I blushed then smiled, accepting his reaction for what it was, an appreciative compliment.
“I see you took my advice,” he said, waiting for me to sit down first before he did. Quite the gentleman.
“Your advice?” I asked, sliding into the club booth.
Tony laughed. “I requested red, but that is flame-red.”
“That hot, huh?” I asked, joining in on his laughter.
“I may have to ask for a fire extinguisher,” he added.
“I believe my ice water will do the job quite nicely.”
“Oh, the ice queen speaketh,” he whispered, chuckling.
“Take heed, sir. Thou shalt not take advantage of thy fair maiden this evening,” I said firmly.
“How about later, my lady?”
“I doubt it. I haveth my Taser in my purse.”
“Ah, she speaketh from experience!”
“I have been around the block a few times before, yes.”
He arched a brow. “That many, huh?”
During our friendly banter, a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne was brought to our table and poured. I was delighted that my handsome date had thoughtfully ordered champagne to be brought to our table as soon as we arrived.
“Did you order this beforehand?” I asked, smiling.
“No, I thought you did,” he replied.
My ears perked up. I was intrigued and turned to our smiling waiter for an explanation.
“A gentleman at the bar sent it as a gift. He said you two reminded him of he and his wife when they were younger. She’s long gone, he said, but he still comes in for a drink on their anniversary and looks for a happy, young couple to send his favorite champagne to for them to enjoy.”
Tony stood. “The least I can do is to go thank him.”
The waiter held up his hand, quickly saying, “He wishes to remain anonymous, sir.”
Tony sat back down. “Well, tell him thank you for us.”
I nodded. “Yes, please do. It was very kind of him.”
After several sips of champagne and brief exclamations over the menu specials that night, we settled in to scan selections on our leather-bound menus in silence. I kept peeking over mine to get a glimpse for the gentleman who had sent our bubbly. But the bottled wall and the people congregating at the bar restricted me from a clear view. Then I spotted our waiter talking to a man with gray hair, wearing a brown jacket, whose face was somewhat blocked by several people nearby. As the waiter spoke to the man, the waiter nodded and gestured in our direction.
That was him, the man who had sent the champagne!
I was suspicious as well as curious and dying to find out who had sent it. When a mystery is presented, I have to solve it. Why choose us out of all the people in this crowded restaurant? I had to thank him.
I cleared my throat. Tony glanced up from his menu.
“I’m going to the ladies room, okay? I’ll be right back.”
“I await with bated breath,” he said, chuckling again.
As I walked away from the booth, I could feel Tony’s gaze following me. I eyed the stairway going up on my left then the bar area to my right. I turned and casually glanced back to our club booth. Tony was watching me intently. I gave him a friendly wave and he winked back in return.
Damn. I had to figure out who that man at the bar is.
I took the stairway on my left up to the ladies room. I gave a quick side-glance to the bar. the bartender was now talking to the same man still seated at the same bar chair our waiter had spoken to. But the man’s back was hunched over and now facing away from me in the other direction speaking to the bartender. All I could see was a head full of gray hair and that brown jacket. I had to make a bee-line over to him on the way back. By then Tony should be back to scanning his menu and wouldn’t notice my detour. Even though Tony would want to know too, I didn’t need him spooking the guy by accidentally saying the wrong thing.
I hadn’t forgotten Tony saying, Marilyn Chambers sounded like a hooker’s name.
I dashed into the ladies room, did what was necessary, then descended the steps slowly, glancing back over toward our booth. Good, Tony was caught up in the menu, not looking my way. I quickly glanced over to the bar area.
The man was gone!
I hastily glanced to the front desk and caught the back of him, leaving the restaurant. I looked back to Tony, who was still reading his menu and made my decision to follow the man and catch up with him out front. Besides, my curiosity was now killing me.
Who knows, I could profile a mystery character on him in one of my future books. His backstory was extremely intriguing. I wanted to know more about a man whose story was sad yet generous in nature, and I was determined to get it.
Okay, I’m a bit pushy and too curious for my own good.
But I intended to satisfy that curiosity. Besides, I would only be gone several minutes. Tony would never notice.
And I knew if I didn’t, I’d regret not at least trying.
When I raced through the restaurant door, I looked right then left. And that was when I spotted him, halfway down the courtyard. He would soon be approaching a shadowed alleyway that led to a back parking lot for shoppers. It was about a hundred feet away from where I stood. I wasn’t exactly a speed demon, running in those heels and had to watch where I stepped because of the red brick pavers. So by the time I approached that alley and looked up again, he had already rounded the corner. There was just one problem. Turning which way? Left? Right? I turned left. That’s when I heard Tony yell out my name and I froze.
What? Was he crazy, giving me away like that?
He’d just ruined my opportunity to catch up to that man. Annoyed, I turned toward Tony’s voice when suddenly...
I can’t breathe. Everything began to fade. What the...
Chapter 51
Déjà vu All Over Again
Which brings me back to this inconceivable situation that I woke up to: being hogtied to Tony on a cold, damp, cement floor with no way of escaping. Here we were, stuck in what felt like a cellar/chamber area with no windows. We’d become disoriented about the time because the room was pitch black with not a speck of light anywhere.
After coming to from both of our ether knockouts, then listening to Tony’s complaining, and our total wasted time calling for help, I was still hopeful for a way out of this.
What could they (whoever did this) want from us? We were literally still in the dark on the whole matter. And time was passing by.
But how much of it had passed by?
Since we obviously weren’t going anywhere, now was the time for me to figure out the timelines on this whole ether thing, a subject I wasn’t that familiar with.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, Tony, how were you so sure they used ether on us to knock us out?”
“With some people I’m familiar with, it’s a fast method for knocking people out for quick transport to a selected destination. And don’t ask me to elaborate on destinations.”
I knew better than that. Let sleeping dogs lie.
“I won’t,” I responded evenly.
A minute or two passed while I considered his words.
“Since you’re familiar with that sweet smelling odor...”
“I am and don’t forget that cloth was a giveaway too.”
“How long does the sedation effect usually last?”
“Depends on a person’s weight and how much is used.”
“Generally speaking,” I said.
“About thirty minutes.”
It seemed old school to me. “But why use ether?”
“No needle marks, no bruising or blood from anything physical. It’s clean. And the effects eventually wear off, but alcohol can extend the duration of the drug’s effect.”
I recalled our several toasts. “That champagne.”
He waited a beat then asked me, “Why the quiz?”
“I’m trying to figure the timeframe on us being here.”
He nudged m
e. “It also causes a sensitivity to touch, besides disorientation, confusion, and a floating state.”
I thought of his roaming hands and my complaining and laughed. “I’m not buying that first part.”
“Believe it or not, it does happen,” he countered.
“I’m still not buying it, especially in your case.”
“By the way, Sam...I—”
I stiffened. “Shush! Did you hear it? What was that?”
“My stomach is growling. I’m getting hungry. Although I’m surprised, considering nausea is known to set in after being exposed to ether and considering we drank...”
“Shush! You hear that?” I asked him.
This time Tony listened attentively.
“There it is again!” I whispered.
It sounded like a moan.
“Sounds human,” Tony whispered back.
We listened intently.
I swallowed then verbalized what I was thinking
“I think someone else is in here with us. Now what do we do?” I asked, futilely glancing around the pitch-black space we were tied up in.
This changed everything.
“Who could it be?” Tony murmured.
My mind was suddenly thinking the worst...
Chapter 52
And Then There Was...
Tony gently nudged me. “It sounds like whoever is out there is coming around. We can ask when they come to.”
“You don’t suppose...”
“I’m sure it’s not one of your crew. Those three ladies are so tight, there’s no way they’d allow themselves to get separated, like someone I happen to know.”
“...Okay, so I tend to wander off the grid without telling anyone. I can’t help it when I latch onto something that will help solve or add interest to one of my mysteries.”
“You’d think that after all this time, several bruises and a few broken bones later, you’d have learned by now.”
“Learned what?” I asked.
“If the pan is too hot don’t pick it up.”
“It’s: If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
“Whatever. You get the gist of what I’m saying,”
“Rehashing my past doesn’t solve our current problem.”
He let out a soft laugh. “Which one?”
“Seriously, we need to address who’s in here with us.”
“Go ahead, be my guest and address them.”
I cleared my throat after we heard a louder moan.
“Hello?” I said.
“Hello?” mocked Tony sarcastically. That’s it? Hello?”
“You have any better ideas, oh brilliant one?”
“Hey!” shouted Tony in the direction of the last moan.
All we got in response was another moan.
“Whatever they were hit with was stronger than ours.”
“I think you’re right,” acknowledged Tony.
“They had to be here before us or we would’ve noticed.”
“Unless, they were thrown in here right after we were.”
“Good point,” I conceded.
“Because who knows exactly how long we were out,” said Tony.
“Considering the champagne we drank, you’re right. But why put someone in here with us?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea,” he said.
“Maybe there is another player in this.”
“Someone we don’t know about.”
Then we both said simultaneously, “...But who?”
We lapsed into silence for a minute, thinking.
“You think that maybe Clay was set up like us from the beginning and there is no insurance investigator?” I asked.
“It’s possible.”
“And we’ve played into the hands of someone’s or plural, someones’, perfect setup,” I said.
“Or, maybe you are a snag in someone’s perfect setup.”
“Are you referring to the first or second journal?”
“That’s just it. No one knows about the second journal.”
“You’re right. They don’t know I had a second one. So they don’t know how much I have or haven’t figured out.”
“It might mean there’s money involved. Big money.”
Trust me, it’s always about the money.
Chapter 53
Money & More
A door scraped. Blinding light assaulted us.
“I see you are both conscious, good,” someone said in a loud whisper. Turning my head away from the bright, painful light, I felt a foot tap my body then move on to Tony.
They had to be checking to see if we were still trussed like stuffed turkeys and attached to the thick floor clamp that prevented Tony and me from trying to stand up and shuffle around our dark space to investigate it.
There were so many questions I had for our captor, but I didn’t want to tick them off, which might cause them to do something stupid and cause one or both of us to get hurt.
Should I speak or should I keep quiet?
I felt a subtle nudge from Tony.
I kept silent, all the while still plotting how to escape.
Did Tony know who it was? Considering we couldn’t identify them behind the blinding light, I doubted it. Voice recognition was out of the question because of their low whispering, which made this harder to figure out.
I had to give whoever it was credit, luring me into this situation was calculated and well-planned. Had they wanted me separated from the rest of my crew for a reason? Had they planned Tony into their equation? Or was he the wrong guy in the wrong place when they took me? All I knew was we had no say in the matter at this point.
That didn’t mean I was going to keep my mouth shut. Currently, I was still upset at being hogtied like this. No, I had a lot to say on the matter, but was biding my time to see what they had to say first. Know your enemy, keep them close, analyze them, then take them out. Of course, I was tied up at the moment, but that didn’t stop me from sizing up my odds and plotting their improbable takeout.
We heard a throat being cleared and waited. Then we heard that moan again, only this time, louder from across the room along with a scraping sound followed by a thump. I turned to Tony, whispering. “I think they are trying to rouse whoever is over there on the floor.”
I felt Tony turn and twist to listen to what was going on.
“Have any idea who’s over there?” he whispered back.
“No, but they must’ve been drugged more than us.”
“Sounds like it, doesn’t it?” he said softly.
I suddenly sniffed the air.
“What the hell are you doing?” whispered Tony.
“I smell something familiar,” I said.
“Like what?” asked Tony, now sniffing the air too.
“It’s a scent I’ve smelled before,” I whispered.
“Perfume, right?” he asked, still sniffing. “Classy.”
“Definitely perfume,” I said, “Yes! A classic scent.”
Tony sniffed again. “Let me guess. Channel N° 5?”
“Elegant, glamorous and unmistakable,” I said.
Chapter 54
Unmistakable, But Distinctive
“Be quiet, you two,” hissed our captor, kicking our feet.
“Why should we?” I asked, annoyed by his attitude.
“Because I’m the one with the gun, that’s why!”
I felt Tony stiffen behind me. We hadn’t seen the gun in the dark. Then Tony nudged me.
Why? To keep me quiet?
But then Tony said, “The least you could’ve done was provide heat. See how Sam’s dressed? It’s cold in here.”
About to thank Tony for his concern for my comfort, I stopped short. Wasn’t he the one complaining all this time?
What was the purpose of his unpredictable behavior?
I nudged him back, whispering, “Man-up, buddy.”
I ignored the muffed curse I got in response. We had to deal with our captor.
&
nbsp; “Talking tough and flashing a gun doesn’t mean squat. Let’s see your face,” challenged Tony to our captor.
Then I got Tony’s attitude. He was stalling for time too.
We heard a loud laugh. A man’s laugh.
“Since your time is limited anyway, I don’t see a reason why not,” our captor said, clearly amused.
With that voice, we both knew who our captor was: Bill.
Hey, wait a minute. Did Bill say our time was limited?
Tony understood the implication too, saying, “When?”
“As soon as she comes around,” he said, disappearing into the dark on the other side of the room and kicking the moaning, but motionless other drugged victim.
We couldn’t make out who it was laying there with that blinding light still shining in our faces. I also couldn’t make out our surroundings either. Bill had his flashlight honed in on us on purpose so we couldn’t identify where we were.
Then we saw him place his gun on the floor and reposition his flashlight on us to free both his hands, probably so he could shake his other hostage. He began to speak low to whoever it was. We couldn’t hear what.
I whispered to Tony. “That might be Anne laying there.”
“What makes you think that?” Tony whispered back.
“That perfume. I’ve smelled it before. I think on her”
“I guess it’s a possibility,” he said, considering the facts.
“Right. She was the one who rented that house after I did. She probably witnessed or heard something she shouldn’t have and they are grabbed her too. Whatever this is, it has to involve a lot of money to take out three people.”
“That’s a chunk of guessing on your part, Sam,” said Tony. “She could’ve found your journal, not Bill.”
I considered that possibility. “That’s true,” I whispered.
“But Anne didn’t admit that when she first met you at rehab. So, why act like she didn’t know who you were?”
“Methodical theorizing. I like that,” a new voice said.
I jolted at hearing another very familiar voice.
Was that Anne’s voice?
My eyes flicked back over to where Bill was.
Too Close For Comfort (Samantha Jamison Mystery Book 9) Page 12