“Great.” The teenager accepted the orders and scanned them. “It’s been slow today.”
“What about the order for McEntee and Jerry? That was due out today.”
“Canceled,” Tim said. “I had it all ready to go and a woman rang up from the company saying the order wasn’t needed.”
“Did she say why? It’s the first I’ve heard of it.” Alarm filled James. They couldn’t afford to lose orders. “Let me check while you start on these. I’d like them to go tonight.”
Tim nodded and began to box the new orders while James rang Rita to find out why McEntee & Jerry had cancelled their order.
“Rita, Tim says today’s orders were canceled.”
“When? Why?” Rita’s surprise carried down the phone.
“Exactly what I’d like to know.” Hell, not again. This was starting to piss him off. He’d discover the culprit’s identity if it were the last thing he did before his contract ended.
“Should I ring McEntees?”
“No, I’ll do it.” He disconnected his cell phone and dialed McEntees. A three-minute conversation revealed the saboteur had hit again. James hung up and checked his watch. The courier truck should arrive in half an hour. “Where are the orders?”
“On the spike. Do they still want them?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry,” Tim said. “I unpacked all the boxes since I didn’t think they were required.”
“Not your fault. I’ll help box them.” James went to work, pulling boxes from the stack, scanning, checking and addressing them, cursing under his breath all the while. Dammit, heads would roll over this. He would find the damn culprit. Working as quickly as possible, they packed the orders. Unfortunately, the large order took time to package and the courier arrived before they’d finished. “Damn.” He scowled down at the current order. There were several more to complete after this one. “Can you wait?”
“No time, man.” The courier puffed on his cigarette and blew three perfect smoke rings. “Have a schedule to keep. Do ya have anything for me to take or not?”
James came to a quick decision. “Yeah.” He indicated the pile of three boxes he’d packed along with the three that Tim had completed for the extra orders. Once the courier left, he’d pack the rest and deliver them himself if he had to. No way did he intend to let the saboteur win. The courier loaded the boxes in the back of his truck and took off in a cloud of dust, revving his engine until it roared in protest.
“Do you need a hand?” Rita hurried up, gasping her words out between puffs.
“Yeah, thanks.” James yanked another carton of condoms off the shelf and slit the tape fastening with a sharp knife. A pity the orders weren’t straight boxes of the same condom. Instead, they had to hand pack each order individually. Still, it was the offer of a mixture of condoms that had nailed the huge order. He could hardly complain now.
Between them, they packed the other fifteen boxes. “Rita, would you ring Ben and Joseph and see if they can help deliver this order. I think with the three of us we’ll have enough vehicles to deliver the rest of the order in time to catch the flight to Wellington.”
When Rita headed for the phone, he checked his watch. Almost seven. He grabbed his cell phone and rang his home number. Engaged. He snapped the phone closed and hurried off to get his SUV. It was going to be a long night.
* * * * *
Alice glared at the phone when it rang yet again. No way did she intend to pick that phone up for a third time. First, Mrs. Bates, James’ mother had rung and blasted her for the despicable behavior with her son. Then James’ sister had rung and taken the next shot, lambasting her for walking down the street without underwear. Alice had told James everyone would notice. Her mouth drew to a thin line when she recalled the biting words that had poured down the phone. According to Melissa, if it weren’t for her, James would toe the line and work in the family business as a lawyer. She’d tried to tell them that he was an adult and did as he pleased but both women had refused to let her get a word into the conversation. Finally, tired of the abuse, she’d hung up.
When the phone rang for a third time, she took it off the hook while she prepared dinner. Stress roiled in her stomach. Her afternoon had been a traumatic one, and it hurt and dismayed her when she thought about it now. She’d arrived at the bed and breakfast to find Lindy distraught. Someone had broken in while she’d visited the supermarket in the neighboring town.
They’d rung the police and Luke had arrived at the house quarter of an hour later.
“Have you touched anything?” he’d demanded.
“No, I arrived home just after Lindy. We rang you straight away.” Alice wrapped her arm around Lindy’s trembling shoulders. “The front door was wide open and when we glanced inside, we could see someone had been inside.”
“I locked the door,” Lindy said. “I know I did. I wasn’t even gone for long. All I wanted were some extra supplies to finish cookies for the school fete tomorrow.”
Luke slipped past them in full cop-mode, his brown eyes narrowed in concentration. His face set in harsh lines, his normal heart-stopping smile absent. “Wait here while I check to see that the intruder has gone.” In seconds he prowled from sight, and although Alice strained to listen, she couldn’t hear a single footstep despite the creaky floorboards in the old Victorian house.
“I feel violated.” Lindy swiped the traces of tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry to be such a watering pot but I’ve never been in this situation before. This is a good town, a safe town. That’s why we chose to settle here.” She cupped a hand over her stomach in a protective manner, and Alice suddenly clicked. Lindy was expecting a baby.
Luke returned. “It’s safe to come inside. There’s no one here. It looks as though they came in via the laundry window and left through the front door after opening it from inside. I’ll call the guys who check for fingerprints.”
“Have they…they done much damage?” Lindy asked in a timid voice.
“I think you need a cup of tea,” Alice said. “Can we use the kitchen?”
“The kitchen is clear. I don’t think they went in there.” Luke stood aside and let Alice guide Lindy toward the kitchen. She heard him speak quietly into his cell phone while she took care of Lindy. Alice pushed her into a chair before bustling about to make the tea. “I’ll ring Jake for you.”
“No, I can do it. I’m pregnant not injured. Arriving home to a break-in was a shock.” She stood abruptly, walked over to the counter where the phone sat and picked up the hand piece.
While Lindy spoke to Jake, Luke strode over to her. Something in his expression brought a wave of tension, her stomach tight with nerves. “Problem?”
“Yeah. They’ve trashed a couple of rooms. There’s not much damage, but they’ve been creative in your room. At least I’m assuming it’s your room.”
“They?”
Luke hesitated before saying, “Looks like the clown and the dog.”
When Alice took several steps toward the doorway, he stopped her with a hand to her shoulder. “Wait until the fingerprint guys arrive. I presume Jake is coming home?”
“I think so.” A shudder worked down her backbone.
Without speaking, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed lightly. “We’ll catch them.”
“This has something to do with Fancy Free,” Alice whispered. “I’m not sure how or why but someone is trying to scare me so I won’t keep to the terms of the will.”
“But practically everyone in town knows about the six-month stipulation in Alicia’s will.”
“Then you have a tough job, don’t you?”
Luke snorted his amusement. “Oh yeah?” The mirth faded leaving latent sensuality—enough to cause a hitch in her breathing. “What’s up with you and James? Would I tread on his toes if I asked you out?”
Alice hesitated before deciding on honesty, or as much as she was prepared to give. “James and I are testing condoms. We’re spending quite a bit
of time together but we don’t have a commitment between us. It wouldn’t feel right going out with another man while I’m working with James so…uh…closely.”
Luke smoothed the back of his hand over her cheekbone. “It’s not just work for you.”
A sigh whispered between her lips and regretfully she shook her head. “No.”
Smiling, Luke lowered his head and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. He drew back to study her intently. “We can be friends.”
Alice nodded, understanding he’d give more if she wanted, if she gave the slightest indication. “Friends,” she agreed. He hugged her briefly, reminding her she wasn’t wearing any underwear. Her gaze flew to his and his slow, sexy grin told her he had noticed her lack of bra. Oh dear. Here’s hoping she didn’t have a sudden attack of clumsiness because that really would give the show away. All of a sudden she was aware of cool air around her upper thighs and buttocks, the swish of her skirt over naked skin. She really hoped she didn’t trip.
Luke chuckled, humor shining in his eyes. “James is a lucky man. Is he still going traveling once his contract is up?”
“Yes.” Pain sliced her heart at the knowledge. She didn’t understand James sometimes. He confused her.
They heard the front door open and hurried footsteps.
“Lindy?”
“In the kitchen, Jake,” Luke called.
Jake burst through the door seconds later, the panic on his face only clearing when he saw his wife, safe and unharmed. A trace of envy struck Alice hard. James held her heart but he never looked at her like that. Mostly he just snapped at her these days.
“Jake, Alice and I are going to check out her room. There’s a bit of damage in there and I want to know if anything is missing.”
Jake nodded. Alice followed Luke from the room, and when she glanced back, Jake had Lindy in a tight embrace. Security. That’s what they had together. They had each other and were a team. Gosh, she envied them.
“Sometimes James doesn’t know what he wants or needs,” Luke said. “His parents have been hard on him because he refused to follow in the path they wanted. It’s colored the way he sees things.”
“Hmmm.” She followed Luke up the curved flight of stairs to the first floor. Her room, the Sunflower room, was halfway along the passage.
The door stood open and Luke stopped her on the threshold. Suddenly, she was glad of his solid presence. The intruders had tipped out all her drawers and emptied the contents of her wardrobe, tossing her clothes all over the floor. She gasped in shock and clapped a hand to her mouth to still the sound. Her plain white panties looked like giant stepping stones forwarding a stream. Heat crawled into her face and seeped down her neck. Oh dear. They looked enormous. Maybe there was some merit in owning tinier pairs of panties instead of the sort that helped suck in a stubborn tummy. When she looked more closely, she saw that clown stickers had been slapped on her bras and they were arranged neatly on the bed to display this fact. They also looked large—they had to be to hold her breasts—and plain. Alice closed her eyes briefly, trying to stifle her embarrassment and the sense of violation.
“Alice?”
Her eyes flickered open and she inhaled, desperately seeking calm. Her gaze scanned the rest of the room. When she stepped closer to the bed, calm deserted her. A stuffed toy leaned against her pillows—a dog—and it had a spear through its heart. “That…” her words trailed off when she noticed the clown doll. It had toppled off the bed and lay in two parts, the head separated from the body. “Do you think that’s a message?”
“There’s a note. Down with condoms. ‘Save a life. Don’t use a condom.’”
“That’s all very well not using a condom but what about STDs and the other nasties out there?”
A smirk danced across Luke’s handsome face. He held his hands in front of his face in a gesture of surrender. “Don’t preach to the converted. James told me I should always be prepared.”
Alice wondered who had told James.
“Dad told both of us,” Luke added, almost as if he could read her mind.
“Well someone should let the cult members know it’s not illegal to use or produce condoms.” She reached out to grab the note that Luke had indicated.
“No, don’t touch it. I want it checked for fingerprints.”
Alice toed her black skirt with the tip of her sandal. She wrinkled her nose, trying not to think about the foreign yellow substance on the fabric. “I’ll need to buy some new clothes. No way am I wearing these.”
“Is that going to include a bra?”
“Yes.” Alice frowned and folded her arms across her chest.
“Shame,” he said, devilry lurking in his eyes.
She gave an indignant sniff. “Do you need anything else or can I return to work?” Throughout her life she’d hated her breasts, their size and the way they attracted male attention. Funny how both James and Luke made her feel secure in her femininity rather than self-conscious.
His eyes gleamed. “I know where you are if I need you.”
After a clipped nod, she left the room, her smile blooming once she knew Luke wouldn’t see. If it weren’t for James, she’d accept his offer in a shot. Alice flapped her hand in front of her face. Yep, a very sexy man.
Downstairs, Lindy seemed calmer. “I’ll stay with James tonight and drop by tomorrow to clean up my room. Luke said the fingerprint guys need to go through the room first.” Alice tried not to think about the display of underwear, but Sloan was a small town. She had no doubt that details of the burglary would appear in the Gazette, maybe even in Ms. Knowall’s column. Gee, wouldn’t that be fine and dandy. Her reputation was already in shreds.
Alice made an emergency stop at Kellie Ann’s to purchase a bra and panties before heading back to the bank, once again fully dressed in battle armor—or her breasts at any rate. Luckily, the bank manager could see her. He remained adamant about his position regarding their overdraft. Fancy Free was not a viable risk at the present moment and the most recent budgets backed that fact up.
“Alicia’s stipulation in her will has placed the company in a difficult position. The money invested to pay for your inheritance cannot be touched, which means Fancy Free is seriously short of working capital.”
“But I don’t understand. Why you won’t approve the overdraft? The money is still there. Surely the company can use this money as security over the loan?”
“The recent budgets show the company will make a substantial loss during the next six months. Your shortage of cash for day-to-day expenses will only compound the problem. And although the inheritance has been set aside, there is nothing to stop you taking the money and walking away once you’ve complied with the terms of the will.”
Alice frowned, not understanding his comments about the projected losses. “I helped with the budgets. They showed a respectable profit.” His other comment, she tried her best to ignore even as guilt gave her a good, swift kick. She had intended to take the money and walk away without looking back. She’d slowly come to understand how many people relied on Fancy Free for employment and as a focal point in their lives.
The elderly bank manager shrugged and indicated a pile of folders on the corner of his desk. “The set of budgets I have shows a loss.”
Huh? But they’d been fine the last time she’d seem them. “It’s obvious there has been a mistake. Somehow you’ve ended up with an incorrect version of the budgets.”
The bank manager steepled his hands and regarded her gravely. “That is not very reassuring, Ms. Beasley.”
Traces of panic started to unfurl in Alice. He had to change his mind. They all depended on the bank coming through for them. Her most of all. “Is there any way that the overdraft could be extended?”
“There is one thing—is there someone who would act as guarantor?”
“Guarantor?” Alice knew what he meant but wanted to stall him while she thought. An idea had popped into her head—a good one, but it made her hesitate because of t
he high stakes. Her stomach roiled uneasily at the thought of risk and the resulting lack of security.
“Yes, someone to guarantee the company’s debt.”
“How much are we talking about?”
“The bank would require a one hundred thousand dollar guarantee.”
Alice attempted a smile. A hundred thousand. She had her savings, almost thirty thousand dollars. “What would happen if we managed to reduce the overdraft to within acceptable levels?”
“There wouldn’t be a problem if that were the case,” the bank manager had said.
Although it had made her heart ache and every single bad childhood memory about being poor return to haunt her, she had gone ahead and transferred most of her savings to clear a portion of the overdraft. She hoped she’d done the right thing. One thing was for sure. Alice needed to talk to James, about the overdraft and about the budgets that had gone to the bank. She couldn’t believe Rita would make a mistake of that magnitude, not with her years of administration experience. She peered out the window and saw nothing but trees and grass. Perhaps a glass of wine would take the edge off her trepidation and help calm the sense of panic that gripped her so tightly.
Along with the anxiety about the company finances, the dog and clown figured high.
An hour later James still hadn’t arrived. Where the heck was he?
Darkness fell and the moon and stars came out. Alice gazed out the window again, trying to decide whether to brave the dark and walk back to the bed and breakfast or not. It wasn’t like the town where streetlamps lit the way. Darkness had fallen, the moon offering the only illumination. Alice picked up her handbag and stepped outside. She walked to the end of the footpath and stopped by the wooden letterbox. A pukeko screeched in alarm, the flap of wings as the ungainly black bird flew to safety compounding her anxiety. She turned around and marched back into James’ house. Too bad. No way would she leave without an escort. Alice shut the door and reentered the kitchen, uncomfortable about being in James’ house when he hadn’t turned up as planned. After an attempt to watch television, she finally gave up and prepared for bed. Alice only hoped she’d manage to sleep.
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