by Donna Hill
“Movin’ kinda slow there, sis,” Dani teased, as Savannah lowered herself into the seat next to Mia.
Savannah put her purse on her lap and took off her sunglasses, setting them on the table. “Don’t make fun. It ain’t funny,” she grumbled over a half smile.
Mia put her arm around Savannah’s shoulder and pulled her in for a short hug. “At least you look cute.”
That much was true. Much like Danielle, Savannah loved to dress, and being pregnant only upped the ante. She was determined that the worse she felt, the better she would look. No expense was spared when it came to her wardrobe.
Today, she wore a bolero sweater, cuffed at the elbow, in a sea-moss green that sparkled in the sunlight, over an empire shirt in the same color, with tight accordion pleats that fell just to the waistband of her designer jeans, and a pair of emerald-green ankle boots in butter-soft suede.
“Thanks. And thanks for coming.”
“No problem,” the duo murmured.
Dani flipped open a menu. “So whatsup?”
Savannah leaned forward. Dani and Mia drew closer.
“I got another assignment.”
“We figured as much,” Dani said. “So how can we help?”
“I got major grief from Jean about pulling you two in the last time around. But because everything turned out so well, she sort of gave me a pass to ‘use my resources.’ Anyway, I’ve been feeling so crappy I know I can’t handle this alone at all.”
“The suspense is killing me already. What is it?” Dani asked.
“Well, it’s identity theft.”
“Whoa.” Mia reared back, then lowered her voice. “For real? Like the kind of identity theft that’s been on the news lately?”
Savannah nodded. “Apparently there is a major ring operating right here in New York.”
Dani leaned in. “Why aren’t the cops or the FBI or somebody handling this?”
“They are. But it goes a little deeper than that. This thing is extremely sensitive due to the nature of the people involved, so Jean was called in by a friend of hers in the Bureau.”
“This is pretty major,” Mia said.
“There’s more.” Savannah folded her hands. “This is where it gets kind of James Bond-y. There are some folks that have come to Jean…on a personal level. People who can’t go to the police or the FBI and who are in the same boat.” She looked from one friend to the other, making sure they got her meaning. Their eyes brightened in understanding.
“Illegals?” Dani asked.
“No. Just folks who can’t be scrutinized by the authorities. They can’t risk this showing up in the media.”
Mia flopped back against the leather seat. “How much time do you have?”
“A few weeks. A month at best.”
“That’s going to be a problem on my end. I’m out of town for the next two weeks setting up several conventions, one in Atlanta the other in D.C. I leave tomorrow afternoon. Of course I’ll do what I can—any contacts and resources that I can provide…”
“Count me in,” Dani said. “Do you think I’ll get to use a gun this time?” Her eyes sparkled with hope.
Both Savannah and Mia looked at her and shook their heads.
“I would hope not,” Savannah said.
Dani sucked her teeth in disappointment. “Figures.”
“However, this time I’m not taking any chances. This is major and we can’t afford to screw this up.” She zeroed in on Danielle. “I’m going to make sure I have clearance to bring you in. You’re going to have to meet Jean.”
A big grin dashed across Danielle’s mocha-colored face. “The head chick in charge! Well, all righty then. That’s what I’m talking about.”
“What about me?” Mia whined.
“Since you won’t be directly involved, I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“Damn.” She finished off her drink and slunk down in her seat, pouting.
The waitress finally came over. “Sorry, ladies. It’s crazy busy. Can I get you anything?”
They flipped open their menus and one by one gave their orders.
“Now that we have that out of the way, how have you both been doing?” Savannah asked, sipping a glass of water.
“I finally know what always keeps a smile on the two of your faces,” Mia said.
“Oh, really?” Dani said with a raised brow. “And what might that be?”
“Having a fine, sexy man to wake up to every morning.” She flashed a wicked grin and a wink.
Savannah and Dani laughed.
“So you’ve discovered the secret of sublime happiness,” Savannah said.
Mia bobbed her head. “Yes, chile,” she said, emphasizing each word. “Steven is absolutely a dream come true. And to think we’ve known each other for years and never took it further than hello.” She looked off wistfully. “It’s just so wonderful. I mean, I’ve never really had anyone that made me feel good all…the…time. Know what I mean?” She looked from one to the other. Well, there was someone once, but she’d never told her friends about him then and with good reason. And with everything going so right in her life with Steven there was no point in bringing it up now. It was old news and best that it stay buried in the past.
“I know exactly what you mean,” Dani offered. “And you know me, Ms. Love ’em and Leave ’em. I think I’ve been whipped, my sistahs.”
Savannah and Mia applauded.
“We never thought we’d see the day,” Savannah said.
“Me, either. Nick has totally taken me by surprise. It’s like those romance novels where the heroine gets swept off her feet and lands flat on her back, ready and raring to go,” she added in her typical ribald fashion.
The trio broke up laughing.
“Some days,” Savannah offered, “it’s still hard for me to believe that me and Blake are still so crazy in love and still hungry for each other.”
“Even with the loaf in the oven?” Dani asked.
Savannah’s eyes widened. “Girl, it’s even worse. When I’m not sick, I’m horny as hell! Can’t wait for the man to get home from work! Hormones are in overdrive or something. And Blake, Lawd, he never felt so good!”
Dani started fanning herself and Mia quickly followed suit.
Their meals arrived, and they continued swapping stories of their scorching love lives.
Outside the restaurant, the three women hugged.
“Have a safe trip, Mia,” Savannah said. “And I’ll be in touch if I can use your help.”
“Yeah, take care, sis.” Dani kissed her cheek. “What is Steven going to do while you’re gone?”
“Miss me.” She rocked her head to the side. “I intend to wear the brother out before I leave. Make sure it holds him over until I get back.”
“Now that’s gangsta,” Dani teased.
“See you guys in two weeks.” Mia waved as she headed down the street to where her car was parked.
Savannah turned to face Danielle. “Let me know when you have some free time. I’m going to call Jean in the morning and try to set up a meeting as soon as possible.”
“You know me. I’m my own boss. My schedule is pretty light this week with photo shoots. I have a couple of location shots, but that’s it.”
“Great. So as soon as I get it set up, I will give you a call.”
“Sounds good.”
“Thanks, Dani, I really appreciate this.”
“Hey, that’s what superspy friends are for, right?” she teased.
“Yeah, exactly.”
When Danielle returned to her apartment, it was empty. She was surprised that Nick wasn’t there. He hadn’t mentioned he was going out.
She tossed her purse on the table in the hall and deposited her keys in the glass bowl right next to it before heading to the kitchen for an ice-cold beer.
She took her beer and went to the so-called second bedroom, which served as her office/darkroom. There should be a law against false advertising, she thought, as she flipped o
n the light. When she’d read the ad for the “spacious two-bedroom apartment” some five years ago, she was expecting spacious. Well, the “second bedroom” was about eight feet long and five feet wide. The only person who could sleep in there was a midget. If you put a full-size bed in the room you’d have to walk over it to get in and out! So she’d converted it to a tiny office space with a flat-screen computer, a small desk and her photography equipment, which was stored in the closet. With a few shelves mounted on the wall, it actually became a functional space.
Danielle had a photo shoot scheduled for the following morning and wanted to go over the shot schedule. There were five models involved in the shoot for a new designer who was launching a line for the fall. They were going to set up in the Central Park Zoo so that the caged animals could serve as a backdrop.
The weather for the next day was set to be in the high seventies, which would make for a very uncomfortable day for the models and the crew.
She went down her list of supplies for the day, making sure to include two cases of water and an ice cooler.
The front door opened and shut, and the sound of male voices filled the front room.
Danielle pushed her papers aside and went to the front room.
“Hey, hon,” Danielle greeted Nick, as she strolled up to him in the living room and kissed him lightly on the lips. She turned to their guest. “Bernard…”
“Good to see you again, Danielle.”
She’d met Bernard Hassell several weeks earlier at a get-together at Mia’s house. Bernard was a dead ringer for Billy Dee Williams and the current love interest of Claudia, Savannah’s mother.
“You, too, Bernard.” Her brow wrinkled ever so slightly. “Where did you two hook up?”
“At the gym,” Nick said. “Well, as I was going to the gym. Bernard was walking by on his way to this new spot, Pause for Men. He invited me to join him.” Nick grinned. “The place is fabulous. Full spa, exercise rooms, saunas—the works—and a health-food cafe.”
Bernard hooked his thumb over his shoulder toward Nick. “I think Pause just got a new member.” He chuckled lightly.
Dani eyed Bernard. “Wow, no wonder you stay in such great shape,” she teased.
Bernard grinned and made a slight bow. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Can I offer you something to drink?” she asked, moving toward the kitchen.
“We were gonna grab a couple of beers and catch the end of the game,” Nick said, pecking her cheek. “How was the afternoon with the girls?”
“Fine,” she answered absentmindedly, trying to wrap her mind around the odd matchup of her man with one old enough to be his dad. “Well, I’ll leave you boys to your games. Good to see you again, Bernard,” she said before returning to her office.
Once inside, she closed the door behind her and dialed Mia on her cell.
“Hey, Dani, whatsup?”
Danielle cut a quick glance toward the closed door, then spoke in a harsh whisper. “Guess who’s here?”
“What? Why are you whispering?”
“Put your damned glasses on so you can hear me!”
“Not funny. Abuse I don’t need,” Mia said haughtily. “Now, speak up.”
Danielle blew out an exasperated breath. “Bernard is here.”
“Who?”
“Bernard! Claudia’s Bernard.”
“Savannah’s mom, Claudia?”
“Yes!” she hissed.
“Why? Did something happen to Claudia?”
“No. He’s hanging out with Nick, of all things. They met at some spa.” She shook her head in bewilderment.
“Soooo…the problem is…?”
“Don’t you think it’s odd? I mean, Bernard is…older.”
Mia laughed. “Guys aren’t like women, D. They bond over all sorts of stuff, sports, video games. Age isn’t an issue with them.”
“Hmm, I guess…”
“Besides, didn’t you say Nick lost his dad when he was a teen?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe Bernie’s like a substitute or something.”
“You’re probably right. I’m making something out of nothing.”
“Bet they’re watching a game and drinking beer.”
Danielle giggled. “Exactly.”
“See what I mean? Anyway, relax. I need to pack. And don’t forget if you and Savannah need my help…”
“I know, sis. Thanks.”
“Good luck. I mean that.”
“Thanks. Safe travels.”
“Safe spying.”
That was what she should be focused on, Danielle reasoned as she disconnected the call—working her first undercover assignment.
She couldn’t wait to meet Jean.
The sounds of male laughter drifted into the bedroom. Even with Mia’s wise words about male bonding, she still couldn’t shake her misgivings about Bernard. It was nothing that she could actually put her finger on. He was nice enough and obviously Claudia cared about him. But he simply seemed too good to be true: handsome, smooth talking, well put-together for a man of his age, and he seemed to have plenty of time on his hands. What did he do for a living? How could he afford a fancy spa like the one they were talking about, and where did he come from, anyway? She was probably overanalyzing, seeing ghosts in the closet when there weren’t any. She pushed her wayward thoughts about Bernard Hassell to the back of her mind, at least for the time being. She had more pressing matters to concentrate on. Her first assignment. She grinned with anticipation.
Chapter 3
It was three nerve-racking days before Savannah heard from Jean with a date for the meeting.
“Do I look okay?” Danielle asked for the tenth time in as many minutes as they drove to the Cartel brownstone.
“Dani, I swear, if you ask me just one more time…”
“I want to make a good impression.”
“You’ll be fine. And when have you not made a good impression?” She paused, frowned slightly. “Well, there was that time in the restaurant in Chelsea when your name wasn’t on the reservation list, and the time you got into a shouting match with that model’s agent during a photo shoot, and the time…”
Danielle held up her hand. “All right, all right! I’ll behave. I get it.” She huffed and folded her arms.
“What I’m trying to say, sweetie, is you always look fabulous, but you simply have to keep your temper in check and be, uh, more diplomatic.”
Of the trio, Danielle was notorious for flying off the handle at the drop of a hat, and it didn’t take much for her to feel slighted. But most of her flare-ups occurred when she felt one of her friends was being mistreated or the people she expected to fall in line, such as staff, support people and…well, the general public, didn’t live up to what she expected of them. But if you ever wanted anyone in the trenches with you, it was definitely Danielle. She would go down swinging and still look incredible.
“I want to make a good impression,” Danielle finally said, looking uncharacteristically uncertain. She tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth.
“You’ll be fine.” Savannah reached across the gears and squeezed Danielle’s hand. “I promise.”
Danielle looked into Savannah’s eyes and saw the confidence there. She drew in a long breath. “Thanks.”
“Here we are.”
Danielle peeked out the window at the very stately four-story brownstone, which looked like all the other well-taken-care-of homes on the restored block. “This is it?”
Savannah chuckled. “What did you expect? The Batcave?” She unfastened her seat belt and got out. “Come on.”
Danielle followed Savannah to the ground-floor entrance of the house.
“See that house across the street?” Savannah said, lifting her chin toward the house.
“You mean, where that F-I-N-E man is going in followed by another one?”
“Yes, it’s a day spa for men.”
“Get out.”
“Yep, run by four women
, best friends.”
“What? Wait a minute. Is it called Pause for Men?”
“Yeah, why?” She pressed the bell. A chime echoed gently in the background.
“Uh, nothing. I think I heard about it somewhere.” That sounded like the same spa that Bernard had taken Nick to, she thought. She’d have to make sure, and if it was, hopefully she wouldn’t have to come to headquarters too often. That could get pretty sticky. And she certainly wasn’t about to mention anything to Savannah to give her or Jean a reason not to give her this assignment.
The door opened. Savannah recognized Margaret, the woman the Cartel had honored the previous month for having been responsible for shutting down a senior retirement home in Brooklyn that had been abusing the seniors.
“Hi. We’re here to see Jean.”
“Come in. Come in. Good to see you again, Savannah,” the middle-aged Cartel member said with a warm smile. Tiny laugh lines fanned out from the corners of her blue eyes.
“Margaret, this is Danielle Holloway.”
Margaret stared at her for a long moment then turned to Savannah. “Looks like she has what it takes.” She winked. “It’s all in the eyes. Make yourselves comfortable a moment. I’ll let Jean know you’re here.”
“Thanks, Margaret,” Savannah said with a light laugh.
“That was weird,” Danielle said under her breath. “Did you see how she looked at me?”
Savannah waved her hand in dismissal. “That’s one of the top agents. She’s been with the Cartel since the beginning, and she’s Jean’s right hand. Definitely someone you want on your side, and if she says you’ve got what it takes, then you’ve got it.”
“If you say so,” Danielle murmured, glancing up at the twelve-foot ceiling and the incredible crystal chandelier that looked like something out of a holiday movie. She slowly strolled around the massive room and took in the decor.
Antique furnishings dotted the enormous room. Sunshine spilled across the sparkling parquet floors from eight-foot-long windows treated with sheer white curtains billowing ever so gently from the light breeze. An oak mantle with a massive fireplace was the centerpiece of the room, reminiscent of the great party days of old Harlem.