Toby sat on the edge of his bed. I caught him watching me when I glanced up. After our conversation in the desert, things were still a little awkward between us. I did my best to forget what we’d both said and focused on the internet.
Bingo. I found what I was looking for. Now I remembered why the name had sounded familiar. We fell into silence for several minutes while I scanned the information on the screen and was prompted to go to several other sites. My heart started pounding in my chest when I finally came to a piece in the puzzle. Looking fixedly at the screen, I instinctively dropped my voice. “We need to do another search for listening devices in here.”
Toby didn’t ask why. He got right to work as I set the laptop aside. It took at least fifteen minutes to systematically go through every inch of the room. We felt along the tops, sides and bottoms of every piece of furniture and even the door and window frames. When our movements slowed and our eyes met, Toby nodded once and I went back to my laptop. I refreshed the site and turned the screen towards Toby.
“Mt. Carmel citizen records from the early 1900s?” he mumbled and then went straight to reading. He looked up several minutes later. “I’ll be damned.”
“Now we have our connection.” I closed the laptop and shoved it back into my bag. “I’m going to touch base with Todd. He can dig up more information for us.”
Toby shot me a lopsided smile. “And inform everyone in Blood Rock, including your hubby, that you’re alive and well.”
I shrugged. “I’m not like you. I can’t just go off the grid for any stretch of time.”
I reached for the motel phone when there was a knock at the door. My head swiveled in that direction and Toby bolted off the bed. He looked through the peep hole and turned back.
“It’s Lynette King.”
I set the phone receiver back down, the Blood Rock call all but forgotten, and stood up. I picked up my weapon and moved to the other side of the room, using the bathroom door as a flimsy form of cover. When I nodded at Toby, he opened the door. Lynette hurried in and Toby looked around outside before he shut the door.
Breathing heavily, her eyes were wide. I lowered my gun. “What’s wrong?”
Lynette smoothed her hands over her green dress. It wasn’t a seductive kind of dress at all. The straight lines and frumpy material reminded me of Amish ones.
“I knew you’d make it.” She let out an agitated breath. “Jared wasn’t so confident.”
“When you came to our room, you didn’t already know we were here?” I asked in disbelief, thinking the cleaning lady had notified the brothel, and Lynette was playing a two-sided game.
Lynette vigorously shook her head. “No, how would I know that? I risked coming here to check on you all and tell you some information.”
Toby flashed a quick glance that begged me to stand down and cut the woman a break. He motioned Lynette to take a seat, but she didn’t budge.
“What do you want to tell us?” Toby asked.
“Your man, George Walker, is back at the ranch. He showed up early this morning, not long after we got you out,” she said in a rush of words.
Toby’s usual posture was alert, but the news made him perk up even more. “What’s he doing there?”
“He’s working! Just like nothing at all happened with Susa” —she corrected herself— “Star and Andre.”
I approached her. “Do you believe George is the one who killed the pair?” Jared’s hunch just might be true.
“He did it all right. Andre fell fast and hard for Star.” Lynette dropped her gaze to the floor, looking uncomfortable. “Star just used him to gain her freedom. It’s pretty sad for both of them, if you ask me.”
“Does Melinda know?” I asked.
Lynette brushed her foot across the floor in a nervous gesture that I made note of in my mind. “She might. I don’t know for sure.”
Toby and I looked at each other. He wasn’t buying it either.
“Toby will arrest him, no problem. That’s what he’s here for. What do you want us to do?” I asked.
Lynette shifted on her feet as she tugged her hand through her red hair. “We’ll help you catch George, but we need you to do us a favor.”
We? My skin prickled. “What kind of favor?”
Lynette inhaled deeply and licked her lips. “There’s someone we need you kill.”
17
Lynette’s words caused me to sway back. Was she incredibly stupid or so desperate, she didn’t care that she had just asked a sheriff and a U.S. Marshal, who she barely knew, to commit murder?
I held in all the immediate responses that sprang to mind. “Explain.”
She swallowed hard, shifting her gaze between Toby, whose expression hadn’t changed, and back to me. “A man is going to be at the ranch tonight. He’s dangerous and slippery. We want him gone. Arresting him won’t do the trick. He’ll just wiggle his way out of it like he always does, and if he finds out any of us set him up, he’ll kill us all.”
Lynette’s face was white and stretched tight. She was terrified.
I was momentarily at a loss for words and Toby took over. “You keep saying we and us. Who is in on this with you?”
She didn’t answer, just stared at the wall. Toby probed some more. “Serenity and I are law enforcers. We don’t hire ourselves out to kill people. Your best bet is to be honest with us. Tell us what’s going on with this man and we’ll remove him from you and your coworkers’ lives, but we do it our way.”
Lynette shook her head. “I can’t do that. It’s a death sentence.” She took several steps toward the door and as I followed her, Toby moved in front of her.
“Come on, Lynette,” I coaxed. “You have to give us more to go on than just what you’ve said. Right now, you have a murderer in your midst. We’ll eventually bring George Walker down, with or without your help. Tell us who you want dead.” I tilted my head toward Toby. “We don’t always agree on protocol. I might be able to help you even if the marshal won’t.”
Indecision flitted across her eyes and I held my breath. “Michael Bruno. He’s the one who has to die. If neither of you will do it, then I will.”
I recognized the hopeless look on her face. She was dead serious.
“Why aren’t you afraid that we’ll arrest you right now? We could have already called in reinforcements,” Toby asked.
A small smile crept up on her mouth. “I’m not dumb. The phone line in this room has already been cut.”
I rushed back to the telephone and grabbed the receiver, bringing it to my ear. Sure enough, there wasn’t a dial tone. I pulled the cord until the part that was cut came fully into view.
When I spun around, Toby was pointing his pistol at Lynette.
“I didn’t come here alone. If you don’t let me leave” —she glanced at her wristwatch— “in three minutes, they’re coming in here. They have your key card, remember?” She rolled her eyes and then, almost as an afterthought, she added, “Don’t think you have any leverage holding me hostage either. Those morons don’t give two shits about me. They just want the same outcome, but for different reasons.”
Her last words held cryptic information and it suddenly made sense that there were different factions working together. Seeing the firm set to her jaw and knowing the clock was ticking, I quickly made a plan in my mind. “Okay, Lynette. Let’s say we go to the brothel and take out this Michael Bruno for you, what happens next?”
“We’ll give you George Walker. You can do whatever you want with him, but Bruno has to die.” She said with a scowl.
“Will we be granted access to the brothel, and once in, will there be any support for us?” I asked without glancing at Toby. I wasn’t sure how he’d like my idea, and I certainly didn’t want him to interfere right now.
“You’ll be able to enter, that I can guarantee you. But you’re on your own after that
. Bruno won’t be alone either. He has bodyguards.” She took a step backwards until she bumped into the door. “Don’t forget. There will be eyes on you, so no funny business. If the show goes sideways, you two won’t be leaving the brothel alive.”
I inclined my head, feeling my cheeks flush. “Why are you all right killing a couple of law officers, but you can’t take out this Bruno guy yourselves?”
Lynette smothered a sigh. “Because he’s a whole lot scarier than the two you, and all the authorities that will follow in your dead footsteps.”
18
Lynette had been gone for a few minutes, and neither Toby nor I had spoken. It appeared that even though we’d made it back to the motel, our lives weren’t secure yet. Before her visit, our main concern was finding George Walker and getting to the bottom of the recruitment of Mt. Carmel women into the brothel business. Now, we’d agreed to assassinate a probable mobster in return for our fugitive and our lives. Just when I thought life couldn’t get any more insane, I found myself surprised.
I hesitated and then blurted out, “What are your thoughts, Toby?”
He let the curtain drop and brought his full attention back to me. “For all my years in law enforcement and a hell of a lot of wacky intrigue, this case blows up everything else I’ve encountered. We were already aware there were criminal activities taking place between the motel and brothel, now we know that the brothel employees are at war with the owners. We aren’t safe here, and Lord knows, people—including agents—go missing in the desert all the time. We can’t underestimate how the desperation of the brothel’s inhabitants puts us in grave danger.” He gave his head a frustrated shake. “I can’t deny that a part of me wants to go in there and bring all the bastards down.” He leaned against the doorframe and toyed with his mustache. “Either way, it doesn’t look like the cavalry will arrive in time to assist.”
By now, Daniel was probably having fits. When he thought I was threatened in any way, he went to Todd and Bobby. At first, they’d attempt to calm him down. After a little while, they’d become concerned and start making calls. It would take anywhere from twenty-four hours to two days for that entire scenario to play out.
“We don’t have enough time be rescued, Marshal. It’s already noon. Darkness will fall before we know it. We have a perfect opportunity to hit a lot of birds with one stone, as they say.”
Toby made an indulgent sound. “What do you have in mind, Sheriff?
By the time we left the motel room, the sun was only a narrow slit on the horizon. The air was cooler and a dry wind teased my face as we crossed the parking lot to the waiting vehicle. There hadn’t been any specific plans and without cell phones and the landline to our room cut, we hadn’t been able to reach out to anyone. Even so, I’d been fairly confident that someone would be waiting to chauffer us to the brothel when we came out. I was right. Jared sat in the driver seat of a nondescript four-door sedan. The window was rolled down and he waved at us. His tanned face lacked expression, but the slight flare of his eyes made me think he was glad to see us, which seemed strange.
“I’m relieved you made it back to the motel safe and sound, Serenity,” Jared said, his voice tinged with mischief. He ignored Toby.
I still couldn’t decide if the bartender and sometimes male prostitute was a good or bad guy. He’d helped us escape, but that might have been part of Melinda’s plan all along. Unfortunately, Toby and I had no choice but to trust the man. If he played his cards right, when the shit hit the fan, he’d be able to return to Australia. If he made a wrong move, the inside of an American prison might be where he found himself for a long time.
I climbed into the front seat and Toby took the back. It was easy working with the Marshal. He never insisted on driving or the shotgun position.
Refusing to engage in the fake niceties, I asked, “Is Michael Bruno on site?”
The smile left Jared’s face. “Yeah, he arrived about an hour ago.”
“Who does he have with him?” My hand drifted to my sidearm. I touched the smooth steel, well aware that Jared hadn’t batted an eye that Toby and I were armed.
“Six men. They’re all hardened, and completely loyal to the Bruno bothers.”
“That’s quite the entourage,” Toby commented.
Jared wasn’t as relaxed anymore. He snorted loudly. “Michael doesn’t go anywhere without a sizeable security force. I don’t see how you’ll get near him.”
I glanced over the seat at Toby. Our eyes met and the corner of his mouth lifted. He was enjoying the scene a little too much. “Does Michael have a favorite girl?” I asked.
Jared kept his eyes on the road. The setting sun dipped behind the low, rocky hills and the sky took on a dull gray hue. “Blondie Jones.” He eyed me sideways. “Why?”
She was one of the formerly Amish women. How convenient. In order for my plan to work, we’d need some help from Jared. “I want access to Blondie. Can you make that happen, Jared?”
“Melinda isn’t going to like it. You’re supposed to be working on your own,” he said.
“So, Melinda is aware of what’s going on?” Toby and I had figured as much, but it was nice to have confirmation.
His face tensed and after several seconds of hesitation, he found his voice. “I can get you and Blondie together.” He turned to look at me when the brothel came into view. “Don’t drag her or any of the girls into the fray. That’s not how this is supposed to go down.”
“The women are safe with me,” I said.
I pressed my lips tightly shut. I didn’t like to lie. I would do everything in my power to protect them, but there was no way to predict the outcome once this began. I wasn’t even sure if I’d make it out alive.
19
The rustic-looking building had a more ominous vibe than it had the first time I’d seen it. Perhaps my short stint in the basement cell had something to do with my nervous feelings. Instead of going in through the main entrance, Jared pulled around to the side, explaining that we’d enter at the kitchen door, which was fine with me.
The rhythm of my heart was steady, but my senses were on high alert. I pushed any nagging doubts about possibly being pregnant to the back of my mind. Jared parked beside a minivan and we exited quickly. A sprinkler system must keep the grass in the expansive yard around the brothel the bright green color it was. The lushness of the compound was almost jarring after the scorched earth and dust-filled air beyond its fenced borders. Cooking smells wafted on the air and my stomach growled. I couldn’t remember when the last time I had eaten. The punch of adrenaline kept the hunger at bay. I held my breath as we passed by the commercial style ovens and the kitchen staff and their food preparations, making a mental note of everyone fluttering around the kitchen.
I recognized the hallway where Melinda’s office was. The door was closed when we passed by. It was good to have Toby at the end of our three-person line. From a quick glance, I saw that he was being as vigilant as I was. I recognized most of the women from the other night. They were already in their slinky costumes. Energy crackled in the air and jazz music flowed out of main holding room and bar. I counted eighteen security guards for the brothel and another two well-dressed, muscular men that struck me as out of place. I guessed they were part of Michael Bruno’s contingent.
Instead of stepping into the main lobby, Jared ushered us through another doorway where we were abruptly surrounded by at least two dozen women in the throes of getting ready for their selection parade. Women in all phases of undress squeezed past each other in several small, adjoining rooms. The bulb lights were bright, and the temperature was warm enough to make me wipe sweat from my brow. Toby took the semi-nakedness in stride. I, on the other hand, was a bit more flustered. A few naked females pole dancing at a distance was a far cry from having bare breasts grazing your back. These women were comfortable with their bodies and although some arched brows in curiosity at Toby and
myself, most didn’t pay attention to us at all.
Lynette was seated in front of a mirror doing her makeup. She glanced up briefly and we made eye contact. With the smoothness of a professional actor, she shifted her eyes back to the blush container like she didn’t recognize me.
Clara, the youngest of the Mt. Carmel women, was busy helping another woman button up her lacy lingerie. I recognized the brash blonde from before. She was the same woman who had appeared to be keeping an eye on Clara when I’d first seen her. Jared aimed for the blonde and before he made introductions, I knew she was Blondie Jones or previously, Sarah King. When Clara saw me coming, her fingers flew across the material to finish the job quicker. I wanted to talk to her, but she didn’t hang around, disappearing into the frenzy of women and their rushed preparations.
There was one person I hadn’t seen yet—Madam Melinda King.
Blondie glanced up under heavily mascaraed eyes. “What do you want?” She directed the question at me. Toby hung back and Jared joined him.
I tried to see any former Amish in this woman and couldn’t find it. She was tall, curvy, and had pouty lips. Being in her thirties, she had more lines around her eyes than a fair share of the other women. It was her dark brown eyes that illuminated her toughness. Years of working in a brothel had not been kind to her.
It made me wonder why she was Michael Bruno’s favorite at the brothel. What Blondie knew or didn’t know was up in the air, but I suspected she had a pretty good idea what was going on. “I’d like to be in your room when you take Michael up there.”
Blondie’s eyes darted to Jared and I followed her gaze. Jared looked fixedly at the floor. She inhaled deeply and muttered, “Fuck you then, Jared.” Her attention returned to me. “Whatever. You might bite off more than you can chew.” She jerked her head for me to follow and after receiving a solemn nod from Toby, I left with her.
Wicked Legacy (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 10) Page 12
