Whiskey Sour (14 page)

Nick sighed and looked at the front page of the file in my hand. “If we’re going in a jewelry store you’re going to owe me more than
regular sex tonight. It’s going to have to be chandelier sex. And it’ll probably have to include dairy products.”

“I was hoping you’d say donuts,” I said, shoving the file back in my bag and getting out of the truck. “That’d be way more exciting.”

“We’ll try donuts the next time I screw up. This is your punishment. You’re going to have to live with the consequences.”

We walked into Christian DeLuce’s store laughing, and we immediately caught the attention of a swan-like man with thinning strawberry blond hair.
He was middle-aged, probably close to fifty, and his eyes were pale blue. His skin was so pale it looked like it would catch flame if he went outdoors. He smiled wanly in our direction and headed around the counter to greet us.

I looked around quickly to see where Nooge
y and Marika had gotten off to. They sat in a little alcove at the other end of the shop across from a saleswoman who was displaying a large selection of rings on a black velvet background. Marika was falling out of the top she was almost wearing, and Noogey was drooling into her cleavage. It was obvious to see how Marika got what she wanted.

“Detective Dempsey,” the swanlike man said as he held out his hand to Nick.

“Mr. DeLuce,” Nick said.

He looked so frail I was afraid Nick’s handshake would crush every bone in the man’s hand. He couldn’t have weighed a hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet. I’d never actually seen Christian DeLuce in person. It was hard to imagine the man standing in front of me having the strength to machine some of the beautiful pieces he’d created over the years.
Or having the eccentric temperament he was so well known for.

Nick put his free hand to my back and pressed slightly, warning me to keep my mouth shut for the time being. Since I couldn’t think of anything to say at the moment, I was agreeable with this plan.

“Are you here about my gems?” he whispered. Though whisper might have been an understatement. I wasn’t even sure where he got the energy to breathe out the words. “I’ve just been overcome with worry. That poor foreign man was killed trying to bring me my possessions. And now if they’re not found I won’t have time to design something fabulous for the spring expo. It’s just tragic, I tell you.”

He brought a handkerchief to his eyes to wip
e away the dampness. I noticed he didn’t get teary-eyed over the dead man, but he watered right up over missing a jewelry expo.

“No, I’m afraid I don’t have any new information I can give you at this time,” Nick said. “But I promise you we’re working with the FBI as well as the McClean Agency to find out who did this and recover your property. We’re here today for more personal reasons.”

Christian DeLuce clapped his hands over his mouth, the tears disappearing, as what could pass for excitement spread over his face.

“Oh, an engagement. How wonderful. And to one of the boys in blue. You’re very brave, my dear,” he said reaching out to take my hand in his papery thin grasp.

Nick’s and my mouth dropped open in Simultaneous shock, and a burst of nervous laughter escaped before I could control it. Nick had broken out in a sweat, and I was pretty sure I was going to have his fingerprints embedded in my back from the pressure he was putting there.

“Come right this way,” he said, holding out his hand with a flourish. “We normally only do fittings by appointment, but I’ll make an exception this once since I know you’re so busy. And don’t worry,” he whispered out of the corner of his mouth to Nick, “I’m sure I can find something in
a cop’s budget. If not, I do offer payment plans.”

My feet seemed to be glued to the floor because Nick and Christian walked on wit
hout me. I was trying to decide whether or not to turn around and run out the door when Nick turned back and grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward him.

“Oh, no you don’t,” he whispered. “And stop laughing. This isn’t funny.”

I jerked my arm out of his grasp. “It’s not like you can’t tell him he’s mistaken. You’re the one letting him get carried away. And thanks so much for the look of horror, by the way. That’s a sure fire way to get dairy product sex.”

“Keep your voice down,” he hissed. “You’re becoming hysterical.”

“You’re right,” I said, taking a deep breath. “It’s not like this thing between us is serious. We can certainly pretend to look at engagement rings while I take a few incriminating photos.”

“It is serious. Sort of,” he said, wincing.

Sweat beaded along his forehead and he had the panicked look of a buck just before he was about to get mowed down by a semi. I could have kicked myself. Here I was thinking about love and a future together, and all the while he was under the impression that what was between us was
sort of
serious.

“Well, thanks for making that clear,” I said to Nick.

Christian DeLuce was staring at us out of owlish eyes
, and I gave him my picture day smile—all teeth and no personality. I took the seat he offered me and managed to sneak another look at Marika and Noogey. She was trying on a diamond engagement ring the size of a baby fist, and I could see the gleam of commission in the saleswoman’s eyes.

“You don’t seem like a traditional kind of bride,” DeLuce said, narrowing his eyes as he dissected my entire personality in twenty seconds. “We pride ourselves at DeLuce’s on finding the perfect ring for each woman. You’re going to be a hard one to fit, I can tell.
You’re an unusual sort of woman. Unique. You’d have to be to catch the eye of our dashing detective. I swear, it’s just like a movie. Very romantic.”

I wasn’t sure where DeLuce had picked up the Georgia accent, considering he’d lived in L.A. for the past decade, but he seemed to be adapting well to his current
surroundings.

“Just bring whatever you think will do,” I said politely. “I’m sure you know best.”

Nick was sitting to the right of me, an odd look on his face, but he was providing me the perfect cover to take photographs of Noogey and Marika.

“Listen, Addison. I didn’t mean all of that to come out that way. DeLuce just took me by surprise.”

“Move a little to your left,” I said, ignoring him. I used the camera on my phone to snap several shots of the salesperson filling out a purchase ticket. “Gotcha, you bastard. Lean forward like you’re going to kiss me.”

“Addison, listen to me,” he whispered, moving into position to do as I’d asked. Nick nuzzled against my neck and kissed a spot that had chills dancing along my skin. I had the phone hidden under his arm and a direct line of sight to Noogey and Marika.

Noogey took out
a thick envelope from his pocket and gave it to the saleswoman, and when she opened it, I got a picture of the crisp bills inside. Noogey was going to pay for what he’d done to his wife. I’d make sure of that.

“
Addison,” Nick said again. “You can’t possibly be mad about this. We’re not ready for marriage. We don’t even know each other all that well. Sometimes I’m not even sure we like each other. I thought we were just having fun at this stage of the relationship. I mean, I enjoy being with you. That’s why I’m with you—”

He was winding down, digging the hole deeper, and I was starting to feel a little sorry for him. “No harm, no foul, Nick.
Like you said, it’s nothing serious. We’re just having fun, right? And if this is nothing serious, it’s not like we need to be monogamous.”

Nick leaned back so he could see my face, and he narrowed his eyes at that statement. “I don’t want to date other people. I have enough trouble keeping up with you. I couldn’t imagine adding another woman to the mix.”

I flashed him a smile that was cold as ice, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances. I was about thirty seconds from bursting into tears, and I was thinking it’d be best if I just got up and walked down to Kate’s instead of spending another second with Nick. We probably both needed a little time to think. Clearly I had different ideas of what a sexual relationship entailed than he did. It was time to take a step back and evaluate.

“You’re overreacting, Addison. What we have is good. Just leave it at that.”

I pushed my chair back to get up, but Christian chose that moment to come back in, a black tray covered in silk in his hands. He presented it in front of us, and then whipped the black cloth off with a flourish.

A group of five rings lay nestled in the black velvet, and my eye was immediately drawn to the one in the
middle. The band was thick silver and in the center sat a cluster of freshwater pearls the size of caviar surrounded by a circle of black diamonds. It was unique in every way, and it was perfect.

I pushed my chair back all the way and stood up. “I don’t think these are for me
, Mr. DeLuce. I’m sorry we’ve wasted your time.”

My eyes were dry, and I tightened my grip on my purse strap so I wouldn’t be tempted to reach out and try it on.

“Oh, no, my dear. I’m sure one of these is just right for you. Maybe this one here,” he said, picking up the one I’d been admiring and taking hold of my hand. He slipped it on my finger, and I was almost dizzy with the want. Too bad the fake groom didn’t feel the same way.

“It’s beautiful,” Nick said.

I shot him a glare I hoped was strong enough to wither his junk and tried to take off the ring to hand it back.

“I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” DeLuce said. “Why don’t you wear it for a couple of days and see how you like it? If it’s not to your satisfaction then you can always come back in and make another selection.”

I was just opening my mouth to apologize and decline his invitation when Nick piped in.

“That’s a great idea,” he said. “We’ll take it.”

I
walked at a brisk pace down the two blocks of cracked sidewalks until I stood in front of the agency. Nick was somewhere behind me. I hadn’t stopped to look, and we hadn’t spoken a word since I’d walked out of DeLuce’s. I looked at the bare place on my finger and knew I’d done the right thing by giving it back. There was no reason to carry the farce on longer than necessary, and I’d gotten the shots I’d needed of Noogey Winthrop.

I headed straight back to Kate
’s office, ignoring Lucy and wishing I hadn’t eaten the entire bag of Oreos the night before. I could have used a couple or ten right about now.

“Can I load these photos onto your computer?” I asked
Kate, holding up my phone.

Kate didn’t look so good. She had a green pallor to her skin and she was sweating slightly
, even though the temperature in the office was turned down to frigid settings.

“Sure. What did you find?”

“We ran into Noogey Winthrop at DeLuce’s Jewelry Store. He was buying a big-assed engagement ring for Marika. I’ve got him cold.”

I downloaded the pictures I’d taken of the fat envelope of cash in Noogey’s possession, and wondered not for the first time why people with money thought they could get away with anything without paying the consequences.

“This is good timing,” Kate said, leaning over my shoulder to see the evidence. “The grand jury is set to meet on his case at the end of the week. I’ll have these delivered to the prosecutor’s office and contact Mrs. Winthrop.”

“That’ll be a fun conversation,” I said, wincing at the thought of Kate having to relay to the old Mrs. Winthrop that there was about to be a new, much younger Mrs. Winthrop.

“This job is nothing but fun and games,” Kate said with a heavy sigh.

Nick stood against the doorframe and watched us out of unreadable eyes,
while I did everything possible to avoid his gaze.

“Agent Savage is running a little late,” Kate said to Nick. “Why don’t you clear out the conference room and we’ll meet in there. It’s too
cramped and stuffy in here.” Nick nodded and left, and I let out a slow breath of relief.

“It’s a meat locker in here, Kate. Maybe you should go home. You don’t look so good.”

“I don’t feel so good. It’s what I deserve for horking down booze and Twinkies.”

“We had Twinkies? I don’t remember that.”

“You threw yours up. It wasn’t pretty. What’s going on with you and Nick?” she asked. “Things seem a little tense.”

“I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to get this done and start making plans to move into my new place.
I don’t want to think about Nick.”

We walked into the conference room
just after Agent Savage, and he grabbed a pen and pad from the shelf by the wall. I ignored Nick completely, choosing to take the chair furthest from both men. I was starting to think with the kind of luck Kate and I had with the opposite sex, that maybe we ought to just have sex with each other. Of course, I’d miss the whole penis part of that equation, but I saw on a late night infomercial that they could be bought easily enough. It was worth looking into.

“Did you find out anything about Noelle Price’s death?” I asked Savage.

“Nothing you didn’t already know. If there was anything to find, they destroyed the evidence with the rest of her remains when she was cremated.”

I passed Savage
the client book we’d retrieved from Natalie the night before, glad to be rid of it. Something about that book made me very nervous, and it wasn’t like I was likely to forget most of the names I’d read in there.

The tension in the room was also making me nervous. I was out of knuckles to crack and I’d taken to shredding the pap
er in front of me into confetti-sized pieces. Nick was silent and brooding. Savage was downright gleeful since he’d noticed the tension between me and Nick right away. Kate looked like she was ready to vomit, and I was trying to ignore it all by mentally decorating my new house.

“I noticed something in the research you did on Natalie Evans
from the copies you gave me,” Savage said. “There’s something wrong about her profile that I can’t put my finger on, but my gut is screaming. I’ve passed it along to a guy I know. He should be able to tell me if my hunch is right. And if it is, we’ve got bigger problems facing us then just our government. If they find out what we’re doing, we’re as good as dead.”

“
I haven’t had enough coffee today for death threats,” I said.

“I wouldn’t mind dying right about now,” Kate muttered. “Wish they’d hurry it up.”

“You think this goes above and beyond a bunch of stolen gems?” Nick asked, steepling his fingers in front of him. “It makes sense. Whatever Natalie’s goal is has to be worth the risk of getting caught. She’s calling in a lot of favors now that we suspect her.”

“
I think we could all have our asses handed to us by the time all this is said and done,” Savage confirmed. “We need to keep our eyes open and stick together for the time being. I’ve put in for a few days vacation time. What are the chances of you doing the same?” he asked Nick.

I was actually surprised that Savage had it in him to be so cordial to Nick and extend the proverbial olive branch so they could work this case.
It meant he took his job seriously and didn’t mind using whatever resources he could to solve a case.

“After the weekend I just put in, I could take a couple of days,” Nick said. “What do you have in mind?”

“Something crazy,” Savage said, smiling. He turned to look at me. “Are you up for doing another little job?”

The urge to look at Nick and ga
uge his reaction was overwhelming, but I somehow restrained. I could feel his anger launching itself at me across the table as soon as the request left Savage’s lips. Probably looking at Nick was a bad idea at the moment.

“Not if it’s like th
e last little job you had me do,” I told him. “I’m out of tequila.”

“You should be able to do this job without too much liquid courage,” he said.

“Don’t you think it’s a little risky to keep using an untrained civilian for these little jobs you keep coming up with?” Nick asked.

“I think I’m utilizing all of my resources. And you know as well as I do that if I didn’t have her doing these jobs for me, then she’d be out on her own mucking things up. She’s too nosy not to be in the middle of it.”

“Hey, I resent that,” I said, leaning up in my chair and bracing my arms on the table. And maybe it hit a little too close to home. I did have a knack for getting into trouble when left unsupervised.

Nick just sighed and gave me an unreadable look. “
You’re right. Go ahead,” he said to Savage.

“I like how y’all are talking around me like I’m not even here,” I said. “There are things I could be doing today, but instead I’m here helping you out of the goodness of my heart.”

“We’re paying you,” Savage said.

“I haven’t seen the money yet. And believe me, I could use it. I need to be moved into my new place before my mother gets home. T
hat’s not going to be a fun conversation, believe me.”

I knew somewhere deep inside that my mother was hoping I was moving home for good. She’d been pretty lonely since my dad died, and she’d missed having someone to take care of. I knew Vince wouldn’t move in
for good any time soon because the gossip would be too much for my mother to handle. She’d barely been able to function hearing all the gossip about me recently. It was the hell of small town life. You lived under a constant microscope.

“You’re moving?” Nick asked.

“I didn’t have time to mention it,” I said, blushing even though I told myself I was an adult and shouldn’t be embarrassed if a room full of people knew I’d spent the morning having unbridled sex.

Nick’s grin was slow and intimate. “I’ll help you pack.”

“Maybe if we can get back to business I can have lunch at some point today,” Savage said, not nearly so smug now after seeing the smile Nick just gave me.

I felt
kind of bad for Savage, because he was a pretty interesting guy and there was no question he was handsome, but I just didn’t feel the zing with him like I did with Nick. The lack of zing with Savage could be because I hadn’t gotten the chance to get to know him yet. I knew from experience that chemistry wasn’t always instantaneous. Of course, having that instant zing with Nick was obviously getting me nowhere, and there was always the possibility of it dying a slow and painful death.

“Sorry,” I told Savage, not sure what exactly I was apologizing for.

“My men have been keeping tabs on Becca Gonzales and Andi Bachman,” he said. “Now that we have the client list, we can begin to narrow down the suspects of who the girls are escorting and how they’re laundering the stolen gems.”

“How are we supposed to keep track of that?” I asked. “Natalie didn’t write down who she paired her clients with.
And she wouldn’t try to sell those gems to just anyone. It’d have to be someone who could keep their mouths shut and who wouldn’t want to risk the exposure of a scandal.”

“I know, and I don’t think Natalie will be so stupid as to put another one of her girls in danger. But she’ll try to unload the gems just the same. They’re a hot ticket now and she’ll want them out of her possession.”

“How are we supposed to catch her?”  I asked.

“A
ccording to our intel, the girls are informed of their next job by phone. They’re not given names. Only the location of the meet and what the dress for the evening will be. We need to find out who those girls are meeting and catch Natalie in the act of trying to sell the gems. If we can get her on that, then we can bring her in and make a deal with her for the names of who killed Amanda Whitfield and Noelle Price. Of course, we’re going to try to hang her on the murder of Sasha Malakov as well, so she’s not going to have a lot of bargaining room, but we won’t tell her that right away.”

“We
need to have access to those girls’ phones,” Kate said. “If they’re using secure phones, there’s no way to listen in on their conversations without tampering with the phones themselves. It’s the only way I know how to intercept their clients.”

“Exactly,” Savage said.
“Becca Gonzales has an appointment tomorrow afternoon at The Green Door spa. So do you,” he said, looking at me. “I want you to slip this little device inside her phone. Just pop out her SIM card and replace it with this one. Once you do, we’ll have complete access to her conversations as well as anything she has stored on the phone.”

I’d pretty much stopped listening after he’d told me I had an appointment at The
Green Door. First of all, even when I had money, I was too poor to go to The Green Door. And second, they were booked months in advance. I hated to break it to Savage, but this was a plan doomed to failure, even though I’d almost be willing to do anything for it to succeed.

“That’s a lovely plan,” I said on a sigh. “But The Green Door has a waiting list a mile long for clients who aren’t regulars. There’s no way you could get me in.”

“It’s already been taken care of.” The corner of his mouth quirked up in a private smile and his dark eyes melted like chocolate. “I told you when we met yesterday that I had connections.”

I didn’t like how the look in Sav
age’s eyes made it seem as if we were the only two people in the room. It was too familiar and much too intimate for the short time we’d spent together. He made it sound like we’d been having secret liaisons behind Nick’s back.

And I guess technically, we had been meeting
, but the subject of those meetings hadn’t come up the last couple of times I’d seen Nick—mostly because his tongue had been down my throat. And I didn’t accidentally want to let it slip that Savage had kissed me. Though the more I thought about it, if Nick wasn’t up for a serious relationship, then there was no reason why Savage couldn’t kiss me if he wanted to.

This shit was too complicated to figure out and my
headache was starting to return.

“I’m telling you no one gets an impromptu
reservation at The Green Door,” I insisted. “I don’t care who you are.” 

“
One of the techs had a miraculous last minute cancellation and was able to squeeze you in. Believe me, your name is on the list. Show up tomorrow at one o’clock and it’ll all work out.”

“And how am I supposed to get to Becca’s cell phone? I’ve heard that place is like Fort Knox when it comes to privacy. They have too many celebrities stripped down to their skivvies
on any given day.”

“Let’s just say one of the techs owes us a favor. You should be able to get to
Becca’s phone in the changing area where all the lockers are. The attendant will be busy doing something else for the few minutes you need. All you have to do is exchange the SIM cards before you go on to your own treatment room.”

“What
treatment did you schedule me for?” I asked. I was hoping like crazy it was a massage. I had so much stress gathered in the back of my neck and shoulders I was beginning to feel like Quasimodo.