Domestic Duet: Domestic Alliance & Asset

by Cora Blu

  There had to be more than that one envelope in his desk and she’d find it. Settled in the leather desk chair, she carefully searched the small desk drawers. Household bills, a few new pens, a red and white box of Marlboros, and a dry cleaning ticket for his winter overcoat.

  At a sound, she rushed over to peer out of the window overlooking the driveway. A calico cat sat content on the outside windowsill. A breath of relief whooshed from her lips.

  She opened and closed every drawer until she tugged on the door on the credenza. Locked. Where would he hide the key?

  Getting to her feet, she searched the small bar, checking under bottles, shot glasses, then the ice bucket, but came up empty. Suddenly, a glint of metal reflected through the glass walls from beneath the bottle of Scotch on the low shelf. Of course, his favorite Friday night booze. Removing the tiny key, she hurried to the credenza, and then dropped to her knees. The key fit the lock on the credenza revealing a wall safe from behind the door.

  Sadie threw her head back. “Why oh why have a combination lock on the safe when it already needs a key to open. What’s in there, a key to the Knox vault?” she said to no one.

  Crawling over the tightly woven carpet, she blew out a frustrated breath as her knees took a beating on the rough fibers. At the desk, she ran her hands under the center drawer; revealing she knew Mr. Edwards better than she’d thought. Running her hand under the unvarnished side of the drawer, she felt the edge of a piece of paper. With the tip of her fingernail, she pried away the piece of tape securing it in place.

  She held it to the light, memorized the number then replaced the paper. At the credenza, she rotated the tumbler, her sweaty fingers slipping on the grooves. Right, left, right.

  The satisfying click of the steel door opening released the tension in her shoulders. A bead of sweat cooled on her nape. Sadie wiped her moist hand on her maid’s uniform as the truth hit her square in the heart. This will unhinge Savannah to know Richard’s a thief. Blinking back her disgust, she steadied her hand to continue.

  She reached inside to grab the papers, while keeping her attention on the sounds outside. Copies of bonds printed on linen paper, a life insurance policy, the house mortgage, then the paper she needed…Government fuel treaty. How did he get his hands on the treaty?

  Sadie gleaned the bright blue words…

  Humans and Karuntee will interact on the contingency that a respectful dialog remains in pursuit of an ethical and profitable exchange of technology and environmental progress. If either party breeches this, the offending party will pay a fine not to exceed four times that of the infringement cost. More than one occurrence and the treaty will go before a review board to sustain reasonable cause to continue with the alliance.

  Sadie released a sigh of frustration. This wasn’t the first time the treaty had been compromised, so why hadn’t Aroc brought them before the board? Lost in thought, Sadie sank on her haunches. What wasn’t she seeing?

  A car door slammed, and the sound reverberated through the thin windows. Sadie crawled on hands and knees over to the window. Holding back the edge of the curtain, she peered down the driveway, along the chain link fence separating the Edwards driveway from the neighbor’s house. There were no cars or even a child riding a bike. Paranoid of being caught, her mind picked up every sound.

  She made her way over to the desk, tucking hair behind her ear before she flipped through the folder. Too much information. With no time to copy its contents, she pulled out her transmittal device and scanned it with the camera function, submitting the information directly to Captain Holston on Sector Five.

  The door to the kitchen closed. The sound reached the office making Sadie stiffen.

  “Sadie...anyone home? Dinner smells good.” Richard Edwards’ solid voice echoed through the house.

  He’d gone through the alley entrance to the garage and came in through the breezeway.

  Palms sweaty, she shoved the papers into the envelope and returned it to the metal vault. Her attention remained on the office door. Pain claimed her middle finger shooting fire down her arm. Cursing, she whirled around to drop to her knees and saw her finger trapped in the vault’s door. Eyes watered at the sight of her skin turning a bluish gray near the joint under her fingernail.

  “Ow!”

  The tumblers clinked when she twisted the dial right then left then right. Her finger throbbed. Tears dripped down her cheeks.

  She gritted her teeth, when the metal released her and blood surged into the tip. She stuck her finger under her arm as she let a few more curses fly. The returning blood hurt more than the pinching had.

  Composed, Sadie pushed the door of the safe closed, then the credenza’s door. Getting to her feet, she ran across to the bar returned the key under the bottle, then slipped out of Richard’s office. And was greeted by the man himself.

  “Sadie,” he said setting his briefcase on the floor. “Can I help you with something?” He gave the briefest glance onto his office then back to her. He held a curious tilt to his head, more of a glower. “You thoroughly cleaned my office yesterday. Were you looking for something?”

  Evidence to lock your stealing, conniving behind away for the rest of your life.

  She couldn’t say that aloud.

  Think. Think. Think.

  Go with the truth.

  “Your mail’s on your desk,” she told him. “Your guest don’t need to know every store you hold a line of credit with, now do they? People become needy when they find out you have two dollars and only need one.”

  “You’re an attentive woman.” She accepted his hat, resting the tan brim on the palm of her hand, and using it to shield the slight tremble in her hands. “You’re always thinking, Sadie…always on your toes. What’s wrong with your hand?” His long veined fingers closed around her wrist. “Here, let me look.”

  “Oh, I jammed it unclogging the vacuum cleaner. Don’t concern yourself. I’m fine.” Adrenaline thundered at the pulse in her temple. “Anything else you might think of before I go?”

  He sighed then pulled out a cigarette, tapping it on the doorjamb. “Why are you here cooking and cleaning on your day off?” Edwards asked peering over his shoulders.

  His suspicion showed in his accusing stare.

  She fluffed the pillow on the low sofa. “The auxiliary sponsored garden party’s this weekend and every detail must be seen to. Savannah’s gone to pick up Timothy from swim class.” She straightened to look at him back in his doorway. “Is there something I can do for you while I’m here, other than finish dinner and wait for your guests to arrive?”

  Richard Edwards studied her, his body propped along the casing of his office door. “Sadie…” he said her name a little too familiar, too accusatory. “Anything you see in my office…stays in my office… Understand?”

  Sadie didn’t flinch. “Yes, Mr. Edwards.”

  Snake in the grass, what are you up to?

  “Sadie—the word you saw on the folder while cleaning my office, OCHI, refers to a new client at the bank. Old Country Holdings Incorporated,” he recited in a bland yet, don’t challenge me, tone.

  Conflicted on how to react, Sadie swallowed the compulsion to call him a liar, and instead gave a shy smile and pretended to understand.

  “Of course,” she replied suspiciously. “I knew it had to be a coincidence that the initials were the same as my middle name Ochi.” Or a bag of lies. What lie will you tell when they come for you, Satan’s henchman?

  Richard folded his arms. “It’s refreshing to see you understand discretion in business.” He eyed the wooden antique clock on the piano in the corner of the living room, and then returned his venom on her. “Weren’t you cooking back in the kitchen?” The smooth lines of his suit bunched under now folded arms.

  She wouldn’t let him intimidate her.

  “I have a cake to frost and laundry to fold so if you think of anything before your guests arrive, I’ll be in the kitchen,” she said and effortlessly passed his stare c
ounting the steps to her sanctuary, the kitchen.

  An hour later, cake frosted, Sadie closed the door behind the last man to arrive for Richard’s private weekly meeting. Bankers and other businessmen from all over the state filled the living room.

  Sadie gave a quick nudge to her pocket, depressing her device to begin recording. “Gentleman,” she greeted. “Mr. Edwards’ office is open with refreshments. You know your way,” she said, accepting their hats and placing them in the guest closet behind the front door.

  “Thank you, Sadie, that’ll be all for tonight. And take Friday off…you need a break.”

  Sadie could read between the lines. She’d made him nervous. “Thank you,” she replied, her mind already spinning on what she’d learned. “I’ll set out the empty milk bottles before I leave.”

  Rushing around the wall, her rubber-soled shoes kept her from slipping on the polished floor. She made her way quickly into the powder room. This was it, the moment she’d get the information to break this case.

  Her knees crushed the fluffy seat cover on the toilet as she rested her ear to the cool wall adjoining the office to listen. Her communication device vibrated in her pocket. Angling around to check for anyone that could see her, she tucked the device over her ear.

  “Sadie—” the rich voice said warming her body and mind “—Captain Farkus here. Do you have a report on the launch date and time for the next shipment?”

  The tiny brown hairs on her arm stood at the caress of his voice licking down her neck, indecent and lurid, but that was her perception…right? She could picture the swirling tattoos down his left arm. His smooth, bald head and long-veined torso supported by sturdy pillars of corded thigh muscles made up the male known as Aroc Farkus. She pushed back her lust for the captain.

  “Captain,” she muffled the sound of her voice with a hand. “You know the rules about sharing info. First Captain Holston then you.” She waited for the inevitable complaint.

  “No special privileges for a friend, Detective Ochi?”

  Wicked male, she mused inwardly.

  “Honor the line of protocol, your words not mine, Captain Farkus,” she reminded him, knowing it would get her punished later. Pure nirvana as far as what Aroc would do to her. Deep thumb massages down her back, torture for a karuntee’s sensitive spines, made her limp just thinking about it. Their twisted relationship became the highlight of her week.

  Aroc Farkus hissed over the com. “The minute you have the rogue’s name or their clans I expect communication; I’ll do what I can on my end. And Sadie…”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Norese misses you.” The graveled country singer tone thrilled her body every time he spoke, but she hadn’t missed the slight hesitation.

  She sighed. “I’ll be there tomorrow—Captain Farkus. Anyone else miss me? Montage or that muscled male running the canteen?” she asked taunting him. Not her shining moment, but surprisingly she could tease the big male.

  “Don’t test me, female. I’ve had a long week. Norese has taken to sleeping on my head and I’m showering alone.”

  Cranky as a canker sore and that means he’s been awake for two days.

  “Captain, I’m not in a secure location,” she whispered into her com while scanning the hallway. “I’ll contact you later.”

  His displeasure filled the com on a sigh. “Before you close your eyes tonight, Ochi, I insist on hearing your voice or I’ll come to Earth and remove you from your bed,” he warned in his private low tone he used with her mostly in private. The one her body shivered for and had nothing to do with fear.

  And he had no idea she found him sexy.

  “Captain Farkus, this isn’t a good time.” If there ever was one, she thought, whispering into the com while keeping her attention trained on the noises filtering through the wall from the office. “You need to get full time help up there. Norese needs a stable influence in her life, not a weekend visitor.”

  “You’re making dinner, Sadie, and you’re the only female that I want in my home with my daughter. Captain Aroc out!” he barked.

  She rolled her eyes at the soft hum off the fading connection. They weren’t a couple so why did he affect her that way? She filled a void in his world and he promised to let her live. That wasn’t a relationship; that was an agreement. So why did her heart thump whenever she heard his voice? Because she had the best sex of her life in his shower, that’s why. Face it, you went from being blackmailed to friends and now he’s deep in your heart, but he’s never been more than cordial and thoughtful when you’ve stayed with them.

  They’d moved past captor and prisoner, to comrades saving the planets from pollution...

  Give in; you think he’s delicious…and he treats you like a delicate flower.

  She had…did…he was.

  The voice saturating the wall from the other side garnered her drifting attention. The words she’d waited to hear gave her pause.

  “There’ll be a special launch for contaminated fuel next week during the time of the fireworks show at the festival.”

  Sadie cursed under her breath. The festivals were loud and crowded. Live music and fireworks after to last into the early morning, well after the sun goes down was a perfect time to do dirt.

  Mr. Edwards’ voice penetrated the wall. “There’s a two-week shut down on the space station. The aliens cut-off all shipments in or out, so this is where we make our money,” he said. “While they’re shipping security is checking in the last of the transports, our shipments go unnoticed if we have them marked appropriately.”

  Sadie heard Colson’s steady even tone interrupting the wave of other voices. “What’s the two-week shut down for?”

  The paper-thin walls allowed her to hear Richard had moved to the window along the back wall.

  “Think of Alaska’s month of no sun,” he said. “The aliens shut down travel during the two-week blackout.”

  This happened on the space station according to Captain Holston, and all communication with the karuntee was denied for fear of being attacked. No, they were dealing with something deeper than they realized. If you’re going to steal from aliens as tough as the karuntee, know what you’re up against. It might be more than you’re willing to give up, because you can’t win.

  This confirmed inside help. The shuttle bays were heavily monitored by twenty-four surveillance. No one got in unless they knew where the men were stationed and avoided them.

  Ryner needs to hear this now or our plans would go up in smoke.

  Edwards said, “The last shipment for this week left at midnight from the open field behind the botanical garden. We’ll shoot for next week, giving everyone ample time to notify their customers and make arrangements. There will be two coded shipments to Sector Five: this delivery and one uncoded to Sector Twelve—the unfiltered fuel.”

  Sadie released a heavy sigh flicking her gaze up to the ceiling, annoyed by their arrogance.

  “After I receive confirmation that the ship will be there, deposits will be transferred to the Caymans, then in a week, Switzerland. After a month you’ll start receiving your deposits in five-thousand-dollar increments or less.”

  Men groaned, their irritated voices a heavy weight on the air.

  “Either we do this my way or leave. I’ll refund eighty percent of your funds. The twenty I’ll keep as a reminder never to do business with you again.” Richard could be ruthless when money was involved.

  In unison, the men confirmed they were in until the end.

  Sadie dropped her gaze to her hands folded in her lap. This was happening.

  “First Friends Bank went down for being sloppy. I go down, you go down. Do we understand one another men?” he asked and Sadie could picture the color bleeding out around Richard’s compressed lips through the silence. “Good, any questions?”

  “My clients from Gimbal Steel want in. Is it too late?”

  Sadie identified the voice belonging to Colson.

  “If they sign the waiver of
discretion and understand I never want them in my bank, have their shipment ready to go next week.”

  “The code word…” Wixom spoke and his voice moved around the room.

  “After this is over, destroy the code word and make certain you leave no papers with it anywhere. Remember, never use a code word twice and never write it down outside of my office other than the tanks.”

  “Wixom,” Mr. Edwards said. “Your clients from Moore’s Manufacturing and Colson’s from Penn’s Petroleum, those are slated to go to Sector Twelve.”

  “What about your other contact?” a soft-spoken man said on the other side of the wall in an uncertain query. His voice cracked. “My customers are expecting a deal. The thirty percent discount you mentioned last week. This shipment won’t pass Federal inspection, but they need to sell it fast.”

  This is utterly unacceptable. They’re cheating the country selling contaminated fuel. Don’t they see this will jeopardize future treaties and possibly start a war?

  The shuffle of feet then the clunk of a rock glass on the Formica counter top penetrated the wall, placing someone close to the window. It also meant Richard might have noticed the key to the safe had shifted. She’d realigned the glue marks from the tape the best she could for the time she had.

  Her nails curled over the tank lid as she listened, the tortuous moments passing slowly before anyone made a sound.

  “Now we have to make certain the legal clean shipments are two, even three to one when they unload the cylinders. They’ll check the outside then load it quickly.”

  Voices mingled.

  “Fifty grand for clean fuel. And they’ll shave ten grand off your cut if you’re ten minutes late,” Wixom added. “Everything is time-sensitive.”

  No one spoke.

  Oliver Cantrell cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, we’re one leg of an expensive operation so take this seriously.” The sounds dwindled to nothing. Oliver continued, “Having the government officials look the other way, keeping the media at bay, and cloaking the perimeter…thousands.”