by Diane Rapp
“I promise. My mother was too blinded by revenge, but I’m smarter than that.” She slipped into a blue pantsuit and heels. “Let’s take a look and then decide what to do.”
Chapter 13 ~ Evening of Excitement
Natalia and Jason decided to eat an early dinner in the Cherry Blossom, a new Japanese specialty restaurant. They knew they must be ready to work at their assigned posts for the evening sale at Diamonds & More, but there was still time for a bit of romance beforehand.
The ambience of the restaurant soothed their frayed nerves. Rice paper dividers framed in cherry wood separated the tables, and flickering candlelight cast a gentle glow over orchid centerpieces. Delicate oriental music filled the room as girls in kimonos quietly served drinks and food.
As he toasted their engagement with plum wine, Jason grasped Natalia’s left hand and stroked her sparkling blue sapphire engagement ring. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t propose to you in a more romantic setting, my dear. It was a spontaneous decision, and I wasn’t certain Drew would survive long enough to sell the ring to me.”
“Drew was your only concern, was he? You didn’t wonder if either of us might not survive Raven’s attack?” she asked, sipping the sweet wine.
Jason stiffened. “Blimey! I never thought about it like that. Our plan was good, we wore Kevlar vests, and we weren’t out in the open for long enough to become targets.”
“So, I guess Hank messed up your carefully organized plan by poking a gun under my vest.” Her eyes sparkled in the candlelight.
“It certainly gave me thirty minutes of distress, but that passed when we surrounded the scoundrel.” He raised her hand and kissed her palm. “Promise me you’ll stay out of trouble in the future”
“Me? I have guardians on my side, both humans and ghosts. I’m more worried about a fiancé who jumps into danger without thinking.”
Jason’s grin looked very sexy in the candlelight. “With a psychic at my side, I should be able to avoid danger,” he murmured.
They enjoyed the delicate music in the background, and Jason felt grateful that the tables and chairs were of a western design. When he called earlier for the reservation, he’d asked if diners were required to sit on the floor.
The reservation clerk had giggled and said, “Only if you prefer to do so, Mister Briggs.”
As they sipped the sweet wine, a waitress in a silk kimono delivered delicate salads and a plate of sushi for the first course. Natalia removed black-lacquered chopsticks from a paper covering and expertly ate a piece of tuna wrapped in seaweed.
Jason picked up a fork. Stabbing a piece of California roll, he carefully dipped it into soy sauce mixed with wasabi and popped the piece into his mouth. Grimacing at the hot horseradish, he shook his head. “Too much for me. You can eat my other piece.”
“Love to, thanks.” Natalia used the chopsticks in a scissor-grip to pluck up Jason’s piece, dip it, and bite the combination. “I happen to love wasabi.”
The tempura shrimp and vegetables with a mild dipping sauce was more to Jason’s taste. Another plate, filled with sliced marinated beef and shitake mushrooms, completed the main course.
As Jason filled Natalia’s tiny teacup with an aromatic jasmine blend, he noticed four servers wheeling a large cake toward their table. “What’s this?” he asked.
The girls sang “Happy engagement to you,” with music from the Happy Birthday song. A giant plastic engagement ring was mounted to the top of the cake and their names were written in gold icing.
Emily followed the singing girls to the table. She announced, “We couldn’t let you celebrate your engagement without a real party. Please join us in the conference room to slice this yummy cake for everyone.” She waved for them to follow her from the table.
“I must settle the bill,” Jason sputtered.
Emily shook her head and grinned. “We’ve already taken care of it, so now let’s have a party!”
Natalia grabbed Jason’s hand and pulled him toward the door. “No use arguing, darling. We’ve got to join the party.”
He growled under his breath as he muttered, “There goes our romantic evening. Word of our engagement must have spread like wildfire.”
“Gossip on a ship is almost instantaneous, you know. I’ve never been able to keep a secret for long,” Natalia agreed as they entered the conference room.
Decorations had turned the business atmosphere into a party room. The Asian servers wheeled the cake into the center of the room and the group cheered as the “couple of honor” stood next to Emily.
“Everyone here has grown to know these two love birds.” Clapping erupted again and Emily allowed the interruption. She finally held up her hands to quiet the room. “We assembled here to celebrate, but not just the engagement of Jason and Natalia.
“We rejoice in the successful role of our security team, led by Jason and Natalia. They kept our passengers safe and organized the arrest of culprits who meant to harm my family.” She grabbed Kate’s hand. “My sister’s family is safe and we rejoice.”
Kate added, “We’re excited to learn that Jason and Natalia have decided to marry, and my family and I wish them a long and happy life together.”
Jason stepped forward, still holding Natalia’s hand. “We’d like to recognize the help and cooperation of Special Agents Amanda Spears and Esteban Hernandez. Esteban’s sons Roberto and Geraldo also risked their lives, while working undercover for Homeland Security. Amanda is here, but we don’t see the gents, unless they’re wearing extraordinary disguises.”
Laughter and applause spread through the room. Amanda acknowledged the praise but demurred from making a statement. Natalia grabbed a cake knife and cut into the large cake with layers of different flavors inside; strawberry, cherry-chocolate, and rum raisin cake were separated by layers of cream cheese frosting.
“Let’s get this party started,” she said. “Who wants the first slice?”
Jason waved his hand and Natalia smiled. “I guess you’ll always want to be served first after we’re married. Don’t count on it, but I’ll make an exception this time.”
The couple took their cake to a nearby table. Natalia gravitated to her favorite flavor, rum raisin, while Jason favored the chocolate with cherries. As they ate, friends stopped by to congratulate them and examine Natalia’s beautiful ring.
After the fourth woman gushed over the setting, Jason said, “I feel jealous that I don’t have a ring like that, darling.”
Natalia’s lips curled into an enigmatic smile. “I think we can do something about that right now. Would you care to wear this as an engagement ring?” She handed him a ring box with a Diamonds & More label.
Inside the box was a man’s ring in the same lost-wax style as the one Natalia wore. The black star sapphire was set into the wide gold band and complimented her feminine ring. “It’s brilliant, Tally. However did you manage this?”
“I asked Drew to find a matching ring for you, and would you believe, I bought it at fifty percent off as a pre-sale discount? I don’t appreciate chicks batting their eyelashes at you. If I wear an engagement ring, you should also wear one. She slid the ring onto his left-hand ring finger.
“Won’t this make people assume I’m already married?” he asked, admiring the dark beauty of the ring.
“Does it matter? You’re taken, and I want everyone to know it.”
Kate and Drew stopped by the table. Drew asked Natalia, “Did his ring fit properly? I was guessing at the size.”
Natalia held Jason’s hand up. “See for yourself. I got it over his knobby knuckle just fine and it looks spectacular.”
Jason raised his eyebrow. “Knobby? I’ll have you know my hands are quite masculine. Apart from bumps and bruises acquired during bare-knuckle fights, they have survived quite nicely.”
Kate peered at the ring. “The star is very distinct in the black stone. Masculine and stylish. Good choice.”
“Thanks,” Natalia and Drew said together and laughed.
Natalia almost choked on a bite of cake. “Give me time to get used to being engaged. In the meantime, eat your cake, my dear.”
Jason checked his watch. “Kate, I’m afraid that we must scurry off to another appointment. Please tell everyone to enjoy our cake.”
Minutes later Jason and Natalia changed into their disguises for the evening surveillance. Jason wore a dark wig, horn-rimmed glasses, and an immaculate pin-striped suit, while Natalia donned a shoulder-length auburn wig, a puffy-sleeved white blouse, and a navy pencil skirt. Green contact lenses and cats-eye shaped glasses completed her disguise.
Leaving the room separately, they made their ways to the jewelry store.
*****
At eight o’clock, the doors of Diamonds & More opened to crowds of eager shoppers. Jason polished the top of a glass cabinet with window cleaner before he waited on an eager matron, who hovered over the display of dazzling emeralds. “May I be of service, Madame?” he asked with a passable French accent. “This is a beautiful cocktail ring, n’est-ce pas?” He reached into the cabinet to secure the ring in question, while sweeping his eyes over the crowd of shoppers.
“Oh yes!” the matron gushed. “I’ve been looking forward to this sale and hoped to snag an elegant ring. Is it really fifty percent off?”
“Mais oui, Madame. The store owner, he has decided to close this store after the cruise, she ends,” Jason admitted. He extracted the ring from its box. “Please to try it on your delicate finger and see how it sparkles.”
As the matron giggled and admired the ring on her hand, Jason noticed Natalia speaking to another customer. The gentleman hardly looked at the jewelry, his nervous glance shifted from the staff, to the security cameras, and to the guards standing near the doorway.
Jason discreetly typed a text message to Esteban: Check out Natalia’s customer. He’s casing the joint.
A reply immediately popped up. Roberto is on it.
Jason watched as Roberto bumped into the man’s elbow and apologized, as he slipped a tracking device into the man’s pocket. Five minutes later the man left the shop with Geraldo behind him.
As Jason rang up the sale of an emerald, he noticed that the cash drawer was filling quickly. He tapped Drew’s shoulder and pointed at the cash register. Drew nodded and stepped into the back room to secure a replacement drawer. Jason watched the crowd as Drew exchanged drawers and took the full drawer into the back room. He stowed surplus cash inside the safe and counted out sufficient change to restock the drawer for the next change-over.
Jason noticed a bottle blonde paying particular attention to the operation through the partially open door. He immediately sent a text to Amanda: Check out blonde near the watch cabinet. She’s too interested in cash drawer.
He saw Amanda move close to the woman in question. She dropped a tracker into the blonde’s open purse and walked away. Two possible suspects tagged!
The evening proceeded with several more tags delivered to suspects. Security personnel checked the suspects, using handheld GPS devices, and several were discarded as genuine passengers.
At midnight the sale ended. Drew locked the front doors, turned off the lights, and placed the contents of the final cash drawer into his safe.
“Now what?” he asked Jason and Natalia. She sat in a task chair at the desk, rubbing her aching feet.
“We wait in shifts. That back entrance to your office is mighty handy when it comes to changing guards,” Jason replied. “I’ll take the first shift. Natalia, you should get some sleep but have one of the boys walk Drew to his cabin.”
Drew acted surprised. “You think I can get any sleep? I’d rather stay here and guard the place.”
Natalia and Jason both shook their heads. “If you’re being watched, you’d better go to your cabin and make this place look empty,” Natalia said.
Jason agreed, “We know she’s more likely to try breaking in if the place is vacant, so get a bit of rest. Walk out the front door and lock it behind you. Since we used the back entrance, they won’t know anyone is in the office.”
Sighing, Drew left without further objection. Natalia watched him through a peephole in the door. “He’s gone. I texted Roberto to follow him back to his cabin. Do you really want me to leave?”
“No point in us both staying. I’ll text you later, knowing that you won’t really sleep. Do try to get some rest.” He kissed her on the forehead before she snuck out the back door.
At three in the morning, Jason was relieved by Geraldo. “Nothing on the radar,” the young man said. “Drew is snug in his cabin, so you should get some shut-eye.”
“Has there been any movement from our tracking devices?” Jason asked.
Geraldo laughed. “No. Everyone seems to be sleeping. Maybe we were wrong about Jaimie trying to get a piece of inheritance out of Drew.”
“Maybe,” Jason admitted. “I’ll check with you before six, so stay awake lad.”
“You sound like Papa. He’s always worried that I’ll sleep on the job.” Geraldo sat on the task chair and turned on his e-reader. “But I enjoy a bit of reading while I’m on duty.”
Jason left the room, walking down the back corridor. He felt the presence of someone behind him a heartbeat before something hard struck him on the head. He awoke with his hands tied behind him and his feet lashed together with layers of duct tape. Gagged, he realized he was in a utility closet, among smelly mops and spray bottles, and no way to call for help.
Wriggling like a beached walrus, Jason finally managed to point his feet toward the door. The tape restricted his kicks, but he managed to bang against the door for what seemed like hours. A steward finally opened the door and yelped when he discovered the man inside.
“What’s happened?” the steward asked as he freed Jason’s appendages. “Oh! Of course, you need your mouth to speak.” He pulled the tape and Jason grimaced.
“Thanks, chum. Can you tell me the time?” Jason asked as he cut through tape on his ankles with a pocket knife.
“It’s nearly seven in the morning, sir. Can I help you stand up?”
“That would be ever so kind, but I really need to borrow your cell phone,” Jason replied as he accepted the young man’s hand.
He tapped numbers into the flip phone and waited. “Tally! Oh, I’m so relieved they didn’t get to you as well.” He listened to her shout for a few moments and said, “Darling we can discuss this at length later, but I’ve been locked in a cupboard for nearly four hours. We must get everyone down to the jewelry store.”
Handing the phone back to the steward, Jason noted the name on his I.D. “Thanks, Billy I’ll tell management that you were ever so helpful. Now can you point me in the direction of the main corridor?”
Natalia and Amanda burst out of the elevator together on the shopping plaza level, followed closely by Esteban. Jason rounded a corner just as they arrived at the jewelry store. Nothing looked amiss.
“Have you contacted Drew?” Jason asked.
Esteban said, “He not be answering de phone. Roberto and Geraldo do not answer as well.”
Jason nodded. “Let’s go round to the back entrance and see what’s happened.” They all ran toward the service door leading to the back corridor. When they reached the door of the office, it stood slightly ajar with a caustic odor coming from inside.
Amanda threw open the door, covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief. She saw feet sprawled across the floor and reached for the light switch.
“Don’t!” Jason ordered. “Whatever knocked them out might be flammable and the switch could spark a fire.”
He tied a cloth over his nose and mouth and crawled inside until he reached a pair of feet. Dragging the feet toward the door, he discovered an unconscious Geraldo. Esteban dragged the next pair of feet outside and checked Roberto’s pulse.
“They be alive but knocked out,” Esteb
an said. “Look, de watch of Drew is under de chair. It must be a signal for us.”
Natalia opened the door to the jewelry store and air soon circulated inside the office. She said, “We were too clever for our own good. They knew how to get inside, attacking Jason and using Drew to open the door.”
Esteban rubbed his forehead. “My boys are trained very good. How did they get Roberto?”
Jason replied, “Someone knocked me out and took my phone. I’d bet they used my phone to send Roberto and Drew a text to lure them to the office. Jaimie has someone working with her.”
Amanda frowned. “So where is Drew? His life might be in danger.”
Natalia smiled. “Drew worried something like this might happen, so we installed a tracker in his shoe. Let’s take a look at this signal.” She opened her phone and tapped a specific APP. “He’s back stage! Take a look.”
*****
Drew sat with his arms and legs taped to a wooden chair in one of the dressing rooms. Jaimie sat across from him holding a sharp kitchen knife. “You can have the money and jewels if that’s what you’re after,” Drew told her. “I’ve made enough from Jim’s seed money to share it with you.”
“I’ll bet you did! You’ve got at least twenty jewelry stores across the Caribbean and aboard ships. You didn’t think I’d look you up once I knew your alias?” Jaimie waved the knife in front of his face.
“So if it’s not the money you want, what are you going to do with me?” Drew’s somber voice echoed in the dressing room.
“Mom wanted you dead, said you killed my father. Now I hear that Hank confessed to killing him, so what’s the truth?” Jaimie asked. “Hank was a better father than Jim Jones could ever be. How do I let him hang for killing that man?”
“We can hire a good lawyer for Hank. He doesn’t deserve to die for killing Jones, believe me.”