Chapter 5
Nikki looked at her luncheon table and smiled. She did love to set a pretty table, and today was no exception. She had invited the Sisters for a hastily called lunch, then had rushed around like a chicken losing its feathers to make sure all was as good as she could make it. Her favorite dishes with the blue pansies on them. A lovely three-tier blueberry candle centerpiece with baby’s breath nestled among the candles. It smelled heavenly. The dishes she’d ordered from a specialty house came with matching place mats and silverware. She smiled to herself as she remembered how she’d enticed Jack with this very table arrangement. She’d served him prime rib that melted in his mouth, apple-pecan gravy, mashed potatoes with just a hint of garlic, fresh string beans with slivered almonds and a light balsamic dressing, a garden salad, and fresh yeast rolls that she’d made herself. She’d ended the meal with a berry cobbler and fresh whipped cream and hazelnut coffee.
Nikki grinned then as she remembered how she’d had to help Jack up off his chair. She knew in that instant that she had him nailed for a lifetime.
Today’s hasty luncheon was a tad different, but only because it was a last-minute affair. She was serving tuna sandwiches on toast, along with a vegetable-and-cheese platter and, for dessert, Twinkies. And, of course, the hazelnut coffee. The girls wouldn’t mind. She was sure of it. They would be more interested in the why of the luncheon as opposed to the food. Then she remembered Kathryn’s appetite. Well, maybe Kathryn would eat two sandwiches. In the end, she was sure she wouldn’t care.
Nikki looked at the clock on the range just as the doorbell rang. Her face lit up as she ran to the door. Even though the girls had seen each other at Myra’s just the day before, it was like old home week as the Sisters trooped in, one after the other.
Nikki smacked her hands together, saying, “Good, good. We’re all here! Let’s eat and get that over with so we can talk.”
Alexis looked around, frowning. “We’re all here?” It was a question, not a statement. Then she looked at the table in the kitchen, which was set for four. The frown deepened. “I realize Maggie left for Florida this morning, and Isabelle is . . . what and where she is . . . whatever. But what about Myra and Annie? This is their gig. Annie’s, to be precise.”
Nikki motioned for the Sisters to sit down. She pushed bread down into the six-slice toaster. “I know, I know. I just want to go over something with all of you, and if we’re all in agreement, we can go out to the farm and talk it through with Myra and Annie.”
“This does sound mysterious,” Yoko said. The sparkle in her eyes said it all as far as the others were concerned. Yoko, like Harry, rarely if ever showed excitement about anything.
“Then let’s get to it. I need to sit down, anyway. My therapist worked me hard this morning. Before you can ask, I’m good,” Kathryn said as she flopped down on one of the captain’s chairs.
“Do you need to prop your leg up, Kathryn? I can get a footstool for you,” Nikki said, one eye on Kathryn and one eye on the toaster.
“Nope. I’m good. Really, I am.”
Alexis poured the coffee into the delicate pansy-patterned cups, while Yoko passed around the cheese-and-vegetable platter.
Nikki set the sandwiches in the middle of the table while she made a second batch.
“Are we allowed to talk business while we eat?” Yoko queried. “You know Charles’s rule.”
“Here’s the thing,” Nikki bubbled as she sat down and picked up a sandwich. “Charles isn’t here, so let’s be wicked and go for it.”
Alexis bit into a crunchy pickle. “This is your show, Nikki. Talk to us.”
Nikki leaned into the table, the sandwich in her hand forgotten for the moment. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Last night I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and came downstairs and spent the balance of the night on the computer. Something was off yesterday at the farm. Something someone said that nagged at me at the time, but I couldn’t come up with what it was. Just the thought of the Domingos possibly losing their adopted children made me crazy. They did everything by the book. They had a lawyer who crossed all his t’s and dotted all his i’s, and then along comes the richest guy in the world, who suddenly wants those two little kids and will stop at nothing to get them. I think I know now what it is, but I’m not sure. I called all of you because when we brainstorm it, you might come up with the same thing I did.
“There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, to be found on that billionaire Angus Spyder. No pictures, nothing that I could find. That’s not to say there aren’t some out there that someone like Abner can find. In the back of my mind I know his name. More the Angus part, as opposed to the Spyder part. Think, girls. Do you ever recall hearing that name?”
Kathryn stopped chewing long enough to stare off into space. “Sort of. It’s vague.”
Alexis shook her head and finished the pickle in her hand.
“Nothing is ringing a bell,” Yoko said.
“Think security, the way the man lives on that island. The secrecy. Why doesn’t he allow himself to be photographed? They say he is the most reclusive man in the world and also the richest.”
“Not true,” Alexis said, reaching for another pickle. “Annie is richer than he is. She said so yesterday. I grant you, you said, ‘Man,’ but Annie trumped him.”
“Be that as it may. I did find out that Angus Spyder has Spyder Island sealed off. His own security matches or even exceeds that of the White House. He uses retired SEALs and Delta Force guys, and that constitutes a small army. That was right there on the Internet for the whole world to see, assuming the whole world would even want to see it. The question is, where did he come by this elite little army of his? Being the richest man in the world, do you put an ad in the local paper? Do you call the different branches of the government and ask for a list of their retirees? Advertise in those mercenary magazines?”
“Oh my God! I think I know where you’re going with this, Nikki. It makes sense now.” Kathryn slapped at her forehead in disbelief.
Alexis looked at Yoko like they were the two dummies in the room. They spoke in unison. “What? Who?”
“The one that got away. The only time we failed in one of our missions. Think!” Kathryn said.
Alexis and Yoko hung their heads in shame as they again muttered in unison, “Hank Jellicoe”!
“Wait just a damn minute here. We didn’t fail. We caught the guy, and Avery Snowden let him get away. There’s no blame attached to us on this. Lay it all on Snowden’s doorstep, where it belongs. We delivered, and in spades,” Yoko shrilled.
“True. It still doesn’t change anything. The bastard got away. Now does it make sense to all of you? That’s why I didn’t invite Myra and Annie. I wanted us to work through it so we could go back to them with it all laid out. Look, I’m not saying I’m right, but nothing else makes sense. Jellicoe had all the right sources. Even when he cut and ran, he still had safe houses all over the world, and he had a small following that was intensely loyal to him. He had to know sooner or later that someone would rat him out for money, and that’s when he went to ground, or island, if you prefer.
“If his company did do the security for Spyder Island, why wouldn’t he go there and have that same security, along with the richest man in the world, to protect him? He takes his loyal guys, the ones he trusts implicitly, knowing Spyder Island is his only safe haven. Turnabout is fair play. Win-win for Spyder and Jellicoe.”
“This has to mean we get another crack at that bastard,” Kathryn said, menace ringing in her voice.
Nikki pushed a cherry tomato around on her plate with her index finger. “Maybe yes, maybe no. Myra and Annie tipped their hand, in my opinion. It’s out there now that she’s going to be going to Spyder Island. Of course, Spyder and his people don’t know the why of it. They can’t know we know about the twins and the adoptive family. But having said that, it has been all over the news. Jellicoe is one smart man. He’ll be on it like fleas on a dog. He’s v
ain and cocky enough to think we won’t figure out he’s part of anything. The other plus is that Annie has owned that property for over twenty years. That’s all a part of the record. I wanted to delve into anything that pertained to Jellicoe, but my eyes were closing.”
“I think that if we alert Abner, Myra, and Annie when we get out to the farm to look into all things Jellicoe, we might find some answers. Instead of concentrating on Angus Spyder, we need to concentrate on Jellicoe. The first time around, he underestimated us, and we caught him fair and square. He won’t let that happen a second time. We delivered, and Snowden dropped the ball,” Kathryn snarled before she bit into her sandwich. “Man, I hate that man. To this day, I still have nightmares about him.”
“One small army versus us. Is that what you’re saying?” Yoko asked.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Nikki said. “We might have taken a sabbatical, so to speak, but now we’re back! I think we’re up to it, don’t you, girls?”
“Oh yeah,” Kathryn drawled as she reached for her second sandwich. “Good tuna, Nikki.” Kathryn bit into the second sandwich before she fixed her steely gaze on Yoko and said, “If you were a betting woman, who would you put your money on?”
Yoko giggled. “Such a silly question, Kathryn. On us, of course.”
Kathryn pretended to wipe sweat off her brow. “Whew. You had me worried there for a minute. The part I like best is that this time, we won’t let that bastard get away. You haven’t said anything, Alexis. Do you have doubts?”
Alexis grinned. “Not even one. I’m just thinking about what we can do to that guy once we get our hands on him. I can’t tell you how much sleep I lost over that failed mission. Like Kathryn, I still have bad dreams about him from time to time. I just hope he knows or finds out we’re coming for him and his boss.”
Nikki clenched her hand into a tight fist and brought it down on the cherry tomato on her plate. “We’ll squash him this time. Oh, girls, we are back in business! I can’t tell you how happy this all makes me. I have to be honest. I’ve dreamed of this moment, begged Myra and Annie in my dreams to call on us. Let’s face it. We were born to right the wrongs of the world!”
“Hear! Hear!” Alexis chortled. “I can’t wait to bring my red bag of tricks out of retirement. One last comment. Do you think we should try reaching Isabelle or go in one short?”
“Well, there is Maggie, who could take up her spot,” Yoko said.
“She might be needed on the outside. Our security blanket. I think Annie and Myra had it right when they said they didn’t want all of us on the island at the same time. At least at first. Too much could go wrong. As to Isabelle . . . I don’t know what to say. The last few times I tried to call her, the calls just went to voice mail. Then there’s Abner. I’m speaking off the top of my head here when I say maybe we should just let sleeping dogs lie for now,” Nikki said. “Or we could vote on it.”
“I think we need to be fair where she’s concerned. I say we call. If we can’t get through, we’ll know we tried,” Yoko said.
Alexis agreed.
Kathryn shrugged.
“Okay, I’ll try to call her,” Nikki said, reaching into her pocket for her cell phone. She scrolled down and hit the number five on her speed dial. “It’s dinnertime over there right now.”
The Sisters watched as Nikki’s shoulders slumped. She mouthed the words “It’s going to voice mail.” She drew a deep breath and left a detailed message, ending with, “Give one of us a call if you think you want to be part of this, Isabelle. It goes without saying, we all miss you.”
Nikki placed her cell phone back in her pocket and gazed at the women seated around the table. “Let’s clean up this mess and head out to the farm, unless you guys have something else you have to do this afternoon.”
The women hopped to it and, within minutes, were ready to head out to Pinewood, delighted smiles on all their faces.
An hour later, Nikki drove through the gates as she blasted the horn to announce their arrival. Myra and Annie, along with all the dogs, appeared out of nowhere, shouting happily at the unannounced visit. The hugs and kisses and laughter led them all to the terrace, where Myra poured ice-cold lemonade into frosty glasses.
“This is so like old times.” Annie laughed. “There are no words to tell you all how much I missed all of this,” she said, waving her arms about. “You know, the excitement, the adrenaline rush, the danger, the plotting, the scheming, and making it all come together just the way we planned. Except for that one time.”
“And that’s exactly why we’re here, Annie,” Nikki said. She quickly reiterated what she’d told the girls earlier. “Think of it as a twofer. We take down Jellicoe, get that skunk Spyder to lay off the Domingos. We can do it! We just have one small worry, and that’s that you two tipped your hand by announcing your arrival. But, hey, I think maybe we can make that work to our advantage. I say we hit the war room and let it rip.”
The mad scramble through the house, with the dogs yipping at their heels, made Myra double over laughing. “Nikki is right. We were born to do this.”
“I can’t remember the last time I was this happy. We are back in business, girls! And I, for one, love the feeling.” Annie grinned from ear to ear.
“I can’t wait to kick some ass,” said Kathryn, always the most outspoken of the group.
“This is the place. I guess the studio is in the back,” Ted said, looking at the brochure he held in his hand. “Zack Phillips School of Dance. Look. There’s the sign! Okay, guys, let’s see what this Mr. Zack Phillips has to say.” He moved forward, the others trailing behind as he meandered down a flagstone walkway that led to the dance studio.
The building behind the main house looked like it had been added recently. It was all glass and steel, with a modern look and feel to it. Inside, it was all lines and angles, again stark. A man seated at a desk at the far corner of the entryway looked up and said, “Can I help you? We’re closed right now, but I never turn anyone away. What we can’t do today, we can always do tomorrow.”
He’s a good-looking guy, Maggie thought. He looked muscular and in robust shape.
Ted made the introductions and went into his spiel. The others watched Phillips closely to see what his reaction was. Annoyance.
“Again? I’ve had three different people here asking me the same questions. If this keeps up, I might be able to sell my DNA for a profit. Here it is, the hair from my head, the root still attached,” Phillips said, pulling a small sealed Baggie out of one of his desk drawers. “I’m going to tell you the same thing I told them. Gretchen Spyder and I were friends. She really liked to dance. I teach dancing. There’s nothing more to tell you other than that I haven’t seen her or had any communication with her for years.”
“Sure there is,” Maggie said quietly as she rummaged in her backpack for her special gold shield. She held it up like a beacon. “There’s some serious juice behind this shield, so it might be a good idea to tell us what you didn’t tell those other people. Let’s start over. My name is Maggie Spritzer. Talk to me,” she said, slipping the gold shield back into her backpack.
“Okay, okay. Gretchen was a good friend. A really good friend. No, not that kind of friend. I’m gay, and I have a partner, so get that look off your faces. She lent me the money to start this studio, as long as she could come and dance to her heart’s delight. Sometimes she’d come in the middle of the night and dance until dawn. By herself. Yes, she had a lover. Sometimes she brought him here. Actually, it was like every other week, when her security, her handler, whoever the hell the guy was, rotated. She had an arrangement with the off-week guy so he wouldn’t report to her parents what she was doing. I guess she paid him more to keep her secret than her daddy was paying him. Whatever it was, it worked. For her. The guy’s name was Greg Albright.
“It all came to a crashing end when Gretchen came here one night and told me she was pregnant. She was so hysterical, I didn’t know what to do for her, so I just let her
cry and tried to comfort her. She asked me to talk to Greg and to tell him she went away and wouldn’t be coming back. She took a new apartment and hid out until it was time to give birth, at which point she gave the baby up for adoption.”
“Correction,” Dennis said. “Gretchen Spyder gave birth to twins.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.” Phillips shrugged. “I never saw her again. But she did something very generous. She canceled the loan she had with me. I own the studio free and clear, thanks to Gretchen.”
“Did you know about her accident?” Maggie asked.
“No. What accident? Is she okay? What happened?”
Maggie spelled it out for Phillips. “They say she’s in a wheelchair and might never walk again. We really don’t know much more than that. Are you saying Greg Albright doesn’t know about the pregnancy?”
“Well, I know that Gretchen didn’t tell him, and I sure as hell didn’t tell him. If he found out, he found out from someone else. Oh, there is one other thing. Gretchen said Greg wouldn’t accept a simple ‘Gretchen is going away’ excuse, that he’d try to find her, so she came up with a story and gave me a hundred thousand dollars in American Express traveler’s checks made out in his name to give to him along with the story that he was to go to London, England, out to the countryside, and buy a little cottage with a lot of flowers, and she’d join him in a year. She left a letter for him, too. He took it all and left. And I’ve never heard from him since. I just assumed that Gretchen joined him at some point, since I never heard from her again, either.”
“And you didn’t tell any of that to the other people who came here, snooping around?” Espinosa said.
“Look, I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I can read people. What those guys wanted did not bode well for Gretchen. They looked like trained military, and I could tell that two of them were packing heat by the cut of their jackets. I think I pulled it off, because no one ever came back, and that was almost four years ago.”
“Do you have any way at all of tracking down Albright?” Maggie asked.
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