by Debra Webb
Whatever happened to all those dreams she’d had of love and happily ever after as a young girl? In these days of uncoupling and overnight divorces, maybe true love no longer existed. She thought of the man in the other room and how he’d saved her life once already. In a movie he would be her knight in shining armor. He would defend her honor and then they’d ride off into the sunset together.
Only this was real life and she wasn’t so sure knights in shining armor existed anymore.
Chapter Four
Mike scrubbed at his face. His eyes were dry. He and Claudia had been at this for hours without getting anywhere with identifying the woman Lauren had seen in Trinity’s office. Claudia had confirmed that the witness and the woman Lauren saw were one and the same but the cops had not released her name.
“Looks like the only way you’re going to learn what Trinity was up to is by shaking the bushes,” Claudia said. “If you allow Miss Woods to reach out to her sources, you might just get lucky.”
That was the thing, he couldn’t do that and ensure her safety. “Based on what Lauren saw and heard, I’m thinking these guys are Russian mafia. The trouble is, they aren’t in any of the databases we’ve accessed.” The cops as well as the FBI and other federal and international agencies typically had significant info on the mob types, but nothing along those lines had been mentioned in press releases.
“They’d have to be powerfully connected for someone to be keeping them off the grid like this.”
“Have you got a contact you can reach out to?” Mike needed intel. He couldn’t help Lauren without it.
“One or two. I’ll get back to you.”
“I’ll be standing by.”
The call ended and Mike swiveled in the chair. Facing the door, he debated his less than optimal options. Lauren got under his skin in ways he couldn’t quite define. Part of it was her skill as an actress. He’d always been damned good at reading people, but with her not so much. How was he supposed to know what was real and what was just for show when she could turn it off and on instantly?
She claimed the missing woman was familiar in the same breath she claimed no knowledge of her boyfriend’s illegal activities. The two items just didn’t add up. Claudia had found the individual bank accounts for Trinity and Lauren. The two had conducted their finances completely independent of each other. That allowed for some of Lauren’s ignorance of Trinity’s activities, but certainly not all.
She’d offered to make him a sandwich hours ago. He’d declined but his appetite was suddenly revving into high gear. He headed for the kitchen, the scents drifting out to meet him making his stomach growl. “Did you get bored?”
She glanced up from the pot she was stirring. She’d twisted her long blond hair up and out of the way, but little wisps were curling in the fragrant steam rising from whatever she had going on the stove top. “We have to eat.” She shrugged. “There wasn’t any bread for sandwiches.”
His stomach rumbled again. “What’s on the menu?”
“Red sauce and pasta.” She made a face. “There wasn’t a lot to choose from. Do you want a beer or something stronger to go with it? There seems to be a good supply of alcohol.”
He laughed. “Water.” He couldn’t risk the slightest dimming effect of alcohol while on the job.
As he watched, she moved through the kitchen, a picture of domestic grace that gave him a strange sensation that he’d been missing something in his life. She filled two glasses with water and piled pasta high on a plate. She added the sauce and a scoop of steamed broccoli before passing it to him.
“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” he said, shaking off the momentary daze.
“No trouble,” she answered with a small shrug. “It gave me something to do.”
She made a smaller plate for herself and sat at the other end of the kitchen island. For several minutes he ate, wondering how she’d tweaked the sauce. It never tasted this good when he poured it straight from the jar. He pointed with his fork. “What’d you do to this?”
“Just added a bit of this and that for a kick,” she said.
“It’s good.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
They ate in silence for a while. Then he asked, “You and Trinity kept separate bank accounts.”
“I insisted.”
“Why?”
She sighed and her gaze didn’t stray from her pasta. “At the beginning of our relationship it was too good to be true. Girl from Kansas finds her Oz, you know? Every day I was sure he’d wake up and be done with me so I didn’t want to take a chance on joint bank accounts. As my agent, my paychecks went through him anyway. He took his cut and I got the rest. I didn’t think he needed to know what I did with the money.”
“Seems like you were smart with your money.” He’d been surprised by just how smart. Anyone who thought there weren’t any brains behind all that beauty would be dead wrong.
Lauren nodded, and then sipped her water. “I grew up poor. Being poor in Kansas is one thing, being poor here is entirely another. I made up my mind early on to save and invest a hefty chunk of my earnings. I sent some back home for my mom, supported a few charities, and lived comfortably on the rest.” She tipped her head, gracing him with a direct look. “In light of recent events, it seems my precautions were prudent.”
“You can’t access any of it. The police will be keeping an eye out for any financial activity.”
She set her fork aside. “Which adds yet another layer of urgency to my predicament.”
“Lauren.” He’d wanted to get her talking, not worry her. “Anything you need, I’ll take care of it. Money is not an issue for you right now.”
“What I need is to find something that connects Desmond to the killers.” She set her fork aside. “If the police stop looking for suspects, I may never be able to prove what really happened.”
“When was the last time you caught Trinity with another woman?”
She raised her eyes, meeting his gaze. “Why does that matter?”
“I’m trying to get a handle on the man.” And you, he kept to himself. She insisted on making it clear that Trinity was only her agent, not her boyfriend, but the two had been cohabitating for six years.
“I did my best not to catch him.” She patted those lush lips with her napkin.
“By avoiding the office?”
“At all costs,” she said quietly, pushing her plate away.
Mike felt a surge of anger over what Trinity had put her through. What she’d allowed the jerk to put her through. “But you knew when he was involved elsewhere.”
“Yes.” She sat stiffly, her hands in her lap. “Two years ago I caught him at the office after hours. It was the only time I saw him in the act of seducing a potential client. He called it business. I called it cheating. We eventually came to an agreement that I wouldn’t leave him and he wouldn’t flaunt his extracurricular activities.”
“But you went up after hours last night.”
“Last night, that script...” She rolled her eyes. “It was the last straw for me and long past time to cut ties as his client and as his roommate—separate rooms, in case you’re wondering.” She got up and carried her plate to the sink.
Mike couldn’t imagine a relationship riddled with infidelity. He detested emotional games and liars even more. Why did anyone put up with that? A woman with Lauren’s fire, beauty, and talent should’ve left at the first sign of trouble. But she’d stayed. For the sake of her career. And separate rooms? Jesus, Hollywood was twisted. “What happened to her?”
“Who?” Lauren asked, leaning back against the counter as she dried her hands on the towel.
“The first woman you caught him with.” Mike wished like hell the man was still alive so he could beat him senseless.
“I don’t know. I’ve made it a point not to think about that, but my guess is he either chose not to represent her or she never made the cut with any studio.”
“But you have that memory f
or faces and detail,” he said, with complete sincerity. “Would you recognize her again if you saw her?”
Lauren caught her full lower lip between her teeth. “Probably.”
His instincts were sparking. This was bigger than Lauren getting caught in the wrong place at the wrong time by a pair of lethal men. “So, the fact is, she didn’t make it big or you would have run into her somewhere.”
She nodded. “I suppose that’s true.”
“How many clients did Trinity represent?”
“It varied from year to year. He was the agent everyone wanted. His ability to identify and match talent with the right roles was unprecedented. Why?”
“Just thinking.” About the dead talent agent and the mysterious witness who apparently contradicted Lauren’s statement. “Did Trinity ever travel out of the country?”
“Once or twice a year, but I didn’t go with him.”
“Because?” He’d bet good money Trinity made his travel plans to purposely exclude her.
She made a small production of replacing the hand towel on the rack. “The dates conflicted with my schedule on Harper Cove.”
“So your relationship with Trinity really was just for show.” It wasn’t a question. The answer was clear to him now. For whatever reason, Trinity had liked or needed the image of stability with Lauren. Was she part of his cover?
“Maybe not at first, but in recent years, yes.” The admission cost her. The pain in her eyes gave away just how much.
He almost wished he could take back the question. But if her feelings were the only thing that got hurt before they figured this out, he would be damned happy about it. The idea that she’d gotten out of that building alive still stunned him.
Assuming the killers had watched her and tailed her from the crime scene to the police station and then to her motel, why not just kill her? They obviously wanted her dead and there would’ve been ample opportunities before she’d reached the motel and after. Instead, they’d staged the crime scene to implicate her and then wired a bomb into her car. Why the extra step?
“What’s going through your head?” she asked, returning to the island and her chair.
Too many things, but only one of them he was ready to share. “We need to determine if the police on this case can be trusted.”
Her eyes lit up with excitement. “I’d very much like the answer to that question.”
He wasn’t sure she fully understood the danger involved in making that happen. “It may not work at all,” he warned.
“If there’s any chance, I want to try,” she replied.
His job was to protect her. End of story. But if Claudia confirmed his worst suspicions, Lauren would never be safe unless the men who’d murdered Trinity were behind bars. “We’ll set up a meet for first thing tomorrow. Until then, relax and try to get some rest.”
To his surprise, she didn’t argue. He didn’t know her industry as well as she did, but he knew human nature. Her ex was into something serious and Mike wanted to know if it had started before or after Lauren had come to Hollywood with stars in her eyes. More importantly, he wanted to know if Trinity had somehow been using her to some end she couldn’t see.
Mike worked for hours until he finally had an idea he liked and Claudia could support. This should give him the answers he needed. He returned to the living room to talk through his plan and found Lauren curled into a corner of the couch sound asleep. The television volume was no more than a soft murmur. She’d chosen an old romantic movie. The stress had caught up with her and he hated to wake her. Her body relaxed, she looked fresh and tempting from her hands tucked under her chin all the way to the pale pink polish on her toes.
Watching her, he felt something stir deep inside. The need to protect her, to keep her from harm was part of it. Desire seared through him, but he ignored it. What man wouldn’t be attracted to that exceptional package? She was far more than the gorgeous exterior. She was smart and witty and caring.
He grabbed a throw from the back of the loveseat and draped it over her, careful not to touch or linger over the process. Weighing the options, he stretched out on the floor to watch the end of the movie. He told himself staying in here with her was expedient. He’d know the minute she woke up and he could explain his plan for the morning right away. He even believed the tale as he dozed off to the barely audible bar fight playing out on the television.
Thursday, December 11, 10:30 a.m.
Mike backed into an open space near the parking garage exit. He turned off the car and handed Lauren a ball cap to hide her hair. It probably wasn’t the right accessory for her snug jeans, tunic, and the rose-colored winter sweater, but that was the point. They didn’t want her recognized.
Jeans and a sweatshirt worked just fine for him. He had a gun in his waistband at the small of his back and another at his ankle, plus his knife just in case things turned ugly. Hopefully none of that would be necessary.
The decoy the agency had hired to disguise herself as Lauren would enter the building across the street in just fifteen minutes. The police believed Lauren would be meeting with an attorney to discuss turning herself in for questioning. This building, the one he and Lauren were about to enter, was still under construction. Claudia had made arrangements for them to access the sixth floor where they would wait to see who showed up for the party.
“Ready?” Mike turned to Lauren, studying her profile.
She nodded, donning dark sunglasses.
“Do you want to walk through it one more time?”
“We go in quietly. Ignore anyone we encounter inside.” She paused to gulp in some air. “We take the stairs to the sixth floor and then we watch.” Her lips stretched into a smile but he didn’t miss the slight tremble. “It’s just like blocking a scene.”
He’d have to take her word on that. Leaving the car was a big risk, despite the precautions. They’d discussed pros, cons, and fallback strategy over breakfast. She’d embraced all of it with enthusiasm. She understood the importance of this first step. Since a decoy was in place, they could have stayed at the safe house, but Lauren’s ability to recognize faces was needed. Her job was to look for anyone she’d seen speaking to Trinity at a party or at his office.
Still, walking beside her, he kept his eyes open wide and his senses on point. He’d chosen a congested area smack in the middle of LA’s infamous Box. From eight to five, the Box was the city’s hectic business district. After five, however, all bets were off. The shops closed for the day and trouble seemed to ooze from every crack in the sidewalks.
“Are you nervous?” he asked as they entered the newest high rise along this block. He’d been in similar situations with clients. Somehow this time felt new to him... uncertain.
“A little,” she said, pulling the ball cap low. “What if one of the workers recognizes me?”
“I’ve got it all covered,” he said. “Just brave it out with me.” He suppressed a grin when her chin came up and she stood a little taller.
No one from the construction crew paid the slightest attention to their sedate entrance. They walked in as if they owned the place. Everything went according to plan as they climbed the stairs. Once they took their positions at a towering window overlooking the street as well as the building the decoy would enter, Lauren removed the high-powered binoculars Mike had tucked in her purse.
“Maybe I’ll write a screen play about an actress who witnesses her agent being murdered by a mob guy.” She lifted the binoculars to her eyes. “Should be a blockbuster.”
Mike chuckled. He was glad to see her a little more relaxed today. Yesterday had been a tough day for her. He liked that more of the fear had been replaced by determination. The same tenacity that had made her a success in this business was what she needed to get through the nightmare that had descended on her life.
“Take your time,” he said, “study each face you see.”
“Okay.” Her teeth dug into that plump lower lip.
Rather than stand there
and wish it were him toying with that sexy lip, he withdrew a compact set of binoculars from his back pocket and surveyed the vehicles parked along the street below.
“So if the bad guys show up,” she said, her attention focused on the street, “we’ll know someone in the police department is feeding information to them.”
“Since Treadwell is the only person you contacted about the meeting that would be a yes.”
She lowered her glasses and turned to him. “Maybe I’m more naïve than I thought, but I’m hoping Treadwell is one of the good guys.”
No sooner than she’d said the words, Mike spotted a black SUV easing to the curb at the end of the block. He zeroed in on the driver.
It was the man Lauren believed to be named Nikoli. Mike sent a text to Claudia so the decoy could be alerted. When she exited the building, she would no longer look anything like Lauren Marie Woods.
“Oh, God.” Lauren turned to him. “They’re here.”
She swayed a little and he steadied her. Crazy as it was, he wished he could have sheltered her from yet another let down.
Long minutes later, Lauren felt sick as they moved back down the six flights of stairs. Why would Detective Treadwell sell her out to the killers? Officer Cooper thought the detective was good at his job. How could he have been so wrong?
She was barely aware of Mike ushering her into his Camaro, a strong hand at her back. When they’d driven away, she was thankful he was keeping an eye out for trouble. She was too deep in the haze of disbelief.
“What made you decide to take the part as Dr. Loveless?”
Lauren almost gave herself whiplash turning to look at him. “Excuse me?”
He kept his eyes on the street, navigating the traffic. “A lot of actors feel work on daytime soaps is beneath them. What made you take the job?”
Lauren stared out the front window. The colorful lights draped on shop windows reminded her that Christmas was only a couple of weeks away. She’d put up the tree and decorated it over the weekend. Desmond hadn’t seemed to notice. He never did. Christmas was nothing more than an excuse to have big parties to him. Since her mom died, there was no reason for her to go home for the holidays so she’d made her time off from work about the parties as well and spending time with friends.
