She dressed in a form fitting dark chocolate dress that really brought out her eyes. She drew her hair up on top of her head and draped her diamonds around her neck. She hung more rocks from her ears and checked herself out one more time in the mirror. She was almost ready. She looked like an unsuspecting rich woman just out for a good time. She slipped her gun and identification in her clutch and headed to the casino.
The whirl of the machines greeted Savannah as she walked inside. Having memorized the floor plan the day before, she went immediately to the roulette table. There was Kit winning big. Savannah surveyed the crowd around her. She didn’t see anybody who looked to be with Kit. She made her move.
She cut through the crowd until she was standing only a few people away from her. She kept her gaze on Kit’s eyes, hoping she would look up and see her. She did look up. Their gazes met, and Savannah went weak in the knees at the pure lust showing in Kit’s eyes. Was it for her? Or her diamonds? She didn’t know, but she was dying to find out.
Chapter Six
Kit felt Savannah’s presence before she saw her. And when she saw her, her heart skipped a beat. She looked gorgeous, absolutely stunning, in a dress that clung to her curves. And the jewels. Diamonds adorned her though her eyes outshone them. Kit had to take a breath and force herself to focus on her gambling. She played a little while more before deciding she’d had enough. She searched the crowd and found Savannah still there, still watching her.
She cut through the throng of people and stood next to her. She looked down and noticed Savannah was wearing flats. Yet she was almost as tall as Kit, who, at five feet eleven inches was used to towering over women.
“You’re very good at roulette.” Savannah’s voice had a deep timbre. It suited her.
“I love to play.”
“Are you by yourself?”
“I am for the moment. Can I buy you a drink?”
“Sure.”
They found a nearby bar and sat at one of the few empty tables.
“So what do you do for fun in Maryland?” Kit asked.
“A little of everything. I love to garden. I’m a voracious reader. And I paint a little.”
Kit was impressed. She was beautiful, smart, and potentially talented. And wearing a mint in diamonds. All things that Kit found irresistible.
“Nice. Sounds like a good life.”
“Overall, it is.”
“I bet you get lonely sometimes.”
“I do,” Savannah said. “But then I love to travel and be surrounded by people. And that helps.”
“I’m sure it does. When did your wife die, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Five years ago. It still feels like yesterday.”
“I bet. And you’re not seeing anybody?” Why did she care? Kit couldn’t believe she’d even asked it. But there she was, waiting with bated breath for her answer.
“No. I’m not ready.”
“I understand.”
“And you, Kit? What do you do for fun in California?”
“I play the stock market, as you know. I also surf and hike and do any outdoor activity you can think of.”
Savannah laughed. It was an easy, genuine sound.
“I can’t imagine surfing. Though I’ll admit I’ve boogie boarded a few times and enjoyed it. I don’t think I have the balance for surfing.”
“You never know.”
“Oh, believe me. I know. When we were kids, we all had skateboards and I was forever skinning my knees and elbows after falling off mine.”
“Ouch. Okay, so maybe surfing wouldn’t be for you.”
“No, definitely not.”
“What kind of books do you read?” Kit asked.
“I love a good mystery. Or a thriller. I love reading lesbian fiction. I love reading about women like me, like us.”
“Lesbian fiction? I didn’t even know there was such a thing.”
“There is. And it’s wonderful.”
“I’ll have to give it a try.”
“You should.”
“I will,” Kit said. “Would you like another drink?”
“Sure.”
Kit got them two more drinks and settled back into her chair. She was starting to relax more around Savannah, and she didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. She was still unconvinced that it was merely coincidental that they kept ending up at the same casinos. She couldn’t shake that maybe there was more to Savannah than met the eye.
“What are you thinking?” Savannah asked. “You seem a million miles away.”
“Oh, nothing. Just thinking how I’m enjoying talking to you, but the tables are calling to me.”
She felt the need to get away from Savannah. On top of everything else, Savannah stirred something deep inside Kit. Something she’d thought long dead. Feelings she didn’t want to address or admit to. Feelings dormant since Amanda had dumped her three years earlier.
So she’d finish her drink, thank Savannah for her time, and get as far away from her as possible. On top of everything else, she had a job to do. And she wasn’t comfortable targeting Savannah for some reason. She was scared she’d be arrested. She couldn’t shake the niggling feeling inside her that Savannah was the law.
Kit finished her beer and set the empty bottle on the table.
“Thank you for another lovely evening,” Kit said.
The look on Savannah’s face said she wasn’t expecting their time together to end so soon.
“What? You’re not leaving me, are you?”
“I’m afraid I must. I need to gamble. Call it an affliction.”
“I can go with you. I’d love to watch you gamble, Kit.”
Kit smiled at her and mulled over the offer. It was tempting. Too tempting. She needed some space.
“Look, Savannah. I like you. I really do. But I’m not in the market for anything serious right now.”
“Neither am I. I’ve told you that. I’m not ready to move on. But companionship is good, isn’t it?”
Companionship. Was that code for sex? Maybe Kit could go to bed with Savannah. Maybe she could do it and then take her jewels and be long gone. But she knew deep down it wouldn’t be enough for her. And that made her tremble with fear.
“I’m sure our paths will cross again. Maybe tomorrow I can take you on a proper date? Say dinner at nine?”
“I’d like that,” Savannah said.
They made arrangements to meet the following night and Kit disappeared into the crowd. She took a deep breath to clear her mind and focus on the task at hand. She needed to score some jewels.
She saw an older woman sitting by herself at one of the slot machines. Kit sat next to her.
“Is this seat taken?”
“Just by you.”
Kit smiled her dimpled smile at the woman.
“Thank you. What game is that you’re playing?”
“Oh, it’s a fun one. There’s lots of animation. I keep getting three wilds and watching the penguin’s antics. It’s a lot of fun.”
“Do you think anyone would mind if I just sat here and watched you play?” Kit asked.
“I can’t imagine they would.”
“My name’s Dani,” Kit said.
“I’m Adele. It’s nice to meet you, Dani.”
“Likewise.”
Kit watched Adele play and soon grew bored. But Adele was decked out in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewels, so Kit hung out. After a particularly long stretch of watching a penguin do tricks, she made her move.
“Can I buy you a drink, Adele?” she said.
“Are you flirting with me?”
“Maybe.”
“Oh, how sweet. I’d love a drink. Let me print my ticket.”
Kit glanced around to make sure Savannah wasn’t nearby. She didn’t see her, so she guided Adele to a bar and had her sit in a corner away from passersby.
“This is romantic,” Adele said.
Kit simply smiled at her.
“What can I get yo
u to drink?”
“A glass of Dom Perignon.”
“Coming right up.”
Kit ordered herself another beer and took the drinks back to the table.
“Tell me about yourself, Adele. Where are you from? Your accent sounds decidedly French.”
“Good ear. I’m from Paris.”
“And you come to London to play slot machines?”
“My husband is in the baccarat tournament. I have to do something to pass the time.”
Husband, huh? That hadn’t deterred women in the past and Kit hoped it wouldn’t deter Adele either.
* * *
Savannah lost Kit after she left the bar. The casino was small, but try as she might, she never saw her again. She was disappointed on multiple levels. She’d blown her chance to bring her in for questioning first and foremost, but there was also an underlying attraction to the rogue, one she couldn’t deny no matter how she tried.
It was four in the morning when she gave up and went back to the hotel. It was five-thirty when her phone rang.
“Brown here.”
“Li here. The robber struck again. This time the victim was a French woman, Adele Durand.”
“Where’s she staying?”
“The Four Seasons. Room ten seventeen.”
“I’m on my way.”
Savannah arrived to find a middle-aged woman in silk pajamas, eyes red from crying.
“What happened?” Savannah asked.
“I was tired, so I decided to leave the casino,” Adele said. “A nice young man in a porter’s uniform hailed me a taxi and offered to ride with me to see to it I got home safely. We got to my room and when I turned to thank him, he had a gun out and demanded my jewelry.”
“Just what you were wearing? Or did he get what was in your safe, as well?”
“Just what I was wearing.”
“What did this porter look like?” Savannah asked.
Adele shrugged and wiped her eyes with a tissue.
“He was young. Dark hair. Clean-shaven. I’m sorry. I should have paid more attention.”
Savannah turned to Li.
“I want a crew questioning the porters at the casino like yesterday.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He stepped out of the room and Savannah turned her attention back to Adele.
“You’re sure he worked at the casino?”
“I assumed he did. I don’t know.”
“I’d like to see if we can sketch the man. Do you think you could help us with that?”
Adele’s eyes went wide before she regained a modicum of composure. She shook her head.
“I don’t think I could do that. He looked like any other nice young man. I was a fool to think he was kind.”
Savannah took in the room, the tussled sheets, the bottle of champagne on the nightstand. Two glasses. This looked more like a seduction gone wrong than an armed robbery. And where was Kit? How did she fit into this?
“I notice you have a bottle of Dom Perignon on your bedside table,” she said. “And two glasses.” She walked over and looked into them. “Both of which were used. Did you have company earlier, Mrs. Durand?”
Adele started sobbing harder and Savannah went cold. She forced herself to wait, to be patient, until Adele had composed herself.
“I admit. I invited the young man in for a drink. We had one and then he pulled his gun. Please don’t tell my husband I invited a strange man into our room. He’ll never forgive me.”
“And your bed? It looks messed up?”
“I threw myself onto it and cried before I called the police.”
Savannah nodded, not believing a word of her story.
“Thank you for your time, Mrs. Durand. We’ll let you know if we find the man who robbed you.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Savannah sent out a group text asking her team to meet her in her suite. Something was fishy about Adele Durand’s story. Clearly, she’d had company, but who? Kit? An unfamiliar feeling coursed through Savannah. Was that jealousy? She quickly squashed the feeling. She didn’t have time to be petty now. She had an investigation to run.
Once her team had assembled, she set up her white board and began to make bullet points.
“One thing I’ve noticed about each of the last three scenes,” Savannah said. “Sex seems to have played a part.”
“You really believe that?” Li said. “I mean, these women seem awfully distraught for someone who’s just had sex.”
“They’ve been robbed,” Savannah stated the obvious. “Of course they’re distraught. But I believe they’re being seduced and then robbed.”
“So you still think it’s the same guy doing them?”
“I do. The same man or woman. I haven’t ruled out a woman yet.”
“But none of the last three victims have mentioned a woman,” Li said.
“No, but that could be because they’re too embarrassed. All three have been married women. They’ve clearly invited someone to their bed they’re ashamed of.”
“Could just as easily be a man as a woman,” Li said.
“It could be. But the level of shame I’ve seen in these women’s eyes indicate to me it’s more than just a fling gone awry.”
“What about the woman you were tailing? Did you see her near the latest victim?”
Her own shame flooded Savannah. How could she have lost Kit? She could have saved Adele this embarrassment.
“I met up with her early in the night. But then we got separated. I tried to find her again but couldn’t. I don’t know if she ran into the Durand woman or not. Unfortunately. I truly believe she’s our thief though. We just need to catch her in the act.
“And how do you propose we do that?”
“You leave that to me, Li.”
“Should we go back to questioning the porters, boss?”
“Yes, please. It’s possible one of them saw something even if they didn’t rob her. Ask lots of questions. Get to the bottom of this.”
Chapter Seven
Kit slept until three the following afternoon. She had made her drop early that morning and smiled to herself as she checked her bank balance. She’d also received a new assignment. Singapore. That should be fun. But she had more than just jewels on her mind at that moment. She was meeting Savannah for dinner in a few hours. Her gut clenched in both fear and excitement.
She was more than simply attracted to Savannah. But could she spend time with her anyway? She’d never let herself fall for one of her targets before. Was Savannah just another target? She had to be. She was either a target or she was a no one. There was no in-between for Kit. She simply didn’t have time for emotional entanglements.
She still didn’t know why Savannah kept turning up at the same casinos she did. Kit always went where the big tournaments were being held. Yet she’d never seen Savannah gamble. So why would she keep showing up? Unless she wasn’t a lonely widow from Maryland. What if she really was trying to catch Kit and she hadn’t been paranoid all this time?
Be wary. Keep your guard up. Sleep with her if you can. Just be careful. She went for a walk to clear her head. It was cold and damp in London. She longed for the warmth of the Caribbean again. Maybe she’d go back to St. Thomas before flying to Singapore. She had the time. Or maybe she’d just explore the Orient. That could be fun too. All she knew for sure was that she couldn’t wait to get out of London. Sure, it was beautiful and historic, but it was too damned cold.
She wandered back to her flat and took a shower. She dressed in a gray suit with a black shirt. She debated wearing a tie but finally decided not to. She looked nice, dressy but not stuffy. Her palms began to sweat, and her heart raced. She inhaled deeply. She needed to get a grip, needed to stay in control.
Kit took a taxi to the Four Seasons where they’d agreed to meet for dinner. It was convenient for Savannah since that’s where she was staying. She arrived at nine on the dot. Savannah was already waiting for her.
“I’m sorry i
f I’m late,” Kit said.
“You’re not. I was early. For once in my life.” She laughed, music to Kit’s ears.
“So you’re not the punctual type, huh?”
“Not even close.”
Kit stared long and hard at her. She wanted to call bullshit. If Savannah was the agent Kit thought she was then she was probably very disciplined and incredibly punctual. But she kept her mouth shut. She still wasn’t sure Savannah was an agent. Almost, but not quite.
She sure didn’t look or act like any other stuffy FBI agent. But then it could all be an act. Which was precisely why Kit was determined to keep her guard up.
“Are you ready to get a table?” Kit asked.
“Sure.” Savannah stood and Kit almost wolf whistled. She looked amazing in a short red dress that clung to her curves. She was wearing expensive jewelry too. Too expensive for mere dinner. Was she trying to bait Kit? Well, Kit wasn’t going to fall for it. Not this time.
She placed her hand on the small of Savannah’s back and guided her into the restaurant. She felt the heat radiating from her and grew lightheaded. Why couldn’t she keep her cool with this one?
They were seated at a small table near the window. Kit was normally a people watcher and God knew there were plenty walking by. But she kept her focus on Savannah. She longed to trip her up. Almost as much as she longed to bed her. Or more. She shook the thought from her head. There couldn’t be more. Wouldn’t be more. She had neither the time nor the inclination for that.
“Are you okay?” Savannah said. “You went somewhere far off in your head. Want to talk about it?”
Kit flashed her best smile.
“I’m fine. I’m here with you. Trust me.”
“If you say so. How long are you in London?”
“I leave tomorrow. You?”
“Same,” Savannah said. “Will you be heading home? Or will you continue to jetset?”
Kit took a sip of wine. How much to tell Savannah?
“I’ll continue to globetrot for a while. What about you?”
“Oh yes. There’s a pai gow tournament in a week and I really want to be there. You’ve probably noticed I tend to go where the tournaments are.”
Thief of the Heart Page 5
