask. Once you’ve made up your mind nothing stands in your way. You really are very much like James T. Kirk, you know that?”

  I shrugged, “Thanks. I think that’s just the way it has to be when you’re fighting for something.”

  “What if you’re wrong?” She asked. “What if Miles really is the victim of Andrea’s plotting?”

  “Then I’m wrong,” I said. “I’ve already said I haven’t made up my mind, though. Not yet.”

  She cocked her head a little, “I think you have. Your guts are telling you he’s culpable and you’re convinced.”

  I sighed, “I guess so. To a degree. Yet I can always change my mind. I’m not so stubborn that I believe I’m always right. If the information says otherwise, then I’ll follow it. I’ll know better once I find Andrea… wherever she might be.”

  “I wish I could help,” Lisa deflated a little. “I don’t have a damned clue.”

  “Me too.”

  “What do I have to do to get you to trust me?”

  I heaved a sigh and threw up my hands, “Reject him and join me. It can’t be any other way.”

  “So I’m your enemy too?”

  I stared at her, “No… but you’re in bed with someone who looks more and more likely to be my enemy. But I know you’re also smart, brave and honest, so let’s see how it goes.”

  That produced a frown but she didn’t say anything else.

  “In the meantime,” I said, indicating the gun parts strewn over the table. “Can you finish up here? Missy is probably already waiting and I need to clean this gun oil off my hands.”

  “Okay,” She said and touched my arm. Her hand was soft and cool and her touch penetrated far deeper than the surface of my skin. “I understand your feelings. Why is Missy waiting?”

  “We’re driving over to her house to pick up some clothes,” I said. “I offered to go alone, but she and the girls don’t trust my ability to pick out suitable outfits for three women. Go figure.”

  Chapter 19

  Interlude: Andrea, two days later…

  Andrea stared at the man. There was something about his name that tickled the back of her mind but she couldn’t put a finger on it.

  “So now what, handsome?” She asked, moving back out to the balcony. “Maybe you’d like to have that drink, now? God knows I need one.”

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” The stranger, Jarvis, said flatly. “No time for socializing.”

  Andrea lit another cigarette and drained what was left of her whiskey, “There’s always time, honey. Maybe attempted assassinations are de rigueur for you, but I’m a little bit rattled. Fix me another, would you?”

  He strolled out and took her glass. His sea blue eyes seemed to study her for a long moment, “You don’t present the appearance of a woman who’s been rattled, Ms. Wellesley.”

  “Oh?” Andrea replied.

  “You look like you’re aroused,” He said with a lopsided grin on his face. “Can’t say I blame you, naturally.”

  She treated him to an arched look and then laughed, “I suppose all women swoon over you, huh?”

  “Oh God yeah,” he said as he went in and freshened her drink.

  “Think a lot of yourself, don’t you?”

  He grinned at her again as he handed her the glass, “You’re the one who just about ravished me five minutes ago. Christ…”

  She chuckled through her sip, “I couldn’t help myself. I haven’t had a good piece of man in a while. It’s not my fault you’re tall, dark and sexy… and not my fault you threw me to the floor and laid on top of me pressing yourself against my delicates. I’m only human, Mr. Jarvis… and why does that name sound familiar?”

  He shrugged, “No idea… and call me Scott. We do need to get moving, though, Ms. Wellesley.”

  “Why?” She asked coyly, unconsciously assuming a seductive pose. One foot behind the other, one hip slight
ly thrown out, shoulders back and one hand on her hip so her full breasts were pushed forward. Her eyes glistened and her face was still slightly flushed.

  He had to admit she was palpably sexy. Tied to her formidable personality it was probably irresistible to most red-blooded men. He was not unaffected, certainly, but he was also a man who possessed an iron will of his own. And at that moment, that iron will was focused on his mission.

  “Because these may not be the last two,” He said, “and because I don’t want to be around to explain to the maid why there are two dudes with bullet holes bleeding all over the Persian.”

  “I have a few questions, then.”

  He frowned, “We don’t have time for that now.”

  Andrea puffed languidly on her cigarette and then took a delicate sip from her half empty bourbon. She was deliberately wasting time. She wanted to see how he’d react.

  Finally, she said, “A large man I don’t know slides into my room, pulls a gun and shoots two other men. He then says he’s taking me someplace and won’t say where or why. I’m no pushover, pal, believe me, but I’m not an idiot, either. I can’t overpower you, so don’t you think that from a woman’s perspective, there might be a few questions she’d like answered so she feels safe? How do I know you aren’t an assassin or a kidnapper? Or a rapist?”

  He chuckled at that. He hadn’t missed the hopefulness in her tone that accompanied the last point, “I just saved your life.”

  “Yeah, maybe for your own purposes,” She retorted. “Did Miles send you? To find me, keep me out of the way while he steals my goddamned company from me?”

  The man laughed, “That’s exactly what he said you were doing.”

  She growled, “that pencil dicked weasel wouldn’t even have a company if it weren’t for me! He’d still be building greenhouses and drainage ditches for dirt farmers if I hadn’t come along.”

  He only shrugged, “not my concern.”

  She set her empty glass on the granite bar top and strode forward until she was only inches from him. Her eyes flashed, “Then why are you here? What is your concern, Scott?”

  He sighed, “A friend of mine and his family came to Costa Rica last week. On Saturday afternoon, his wife and their three kids were kidnapped by Nicaraguan rebels. On Sunday while visiting Cuidad Verde, we were attacked by those same rebels and I was able to figure out where their camp was. When I arrived, I got the wife and two daughters and in the process, my friend Clay and his son were captured. I also met another one of your employees there, too. A woman I… know.”