“It’s not funny, Jade. I don’t like the idea of some hotshot being handed the assignment of finding this guy whose mugs are hassling us when you haven’t introduced him to me yet.”
“I didn’t know you were paying the bill for him. You should have told me.”
“What are you talking about? Of course, I’m not paying the tab on this but I don’t want some guy following me around pretending to protect me for big bucks. I need to meet the guy first and see what I think of him.”
“Are you slipping out on your lady friend already? I can tell you, right now, this guy is not going to be interested in your dubious love life.” Jade felt her hackles go up. She wanted to reach out and pull Lee’s ears off. He seemed to be acting like a spoiled little boy.
“Jade!” Lee’s voice thundered against the walls and echoed back to them. He turned a little red and strode out of the room.
Jade’s cheeks got a little warm but she took a deep breath, raised her head, and smiled at the other people in the room.
“Miss Dixon, your gentleman is here.” The soft, low voice startled Jade before she turned to follow the young houseboy to the front entryway.
As she came out into the broad entry she was stunned by the Greek god look of the tall blond man waiting for her. His curly hair framed a face as handsome as any movie star she had ever seen. His smile and slight bow were not ingratiating but rather reserved, almost stuffy.
“Mr. Drumm?”
“Yes, Mrs. Dixon. I know you said the people here would be relaxed and casual but I always figured I could remove my jacket and tie, if necessary. After all, I’m here for business, not to join the family.”
“You’ll fit in just fine. Even when Rafael is relaxing he always looks elegant. You can call me Jade. Please follow me. We’re gathering on the ocean view deck. I didn’t know you had been invited to dinner. I was expecting you to be at the meeting in the morning.”
“Yes, well, I decided that a little demonstration of my style might help Mr. Omano make up his mind about me and save us both time. I watched the estate from eleven AM on and witnessed a black Lincoln following the estate limousine when Mr. Omano arrived at three o’clock. I have some information that he might appreciate.”
“That was certainly enterprising of you. Here we are.”
Jade led him onto the deck and introduced him around the room. Stella, the lovely blond singer, seemed especially taken with him. Lee was nowhere to be seen.
“Shall we be seated? The first course is here.” Rafael led the group to the tables and sat in his usual central chair where he could look at each person’s face.
Lee hurried into the room and sat next to the singer without looking at her.
Rafael nodded to the servers so they could rush forward with the steaming bowls of soup and the tea for each person. “Mr. Drumm, you say you know who the car and the driver in the Lincoln belong to. Have I dealt with you in some other place? You don’t look familiar.”
“We have never met but I am honored to have the opportunity. I have a very reliable friend connected to the Central Records division of the bureau. He also has some pull with Interpol. When I faxed a photo of the front of the Lincoln to his office he called me and didn’t bother to call anyone else. Apparently, his agency has had cause to track this man for one of their federal clients. Do you want me to hand you this information here or should we look at this in private?”
“You may read it to the group. They may as well know what we’re up against. It is a sad old story.” Omano glanced down as if remembering a dear friend.
“Very well.” Drumm cleared his throat and said, “The license plate has the word RATTUS on it. That is the Latin word for rat. It is the nickname for an Indonesian and Dutch man of deadly power and great wealth. His name is Otto Pulau and he left Indonesia after losing a local gang war against the most powerful family in that group of islands. He had ships and pirates working for him, among others. The bureau was alarmed when it was reported that he had been seen by an operative from another federal agency. The bureau was hoping to keep him out of here. They’re trying to find out what he’s up to but he’s been staying very quiet, so far. He managed to get in here under the sponsorship of a relative and, probably, the sloppiness of an immigration agent who didn’t bother to read the latest bulletins.”
“Or the man was bribed.” Lee’s voice was deep and hard. He scowled at Drumm as if he were the culprit.
“Possibly.” Rafael smiled at Drumm as if he had given him a gift. “You are indeed the man we need, Mr. Drumm. Thank you for your fine work, Jade. You will be most necessary for me, like your fine husband. Your talents are without peer. The next question is, do you have a plan for finding this man, Mr. Drumm?”
“I doubt that will be difficult. He wouldn’t have revealed himself unless he wants to talk to you or worry you. Most likely, he lives in the area. The next question is, what do you want me to do when I find him?”
“Let me ponder this while we enjoy the rest of our meal. Food and strategy don’t belong together.” Rafael nodded and watched the servers whisk away the soup dishes and replace them with steaming bowls of rice, little dishes of hot sweet sauce, and small platters of a succulent fish alongside tender strips of beef. Little platters of sizzling vegetables were placed to the right of each person.
During the rest of the meal Rafael kept them focused on local art shows, his plans for a hot shop in Oregon, and a party planned for October where Stella would sing, accompanied by Clark Maxwell, Rafael’s composer and pianist. Jade couldn’t help but notice that Maxwell looked as morose as Lee did and both men kept looking at Stella and Drumm. Then she glanced at Matt and saw that he gave Drumm the same look. She assumed she had missed some conversation and wondered what was going on. Had she picked some famous playboy? The thought made her shudder. Rafael would be so disappointed.
At the end of the evening, Jade felt as tired as if she had been working a Friday back at Favorite Specialties during the Christmas rush. “All right, let’s hear it. What happened between you and Lee and Maxwell that made you all turn into Drumm haters?”
Matt gave her a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on. I saw you guys at dinner. All three of you wanted to lynch Drumm. Why? Did you all have an attack of fatherhood where you wanted to protect Stella from her hormones? Hey, she probably doesn’t want to be protected. Drumm is the one who’s in danger. She undressed him with her eyes.” Jade took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
Matt’s face turned dark red. He sat down on the bed and sighed before he looked up. “You’re right. We all felt like homely junior high kids, ninety pound weaklings. The guy looks like every woman’s dream man. Stella just made it worse by twitching around as if she was in heat. Lee told me that Stella has been flirting with Clark but she seemed to lose her mind completely tonight. I guess I was afraid he would get to you because he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of you.”
“Look, love, if Delta had been there he would have focused on her. He looked at everybody but Stella. It was obvious she scared the hell out of him. Give the guy a break. He might not even show up tomorrow, if she’s going to be there.”
The next morning breakfast was a quiet affair. Matt and Jade practically whispered to each other and were joined only by Clark Maxwell and Rafael.
“We truly miss Delta when she is away from us. I hope this man Winks stops playing silly games and comes to terms with me so we can let Matt start on the hot shop. I promised her a gallery of her own and I look forward to having Henry managing the remodeling of the buildings on the ranch, as you call it.” Rafael sampled two different teas, made his choice, and dismissed his server. The fruit dish in front of him smelled sweet and intoxicating.
“No one will be happier than me when Winks sells to you, Rafael. That is a day I will truly celebrate,” Jade said. “Delta said she will be showing her work at the big event at the Maude Kerns Art Center this weekend. That was very gene
rous of you, letting her show her work publicly.”
Rafael smiled as if he knew a wicked secret. “Now, Jade, I am well aware that you do not approve of my keeping my people’s work to myself. It shows in your eyes and I admire your defense of your friends. As a matter of fact, I already purchased that which I will install in my front entrance at the ranch. I thought it would please her and you for the public to see such outstanding work as her Ghost Love before it is sequestered in my house.”
“That’s why I meant it literally when I said you are being generous. Delta showed me a photo of the lovely thing. The ghost swan hovering over its grieving mate simply breaks my heart. The mother of pearl makes it seem to float when a spotlight is shone on it.”
Rafael gave a little bow to accept the compliment and then raised one eyebrow as he watched Lee hurry in to his cup of coffee and stack of toast. Lee did not look up until he was drinking his coffee. Even then he only looked at Jade. Jade gave him a scolding look but he only shrugged as if everything was fine.
When Rex Drumm arrived for the nine o’clock meeting he was dressed in an expensive shirt and slacks and Hush Puppies. He nodded to everyone, one at a time, and then nodded to the server who offered him a cup of coffee. “I was able to contact Mr. Pulau by faxing one of his agents last night. I received a reply just before I left the house. Here’s your answer.” He handed Rafael a fax.
“I was not aware I had asked such a question, Mr. Drumm.”
“I simply asked him what I would have asked, had I been in your place. I have not pried into your personal connection with him so I am not a threat to your privacy. Nevertheless, I thought this reply might be useful to you.”
“Indeed, it is. It answers the only question I could possibly ask him. There is no need to hide my connection to this evil creature. The shame is on him and no one else.” Rafael leaned back and put his fingertips together. “Twenty-five years ago I attended a lavish reception at his estate in Surabaya. There I happened to see a most beautiful young woman weeping in a corner of one of his gardens. She had been severely beaten and I was afraid she was dying. I motioned at Sudo and we spirited her out of the estate while Hadu provided an entertaining distraction to the guards. Of course, once she was missed, Pulau had his men come after us. It took them long enough to find out about my ship that we had enough time to make it to Melbourne and fly from there to Honolulu. We were lucky but I knew we dared not stay in Asian waters or even sail up through the Pacific, because of his pirates. My ship headed directly for an African port where I had friendly contacts.”
Jade realized her hand was at her throat when Rafael gave her a reassuring smile.
“Another piece of luck was that I was trying out a young doctor in return for transporting him to the Hawaiian Islands in luxury. He took excellent care of Teera and healed her as much as he could. He fell in love with her and married her. She had simply been a purchase on Pulau’s part, but he had broken her spirit. After that she spoke to no one but her husband and only lived ten years. When he wrote to me about her death he said he had no regrets. Those were the happiest years of his life. However, he warned me to never give his name to Pulau. If he ever finds out he is in the area, I have no doubt the doctor would kill him.”
The room was so quiet for a few moments that Jade was afraid everyone could hear her swallow her coffee.
“I will have my secretary type up what I know about Teera’s life, without any names, of course, and you can fax it back to Pulau’s agent. I am completely satisfied with your work. You work very quickly. As soon as Pulau replies with what else he wants, you can conclude your assignment and collect your full payment.”
When the meeting broke up Jade noticed Stella had slipped into the room, snatched a cup of coffee and a dish of fruit, and was nestled into a corner facing the ocean. She seemed to be avoiding everyone. Matt said his goodbyes to Rafael and Lee and followed Jade out the door and down the hall.
“Mr. Dixon, I’d like to talk to you for a moment, if I may.” Drumm was standing to one side of the door to the hallway. He looked tense, resigned.
“I’ll be upstairs packing.”
“No, please stay, Mrs. Dixon. I’ll only be a moment.”
“Mr. Dixon, I’ve noticed you seemed highly disapproving of me. I wanted you to know that I lost the love of my life a year ago and I don’t plan on finding someone else to fill her place. Your wife is quite safe from me and, I can tell, is very much in love with you. I’d like to be able to work with her in the future, if you’ll let me.”
Matt glanced down and then nodded. “Call me Matt. Her name is Jade. I guess I am the jealous type but you’re welcome to work for her. She told me the same thing, last night, and I believe her. Okay?”
“Okay. Jade, I’ll let you know when I have the dossier on you finished and then I’ll put a copy of it into the registered mail. Does that suit you?”
“As long as you keep a file on me for whenever someone wants to check on me. Of course, I’ll pay you for each request.”
“Consider it done.” Drumm nodded and disappeared back down the hall.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Matt and Jade took their time driving up the coast to Crescent City, enjoying the late September weather. It was the season people called the West Coast Summer. The days were gentle and balmy with the surf kicking up just enough to make the surfers happy and the seals lazy on the beaches.
At Crescent City they spent the night at an inn made of redwood with a view of the boat harbor. After dinner at the Grotto they took a moonlit walk along the dock and enjoyed the calls of the animals in the area. An early simple breakfast next door and a picnic basket set them up to head over the Siskiyou Mountains where they had lunch along the Applegate River before they headed home.
Jade loved these wonderful days while they took their time getting home. However, she mulled over her feelings about the dossier that Drumm was compiling on her. When she had ordered it, she felt it was necessary to reassure the clients she hoped to acquire. She was careful not to think about this whenever Matt was around but something about it bothered her. When they arrived back at the farm, she wrote herself a note to sit down and face her fears when she could spare the time.
For the next week Jade had Tessie tutor her in the best ways to find information on the Web about various security shippers in the West, investigators in Oregon and northern California, and little known security storage facilities for valuable items too large for safety deposit boxes.
In October, when she finished her research on all the companies in the area that dealt with special shipments, she found herself back at Sentinel Carriers. They had a good reputation, fair rates, and kept a low profile while transporting valuables.
One lovely Fall morning, when she joined Matt for a late breakfast, he was reading his copy of the latest report Rex Drumm had sent Rafael. Drumm had greatly pleased Rafael with his work and Jade had noted that his name commanded respect with every police agency she contacted. After she read the report, she sighed. “Well, I guess I have an idea what I’m getting myself into now.” Jade looked at her accordion file with all the pockets full of every facet of security work she could think of. She and Matt were having breakfast alone at the house while Tilly and Cedric were visiting friends in northern California.
“I can’t believe how your attitude toward Rex has changed.
“You’ve never acted jealous of Delta or Stella so I decided it’s time I grew up, too.” Matt looked a little embarrassed.
“I have to admit those were a little different. I can get just as jealous as you. Delta always paid more attention to me than she did you and Lee didn’t let you get near Stella.”
Jade was interrupted by her cell phone. “This is Jade Security.”
“Mrs. Dixon, I’m honored to be speaking to you. I am told by a dear friend that you can arrange for safe transport of valuable goods to anywhere in the western United States. I have a shipment of valuable antiques I wish to have transported from Sa
n Francisco to Denver. I know it is only a single shipment but I will pay what you ask. If we find we can work together then I will make you my permanent security agent. What do you say?”
Jade swallowed so hard she was sure he could hear it. “I’m very interested in your proposal. May I ask your name and number? You probably also want to see my registration and my credentials.”
“Oh, I am most old-fashioned. I prefer to judge people when I meet them. I would like to invite you to my office in San Francisco when you can fit me into your schedule. My friend gave me your business e-mail. I will send you the directions to the meeting and a small map.”
“Who was this friend of yours that gave you my e-mail address?”
“His name is John Andrews. He said he met you at a very crowded business conference and you might not remember him but he was impressed with you.”
“Okay. Thank you. And your name is…?”
“Uh, yes, of course. It’s Otto Herman. When can you come?” Something about the man’s voice made her shiver.
“I have an opening on a Saturday two and a half weeks from today.”
“Wonderful. I look forward to meeting you.” The man’s accent puzzled Jade. His name was obviously German but his accent was not.
“My husband will be coming, too.”
“Of course, of course.” He clicked off so suddenly it created a weird feeling in Jade’s stomach.
“Jade, what is it?” Matt looked into her eyes as if he were expecting bad news.
“Oh, some guy in San Francisco wants me to arrange the shipment of a cargo of valuable antiques to Denver. But there’s something about him…” She found herself searching her mind for some lost bit of information that would reassure her that everything was all right.
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