Deadly Intentions, page 11
Brian heard a quick intake of breath. “I’m sorry to hear that. How horrible. Give me a moment and I’ll give you the exact date the bowl was delivered.”
Brian held on and waited.
“Yes. A Harriet Woolsley signed for it.” He recited the date.
“Thank you,” Brian said before they hung up.
The bowl had been at his grandfather’s for a long time. Why would somebody kill Harriet now when they could have gotten it any time if they’d only done a little research?
Justin parked in the garage of the Virginia Beach Marriott, where he was sure Greg’s room faced the ocean. Why couldn’t the asshole stay home?
Tootsie had lied to him. He’d spent the night thinking. She had to have the bowl. He was going to kill that damn Tootsie when he got his hands on her. A week ago, he would have beat her ass for double-crossing him that way, but now it had gone too far. His credibility was in question.
He rode the elevator to the eleventh floor and rapped his knuckles against the door. It opened immediately. Greg had probably been pacing as he waited. Justin shut the door behind him.
“Give me an update,” Greg ordered.
“I think it’s changed hands. I’m trying to track it down.”
“Changed hands? Again? You moved so slow the last owner sold it before you could get it.”
Justin nodded. “I checked the house. It wasn’t there and the old man’s somewhere in Africa. His grandson doesn’t have it either. He wouldn’t leave it with anyone else.”
“How the hell did you let that happen?”
“I told you I’m on top of it,” Justin said.
“On top of it? The damn bowl was there and you let it slip through your fingers. You’re on top of nothing.” Greg swiped his hands across his face. “If I don’t get that bowl by Nick’s birthday, you’re going to pay.”
“I told you I have a lead.”
“You keep in contact with me every step of the way. I want to know everything you do.”
As if Greg was going to search for it himself. He wouldn’t know where to begin.
“Okay,” Justin said, and left. He’d had about as much of that asshole as he could stand.
Now Justin had to find Tootsie.
Lisa saw Brian pull up in front of The Cove around the same time she and Vanetta arrived.
“Lisa, come in with me,” her sister said. “I have the name of someone who’s looking for a cleaning service. I meant to put it in my purse but forgot.”
Lisa told Brian she’d be out in a few minutes before she followed Vanetta inside. A couple of limousines were parked in the driveway. Gardeners were working in the flower beds. Farther out, golfers were playing on The Cove’s picturesque golf course. Lisa wondered how much business was being conducted out there.
Inside, she spotted Jackie chatting with Wade. Jackie laughed and he nodded toward Vanetta. Jackie then turned and smiled at them. Lisa wondered why she was even there and not at the hospital visiting their grandmother.
“Hey, I’m on my way to see Grandma,” she said when she approached Lisa. “Have y’all seen her yet?”
“We’re just coming from the hospital,” Lisa said.
“How’s she doing?”
“She’s in good spirits. She was sleeping when we left.” Vanetta glanced at her watch. “Take care, Jackie. Wade, are you ready?”
“Sure.” He nodded at them and walked off with Vanetta.
“So why are you here?” Lisa asked.
“I asked Wade if there were any job openings here.”
“Are there?”
“Nothing. You’d think a place as big as this would have something.”
“It’s not that large, just exclusive,” Lisa said. It was more an elite place for business travelers to stay with all the amenities: an eighteen-hole golf course, an Olympic swimming pool, a business center, luxurious rooms, and a five-star restaurant. Everything a businessperson would need. You had to be a member of the club to even stay there. At the rates they charged they couldn’t hire cleaning persons who were half-stepping with the rooms.
“Now that you’re here, can I talk to you a minute?” Jackie asked.
“Sure. What’s up?” Lisa asked with reservation. She had a feeling she knew what Jackie wanted. They sat on a love seat in front of the fireplace in the lobby.
“That your new man?” Jackie asked, nodding toward the door where Brian had just come in. He went to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. Lisa’s heart jumped.
“We’re just friends.” As long as he didn’t get all crazy and start expecting things she wasn’t giving.
“I need a job. I’m desperate.”
“I . . .” Lisa sighed. She started to say that she didn’t have anything, but how many times had Grandma, her sister, and even Aunt Anna and Gabrielle given her chances? What if people had stopped believing in her? Where would she be? She wished Wade had given Jackie a job here, but Jordan wouldn’t tolerate anybody slacking off. The first time Jackie showed up late or a room wasn’t cleaned properly, he’d have her butt hustled out the door so quickly dust would fly. But somebody had to believe in Jackie, like somebody believed in Lisa. And it looked like that somebody had to be her.
“Okay. But I’m going to schedule you to work with me so you’ll know how I want things done. I can’t have any slacking off, Jackie. The work has to be done right.”
She scoffed. “I know how to clean a house.”
“This isn’t just house cleaning. This is my business, Jackie, and I need it to grow. I have to clean to certain standards so customers will spread the word to their friends. All my workers know to clean the house the way I want it done.”
Jackie sighed. “You sure have changed.”
“Jackie, I have to make this work. It’s important.” She touched Jackie’s hand. “Look, somebody gave me a chance, believed in me. I’m giving you a chance. I believe you can make it.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m going to set up another appointment with the psychic. You gonna come with me? She can tell us about Grandma.”
“I’ve got a few things to do for Grandma. I don’t have time.”
“You got so much to do you can’t even take out a little time to go with me? What Magdelena said is already coming true.” She nodded toward Brian, who was glancing at area brochures. “You already got yourself a fine-looking man.”
“You know I don’t believe in that crap.”
“But Magdelena is good.”
“I can’t, Jackie.” Lisa stood. “I’ll give you a call.”
“You gonna introduce me to your friend?”
“Sure.” They walked over to where Brian was standing. Lisa introduced them and Jackie left for the parking lot.
“Lisa?” Wade approached her. “Vanetta asked me to give you this.” He handed over an envelope.
“Oh, thanks.” Jackie had her so rattled, she’d forgotten about the new potential client.
Brian handed Lisa a cup of coffee. “Thought you could use this.”
She smiled her thanks. “Want me to drive?” Lisa asked Brian as they exited the hotel.
“I’ve got it.”
Lisa slid onto the seat and Brian drove off.
They talked about Naomi. Afterward silence reigned as Lisa mentally clicked through the new accounts she could work with Jackie. That meant extra work for her, but she couldn’t put Jackie on a job with another worker and expect her to train and evaluate Jackie’s work. Training was Lisa’s job.
“Where to?” Brian asked.
“I need to pick up my car. I have to work the rest of the day.”
“Then I’ll see you tonight.”
Lisa called the new client and they scheduled a time for her to come by for an interview.
“What are you going to do for the rest of the day?” she asked Brian when she hung up.
“Check up on a few leads. I talked to the guy my grandfather bought the bowl from. It was definitely delivered.”
“Then the thief stole it.”
“We didn’t see it there. And my grandfather hasn’t been around to store it anyplace. So I believe it was stolen.”
Lisa sighed. For every step forward she felt as if she were taking two steps backward.
“I know this isn’t a good time, but we need to talk about last night,” Brian started. He knew Lisa didn’t want to discuss their lovemaking, but they couldn’t avoid the subject indefinitely.
“I thought it was women who always wanted to discuss things the next day. You don’t have to make any false promises. I’m not asking for anything.”
“I don’t make false promises.”
Lisa sighed. “I’m not looking for a relationship. The bowl is the only thing between us. Although I wouldn’t mind having sex with you again,” she said.
Brian thought about it. It was obvious that Lisa had been hurt in the past. It wasn’t going to be easy for her to trust again. He wished that he wasn’t working blind here, that she’d open up more.
“What if I want a relationship with you?” he asked after a moment.
“Then we can end this thing right now.”
“I’m a one-woman man and I won’t take it lightly with you fooling around with another man. Even if we don’t have a formal relationship.”
“I’m not going to let you dictate what I can and can’t do. I want sex with you. That’s it. It’s too dangerous playing the field. So you don’t have to worry about me fooling around. Besides, I don’t have the time or the energy for more than one man.”
“As long as I’m the only one you’re having sex with, I can deal with it. For now.” He parked in front of his motel room. They both got out. He met Lisa at the hood, gathered her into his arms and kissed her long and hard.
He gazed into her eyes, making sure she was as affected by him as he was by her, before he limped to the door.
Wow. Lisa pressed a hand to her chest. Pensively she watched Brian’s back as he paused to open the door to his room.
What a kiss. She tried to throttle the dizzying current racing through her. She couldn’t deny what she felt, but his possessiveness disturbed her. Would he give in to her demands? Or was he waiting to press his wants at a later time? He didn’t seem the type to follow, but she wasn’t going to change her mind about their . . . what was it? Affair, friendship? Uneasy, Lisa went to her car.
Justin tried to call Tootsie again. She answered for a change. “I’ve got to have that bowl,” he demanded.
“I don’t have it. It’s probably still in the house.”
“What the hell do you mean? I checked the house. It wasn’t there.”
“I was just about to get it when everything happened.”
“If you’re fucking with me I’ll take it out on your hide,” he said angrily.
“It’s the truth. After you killed that woman, I was so out of it all I could think about was getting out of there.”
Justin frowned, not knowing whether to believe the bitch or not. “Then why didn’t you say so before?”
“I was mad as hell at you for killing that woman and getting me mixed up in murder. I’m in just as much trouble as you. I don’t want to talk to you or see you again.”
“The woman wasn’t supposed to be there. How many times do I have to tell you that? I need that fake bowl, too. I don’t want it to look like a robbery and murder.”
“How do I know you won’t murder me, too? I don’t trust you anymore.” She slammed the phone in his ear.
“Bitch.”
He dialed her number again, but she ignored it. He seethed with frustration. If it was the last thing he did, he was going to find her—and deal with her.
Greg went to Paradise Island. As soon as he drove off the ferry and saw the signs advertising Founder’s Day, he twisted his mouth in annoyance. Those Claxtons thought they owned the whole damn island. All of them were arrogant, but they were no better than he.
He had money. Loads of it, thanks to his brother.
He took his time driving around the island. Already, stands were being erected around the waterfront—as if it were some big deal.
The mayor’s picture along with Naomi Claxton’s was on a billboard. No big thing in Greg’s estimation. His picture and his brother’s weren’t splashed anywhere and never would be. Nicholas wanted it that way. It was a small world and if Nicholas’s picture even showed up, someone from his past life might recognize him.
Greg wondered why they’d settled in a heavy tourist area like Williamsburg. Even the queen of England had visited there. Regardless of how much the Claxtons touted the place, it was still a small town.
Greg smiled for the first time since he left the ferry. The Claxtons won’t have that bowl to showcase this year—not the way it had been the years before, he thought with great satisfaction.
He didn’t care how many people had to die before he got that bowl.
After work, Lisa took a short nap in Brian’s motel room before she spent a few hours with her grandmother. Naomi wasn’t feeling her best, but she was looking better.
“You didn’t have to spend all this time with me,” Naomi said.
“Yes, I did. I want to.”
She smiled. “How is that young man of yours?”
“He’s improving by the day.”
Gabrielle’s mother from Philly was spending the night with Naomi. Lisa left around midnight and drove to Brian’s.
Brian handed her a bouquet of flowers when she entered his room.
“Oh, it’s so sweet of you to buy flowers for Grandma,” she said, beaming at him with appreciation.
“I do have flowers for her, but these are for you.”
Lisa had a hard time holding back tears. Flowers might be considered a small gesture, but when you rarely received them, they were a wonderful surprise.
“Thank you,” she said, clearing her throat. He bought her flowers? She couldn’t remember the last time someone had given her flowers.
“The flowers are to lift your spirits. But this . . .” He brought his hand from behind his back. “Happy birthday, Lisa. I’m a little late.”
“You didn’t have to get me anything. I didn’t expect a gift.”
“I wanted to get you something. A woman should have a special gift for her birthday.”
It was a beautiful vase. “It’s perfect for the table in my foyer.”
“When I saw it, I knew you would like it.”
“Oh, Brian. Thank you.” Lisa gingerly placed the vase on the table. How did he know she’d find jewelry too personal and would have refused it? This was so thoughtful.
She turned and hugged Brian. When she leaned back he appeared embarrassed. “Thank you so much,” she said.
“Yeah, well.” He couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
18
The last thing Justin wanted to do was search the house again. That night, yet again, he prepared himself to jog along the beach. The police tape had been removed. He started with warm-up exercises in clear view of the Knight property. He stretched, bent, and twisted for five minutes until he was sure there was no movement inside.
Several people passed by, but they were accustomed to seeing him warm up before he jogged. The old man who lived with his sister was walking her dog.
The police had found Mrs. Mable’s death to be accidental drowning, so people were beginning to relax again. Everybody knew Mrs. Mable loved her dog and certainly wouldn’t let him drown in the cruel ocean.
Using a small flashlight, he made his way inside and to the den, where he’d left Tootsie with the bowl the day of the robbery. They had just pinpointed it when they’d heard someone coming in the door and walking through the house. When the woman saw Justin coming down the hall, she ran for the back door. She’d had it open and was about to scream when he caught up with her.
Murder wasn’t in the plan, but she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And she got a good look at him.
He’d studied the area—studied her pattern. She wasn’t supposed to be there. It wasn’t until later when he listened to neighbors talk that he discovered Knight’s grandson was returning wounded from Afghanistan and Mrs. Woolsley was there to help him.
Justin shook his head. It was the little variables that screwed things up every time.
In the den, Justin beamed his light where he’d last seen the bowl. The space was empty. Empty. Of course, he expected that. He hadn’t seen it there the last time he’d looked.
He searched the rest of the house, just in case someone had stored it away, but he didn’t find the bowl anywhere—not even in the garage. He’d jogged by the house every night—at different times, of course—to see if anyone was staying there. No one had, so far. He half expected the old man to come back from Africa any time now.
He couldn’t believe it. Tootsie had lied. Like a fool, he’d kept believing her. She had both bowls.
He heard a noise and froze before he fumbled to turn out the tiny light. This couldn’t be happening two times in a row. Nobody had that kind of bad luck.
“I’m so glad Grandma’s on the mend,” a female’s voice said.
“Your grandmother’s quite a lady,” a male voice responded.
Justin tiptoed behind the desk and crouched low.
“You’re going to spend the night, aren’t you?” the man asked.
“Then I’ll have to take the first ferry back to the island.”
“I’ll go with you. You still seem a little shaky to me.”
The woman chuckled. “You just want another night in my bed.”
“That, too. But that’s not the only reason I want you with me.”
Silence greeted Justin. They must be kissing, he thought. Get it over with already. He was stuck there until they either went to sleep or left. He was hoping they’d leave for the island—soon.
“But we need to discuss the bowl.”
Justin’s ears perked up. He heard footsteps and hoped they wouldn’t go out of his hearing range, or enter his hiding place.
“Harriet’s funeral is tomorrow. I should have a suit here somewhere. I haven’t worn one in so long. . . .”
“Why don’t you wear your uniform? You’ll look nice in that.”
