04 - Shock and Awesome

by Camilla Chafer

  "Easier inside."

  "Why aren't you frisking people back at the ball?"

  "Fletcher is, with a couple of my other guys."

  "Who? Lucas? I don't think Lucas likes people so much." Aside from his girlfriend, I didn't think Lucas had much interest in people at all. I never saw him outside the office. I suspected he slept there occasionally so he either had a very understanding girlfriend or a very cross one.

  "Not Lucas. We expanded the staff."

  "We did?" Color me surprised. I knew Solomon had expanded the agency and taken over the floor above, but not that we had any new hires.

  "Yep. Fletcher said Lord Justin left ten minutes ago. He was clean."

  "Really?" I blinked with surprise. That was annoying. Unless Justin was dumber than he appeared, he didn't steal the jewels and attempt to smuggle them outside on his person. That still didn't mean he didn't do it, I reminded myself, but I wasn't sure if that was because I wanted the thief to be him... or just not to be Ben.

  Solomon nodded, but if he were disappointed, he didn't show it. "I'm not convinced. The man was on edge about something. All I know is, so far, we haven't found the jewels and I don't think we will. I stuck a tail on him."

  I smiled at the thought of Justin wearing a tail. "That sucks. Did the ruse play out?"

  This time, Solomon smiled. "Claudia came through with the paste jewels. She got a big round of applause. That was good thinking."

  "She gonna sue?"

  "Nope. The dating agency worked something out with her."

  "Good."

  Solomon nodded his head towards the bar area. "What's your take on Ben Rafferty now?"

  I sighed. "I think he might be responsible for the theft. At least, I can't rule him out."

  "Fletcher searched him and he was clean," Solomon countered.

  "I know, but he could have ditched the necklace somewhere." I didn't dare say Fletcher missed them on Ben's person. "I just don't think we should rule him out just yet. Nor Justin. Speaking of Ben, I have to get back."

  "Don't stay too long. Make your excuses and leave. Tomorrow morning. Ten a.m. My office."

  "No problem, Boss." Solomon's eyes narrowed, but I ignored him. Well, I ignored him right after noticing him. Beside the point. "One other thing, why is Maddox here?"

  "He wanted to eyeball Rafferty. This is the only opportunity he could get, apparently." Solomon's lack of expression gave nothing away; if he didn't believe Maddox, I couldn't tell.

  I didn't ask why Maddox decided to take a closer look on tonight of all nights. I just gave a little sigh. I was pretty certain Maddox could eyeball him from afar. I was also pretty certain Solomon could too. Something told me Ben's devilish good looks had a whole lot to do with them both crashing my date much more than the idea that Ben was a suspect. After all, Solomon's man cleared him, even if my intuition gave me the annoying, niggling feeling otherwise. I wanted to rule Ben out, but I couldn't. It was frustrating.

  "I hope he enjoys his eyeballing. I'm heading back for another cocktail." I made to move past Solomon, but he caught my arm, holding me still. For a moment, he said nothing, just smoldered in the sexiest way possible. He probably didn't even know he was doing it; I think it just came naturally to him. "Remember," he said, leaning down towards me as someone pushed past, "remember this guy is a suspect."

  "I'm all over him... it," I assured him, but somehow, the way Solomon narrowed his eyes again, and the way the vein at his temple throbbed, I wasn't sure I picked the right words. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but then the moment passed and I moved away.

  Ben had a fresh cocktail waiting at the table for me along with an array of witty observations about the people around us. We talked and laughed, and flirted for close to another hour before I fake-yawned. I told him I had to head home for my beauty sleep and to deposit the diamonds in the safe.

  "Do you have plans tomorrow?" he asked me.

  I gave a noncommittal shrug. "A few things to do. Maybe I could call you?" I added.

  Ben nodded. "I'll wait by the phone."

  "The phone that sits in your pocket?" I teased.

  "Oh, you got me. The very same phone that I just called my driver on. C'mon, Cinderella, I'll take you home before you turn into a pumpkin."

  Funny thing was, he didn't know just how close to the truth his fairy tale analogy really was. So, I might not turn into a pumpkin, but the prince was definitely depositing me at a castle that wasn't mine, and my jewels and clothes would be returned, leaving me in... well, a really nice pair of jeans, actually. I certainly wasn't reduced to rags just yet. I wondered if and when I returned the jewelry to Solomon... would that make him my fairy godmother? The thought made me chuckle to myself.

  "Thank you, Prince Ben," I said, linking my arm in his as we made our way towards his waiting car. "Whatever would I do without you?"

  "Kiss frogs?" Ben quipped and we laughed.

  We were silent on the way "home," and I caught a glimpse of Delgado once, in his car, just as we exited our car, and Ben walked me to "my" door. He left the car idling at the curb as he stooped to kiss me goodnight and it was the kind of kiss girls dream of. Full lips, gentle nibbles, just the right amount of tongue, and the warmest hands slipping inside my coat to caress my back through my thin gown. Then he was gone, leaving me light-headed and breathless on the porch.

  How I stumbled inside, I didn't know.

  Fifteen minutes later, and I was changed into Cinderella's true clothes; the borrowed ones neatly folded and left on the couch, along with the jewelry. I figured Solomon would see them on the cameras and collect them later. Meanwhile, I planned to go home to my own bed, my head still spinning with the evening, the theft, and the kisses.

  Unfortunately, when I opened the door, my purse and keys in hand, I walked straight into Maddox. He caught me, his hands pausing on my upper arms for the briefest of moments.

  "Hey," I started, then stopped, uncertain of myself.

  "I came to check on you."

  Oh, really? Suddenly, I was number one priority? "I'm fine. Heading home."

  "Back to reality, huh?"

  "Looks that way to me."

  "You want me to give you a ride?"

  "No, I'm good. Thanks, anyway."

  "This Ben guy..."

  "Gone home," I told Maddox and he nodded.

  "Where's your boss?" he asked.

  I nodded towards the soft light coming from Solomon's house as we walked down the steps and onto the sidewalk. "Home?" I guessed, but I couldn't be sure. Maybe it was his lady friend waiting for him? I looked around for Solomon's car, and spotted it parking on the street. It wasn’t there when I arrived. Maybe he was home after all. Delgado was definitely gone, probably following Ben. "So... it's been a long night, Maddox. I need to head home to sleep. I'm meeting Solomon tomorrow at the agency."

  "I heard. I'll be there."

  I beeped open my car and reached down for the door handle. The light pinged on inside. "Good night, Adam," I called, as I climbed inside.

  He raised a hand, his palm flat, and the street lamp illuminated him like he was a ghost. "’Night, Lexi."

  I noticed Maddox's vehicle behind me all the way home. He waited until I entered my building, even idling at the curb before he pulled a U-turn and left. A part of me thought it was nice that he made sure I got home safely; another part of me wondered why he didn't just leave me to get on with it, like Solomon. Another part of me wondered what I liked best: having my independence trampled on, or just expected. And another part of me, a much more pressing part, wondered why I was devoting anymore brain time to the utter confusion that was Maddox, Solomon... and my suspect, Ben Rafferty. Hottie, damn good kisser, and back on the list as potential jewel thief.

  Wow, that made him sound really interesting; far more so than the word "millionaire" implied. No wonder good girls went for bad boys.

  Chapter Fifteen

  "You wanna go on a stakeout?" I asked Lily when she answered
her door. I didn't really expect her to say yes. Lily met with suppliers all of yesterday, according to her late night text, then had dinner with Jord so hers was a later night than mine. But I knew she loved a stakeout, and I knew she'd want to know why she missed it, which was the only reason I waited on her welcome mat with two travel cups in my hands.

  She yawned wide, clamped a hand over her mouth and ran one hand through her untidy pile of hair. Clearly, I'd just gotten her out of bed. Oops. I checked my watch. Six-fifteen. Double oops. Lily was never a morning person. On the other hand, waking her up early was good preparation for motherhood. I deserved a medal.

  "Right now?" she yawned.

  "Yeah. Mrs. Schubert called and said the weird noises started at five a.m. and she swears this time, she heard a woman screaming."

  "Yikes."

  "Pull on your Action Woman panties and let's go."

  "I hate the word 'panties'."

  I gave her a sympathetic nod. "I hate the word 'moist'."

  Lily shuddered. "I don't even want to go into why those two words belong together."

  "I have absolutely no idea what you mean," I lied, holding a travel mug out to her.

  "You made me coffee?" The hope in Lily's voice seared through me. It must have been a very long time since she had any caffeine. At least a couple of months since her health kick started. I hated to burst her bubble.

  "Nope. It's a healthy, veggie shake. Vitamins and... stuff."

  "Thank you. So sweet." Lily brightened when she saw the second cup I held. "You're having a health shake too?"

  "Shut. Up!" I recoiled. "I got coffee. That shake reeks. Now, are you coming or what? Do I have to stake out this psycho on my own?"

  "I'm coming."

  "Cool. I'll tell you about my latest dating disaster on the way."

  "Oh, thank God. I was afraid you'd given up on all that. Give me ten minutes. Do not leave without me," Lily demanded before shutting the door.

  Lily didn't seem her usual self on our drive over to my dream house-slash-neighborhood-serial-killer-stakeout, but I figured she was tired. So I talked away, telling her about my suspicions surrounding Ben, and how I thought he might be the thief. It was disappointing because it actually made him the least date-able of the undate-ables. Dating anyone was hard enough when it was a charade, but having two former lovers watching over me was unendurable.

  "Imagine if you humped Ben," chipped in Lily, playing with the recline function on the passenger seat, "it would have been like a triple whammy in one room."

  "I don't think I could deal with that. I think that's just asking for trouble."

  Lily snorted. "Yeah. You never do that." She yawned again. "Sorry. Didn't get a lot of sleep."

  "Jord? I asked, trying not to wince.

  "No. I didn't feel well."

  "Catching a psycho will make you feel better. Here we are," I said, her last comment sliding past as I pulled up several houses away from Aidan Marsh's home. This time, we were at the other end of the road from where we staked out previously. The last thing we needed was an early morning surprise from Maddox. Although, come to think of it, I used to enjoy them. If I really thought about it when I took the call from the Schuberts, I would have suggested taking Lily's car to make sure we weren't recognized. Now I thought about it, and as I looked over, Lily appeared kind of green and hadn't touched her shake. "Are you okay?" I asked.

  "Just tired and kind of queasy. I think I ate something bad last night. Jord and I went out to dinner at that Japanese place. The one you don't like."

  "What did you eat?"

  "A lot of seafood. It was good, but this morning, I'm re-evaluating that."

  "Do you think you have food poisoning?"

  "Maybe. I don't feel like I'm going to be sick, just... queasy." She wrapped her arms around her stomach and leaned back, setting her face stoically.

  "Want me to take you home?"

  "No, let's watch for this guy,. It'll take my mind off feeling crappy."

  We waited quietly for twenty minutes before I saw the front door open. A man exited with a large, brown Labrador at his side. "That's our guy," I told Lily.

  "The one walking towards us?"

  "Yep. Um, look busy." We both tried to find something to do.

  "If you were a guy, we could make out," suggested Lily.

  "Why am I the guy? Anyway, I wouldn't make out with someone who looks as green as you. Besides, it's too early in the morning for the make-out ruse. Plus, we could be gay. We could make out anyway. Not that I want to," I added.

  "Me neither."

  "Hey, not that it matters now," I told her just as Aidan Marsh passed by the car without giving us a second look. The dog didn't either. Our intense conversation about what we could be doing ended up being the perfect cover, which was a stroke of luck. I wasn't sure it would fly, however, when he came back. I mean, what the hell could we be talking about so long, and so early?

  "Are we going to follow him?"

  "Too obvious in the car, and it's too quiet to follow him on foot."

  "Oh, good," said Lily, reclining the seat a little further back. She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

  I watched her for a few seconds. Lily was rarely unwell, and it always showed when she was. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked again. "I could take you home. I don't mind. Maybe you need to go back to bed."

  "No, really, I'm fine."

  "Okay." I drummed my fingers on the wheel, wondering how I could speed up the stakeout. There wasn't a lot we could do while Aidan walked his dog and left his house empty. At least... we thought it was empty. "Do you think you can keep an eye out for a few minutes in case Marsh comes back?"

  Lily opened one eye. "Sure. Where will you be?"

  "Snooping around his yard and peeking in his windows."

  "Subtle."

  "I try. No point pretending it’s something it's not. Call me on my cell phone the minute you see him. I'll be as fast as I can."

  "Okay. Hey, Lexi?"

  "What?"

  "Good job he's not walking a Chihuahua. You might have time enough to find his victim while he walks that slobbering mutt."

  I forgot a victim might be inside. It seemed a huge oversight on my part. "I thought the dog was cute," I said.

  "I bet it would eat you as soon as lick you. He probably bred it to dispose of his victims. Labradors eat anything. I saw it on Animal Planet."

  With the charming thoughts of my imminent death and body disposal, I pulled a face, stuck my tongue out at Lily, and exited the car, patting my rear pocket to make sure my cell phone was snugly against my butt. Taking a quick look around, I shut the door quietly, There was no one else on the street. I guessed we were a little too early for the school and work crowd, but they would soon appear, giving us some extra cover.

  Hightailing it over to the house, I walked quickly along the path to the door. The half moon window over the door was too high for me to see through, even on tiptoes. The wooden blinds hung closed at what I assumed were the living room windows, so I ignored them and walked around the side. I was just beyond the fence of the yellow bungalow. The six-foot high fence blocked my way to the backyard. I tried the door in the middle, but it was locked with a padlock as thick and unwieldy as the frame. Ugh. What was it with potential suspects? Why couldn't they make anything easy? I mean, we didn't catch a thief last night, and this morning, I couldn't even get into this guy's yard. You would have thought he might like to catch someone entering, especially with people becoming ever savvier at evading murderers today.

  I stood back and wished for life to cut me a break. Then I spied a large planter sitting at a right angle to the house and fence, a half-dead palm inside. I stood on the lip and grabbed the top of the fence until I could see over. Not that there was much to see. A couple of ragged dog toys, a patch of neat lawn, patio, and beyond a thick tree, some kind of outbuilding. Not a garage, but perhaps, a studio.

  Before I could think better of it, I pulled hard on the t
op of the fence and launched myself upwards, my feet scrabbling against the panel until I could swing a leg over. For a moment, perched on the top, I was thinking it was an awful long way down. Then I slung my other leg over and dropped, landing in a crouch, and glad I was wearing old jeans and a fitted jersey jacket. I was so impressed with myself, I kind of wished someone filmed my Nikita moment.

  Walking around the corner of the house cautiously, I found the garden as empty as I expected. The lawn was neat and boxy without any suspicious, newly-dug or raised "flower beds," although the patio appeared new. I looked in the kitchen window and saw relatively clean countertops with the usual appliances: toaster and coffee pot, as well as a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. So far, a very single man home. Two dog bowls were on the floor next to the dishwasher and a bag of doggie treats sat on the countertop. There was probably enough to last a Chihuahua its entire life, but I figured the Labrador probably ate that much in a week. I tried the door handle. Locked.