“It’s gorgeous, and I’ll wear it.” I looked downward as I touched it. “Thank you.”
“Are you ready to get down to business now?” Mr. Wing asked, in English.
“Sure.”
I did quick interpretation work while Boris spoke. “First, I’d like to remove a member of the United Nations.”
“Who?” Mr. Wing asked.
I asked the same from Boris, but in Russian.
Boris turned and stared directly at me. “Felix Ernst from Germany. Permanently.”
He was seeing if I got upset and I tried my best not to show how I felt. I turned to Mr. Wing and told him what Boris said.
“But he’s a nice guy,” Mr. Wing said in English.
“He’s also a friend of others who have no loyalty.” Boris looked straight at me. So this was a test of my loyalty? Now it made sense. He wanted to test me to see if I’d tell anyone that Felix was going to be killed. If I told, then I did have loyalty and wasn’t going to be used. I’d probably be killed instead.
I turned to Mr. Wing and told him the same thing in Chinese from Boris’ Russian comments. They continued speaking in their native tongues, using me as their interpreter.
“Fine,” Mr. Wing said, glancing at me. “I don’t care. Who’s going to do it?”
“My right-hand man, Oleg.”
“What about Elizabeth?” Mr. Wing asked. “Shouldn’t she be here too?”
“She’ll be removed as well. Rumor has it she’s pregnant and if that gets out, it’ll cause a scandal.”
“Why is that?” Mr. Wing asked.
Boris leaned forward. “She’s pregnant to one of the guards for the Arabic team.”
“Is that true?” Mr. Wing asked me in Chinese. “She has loyalty to the Arabic team?”
I started to speak in Russian, but Mr. Wing stopped me, speaking in English. “I’m asking you. Is that true?”
“I have no idea,” I said in English. “I don’t get involved with the people on the interpreting team. I’m too busy.”
“But she spent time with you at the bar the other night.”
So his men were watching. I thought it was just the Russian guards. Interesting. “It was the first time she’d done that. We didn’t have time to talk before she passed out.”
“I see,” Mr. Wing said, and then turned to Boris. “Yes. Elizabeth knows too much.”
“Already taken care of,” Boris said in English. I studied both of their faces, terrified for her, but had no idea what was going to happen or how to warn her.
“I have some other ideas at our next meeting but I have to figure out the logistics first,” Mr. Wing said, speaking in English.
“I understand.” Boris stood and shook Mr. Wing’s hand. “It’s good doing business with you.” Boris turned to me. “And thank you, Harley. You’ve been invaluable to our cause.”
Still terrified, I stood up and tried to hide my fear as we all walked out of the office. I moved toward Jim. As soon as he saw me, he gave me a kiss, his arm going around my waist. “Doing okay?” he asked.
“Yep.” I tried to tell him with my eyes what had happened, but he ignored me.
“New necklace?” he asked, touching the chain.
“Yes.” I stared into his eyes. “Boris gave it to me, and said it was from Russia with Love.” I hoped he’d get the message, but he just smiled.
“Nice of him.” He walked with me toward William Lloyd, the British Ambassador. “I want you to meet someone.”
“Harley Black,” the man said. “I’ve heard so many good things about you from Elizabeth. She and I are from the same hometown.”
“That’s so nice.” I shook his hand. “Is she around?”
“I think she stepped out for a moment.” Mr. Lloyd looked all over the room. “She was talking with some of the guards earlier and they seemed to have left.”
Did she know her life was in danger? Maybe she’d been kidnapped. And why didn’t Jim say something about the necklace and the 007 code Boris mentioned? I was sure it was bugged, but Jim wouldn’t know that, would he? He had to know that.
Mr. Lloyd kept talking. “I’ve been over here for the past seven years, and I swear, I’ve never seen a more bustling city than New York.” The man droned on and on and Jim just stood by my side, drinking a martini, probably shaken and not stirred, while laughing. Two people—Felix and Elizabeth—were about to be killed, and I had to stand there and listen to the prattle? I glanced around the room more than once, but Jim kept me staring ahead, standing as close to me as possible.
I finally leaned on Jim’s shoulder. His arm went around my waist, and he looked at my face. “Are you okay?”
“Tired.”
He put his glass down and stopped Mr. Lloyd from talking. “Excuse me, but I think I need to find something for her to eat. She’s been very tired lately, and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
I knew what to do. He had to stop giving me sedatives.
“Certainly. My wife used to get like that every month, and I’d just let her—”
“We’ll see you later.” Jim shook his hand. He put his arm around me again and leaned up to my ear. “Are you okay? Did they give you anything to eat in that room?” he whispered into my ear.
“I’m fine,” I whispered back, putting my hand up to his ear. “That man was boring. Why did you take me there when there’s so much—”
His lips were on mine in an instant. I didn’t want to forget about Elizabeth and Felix, but he wouldn’t let me go or give me an opportunity to tell him. His kiss was incredible.
Just as I tried to catch my breath, he backed away from me and put his forehead on mine. A small group of people, including Boris and Mr. Wing, surrounded us, just watching.
“I didn’t think you’d come up for air,” Boris said, chuckling. “I was ready to call a fire truck to separate you two.”
“She’s in love with me.” Jim backed his head away. “I have to keep her guessing.” His eyes stayed on mine, trying to give me some sort of message, but I couldn’t figure it out.
“What can I say? You’re the definition of sexy.” He was also in a tuxedo… and a cop doctor… and very smart. I now knew why he was silencing me. How could I be so dense? If Boris had heard what I was about to tell Jim, we’d both be dead. Everything I said was being recorded by my necklace, I was sure. I must have had stupid pills for breakfast or something. Either that or the lack of caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol was killing off brain cells.
A loud crash made everyone turn. I spun around in time to see some dust fly into the air about twenty feet away. One of the huge chandeliers had fallen from the ceiling and one body was lying underneath the giant two-ton glass and gold object with her head sticking out at the top. From her blonde hair and beautiful dress, I knew exactly who it was. Elizabeth.
Chapter 19
I ran toward Elizabeth but Jim held me back. He pulled me to his chest and put his hand over my necklace. His mouth went to my ear and I could feel his breath on my cheek. “Let it go,” he whispered. “Cry and show that you’re upset, but don’t go over there. That way, she’s just a coworker and not a friend. You don’t need her as a friend right now, and she’s dead. I need you to act like a girl right now.”
“I want to kill someone,” I whispered. “I’m not a crier.”
“I know, but it’s time to act. I need an emotional female right now. Otherwise, you’re going to be pegged as someone they can’t trust.”
“But I knew this was going to happen—”
“Tell me later. We’re being watched.” He pulled me away from his chest and studied my face. “Are you okay?”
I looked into his eyes, wishing I could read his mind. “I’m not sure.”
“Delayed reaction. This has been quite a shock, and I think we need to go home.” He hugged me again. “Tears, Harley. Tears,” he whispered.
I thought of very sad things, and finally thought of Jonquil. That alone could make me cry. That poor child, burdened with psycho parents a
nd the feminine name of a flower. The tears flowed and I buried my head in Jim’s shoulder, finally able to cry for Elizabeth and her unborn child.
Jim rubbed my back and I heard the ambulance pull up to the house. As I looked up, I saw four men run inside carrying medical equipment. People were sobbing and sitting in corners while in shock, just watching the ambulance people do their jobs.
They lifted the chandelier off Elizabeth, but there was no doubt she was dead. Her eyes were still opened and her leg was twisted beneath her in an odd position.
“Harley,” Felix said. “This is a terrible loss. Are you okay?”
I shook my head while lowering my eyes into Jim’s shoulder. He hugged me tighter, stroking my hair.
“I think we need to go home,” Jim said.
“Good idea,” Felix said. “I’ll give Boris your apologies.”
I wanted to warn Felix, but Jim kept me buried in his shoulder. He finally pulled me back to see his face. “We’re leaving.”
“Won’t the police want to talk to everyone?” I whispered.
He leaned up to my ear. “It’s fine. I’ll talk to them later. I want you in the car, right now.”
“Why?” I studied his face for an answer, but he was staring at the front door, behind me.
“Because we’ve got company, and it’s not pretty,” he whispered. “Don’t turn around, because Sami and two other Arabic guards are here. I’m going to turn the same way you’re turned, and we’re going to head toward the back corner. I think there are doors there.”
I was terrified. Elizabeth was dead, and her armed lover was in the room, looking for the murderer. Jim spun around and kept his arm on my waist. We took a few steps toward the back corner, but a bellowing voice from the front door stopped us.
“Harley!”
Jim glanced around. “It’s Sami,” he whispered. “And I’m sure he still has that golden gun. I guess he had a get out of jail free card. Keep walking.”
People all around us stared while I lowered my eyes, keeping my voice as low as possible, refusing to take another step. “No. He won’t hurt me with everyone watching, right?”
Jim sighed and leaned toward my ear, whispering. “Guess not. I just wish I had backup or a gun.”
“You don’t?”
“No. I was afraid of being compromised.”
“I have to turn around, don’t I?”
“Yes, you do, but I’m right here. I won’t let them hurt you if I can help it.”
I swallowed hard and turned toward the guards. “Yes?”
Sami approached me. “What happened here?” He pointed toward Elizabeth, and I could see the gun with the golden handle in his pocket.
I swallowed hard. “I’m not sure. I was speaking with some of the guests and the chandelier fell on Elizabeth.” I forced tears to my eyes, thinking of baby Jonquil. “I think she’s dead.”
Sami grabbed my arm, dragging me to the side of the room while everyone watched. Jim followed and tried to pry his arm off my elbow, but Sami and his guard friends held Jim back. “This is between Harley and me,” Sami said. “You’re not invited. I want to talk to her about Elizabeth. We were…friends.”
Lovers were more like it.
I nodded toward Jim and he backed off, but I could see him watching me like a hawk.
Sami pulled me to a corner. “She was murdered, wasn’t she?” His voice had lowered to almost a whisper.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I really don’t know anything.”
His dark eyes studied my face. “She was pregnant, too. She told me she was raped by Oleg. Is that true?”
“I’m not sure. Without a paternity test—”
He grabbed my arm and leaned in closer. “She wasn’t pregnant to me. We used protection. What do you know?”
The pain radiated through my arm and down into my bones. “I know you’re hurting me.” I winced.
He got into my face. “My future wife was just killed and I want to know who did it. What do you know?”
“I don’t know anything. Why are you blaming me?”
He let go of me but still looked angry. “Because I know you had a meeting with Wing and Boris, just like she did. She told me all about those meetings and they were planning things like murders,” he whispered. “I’m sure both of their hands are dirty over this and I’m vowing revenge. My country will stop at nothing to kill both of them and you, if you don’t tell me what you know.”
“I know nothing. I can’t point any fingers, because I really don’t know anything.” It was true. I honestly didn’t know for sure who had cut the wires for the chandelier, or if it had fallen because the house was old.
“You’d better be telling me the truth, or you’re just as guilty as they are. If I were you, I’d hide, because they play for blood for anyone who turns on them. I should’ve shot you in the store while I had a chance. At least then you’d be away from these men.”
And dead.
I kept quiet. I was in over my head and not a happy camper.
He glanced down at my necklace. “She had a necklace just like that.” He reached up and touched it. “She said it was a present From Russia with Love.”
It made me realize that Boris probably didn’t know Jim’s last name, making me wonder if that was how they activated the thing or something.
He tightened his hold on my necklace and I watched the anger grow on his face. “I hate that man.” He pulled the necklace off my neck and let it fall onto the ground. He stepped on it, grinding it under his shoe. “Someone’s going to pay for her death. It’s going to be my mission in life.”
Sami left me alone and returned to the other guard. Jim ran to my side, picked up the necklace and we both slipped out the back. He dropped the necklace into a flowerpot at the side of the house, and I couldn’t be happier.
We approached the valet, who got the car for Jim. Once inside the car, we left the premises. He stopped after about a mile to check the car and us for bugs, but there were none. After he got back into the car and started down the road, he pulled out his cell phone.
Jim explained what happened, over the phone. “We had to leave quickly,” Jim said to the person the other end of the conversation. “The police know me here, and they’d have blown my cover. There’s a broken necklace in the flowerpot on the side of the house. Get it and search it for a wire and a GPS locator, then have it fixed.” He looked over toward me while he listened. “She’s not good,” he said into the phone. “But I think I can handle it.”
I ignored the rest of his conversation, because my friend and coworker was dead. I knew it was going to happen, but couldn’t prevent the death of a wonderful person and the baby growing inside her. It didn’t seem fair. I had to avenge her death. I couldn’t let it go. It was time for Harley Black to step up to the plate, to create world peace. Even if I had to kick someone’s international butt to do it, I vowed it to be my mission in life. Enough of these games.
“I understand,” Jim said over the phone. “Yes, I know where it is.” He ended the call and turned toward me. “We’re going on a date.”
I couldn’t help but be annoyed. “My friend dies and we’re going on a date?”
“Yes. At a new place. Your things are being taken there right now. You need time out of the city.”
“Where to?”
“Vermont.”
“Vermont? That’s kind of far out of the city, isn’t it?”
He shook his head. “It’s not that far. You need downtime. I’m really worried about you.”
“Don’t be,” I said. “I’m more worried about Felix.”
Jim pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. “Felix? Why Felix?”
“They killed Elizabeth because of what she knew. They also want to kill Felix because he’s a good friend of mine, to test my loyalty. I can’t let them do that. He helped me through my parents’ deaths and helped me deal with taking Scotty in.”
“So if you tell anyone, you’ll be consider
ed a liability and will be killed, just like Elizabeth.”
“Probably. It’s all my fault that she died.” I covered my face with my hands. I couldn’t cry. I was in too much shock for the entire situation.
He touched my arm. “No, it’s not your fault. You didn’t cut the chandelier wire and you didn’t kill her. No, Harley. It’s the fault of some bad men. I have a feeling they’re not done with you, either.”
I removed my hands from my face and glared out the front window, not focusing on anything in particular. “I know they’re not done with me. I’m sure this was just a test.” I looked over at him. “Sami wanted to know what I know. He’s ready to kill anyone who might have been involved.”
“I figured as much. Did he hurt you?”
I looked down at my arm. “I’ll probably be bruised. He wasn’t nice. He also knew about the baby and the rape. I just hope he doesn’t let it slip about you being in the store with me and having a gun and showing a badge.”
“I doubt it,” he said. “I was very careful about that. He’d only know I’m packing heat. Let me see your arm.” I moved it so he could look at it. He turned on the overhead light in the car, and touched my arm while I winced. He bent it and checked it over. “You’re right, and I see a bruise in your future. Did you tell Sami anything?” He turned off the light.
“Nothing at all, because I don’t really know what’s true anymore.”
“I’m glad you kept quiet. This way, he can find out for himself what’s true and what’s not. It also wasn’t recorded over your necklace that you told someone. It’s best not to get involved.” He was quiet for a while. “I can get you out of the States quickly and no one will know where you’ve gone. I have enough cash to do that.”
I shook my head. This was my destiny and I knew it. “No, they’ll just find someone else. I have to do this for the sake of ‘world peace,’ remember?”
He slipped his warm hand over mine. “I won’t hold you to that. It’s now become personal and my job is to protect you. I couldn’t even do that at the party.”
“If I don’t go through with this, I’ll be considered subversive and be thrown in jail as a threat to national security. You told me that.”
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