Deadly Interpretations

by Andie Alexander

  I glanced toward him. “Chris?”

  Jim rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand. “Chris is nothing. I’m the one who can handle Billy. Watch the master operate, my dear.” He kissed my hand then went back to his meal.

  I put down my fork and watched him eat. I really wanted more of that steak, but couldn’t steal it off his plate, could I? Time to change the subject. “Why aren’t you married?”

  His smile was endearing, as were his eyes. If he just wasn’t a doctor, I’d be able to rein it in easier, although the cop thing was competing for my libido as well.

  He leaned closer. “Are you applying for the job?”

  “No. I’m just curious. You’re very direct and don’t play games with people. You’re attractive and very comfortable to be with when you’re not talking.”

  “Nice slam.” He seemed to be angry. “Did you learn your people skills in the gutter or was it from real life experience?”

  I really needed to be nicer. “My people skills are from real life. It was the gutter, by the way. I worked hard to get where I am now, and if it weren’t for my parents dying, I’d probably still be in Geneva. I was working my way up to supervisor over there, learning as much as I could.”

  He took another bite of his steak, making my mouth water. Steak. I wondered if I could distract him and switch plates. If I added soy sauce to mine, I might be able to make him think the carrots were beef, right?

  He kept talking but I was eyeing his steak. It wasn’t just beef, but thin strips of succulent steak.

  “Why couldn’t Harold take Scotty, other than not being dependable?” he asked.

  I hated talking about my older brother. “Let’s just leave it at undependable. It’s easier to deal with than the real story.”

  He leaned forward. “I ask that because we couldn’t find him,” he said in almost a whisper. “He hasn’t paid income taxes for over six years and seems to have disappeared.”

  “That’s Squirt.” I took a bite, still wishing I’d ordered the beef and broccoli.

  “Squirt?”

  “His nickname. He got it in high school when he mooned the girls on the basketball team.”

  “Why would they name him that?” Jim asked.

  “It’s because he’s short. He’s about my height.”

  “I see.” But it sounded like he didn’t believe me. “So what’s the deal with him now?”

  “He doesn’t make any money and lives in a commune. They live off the land and barter to get the things they need. I haven’t visited him for years because they all smell. They don’t bathe more than twice a year, I swear.”

  I took a bite of the yucky vegetables, but glanced over at Jim’s plate with the juicy beef mixed with the rice. I told myself it wasn’t steak, but just beef. Rotten beef that was probably spoiled. It didn’t smell spoiled, but I could play mind games with myself.

  “A commune? I didn’t even know they existed anymore.” Jim took a bite of his food, while I watched. He followed my eyes to his plate and pointed. “I can order you this same meal if you want.”

  “No, I’ll eat mine.” I turned back to the vegetables, but they didn’t even look good. I put down my fork and drank the tea.

  “Are you done?” he asked.

  “Yeah. I had enough.”

  “Do you feel okay?”

  I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m fine.”

  He rubbed my back and I could feel him studying my face. “Starting tomorrow, I’m in charge.”

  I opened my eyes. “In charge of what?”

  “Your life. Everything. What you eat, when you sleep, your cigarettes, who you sleep with, everything.”

  “No. Definitely not.” I just wanted to slap the silly smirk off his face.

  “Yes. First, we call Squirt and have him take Scotty. He’s a liability.”

  “For what?”

  “I’ll talk to you later,” he whispered, glancing around the restaurant. “Let me finish my meal and we’ll take a little drive.”

  I looked down at the succulent food in front of him. “Want to share?”

  He chuckled and gave me the whole plate, or at least what was left of it. We shared it, and I stuffed the meat into my mouth, savoring every bite.

  As we were sipping our drinks, Jim rubbed my back and leaned closer to me. “So tell me about all your boyfriends.”

  “Not much to tell. I didn’t date in high school, because I was studying all the time. I had to make a name for myself after Squirt turned out to be a dud.”

  “So your first boyfriend was—”

  “Dieter.”

  Jim’s eyebrows rose. “Dieter? That’s surprising. You’re so pretty and you didn’t date before that?”

  “No. I had a career and that was more important.” I finished my tea. “I need a smoke.”

  “No, you don’t. So what are your goals in life?”

  I kept my eyes on the door. “Right now, it’s to have a cigarette.”

  “Besides that.” Jim laughed. “What do you want out of life?”

  “I want to make sure Scotty’s raised the right way, and after that—” I stared at him for a moment. “I don’t know. I never thought about it.”

  He ran his fingers through my hair. “I’m going to help you with that. I want you to think of your future and what you really want.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ll see.” His smile was attractive, and when he winked, I thought I’d die. He was more to me than just a jailer. He was quite a man, but I had to realize I was just his job.

  The old woman brought us the bill and two fortune cookies, and then walked away. I opened mine, read it, and smiled. “Someone will annoy you today, and my lucky numbers are 3, 6, and 9. Multiples of three, my favorite number. Nice and very true.”

  “You’re annoyed? By whom?”

  I turned to see his smile. “I’m looking right at him.”

  “You can be really mean when you want to be. New pills and a patch for you.” He opened his fortune cookie, read the slip of paper, and threw it on the table. “Let’s go. I always get the same one.”

  “You always get the same fortune inside your cookie? That’s impossible.” He tried to grab it, but I reached over and picked it up before he could hide it. “Your destiny is to save the world, and your numbers are…0, 0, 7? You’re kidding me, right? Double-o seven? As in James—”

  “Let’s go. I have things to do.” He stood up, walked to the front, and handed the bill and his credit card to the old woman.

  “What things do you have to do?” I asked.

  “Stuff. You’ll see.” While the old woman gave him the credit card back and he signed the bill, I visited the bathroom. We then we left the building. As soon as we got into the car, he took an electric wand from a locked compartment in the back and ran it all over the car.

  “What’s that for?” I asked. “They already did that in the apartment.”

  “Shhh.” He ran it everywhere, over himself and me, before he was satisfied. He finally sat in his seat, turned the key, and drove away.

  “Can you answer me? What was that for?” I asked.

  “Bugs.”

  “Ew. Ew. Ew.” I wiped my arms and legs. “Bugs?”

  He started to laugh. “Not real bugs. Listening devices. I didn’t know that place had ties to the Chinese delegates to the U.N. Now back to Scotty. I need you to contact Squirt and tell him to get down here to take his brother. If they kidnap him, you’re more likely to do whatever they tell you to do. He’s a liability.”

  “He’s also getting in the way of your libido,” I muttered.

  “Yes, but I’m more worried about Scotty. These people are playing for blood, Harley, and I’m being serious. If the chatter we hear is right, the United States is in big trouble and you might be in the middle of it. If he’s kidnapped, you’ll do whatever they tell you to do.”

  “What are you hearing?”

  “I can’t tell you. National Security. Just know that you
’re in trouble, and you don’t even know it yet.”

  It was either the truth or he was trying to have his way with me. Either way, I was in over my head.

  Chapter 7

  “We’re being followed,” Jim said after driving for about a mile. “We need to make a detour anyway.”

  “We do?”

  “Yep. Grocery store. Your boyfriend has a craving for something sweet.” He glanced at me with a grin. “Besides you.”

  I looked out the side window. My boyfriend, my foot. He might be sexy, but I wasn’t in the mood for pushy. “Are you ever going to tell me what you suspect?”

  “Nope. After that incident with the queen, I don’t speculate aloud any more. I don’t need to lose my job over speculations.”

  I turned toward him. “Are you from Philadelphia, where your practice was located?”

  “No, originally I’m from Hagerstown, Maryland, but moved to Philly to be near my old girlfriend. Turns out she didn’t want me near her, and dumped me right after I started my practice there. At least the practice was going well, and I sold it to one of the other doctors after about a year. They’re doing a great business now, and if I’d stayed, I’d be a multi-millionaire.”

  “So if you weren’t out saving the world with the lucky numbers double-o-seven, you’d be rich?”

  “Yep. Instead, I’ve been demoted all because I tried to save some rich lady’s butt.” He massaged his neck. “Life doesn’t seem fair.” His glance toward me wasn’t missed. “At least I met you.”

  He made no sense. “Me? I’m nothing to you, except a stepping-stone to a promotion. You’re using me for your job and nothing more. Don’t lie to me.” I crossed my arms and flipped back my hair.

  Jim smiled and took my hand in a very sexy move. “You’re more than that to me, Harley.” His lips were on the back of my hand, his eyes checking me out while trying to watch the road. “You’re no dummy and I know you heard Ali mess up during work. I saw you glance toward him more than once.”

  I turned to look out the side window, not wanting him to see me panting over his sexy gaze and the heat from his lips. “I couldn’t do anything about it. I had to keep going.”

  “You did well. You couldn’t hear the Arabic, but I could. Doesn’t anyone listen to what’s being said in there?”

  “Yes, but it’s almost impossible, with all the interpreters and cutbacks.”

  “So, one of the interpreters could start a world war?”

  I looked over at him. “None of us would. We’ve been sworn to uphold our rules and secrecy.”

  “It sounds like a bomb just waiting to go off if you ask me. Do you need anything at the grocery store?”

  “Nope.”

  “Yes, you do. You need a patch, and I’m going to see if they sell them in bulk. It sounds like you need them all over your body.”

  “Very funny.” From his glance, he seemed to be checking me out for possible patch locations. Nasty.

  He sat back and looked out the front window as he drove. “I’m not trying to be funny, but if you want, I’ll make an attempt. Two guys and a duck walked into a bar…”

  “Don’t even try. I can tell you don’t have the humor gene.”

  “Ah, but you’re wrong. My life’s a joke…one big joke. Just like losing the medical practice before it made all that money, then being demoted because of Queen Eva. And now, with the potential of this being the third of a three-some, because everyone knows bad things come in threes, it could be the funniest, most ironic thing to happen yet.”

  “What, me?”

  “Not you, me. I seem to have a track record for bad things. I’m hoping you’ll turn my luck around and make someone else the laughing stock of the agency.”

  “You’re the laughing stock? They sent me a dud?”

  He chuckled, but the truth stood out, right under the surface. “I’m no dud,” he said. “I like to consider myself more of a stud, which rhymes. Now, I want you to stick to me like glue in this grocery store. Got it?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I like being called sir. It shows respect.”

  I wanted to wipe the smirk off his face. “It sounds stupid to me.”

  He laughed and pulled the car into a grocery store parking lot.

  “What do we need in here?” I asked. “I can just run in and get it.”

  “No way. We have company and you’ll stick to me like glue. I can’t let you out of my sight.” He pulled out his cell phone and made a call. “The duck’s in the water. I repeat—the duck’s in the water.”

  I watched him end the call with my mouth hanging open. “What was that?”

  “Code phrase. Now wait for me. I don’t want you outside without me.”

  “Chivalry again?” I asked.

  “No. I’m talking about the threat of guns. If I’m shot, get out of here, right away, and go to your apartment.” He handed me the keys to the car. “I might be able to hold them off, but you need to get away if anything happens.”

  I searched his face. “You’re serious?”

  “Dead serious. This isn’t a game.” He got out of the car and I waited, watching him nonchalantly walk around the front to my side of the car. He opened my door, held onto my hand, and helped me to my feet. Nothing happened. No guns, no yelling, nothing. I doubted we were even being followed, certain he was making it all up.

  As soon as I got to my feet, he shut and locked the door, then pulled me to him in a huge embrace. “Make this look good. You’re in love with me, and don’t forget it.”

  I smiled. “Hardly.” I gave him a small kiss, handed him his keys, and backed away.

  He turned toward the door and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “If anything happens, make sure you get out of here. Call the cops if you have to, but get away.”

  “Sure.”

  “I think you’re a very intriguing woman, and some day, I’m going to show you how intriguing you really are.”

  “Mr. Studly.”

  He laughed as we entered the grocery store. As soon as we started down the produce aisle, someone tapped my shoulder.

  I spun around, terrified, but only saw the Russian Ambassador, Boris.

  “Hello, Miss Black,” he said.

  Jim turned toward us, appearing rather perplexed.

  “And who have we here?” Boris asked, looking toward him.

  “This is my boyfriend, Jim,” I said.

  Jim shook Boris’ hand. “And you are?” Jim asked.

  “I’m Boris Yuropov, Ambassador to the United Nations from the Russian Federation. I work with Harley. She’s one of our finest interpreters.” He seemed so proud, but I saw him study Jim with untrusting eyes.

  “Why do you need an interpreter if you speak English?” Jim asked.

  “For some of the things we discuss, I really need to hear it in my own language for it to make sense to me. Now, when did you start dating Miss Black and when are you going to leave her alone?”

  What? Boris didn’t like the idea of me dating someone new? He never cared before, but this was different. Maybe Jim was right. Maybe something big was going on.

  Jim grinned at me. “We just began dating today and I’m not going away for a long time. We just met at lunch and really hit it off.”

  Literally, after I had him pinned to the dirty floor.

  “So you’re grocery shopping now?” Boris asked.

  “She needs food at her place for breakfast, if you know what I mean.” Jim wrapped his arm around my waist and winked at the man.

  I crossed my arms and glared at Jim from the side. He’d only get breakfast if I shoved it into his face. As much as he didn’t want to be trained, I didn’t like the idea that he thought he could get whatever he wanted and treat me like a bimbo in the meantime.

  Boris laughed after a moment, finally getting the joke. “I understand.” He turned toward me, his face going solemn. “I’m having a little party Saturday night at my home,” he said in Russian. “Everyone is invited. Can yo
u make it?”

  I glanced toward Jim. He knew what was being said, I was sure, but we had to play along. “Want to come to a party with me on Saturday night?” I asked in English.

  He leaned closer and kissed my cheek. “Well, Saturday is date night, but I guess we could go for a little while.”

  “That would be great,” Boris said. “I’m glad you both can make it.” He almost frowned. “I want to talk to you privately at that party,” he said to me, in Russian. “Think you can get away from this bozo?”

  I smiled and had to reply in Russian. “He’s not a bozo, and yes, I can do that.”

  “We’ll distract him and you and I can meet. It’ll just take a few minutes.”

  “Right.”

  I looked toward Jim, his eyebrows raised. “Did I miss something?” Jim asked. He looked so innocent, but I knew better.

  “No,” Boris said in English. “Just work stuff.” He put his hand on my shoulder again. “Have fun shopping for breakfast food.” He walked away and I leaned toward Jim. Before I could talk, he put his mouth on mine.

  As soon as he backed away, I started to talk. “About—”

  “No, we have to find something good for you. Protein, remember?” He took a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket and wrote something. “This list I made up should help.” He handed me the paper, where he’d written, ‘You’re probably bugged because he touched your shoulder more than once. Play along.’

  I nodded. “But sweetheart, I’m a vegetarian.”

  “Not any more. I don’t want you beating me up again for something stupid, just because you’re PMSing. Not nice, Harley, and you’d think you were raised better than that.”

  “Well, Mom’s not here to tell me any differently, so I say we stick with tofu.”

  He turned toward me. “Have you ever had tofu?”

  “No, but it can’t be that bad, right?”

  He laughed, headed toward the meats, and threw two containers of bacon, some steak, and sausage into the cart. He followed that with orange juice, eggs, hash browns, and a loaf of bread. After that came hot chocolate, boxes upon boxes of cereal, coffee, tea, cinnamon rolls, various other desserts, and who knows what else. Finally, he got a few boxes of nicotine patches, putting them right on top. It was worse than buying feminine stuff, in my book.