by Mona Risk
Her heart heavy, she considered her bed and wondered if she’d ever have the courage to sleep in this room on her own again, knowing that so many enemies lurked, waiting to harm her.
“Alexa,” Dante’s voice interrupted her depressing musing. “Front desk called. The technician is on his way up.”
“Coming.” She slipped on a pair of black moccasins and padded to the kitchen.
Dante’s appreciative gaze swept her from head to toe as he greeted her with a bone-melting smile. “You look fresh and lovely.” He poured a cup of coffee from the pot on the kitchen counter and handed it over to her just as the bell chimed. “Do you want me to tell him anything specific?”
“No, just to install a system on the front and kitchen doors of the apartment, and on the glass doors to the balconies.”
“I’ll take care of that.” He admitted the technician and explained her requirements while she remained in the kitchen, sipping her coffee.
For the hundredth time, she blessed Dante for his continuous attention, and then admonished herself for not taking care of her own business. Her father and then Greg had always made sure she never lacked anything. Time to grow up and become independent. Really independent as in tackling men’s chores.
Ready to spring into action or at least participate in the discussions, she sauntered to the hallway and stood next to Dante to watch the technician work. Dante asked the right questions and she took mental notes of the answers.
“When you come back home, you’ll have a minute to open the door with your key and deactivate the alarm. Otherwise it alerts the security company who’ll contact the police. So you should try to avoid false alarms.”
Swallowing hard, she nodded with a grimace. “I’m not sure I’d like to be reminded of danger every time I return home.”
“You’ll get used to it.” The warmth in Dante’s eyes reassured her more than his words. “Let’s have breakfast while he works on the glass doors.”
Around eleven o’clock the technician announced he’d finished his work, and then he demonstrated how to operate the control. “Anything else, sir? Would you be interested in a surveillance camera?”
Alexa frowned. “What for?”
But Dante surprised her by saying, “We may think about it. If we were to install a surveillance camera, where would be the best place to hide it?”
Was he out of his mind? She’d never agree to have a camera spying on her every move.
“It depends on what area you want to survey,” the technician said.
Dante scratched his jaw. “Assume we want to cover the living room.” With the technician on his heels, he proceeded to the middle of the large room.
The men turned around, scanned the ceiling, their gazes resting on corners and light fixtures.
“One these three dangling lights above the bar would be ideal to hide a little camera.”
“Really?” Dante’s voice held a strange note.
The technician stepped to the bar area and raised his head scrutinizing each lamp. A grunt escaped him. “But...but...” He went from one to the other and examined them again. “You already have a surveillance camera in this one.” He pointed to the lamp on the right. “And it covers the whole living room.”
“I think the detective and Officer Raines spotted the camera. I noticed they kept looking at the dangling lamps when they searched the kitchen and bar area. Alexa, did your father tell you that he installed a camera?”
“No.” The whole thing didn’t make sense. “Are you sure it’s a camera?”
The technician smirked. “Oh yes, Ma’am, I install these little eyes often enough to recognize them.”
“So Greg must have put it here.” Dante crossed his arms and paced around. “How or where would he watch the recording?”
“On a computer. I can’t tell you exactly which computer. You’d have to ask the person who installed it.” The technician’s words finally sank into her befuddled mind.
And the bile rose in her throat.
Greg had put in that device to spy on her, to watch every one of her moves, maybe to see her ambling around in her...
Chapter Thirteen
“I don’t know who killed Steve, but I’m going to kill Greg right away,” Alexa snarled as she marched to the door.
Dante understood her anger, but snatched her back against his chest. “Alexa, I know you’re upset—”
“Upset doesn’t begin to describe it. Try disgusted, outraged, angry...”
“I know, Alexa, I know. And yet you’ve held the stress pretty well. Don’t collapse now.”
“I’m far from collapsing. I’m going to tell that peeping tom what I think about him and his protectiveness.”
“Calm down. With an investigation going on we have to watch every word we say.” He turned her in his arms. “Alexa, look at me. Greg’s indiscretion was awful. But it’s in the past.”
“Are you crazy? How can you excuse him?” Her head jerked back, shock and hurt shimmering in her beautiful green eyes.
The hell with the old man and his oppressive jealousy. “Far from excusing him, I’m mad as hell, because his spy camera must have recorded our moves when I carried you to your bedroom.” Her jaw dropped as she glanced at the dangling lamp. He resisted the urge to soothe her with caresses. “However his deplorable surveillance may help us now.”
When she scowled and tried to wriggle out of his arms, he held her firmly and cupped her face, his eyes capturing her gaze. “If Greg has been taping your living room, I’ll get hold of those discs. Maybe they can show us what happened in your apartment. Maybe we can find some clues there.”
“Oh.” She stopped struggling to get away. “Dante, the desktop in my office is Greg’s computer. He left it there with everything else.”
“Very convenient for him. He probably checked the camera recording from time to time, when you were away, since he has a key.”
“And even when I was present. That sleaze bag often asked me if he could read his emails here because his old laptop was down.” Hands fisted, she banged on Dante’s shoulders. “How I want to kill him.”
“Darling, careful. That hurts.” He chuckled and pressed his point. “Don’t say anything yet. We have to go to my office now and meet with the attorneys. As soon as we come back, I’ll browse through your computer.”
Alexa closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Keeping her in his arms, Dante respected her inner struggle, her need to break away from the man who had controlled her. To think of it, her father had acted like a selfish bastard insisting she marry his partner when she was only eighteen. To protect her or more probably to protect his company?
“Fine. Let’s go to your office.” She strode to her bedroom and returned with her purse. After opening the door, she paused. “I’ll set the alarm now.”
Dante smiled. “Go ahead.” He watched her do it, pleased that she’d remembered her code and instructions in spite of the turmoil roaring in her head.
“At least, my apartment is safe now. Both from intruders and from Greg,” she added with a snort.
Fifteen minutes later, they entered the building that housed Morganstein & Cantari Law Firm. “Hi, Michelle. Please ask Jay and Juan to come to my office,” Dante said.
“Right away. They told me to call for them as soon as you arrived.”
Alexa threw him a questioning look loaded with angst. His hand on the small of her back, he led her to his office and indicated the armchair across from his desk.
The two young attorneys entered Dante’s office, one carrying his laptop and the other a folder they set in front of him on the desk.
“Glad you both came,” Jay said.
“Go ahead,” Dante prompted, hoping they would get information shedding some light on the case.
“We checked Loans and More, Inc. accounts. The company is in financial trouble. Heavy debts and threats from clients.”
Dante nodded. “That’s why Steve borrowed from Tom Dallen and approached Greg Partson w
ho refused to lend him anything.”
“Well,” Juan continued. “Bairey and his partner Morton applied for loans from various banks and were rejected because of their bad record. So they went to wealthy individuals to bail them out.”
“That failed obviously,” Dante stated.
“We also checked Mr. Bairey’s status.” Jay glanced at Alexa and paused. “Dante, you’d better look at this.” He turned his laptop toward Dante and clicked on a file.
Dante read silently and cursed. “Alexa, there’s no way to tell you this gently, so brace yourself.”
“What now? I think I can cope with anything after all I’ve been through.” Her fingers grasped the arms of her chair as she leaned forward.
“This tops it all,” Dante exhaled. “There is a joint account in the names of Mr. Steve Bairey and Mrs. Alexa Bairey, and a deposit of two million dollars to that account from Ms. Alexa Partson’s personal account. The deposit was made at 10 am in the morning, on the same day Bairey died.”
“No way.” Alexa lurched out of her chair and circled the desk to look at the file. “How on earth could he have done this?”
“When I explained to the bank manager there was an investigation going on because of the suspicious death of Bairey, he said Bairey had told him that he and Alexa were getting married tonight.”
“What?” Alexa’s hand flew to her chest.
“The manager showed me a copy of a check supposedly signed by you, Alexa. I asked for a copy. Apparently, a detective called Ladd had already talked to him and requested the original. Here is the copy,” Jay handed Dante a sheet of paper with the copy of a check.
He studied it and handed it to Alexa. “It looks like your signature. But I could be wrong. Look at it carefully, Alexa. Is it yours?” Dante asked, hoping she’d notice something fishy and deny it.
Her hand shook as she took the paper and stared at it. “I can’t believe it. I never signed anything like that. And yet, it’s my signature.” She threw the paper on the desk and dropped into her chair. Her forehead lowered in her open palms.
“Maybe it’s forged,” Jay suggested. “Detective Ladd sent the original to a handwriting analysis expert. He’ll probably contact you soon.”
“I’m sure, he will.” Alexa’s defeated tone broke Dante’s heart.
****
After Jay and Juan left his office, Dante brought her coffee and sandwiches for lunch. “Alexa, we’ll get you out of this mess.” His warm palm engulfed her cold fingers.
She nodded, more to reassure him than out of conviction. “Why is every clue pointing at me? Why?” Straightening, she squeezed Dante’s hand to get his full attention. “Think with me, Dante. How could Steve claim I was getting married to him that same evening? How? Was he going to kidnap me? Force me to marry him? And then what?”
“I don’t think he could have forced you,” Dante exclaimed.
“Maybe he thought he could, because for years, I was vulnerable, an easy target. Maybe he counted on me being unable to defend myself if he’d tried to abduct me.”
“You may have given him that impression, but you certainly haven’t acted like a weak person.”
Grabbing the cup of coffee, she gulped half of it, trying to clear her thoughts. “So, it wasn’t love, or even lust, on Steve’s part as I first believed. The bastard was after my money. But how was he planning to get away with all his machinations? Just by going to Atlanta as he claimed?” After setting her cup on the desk, she waved away the plate of sandwiches Dante offered. “Thanks. I’m not hungry.” She didn’t need Dante to dote on her now. She wanted the truth exposed, explained. “What is the truth?” With a tight fist, she banged on the arm of her chair.
“Alexa, the first time Detective Ladd interrogated you about Steve, you reported that he came to your apartment to discuss the building assessment.”
“Yes.” Shame warmed her face. “Why are you bringing up that horrible experience?”
“Because you mentioned you woke up, half-naked, with Steve next to you—”
“Stop. Don’t remind me of that awful night.” She covered her face with her hands, trying to erase the memory.
Dante pulled her fingers away. “On the contrary, I want you to try to remember and tell me every detail that pops into your mind.”
Stunned, she peered at him.
His intense gaze didn’t flinch. “You told us you couldn’t remember much. Why? How many drinks did you have?”
“Maybe two.”
“We’ve had more than two drinks in the last few days. Yet you vividly remembered our lovemaking the next morning.”
“Please, Dante.” She waved her hand, unable to take more.
“Alexa, don’t you see? You probably were drugged that night.”
She’d often wondered why she couldn’t explain how she’d let Steve share her bed or why she hadn’t fought him. “I thought about that possibility. That’s why I dumped the drink he brought me on his last visit.”
“Close your eyes, and focus.” Dante gently stroked her cheek.
She took a deep breath, rested her head on the back of the chair, and remembered. “He knocked on the door. I kept it ajar to prevent him from entering. He said he had papers about the assessment. He wanted me to read them and sign them. It was urgent. The bank needed them and he was visiting all the owners in residence. I let him in. And I sat on the sofa to read them.” She glanced at Dante.
“You’re doing well. Keep on. I’m taking notes.” He typed on his iPhone. “Did he have a drink?”
“Yes. He poured us each an Amaretto from my bar.”
“Ah, same liquor he drank the day he drowned. It’s a strong one, with a bitter taste that could mask the bitterness of a drug.”
“He brought me a glass. I automatically drank while reading. Oh God. Now I remember this. Things were so fuzzy in my mind. He said, ‘Now you have to sign it’. I said I was tired and would finish reading tomorrow, sign it, and bring it to him. He insisted he needed the assessment paper right away, and said, ‘Sign it now’.”
“Do you remember signing it?”
“I think I did sign a paper. I can’t remember exactly what or where I signed.” Her breath lumped in her throat. “So that’s what I signed. A two-million dollar check. I think I’m going to be sick.”
“No, you’re not. You’re a strong woman, Alexa. Focus again. Close your eyes and tell me what you see.”
The images jumbled in her mind.
Teased by eager fingertips, her nipples peaked and her body writhed, jolting Alexa out of a dreamless slumber while her brain struggled to remember her latest amorous encounter.
Not for months. Or years. Since Greg had moved out, she hadn’t let a man touch her. Then why were her breasts…
With considerable effort she lifted her eyelids, tried to focus, and glared as her eyes opened wide. “What the hell…” Jerking back, she pulled the sheet over her chest and threw a fist at the smirk adorning Steve Bairey’s relaxed face. “You bastard.”
His smile faded to be replaced by an angry scowl. Steve patted his mouth. “Hey, is that your thank you for a night of incredible sex?”
“You dirty scum. Get out of my bed. Get out of my apartment, or I’ll call the police.”
Steve collected his clothes. “Call whoever you want to witness our glorious rampage.” His sarcastic tone poked through her fogged mind. “Thank you, sweetheart. I won’t bother you again. Don’t make a big deal out of it. We were both drunk and can’t remember how we ended up in bed.”
Wrapping a robe around her, she dashed to lock the door behind him. Anger and disgust churned in her mind. Damn the scum bag. She checked the bed sheets and her clothes for any proof that he might have raped her, or even penetrated her during her slumber. None was evident. She wasn’t sore and was still wearing her undies, and she couldn’t remember sleeping in his arms. So what had exactly happened between them?
Exhausted from the effort, Alexa rubbed her forehead. Silence enveloped th
em. Had she lost Dante after her confession?
“I’m sorry, my darling. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” Dante squatted in front of her chair, and brought her hands to his lips. “I’ll make you forget his dirty touch.”
No blame or accusations. No condescending tone. She let out a sigh of relief. Losing Dante’s support now would be unbearable. “Thank you.” She leaned into him. Her forehead resting against his chin, she drew comfort and a boost of energy from his support. “Do you think whatever he made me sign, was a check?”
“I’m sure he probably substituted the assessment paper with a blank check once he decided you were groggy enough not to notice the difference.”
“But what had he drugged me with?”
“Who knows? Maybe Valium from your prescription jar?”
“Only three pills were missing. Not enough to drug me, and then adulterate the drinks on the day he died.”
“You have a point here. But we’ll let Detective Ladd figure that out. At least, we know how he got the check with your signature and why he planned to go to Atlanta or who knows where.”
“Do you think I...I let him...” She couldn’t complete her sentence. “Maybe all he wanted was the check. Maybe he secured it away, and then came back to lie next to me and distract me by staging a sex scenario.”
“It’s very possible. You need to relax now. Discovering Greg’s hidden camera and a two-million dollar check’s existence in the same day is more than one person can digest. Let’s go to the beach.”
“I’d rather go home and check my computer to see if there are recordings from the camera unit.” She grabbed the straps of her purse from the back of her chair while Dante collected the papers on his desk into a folder, and shoved them into a drawer.
Dante’s cell rang. “It’s Detective Ladd.”
“Cantari speaking...” He said in the phone. “Yes, she’s with me... Now?... Give us an hour to grab lunch.” He scowled and shut his phone. “Unfortunately, he absolutely needs to talk to us now. I have the feeling it’s about the check. And maybe about the recording too.”