Drinks appeared as if by magic in his hand and Caterina’s. Todd snatched a mini-quiche off the tray of a passing waiter and popped it in his mouth. “I’m starved.” He washed it down with a splash of Champagne.

  “There’s a table spilling over with food near the bar. Shall we?”

  “Sounds good.” Todd smiled, mumbling excuses as they made a wedge through the tight knot of guests, tightest in a half-moon around the open bar. Suddenly, he stiffened, pressing his hand to Caterina’s back.

  Caterina glanced at him. “Feeling chummy?”

  “Do you mind?” He stood still, keeping his hand on her back.

  Caterina shook her head no. Her eyes scanned the bodies and landed on the object of Todd’s attention. She smiled. “A friend of yours?”

  “Something like that.”

  Caterina took Todd’s hand and pulled. “Shall we go say hello?”

  “I don’t think—”

  But she was already towing him along. Todd allowed himself to be dragged across the patio. Holly and Paul stood side by side talking to a middle-aged couple Todd didn’t know.

  Catching sight of their approach, Paul stepped forward. “Hey, Todd. Kathy said you might be stopping by.” He appeared at ease and gave no indication of the trouble between them.

  “Hello, Todd.” This from Holly. Her words came out as if they’d been chiseled from a block of ice. “What are you doing here?”

  “You heard Paul. Kathy invited me.” He turned to Caterina. “This is Caterina.”

  “A pleasure.” Paul extended his hand. Holly and Caterina murmured hellos.

  “Hey,” Paul grinned at Holly, “how about you two ladies chat a minute. You don’t mind, do you?” he asked Caterina. He rolled his arm over Todd’s shoulder. “I want to have a word with Todd.” He winked at the women. “Business.”

  Todd frowned as Paul pulled him toward the shadows of the dock at the edge of the dark, sluggish water. “What do you want, Paul?” He pushed the agent’s heavy arm from his shoulder.

  Paul glanced back at Caterina and Holly. “Nice looking lady. I see you aren’t wasting any time.”

  “Ditto.”

  Paul beamed. “Holly? We’re just hanging out. I’m showing her the ropes.”

  “The way I hear it, you’ve been showing her the ropes all day.” Todd tipped back his glass and drank. He balanced the empty glass atop one of the dock’s pilings. “What else are you hoping to show her?”

  Paul laughed him off. He leaned in close enough that Todd smelled the whiskey on his breath. “How is our little situation coming along, Todd?”

  Todd took a step back. His foot found nothing but air and he was forced to move closer before he fell in the water. “Our little situation is coming along just fine. Everything will be returned to Gunther Graff tomorrow.”

  “Really?” Paul’s brow curled in surprise. “Great. That’s great.”

  “Yes. I talked to him myself.” Todd folded his arms over his chest, carefully balancing his drink. “I’ve got everything under control.” Or so he hoped, he thought, glancing at the blue Louis Vuitton hanging over Caterina’s left shoulder.

  “Do you want me to come with you when you return everything?” Paul asked quickly. “Act as your intermediary?”

  “That won’t be necessary. I have strict instructions from Graff to come alone,” he lied. “Ten o’clock tomorrow night.”

  Todd could see the lust in Paul’s eyes. The guy wanted to get part of the credit for bringing everything back. That wasn’t going to happen.

  “That’s a shame,” Paul replied with an accompanying and annoying click of the tongue.

  “Yeah. A real shame.”

  Todd was not about to give Paul any more information than that. He certainly was not going to tell him that Caterina was the woman he’d shown the house to, Gunther’s ex, the woman who had stolen the memorabilia in the first place. It was none of his damn business.

  He couldn’t chance Paul Strom mucking everything up for him. Knowing Paul, given the chance, he would.

  Paul sighed and brushed back a lock of hair that had been so heavily gelled that it should never have moved in the first place. “At least Graff will be happy. You keep your fingers and I keep my client.” His fingers bit into Todd’s shoulder. “That’s the important thing, right?”

  “Right. Now, if you don’t mind,” Todd said, shoving Paul aside and not giving a damn if he fell into the Intracoastal. “I’d like to get back to the party.”

  Pushing his way as courteously as possible through the guests, he found Caterina standing alone, wearing an expression of boredom.

  “Where’s Holly?”

  Caterina held a glass of champagne in her hand. “She said she had a headache and left.”

  “Damn.”

  “Looks like you’re stuck with me.” She raised her glass. “More Champagne?”

  “Sounds good.” While he was disappointed that Holly was gone before he could try to talk to her, to reason with her, he was very glad that she had left without that prick Paul.

  Dinner didn’t disappoint. A dozen or more tables had been spread around the perimeter of the swimming pool. Kathy had hired one of the best and most in-demand caterers in South Florida. They’d been treated to a satisfying Japanese feast that left Todd’s taste buds in awe.

  Over dinner, the guests had been entertained by a mermaid show performed underwater in the lighted pool by a long-haired blonde with a clamshell bra and a sparkly green tail. Todd had to hand it to her, she moved like a fish in the water.

  Between the food and his optimism that his troubles could soon be over, Todd sat back, enjoying his after dinner cognac and allowing himself to relax for the first time since this whole mess had started.

  The final course was something their hostess said was called namagashi, made from azuki beans and the gods knew what else. Each one had been formed by hand into the shape of a lotus flower with a yellow center. Todd found them to be sweet and delicious.

  After the dessert plates had been cleared, Caterina, seated to his left, stood. “I’ll be right back.” She leaned across Todd to talk to Kathy who was seated on his other side. “Where can I freshen up?” She picked up her Louis Vuitton bag.

  “There’s a half-bath down that hall to the left.” Kathy pointed, snifter in hand.

  “Here, let me take your purse.” Todd grabbed it.

  Caterina’s fingers hooked around the strap. “That is not necessary.”

  Todd flashed his teeth. “I insist.” He yanked the purse loose.

  “Fine.” Caterina turned on her heel and headed for the powder room. “Thank you.”

  Todd held the leather purse in his lap, longing to look inside.

  “How long have you known Caterina, Todd?”

  “Not long. A couple of days.”

  “I see. Then she really is a client?”

  “That’s right. I’m showing her a few properties.” Between his legs and under cover of the table, Todd eased the top of the purse open. It was too dark inside to see anything very clearly.

  Except for some soft landscape lighting that accented the shrubbery, the patio was lit by tiki torches. Candles on each table provided little more than ambience. How much room would a baseball and sixty baseball cards take up? Not much.

  “What’s her price range?”

  “Up to a million,” Todd answered, knowing this would kill Kathy’s interest in Caterina.

  Kathy grunted, clearly turned off at the thought of a less than million-dollar deal, especially if it meant splitting a commission with Todd’s agency.

  “I don’t know about you but these things always leave me wired at the end of the night.” Kathy blew a kiss to a retiring couple as they waved and swayed towards the door.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean.” Todd slid his left hand into the purse and rummaged around. Nothing but the usual junk that women seemed to find so necessary to their daily existence.

  “Looking for something?” Kathy peeked between his legs.

  “No, I mean, yes. My keys. I seem to have misplaced them. I think Caterina put them in her purse.”

  Kathy pushed her brows together. “Won’t the valet have them?”

  “That’s right.” Todd smiled. “Stupid of me.” He clamped the purse shut.

  Kathy ran a finger over the back of Todd’s hand on the table. “Speaking of keys. As I was saying, parties always seem to leave me wired, keyed up. I can’t sleep. I toss. I turn. And I am all alone, with Jillian in the Bahamas.”

  Todd nodded, half-listening, wondering where the hell Caterina had stashed her ex’s loot. “Right.”

  “Perhaps after you drop off your client, you’d like to come back. We could have a drink. Just the two of us.” Her finger ran between the joints of his fingers.

  Todd gulped. Kathy was in one of her moods. That wasn’t a bad thing. For all he knew, Holly had connected back up with Paul who himself had left in the middle of dinner. He had made some lame excuse to Kathy about his mother being sick.

  Did Paul Strom even have a mother? He’d probably been birthed by a sow and raised by wolves.

  Todd spotted Caterina winding her way back to the table. “I’ll try,” he told Kathy. “But I can’t make any promises.”

  Not ones he would necessarily keep anyway.

  14

  Todd and Caterina had been among the first to leave the Kathy’s party. Settled behind the wheel of the Vanquish, Todd realized he could get used to a car like this. Maybe in a couple years’ time he’d be in a position to buy one. Cash.

  Speaking of cash, he thought it prudent to get some more. He intended to stick like glue to Caterina until Gunther Graff got his memorabilia back. He had a hunch hanging out with Caterina could get expensive. That meant getting his mother’s ATM card since there was little capital left in his checking account. Besides, she’d never miss the card or the cash. “I need to make a stop at my place then I’ll drive you home.”

  There was no point telling her that he intended to stay the night with her in Boca—she would only fight it. Besides, she’d find out in due time.

  It wasn’t far from Kathy’s home to the Port Lauderdale Condominium Towers. The night was quiet and the air still, so he left the convertible top down.

  The night doorman stepped out from the lobby to greet them as the Vanquish rolled to a stop. It was Carlos. Todd could never remember his last name. The doorman had been working at the building since its completion. He was older than Todd, about forty or fifty and a good guy with two kids and a wife. Used to work for Enron or something, as an executive, as Todd remembered.

  Life could be a bitch.

  By the look on Carlos’s face, Todd could see that he appreciated the Aston Martin as much as he did.

  “Good evening, Mr. Jones. New car?” Carlos nodded with unbridled admiration and jealousy.

  “Yes, Carlos. Keep it here for me. We’ll only be a minute or two.”

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Jones.” The doorman ran his hand along the door lovingly before easing it open for Caterina.

  “That’s all right, I’ll wait for you here.” Caterina slung her arm over the door, drawing it shut.

  “No you won’t. You’re coming with me.”

  Caterina’s jaw tightened. “Very well.”

  Carlos pulled the door open once more, bowing slightly at the waist as she exited—probably to get a better look at those legs.

  They shot up the elevator, empty but for themselves.

  “What’s the matter, Todd? Don’t you trust me alone with your new car?” Caterina teased.

  “Something like that.” He wouldn’t trust her to hold on to his ham sandwich for him.

  Exiting the elevator, Todd slid the key in the condo’s lock as quietly as possible and turned the door knob slowly. It was after eleven and Mom normally zonked out around nine-thirty at the latest. Hopefully, in her bed this time and not on the sofa.

  Todd held the door for Caterina. Brushing past him as she entered, Todd felt a surge of heat rising in his loins. Then Mr. Squeals came trundling out of his mother’s bedroom, snorting and sniffling and all the heat left him in a rush.

  Mr. Squeals was clad in the pajama bottoms his mother had hand-sewn for him. The blue and cream stripes running horizontally made the beast, impossible as it seemed, look fatter than he already was. Mr. Squeals’ tail stuck out from the cotton like a stiff wire strand and his hind legs jutted out the bottom.

  “Friend of yours?”

  The pig sniffed her leg.

  “Sunday’s luau.”

  Mr. Squeals squeaked and disappeared into his mother’s room from whence he had come. Todd smirked. Served him right.

  “He’s darling.” Caterina looked toward the dark opening leading to his mom’s room. “It is a he, isn’t it?”

  Todd nodded.

  “What’s his name?”

  “Mr. Squeals,” Todd said with disdain. “But I prefer to call him dinner.”

  Caterina giggled, her hand brushing his sleeve. “You wouldn’t.”

  “True. Mom would have a fit.”

  Her brow inched up. “You live with your mother?”

  “No jokes.”

  “I couldn’t think of any even if I wanted to. When Gunther and I were married, I lived with my father-in-law, remember?”

  “Right.” Not that he necessarily believed a single word that spilled from her lips.

  Todd took hold of Caterina’s wrist. “If you want anything, help yourself to the kitchen.” He nodded toward the wall separating his bedroom from the living room. “The wet bar is over there.”

  Todd removed his shoes at the door. “I’ll be right back.”

  Tiptoeing carefully into his mother’s room, he found her face up on her pillow, mouth agape, snoring lightly.

  By the light of the moon coming in through the sliding glass door—she never bothered with the drapes—her half-open eyes glistened eerily, giving him goosebumps. She looked like some sort of ghoul lying there.

  Mr. Squeals was sprawled on the bed now, head between his stubby front legs, looking at Todd curiously. Mr. Squeals employed a stepstool to reach the mattress. The pig grunted at him.

  “Quiet, pig,” Todd warned him. Moving stealthily to the cluttered night table, Todd grabbed his mother’s purse by its strap. A sound coming from the other room caught his ear and he froze.

  Had Caterina bolted? Was it the front door that he’d heard?

  Clutching the purse to his chest, Todd ran from the room on his toes. “Caterina?” She wasn’t in the kitchen or on the patio. He ran to his bedroom, even checking the en suite bathroom. “Shit.”

  Todd tore open his mother’s purse, grabbed her ATM card plus a couple more of her credit cards for good measure, shoved them in a pant pocket, shoved his feet in his shoes and hurried after her.

  After a maddeningly slow trip back to earth in the elevator, thinking of all the ugly things he was going to do to her once he caught her, Todd stumbled outdoors.

  Caterina stood near the Aston Martin chatting quietly with Carlos. They both eyed him curiously as he approached them, out of breath, his shirttails hanging loose, and an angry, crazed look in his eyes.

  “I told you to wait inside,” Todd said, trying and failing to smile.

  “I needed some air.” Caterina’s eyes were filled with mischief. “Did you take care of whatever it was you needed to do?”

  “Yeah, let’s go.” Had she been trying to run away? Had she been prevented by Carlos’s presence?

  Todd bit his lower lip. When was he going to learn?

  Never trust a woman.

  He was going to have to be more careful.

  It was nearly midnight when Todd and Caterina pulled up to the entrance of the Boca Beach Club. Leaving the key fob on the dash, Todd told the valet that he was done with the car for the night.

  “What are you doing?” Caterina demanded, watching as the valet disappeared with the Vanquish.

  “Walking you to your door.”

  “I can find my own way, thank you. I don’t need an escort.”

  “It’s not you finding your way that concerns me. I’m more concerned with you losing your way.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means,” Todd pressed his hand to her back and urged her inside, “I am not letting you out of my sight until this is over.”

  Caterina frowned. “You intend to sleep in my room?”

  “Unless you know something better we can do to pass the time.” Todd yawned as they waited for the elevator that would take them up to the fifth floor. As the door slid open, Todd motioned for her to enter first. She gave him a dirty look as he stuck to her like glue.

  “This is completely unnecessary.” Caterina pressed the elevator button and the elevator door rumbled closed with them inside.

  “I know but humor me.”

  Caterina’s room shared a locked common foyer with the room next door, allowing for extra privacy. She unlocked her room and stepped inside. Soft lights on either side of the bed glowed in welcome.

  Todd admired the space. This was a nicer room than any he’d stayed in at the resort, with a panoramic ocean view and a private sun deck. All the rooms here were done with a modern, coastal touch boasting floor-to-ceiling windows and simple, elegant furniture in hues of sand, aquamarine and pale green accented with bleached wood and grass cloth wall coverings.

  Surfer Steve’s two surfboards had been laid out on the deck.

  Todd smiled. Now that was room service.

  A king-sized bed sat straight ahead with a corner sofa skirting the wall and window beyond it. A large desk occupied the opposite wall along with a minibar. The bathroom, he knew from his stays here with Holly, would be clad in marble and fit for a king—or queen, in this case.

  Todd kicked off his shoes at the door and paced to the balcony, stopping to enjoy the view of the ink-black ocean far below—wondering if Gunther Graff’s memorabilia was hidden somewhere in the room itself.

  If it was, he’d find it.

  Caterina threw her purse on the bed. “I’m going to wash up.” She headed for the bathroom. “Make yourself at home.” Her sarcasm was pronounced and unmistakable.

  She shut the bathroom door behind her.

 

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