Tri Me (Primrose, Minnesota, Book 4)

by Mia Dymond

  “Regal Systems will have a copy of last night’s surveillance,” he told the other two men as they left the scene. “We can stop there on the way back to the office. I just wish we had found something more substantial.”

  “We did.” Ryker reached into his pocket with his left hand and held up a plastic bag with what appeared to be a silver cylinder inside. “Any of you know what this is?”

  Jake leaned forward from the back seat and took the bag. “It’s a lipstick holder.”

  Jackson reached back and snatched it. “I really don’t want to know how you know that.”

  “I gave Bri a set of them for her birthday.” Jake gave him a smug grin. “More importantly, Ryker tampered with a crime scene.”

  The other man was quick to defend himself. “It wasn’t a crime scene when I picked it up.”

  Through the plastic, Jackson tipped the cylinder on one end. Sterling silver. He then rolled it on its side and ran his thumb across several raised indentions on the body of the tube. Not an average item.

  He glanced at Jake. “It’s engraved. AJ.”

  “It’s Alex’s?”

  “Maybe.” He slipped it into his pocket. “We can dust it for prints back at the office, but I don’t remember seeing her with it.”

  Mace chuckled, his input interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. “Lucky you,” he said as he glanced at the screen. “It’s Dara.”

  Jake settled back against the seat and buckled his hands over his head. “Seems to me you’re spending a lot more time with Alex than you’ve told us.”

  “Seems to me you have enough on your plate with Bri and should mind your own business.”

  “Seems to me Storm and I are the only sane ones left in this sorry bunch,” Ryker added. “The whole lot of you – whooped.”

  Jackson raised an eyebrow. “Jealous?”

  “Hell no!” Suddenly the truck picked up speed. “While the rest of you wallow in this mess you call love, Storm and I will sit back and bask in freedom.”

  “Enjoy it while you can, my friend,” Jake said from behind them. “I have a feeling your freedom may be short-lived.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “My girlfriend, almost fiancé, is a psychologist. She’s taught me some tricks of the trade.”

  Ryker simply grinned. “Whooped.”

  Jackson shook his head at Ryker’s reaction. He knew from experience a man had absolutely no control over love. It was a total lost cause; once your heart decided it was time, it was time.

  “I hope to hell we can get the video before Primrose PD.” Obviously not ready to discuss his inevitable destiny into the abyss, Ryker pulled him back into the ugly world of arson.

  “Alex called ahead. As long as we go now, there shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, they can make as many copies as necessary. We’ll just get ours first.”

  “Let’s hope the camera shows us something.”

  Jackson shared Ryker’s sentiment as they pulled into the parking lot of the security company and he headed inside to get the video. Minutes later, he was back in the truck, flash drive in hand.

  “Piece of cake,” he told them. “I’m itching to see this.”

  “ETA four minutes.” Ryker shifted into drive and began the short drive to RSI.

  “You know, Jake.” Jackson passed the flash drive between his fingers. “It might not be a bad idea to have Bri analyze the evidence.”

  “I’m thinking the same thing. She can give us some insight into the reasoning behind the crime.”

  “Male or female, the perp is classic passive-aggressive.” Ryker parked the truck at the curb in front of the office. “The phone calls have stopped.”

  Jackson entered the building behind his friends, bothered by Ryker’s conclusion. On one hand, he was encouraged the threats had ceased, but on the other, it made the investigation more difficult. With a bug implanted in Alex’s phone, they could at least monitor the calls.

  “Let’s watch the video.” He headed straight for the conference room and plugged the flash drive into a desktop computer on the long table. All four of them crowded behind the monitor.

  Ryker grinned at Mace. “Do you need to check in before we proceed?”

  Jackson chuckled at the perfect go-to-hell look Mace answered with and cued the video to begin. He kept his finger on the mouse pad to browse through the action. The night darkened. Trees moved in the slight wind. The sound of cars on the neighborhood streets echoed in the speakers. The house remained unpenetrated for several frames until the motion detector caught something. The telltale green light flashed over the door.

  “Caught ya.”

  A slender, obviously female figure dressed in black appeared in the camera’s lens, perched on top of the brick wall that separated Alex’s property from her neighbor’s. A black ski mask covered her facial features.

  “36-24-34,” Ryker said without hesitation.

  Jackson paused the camera. “What the hell did you just say?”

  “I’m an observer.” The other man shrugged, apparently not bothered by sizing up the perp.

  “Let’s just concentrate on her identity.”

  He restarted the action, almost humored by the woman’s fumbling motion to scale the wall.

  “Hooker heels,” Jake mumbled.

  This time he had to grin. “You too?”

  “I’m with Ryker. Just an observation, man.”

  “You have anything to add, Mace?”

  The other man shrugged. “You ladies are talking enough. I’m just taking it all in.”

  Determined not to encourage any of his friend’s observations, he concentrated on the video stream and focused until his eyes crossed, as if he could will the camera to capture her identity. Ryker was a digital genius; even with a mask covering her face, it wouldn’t hinder his ability to identify her. She just had to cooperate first.

  “She’s not as stupid as we thought,” he said finally. “She won’t show her face to the camera.”

  He watched in disgust as she continued to keep her head lowered, brandished the gasoline can from the nearby bushes, poured the contents in front of the door, stepped back a couple feet, struck a match, and then tossed it into the puddle of gasoline. Audio didn’t fail to catch her maniacal laughter as she left the scene.

  The chime of Ryker’s cell phone sliced the tense silence like a knife.

  “Adams.”

  Jackson ignored the conversation and didn’t take his eyes from the screen until Ryker tapped him on the shoulder. “My contact from HBL is on the line.”

  Ryker reconnected the call. “Go ahead Dan. I’ve put you on speaker.”

  “Records indicate the three phone calls were made from three different numbers. However, all of them belong to Luxury Imports.”

  “Damn.” Jackson braced his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers. “Only one woman made the calls. What time were they made?”

  “Let’s see, the first call was made at 11:32 p.m. The next one was 1:23 a.m., and the third, 7:08 a.m.”

  “Obviously not during business hours.” Jake moved the keyboard closer to him and cleared the screen.

  “I wish I could give you something more.” Dan chuckled. “Unfortunately, I don’t work for Uncle Sam anymore. I’ll text you the numbers, Ryker.”

  “You’ve given us a helluva start.”

  “I can stall Primrose PD approximately twenty-four hours without suspicion. Good luck.”

  “Thanks, Dan.”

  Ryker disconnected and Jackson unbuckled his hands and pinched the bridge of his nose. This case was frustrating as hell.

  “Hmmm.” Jake clicked keys. “According to a background check, Lucas Sebastian owns Luxury Imports here in Primrose. He deals in high-end automobiles. No priors. He employs twenty five individuals and is currently being sued by one of them for sexual harassment.”

  “Interesting.” Mace stretched out his legs and put his hands behind his head. “We should pay Mr. Sebastian a visit.
”

  Jackson lowered his hands and raised his head. “Agreed, as soon as we talk to Alex. If he’s involved in litigation, she may be connected somehow.”

  “The whole group is over at Marnie’s.” Jake chuckled. “Bri told me they’re planning a baby shower for Liberty.”

  “Alex told me the same thing.”

  Ryker’s phone chimed again and he glanced at the screen. “They’re all present and accounted for. Storm’s parked outside the apartment.” He whistled low under his breath. “You guys are in so much trouble. I wouldn’t trade places with any of you even if someone paid me.”

  “What the hell is wrong with you?’’ Jake frowned. “Are you scared of women?”

  “No, I’m not scared. But don’t you realize that when one of them has a baby, all of them want a baby?”

  “This from the expert on women,” Jackson drawled.

  “Mark my words. After today, your women will look at both of you differently. I wouldn’t suggest you interrupt them when they’re focused on babies.”

  “We don’t have a choice.”

  “I do.” Ryker folded his arms over his chest. “I’m not interrupting their hen party. She’s your woman. You go.”

  “Fine. You coming, Rawlings?”

  His friend’s momentary pause convinced him he would probably go alone. “You don’t really need back-up, do you?”

  “No,” he mumbled. “I’ll go solo and meet you guys later.”

  ***

  Her fingers tingled with anticipation as she sat at the computer and typed Marnie Carpenter’s name into the search engine. It had taken some work to figure out the identity of the women of Alex’s group but her perseverance had finally provided the answer.

  Girls’ night out rendered the perfect opportunity. The group had been too wrapped up in marriage and babies to even notice her at a nearby table As soon as one of them had called the small blonde by name and then mentioned her classroom, it had been fairly simple to search public school sites until she’d found the answer. Thank God the woman had a unique name.

  Dara, however, had been a cinch. Everyone in Primrose knew Dara Hamilton and although her address hadn’t been published, she’d simply followed her home from a book signing. And when an extremely tall, buff male welcomed her home with an almost pornographic kiss, it was almost common sense to believe Alex was not occupying a room in that house.

  She’d save her energy for the others.

  She smirked as she hit the enter key and the address flashed on the screen. Three seconds, not bad. She ran her hands across the top of the desk, diligently searching for a pen and a scrap paper. After several seconds of digging, she finally found a blank white card and a blue pen, minus the cap. She glanced back at the computer screen and then jotted down the address. Curious, she turned over the card. Alexandria Jennings, Attorney at Law. Anger boiled her blood; just like the woman, the card had no business occupying her personal space. Now even more determined to end this competition, she slid the card into her pocket and grabbed her keys. Destroying Alex’s house was only the beginning.

  Time to stake out Marnie’s place to see if Alex stayed there. Then she would decide what to do about it.

  ***

  Alex listened to the chatter of her friends, thankful to have the baby shower to distract her from the stress of the investigation. Bri had insisted they do something to make up for their lack of girl time.

  She placed a chilled bottle of wine on the bar just as Marnie opened the door to their final guest.

  “Sorry I’m late.” Dara breezed through the open door like her usual ball-of-energy self and gave Alex a hug. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m fine thanks, Dara.”

  “She doesn’t dare not be.” Marnie smirked. “Jackson has become her personal shadow.”

  “Really? I could’ve sworn the hottie slouched in the front seat of the truck parked in front was your tail.”

  “Huh?” Alex narrowed her eyes. “What hottie?”

  “I saw him too.” Bri shrugged. “I figured you knew.”

  “I guess Reagan and I missed him.” Annie stepped near the living room window with Reagan hot on her heels.

  Alex nudged Dara to one side and peered out Marnie’s door. Although his physique was somewhat shaded by the truck’s darkened interior, she could see enough muscle to conclude that the man behind the dark, Aviator sunglasses was most likely another member of Ryker’s team.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Alex kept her gaze trained on the hired muscle until she stood at the driver’s window, knocking forcefully with four knuckles. Slowly, the window lowered until she had visual clarification of her earlier assumption. The man had biceps the size of rump roasts.

  “Can I help you ma’am?”

  His deep smooth voice filled the quiet afternoon, almost – just almost- tempting her to forget her interrogation.

  “Knock it off. Get Detective Stewart on the phone.”

  He gave her a long, slow smile that she interpreted as a stall tactic. “I’m afraid I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and mimicked his gesture. “Look, Mr……”

  “Storm.”

  “Mr. Storm—“

  “Just Storm. No mister.”

  “Okay Storm, unless you want me to be the one to tell Jackson I made you, I’ll give you a three second head start.”

  “You drive a hard bargain, counselor.” He grabbed the cell phone resting beside him, dialed, lifted it to his ear, and then spoke after a couple of seconds. “The mission’s hit a snag, Stewart.”

  She snapped her fingers then held out her hand, palm up. With a cocky smirk, he placed the phone there.

  “Was this really necessary?” she said into the phone. “I told you I’d stay here today. You almost made me swear, in fact.”

  “It’s for your own protection, Alex.”

  “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Storm might not appreciate that title.”

  “Okay, so I don’t need a tail either.”

  “Tough. You have one so deal with it.”

  She moved her gaze to Storm and grinned while she spoke. “Sounds like a challenge to me.”

  “No, not a challenge – you’d enjoy that too much. Just a precaution.”

  “Why didn’t you simply tell me?”

  “You know exactly why. If I had let you in on the mission, you would’ve dragged Storm by the balls all over town.”

  “Don’t be so dramatic.”

  “Just being honest.”

  “So what should I do with him now that I’ve found him?”

  “Leave him the hell alone, go back inside and do whatever women do to plan a baby shower.”

  “No more surprises.”

  “Fine.”

  “Are you any closer to discovering this woman’s identity?”

  “Maybe. I’ll stop by later. In the meantime, apologize to Storm.”

  “For what?”

  “I’m sure you said something to annoy him.”

  She gave him a few seconds of silence, just in case he wanted to amend his statement.

  “That’s listable, huh?” he asked finally.

  “Yes, right on the top.”

  “You’re such a pester-head.”

  “A what?”

  “A pester-head.”

  “I’m thinking that’s just another way of calling me annoying.”

  “Nope. You stew on it for a while. We’ll talk about it later.”

  “I can’t wait,” she drawled.

  “I’ll just bet you can’t,” he mumbled. “Let me talk to Storm.”

  She gave the other man a wink and handed back the phone before turning and heading back inside. As soon as she stepped into the room, all five of her friends left the window.

  Marnie was the first to speak. “Well?”

  “Dara’s absolutely right, I have a tail.”

  Annie giggled. “A ho
t one.”

  “Smoking.” Regan grinned. “I think it’s a prerequisite for Ryker’s team.”

  Although she agreed with every single female observation, Alex frowned. “An unnecessary tail.”

  “Oh come on, Alex,” Dara scolded. “If you’re going to be under surveillance, at least the surveiler is sweet on the eyes.”

  “Is that even a word?”

  Dara shrugged. “Creative license.”

  “Not to mention he’s built like a mountain,” Bri added. “Besides, until we figure out who’s threatening you, it’s probably not a bad thing.”

  “We’ll just all sit back and enjoy the view while we plan Liberty’s shower.” Marnie shrugged. “At least it will keep Jackson out of your hair.”

  “That’s what you think,” Alex mumbled. “He’s stopping by later – most likely to read me the riot act.”

  “You know, I’m a little concerned.” Marnie led the way to the dining room table and all of them took a seat. “The love bug seems to be biting.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Liberty, Bri, Dara, and now you, Alex.”

  “Not me.”

  “Sure about that?”

  She crossed her middle and index fingers on both hands. “Yes.”

  “Whatever.” Marnie rolled her eyes. “I’m stocking up on insect repellant.”

  “You go right ahead.” Annie crossed her arms. “It just appears that any one of those men are inescapable once they turn their sights on a woman.”

  “Inescapable?” Alex scoffed.

  “I’m with Annie,” Dara agreed. “I’d have a major struggle on my hands.”

  Bri giggled. “You have no intention of putting up a fight, Dara.”

  Alex settled back against her chair, warmed by the gentle teasing exchanged between her friends. If they had anything to do with the so called love bug epidemic, she didn’t have a chance at immunity. Not that she wanted to.

  She released a low, deep sigh. Things were heating quickly between her and Jackson and her half-hearted denials were burning in the inferno. As much as she claimed to have a tight grip on her independence, he had an uncanny knack for quietly pushing past her resolve. Just when she was convinced she had him pinned down for the count, he wrapped her in those big, incredibly strong arms and proceeded to prove her wrong with nothing more than the beat of his heart. Deep-rooted understanding, protection, and respect oozed from his pores. Dara wasn’t the only one with a struggle on her hands.