Dangerous Allies (The Ruby Danger Series Book 1) (25 page)

R
uby switched
the tray of three coffees to her left hand and pushed the up button. When the elevator door opened, she stepped aside to make room for an orderly pushing a gurney. On the third floor she walked to a reception area marked
ward 3b
, rounded the corner and stopped outside a private room.

A police officer stood at the door.

“Hi, Jack,” Ruby said, handing him a coffee. “How’s business?”

“Slow,” he said, “very slow.”

“Well, in your line of work that’s good, right?”

He grinned, lifting the coffee to his lips, and gestured at the door.

“Go on in. He’s awake.”

She pushed the door open and let it swing closed behind her. The room was in shadows except for a pool of light over a hospital bed, where a man sat, reading a newspaper. An iv drip trailed from his arm.

Ruby sighed and shook her head.

“
The Wall Street Journal?
Seriously? Is that the only thing you can find to read?” She placed a coffee on the night table beside the bed and sat in the armchair next to it with the last of the coffees in her hand. She took a sip, her eyes crinkling over the rim of the cup.

Hari looked over at her and smiled.

“What should I be reading?
Variety?
” He reached for the coffee on the nightstand and winced. Ruby picked it up and put it in his hand.

“Here, fumble-fingers.”

He took a sip, closed his eyes, and swallowed. “I never thought I’d see the day when I’d take my coffee double-double. But it’s growing on me.”

“You need the extra calories, what with the convalescing and all. As for what you should read, what did you do with my business proposal?” Ruby glanced around the room.

“I read it.”

“And?”

“The two of us in business together? As fraud investigators? Tracking white-collar criminals? It’s a little far-fetched, Ruby.” He lowered his arm, balancing the paper cup on the bedspread.

“Why? You’re a genius with numbers, remember? And I’d make a good front man. I mean woman. Front woman.” Ruby took his coffee cup, placed it on the table, and pulled a face. “It’s not as if you’ll be working on Wall Street once Antony’s trial is over.”

“What you mean is that no one will trust me after I’ve agreed to be a star witness for the prosecution.” Grinning, he added, “Was that wrong?”

“Oh, shut up,” she said.

Hari’s grin faded as he folded the newspaper, laid it on the bed, and looked at her intently.

Ruby bit her lip. She knew that look. He was about to say something she wouldn’t like. Something that started with ‘but.’

“But fraud can be a dangerous business, Ruby. At least the way you operate. If you hadn’t called 9-1-1 when you did, I would have bled out on that garage floor. And if you hadn’t drawn Dimitri away, he would have come back and finished the job.” Hari looked down at the folded newspaper and shook his head. “I don’t want you to be in that kind of danger ever again.”

“I was running away, not trying to distract Dimitri.” Her stomach clenched. “Although, if I’d had any idea you weren’t—” She winced and looked away.

“See, that’s what I mean. You would have come back to save me and we’d both be dead.” He shook his head. “No, it’s not a good idea. Sorry.”

She handed him his coffee and they sipped in silence for a while.

“There is one thing I don’t understand,” Ruby said, tilting her head. “Why did the police say you were missing when you were here in intensive care the whole time? It’s darned upsetting to think someone you care about is dead when they’re not.”

His eyebrows rose.

“Is it really?”

“Oh, stop. That was different.”

“Right. Has your great-aunt forgiven you yet?”

“Not yet, but she will. She loves me,” Ruby simpered. “Although Aunt Dot is pretty annoyed. I haven’t seen her this angry since
Firefly
was cancelled.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, I’m not. She loved that show.”

Hari rolled his eyes.

“And the girls?”

“I saw them last week, in Vancouver. And they’re coming to New York for the holidays. I can’t make up for the time I’ve missed with them, but I can start over.”

Hari smiled and they locked eyes for a moment, then he looked away.

“As for the police,” he said, “I wasn’t in any condition to ask them what they were thinking. But they’ve since told me they did it for my protection.” He reached for his coffee again and she handed it to him. “I’m not so sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think they wanted Antony to meet the blackmailers and hand over the money, so they could round them all up at the same time. And if Antony thought the mob had killed me—”

“He’d be more amenable to handing over the dough. Thus making their job that much easier.”

Hari nodded and sipped his coffee.

“Of course,” he said gravely, “they didn’t realize Ruby Danger was on the job.”

“Very funny.”

“Where’s your partner in crime-busting, by the way?”

“Mila and Sergei have gone back to Moscow. I saw them off yesterday. Mila’s been offered a position at her father’s old newspaper. Research, I think.”

“And the blonde?

“She’s an actor, as it turns out. She’ll probably play me in the biopic.”

“There’s a biopic?” Hari said, handing her back his coffee.

“Already in pre-production. My agent, Felicity, assured me she wouldn’t represent the blonde. But I told her I didn’t care and why shouldn’t she take her money?”

“And do you? Care, I mean?”

She tilted her head and looked at him for a moment. “You know something, Hari? I don’t think I do anymore. That stuff that used to worry me—the credits, the scripts, the tabloids—it doesn’t matter.” She took a sip of coffee and put both their cups on the night table. “It’s the work that counts.”

“Does that mean you’ll do the play you’ve been offered?”

“I don’t know. It’s stunt casting. They want me because I’m in the news and can put bums in seats.”

“Not true. You’re a good actor. A great actor.”

Ruby got up and walked to the window, where she watched an ambulance pull up to the hospital entrance. She drew a ragged breath.

“What if I screw up again, Hari? What if I let everybody down?”

“You won’t.”

“I want to keep acting, if I can get work. But I need to do more. Antony ruined people’s lives, Hari.”

“That isn’t your fault.”

She walked back and sat on the edge of the bed.

“I know, but there are other people out there like Antony. Lots of them.” She raised her eyebrows. “We would never be out of work.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s not a good idea.”

She nodded. “Whatever you say, Hari.”

He gave her a suspicious look.

“That was easy.”

Ruby reached for her tote bag and pulled out a well-worn envelope.

“Let’s change the subject. I have something I’ve been meaning to read to you. It’s a letter from Quentin, my brother-in-law. Would you like to hear it?”

Hari clasped his hands over his stomach and nodded, giving her his full attention.

Ruby had read it so many times she knew every word by heart, but she opened it, smoothed out the wrinkles, and read aloud.

She smiled at Hari.

Ruby’s voice cracked, and she swallowed.

Folding the letter, she slid it back into its envelope and looked at the floor. For several seconds, neither spoke.

Hari broke the silence.

“That was a dirty trick.”

Ruby raised her eyes to meet his.

“Look, even if I were inclined to agree—”

She jumped to her feet.

“Wait,” he said, holding up his hand. “I didn’t say I
was
inclined to agree. But even if I were, how would we finance it? The money’s gone and the authorities have seized everything else. The houses, the cars, even the art. We don’t even have enough money to buy business cards.” He narrowed his eyes. “Why are you grinning?”

“Because that’s not exactly true.”

“Which part?”

Ruby reached for the chain around her neck and pulled it out from under her sweater. Even in the dim light, the yellow diamond sparkled and flared. “I may have forgotten to tell the SEC about this,” she said, twirling the gem on its chain. “Was that wrong?”

Hari shook his head and tried to stifle a grin.

“So. We can buy business cards. Maybe even a filing cabinet or two.” His smile faded. “But Ruby, you’re a ‘relief dependent’ in Antony’s case. That means the SEC can go after any assets purchased with the proceeds of his crimes,” he pointed to the diamond, “including that. You might not even have a place to live before long.”

Ruby tucked the diamond back under her sweater and grinned again.

“That’s not exactly true, either.”

“Meaning?”

“It turns out I have more than enough money for a down payment on my own apartment. It’s in a trust fund.”

“How’s that?” He cocked his head.

“
Family Album?
Syndicated in twenty-two countries? Every time a rerun airs, I get a residual check. Felicity negotiated the contract when the show went off the air. At the time I was,” she winced, “indisposed.”

“In rehab, you mean.”

She blew out a breath.

“Any other objections?”

He scratched his neck, frowning slightly.

“I guess … we’re partners.”

Ruby twirled and held out an arm.

“Ta-da. You will not be sorry.”

“Oh no,” Hari said. “I definitely will.”

R
ickie Blair
dangled
her first participle at the age of six. For over two decades she's been a financial journalist, writing and editing for major financial newspapers and magazines. She lives in Ontario with several ornery pets and an overactive Netflix account.

M
y thanks
to early readers Paul Solyn, Lin White, and Sonia Verma, whose comments and input were invaluable.

My thanks also to editor Alex McGilvery, whose thoughtful and generous guidance on structure and style helped me improve
Dangerous Allies
in particular and my writing skills in general.

I’d also like to extend my gratitude to copy editor extraordinaire Martha Hayes, whose advice, encouragement, and breadth of knowledge have been indispensable to this beginner.

And finally, I’d like to thank alpha reader Grace-ann McIntyre for her unflagging support, keen insights, and detailed critiques. I couldn’t have done this without you.

E
ven fame and
fortune can turn deadly …

Ruby Delaney has finally landed a Broadway role, but her excitement is short-lived when she confronts a disgruntled stage manager who’s convinced she can’t be trusted. Ruby is determined to put her notorious past behind her and focus on the play. Until she discovers a con man has targeted her mentor’s life savings.

Ruby teams up with fraud investigator Hari Bhatt to find the swindler. Their investigation leads them to a murder instead. The partners track the victim’s missing money to Paris and uncover a link to one of Wall Street’s biggest names, a man seemingly above reproach. Ruby and Hari race to prove their case, unaware they're being watched by someone who will go to desperate lengths to hide a lethal secret.

Dangerous Benefits
is the second book in
the Ruby Danger series
. Sign up for my newsletter at
rickieblair.com
to receive a free e-copy.

She wanted fun in Sin City. Not death beneath the streets.

After the tragic consequences of their last case, fraud investigators Ruby Delaney and Hari Bhatt have lost the desire to expose cheats and con artists—or to risk their own hearts. But Ruby can’t look away when she stumbles upon a mortgage scam that’s torn an elderly woman from her home. And a reluctant Hari agrees to go undercover to probe an identity theft ring at a Las Vegas casino-hotel.

When a body is found in the home of a missing casino employee, the estranged partners join forces to find the victim’s terrified killer. Hari and Ruby embark on a desperate race through the city’s pitch-black underground tunnels, pursued by a deadly adversary who’s hunting for the same man.

Dangerous Comforts
is the third book in
the Ruby Danger series
.