The only other explanation turned her stomach. Maybe Kendra didn’t approach her job with integrity and had a side business of her own. “Sylvia, I think you already know how I feel about our—” Audrey faltered for a moment until she remembered what Lee had said about mirroring others “—dealings.” She straightened, a new idea forming. “And, about earlier. I know I gave the impression that Lee and I weren’t in the best place, but we’ve worked everything out, so I think we can bring him into—”
Sylvia kept her gaze trained on Lee as he ended up at a table across the room. “Oh, I can see for myself. What did you do to that man? I’ve never seen him look at you like that. He can’t take his eyes off you.”
Audrey’s neck flushed with heat so intense she felt certain it would be a dead giveaway. Sylvia’s eyes swiveled her way. “And you’re just as bad.” She shook her head. “You keep acting like that, you’re going to make me reconsider my upcoming divorce.”
“You’d be surprised what a near-death experience can do for a relationship. The sauna changed us.”
Sylvia examined her. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She said each word slowly, thoughtfully, as her eyes bored into Audrey’s.
The waiter came around and placed a cocktail glass in front of Sylvia and a glass of flavored sparkling water that Audrey was sure she never ordered. Sylvia tossed hers back in one gulp then raised her empty glass. “The service is unacceptable. I played tennis earlier, and I’m parched.” She eyed Audrey’s glass. “Not thirsty? You always order sparkling.”
Lee didn’t cover that tidbit in the Kimmet backstory. Audrey thought sparkling water was the world’s greatest con. It smelled delicious but tasted like aggressive water. She gestured toward the glass. “Feel free to drink mine. I guess I’m not feeling quite myself today.”
“You mentioned that earlier. Don’t tell me you’re pregnant. I only do business with one person.” She flicked her chin in Audrey’s direction. “That includes your husband and anyone you’re carrying.” Sylvia reached over and downed the contents of Audrey’s glass.
She’d laugh if she thought Sylvia was joking. The tension radiating off Sylvia was enough to make Audrey squirm. “No, I’m not pregnant so why don’t we get down to business? I assume you have something you’d like me to launder.”
Sylvia’s eyes widened to platter proportions before her lips tightened. She leaned forward and grabbed Audrey’s wrist, searching her eyes. “Who are you?” Sylvia said each word slowly and deliberately.
Audrey blinked rapidly, trying to laugh it off. Sylvia’s grip tightened, nails digging into Audrey’s flesh. Of all the moments Lee could’ve chosen to stop watching. He chatted with a waiter, oblivious to the train wreck about to happen. Sylvia’s gaze swung to a man standing in the corner that Audrey hadn’t noticed before.
Sylvia opened her mouth. Instead of a scream or accusation, only a gurgle sounded. The woman’s entire body stiffened and seized. She let go of Audrey and slammed the table with both hands before her head flung backward, propelling her body and chair to the ground. The man in the corner rushed toward Sylvia but the woman’s eyes stared into the ceiling, lifeless.
Screams filled the room, but Audrey’s ears buzzed with her own thoughts as she looked back to the table and the empty glass. Sylvia had downed the drink intended for her.
* * *
Lee bolted to Audrey’s side. She hadn’t moved from her chair despite every other guest rushing from the restaurant. Security guards ran into the room, talking into their radios as they took in the sight, but no one moved to offer Sylvia any medical help.
Lee dropped to his knees and pressed his fingers to the woman’s neck, then her wrist. No pulse. He reached for Audrey’s hands as he stood and pulled her to standing. “We need to get out of here.”
He placed a hand around her shoulder and guided her through the lobby and toward their hallway exit. The bodyguard assigned to them had the briefest look of indecision on his face before he followed them.
“What about police?” Audrey asked. “Won’t they want to talk to all the witnesses? I need to wait.”
“Shh.” He hoped the guard didn’t overhear them. “I’ll explain when we’re alone.” It only took two more minutes before they entered the cottage.
Audrey made a beeline to the box of tissues, pulled the glass door open to stand on the patio and turned her back to him.
Kendra never showed any emotion in his presence, but if she had, he would’ve given her space. Audrey, while in many ways similar, was like a magnet tugging at his heart. Lee followed her and placed a hand on each of her shoulders. When he took a moment to think about what it would be like to be in her shoes, without training, it made his stomach hurt. “You’ve been shot at, trapped in a sauna and witnessed a woman die today. It’s to be expect—”
“You think that’s why I’m upset?” She spun around and her glistening eyes met his. She frowned and bit her lip. “I mean, yes, those things, too, but I almost got us killed.”
So she must’ve figured out why he needed to get her out of the dining room as fast as possible. Lee pulled her into his chest and held her close. “I’m sure you didn’t. It’s just people like this—every guest here—wouldn’t want to stick around in case police were called.” He rubbed her back without thinking, but as soon as he was aware, he fisted his hands, taken off guard that holding her came so natural.
She pulled back enough to look up at him, her own fisted hands on his chest. “You don’t think police will be called?”
“I will see to it that justice is served when our mission is over, but until then, we stay focused on our mandate.”
“That’s not even...” She exhaled. “If Sylvia hadn’t—What I mean is that poison was intended for me.”
So many questions demanded his attention at once. He dropped his arms and sank into the closest chair. “What are you talking about?”
“Kendra apparently had a business relationship with Sylvia. She laundered—or maybe didn’t—something for Sylvia. Sylvia knew I was an imposter. She was about to call me out. She died right after she drank the drink intended for me.”
Lee closed his eyes and tried to process.
“If she hadn’t died right then our cover would’ve been blown. Either way you look at it, we’re in danger. Sylvia seemed to know we had other important business here. Maybe she already had suspicions that I wasn’t the Andrea Kimmet she’d done business with in the past. Maybe she blabbed to someone else her thoughts and that’s why someone is out to kill me.”
Her words rushed past him, demanding to be heard, but he couldn’t focus on them. Something niggled at the back of his mind. “They brought me an iced tea.”
“So?”
“So I didn’t ask for an iced tea. But it’s my standard drink. Kendra occasionally goes for the flavored waters—that must be why you were brought one.”
“You’re saying they already knew what Mr. and Mrs. Kimmet liked.” Audrey sank into the chair opposite him.
“I drank my iced tea. I didn’t even question how they knew.” He stared at the decking below his feet. “We’ve been in deep cover for years, playing our part. Kendra and I visited our law firm daily as our place of work. The entire law firm is a front for the FBI to carry out various white-collar stings, though we’ve only been in evidence-gathering mode because this—” he pointed to the ground “—is the big one we’ve been waiting for. Real lawyers do real work there while Kendra and I go to our separate offices, do our paperwork and visit luxury resorts to win over people like this.”
He swirled his finger around. “When you’ve been in deep cover long enough you start to accept the lifestyle as normal. I should’ve immediately questioned how they knew it was my favorite drink.”
“But you’re fine.”
“Exactly. So first we need to know if it was your drink or something else that killed her. We can�
��t make assumptions.”
“But after the sauna—”
“I admit it’s likely you were the intended target. My point is I can’t operate under assumptions. This has been a wake-up call. And we need to prepare ourselves that this life might’ve grown a bit too comfortable for Kendra.”
Her face paled and Lee regretted saying too much.
“You’re not saying Kendra has been dabbling on the side, are you?”
“I really don’t think so. I can’t imagine her doing that.” But he would do his duty and send an encrypted email to his superior.
He stood and offered his hand to help her to standing, as she was still wearing the heels. She accepted and wobbled only for a half second before walking to the steps of the bedroom. Lee crossed into the living room and pulled the glass pocket doors from either side of the wall. “I think we better get as much sleep as possible. We never know what tomorrow will bring.”
Lee had some idea, though. If they weren’t approached with a meeting or received some sort of assurances from his superiors at the FBI, he would take Audrey and leave. Mission or no mission, her life wasn’t worth the risk. He just hoped it wouldn’t be too little, too late.
SEVEN
Of all the outfit options, Audrey didn’t mind the one clearly designed for tennis. The dark gray tennis skorts, or whatever they were called, seemed more modest than most shorts on the market, and the light pink polo shirt was actually something she would wear to the lab. The best part, of course, was the cute and comfortable tennis shoes that never wobbled.
Lee didn’t say a word as they walked side by side down the long hallway in the sporting center. The same bodyguard followed ten paces behind them, so the silence wasn’t entirely uncalled for.
Neither one of them had been willing to try the carafe of coffee or the plate of fresh fruit and croissants waiting for them at the door in the morning in case it was poisoned. Other than the vegetarian snack she’d had on the balcony when they first arrived, she’d yet to eat anything substantial. Thankfully, she had half a protein bar in her purse. She’d never skipped so many meals before. No wonder Kendra had a smaller waist.
The lack of caffeine, though, would be her downfall. She often worked sixteen hours a day in the lab with the help of a steady stream of coffee. Her head tightened with warnings of an impending headache.
Last night still weighed heavy on her mind, and she pondered if Lee regretted bringing her along. The first thing on today’s itinerary was a stop at the veranda to pick up tennis equipment. They reached the outdoor deck overlooking a golf course, and a waitress seemed to be expecting them. “Mr. and Mrs. Kimmet, this way.”
She brought them to a table for three where a man in a short-sleeved lavender dress shirt and gray pants sat reading a newspaper. He seemed so relaxed and at ease as he glanced up and offered a friendly smile that she reciprocated. Finally. Maybe normal people actually frequented the resort, after all. The waitress pulled a chair out for Audrey and she faltered. What was up with all the sharing of tables?
Lee didn’t hesitate to take a seat, and a waitress brought over plates of eggs, bacon and toast and set them down, the steam still rising off Audrey’s fluffy scrambled and Lee’s over-easy eggs. Audrey’s stomach responded with a dull roar. They had skipped dinner entirely after the—
The waitress leaned over, her head in between Lee and Audrey. “I’ve been asked to inform our guests that after last night’s unfortunate event, all food will be tested by our security staff before being served. We were sorry to see you hadn’t enjoyed your fruit and croissants. From now on, you can rest assured all food and drink is safe.”
“Tested?” Audrey couldn’t imagine a lab that might handle such a steady influx of food and get results fast enough to keep the dish hot. Creepier still, they were noticing what they didn’t eat?
“They taste it, ma’am.”
She recoiled. It seemed so medieval. Someone was risking his life to make sure her food was safe? Lee picked up a fork without hesitation and shoveled a giant bite of food. He held up a finger for a second. “Tell me, how does the kitchen know what the wife and I enjoy?”
The waitress straightened. “Sir, our partner resorts keep preferences on file and share them with the Aislado Club. It’s part of your membership perks. Are there any changes you would like to make?”
Audrey gestured toward the ice water on her table. “Could you make a note we prefer water bottles?” Normally, she was very eco-conscious, but at least there would be one drink the bodyguards wouldn’t have to risk their lives to taste.
“Right away.” The waitress vanished.
“Since when do you like breakfast?” she whispered to Lee.
“When it’s more of a brunch,” he replied.
Audrey glanced at the man still reading his newspaper as if he hadn’t heard a word of the interchange. She picked up her fork and tentatively took a small bite of eggs. Her taste buds exploded with the light flavors of green onion and a variety of cheeses mixed into the fluffiest texture she’d experienced. It seemed like they should apologize to the man. After all, no one else was occupying the closest five tables. There seemed no reason to interrupt his—
“Sadly, our timeline was altered due to last night’s...interruption.” The man’s voice had a hint of an accent that Audrey couldn’t place. If there were other people nearby she would’ve wondered who spoke as he didn’t so much as move his newspaper. “Tell me how the Network would help your business.” Only then did he set down the paper.
Lee leaned forward, but the man held up a hand then pointed at Audrey. “Given the attention surrounding her last night, I want her to answer.”
Her heart fluttered. She grabbed a piece of bacon and stuffed it into her mouth. She tapped her lips and nodded as if to say, “Give me one moment.” Confident people did stuff like that, right? What if she messed up again and said something that instantly made him realize she wasn’t the real deal?
Lee laughed, a giant smarmy smile on his face. “Well, she is the brains of the operation. I’m just here to enjoy the journey.” His blue eyes met hers, and she could see the encouragement in them. What had he told her last night? If she didn’t know what people wanted, try to mirror them. If she needed to mirror this man, she needed to act more confident.
Audrey swallowed the rest of the bacon and fingered the white tablecloth. She rolled the edge between her fingers. Fidgeting helped her think. “Our business is doing fine without you.”
The man’s eyes widened, and unfortunately, Lee’s did, too. But she couldn’t back down now. She took a shaky breath and continued.
“As you likely know, a couple years ago an intergovernmental organization called the Financial Task Force gave the United States the lowest possible score in many categories for its attempt, or lack thereof, to stop money-laundering and terrorist financing.”
Lee coughed as if food had gone down the wrong air pipe. “Honey, I’m sure he doesn’t need to hear a history lesson.”
The warning in his eyes was obvious. He’d mentioned once that she should avoid talking too much, but wasn’t that typical of lawyers? She’d read everything she could about money laundering last night until her eyes couldn’t stay open. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m getting to my point. Out of thirty countries, to be given last place in this area made our law enforcement stop and take notice. So you can imagine how we’ve been under increasing scrutiny.”
The man nodded, and Audrey knew she was getting it right this time so she continued. “And while I feel my methods will withstand examination exclusive of fear of incrimination, my clients would feel safer knowing I had a vendor, such as your Network, to ensure the utmost privacy. It goes without saying that I would also be able to expand our reach. And as far as last night, you make enemies in this business. Competition is fierce.” Audrey glanced over her shoulder for dramatic effect before looking stra
ight into the man’s eyes. “Perhaps if I had your Network, guards wouldn’t have to taste my food.”
The man’s gaze flicked over her face and Audrey’s stomach tensed so tight, she feared he’d seen right through her fake bravado. A grin finally cracked. Lee exhaled and leaned back.
The man pushed his chair back and stood. “We will be in touch, Mrs. Kimmet.”
“Should we wait? Are you going to be in touch here? Or do you mean at a later date?”
The man chuckled as he placed the newspaper underneath his arm. “Enjoy your tennis lesson.”
The moment he was around the corner, Audrey blew out a long breath. “I did it. Is that basically what Kendra would’ve done?”
Lee shook his head. “It was like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Didn’t exactly sound like a compliment. “He said tennis lesson. He knows our schedule.” Maybe everyone in the so-called resort did.
“I heard.” Lee glanced at his phone and leaned forward as if to whisper something but instead studied the surroundings.
“What? What is it?” She tried to ask while keeping her lips frozen in a half smile.
“I’m trying to see where our bodyguard went. Ah, I’ve spotted him. After last night I’m pretty sure he’ll choose to stay with you. Stay here and if anyone asks I forgot something back at the room.” Lee jumped up and slipped around the corner before she could object, leaving her alone.
Where? Where did he spot their bodyguard? He seemed to have disappeared the moment the waitress brought them to the table. In the still quiet, she could hear waves crashing and seagulls in the distance, but the buildings blocked the view of the cliff. Behind her, the lush green golf course stretched to the bottom of the foothills. The view should’ve been relaxing, but instead, knowing this was a fortress for illegal business deals, she felt exposed and her shoulders continued to creep closer to her ears as she kept an eye out for Lee.
“There you are.” A woman’s voice reached her ears before she turned to find an elegant older woman, likely in her early sixties, with light blond hair and wearing an all-white pantsuit Audrey would have spilled ketchup on in the first hour. By the tone of the lady’s voice and the statement, Audrey assumed that her cover should already know this woman. Where was Lee when she needed him?
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