“What are you thinking, Aiden?” Mark asked as he continued to tap away on his iPad.
“I’m reevaluating my life choices because I just realized I’m almost as shallow as Jake O’Malley.”
Mark bent over and kissed Aiden lightly on the lips. “Hold that thought while I look something else up.”
Aiden’s phone rang. He answered it and listened for a moment. He disconnected and looked at Mark. “That was Calvin, Lulu’s butler. He and his wife had the weekend off and decided to visit their daughter in Newark. When they got home, they found the house broken into and pretty much trashed.”
“I’ll get Noah,” Mark said.
Lulu could only stare in shock at her bedroom.
The mattress had been ripped off the bed frame, pillows scattered around the room. Drawers from her dresser had been tossed on the floor. Her underwear had been flung so forcefully a bra hung from a light fixture. Clothes from her closet had been dumped in a pile in the middle of the closet floor. A perfume bottle had been smashed and the scent of Lulu’s favorite cologne hung heavy in the air.
John Hathaway, a police detective friend of Noah’s, surveyed the damage while the CSIs took photographs and collected evidence. They all wore sterile booties over their shoes and latex gloves on their hands.
Lulu felt violated, angry, and scared. At least the vandal hadn’t harmed her ceiling. Marc Chagall had painted it. Lovers entwined and Lulu loved to lay on her bed and gaze at it.
“Can you see if anything is missing, Miss Bennington?” John Hathaway stepped over a pile of shoes with the stilettos broken off.
Lulu shook her head helplessly. She walked around the room as best she could without stepping on anything. She stopped at her vanity and saw the frame containing a photo of her parents on their wedding day broken in half. The photo itself had been torn into a dozen pieces. Lulu could feel tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away.
Noah pulled her out of her bedroom and down the hallway to the stairs. John Hathaway followed after a few last instructions to the crime scene technicians.
Noah settled her in the living room, the detective sat across from her with an open notebook in one hand and a pencil poised over it as he jotted a few notes.
“Why didn’t you report the threats, Noah?” Hathaway asked.
Lulu looked at the detective. “You do know my brother is Wilder Bennington and he and the chief of police have an ongoing issue, don’t you?”
“Miss Bennington, I know. But a crime is a crime and I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
“That’s Noah’s job,” Lulu replied.
The detective simply glanced at Noah and then back to Lulu. Lulu tried to concentrate on his words, but they made no sense. She heard the words, but her mind kept skittering away.
“John,” Noah said quietly. “Can we do this later? I don’t think Ms. Bennington is up to answering any questions. There isn’t anything we can tell you. The house was empty all weekend.”
Hathaway wrote something into his notebook. “I want to know about the other threats to Ms. Bennington.”
“I’ll send a full report to you by tomorrow morning.”
A commotion sounded at the front door and Wilder stalked in looking frazzled and pale, panic on his face. Aiden followed wringing his hands.
“Pack a bag, you’re coming home with me,” Wilder said, fear vibrating in his voice.
“No,” Lulu said, shaking her head. “If I do that, they win.” And she wasn’t going to let the sick bastard win.
“I don’t care what they think.”
“I’m perfectly safe, Wilder. Whoever broke in did so because he or she knew I wasn’t home. This is a war of terror and I refuse to be terrified. This is my home. I’m not going to let some thug take away my feeling of security.” After her parents’ murder, Lulu had had a hard time coming back. Everywhere she looked she saw little things that her mother had made, that her grandmother had done. A chair in the corner of the living room had a needlepoint seat that her grandmother had designed and stitched. A portrait of her grandmother hung in the hall. Lulu knew if she left now, she’d never come back.
“This is my home, Wilder,” Lulu continued. “Everywhere I look I see memories. I remember when I used to hide in the grandfather clock in the hallway even though it has beveled glass on three sides.”
“You were only four at the time,” Wilder put in with a small grin.
“I remember Penny shuddering when she found me in it.” Lulu said. “I remember when Marc Chagall painted the ceiling in my bedroom. Grandpa ordered it for Penny and one day I was allowed to watch Mr. Chagall work. Mom and dad shared that room after grandpa and Penny, and one day I’m going to share that room with my husband. No one is chasing me out of this house.” Lulu’s voice rose. “No one,” she half shouted.
Wilder looked at Noah. “I hired you and I want you to get her out of this house now.”
Lulu glanced around the room, her gaze resting on Noah, “Would you please give me a moment alone with my brother?”
Noah ushered everyone out of the living room after a pitying glance at Wilder. After everyone exited into the foyer, Aiden closed the sliding wall panels shutting off the living room and from the solid sound of the doors, Noah knew no one would be hearing what was said either.
In the foyer, E.J. turned to Aiden. “Why did you call him?”
Aiden sighed. “Really? You have to ask. I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. I’m not sure who I’m more afraid of, Lulu or her brother.”
E.J. chuckled as though in agreement.
Aiden looked at Noah. “What should we do in this situation?”
“I’m damned tired of being one step behind this asshole,” Noah looked at Harrison. “We need to go back and go over everything again. I want to have every detail reexamined. We’re missing something. It’s like the stalker can’t decide if he wants to kill her or terrorize her.”
“Take another look at this Marcia Bennington.”
“She’s seventy-eight, she’s too old to do anything,” Aiden said.
“Anyone can hire out,” Noah said.
“We really can’t find anyone who hates her this much,” Harrison said, looking up from his iPad. “Everyone we’ve checked not only has a solid alibi, but thinks she’s wonderful. So far, we have a lot of dead ends, except for O’Malley and his not so solid alibi. The only thing we know about him is that he was at the Waldorf Astoria the same time as the car incident, which was only a couple blocks from the hotel, and he hired a hooker.”
“Then check with the hotel. Someone must remember him. After all, he’s not a low-profile celebrity. Check with the escort service he hired. See if you can track down his ‘date’ for the weekend. Maybe she can vouch for him.” Noah rubbed his temples. He’d never had such a peculiar case before. Usually background checks and active investigation led to something concrete.
The door to the living room opened and Wilder walked out still looking pale and unsteady. He gave a quick glance at E.J. then walked past everyone without saying anything, opened the front door, and left.
“He’s mad,” Aiden said with a shudder.
E.J. started after Wilder, but Noah stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Not now,” he said in a quiet whisper for her ears only.
E.J. looked troubled but didn’t follow.
“Harrison, get to work. I don’t care what it takes, dig, dig, dig. Take Roman and Gabriel with you. E.J. get some rest, I want you fresh for tomorrow.” Noah walked into the living room and closed the doors behind him.
Lulu sat on the sofa looking composed, but her foot tapped relentlessly on the carpet.
Lulu looked up. “I don’t know anything else. I’ve thought and thought, but I can’t figure out who would want to hurt me. Yeah, I have business rivals who don’t like me, but that’s business.”
Noah could tell she was frightened despite her calm demeanor. He sat down next to her and slipped his finge
rs around hers. Her fingers were icy and he wanted to rub them back to warmth. The fire snapped and crackled in the fireplace throwing extra warmth into the living room.
“What do I do next?” she said in a half-whisper leaning into him. “Am I being ridiculous staying here?”
“Up until this moment, this was your haven, the one place you felt safe.”
“Now I feel violated. I just don’t understand someone I know hating me so much. Or someone I don’t know.”
“I know you’ve had a difficult night, but this ride on the pity train is stopping right now.”
She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. “Thank you.”
Stunned, he studied her. “Did you just say ‘thank you’?”
“Yes, I did,” she said with a roguish tilt to her head. “I don’t have time for a ride on the pity train.”
“That’s my girl,” he said with a chuckle, preferring the gutsy, take-no-prisoners Lulu to the vulnerable one of a moment ago.
She slipped her arms around him and kissed him. His lips parted and a flash of heat spiraled through him. He gripped her tightly pulling her closer, pressing against her. All professionalism went out the door despite all the promises he made to himself to keep his relationship with her cordial and non-committal. But it was Lulu Bennington, after all. How could he say no to what she offered? No one ever said no to her, which was why he pulled away and stood up to put distance between them.
“Noah,” she said with a flirtatious nod and a hint of a pout.
“This isn’t a no-no,” he explained, “but a no-not-now thing.” Even as the words formed he felt regret rise inside him. “Until your stalker is caught, I need to completely focused on keeping you safe. I want you take your sweet little ass up to the empty bedroom next to mine and get some rest.”
“I think I’ll bunk with Aiden tonight instead.”
“You sleep with your personal assistant?”
“We have slumber parties all the time. His room has queen sized beds, I’ll be perfectly safe with him. You’re just across the hall.” She stood and smoothed her skirt. “Good night, Noah,” she said and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She turned and left the living room.
Noah stared after her for a moment. The room felt empty and all he could do was tell himself that he was a fool. He should just take what she offered and stop worrying about being professional.
The living room door flung open and Aiden straightened from his slouch against the wall. Lulu looked flushed and something else he couldn’t quite name. She grabbed his hand and he grinned at her. “Slumber party,” he said.
She nodded. “Slumber party,” she said and half dragged him down the hall.
As he passed E.J., he grabbed her hand and pulled her along in his wake. E.J. looked startled. Aiden grinned. “G-squared time,” he said and pulled her after Lulu. “Girls and gays only.”
E.J. laughed and followed behind him.
Lulu pushed open the door to Aiden’s bedroom. “I’m going to get some pajamas. I’ll be back in a minute. Don’t start the party without me.” She stalked down the hall toward her bedroom.
Aiden entered his bedroom, half smiling. E.J. followed and grinned at him. “Nice bedroom.”
Aiden’s bedroom was large and modern looking with upscale Italian designer furniture and minimal color. Lulu had allowed him to decorate the room himself and he’d chosen a sleek look that suited him in black and white with bits of greens and blues throughout the room. His favorite piece was the floor to ceiling bookcase he’d found at the New York City Public Library when they were selling off unused bookcases. He’d refinished it and painted it stark white with black trim.
“I’ll need pajamas,” E.J. said.
He pulled open a door in the huge wardrobe against one wall and she stared into the depths. E.J. opened the small refrigerator with a microwave resting on top. “You keep a fridge in your wardrobe.”
“Doesn’t everybody?”
She pulled out a bottle of wine and read the label. She handed him the bottle. “My favorite merlot. Unfortunately, I’m on duty so I’ll have a can of soda.”
“I have popcorn, too,” Aiden said.
“Later. If I’m going to be a part of this party, I want pajamas.”
Aiden opened a drawer in the bottom of the wardrobe.
E.J.’s eyebrows flew up. “Hello Kitty,” she said, “in red, green blue, brown, pink?”
“I have Hello Kitty slippers, too,” he said opening another drawer to show matching slippers. “Besides giving me my own room, Lulu has always been kind enough to let me indulge in my Hello Kitty fetish without judging.”
E.J. pulled out a top and bottom of a purple Hello Kitty set and headed for the bathroom. “I’m not judging either. At least your taste doesn’t run to Bugs Bunny or Road Runner. ”
“This is camping, Aiden style,” he said with a chuckle.
E.J. laughed. “You call this camping?”
“I’m a glamper—glamour camper,” he replied. “When things are stressful out, I have someplace to relax and Lulu and I can have a slumber party.”
“Do you do this often?”
“The last time we had one was when my apartment was broken into and my big screen TV, my stereo system, and my Mac were stolen. I was a wreck.”
“Your computer was stolen,” E. J. asked, her voice sharp.
“Along with my cufflink collection,” he moaned. “Cartier, circa 1936, the panthers with the emeralds. The worst was my Mac. My entire life was on that computer. Lulu’s life was on that computer.” Just the memory made him want to cry.
“When did this happen?” E.J. asked.
“About seven weeks ago.”
“You didn’t you tell Noah about this?”
“Why should I? Stuff like that happens in the Bronx every ten minutes.”
“I thought you lived in Chelsea.”
“I’ve only been there for seven weeks. The day after the robbery, Lulu gave me an apartment in one of her buildings.”
“We need to tell Noah. He needs to get copies of the police reports, any crime scene reports, and …”
“Do we have to tell him right this minute? We’re having a slumber party.”
E.J. closed the wardrobe, her Hello Kitty choices draped over her arm. Aiden approved. He loved his jammies. The only place he allowed his playfulness to come out was in the privacy of his bedroom.
“Aiden, trust me, Noah needs to know.”
“Are you saying Lulu’s stalker is my fault?” Aiden felt dizzy with remorse.
“No,” E.J. said. “What I’m thinking is that the stalker got access to Lulu through whatever files were on your computer.”
“But I changed all the passwords.” What a pain that had been, he thought.
“How far ahead do you keep her schedule?”
“I already have dates for next year.”
“Times, dates, places?” E.J. asked, her face intent.
“Yes.”
“Just business, or business plus personal?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, we need to tell Noah.”
“I just didn’t think the break-in was important.” Aiden tried to push away the panic threatening the engulf him.
“Have you ever dealt with a stalker?”
“No.”
“We need to tell Noah.” E.J. reached into her pocket as she headed toward the bathroom. “Noah, I need you. Now.”
Chapter Fourteen
Noah paced around the room looking tired. Aiden sat cross-legged on his bed, his Hello Kitty pajamas clung to his thin body. Lulu sat curled up on the second bed in her pink Hello Kitty pajamas. E.J. lounged in a black leather chair at the foot of Lulu’s bed, looking like a drowned cat with the pant legs and sleeves rolled up to accommodate her petite stature. Lulu and Aiden held a glass of wine while E.J. dug into a huge bowl of popcorn. Instead of wine, a can of soda sat on a TV tray at her elbow. They all watched him warily.
“I cannot
take any of you seriously when you’re wearing Hello Kitty pajamas,” he said.
Lulu just laughed. E.J. frowned at Lulu as though telling her not to make him angry. Aiden simply sipped from his glass of wine and Noah wondered how he would handle this situation tactfully because Aiden looked like he was going to break down and cry.
“I don’t want you to feel bad, Aiden,” Noah said. “When we investigated your background that report didn’t surface.”
“I filed one,” Aiden said in a quivering tone, “and with all the stuff going on, I forgot to follow up.”
“I have John Hathaway looking into it,” Noah replied.
“I didn’t think it was important. Break-ins in the Bronx happen constantly.”
“It’s okay,” Noah held up a hand. “I think we found a major key.”
“I changed all my passwords,” Aiden said after taking a huge gulp of his wine.
“E.J.,” Noah said, “when you were looking to rob someone, what did you do first?”
“Research, research, research,” she said. “And you never go directly to your target, but start with the people around them. They have tons of information they don’t even realize they’re sharing.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Aiden cried.
Noah hesitated, but finally patted Aiden on the shoulder. “It’s okay, we’ll handle this.”
Aiden leaped to his feet and hugged Noah tightly. Noah stiffened, then realized Aiden would take that wrong and relaxed. He glanced at Lulu who mouthed ‘thank you’ at him and smiled as she sipped her wine. Even in Hello Kitty pajamas, she looked delectable with her hair loose about her shoulders and the top two buttons open to reveal a bit of cleavage.
Noah’s phone rang and Aiden stepped back. Noah spoke into it, “John, what did you find?” He listened to John’s explanation and then disconnected.
“What?” Aiden asked with a panicked cry.
“You can stop worrying about the police report. It was never filed.” Noah pushed away the anger at the carelessness of the detective who’d taken the report and didn’t bother to enter the info into the system. He felt a bit better himself. He’d been worried that he’d screwed up and that was the kind of mistake that got a client killed. “You can all go back to your party.” Noah turned toward the door.
Protecting Lulu (Global Protection Agency) Page 18