Jack mumbled and muttered to himself as he cleared up the dishes, corked the wine bottle and carried everything to the kitchen. He stood with his back to the counter as he looked around. Nikki’s domain. This kitchen should have food smells in it but it didn’t. It smelled like Nikki, all clean and sunshiny. Once she’d told him he smelled like a mossy glen, all woodsy and pungent. He remembered how flattered he’d been. Hell, he was flattered every time Nikki even looked at him. The fact that she loved him made him giddy.
It was nine o’clock according to the digital clock on the stove. He had nothing to do. The thought of watching television set his teeth on edge. Sleep was out of the question. He was too damn wired to even think about going to bed. If he had a dog, he could take it for a walk. But he didn’t have a dog or a cat. Ted had two cats. Maybe he could go over there and…and…Yeah, he’d pick up a twelve pack and head over to Ted’s place. Maybe a pizza. Ted loved pizza. Ted loved food, period.
Forty minutes later, Jack managed to find a parking space right in front of Ted’s building. Pizza box in one hand, the twelve pack in the other hand, he used his knee to slam the door of his car shut. A gust of wind shoved him in the back, propelling him forward.
“Good evening, Mr. Emery. Eating rather late this evening, aren’t we?”
Jack’s blood ran cold. Shit! He sucked in his breath, envisioning the pizza flying through the air and the beer bottles crashing down on the sidewalk. He struggled for nonchalance. “Good evening, Special Agent Nevins. How goes it this blustery evening? I thought, and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought Robinson got a restraining order against you guys.”
“So, Mr. Emery? Restraining orders are just that: restraining orders. They really don’t apply to people like me. I can prove the validity of that statement if you care to bring it to a head.”
Jack’s voice was angry and sarcastic. “That’s not my decision, Special Agent Nevins. I’m just bringing dinner and a few beers to a friend. Do you have a problem with that?”
“Not right now, I don’t. Later is another story. My predecessors keep asking about you, Emery. I keep telling them you’re on the straight and narrow these days. Don’t make me out to be a liar.”
Jack snorted. “My bullshit meter just clicked on. Are we done now, Nevins? My pizza is getting cold.”
“Then I suggest you go inside and eat it. Give Mr. Robinson my regards.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.”
At Ted’s apartment door, his hands full, Jack kicked at the scarred, paint-chipped door. Ted opened the door, Mickey and Minnie circling his feet. He eyed the pizza and the beer.
“I already ate, and I don’t drink with people who lie to me,” Ted growled.
“Cut the shit, Ted. I came over here to blink, so will you let me blink, for Christ’s sake? Shut the damn door and lock it. Your shadow is still out there. We had a nice little chat.”
“Don’t try to con me, Emery. I got a restraining order against those goons.”
“Yeah, yeah, he said that, but he also said restraining orders applied to other people, not the likes of him. You know that gold shield puts him in another category. He dared me to bring it to a head. Of course I declined. Dishes and napkins would be nice.”
Hands on hips, his eyes suspicious, Ted demanded, “What do you want, Emery? It’s late and I’m not in the mood for your shit.”
“Fine, we’ll eat without dishes and napkins. I came here to apologize and to explain.”
Ted reached down to take a slice of pizza from the box. “Like I’d really believe anything you have to say.”
“Goddamn it, Ted, sit down so I can say what I came here to say. Then, and only then, will I leave. Yeah, OK, I lied about me and Nikki. I never would have believed I was one of those guys who could only love once. I saw myself going through life miserable, with no wife, no kids, no house to call home. I decided I had no other choice but to go along with Nikki because I wanted her in my life, not outside it. I made the decision to…to look the other way, to ignore what I thought I knew. I don’t expect you to understand that, Ted, but that’s what happened. I want to marry Nikki one day. I have trouble knowing what I know, but I also have trouble with the law sometimes. OK, so now I’ll leave.”
“What are they up to now?” Ted asked.
Jack shrugged. “The deal Nikki and I have is don’t ask, don’t tell. Not a clue. It works for me and for Nikki, Ted, because we don’t mix what she calls her business with our pleasure. I want to keep it that way. I also want you to know that I will not get in your way if you manage to nail any of this down,” he added, lying through his teeth. “The ball’s in your court now. Do you want me to leave?”
Ted eyed the last piece of pizza in the box before he snatched it. “How do I know you’re telling me the truth? How do I know this isn’t some snow job? You can spin with the best of them.”
Jack closed the pizza box. “That’s a decision only you can make. I hate it when I lose a friend. A good friend, and you’ve been a good friend, is hard to come by in this world we live in today. I don’t want it to be Nikki versus you, Ted. We were lucky that we got back together. I don’t want to lose her again, because she’s part of me. When you find the right woman, you’ll really understand.”
Ted swigged from his beer bottle. “I asked Maggie to marry me. So I can relate to what you just said. She said yes, but didn’t set a date.”
Jack jumped up to pummel his friend on the back. “That’s great, Ted! Congratulations! Wait a minute. What’s that going to do to the byline?”
Ted laughed. “R comes before S. We’ll make it work for us the way you and Nikki are making it work. If something goes awry, we’ll fall back and regroup. That’s down the road, so I can’t worry about that now. The ladies of Pinewood are on the prowl again, Jack. They’re taking on that architect, Rosemary Hershey. Stuff’s going to go down any day now. Maggie and I have been partnering up on this and she’s come up with a few things that lead us to believe whatever is going to happen will take place after that award dinner Sunday night. We’re on it like fleas on a dog.” Ted’s voice suddenly turned suspicious. “Why aren’t you asking me any questions?”
For an investigative reporter, sometimes Ted was dumber than dirt. “Because I don’t care. I only care about me and Nikki. Get it through your head; I moved beyond all that vengeance crap. It’s in your hands now, buddy. But I’m more than willing to place a little wager that whatever those ladies are up to, you aren’t going to nail them. They’re slicker than greased pigs. Don’t for one minute forget that guy out front. Isn’t there anything going on in the world that you can still get excited about? Let’s make it interesting and say fifty bucks.”
Ted bellowed. “Fifty bucks! Are you fucking nuts? They’re just a bunch of women playing at being vigilantes.”
Jack laughed so hard his sides started to hurt. He gasped, “My point exactly! They have their asses covered six ways to Sunday.”
“OK, smart-ass, you’re on for fifty bucks. I’m gonna love taking your hard-earned money. To show you what a fine upstanding guy I am, I’m going to tell you a secret. Did you know there’s a secret organization in this town that boasts eight hundred active members? They know everything,” Ted said, repeating Maggie’s words. “They know things that are going to happen before they actually happen.” Ted wiggled his eyebrows. “And they’re all women! All eight hundred of them!”
“Are you saying the ladies of Pinewood belong to this secret organization?” Jack felt befuddled at what he was hearing.
“Hell no. Well, maybe, but I don’t think so. They call themselves the Beltway Divas.”
“What’s that mean to me, Ted? Are you telling me these eight hundred women represent the eight-hundred-pound gorilla?”
Ted rolled his eyes. “It could mean nothing or it could mean something. Just wanted you to know there was such an organization. Maggie cracked it and is now an honorary member.” Ted wondered if he was telling a lie. Who ca
red? Jack needed to sweat a little.
Jack got up and slipped into his jacket. “You deal with it, Ted. I’m going home to bed. I have to be in court early. I work for a living, remember?” Jack shuffled his feet for a moment. “I’m glad we got squared away, Ted. Congratulations again. Tell Maggie I said so. When you’re ready, let’s go to dinner to celebrate.” He clapped Ted on the back and raced Minnie and Mickey to the door.
“See ya,” Ted said as he closed and locked the door. “Like I believe one damn thing you said, Mr. District Attorney!”
The evening air was almost balmy. Jack crossed his fingers that he would make it to his car without a dialogue with Special Agent Nevins. He felt lucky as he unlocked his car door. Before he could settle himself in the seat he could see the agent lumbering toward him. “Have a nice evening, Mr. Emery.”
“Fuck you, asshole,” Jack mumbled under his breath as he turned the key in the ignition and then hit the lights. He peeled away from the curb, his tires screeching.
As he drove through the deserted streets, Jack wished he could figure out what the gold shields were doing on the scene twenty-four-seven. Were they protecting the ladies of Pinewood? Knowing everything he now did, it was the only thing that made sense. That meant the ladies of Pinewood had carte blanche while they were in vigilante mode. What the hell was wrong with this picture?
By the time Jack arrived home, found a parking space and walked a block to the house, he still couldn’t decide if he should call Nikki to alert her to what Ted had just told him. Maybe he should fade into the woodwork and just be the keeper of the secrets on both sides. He’d never been very good at straddling fences and there was no reason to believe he would be good at it now.
As he fumbled with the key in the lock he could feel the fine hairs on the back of his neck move. Nerves, he told himself. He used his shoulder on the door to push it open, then froze when he heard a voice he recognized. One of the first string of gold shields. One of the ones without a spleen these days. Quick recovery, he thought. If memory served him right, it had taken Ted forever to recover. Maybe this guy was in better shape. Carrying around one of those special gold shields could puff up anyone. No one was going to intimidate him, especially some jerk-off without a spleen.
“You better not be trying an end-run here, Emery. I just want you to know I have a personal stake in nailing your ass to the wall these days. Your nose drips and I’m going to haul in your ass.”
The door wide open, Jack walked down the steps. “OK, you said it. You can stay here from now till the end of time and it isn’t going to bother me. You want personal, I’ll give you personal. You come within spitting distance of me and I’ll have my buddies cut off your dick and I’ll personally shove it up your ass. Now, that’s personal. Go find a rock and crawl under it, you slug.”
“Good night, Jack.”
“Screw you, and don’t go calling me Jack. Only my friends call me Jack.”
Inside, with the door locked and bolted, the alarm set, Jack headed for the second floor where he stripped down and pulled on pajamas. He padded downstairs in his bare feet, added another log to the fire, and popped his last beer of the evening.
Call Nik or not call Nik? Why was it suddenly so hard to make a decision?
Twenty
Nikki Quinn woke up feeling out of sorts. She lay quietly, her gaze on the rocking chair across the room. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that it was moving. “Kind of early for a visit, isn’t it, Barb?” Nikki asked as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes.
“I suppose. The sun will be up in a few minutes. I like to watch the sun rise more than I like to watch it set. Something about a new day as opposed to ending the day. You OK, Nik?”
“Define OK.”
“Oh, you know, all’s right with the world. All’s right with Jack and the group. If you want to talk about it, I’m a good listener. Are you nervous about tomorrow night?”
Nikki sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. “All of the above, I guess. I sort of had words with Jack last night. It wasn’t an argument or anything like that. I left before that could happen. I waited till two o’clock this morning for him to call but he didn’t. Even though he’s more or less one of us, he still has trouble with his conscience. He really is one of the good guys, Barb. That’s why I fell in love with him.”
“I guess if I wanted to translate what you just said it would mean if push came to shove you aren’t sure if Jack would push or shove. How’m I doing?”
“That pretty much sums it up.” Nikki reached for the pillow beside her. She gave it a resounding smack.
“Here comes the sun. I think it’s going to be a beautiful day. Try to think beautiful thoughts. What’s on your agenda?”
“You boggle my mind, Barb. Don’t you know what’s going on? Aren’t you all-seeing and all-feeling? Help me out here.” She was rewarded with a tinkling laugh. The rocking chair grew still and then Willie, her stuffed bear, was in her hands. How warm he felt. How comforting. Nikki brought the bear to her cheek and closed her eyes. “God, I miss you, Barb. I’d give up every single thing in this world that I own or ever hope to own to have you back. I mean that.” Her eyes filled with tears when she felt something soft brush against her cheek.
“I’ll always be here, Nik. Just call my name. Hey, remember that song? C’mon, lighten up, it’s going to be a beautiful day. I want you to stay alert and on your toes. Promise me, Nik.”
Nikki swallowed hard. “I promise. Is something going to go wrong, Barb?”
“It could if you don’t stay alert. See ya, girlfriend.”
Nikki buried her head in her pillow and cried. When the sun was fully over the horizon, she crept from her bed and headed for the shower. A beautiful day for beautiful thoughts.
Downstairs, Myra was sitting alone at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in front of her. Her voice rang with cheerfulness. “Good morning, dear. I hope you slept well.”
“So so,” Nikki said as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She picked up a mini gooey sweet roll and stuffed the whole thing in her mouth. “I love sweets early in the morning. A sugar high early on helps me get moving. Then the caffeine kicks it up another notch, and bam, I’m off and running. Where’s Charles?” she asked, looking around as though the former MI6 operative would materialize out of nowhere.
“In the command center seeing to last-minute details. It appears that everything is right on schedule. The others should arrive by noon. There doesn’t seem to be much for me to do on this mission. My dinner is on schedule. I feel like I should be doing more.”
“Once in a while we have to sit it out, Myra. On this mission, we’d just be in the way. It’s not so bad to hold down the fort once in a while. Did Nealy arrive last night?”
“She arrived around midnight. Did we make too much noise? Right now she’s out riding but she did peruse the designs and she said one of them popped her between the eyes. She also said she wished she was younger so she could revamp Sunstar Farms. You look tired, dear. Are you sure we didn’t keep you awake? Nealy and I can get rowdy when we start with our memories.”
“No, you didn’t wake me. I hit that bed and was asleep within minutes,” Nikki fibbed. She reached for another sticky bun. “Did Charles come up with anything else in regard to Rosemary Hershey?”
“As far as I know, no new information has come in. Our plans remain the same. I do know that Charles has someone watching Miss Hershey in case she decides to make a run for it. If that happens, we’ll have to improvise on the spot. I’m not worried because you girls are so good at reacting to a setback. Is something bothering you about this mission, dear?”
“I have this weird feeling something is going to happen. I’m sure it’s my imagination. I get wired up before…when it’s time to hit the ground running. Just nerves,” she said again.
“Charles said everything is under control. Calm your nerves and think positive thoughts.”
Positive thoughts. Beautiful thoughts.
Nikki smiled. “If you don’t need me to do anything, I’m going to go for a run.”
“Run along then.”
Jack Emery woke in a foul mood with an aching back, his legs stiff and sore from sleeping on the sofa. The last beer had turned into three more until he finally conked out. He stumbled his way upstairs where he showered and shaved, his brain cells working overtime as he contemplated the day ahead of him.
What really bothered him was that he hadn’t called Nikki. He’d wanted to call her. Meant to call her after the second beer. Midway through the third beer he’d hauled out his cell phone and punched in the first three numbers before he cancelled the call. Those last three beers were a mistake. He should have called. Knowing Nikki the way he did, he knew she expected him to call. He could call now and come up with some excuse. Why the hell did he need an excuse?
He reached in his pocket for his cell phone, punched in her number and waited. Nikki was breathless when she answered.
“It’s me, Nik. How come you’re out of breath?”
“I’m out running. What’s up?”
“Wanna go to lunch? I can drive out to Virginia if you can get away.”
Nikki’s voice was still breathless as she jogged in place. “I would love to but I can’t. I waited for you to call last night.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t.” Brilliant, Jack. “I thought we both needed to calm down a little. More me than you. Look, I’m trying, Nikki. Sometimes…sometimes I have a hard time dealing with what you’re doing and what I’m not doing. We talked about this. Actually, we pretty much talked it to death. I’m going to keep right on having bad moments, so you’ll have to accept it.”
“What is it about this time that’s bothering you?”
“Because it’s so over the top, so goddamn bizarre. I don’t know, maybe because it was the end of the day, I was cranky, we were talking about Ted. Stuff piled up and I homed in on your activities. At this point, it doesn’t really matter, now does it?” He listened to Nikki sigh deeply on the other end of the line.
5. Sweet Revenge Page 17