by JL Simpson
Solomon stopped pacing, and stared at Nobby. “Are you sure that’s the only reason Sean took the dog?”
Nobby shrugged. “As far as I know.”
“And you’ve no idea where the dog, the jacket, or the diamonds are now?”
“Sean might have said something about an uncle.”
“An uncle?”
“That’s all I know. Honestly.”
Solomon grabbed Daisy’s hand, and dragged her through the house.
Nobby followed behind. “What about me?’
Solomon glanced over his shoulder, as he flung the front door open. “You’re not coming.”
“You can’t leave me here.”
“Why not?”
“The Poles may come back.”
“You’d best hope we find them first, then.”
“Where are you going?”
Solomon marched down the front path and out the gate. Daisy stumbled, and he slowed down. “Did you notice anything unusual about the way Bogdan was dressed?”
Daisy frowned. “His suit looked expensive, but was too wide and too short. And I’m not sure the running shoes went with the tie.”
“The suit didn’t fit, because it’s not his.”
“Whose suit was it then?”
“If I were a betting man, I’d say it belonged to Chester.”
“Maybe he borrowed it. They were friends.”
Solomon unlocked the SUV, and glanced at Daisy. “Maybe he took it without permission.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because a dead man can hardly refuse.”
“You think he stole it from Chester’s house?”
“No, Princess. I think he stole it from Chester’s body.”
Solomon unlocked the SUV. Daisy grabbed onto his arm. “Where are we going?”
“I’m needing to find out more about the diamond smuggling operation, and where the jewels are now.”
“Am I helping?”
“Yes, by putting your heir hunting skills to good use, and finding out who Sean’s uncle is.”
*
Daisy sat in silence, as Solomon weaved his car through the traffic. If he really expected her to use heir hunting skills to find Sean Edwards’s uncle, she was in big trouble. She’d gotten lucky working out Solomon was really Ronan Liffey, also known as Ronan Dunlop, but with a name like Edwards, luck wouldn’t be on her side. Besides, Solomon wanted answers today, and these things took time.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked Solomon.
“To my place. You can’t use the office computer.”
“Why don’t you just get that virus thing removed?”
“Because we’ll be needing it.”
“Why?”
“To scare the bad guys out into the open. But not until we’re ready.”
“And when will that be?”
“Once we know where the diamonds are.”
“Where are you going?”
“To speak to Poppy.”
“Poppy?”
“I’m thinking her dad was involved. Her dog might be the one that got sick.”
“Or Poppy’s dad could be Sean’s uncle.”
“Could be, Princess. There has to be a connection. If we split up, we can cover more ground.”
“It’s a bit out of your way to drive me to your house. How about you take me to the office? I can go to an internet café, to surf the net. That way, you’ll save time.”
“I’m not sure I like you out in the open. I can’t protect you, if I’m not there.”
“The sooner this is over, the sooner everyone is out of danger.”
“I could drop you home.”
“Again, it’s out of your way. How about the florist’s? I’m sure Belinda has internet access, and no one will be looking for me there. Even if they are, I can stay out of sight.”
Solomon glanced at her. “Will you stay put until I get back?”
“Scout’s honor.”
“You’re not a scout.”
Daisy smiled. “I know. Come on. Trust me. I’ll stay put.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Solomon pulled his car to a stop outside the florist’s. Daisy unfastened her seatbelt, and opened the passenger door. “Are you coming?”
“To the florist’s?” He glanced at the shop window, filled with fresh flowers.
“To make sure no one’s hiding in the office, waiting to kill me.”
He shifted his focus to Daisy. “Not the florist’s then?”
“Do you want to come and see Belinda?”
He shook his head. “Not at all.”
“Would it hurt you to come in and say hello?”
He should never have mentioned the florist. Daisy never gave up. He didn’t have time to waste, and if he saw Belinda, he had no idea how long it would be before he could get away. “I’ll come to the office.”
Daisy sighed. “And what will I tell Belinda?”
Solomon turned off the engine, and climbed out of the SUV. He slammed the door, and Daisy tottered along behind him.
“Solomon?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “What?”
“Belinda?”
“Tell her I’ll talk to her later.”
“You will?”
Solomon frowned. “Is that not what you want?”
“I guess. But is it what you want?”
“What I want right now is to find out what the feck Lisa got involved in, and then catch the bad guys before they decide Molly is the leverage they need to make Lisa talk.”
“We could go and visit Lisa.”
“No, we couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s a waste of time.”
He jogged down the steps to the office, unlocked the door, and stepped inside, grateful Daisy had waited at the top of the stairs and given him some breathing space. He needed to focus on finding the person who was after Lisa. Once Molly was safe, he could move on. Or not. Did he need a fulltime woman in his life? And if he did, how did he know who the right woman was? He’d made a spectacular mistake when he’d hooked up with Lisa. And there was another thing. Lisa was the one with all the answers, but he loathed having to ask her the questions, especially now he knew Dan would be listening in on their conversation. He wanted to solve this thing his way, but time was running out. Maybe Daisy was right, and he should put a bigger scare into Lisa than the Poles had, to make her cough up the details he needed.
The office looked untouched. He crossed to the cupboard, and pulled out the spare laptop. It had been in his car when Bogdan’s associates paid a visit, so there was no danger of Daisy giving anything away if she used it.
He locked up and handed Daisy the case, before making his way back to the SUV.
Daisy tugged at his arm. “How long do you think you’ll be?”
Solomon shrugged. He had plans to see Poppy and Evan, but they probably wouldn’t give him the information he needed. He would take things from there. “I’ve no idea, but you’re to stay put until I get back. Your only concern is finding out who Sean Edwards’s uncle is.”
Daisy smiled. “I know. Don’t go anywhere.”
Solomon stopped midway through opening his car door, and glared at her. “I mean it, Daisy. No going off on your own. I can’t protect you, if I don’t know where you are, and if I can’t rely on you to do as you’re told, I’ll have to cancel my plans.”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “I heard you. Don’t go anywhere, and find Sean’s uncle. Now get going. I don’t need a babysitter. You can trust me.”
Solomon stared at her a moment longer, before climbing into the car. He waited until she disappeared inside the shop, before switching on the engine and pulling away from the curb.
He should have put a tracking device in her handbag. In fact, he should get a tracking device implanted under her skin. That way, no matter how often she changed her outfit, he’d still be able to find her.
*
Daisy shut the door
to the shop. Tasha looked up from painting her nails with black nail polish.
“Hi, Tasha. Is Belinda around?”
Tasha blew on her fingers, and admired the paint job she’d given herself. “How come no one ever comes in here looking for me?”
“Probably because Belinda owns the shop.”
Tasha sighed. “I need a new career. Have you got any work going at yours?”
“You want to work with me and Solomon?”
Tasha leaned on the counter, and grinned. “He’s fit. He’s got a great bum for an old guy. I could definitely work with a backside like that.”
Daisy ignored the comment. She wasn’t looking for a discussion about the merits of Solomon’s rear end, even if he had a seven out of ten on the butt-o-meter. “Sorry, we’re not hiring at the moment. So is Belinda around?”
“She’s in the back. Do you wanna go through?”
Daisy smiled. “Sure. Thanks. Nice nails.”
Tasha stared at her fingers. “Maybe I could do some of them red. What d’ya think?”
“Lovely.” Daisy shoved the door to the back store room open, and was met with the heady scent of fresh flowers. She stepped inside. “Belinda?”
Belinda’s blonde head bobbed up from behind a pile of boxes. “Daisy. Just the person I need.”
“For what?”
“I’m having a bit of a crisis.”
Daisy placed the laptop bag and her purse on the battered and scarred work table. “What sort of crisis? I’m not really any good at dealing with a crisis.”
“I’ve gone and bloody well ordered too many lilies, and the supplier won’t take them back. I need a way to offload them. I’ve got another half-a-dozen boxes outside in the yard. I don’t know what I was thinking when I sent off the order. I wanted a dozen flowers for a funeral tomorrow, not a dozen boxes.” Belinda frowned. “Are you alone?”
“Do you mean is Solomon with me?”
“I meant no such thing.” Two red spots appeared on Belinda’s cheeks, as she tugged her pink blouse straight and clambered out from behind the boxes.
Daisy smiled. “I’m alone. I wanted to use your internet, or better still, the florist’s van.”
“The van?”
“I don’t suppose you know a lowlife called Sean Edwards. Do you?”
“Where’s he from?”
“I think his family lives on the Bamford Estate.”
“Hardly the sort of people I’d have as chums. What are you interested in him for?”
“How about we get a coffee, and we can work on finding out what I need to know about Sean, as well as a plan to offload your flowers?”
“Coffee sounds like a champion idea. Let me get my bag.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Solomon hesitated outside the door to the flat where Poppy and Evan were hiding out. Despite the need for urgency, he chose to do the polite thing, lifted his fist, and thumped on the door. He needed Poppy and Evan to be in a sharing mood, and having someone walk in on them unannounced when they were already as jittery as hell was unlikely to put them in the right frame of mind.
The door opened an inch, and an eye peered at him through the crack.
“It’s me. Solomon. We need to talk.”
Evan pulled the door open wide, and Solomon stepped inside and slammed it closed behind him. Poppy sat on the sofa in a soft pink lacy nightie and matching robe. She’d left the kennels in just the clothes she was wearing, so Daisy had come to Poppy’s rescue. Apparently the nightie was one Daisy had never worn. Shame. Her curves would do a much better job of filling the bodice. Not that Solomon had any desire to see Daisy in her night attire. The sight of her in her panties was still scorched on the back of his eyes.
Solomon tugged off his jacket, and tossed it over the arm of a chair. He looked at Evan. “Take a seat. I’m needing to ask you a few more questions.”
Poppy frowned. “About?”
“About your da’s involvement with smuggling something into the country.”
“Poppy’s dad?”
Solomon leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Evan needed to work on his acting skills. The question had been asked without conviction. They obviously already had their suspicions. “The very one. Now, you said your dog got ill, when your da took him overseas. I need to know all you know about where he went and what he did.”
Evan sat on the sofa next to Poppy. She smiled at him, and then turned her attention to Solomon. “I had nothing to do with it, but I think my dad used my dog to smuggle drugs.
“Maxy got sick when Dad took him to Poland. Apparently, someone wanted him to service their bitch. When Dad didn’t turn up at the kennel the day he was due back, I called him. He said Maxy had an upset stomach, and would be fine. When Dad finally brought him home, he had stitches in his stomach, and looked terrible. He’d lost weight, and kept vomiting all the time.”
“Anything else?”
Evan took Poppy’s hand. “Her Dad came back flashing the cash. When he wanted to take Maxy away again, I got suspicious. I checked with the kennel club. They had no record of Maxy siring any puppies in Poland or anywhere else Poppy didn’t already know about. I kept an eye on her dad, and followed him into the kennel one evening. He met Chester Mars. They were talking about doing another run. Poppy’s dad said Poppy was worried about Maxy, but Chester said he had a new plan. The dogs wouldn’t be swallowing it this time. He couldn’t afford to pay Horace Jordan to play dog surgeon, every time a new shipment arrived.”
Solomon tugged a notebook from his jacket pocket, and wrote the name inside. “Have you any idea where I might find this Horace Jordan?” They both shook their heads.
“Have either of you ever heard of a Sean Edwards?”
Again they shook their heads.
“Where’s Maxy now?”
Poppy looked at Evan, who shook his head. “Still can’t say.”
“Why was Chester looking for your dog, Poppy, when his mother had dozens of them? Any ideas?”
“His mum only had one registered stud poodle. Maybe she didn’t want him to go to Poland either.”
Solomon got to his feet, and shoved his arms in the sleeves of his jacket. He doubted Candy would have protested. Johnny had been on plenty of flights to and from Poland, but using the same dog over and over would probably look suspicious, especially if no puppies were forthcoming. Moreover, why risk your own dog when you could use someone else’s?
“Was it drugs?”
Solomon glanced at Poppy, and shook his head. “No, darlin’. They were smuggling diamonds.”
Evan stared at him. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. Somewhere along the way, a double cross went down, and the last shipment is missing, which has made the Poles trigger happy. You’d best be staying here until this mess is sorted out.”
Evan got to his feet, and followed Solomon to the door. “What are you going to do?”
“That’s my business. Until you get the all clear, stay out of sight. I’ll be in touch.”
Solomon opened the door, and stepped outside. He didn’t think Poppy and Evan were involved with the diamond heist, or with the people hell bent on killing anyone they thought might have double crossed them. He also doubted they had any idea where the jewels might be, but he didn’t believe in taking chances. ‘Guilty until proven innocent’ might not be the law of the land, but it had kept Solomon alive for the last twenty years, and he had no plans to change the way he operated.
He jogged down the stairs, tugging his phone from his pocket. Daisy would still be safely tucked up in Belinda’s shop, surfing the net. Hopefully, the luck of the Irish was with him, and a quick search of Google would reveal the whereabouts of a vet called Horace Jordan.
The call to Daisy went straight to voicemail, and Solomon growled his frustration. He’d have to call the florist’s directly, and speak to Belinda. What the feck was Daisy doing, switching off her phone?
* * * * *
Daisy shoved a bunch
of lilies into Belinda’s hands. “We’ll need these.”
“For what? I don’t think I’m up to selling flowers door to door. Besides, I’m not sure people on the Bamford Estate buy flowers.”
“Work with me, Belinda.”
“How? What am I to do?”
“Look lost.”
“I jolly well am lost.”
Daisy grinned, and slammed the back door of the van. “Good. You’ll be brilliant, then. Now, we’d better hurry, or we’ll come back to find your van on blocks, and your wheels gone.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this. Are you sure Solomon would want you out here?”
Daisy glanced at Lisa’s house. No sign of life. Nobby had to be lying low, so she could hardly tattle to Solomon. Not that she had any idea what Daisy was supposed to be doing.
“I don’t need Solomon’s permission to do my job. However, I do need to find out about Sean Edwards, and this is the best place to ask questions.” Daisy glanced up and down the street, and saw a net curtain twitch. “Looks like we have our first candidate. Come on, and leave the talking to me.”
Daisy crossed the street, and Belinda trudged along behind her. As they approached the front gate of number 17, the net curtain fell back into place. They marched up a crazy-paved front path, and Daisy pressed the button for the bell. She glanced at Belinda, and smiled. The woman was pale and sweating. She’d probably never been this deep into enemy territory before. It was just as well Belinda’s infatuation with Solomon had never worked out. She’d be the perfect companion for him, if his lifestyle matched his exclusive residence and Aston Martin, but it didn’t. Solomon liked to get down and dirty with the best of them, and wouldn’t bat an eyelid if he were accompanying Daisy on her current quest. He’d boot her arse for leaving the shop, but the Bamford Estate didn’t scare him.
The front door opened, and an elderly lady glared at them. “Yes?”
Daisy smiled, and grabbed the flowers from Belinda. “Hi. We’re here to deliver some flowers.” She burst into song, elbowing Belinda to join in. They barely got through the first line of ‘Happy Birthday to you,’ before the old lady slammed the door shut.
