by Mia Dymond
He raised an eyebrow. “How?”
Lucy moaned and dropped her face into her hands. “Please don’t ask me to explain. It’s bad enough we have pictures.”
“Pictures? What pictures?”
“Allison picked the lock on the balcony door and squeezed through to take pictures.”
“Show me.”
Lucy lifted her head. “Do you have a weak stomach?”
He cracked what he hoped to be a reassuring smile. “I’ll manage.”
“I don’t know if I can,” she mumbled. “Give him the flash drive, Allison.”
Allison reached into her pocket and removed a light blue drive and placed it on the desk. Luke plugged it into his computer. Within seconds, the file folder containing the vivid photos of Dr. Smallwood’s wild romp at the Regency Hotel appeared on the screen.
“This is a pretty good one.” Luke grinned and turned the computer screen so that the women could see the contents.
“Oh, God,” Lucy squeaked. “It would have to be one of the close-ups.”
Luke leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. “I thought you said you didn’t go inside.”
“We didn’t. Allison’s a great amateur photographer and she loves the zoom on her camera.”
“Maybe a little too much,” he mumbled. He glanced at Allison, her pale, slender hand stroking the fur of the beast next to her. “How did you get these?”
Allison’s smooth voice poked his libido as she answered. “We rode the window washing scaffold and climbed onto the balcony.”
“How did you know what room?”
Lucy picked up where she left off. “I hacked into the hotel registry. He was stupid enough to register in his name.”
“Why did you need pictures?”
“To blackmail him.”
Another muscle throbbed at the base of his neck as he regarded her silently for a moment. “Why?”
“Dr. Smallwood accused us of stealing 120,000 dollars.”
“So?”
“So,” she explained, “We didn’t. He took the money himself and the only way to get him to confess was to confront him with the pictures.”
“He didn’t realize you knew?”
“No, thus the plan.”
“What did he say when you confronted him?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?!” Luke unbuckled his hands and braced his elbows on the desk. “He saw pictures of him dancing the horizontal mambo and he said nothing?”
Allison jumped in to explain. “Dr. Smallwood didn’t see the pictures.”
He tipped his head back and glanced at the ceiling to seek divine intervention. “Huh?”
“After Lucy handcuffed him -”
He turned to Lucy. “You handcuffed him?”
She nodded. “To the procedure chair.”
“He didn’t struggle?”
“No.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
Lucy actually gave him a perfect shit-eating grin. “I promised him something in return for being bound.”
“In a chair? How were you going to ...?”
“Stop! Please!” Lucy placed one hand across her stomach. “A procedure chair is oversized. The arms are removable and it reclines.”
His bottom lip quivered. “Have you entertained many men in the procedure chair?”
Lucy gave him an indignant huff and ignored his question. “I convinced him to strip down to his 300 dollar black, silk boxers before I handcuffed him, and then I left him to get Allison.”
“You left him?”
“Allison had the pictures.”
Luke couldn’t keep the shock from his voice. “You confronted him without the pictures?”
“That wasn’t the original plan, I saw an opportunity and I took it. So much for winging it.”
“You had a plan?”
“Yes, and I thought it was a pretty good one.”
He paused and stared. How could he possibly respond to this explanation?
“Allison and I were going to confront him as soon as he returned to the office after surgery.” Lucy filled in the rest of the blanks. “When he finally arrived, I decided to set the trap.”
“Alone?”
“I didn’t need help to proposition him.”
“Proposition him for what?”
“Sex!”
“He accepted without any hesitation?”
Allison jumped in. “Most men don’t need encouragement.”
Luke restrained the absolute agreement from slipping from his lips. “I’m just trying to get the facts.”
Lucy giggled. “It wasn’t a secret Dr. Smallwood found me attractive, I just didn’t reciprocate.”
“Is that when you handcuffed him?”
“No. We agreed to meet later that evening. Handcuffs weren’t even mentioned. That was a lucky guess on my part.”
“What was Allison’s role?”
“That’s where things took a turn for the worse. She wouldn’t answer her phone and I didn’t have time to look for her. We were supposed to show him the pictures together and issue an ultimatum: either he confessed to taking the money or we went public with the pictures.”
“You realize that’s against the law.”
Lucy began to look a little green. “Yes, but to tell you the truth, I didn’t give that much thought at the time. Besides, Allison was in charge of keeping us out of jail.”
“So you decided to seduce Smallwood anyway.”
“I had a good three hours. Since I’d left Allison a billion voicemail messages, I figured everything would work out.”
“Did it?”
“Somewhat. I managed to lure him into an exam room and suggest the handcuffs.”
“He was agreeable to the handcuffs?”
“Most agreeable.”
He glanced at Allison, amazed she had been so silent during the conversation. “Where were you?”
Lucy answered. “Still missing. I knew by then I would have to find her. Things had gone too far and I had no choice. I cuffed him to the chair then pretended I left more toys in my car.”
Still looking directly at Allison, Luke couldn’t resist a jab. “What kind of toys?”
Allison’s eyes glowed, almost as if she enjoyed his playful banter.
Lucy exhaled hard again. “I have no idea. I lied.”
Luke redirected his gaze to Lucy. “How did he react when you told him you were leaving?”
“He told me to hurry.”
“Where did you go?”
“To the car. I called Allison one more time and luckily, she was on her way to the clinic. When we went back inside, he was gone.”
“Where did he go?”
“He escaped.”
“Handcuffed to a chair?”
“I know it sounds ridiculous,” Lucy wailed. “All I know is that we didn’t kill him.”
Luke leaned back in his chair and looked back at Allison. “Wow! Do you need a job?”
She gave a half laugh. “Ironically, I do, but you’ve got to get us out of this mess first.”
Luke studied her thoughtfully for a moment while he kept one eye on her companion. Her demeanor screamed class with just a hint of sass and an overwhelming sense of mystery. Something told him to beware of the devil in her eyes. And the big dog beside her. “You picked the lock?”
Allison shrugged. “Piece of cake.”
“Not too many women have that particular skill. Did you learn that in school?”
Her brows met in the middle of her forehead. “Not exactly.”
Intrigued, Luke steepled his fingers against his chin and leaned forward. “Do you have a record?”
“No.”
He tapped his pen against the desk as she forced her pink, pouty bottom lip through her teeth. “You know I’m gonna find out when I run a background check.”
Allison braced her elbows on the desk and rested her chin in her hands. “Remember Antonio Houdini Scarletti?”
/> “The mob boss?”
“Among other things.”
“What about him?”
“He was my uncle.”
Although she didn’t tell him anything new, hearing it from her still shook the hell out of him. “Your uncle?”
“I learned from the best,” she admitted while she batted her eyelashes.
Luke glanced from her spirited hazel eyes back to her hair. “You don’t look Italian.”
“My father was Irish. Red-headed and pale as the virgin snow.”
He cleared his throat and asked the question he wasn’t sure he wanted her to answer. “So why not have Scarletti’s people take care of Smallwood?”
Her eyes flashed a bright yellow warning signal. “That’s illegal.”
“So is blackmail.”
Allison gave him a playful wink. “Not in my family.”
Luke snickered in an effort to mask his shock. She was a freakin’ mob princess. Fingered in the murder of her boss. This was almost surreal. How in the hell would he get her out of this without risking his own neck?
“Can you help us or not?”
“What about Winslow?”
“What about him?”
He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning. Getting information from her wouldn’t be easy. “Have you seen him since the murder?”
“Only at the clinic. He took over the care of the remaining patients on Dr. Smallwood’s schedule.”
“Does anyone else know about his relationship with Smallwood?”
Allison lifted one shoulder. “I have no idea.”
Luke folded his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “You really took those pictures?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Did you print a copy?”
“Have you decided to take the case?”
He snickered at her professionalism. “Yes.”
“Where do I sign?”
“Huh?”
“Surely you have a contract?”
“Oh, yeah.” He slid a standard contract across the desk and watched the gold flecks of her eyes flicker as she read.
“Is cash acceptable?”
Luke paused at her comment. His retainer was two thousand dollars. Did she carry that kind of cash? He mentally slapped himself for being so stupid. Scarletti’s niece probably had access to all the cash she needed. And then some.
“Uh, sure.”
Her lips split into a smile. “I promise you it’s perfectly legitimate.”
He returned her smile. “Be careful about what you say to Ramsey.”
Allison reached into her bag and slid an envelope across the desk. “Your retainer and a copy of the pictures.”
She laid the leash on the desk as both she and Lucy stood. Luke attempted not to gawk, but he wasn’t too comfortable that neither woman had control of the dog.
Allison laughed low in her throat. “Don’t worry, he’s not going anywhere without us.”
She wiggled back into her coat while Lucy took the leash and opened the door. He almost groaned out loud when she buttoned the garment closed.
She gave him one more sultry smile. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Owens.”
He stood and winked. “Luke.”
“Luke.” She nodded and followed Lucy out of the office.
Luke waited a full thirty seconds before he released the breath he held. Damn, she was hot. With one bat of her long black eyelashes, she wrapped him around her little finger and all sorts of sexual thoughts flashed through his mind. It was all he could do not to slobber all over himself and crawl out the door after her. The sexy little witch had a wicked hold on him, one he wouldn’t even consider escaping.
He sat back down behind his desk and tapped his notes with a pen. It would be tricky to keep her and Lucy from being charged with Smallwood’s murder, especially since they presented him evidence of blackmail.
Maybe not.
If Allison was who she really claimed to be, she’d never face charges. Something about that bothered him. Why hire him? Why not ask her family’s help?
The bell over the front door chimed and he frowned at the interruption. Aggravated, he glanced up to see that a very tall man with a dark, dangerous complexion dressed in what appeared to be a designer suit stood in his office. Biceps the size of rump roasts bulged beneath his suit jacket.
“Mr. Owens?”
Luke swallowed a wave of apprehension and stood to extend a hand. “Luke Owens, how can I help you?”
The man returned his handshake with a steel grip. “I have been sent by the Scarletti family to secure your services.”
Luke locked his knees to keep them from buckling. Scarletti. Damn.
“Our young lady has visited you, yes?”
Luke took a deep breath and chose his words carefully. “I’m sorry, but my clients insist on confidentiality.”
The man snickered. “My question was just a technicality, Mr. Owens. We know she has hired you.”
Luke stood morbidly still. Now what?
“She is most precious to us,” the man continued. “I have been authorized to offer a retainer of $50,000 for your services.”
He ignored the enticing monetary offer, suspicion crowding his brain. “Exactly what kind of services?”
“Our niece lies in a precarious situation, yet she resists family assistance. We simply ask that you keep her occupied while we make the necessary arrangements to clear her.”
Luke searched anxiously for the meaning behind the request. Occupied? “How do you suggest I proceed?”
Light reflected off a cluster of diamonds embedded in the man’s watch as he shrugged and gestured with one hand while he spoke. “Proceed normally with your investigation. The family will access your information and take it from there. The only stipulation we make is that our arrangement must be kept confidential.”
Luke shifted his weight from one foot to the other and paused for a moment to process the offer. If the Scarletti family could clear her name, why hire a private investigator?
Ethics ran through his brain. Allison had approached him first; however, both she and her family shared the same goal of clearing her name. Maybe there was more to this murder than Allison told him. Accepting the Scarlettis’ offer would provide the answers he needed, not to mention fatten his bank account, but the insisted secrecy made him wary.
“What if she finds out?”
Flames flew from the visitor’s dark eyes. “Make no mistake, there will be dire consequences if she discovers the family’s involvement.”
Luke swallowed hard. Enough said. “Understood.” He inhaled a deep breath and took a gamble. “I think I can help you.”
“Very good. I will have our banker contact you regarding a wired deposit.” Scarletti’s messenger stepped to the door and turned the knob. “Arrivederci, Mr. Owens.”
Luke stared at the closed door a full thirty seconds before he let himself relax. Holy crap, what in the hell had he gotten mixed up in now?
He sat down hard in his chair and squeezed the bridge of his nose. This would be tricky. Somehow he was going to have to keep his association with Ben Ramsey a secret from Lucy and Allison and vice versa. To further complicate matters, he also had to keep quiet about the Scarletti family. Luke glanced at the computer screen and snickered at the newly-obtained picture files.
He now had evidence Ramsey didn’t. So maybe hanging with Ramsey could provide him exactly what he needed. Ramsey could arrest the actual killer, Lucy and Allison would be cleared, the Scarletti family would sing his praises and then ...well, maybe Allison would give him a personal thank you.
Luke tilted his head from side to side. That just might be a feasible option. He would just have to be extremely careful - he had no intention of discovering the Scarlettis’ dire consequences.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Allison sat with her legs crossed and one foot drew lazy circles in the air while she waited for Lucy. Soft piano music filled the funeral home cha
pel as people trickled in to pay their last respects to Dr. Smallwood.
“Family or friend?” the funeral director had asked when she arrived. She’d almost bitten her tongue in two to keep from telling him Dr. Smallwood had no friends. These people were only here to gawk. In fact, she saw several hospital surgical nurses huddled in the back pew, all of them biting their lips to keep from smiling. Probably at the sight of Dr. Smallwood on display in the front. Whatever possessed Mrs. Smallwood to choose an open casket? Especially since he had that totally out-of-character goofy grin frozen on his face? She stifled a giggle. If she’d remembered to slip a tube of lipstick into her purse, she’d be very tempted to paint clown lips on him.
Chiding herself for thinking ill of the dead, Allison checked her watch before she glanced around the room again. She gazed toward a secluded area tucked into a corner of the chapel used to comfort grieving families. To her amazement, the thick curtain drawn across the front suddenly creased with the outline of a body. Her brow furrowed. Unless Mrs. Smallwood planned to sit in there alone, there was no family to occupy the place.
Allison focused on the figure for a few more seconds and then realization dawned. Zorro.
His eyes darkened as he glanced her direction, caught her stare, and then raised his head in a small nod. She nodded back just as she noticed Lucy walking briskly down the aisle.
“Where have you been?” she hissed as Lucy slid into the pew next to her.
“I’m sorry!” Lucy whispered. “There was a line at the hardware store.”
A wayward bobby pin slid from Lucy’s bun and poked the back of her neck as she cast a glance over her shoulder. “But I got them!”
“Good girl.”
Lucy bit her bottom lip. “What if someone notices?”
“No one will notice. Sleight of hand is my specialty, remember?” Allison shrugged. “By the way, someone followed us to the funeral.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “Detective Ramsey?”
“No.” Allison gestured to the corner and accidentally rubbed the mile-long peacock feather stabbed in the brim of her hat across Lucy’s nose. “Zorro’s hiding in the family room over there.”
Lucy sneezed. “Really, Allison.” She plucked fluff from her lips and batted the feather from her face. “Was the hat absolutely necessary?”
“Hey! This is my great-grandma Scarletti’s best funeral hat!” Allison readjusted the feather. “Luke’s here to scope out suspects.”