“Same case, yeah,” I said as I stopped for a red light. I looked around at the nearby buildings and street signs. “Where the hell am I going?”
“I was wondering when you were going to ask.” Kelsey laughed. “You kept driving in the right direction, so I decided not to say anything.”
I gritted my teeth. “You’re aware how annoying you are, right?”
She chuckled. “Our rental is south of the bay. Near the nature center.”
The light turned green and as I started forward. I turned on my blinker to warn the other drivers I needed to cross to the outside lane. “Did you get ahold of Aunt Suzanne and Uncle Hank?”
“Jackson’s picking them up. They’ll stay with us until it’s safe.”
“It’d be safer for them—and the kids—if I find another roof to sleep under.”
“Kind of defeats the purpose of us coming here to save your ass, though, don’t you think?”
I hurried through the yellow light, not answering her.
Kelsey half turned in her seat to face me. “Does whatever trouble you walked into have anything to do with this Evie woman?”
“Not sure. Maybe. But there was also a double homicide in my building, and another long list of enemies that I haven’t even considered yet. Evie’s situation revolves around Spence’s client, but I don’t have a name on the guy yet. The only thing I know at this point is that Benny The Barber confirmed there’s a job with my name on it.”
“THERE’S A KILL CONTRACT OUT ON YOU?”
The little old lady driving next to us whipped her head our way, looking panicked by Kelsey’s yelling. I waved a friendly wave. She swerved into the next lane, almost hitting another car. I raised the windows and cranked the air conditioner. Beast leaned his big head between the seats and panted in my ear as he inhaled the cool air.
Kelsey made a growling noise. “Were you even going to tell me?”
“I thought about it. For like a brief millisecond.” I got stuck at another red light and sighed, glancing over at her. “I’m not sure what I walked into, okay? I decided it was better not to say anything until I knew more. You’ve had your hands full with Nicholas, your job, and that pain in the ass ex-boyfriend of yours.” I reached over and shoved her shoulder playfully. “Besides, I was taking precautions. Beast and Spence were shadowing me.” I reached my hand up and scratched Beast’s head. “Isn’t that right, Beast?”
Kelsey raised her arm to blockade Beast from climbing over the console. I lowered my hand, not wanting to test how well I could drive with a hundred-pound dog sitting on my lap.
Kelsey was quiet for several minutes while she rubbed her lower lip between her finger and thumb. “How does any of this tie into the dentist office case?”
“Evie recorded a guy who mentioned the dentist office. What’s that all about, anyway?”
“Human trafficking case. Uncle Hank stumbled across missing prostitutes and asked me to look into it.”
“He sent the case to you?” I slapped my palm against the steering wheel. “I’m right here! Why the hell would he send the case to you, all the way back in Michigan?”
“Maybe if you weren’t so reckless, he’d have sent you the information.”
“You always were his favorite,” I mumbled.
“Like how you’re Aunt Suzanne’s favorite?”
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
We were both silent for a long moment.
Kelsey sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. “We sound like Sara and Nicholas.”
“I know. Sorry. I’m tired. And hungry. I haven’t eaten since this morning.”
“Take a left. At the end of the road, turn right.”
I followed her directions and when I cleared the last turn, I hit the brakes. My jaw dropped as I stared at the spectacular house in front of me. Three layers of crisp white architecture were stacked on display with jetting balconies and verandas. To the right, a three-car garage and guest house were half submerged behind palm trees and lush greenery. To the left was another garage with an oversized water fountain sitting beside it.
“Unbelievable.”
Kelsey chuckled as she climbed out. “Wait until you see the backyard.”
Several men from Aces walked out and started unloading as I climbed out and stood gaping at the house. Kelsey was right when she’d called it a mansion. It was huge. I opened Beast’s door and he jumped out and looked around. He seemed unimpressed and ran over to lift his leg on a flowering bush.
Jager ran out, and both dogs took a few minutes to sniff each other. They must’ve decided to be friends because they raced together around the side of the house.
“One obstacle down,” Kelsey said, glaring over her shoulder as Grady parked next to us.
“Assign his ass to night shift security,” I told her.
“Tempting. If he wasn’t good at his job, I’d send him packing.”
“Pops and Hattie here?” I asked as we walked toward the front door.
“No. They flew back to Texas earlier this week. Lisa also stayed behind with Abigail and Donovan.”
Alex stood in the foyer in one of his more conservative outfits: linen ivory slacks, ballet-slipper dress shoes, and a lavender silk blouse. “Darling.” He stopped me to kiss both my cheeks. “I told the boys to take your bags up to the Green room. Kelsey, you’re in the Blue room.”
“And that’s where, exactly?” Kelsey asked Alex as she looked around the house.
“Third floor with the kids,” he answered her. “Charlie’s on the second floor with most of the family. Everyone working security divvied up the rooms between the first floor of the main house and the guest house.”
“What about—” she started to say.
“I wasn’t finished,” Alex said, cutting her off and shaking his head at her. “So impatient.”
“You’re going to get my impatient foot up your—”
He raised a hand to stop her. “Tech, Katie, Tyler, Trigger, and Carl are also on the third floor. And both Trigger and Tyler claimed beds in the bunkroom with Carl and the kids.”
Kelsey chewed on her lower lip as she absorbed the mental layout. “I’m not sure if the third floor is the best place for the kids to be.”
I nudged her toward the stairs. “Go look at the escape options first. Make sure you and the kids can get out if you need to. If you can’t, we can shift some people around to get the kids on the second floor.”
She moved toward the stairs.
“There’s an elevator, luv,” Alex said, chasing after her.
She looked back at me and rolled her eyes. “Of course, there is.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
CHARLIE
Monday, 8:45 p.m.
Kelsey and I had very different styles when working a case. She gathered and grouped her team for efficiency, relying on them to work together until they achieved their goals. I, on the other hand, didn’t like to explain my theories and kept clues on lockdown until I’d solved the puzzle.
I had to admit, though, her way made sense when there was a room full of people who could anticipate each other’s questions, answers, and emotional responses, before anyone even spoke.
During dinner, everyone pretended for the kids’ sake that our stay was a vacation. The kids and Carl inhaled their food before racing back to the pool. Aunt Suzanne and Anne settled in the chaise loungers to watch them. The rest of us moved over to the huge outdoor tiki lounge fitted with cushy outdoor couches and wicker tables. Tyler leaned against a support beam, close enough to listen to us, but turned toward the kids. The rest of us found a comfortable chair.
I’d just started explaining the events of the last few days when Wild Card waltzed into the group and dumped his duffle bag in a chair. “Everyone goes on vacation and forgets to invite me?” he asked, pretending to be upset.
“Did you get things sorted?” Jackson asked him, being intentionally vague.
“Not really, but it can wait,” Wild
Card answered, just as vague.
Wild Card strolled over and plopped down next to me, throwing an arm over my shoulders. “I hear you’re stirring up trouble, sis.”
Wild Card’s easy-going personality could make anyone feel lighter. It was a shame he and Kelsey had divorced. “Just doing my part to keep you boys busy.”
“I need details,” Tech said, getting straight to the point.
I spent the next hour explaining the events as they’d unfolded. When I was done, everyone seemed stumped.
“Right,” Tech said, looking up from his computer. “So how many cases are we working on?”
“The life of a homicide detective,” I said, grinning. “You just keep rolling from one to the next. It’s the only way to survive the case load.”
My phone rang and I looked at the display. “Shit. I forgot about Maggie!”
“Maggie’s in town?” Kelsey asked.
“Yeah. The Feds sent her to Miami when we triggered a WITSEC alert.” I hit the green phone icon to take her call. “I’ll send someone to get you. Where are you?”
“I’m at your place with Bridget and this hunk of a PI you left behind. I hear the party moved to nicer digs. Room for me? Or should I get a hotel?”
“Plenty of room. Bridget knows where we are.”
“Splendid. I hear there’s a pool.”
“There’s everything. You won’t want to leave.”
“I have to fly out tomorrow for a new case, but I’m sure I can squeeze in some downtime before then.”
She hung up, and I called Quille.
“You were right,” he said as a greeting. “That friend of yours helped clear several cases, reorganized the whole unit, then announced she was bored and abruptly strolled out the door.”
“Yeah, she does that.” I stood and walked to the outskirts of the tiki lounge, watching the kids swim in the distance. “Wanted to let you know I relocated. My cousin came to town for a visit.”
“Kelsey doesn’t just come to town for a visit. She blows in like a hurricane. But I’ll sleep better knowing she’s got your back.” I heard a voice in the background and Quille told someone to give him five minutes, before he said to me, “Anything new on the double homicide?”
“Greg confirmed Pauly’s body was moved. Pauly was killed in Roseline’s apartment. Spence is working some background searches for me, and I have another team digging into the Oxi angle.”
“Something keeps bugging me,” Quille said. “If Pauly was a heroin addict, but killed by a group of script dealers, why was he murdered by a morphine injection?”
I was silent for a moment as the question stumped me. “Good question.” I paced a few feet away then turned and paced the other direction. “I’ll reach out and see if anyone on the streets has an answer.”
Beast padded toward me across the concrete, stopping to look up at me. I pointed toward the pool. He barked twice, ran, and leapt into the water, accomplishing one hell of a cannonball splash. Jager raced in after him.
“Was Chills’ package still at the church?”
Quille laughed. “How you convinced a gang leader to turn those punks over is beyond me. Ford said those boys were scared shitless by the time he picked them up. They confessed to every detail of the shooting.”
“Shooting a toddler is bad for Chills’ business. He knew 5-O would rip his streets apart until we found the boys.” I didn’t want to dwell on the shooting. There was nothing else that could be done so I changed the subject. “And the manhunt for Mr. Tricky? Any sightings?”
“Not yet. We found his car abandoned in a parking lot. No prints. No DNA.”
“Damn. I can’t catch a break with this guy.”
“We’ll get him. Just lay low until we do.”
“Call me if anything new pops up.”
“You do the same,” he said before disconnecting.
I returned to the sitting area. “You can cross the search for Mr. Tricky’s car off the list. It was ditched in a parking lot and wiped clean.”
“Why does it matter if it was clean?” Alex asked as he lifted a glass of iced tea from a formal serving tray and offered it to me.
“Clean, as in, no evidence,” Kelsey answered for me as she also accepted a glass from Alex.
I took a sip and grimaced. It was sweet tea. I’d never acquired a taste for it. Kelsey watched my expression and set hers on the side stand, not bothering to take a drink. Wild Card took my glass, drinking half of it down in two massive gulps.
“Good,” Tech said, pulling my attention. “I need a few hours to dive into the prescription drug ring. If Sara and Carl weren’t having so much fun, I’d pull them in to help with the other searches.”
“When Maggie gets here, she can help with some of the research if you can distract her from the bar.”
“What are the rest of us supposed to do?” Wild Card asked. “I’m bored.”
“Do you have a car?” I asked him.
“A rental,” Wild Card answered.
“I need a lift. Bridget has my wheels.”
“Lead the way.” Wild Card stood and waved his arm out in an overexaggerated gesture for me to lead him.
I whistled for Beast who ran over and shook his wet fur all over everyone. It must’ve looked like fun because Jager ran over and did the same.
“Should we change our clothes before we go?” Wild Card asked as we looked down at our pants.
“This is Miami. Your pants will be dry before we get to the car. Besides, Beast is coming with us. We are going to smell like wet dog no matter what.”
“I’m driving a rental. I’ll lose my deposit.”
“You can afford it,” I said, tapping his cheek before following the landscaped path of flat stones to the front of the house.
I waited in the driveway with Beast. Wild Card ran out of the house a few minutes later with an armful of beach towels. He laid them out along the back seat to cover the upholstery. When he stepped back, I tried to hide my grin. Motioning to Beast, I watched him do his flying-leap thing which resulted in all the towels bunched to the other side in a pile. Beast’s wet butt sat on the upholstery as he shook his head, coating the inside with his wet dog aroma.
I laughed at Beast. He looked happy.
Wild Card on the other hand—not so much. “Not a word, Kid. Not a word,” he said as he got in the SUV and turned over the engine.
I giggled as I ran to the passenger side, hurrying before he decided to leave me.
~*~*~
First stop, check on Evie.
“It’s Charlie!” I called out when I entered the condo.
Wild Card followed me inside, locking the door behind us. Evie peeked around the corner of the bedroom door at us.
I tipped my head at Wild Card. “He’s a friend. Ex-military. Used to be my brother-in-law.”
Evie raised an eyebrow as she joined us. “You hang out with your ex-brother-in-law?”
“I’m hard to get rid of,” Wild Card said. “Kelsey’s been trying to shake me for years.” He held out his hand to Evie. “I’m Cooper. But everyone calls me Wild Card.”
“I’m Genevieve. But everyone in Miami thinks my name is Evie.” She returned both his handshake and his smile.
“Which do you prefer?” Wild Card asked as he wandered about the condo, looking around.
“Evie, I think. I’ve gotten used to it.”
“Evie it is then.” He turned back to me. “This place secure?”
“Duh,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I wouldn’t have hidden her here if it wasn’t.”
Evie sank to the couch to sit. “I’m bored. I know this is for my safety and all, but after Baker left, I’ve been going stir crazy with nothing to do and no one to talk to.”
Wild Card glanced at me. “We could move her to the mansion.”
“Too much going on there already.” I shook my head. “Besides, it could compromise the legal case down the road. A defense attorney would have a seizure upon hearing she was living with the peopl
e investigating the case.”
Wild Card looked at Evie. “I guess you’re stuck here. Sorry.”
“Maybe not,” I said, grinning at my own devious thoughts. “There’s another option.”
“What?” Evie asked, sitting forward.
“We could move you to the Outer Layer.”
“You mean I’d sleep in one of the sex rooms?” she asked, scrunching her nose.
“No. We can make Baker sleep in one of the sex rooms. You can sleep in his room, behind his office.”
She threw her hands up in exasperation. “Of course, he’d have a bedroom in his office. That man needs therapy. There’s more to life than work.”
I laughed.
“So?” Wild Card asked her. “Which location do you prefer? The stylish condo or the sex club where Baker’s likely to make you work for your room and board?”
“The Outer Layer,” Evie answered immediately. “Working will keep my mind off things.”
“Just so you understand,” I said. “You’ll have to stay on the upper floors. You can’t venture below the third floor without one of my personal security teams. The club security isn’t trained for this type of work.”
“I can live with that. At least I’ll have customers to chat with in The Parlor.”
“Go pack, then,” I said. “I left Beast in the car, so we can’t dawdle.”
“Who’s Beast?”
“My partner.”
“Her friend’s dog!” Wild Card said, correcting my statement. “And I’ll warn you that he went swimming earlier and the whole car smells like wet dog.”
“I’ll live,” Evie said, shaking her head at such a minor issue.
When Evie left to pack, I decided to ask Wild Card a few questions. “What was the secret conversation between you and Jackson earlier all about? What were you supposed to handle?”
“I sort of did something a few years back that Kelsey’s not going to like when she finds out.”
“What kind of something?”
He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. “You can’t tell her. If I can’t fix it, I’d rather she hears it from me.”
“This sounds good,” I said, sitting on the arm of the couch. I rubbed my hands together, excited to hear something juicy. “Spill.”
Hunt and Prey (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 8) Page 14