Twelve Shades of Midnight:

by Liliana Hart

  It didn’t take much imagination to picture just how fit–especially after their relationship. With the toned muscles of a swimmer and a light brushing of blondish brown hair covering his chest, he…

  No doubt about it. She didn’t need to dwell on just how great looking. It was just another fact of life she needed to accept and get past.

  Gage mumbled and tugged his well-cut grey suit jacket into place, making himself more handsome as he sat. “There is a client for you, but I can’t bring them here.”

  The image popping into Hallie’s mind was of the long straight hair of the woman at the door. It swung in slow motion as she was struck. “I think I saw her at the door. Five foot five, long black hair? Had a muscle man next to her that seemed real capable and licensed to carry a handgun. So I’m not sure why she needs my services.”

  Gage hit the table with his fingertips, rattling the place settings. “Who are you talking to at the Bureau? I’m going to have their head for dessert.”

  “Will you calm down? I’m not talking to anyone.”

  “So even after getting fired from–”

  “I wasn’t fired.”

  “–the FBI you’re still insisting you can somehow read my mind?”

  “And you’re still insisting on acting like an ass.” Hallie stood, jerking her purse off the corner of the chair. “I may need this paycheck, but I certainly don’t need you.”

  Strong fingers she remembered all too well, wrapped around her upper arm before she could sling the purse strap across her shoulder. She stared at him as much as he did at her. She glanced at his grip. He didn’t release her, and he wasn’t apologizing.

  Teeth clenched tight, his jaw popped in a very familiar pattern. “All right,” he reluctantly spoke first. “I’m sorry. I don’t have time to find anyone else.”

  He dropped his hand and massaged his forehead before flattening his lips. It was such a familiar gesture to her after all the years they’d been friends. It didn’t help that they were the most-kissable pair of lips she’d ever tasted.

  They both sat at the table again.

  “That’s not really an apology.” She snapped at him to make it appear that she was angry. “Honestly, I understand that you don’t believe me. I still don’t believe it myself. If it hadn’t been for Grammy–”

  “Hallie, I don’t have time.” He peeled his glasses from his face and dropped them across the rolled napkin.

  No contacts. He wore his glasses when he was frustrated, staying up late, or when he traveled. So it seemed that he’d been on a plane that morning.

  “Sorry. Sorry. Can we start again?”

  She recognized the sincerity in his eyes. Unfortunately, it most likely applied to his need to succeed in this endeavor…not an apology to her.

  Quit kicking yourself. Any rational human being would have reacted the way he did in New York. It wasn’t his fault. It’s not his fault now. Take the job and just shut up about how much you feel.

  “What do you need from me?” She asked without looking straight at him, taking in the exits, the vulnerable areas, evaluating the other diners who weren’t paying attention to their conversation.

  “I guess old habits never really die.” Gage noticed. “Want to change chairs?”

  His back was to the wall, so sitting opposite him, hers was exposed. She shook her head, she could handle the physical exposure. It was the emotions in the room that were difficult. Grammy avoided crowded places like the plague. And since moving to Dallas so had Hallie. It was just easier.

  Groups of people made it difficult to sort through the everyday apprehension or excitement versus the true anxiety of a problem. Of course, she was a complete novice at using her heightened sense of awareness. Grammy’s knowledge where Hallie was concerned was mostly guesswork.

  “You still here?” Gage asked, snapping his fingers in front of her face. “Maybe this was a bad idea. I thought we could be professionals, but there might be–”

  “I drifted for a minute, that’s all. You have my attention.”

  “Do you want lunch? Or do you want details?”

  The appealing, Italian spices floating through the air called to her empty stomach begging her to partake, but she shook her head. Gage seemed overly anxious himself, like he itched to get out the door and on his way.

  “You’re right. It’s probably best to take this conversation private.”

  “I would have met you at your office, but I couldn’t find an address. Pulled your PI license easy enough. I work at the FBI and we couldn’t find where you live.” He laughed as if it were their fault. “Typical.”

  “I…um…sort of live with Grammy. Never mind where I live. Tell me about this job and let me decide if I want to work with you. That’s the way things happen in the private sector. I can work for whomever I please.”

  “Got it.” He waved the waiter away and laced his fingers together.

  She was so familiar with his gestures and the elegant way he moved. The scene was a familiar one from their past. He was aware of her, too. She could feel the unusual amount of sexual tension oozing from his side of the table. It was difficult not to succumb.

  She could be a professional. Where he was concerned she’d been a professional friend to him far longer than lover.

  “I have a witness I need to park until I gather enough evidence to prosecute,” he finally whispered.

  “Isn’t she part of the evidence?”

  “Yes and no,” he hedged.

  “You’re going around the paperwork and won’t be paying me with a government check.”

  “Sometimes, that ESP thing you have comes in handy. You’re right. I’m personally hiring you, not the Bureau.”

  “It’s not ESP. It’s more like– Oh, never mind.” She’d never be able to explain exactly what it was because she didn’t totally understand it herself. She took a deep breath and visualized her protective bubble. “What’s so important about the girl?”

  “Seems her fiancé has been stealing a little from her father and things have gotten heated. She thinks her father will kill him.”

  “And why is this a job for the FBI? Oh, pardon me, it isn’t.”

  “Not yet. Her father is Harold D. Chandler.” He sat straight waiting on the name to sink in.

  She hid her first reaction of whooping and hollering. Instead she swallowed hard, nodded her head and swallowed hard again. “A man who is known to consort with life-long criminals.”

  “Particularly someone on the FBI’s most wanted.”

  “Why wouldn’t the department be moving on this young woman? Why don’t you have a tail on her right now?” Her joy was quickly deflated when she remembered his file. “Wait. He doesn’t have a daughter. Two sons. I remember that conversation. So what about the tail?”

  “All I have is her word that she’s the illegitimate daughter. No proof of anything.”

  “So based on her word alone, you flew to Dallas to check out her story? You’d be amazed what you can find out on the internet now-a-days. Ever tried it?”

  “Dammit, Hallie. I’ve checked out her story. I’m almost ready to move forward with an official investigation. I don’t need her getting cold feet before I can.”

  Poking a beehive with a stick would only get her stung. With no doubt that he was a good agent and that he’d only gotten better with two years’ experience, she didn’t need to make him debate his reasons or methods. Gage wanted to hire her. That’s all that mattered.

  “So why does she need a bodyguard? The hulk next to her when she left at least looked capable.”

  He pressed his lips and crinkled his brow. A certain indication that she’d assumed incorrectly.

  “I need you to babysit the fiancé.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. But I get a feeling from the way you’re avoiding my eyes that there’s another surprise.”

  “He can’t know.”

  “Now just how is that supposed to work exactly?” she whispered, over pronouncing all
her words. “I can’t just plant myself next to him or outside his apartment for twenty-four hours a day. Am I supposed to pick him up at a bar and throw him in my closet? He’s engaged for gosh sakes.”

  He laughed, throwing his head back like they were pals again. “You’re killing me trying to picture that. Have you ever picked someone up in a bar? Not to mention throwing them in your grandmother’s closet with the lavender sachets.”

  “She’d be all for it if I got paid.” Money of my own again. That would definitely be nice. “How do you even know what a lavender sachet is?”

  “I have a grandmother, too. Everything’s settled then. You’ll pick him up at a bar.” His index fingers lazily tapped the beat of an unknown tune on his napkin. Waiting. Suppressing his laughter.

  She wanted to laugh with him. It had been a long time since she’d shared a happy moment with anyone other than her grandmother. “Unless you have a better idea?”

  “I’m sure you can come up with one. Particulars. Name, picture, habits.” He handed her a large envelope.

  “So it’s just the fiancé. Not the illegitimate daughter. Right?”

  “She’s insisting the boyfriend be secured tonight. He might be the main source of information, but she says she has access to...”

  Hallie left his unfinished sentence go by without a remark. He was right. She was the hired help and no longer interested in nabbing the bad guys. Although, Harold D. Chandler might bait a hook for the fish that had escaped them in Central Park.

  “Hey, I was just kidding about Daniel not knowing. He’s anxiously waiting to be picked up. Eight tonight at the downtown train station. He’ll be a handful without his laptop, phone, or game machine. No access. Nothing that connects him to the Internet.”

  “I bet neither are happy about leaving a richy rich environment. Hey, I saw what she was wearing. Nothing was inexpensive. Is the fiancé going to fight me on where he stays and how he lives?”

  “They want to live. That’s the point. And the fact that they want to be together will play in our favor. He needs to meet you tonight.” The fact that he had a plan was clearly on his face.

  The fact that she felt all the confusion and turmoil of whether he was making the right decision was something she couldn’t tell him she knew. The ESP thing as he called it would just confuse matters. “Tonight is hardly enough time to set up a safe place.”

  “Can you handle it? Have you got someone you trust to help?”

  “I’m a one woman show here. You’re certain about the threat assessment or do you not trust him to stay alone?”

  He shook his head and smashed his lips into a straight line.

  “Twenty-four hours a day. I can’t afford to go down this road and have them change their minds.” Gage was jittery. He thinks his man will run. “You’ll have to find someone. If I’m not with the rest of the agents, someone will know something’s up.”

  “You think you’ll be ready in about two days?” Her hand reached out for his, but she caught herself and picked up her water glass instead. “What are you getting involved in, Gage?”

  Why all the secrecy? Why go against the Bureau? Because it was obvious he didn’t have any support. If he was doing this for her, there wasn’t anything connected to his emotions pushing their way into her mind. Nope. His mind shouted that he was concerned for the engaged couple and keeping them safe.

  “You’ll find out soon enough. For right now, it’s better you don’t have a clue. And Hallie, don’t interrogate either of these guys. I know it’ll be tempting. Just do the job I’ve hired you for.”

  Hired you for…

  He hadn’t bothered to waltz around that statement. She was the hired help. Period. She could handle that.

  “You’re coming through loud and clear, Agent Owens. Do I have a budget or can I shoot the moon?”

  “I can afford whatever you need. Be careful, these two can run up room service. I’d prefer them to stay away from the type of hotel that has it.”

  “Gotcha boss man.”

  “Come on, Hallie. You’re doing me a favor.”

  “Not a favor, Gage. This is business and I’ll definitely be billing each and every man hour and expense.”

  Chapter Three

  “Grammy?”

  Patty Mitchum heard Hallie along with the quaint bell left by the previous owner. Her granddaughters would probably want to replace it with something electronic, but she had to listen for the door. Ultimately it might be her decision since she’d rented the space and would be the one managing the office.

  “How did it go, dear?”

  Hallie stopped rubbing her temples and dropped her hands to form fists on her hips. “Why did you want me to meet you here? And oh good grief, what is that suspicious looking document in your hands?”

  “You really need to work on your social skills, Hallie.” She sank into a folding sports chair she’d procured from her trunk. “This is a lease and two sets of keys to our new offices.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Oh yes…I did.”

  “We talked about this. I can work out of the house and get a PO Box. This is way too big.” She spun looking at the corner office space. “It’s such a risk. I’ve only just started. This is my very first job and I might completely blow it.”

  “You are a professional, dear. That will never happen. Besides, my place isn’t big enough for an official office and it’s much too out of the way. I’ve had my eye on this spot since you moved back and when it became available, I snatched it up. It’s close to all the major highways, not too far from lunch spots, and there’s even a small park on the next block. Don’t you like it?”

  “That’s not the point.” Hallie sighed and rubbed her eyes. It never bothered her to reapply the brush of makeup she wore on her eyes. “I’m not complaining, Grammy. You’re way too generous. I just think I need to do this part on my own.”

  “Why would you ever want to be on your own, dear? You have family. Plenty of family. We should support each other.” She wanted to tread gently. This granddaughter was an only child and very independent. “You can consider me an investor. If you need legal papers, your cousin Lois can draw them up.”

  “Did you have her go over the lease?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did.”

  “So this isn’t a spontaneous reaction or a coincidence that I have my first client.”

  “Actually, I was lucky our landlord could wait until today.”

  “Just how long have you known that Gage was coming to Dallas?”

  “Oh, I think he contacted us last week?”

  “Grammy, we’ve talked about this. I can’t pay you to be my assistant.”

  “As if I’m qualified to do that. No, I just want to be the receptionist. I’m trying to spend the money I have. I certainly don’t need a salary to put me into a higher tax bracket.” She was completely serious and thought hard on that point so Hallie would pick up on the emotion. “What I need is something to occupy my aging mind.”

  While Hallie laughed and shook her head, Patty pushed on the cloth arms of the folding chair attempting to stand. Hallie stuck out her hands and tugged until they were hugging.

  “I love you, Grammy.” She whispered across her shoulder, then pulled back. “But it’s not fair to spend your money on me and no one else.”

  “You just let me decide where my money gets spent and on who.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  That was all settled then. Now to ease Hallie into the next phase. Her oldest granddaughter sent her a curious look as if she were picking up on the guilt. Yes, there was a bit of guilt at having to make the plans behind her back. But Hallie’s agency was a sound investment. Even if her financial advisors advised against it.

  She patted Hallie on the arm, reassuring her mentally that everything was alright. She pointed around the room before any questions could be asked.

  “So… Do you like it? There’s two rooms and a bathroom in the back complete with shower. We�
��ll need a name before we can decorate. I’m thinking of adding a futon or your grandfather’s old Lazy Boy chair. That will make room in the study at home.” She ticked through her list she’d been making before Hallie arrived. It was an unmasked attempt at distracting her in spite of the multiple looks at her watch. “Do you think we need a television?”

  “Yes. You’re going to insist on staying here during the day and you’re going to be very bored. I think we should at least set you up with my twenty-one inch monitor. You can always watch movies off the internet.”

  “I can get Kyle to bring up the furniture tonight. He’s already agreed to use that huge truck. We’re lucky he’s so willing to help. Here’s your key.”

  “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. It’s been an extremely stressful day and it looks like I’ll be pulling an all-nighter.”

  The bell tinkled again. Hallie turned while Patty held her breath. The twins had called earlier and she’d given them the office address. She hadn’t planned to spring everything on Hallie at once, but everything happened for a reason. She’d discover why soon enough.

  “Oh good grief,” Hallie said, her voice full of excitement. “What are you two doing here?”

  “Someone told us this is where all the action’s happening.” Essie winked. She sounded tired, but extended her arms for a group hug.

  Emma slipped in the door and joined them. Hallie was mumbling under her breath or maybe she was thinking her thoughts loudly enough to be heard…at least by a mind-reading grandmother.

  “Did you drive straight through from Atlanta?” Patty asked as everyone pulled apart to stand awkwardly.

  If she’d driven that long she’d want nothing more than to collapse on a couch, straightening her back. There was nothing for any of the girls to even sit on.

  “You know that Essie never needs sleep,” Emma said. “I barely got her to pull over for bathroom breaks. I stopped once and she didn’t realize I wasn’t behind her for a good ten miles.”