He reached out and covered her hand with his, caressing the back softly, while he pretended to appreciate the offered view. It surprised him that he even remembered how to seduce, all the little steps that built a response. It surprised him even more when it worked. Suzanne was, apparently, a fast stepper. At least he wouldn't have to play the game too long. He was interested in relief, not a relationship.
As they chatted their way through the preliminaries, he felt her bare foot push under the edge of his pants. She rubbed his leg in what she probably thought was a sexy circle. When she tired of this, she slid her foot up his leg into his crotch. He was so startled he didn't have time to control his reaction. He was only human.
Her gaze was locked on his like a smart bomb on a target as she continued kneading him to attention. He reached under the table and captured her foot, rubbing it gently, but indifferently. “If you're not careful, we won't be able to find a more private place to talk.”
Her lashes swept low, then back. “It would be easier to discuss my...problem...in a more private setting, but we'll need to be careful. You know how Bubba Joe is.”
He stroked his finger along the bottom of her foot and her body jerked in response. If he wasn't careful, she'd be doing a
When Harry Met Sally
moment. He gave her foot one last stroke, before releasing it.
She licked her lips, pouted them for him, and then reached into her purse and extracted a key card. She was careful about how she slid it toward him, making the moment both personal and private. He met her halfway. She gathered herself together and presumably put her shoe back on. She slithered out of her chair and stepped close to whisper in his ear.
“Don't be long.”
“It'll take me a few minutes to be able to walk,” he told her, genuinely amused.
She laughed, looking surprised and pleased. Laughter suited her, softening the hard lines that her life with Bubba Joe had cut into her face.
He watched her leave, weaving through the tables, confident and sexy. She was a dangerous woman, but she was about to become less so. He took out his cell phone and placed a call.
“Yeah, I need you. At—” He turned the key over and read off the hotel and room. “—bring the camera.” He hung up, sipped some water while his body returned to normal, then stood up, tossing some money on the table to cover the meal he hadn't had. As he strolled out, he found he was enjoying the unusual lick of anticipation in his blood at what was coming. And for the opportunity she presented. He had a keen sense of when information was heading his way and it was telling him that Suzanne was big with news.
* * * *
Bozo Luc opened the letter his informant had handed him and quickly scanned the contents. So, it was as he had suspected. Magus had indeed made sure that Dorothy was his blood, his DNA, before bringing her to Oz. He'd have done the same in his place, of course. What surprised him was the disappointment he felt. He had, he realized, liked the idea that his night of passion with Emma might have born fruit. To his surprise, he found he still missed Emma. He hadn't realized it until now. Infuriating, of course, but also an amazing woman and wasted on Magus. Dorothy had her mother's fire, but she also had enough of Magus in her to make her...annoying.
It had been a mistake to drop her ten years ago. She'd found her feet and her father's self-possession. He'd been so sure she'd never come back to Louisiana or have any desire to reclaim his political legacy, let alone hand it over to someone like Remy Mistral.
It would be easy enough to eliminate Mistral as an annoyance, but if Dorothy really cared about him, she'd be as dogged about pursuing his death as she was being about her father. She needed to be reeducated. It didn't have to be a final solution, unless she wasn't open to reason.
He looked at the results again, before he stuck them in his wall safe. They'd make a nice souvenir. And keep him grounded, if he were tempted to let his little game get too real. His informant had already altered the results at the source, to make it look as if he, Bozo, were her father. It would be almost impossible for her to represent Magus if the word got out and that would, by default, leave Mistral blowing hot air instead of cold. He doubted much time would pass before Mistral sheared off. He still had his sad little career on radio to go back to. It was clear he was using Dorothy to access Magus's political legacy and would have no need for her when it was gone. She'd need friends then and this time he wouldn't make a mistake. He'd be there for her. After all, he was her father now.
All that remained was for her to find out her new paternity. It was a pity he'd have to play loving father with her. She was, as his son would say, hot. And she was lonely. He'd sensed it in her when they met. He specialized in comforting the lonely and the hot.
Maybe he should have made her father Darius or Bozo. They'd both assumed they were the only ones she came to in her efforts to pay back Magus for his inattention. It had all been so entertaining at the time. Emma sleeping with everyone in sight. Magus oblivious until the end. Emma had confided in him, because, well, people did. They couldn't seem to help themselves. They always thought he had their best interests at heart. Strange. None of them ever stopped to ask themselves why on earth he would? Even Darius, who thrived on secrets, couldn't keep all of his own. He'd needed someone to talk to in the end. Had he gotten over his obsession with Emma or had he transferred it to Dorothy? It would have been funny to make him a father, but he couldn't have her turning to anyone else for help or answers to past puzzles. One thing his source had been clear about, she was deeply curious about the past and her parents, with precious few answers available to her. He could change that for her. He was good at fiction.
And would she still seek Magus's killer? He mulled it for a time, without coming to a conclusion. Even he hadn't been able to ferret out that mystery, though he had his suspicions. It had been such a stupid thing to do. Death was so messy and even the cleanest murder wasn't spotless. Secrets had a way of being found, usually by the wrong people. He wondered who had eliminated Vance, his wife and his attorney. As if the thought gave birth to the act, the phone rang. He waited for the caller ID. His brows arched in surprise. How interesting. He punched the speaker phone button.
“Hello, Bubba Joe.”
“Did you do it? You knew Vance, too. I know you did. I know you used him to do jobs for you. If you did, I'll kill you myself.” He slurred his words and end with a string of curses.
“It would help if I knew what we were talking about,” Bozo said, calmly, wondering what had set Bubba Joe off. He wasn't usually so forthright about who and what he was. Civilization was a thinner veneer on him than even Bozo had realized.
“Vonda Vance's murder. Did he give it to you? Because if you think you can blackmail me out of this race, well, you don't know who you're dealing with.”
Why am I sure he's not working off a script from his wife, Bozo wondered. He wasn't, of course, surprised. He'd always assigned Bubba Joe first suspect honors. But then Bubba Joe hadn't taken advantage of the opportunity and he'd wondered, maybe it was Darius. He was the type to take the long view. Clearly Bubba Joe had panicked back then and Suzanne had headed him off to deflect suspicion. But why would he care about Vonda's death, unless...
Well, Vance had never been a fool. He'd have known Vonda was his pressure point and acted to neutralize any threat to her. Interestingly enough, he had truly loved his almost-invisible wife. A pity she hadn't actually been invisible. She might be alive.
“I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about,” he said. “Have...it? What would that be?”
He could almost hear Bubba Joe thinking. If he was wrong and Bozo didn't know, then he wouldn't want to tell him. But what if Bozo was lying? The horns of a dilemma. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
“Don't mess with me, Bozo. You won't like what happens.”
Bozo didn't like drunken threats. Maybe it was time to turn the tables on Bubba Joe. Evidently there was another player in the game. Vance had worked alone, or so they always thought. He found himself remembering Dorothy's interview and the calm way she'd talked about a pardon for Vance. Dorothy had gained a lot from her father's demise. Could she really care about a man who had so neglected her that she went hungry at times?
What if she were Vance's silent partner? It would be pretty sweet for her if she could expose Bubba Joe, thus ending all speculation about who had hired Vance.
She rakes in sympathy, still gets the money, and propels her candidate into the governor's mansion on a tide of sympathy.
She seemed like such a nice girl, but was she really?
“What makes you think I'm the one messing with you?”
“Who else is there?”
It was too tempting. He shouldn't, but he would.
“What about Dorothy?”
“That ridiculous!”
“Is it?” Bozo asked, keeping his voice soft and reasonable. “Who stood the most to gain from Magus's death? Who still stands the most to gain if someone else is exposed for hiring Vance?”
There was a long silence, broken only by Bubba Joe's raspy breathing as he thought about this. He'd never been fast on the uptake.
Finally he muttered, “I already thought of her. Be sure I'll be talking to her, too. But if I find out you're screwing with me, Bozo—”
“I know, you'll deal with me. Go try to sober up, Bubba Joe.”
The phone slammed down in his ear and Bozo laughed. So, there was evidence that would implicate Bubba Joe out there somewhere? Who, after Vonda, would Vance give such evidence to? Bozo had known him, but not well. One didn't, with the type of person he was. Was it possible that Dorothy was his silent partner? If she was, then she was the best little actress he'd ever seen. Except for Magus, of course.
He looked at the paternity test again, the faked one. If Bubba Joe didn't take care of her, he'd have a little chat with the girl from Oz. He smiled. Life was suddenly interesting. And here, he'd been feeling so bored.
* * * *
As Suzanne Henry waited for Darius to appear, her thoughts rioted out of control. Bubba Joe had picked the wrong day to pull her chain. After he'd left, it hadn't taken long to realize that he'd given her the power to take him down. Why had she waited so long to do this? She'd spent so many years believing her future was tied up in his, that she was nothing without him. But he'd made it all so not worth it.
And the beauty of it was Darius would do it for her, so Bubba Joe would have no reason to suspect her at all. Maybe she could get Darius to drop his boring protege and sponsor her instead. There'd be more side benefits for him.
She stretched on the sheets, loving the feel of them against her bare skin, loving the anticipation of getting what she wanted. That was something Bubba couldn't understand, the anticipation of waiting. He was the ultimate instant gratification cretin.
And if Darius wouldn't play? She shrugged. Well, there was always Dorothy. If she could get to her before the timer ran out. That was the big unknown. How much time did she have to explore her options?
She heard the key in the lock, then the door opened and Darius came in, letting it close behind him. He didn't speak. Just tossed the key on the desk and started to undress. His eyes were cold, but interested. It was so sexy, it was all she could do not to writhe on the bed when he loosened his tie. Each button of his shirt was meticulously undone and then the shirt was shrugged off and tossed aside. His chest was narrow, almost boyish and bare of any hair. That was a pity. She liked hair, but she liked his chilly interest more. His belt came out. He sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze studying her waiting body like a surgeon about to operate.
She was about to die of wanting him. Maybe she would. Didn't they call it the little death?
“What are you waiting for?” She trailed a finger down his chest and felt the skin contract with pleasure. She smiled then. For a moment, she'd wondered if he was too cold, but he wasn't indifferent. And he was ready, if he'd just get his pants off.
“We'll talk later, but first, I hope you don't mind. I invited someone to join us.”
“Join us?” She started to sit up, but he pushed her back down on the bed, sweeping his hand down her body with the indifferent precision of a master violinist. Somehow he managed to hit just the right places to shut off almost all thought.
“What are you doing, Darius?” she managed to gasp out.
“I got you a present, Suzanne.” His voice was cool, the perfect compliment to his hot touch.
The door between the rooms opened. Suzanne pushed up with her elbows. Through a haze of desire, Suzanne saw a young woman, probably the most beautiful young woman she'd ever seen. Everything about her was hot, from her fire red hair hanging over her naked body to her dangerously high heels—the only item of clothing she'd left on—but her eyes were icy cold. She was, in every way, the perfect woman.
Suzanne smiled as she sank back into the bed. “Why Darius, how sweet of you.”
Who'd have thought the icy-on-the-outside, hot-on-the-inside, Darius would be into threesomes? Live and learn.
There was a hint of evil to the smile he gave her, but there was too much exploding sensation to worry about anything else.
* * * *
Remy's friend went over them and their car. He found both a tracking device on the car and bugs planted in their clothes. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell them how they got there. It could have been a chamber maid, he supposed, but it left Remy feeling uneasy about the people around Dorothy. Maybe Titus wasn't paranoid after all.
His head was clear and Dorothy seemed much better, though she was still mad at herself for losing the book.
“If only I'd left it on the shelf.”
He turned the car in the direction of Oz and asked, “You say you flipped through the pages and didn't see anything?”
“No, no paper or writing, but it was very quick and there wasn't a lot of light down there.”
“Try not to feel bad about it. We all got caught off guard.” Remy rubbed the back of his head. At least their assailant hadn't whacked Dorothy. He and Titus hadn't been so lucky.