Authors: Marion Faith Carol J.; Laird Lenora; Post Worth
Tags: #Fluffer Nutter, #dpgroup.org
“Let's get this show on the road,” he said to Josie.
She gave him a look of resolve and challenge.
Josie Gilbert might be the biggest challenge he faced right now.
FIVE
T
he giant took them to the back of the house, where Armond's massive study offered a wall of windows that gave a stunning view of the back gardens. With moonlight and strategically placed spotlights shining on it, the big sloping yard took on an ethereal glow. Only, tonight the moonlight seemed to chase after too many shifting shadows. Was someone out there right now, ready to do harm to all of them?
Josie's golden-green eyes widened with a grudging admiration of the view, but she wiped her expression clean and turned tough again. “Mr. Armond, we've talked to all of our sources, and so far, you're in the clear. No new information. But the police do know Lewanna's identity, and they do have witnesses that reported seeing a man holding a gun standing near the body. Since the shot was muffled with a silencer, no one heard anything.” That had just come via rerouted text straight from her supervisor.
She tossed things over to Connor with a solemn stare.
“No one has yet identified me or my car,” Connor said. “If anyone saw you get in my car, they're not talking.”
“Any reports of other such shootings?” Armond asked, clearly still shaken.
“No,” Connor replied. “Do you expect that?”
“I have no idea,” Armond retorted. “But if they were willing to kill Lewanna, they'll probably try to kill anyone else close to me.” He glanced out the window, then back at Connor. “You already know too much. Some of my associates might feel the same way now.” He shook that off with a shrug. “I'm glad my wife is safe in New York.”
“Are you sure she's safe?” Josie asked, her tone as warm and unaffected as the still wind outside.
“I have people in place,” Armond said with another shrug.
“Can you trust them?” Connor asked, wondering why Armond didn't trust his local security team.
“I have to trust them right now,” Armond responded. “I'm a sitting duck. I knew better than to get involved with the feds. Starting with you.”
“You
can
trust me,” Connor replied, hating the lie but using his close relationship with the old man as collateral.
“I only need you now to hide me and help keep me safe,” Armond retorted. “Don't make me regret that decision.”
And so much for that. Connor glanced at Josie. “He's right. We have to be careful here. A lot of unsavory people know I work for Mr. Armond.”
Armond's bushy brows lifted at that statement. “You used to work for me, but we both know why I had to...let you go.”
Connor cleared his throat. “Yes, but I'm back for now. If everyone can work with that?”
“I don't have a choice and you certainly don't,” Armond said, his gaze saying otherwise. “But I'm watching you, Randall.” He gave Josie a harsh appraisal. “And I'm still not sure about you, young lady. I'll have my people do a rundown on you, but I need your full name.”
Josie gave him one of her undercover names. “Grant. Josie Grant.”
“Do you mind if I do a background check?”
“Not a problem for me,” Josie replied, her tough-girl stance sounding completely real. She tossed her straight dark hair and crossed her arms over her shiny black leather jacket. “I always watch my back.” She tapped her phone. “
I've
put people in place to squelch any rumors. And I've already done my homework on you. Your name won't cross any lips.” Her eyes slanted up. “You command a lot of respect around these parts, Mr. Armond.”
Armond chuckled. “And I intend to keep it that way.” But he didn't sound so confident right now. After giving her name to one of the guards, he waited, staring at them until the man returned and whispered something in his ear.
“Seems you also command a great deal of respect, Josie...Grant.”
“That's what I get paid for,” Josie replied, obviously relieved that Sherwood and the techs had managed to set up a cover so quickly. She named her price and waited. Armond's slight nod got his men moving. Josie sent the old man a lifted eyebrow in thanks.
Nerves of steel,
Connor decided. He liked that in a woman.
Connor wondered if Armond truly did care about his wife or his grown son. The man was all about making more money, and he really didn't care how he did that. Or who he hurt or destroyed in doing it. But he'd made and lost more money than anyone knew, and he'd had to get into cahoots with some ruthless people. In return, he'd pledged to keep names out of the conversation. Until the FBI had cornered him and offered him a deal he couldn't refuse. No wonder he was afraid someone was after him. They'd need to remember that, too.
“Did you make that list of people you suspect?” Josie asked. “I can get right on that, since we've done a rundown on any chatter and cleaned that up for now.” She glanced around the room. “And we need to check your personal weapons.”
“I have the list you requested but it's only a partial one.”
Connor's hope deflated. The man still refused to name the main players. Witnessing the death of his mistress had done exactly what those players wanted it to doâscare Armond back into silence.
“Let's get started on checking the weapons,” Josie said, shifting a worried glance toward Connor.
Armond motioned to a guard to open the weapons cabinet on the other side of the room. “And call down and have someone check all of the weapons in the cellar cabinet, too.” After a few minutes of waiting silence, Armond held up the list, but kept it away from Josie. “Just how exactly do you expect to continue cleaning up this situation?”
Connor had expected this. Armond didn't trust anyone, but then he was a powerful man with a lot of powerful rivals. He'd go for nothing less than an all-out protection detail.
Before Josie could reply, a guard came in and whispered into Armond's ear again. Armond's almond-colored eyes widened.
“One of my high-powered rifles is missing.”
Josie turned to the guard to jot down the make and model of the missing weapon. Then she put her hands down on Armond's desk. “That means even if you didn't pull the trigger, someone took one of your weapons to make it look like you ordered the hit.”
“I bought that particular rifle for...my son.”
Connor grunted. “If they find one of your guns near the crime scene, you can bet they'll want to question you.”
“I thought you were taking care of things,” Armond blurted, his anger boiling over toward Josie.
Josie went into tough-chick mode with a flip of those long, tattered brunette bangs. “Hey, I've already had a thorough report of the crime scene, and they didn't find a gun. And we both patched things up to make sure your name won't come up for now.” She put her hands on her hips and walked straight to the end of Armond's huge teakwood desk. “I didn't come out here in the middle of the night to enjoy the view, Mr. Armond. I'm good at what I do, but if you wanna find someone elseâ”
“I don't,” he said, waving a hand to a hovering guard. “I just have to be sure about these things.”
“We all have to be sure,” Connor said, stepping in. “You need to get out of here. Josie and I think we need to go back into the city to do some footwork.”
“Unacceptable. I have the latest electronic equipment right here. You can research anything you need.”
Josie hit a palm on the desk. “Look, Mr. Armond, I know who you are and what you do. That's not my problem. But if you want my services, then first, you need to pay me my asking price, and second, you need to trust me completely. Stop playing this game of passive-aggressive control. I'll go out that door right now and leave you and your men here to finish this job.”
“You leave when I say so,” Armond retorted.
“You're not my boss,” Josie replied.
Connor smelled a fight. Maybe Josie was spoiling for one, but he wasn't. Not just yet.
“Hey, we have to stick together,” he said on an easy breath. “You don't trust me, but remember, I did help you find the Benoit paintingsâall three of them. And I haven't sold you out to the FBI even though they've pulled me in, several times.”
He glanced at Josie, remembering how she'd been in on one of the last debriefings he'd had to endure. “I'm here to help, Mr. Armond. You can still make a clean break by telling us who your partner is. Or haven't you realized that someone inside your organization is betraying you in a big way?”
“And that person could easily be you,” Armond replied.
“Me?” Connor held up his hands. “I don't like guns. And why would I take out Lewanna? She seemed like a nice girl.”
“You shut up about Lewanna,” Armond shouted with a finger in Connor's face. “You're here because I decided to use your expertise instead of wasting you or maybe
before
I waste you,” Armond reminded him. “Just remember that whenever you think about walking away.”
“Nobody's walking here,” Josie replied, her eyes snapping with annoyance. “We're here to protect you, and it seems apparent that someone close to you is involved in this. Let's get over the paranoia and work on getting to the bottom of this.”
Armond stared up at her, his dark brown eyes burning between insolence and fear. Josie stared right back, her expression unrelenting.
Armond finally sat back in his big leather chair. “What happens next?”
Josie stood, gave Connor a relieved glance and then turned back to Louis Armond. “We make a plan to move you. But until then, you stay put with your guards. You don't let anyone but the two of us in or out of this compound.”
“Understood.”
Connor took over. “We go into the city, do our thing with setting you up in a safe place. Look for that missing gun. We'll question the kind of people the police can't even begin to find and we'll get to the truth about who killed Lewanna.”
“You will report back to me.”
Not a question, but a demand.
“Of course.” Connor came to stand by Josie. “I'll keep you posted.”
Armond stood and shook his head. “I need a more reassuring guarantee. Before I agree to move, you have to agree to one of my men accompanying you at all times. As insurance, of course.”
Josie let out a sigh. “You need to trust us.”
Armond motioned for the giant. “I will, because Beaux is going to be with you. He knows how to make people more trustworthy.”
Connor and Josie exchanged looks. Beaux was big, really big, and he had a perpetual scowl on his meaty face. He'd be hard to shake. And deadweight in quick getaways.
“Uh, that's not such a good idea, Mr. Armond,” Connor replied.
“Then we all sit here and watch and wait,” Armond retorted.
Josie let out an exaggerated grunt. “Look, let's just get moving with this before someone comes after you again. If he wants to tag along, then so be it. I refuse to sit here wasting precious time when I could be out there clearing you of any wrongdoing.”
She gave Connor a look that could have melted the Remington sculpture displayed behind Armond's desk. This was not going to be easy. But then, Connor had learned that working with criminals and agents never was. And here he stood caught between two very opposing forces.
He had a feeling things would only get worse.
Things got worse in the next second.
They heard an explosion somewhere deep in the interior of the house.
SIX
A
rmond's guard jumped to his aid and pushed him down behind the big desk and shouted, “He's okay. But we need to get him out of here.”
Connor grabbed Josie and tugged her past Big Beaux. “Let's get
us
out of here.”
“What? And leave Armond to die?”
“That's probably what he has in mind for us once he's done with us.”
Josie followed him toward the front of the house, her weapon drawn. When they heard shouts, she stopped. “I can't abandon someone who's in danger, Connor. Not even a hardened criminal.” She turned and headed toward the back of the house.
“Josie!”
She kept going. With a groan, Connor hurried after her. Did she have to go all noble right in the middle of an explosion? Of course she did. She struck him as solid on the honor system.
And because he was trying hard to learn that trait, and because she was cute and he'd enjoyed touching his forehead to hers earlier, he went after her. For all the above and to keep her alive, of course.
When they got to the back of the house, several guards were using fire extinguishers to put out the blaze from the explosion. Connor held Josie back as they took in the scene. Armond stood in the door of the huge master bedroom, a look of shock darkening his face. He wasn't responding to Big Beaux's coaxing him away.
“He usually goes to bed early,” Beaux explained. “He's all shook up. Normally, he would have been in that bed by now.”
“This is not good,” Armond mumbled, disbelief evident in his scowl. “This is not good at all.”
The enormous room had been destroyed. Beyond the fog of the fire extinguishers, the burgundy brocade curtains were now in charred shreds that whipped like dark tentacles reaching out in the wind. The massive bed had exploded like a bag of popcorn, white feathers and mattress stuffing covering the once-elegant comforter. The ceiling-to-floor windows were shattered and broken. And the whole room smelled dank and charred, the scent of burning wires merging with the smell of scorched furnishings and the chemical fumes from the fire extinguishers.
“What do you think?” Connor asked Josie.
She sniffed around like a hound dog, her pert nose up in the air. “I think someone called in a bomb.”
“I got that,” he said, glad she had a dry wit when needed.
“I also think Armond was right. Someone wants him dead.”
She got in front of Armond's face. “We need to get you out of here. Now.”
Beaux nodded. “I'm trying to persuade him.”
She examined Armond with a quick frisking and a hand on his pulse. “You're confused and in shock, but you're alive. If you'd been in this bed asleepâ”
Beaux gave her a fearful stare. “Sir, she's right. You're not safe here.”
“Let's move, people,” Connor called. Josie was taking notes on her phone. Or so she pretended. He figured she was calling this in to her boss. He poked her on the elbow and then called out, “Leave this the way you found it. The sooner we leave the better.”
Josie gave him an overbearing frown but nodded.
Everyone went into action. Connor watched the lieutenants coming and going, but he also watched Josie. She studied each of the guards with such intensity her expression sizzled just like the drapes.
“What are you doing?” he whispered.
“Trying to find out which one of these men might want their boss dead,” she replied. Then she turned to him. “Armond was right about this, and I think he might be right about something else.”
“And what's that?”
“You could be next.”
Connor shook his head. “I don't plan on that.”
“You were his right-hand man for a long time, Connor. And he found out you were working for the FBI that whole time. That means someone thinks he could turn, too, since he was associated with you. Somebody is running scared, and they're taking names and going into action. First, his mistress, and now an attack on him. They know. They know the FBI has talked to him. His wife and son are in danger, too.”
“I was careful,” Connor retorted. “Very careful. But then, I've made a lot of enemies myself.” He still wondered why Armond had let him live. Perhaps his reputation for being charming had impressed the old man.
“You know how that works. If they want you, they will find you,” she said, her tone low and husky. “We need to get both of you out of here and into a safe house. Preferably by splitting you apart.”
Connor paced while the worker bees took care of business.
“I don't get this. I witness the murder of his girlfriend, and he forces me to help and forces me to make this go away. And now he's running for his life. He could have killed me right there on the street, but he got in the car with me.”
“Maybe he was in shock, as we saw when we got here, or he took the first way out that came along. But whatever his motives, you're in this thing now. These people could already know that you and I are involved in covering this up. They'll come after us next.”
Connor touched a hand to her arm. “You're in as much danger as I am.”
“Possibly. Which is why we have to work together to find out who's behind this. And we start with his missing wife and that absent grown son.”
“Do you thinkâ”
“Just trying to cover all the bases.”
She moved away and punched her phone.
This operation had gone from a cover-up to an official FBI investigation. Not just FBI. Make that the sheriff's department, an ATF team, the state police and the FBI. When something this big happened to a man like Louis Armond, everyone in law enforcement would want a piece of the action. And once again, Connor was in the thick of things. How could he possibly get out of this jam?
Maybe with Josie's help, if he could convince her to trust him.
He glanced from Louis Armond to the woman talking quietly on the phone. He had to protect Josie, whether she liked it or not. He'd brought her in on this, thinking they could both benefit from it.
Now he'd put her in danger.
The same way he'd put his sister in danger so many times.
He heard the sirens in the background and knew what he had to do. “Josie, we need to get out of here.”
She nodded. “I've called in a report. We need to wait and give our statements to the locals and to our guys.”
Connor glanced around. “And blow what little cover we have. If you're worried about one of Armond's minions being a snitch, then why do you want to stay around and talk to any law-enforcement officials? We can file our reports later.”
He leaned close, nose to nose with her. “We're supposed to be here on a very secret, very important mission that doesn't involve the authorities.”
She took one last long glance around the room. “Good point. So we have to take him with us and get him in a safe place. It's the only way to salvage this.” Then she planted her ever-changing golden-green eyes on him. “It looks like you're the only person I
can
trust right now.”
* * *
“Yes, sir. I understand, sir.”
Josie turned from her phone and gave Connor a nod. Then she checked the hotel window for the third time. They were in an out-of-the-way boutique hotel close to the Garden District that had been cleared as one of their inner-city safe houses. Connor had a room across the hall from where Josie had an adjoining room with Armond. Big Beaux was watching over him, but Josie could see them through the open door. Connor had come over to join her.
“Sherwood is not happy with us,” she said. She motioned him away from the adjoining door. “They found more than just an explosive device in that room. They also found a duffel bag full of cashâclose to two hundred thousand dollarsâand some invoices providing a month's worth of questionable shipments.”
Connor's dark brows tipped up and he let out a low whistle. “Stolen and fake goods?”
She nodded. “They were shipped to a warehouse address on the river.” Pointing to the address, she added, “Sherwood's got a team on the way there now. And he's coming after Armond. We don't need Armond's cooperation now. This is enough to bring him in.”
Connor glanced back toward the other room. “This is a setup. Armond would never be that sloppy. He keeps his business records so hidden even I couldn't find them. And he never kept cash around the house. Where did they find this stuff?”
“Inside an open safe in the closet,” Josie said. “Convenient, huh?”
“Too convenient.”
Josie crossed the room to make sure Armond was where she'd left him. Connor followed. Whispering, she said, “So if things had gone right, Armond would have come home after the opera and gone to bed and thenâboom. But why leave the evidence if you're trying to kill the man?”
Connor tugged at his curly hair. “Maybe the explosion was supposed to be a distraction while they emptied the safe? Or they purposely left the money and receipts for the FBI to find, whether Armond was alive or dead?”
“Or to implicate whoever happened to be here with him when the authorities came?”
“Which could have been me.” Connor tapped his knuckles on the nearby desk. “This makes no sense. Maybe we should have hung around a little longer.”
“That doesn't matter now. Sherwood plans to make it more sensible. He's on his way here, and he wants us gone once they take Armond.”
“Gone? As in still undercover?”
“He needs us out there gathering information,” Josie explained. “We have to stay here with Armond until we can swap him off to them. Sherwood wants us to do some more undercover work, ask around about Armond's contacts and enemies so we can build a case against him. Or find out who's after him.”
Connor pushed at the tousled hair against his forehead. “And your superior is cool with us going into hiding together?”
It had been a long night for both of them, and Josie was too tired to lie to him. “Not that cool, but he agrees we can get more information if we stay undercover. And we can protect each other. So the plan is to keep my true identity from Armond while we dig for suspects.”
“So we go to ground,” Connor said. “It's not like I haven't done that before.”
Josie saw the fatigue in his eyes. She'd never stopped to consider how much he had to look over his shoulder, either for the authorities or the criminals. But she refused to feel sorry for him and the double life he had been playing for the past couple of years. “Good. That means you'll follow my instructions and stay out of trouble.”
“We're in a lot of trouble already,” he said, staring out the hotel window. “What happens to Armond now?”
“After the FBI moves in and explains he's going into protective custody or possibly jail unless he'll cooperate?”
“Yeah, after that.”
“He'll either turn and agree to testify against some of his enemies or his mysterious partner or...he'll be charged with transporting illegal and stolen goods into the country. He knows the risks, but he was willing to talk to us before this happened.” She checked the door again. “He'll be a little aggravated with us, too.”
“Tough choices,” Connor said. “But then the boys down at headquarters like to give out such ultimatums.”
She propped on a nearby desk. “Is that how you came to be a part of our happy family?”
“More or less. I didn't have a lot of options.”
“You can tell me about it all later,” she said as she got up and stretched. “Let's go talk to Armond and tell him we have to leave him here so we can do some footwork.”
“He won't be happy.”
Josie texted a message to Sherwood and then waited while another undercover agent checked the hallway. Sherwood had placed his people all over the hotel.
“We can't guarantee his happiness, but if he wants our help, he'll agree. The man is running scared, and now we've found some evidence that could incriminate him.”
“And of course, after we leave, the FBI will bully him into this deal based on that evidence. Makes you wonder who planted it.”
She whirled from the door to answer another text, then went to the adjoining room. “Beaux, we're going to bring in another guard to make sure both of you are safe.” When Armond lifted his head, about to protest, she said, “Don't even think about running, Mr. Armond. Two incidents in one night are enough to be sure someone is gunning for you. The guard will keep watch, and you need to stay right here for the next few hours.”
Beaux nodded and patted his gun. “I won't let anybody near him.” Then he sent a frowning glance toward his boss. “And I won't let him leave.”
Armond's scowl grew wider. “Beaux, I'm still in charge.”
“Not right now,” Josie retorted. “That is, if you want to stay alive.”
Josie walked back through the doorway between them and Armond and made sure she was out of earshot. Leaning in, she looked up at Connor. “They're in the building. It's time for us to sneak out.” Then she frowned at Connor. “Hey, Randall, by the way, you seem to be wavering between loyalty to Armond and your duty to the FBI. So whose side are you really on?”
“Mine,” he said with a shrug. Then he grabbed his wrinkled tux jacket and followed her out of the room. When she saw their relief guard coming toward them, Josie waited until the man went into the room she'd just left.
“We're clear,” she told Connor. “Let's get out of here.”
They'd made it to the back elevator down the hall and around the corner. Josie signaled to the guard waiting there to go down the hallway toward Armond's room. A couple of minutes later, the elevator doors opened and Josie stepped in, Connor right behind her. Then they heard shouting followed by gunshots.
“That sounded close to Armond's room.” Josie drew her weapon. “Stay with me,” she said on a hiss to Connor. She motioned him back around the corner.