Biting her lip to hide a smile, Lucie stared down at Aphrodite still locked onto those damned bells.
The clerk snatched the bill off the counter. “Jake! I need help out here.”
A second later, a guy in his early twenties appeared in the doorway. This just got a whole lot better. Ro gave him her back. Smug grin in place, she popped two buttons that revealed the edge of a sheer beige bra.
A two-button mission. Look out, kid. If he stared too long, he’d be lost forever.
The woman disappeared, and Jake stepped behind the counter. “Can I help you?”
“You sure can, honey,” Ro said, leaning in enough to reveal a half-mountain of boobs. “Do those video cameras record audio?”
Jake’s eyes zoomed right where Ro had intended. “Um…wow. No. Just video.”
Once again, Ro smiled, and Lucie knew exactly where this was going. She gave up on Aphrodite and the bells and reached for Ro’s purse, snatching a hundo—as Joey would say—from the wallet.
Time to double-down. Lucie smacked the hundred on the counter. “Perfect because we’re about to bribe you.”
The kid’s head lopped forward. “What?”
Lucie tap-tap-tapped the bill. “Focus here. Some goon rented a black SUV from this agency and tried to kidnap me this morning.”
The kid’s gaze shot from Lucie to the bill. “No way.”
“Yes, way.” Ro brought his attention back to her cleavage. “Before Nurse Ratchet comes back, we’ll give you this hundred bucks if you’ll do your thing on your computer and give me a name. If he’d gotten my little Lucie into that car, no telling what he’d have done.”
“Yes,” Lucie added. “Do you really want some maniac running around in one of your vehicles abducting people? He could have killed me and dumped my body. He’s a menace. How’s that going to look for Elite Rental? I mean, renting cars to murderers. Really?”
The kid eyed the bill on the counter then went back to Ro’s cleavage. Not even bothering to hide it, she popped a third button.
Joey would have a fit.
“Two hundred bucks,” the kid said.
Ro shook her head. “Apparently, I’m losing my touch. Fine. But you’re giving me the name first. We’re looking for a black SUV. A Lincoln, we think.”
Lucie thought back to Mattie receiving the flyer after Tiki Night. Boston condo complex. Which could mean the person who left it flew in from there. “It may have been rented from the airport in the last few days.”
The door leading to the rear of the building opened. Uh-oh. Ro snatched the bill on the counter, folding it in her hand.
“They had cheese crackers,” the blonde announced as she plowed through the door.
Dammit.
“Excellent.” Ro chirped. “She loves cheese.”
When Ro didn’t move from her spot, Lucie held up a hand. “I’ll take those.”
Behind the woman’s back, Ro grabbed a brochure and jotted a quick note, handing it to the male clerk.
Lucie opened the package, and, at the first whiff of cheese, Aphrodite dropped the bells, sending them clanging against the door.
“Stay,” Lucie said.
When the dog remained sitting—good girl!—Lucie slid her the cracker, almost losing half her hand in the process.
“All right,” Ro said. “I think we’re done here. Thank you for your help. Both of you.”
The blonde cocked her head. “What did you come in for?”
“Oh,” Lucie said, “forget it. We thought we left a leash in a vehicle, but we didn’t.” She held up her phone. “My boyfriend found it.”
Ro shoved her out the door and they hustled to the golf cart. Anticipating the ride, Aphrodite fired off a triple bark.
“Sssh,” Ro said. “We’ll go in a minute. I wrote him a note. Told him to get the name and meet us at the corner of the lot.”
“You think he’ll do it?”
“For that look at my tits plus two hundred bucks? He’d better.”
Nine
After depositing Aphrodite at home, Lucie had Ro drop her off at Uncle Henry’s before she went to meet Joey and his impending questioning. As issues went, Lucie got the better end of the deal by not having to put up with her PITA of a brother.
Tummy rumbling, Lucie marched inside and found Tim at the kitchen table, arms crossed and staring at his phone. Lord, had he been there this whole time?
At this point, she suspected dinner at Uncle Henry’s favorite restaurant would be cancelled. But, cripes, they needed to eat.
She gave Tim a gentle smack on the shoulder then bent low for a smooch. Nothing too intense, just a quick peck she found an easy comfort in.
“It’s after six o’clock. Please tell me you haven’t been in this spot since I left.”
“I’ve been in this spot since you left. I’m trying to find out who rented that damned car. If we were in Chicago, I’d have it by now. Here? Nobody gives a shit.”
“I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”
This had more to do with Tim not being able to get a job done. Her man liked being the resident Mr. Fix-It and this situation put him out of his jurisdiction. In a big way.
Tim grumbled something then tapped his phone. “Nothing.”
“So, you’re just sitting here, waiting for people to get back to you. Do you realize how crazy that is?”
“Pretty much, yeah. I need this guy’s name.”
“Sonny Peppers.”
He finally dragged his gaze from his phone, snapping his head sideways and facing her. “Come again?”
“That’s his name. We think. One Sonny Peppers from Boston rented a black Lincoln Navigator the day before yesterday. The only Navigator rented in the last two days.”
“Are you messing with me?”
“No.”
“Taunting me in some way?”
Unbelievable. “No. Sonny Peppers. That’s who we’re looking for.”
“How do you know this?” He shifted his body sideways on the chair. “Is it going to piss me off?”
Tim didn’t like Lucie getting into what he called ‘screwball investigations.’ Being law enforcement, of course he thought she should leave it to the police. But she, as a private citizen, wasn’t bound by a constricting thing called the law. She didn’t need warrants or probable cause to snoop around. Sure, Lucie might wind up in a cell, but a girl had to do what a girl had to do.
“Don’t be mad,” she said.
He closed his eyes. His lips moved but nothing came out. Prayer? Meditation? Anything was possible.
“Crap,” he said. “What’d you do? I thought you were walking the dog.”
Lucie dragged the chair beside Tim’s out and dropped into it. “I was. Well, we were.”
“Who’s we?”
“Ro and I.”
“Crap.”
Lucie snorted and patted him on the shoulder again. “You’re so paranoid. It’s fine.”
“Right. Please. One thing I know about you lunatics is that it’s rarely fine. What did you do? And will I have to explain it to the local cops?”
Hopefully not. “Nope. All good.”
I think.
How much jail time could someone get for bribing a car rental agency employee?
“What does that mean?”
“The guy took the money so I’m pretty sure he won’t squeal.”
Tim’s jaw dropped. “He. Took. The money? What the hell did you do?”
Ho-kay. In a rare occurrence, the hot Irish detective got a little loud. O’Hottie might truly be going over the edge.
Lucie put up two hands. “Whoa, fella. I saw you getting stressed out—”
“Don’t put this on me.”
“I’m not. I’m just saying. I don’t like you that way, so we went to the car rental place.” She rolled her hand. “You know, to check it out. There’s a satellite location a few miles from here. We got there, and Ro popped a few buttons. When that failed, we went for plan B.”
“Extortion.”
Oh, my God. Did he have to be so dramatic? “I wouldn’t call it that. Motivation maybe.”
Tim laughed, but it in no way resembled his authentic belly laugh. This was more of a check-me-into-the-psych-ward maniacal giggle. “Justify it any way you want, Luce. It’s extortion.”
“Sonny Peppers, Tim. That’s the guy’s name. The name you’ve been sitting at this table trying to pry out of the local police. So lecture me all you want, but we have what you need.”
For a few seconds, he simply stared at her until the hum of the refrigerator and the kerplunk of the ice maker dropping a fresh batch broke the spell. Slumped-shouldered, he tipped his head to the ceiling and mumbled. Something about God saving him.
Whatever. As much as she understood his frustration with her antics, the fact that he couldn’t appreciate what she’d done irked her. She drummed her fingers on the table, reminding herself that Tim had always been patient with her when she’d gone rogue. “I know I make you crazy sometimes.”
He gave up on praying and met her gaze. “I worry about you.”
“We were fine. We had a giant pit bull with us.”
“The one who ran when you almost got kidnapped.”
“Well, that could’ve been an isolated incident. I also had Ro with me. And, you know that’s nothing to sneeze at.” She leaned in and touched her forehead to his. “We weren’t in danger. I promise.”
Either the lecture would last the next fifteen minutes, or he’d realize, finally, that nagging failed to stop her. Lucie dreaded moments like these. Despite knowing, without question, that Tim loved her, absolutely adored her, her chaotic life and her need to right a wrong, caused tiny fractures in their relationship.
Still, no matter his warnings, she simply could not stand by and let a crime be committed. Particularly if it involved her family. One that now included Tim—and his relatives.
Family. The most important thing.
“Tim O’Brien, I love you. And if someone you love is in crisis, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“Even when it gives me hives.”
She pulled back, shaking her head. “It doesn’t. Maybe a headache, but not hives.”
“Sonny Peppers,” he said.
“Sonny Peppers.”
“Did you happen to get an address?”
Now they were talking. “The Lafayette Motel. Room 225. It’s not far from here.”
“All right.” He let out one of his long sighs then set his hands on the table and pushed out of his chair. “We’ll check it out. With luck, we’ll see the vehicle. Or Mr. Peppers.”
Whoot! A stakeout with Tim. Great fun. “Shall we bring Ro’s boobs?”
“Uh, no.” He paused, ran a hand over his face and then dropped it to his side again. “Ah, hell, let’s not rule it out completely.”
“You gotta be kidding me.”
Tucked under a White Sox baseball cap to hide his hair, Tim sat behind the wheel of his uncle’s Lexus, staring into the rearview mirror with his jaw locked so tight it might fracture.
Afraid to turn and look at what had grabbed Tim’s attention, Lucie refused to move. Two hours had passed while they sat in the darkening parking lot of the Lafayette Motel, one of those old-time deals with room doors facing out so everyone and their grandmother could see the comings and goings. An obvious fresh coat of peach stucco allowed the owners to post signs proclaiming, “Newly Remodeled!”
“What is it?”
Tim peeled his gaze from the mirror. “Your family just pulled in. In the damned golf cart that might as well be a neon sign. How the hell far can that thing go on a tank of gas?”
“When full, it’ll go two hundred and fifty miles.”
Abandoning her fear, Lucie spun around for a look. Yep. There they were. Joey and Ro in the front seat and Mom and Dad in the rear. This time her brother was behind the wheel.
Tim ran both hands over his face and sighed. “This is a nightmare.”
“Let me talk to them.”
Before she reached the door handle, he grabbed hold of her wrist. “We’re supposed to be on a stakeout. Laying low to see if this guy shows up. Now you’re gonna go out there and talk to those maniacs in the tricked-out golf cart that was on scene when he tried to snatch you? If he spots you, we’re screwed.”
The good detective had a point. Hmm… She snapped her fingers. “Give me your hat.”
He cocked his head. Oh, she knew that look. Clearly her man was about to launch into questions she didn’t want to waste time answering. Before he could respond, she plucked the ball cap from his head and flipped it on hers. It wobbled and fell to her eyebrows. Who knew he had such a giant cranium? But given the urgency of the golf cart blowing their cover, it would have to do.
“You’re not—”
She opened the car door and bolted. No sense waiting around for the lecture.
Lucie marched toward the still moving Escalade, waited for Joey to come to a stop, and then squeezed onto the front seat, shoving Ro closer to the middle.
“Hey,” her BFF said, “watch the skirt.”
Forget the skirt. They had bigger problems. “Keep driving before Tim has a heart attack. What are you guys doing? We’re trying to be inconspicuous and you pull up in this thing? After the guy saw it today?”
Because, really, how many custom-made Escalade knockoff golf carts could there be in Florida?
“Relax,” Joey said. “Your guy is in a bar down the street.”
“How do you know?”
“I tracked his cell phone,” Dad said.
What? Lucie spun back to her father, looking mighty dapper in a golf shirt and cotton shorts. “What now?”
Dad waggled a hand. “After your sidekick here sang like a bird about you wacky broads going to the car rental place, I made calls. The dumbass rented the car in his real name. One of my guys in the PD was able to run his cell phone down.”
Joey held up his phone. “I downloaded a spying app, so we can track him.”
That had to be illegal. Didn’t it?
Cripes. She reached across Ro and grabbed the phone. “He’s in a bar?”
“Yeah. Irish pub. Two minutes from here.”
She focused on the tiny blinking dot on Joey’s screen. “And you’re sure this is him?”
Affronted by her lack of faith, Dad grunted. “Who the hell else would it be?”
With this crew, it could be any number of innocent people.
“I think we should search his motel room.” This from Ro just as Joey cruised by Tim, still sitting in the dark in Henry’s car. “Ooh.” She lifted a hand. “There’s O’Hottie. Woohoo!”
Oh. My. God.
Lucie latched onto Ro’s hand and yanked it down. “Uh, stakeout. He’s trying to lay low. And we’re not searching anyone’s room. I’m not up for a B&E tonight.”
“No one said we had to break in.”
This should be good. She gave Ro her smug face. “I can’t wait to hear this. Joey, keep driving. Go around the block or something.”
Joey pulled out of the parking lot, turned way too wide, and received a horn blast along with a stream of swear words that would make any military guy blush.
Shaking her head, Ro smacked Joey on his arm. “Precious cargo here. Watch it. Luce, you need to open your mind. All we need is a diversion. A fire!”
“A fire?” they all asked in unison.
“Of course. If there’s one in his room, they have to break in and make sure nobody is passed out.”
As much as Lucie wanted to protest, her goofy friend might have something there. A look inside Sonny Peppers’ room might uncover who hired him.
“I’m not becoming an arsonist, but I like your thinking as far as an urgent situation. One of us goes running into the office yelling that Sonny won’t answer his door. It’s an emergency. And we need to get in there. The clerk opens the door and we’re in.”
At the corner, Joey got his act together and made a much neater right tur
n. “Except, the clerk isn’t about to leave you in that room alone. And what if this mope comes back?”
Lucie held the phone up. “We’ll know by the app.”
Dad snapped his fingers. “Once we’re in, I’ll take care of it.”
Said the parolee. Lucie whipped around. “Dad! You’re on parole. You shouldn’t even be involved.”
“She’s right, Joe,” Mom said. “If you get arrested, I’m leaving you locked up. I’ve had it with that nonsense.”
Joey snorted. “Good one, Ma.”
Even for the Rizzos, this was an epic level of crazy. Thank God Tim missed it all.
Dad threw his hands up. “Jesus Christmas, all of you shut it. I go away for a couple years and suddenly I can’t control my own family?”
Pretty much, yeah.
“Sorry, Dad,” Joey, the suck-up, said.
“You keep driving and everyone listen. When the clerk leaves the room, someone distract him, and I’ll jam the door so it doesn’t close all the way.”
Ro’s hand shot up. “Me, me, me. I’ll be the distractor. I’m good at that.”
“You’re not unbuttoning your shirt.” Joey poked his finger at her. “Enough with that already.”
“Son, you think this is James Bond or what? All she has to do is stand by the stairs and holler at the kid. As soon as he turns around, I’ll jam the door. A few seconds and we’re done.”
For the first time, Lucie had to stand by and not only listen to her dad calmly devise a plan for an illegal search, but actually witness it. It should have sickened her.
“I like it,” she said.
Right now, all she wanted was to help Uncle Henry. And Mattie. Natalie. Whatever her name was.
Lucie met Dad’s eye. “Let’s do this. I’ll be the panicked girlfriend. All we have to do is convince Tim.”
To his credit, Tim listened quietly while Lucie outlined their plan. To minimize interruptions, she’d dispatched the crazies to circle the block again, giving her time alone with Tim in the safety of Uncle Henry’s car.
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