Dark Valentine

by Jennifer Fulton

  Chapter Sixteen

  Had they been followed? Jules wondered. A blue-gray Chevy Trailblazer had gradually closed in on the Mercedes when they stopped a few miles out of town to let the stagecoach by. The car had tracked them down Route 66, through rugged yellow canyons and hairpin bends that slowed the pace of the drive to a crawl. Every vehicle on the narrow, twisting two-lane blacktop rode its brakes. Most stopped at the pullouts that dotted the route, their nervous drivers parking carelessly trying to avoid scary cliff edges, then wandering along the side of the road, cameras stuck to their faces as they recorded their Wild West adventure.

  Between slowing to avoid running these city slickers over and swerving around crows pecking at roadkill, Jules had plenty of time to notice the Trailblazer maintaining a constant distance all the way to Bullshead City. She lost sight of the SUV there and had not seen it since. She had tried to get a look at the driver, but the Trailblazer never came close enough. She wasn’t sure why her neck prickled at the sight of that vehicle and no other, but she paid attention to her instincts. They seldom let her down.

  There was no sign of the vehicle as they drove through Laughlin, however, and she reasoned that there was nothing sinister about one car among many stuck in a single lane of traffic, with every motorist headed for the same destination. The driver was probably feeding quarters into a slot machine by now.

  When they finally reached the Mosses’ “small” casino, Jules understood why Rhianna’s employers could count petty mobsters among their friends. The Enchanted Palace was situated on the banks of the Colorado River not far from Harrah’s. Like every establishment of its ilk, it reeked of stale cigarette smoke, alcohol, and hopelessness. Not even the most dogged air-conditioning and chemical cleaning agents could lighten the atmospheric load.

  As soon as the revolving doors disgorged her into the noisy lobby, Jules was walloped by the closeness of the air, the low ceiling, the jostling crowd, and the random cacophony of flashing lights and casino noise. She had not thought to take one of her mild relaxants; she usually reserved medication for the special torture of air travel.

  “We get to use the owners’ suite, thank goodness,” Rhianna said as they proceeded toward the elevators. “The hotels along this strip are all dreadful and, whatever you do, don’t eat the buffet.”

  Jules distracted herself from the din and the pervasive tinge of body odor by finding small denominations to tip the bellboy. She followed this mechanical task with one of her self-calming strategies, visualizing a tranquil pool with a waterfall spilling from it in an endless rainbow-hued cascade.

  The elevator was a cramped steel prison but, thankfully, they were its sole occupants. As they rode up, Rhianna hummed to Alice and kept casting appreciative looks in Jules’s direction. Evidently, she’d scored points with the location change.

  The Mosses’ apartment was a spacious suite of rooms with calming views of the river. Jules stood at the windows, slowing her breathing and waiting for her tension to dissipate.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Rhianna sighed.

  “Yes.” Jules wanted to kiss her, and ruffle her fingers in the short blond hair she was still getting used to.

  Rhianna leaned against the back of a sofa immediately behind her. Alice was draped over her shoulder, sound asleep. If all toddlers were so placid, Jules thought she wouldn’t mind having several kids, assuming domestic bliss was in her future. The odds seemed better than they’d ever been.

  She stretched out a hand and petted the slumbering child’s back. “She’s very sweet.”

  “She’s a doll.” Rhianna smiled a stunning, carefree smile. “Excuse me a minute. I need to put her to bed. Take a look around if you want. Help yourself to drinks. There’s a fridge in the bar.”

  Jules thanked her and found a bottle of Evian. She sat down on one of several ivory leather sofas arranged for the view, sipped some water, then took out her cell phone. After checking in with Percy, she called Gilbert Desjardines.

  “What do we know about the two goons Brigham assaulted?” she asked. “Are they cooperating?”

  “I got Damonique monitoring that situation,” Gil said. “I think we’re good.”

  “Excellent. What are they looking for?”

  “Fifty each.”

  “I’m hearing things,” Jules scoffed. “These tough guys are supposed to lean on Brigham. They screw up, and he puts them in the hospital. They want fifty apiece for a police statement?”

  “Pain and suffering. That’s their story.”

  “They don’t know the meaning of pain.” Jules wished Rhianna’s bosses had been less scrupulous. Paying a couple of enforcers to talk sense into Brigham without beating him up was naïve. “Tell them for fifty they have to testify, and if I hear Audrey Brigham has bought them off, they’re going down. I’ll dig up every mistake they ever made.”

  “Mrs. Brigham. Phew. That’s one pissed-off lady.”

  Intrigued, Jules asked, “What do you know about her?”

  “Your boss damn near shit himself.” Gil had to take a moment to quit snickering. He always loved it when Carl wasn’t happy. “She asked him to hire some dude to ice the girl. Make it look like an accident.”

  Audrey Brigham was trying to have Rhianna killed? Jesus. “Carl’s not planning to do anything about it, is he?”

  “Hell, no. He asks me to go see her and act like I’m the man. So, I’m wired and sitting across from her after a fine pork chop, and she’s telling me about her problem, and how it needs taking care of so her son can get on with his lame-ass life.”

  “You have Audrey Brigham on tape trying to arrange a hit?”

  “I sure do.”

  Jules grinned. Carl was a master of leverage. What was poor little Werner going to do when Mommy couldn’t save his ass anymore. “That’s good news,” she conceded.

  “Where you at, anyway?” Gil asked.

  “Laughlin, Nevada,” Jules said. “It sucks, and I need a blond wig. Any ideas?”

  “They got showgirls there?”

  “You’re a genius.”

  “What you up to?” Gil’s tone came fitted with a built-in warning. He was a man who had seen it all and spent his life investigating screwups.

  “Bait and switch,” Jules told him with a casual air. “If you don’t hear from me by tomorrow morning, call the Mohave County Sheriff. Ask him to send a car to that address in Oatman I gave you.”

  The P.I. made a sound like a dog whining. “You high?”

  Jules said. “No, just taking care of business.”

  “Okay. Hit me with your crazy-white-girl plan.”

  “Thanks for the support. It’s very simple. Werner Brigham will sneak into the house and I’ll be waiting for him.”

  Gil sighed loudly. “I’m not coming to any memorial service. You got that?”

  “Loud and clear.”

  “Who’s your backup?” he asked.

  “A decrepit cowboy, a deaf dog, and a ton of hardware.”

  “I got a bad feeling.”

  “You always have a bad feeling. You’re a pessimist. That’s why they give you Prozac.”

  “Don’t do this thing,” Gil said dourly.

  “I’ll let you know how it pans out.” Jules said good-bye over his protests and dropped her cell phone into her pants pocket.

  She wandered around the huge suite and found her lover in a bedroom. With a finger to her kissable lips, Rhianna backed away from the bed and joined Jules in the hallway.

  “She was a little carsick, so she’s clingy.”

  “You’re good with her.” Something came over Jules then, and she sappily pictured herself and Rhianna peering into a bassinette several years into a rosy future. Get a grip, she thought, and asked the question uppermost on her mind. “Does your boss hire showgirls?”

  Rhianna frowned like Jules had just suggested they take in a strip joint while they were in the big city. “Yes, why?”

  “I need some help with a project I’m working on,” Jul
es replied vaguely.

  She had decided the less Rhianna knew, the better. She and Alice were safe, and Jules didn’t want her sitting up all night, phoning every ten minutes to check in with her.

  “Bonnie is friends with one of the women who does the early evening show here,” Rhianna said. “She’s probably in the dressing room by now. If you go backstage in the theater, it’s on your left past all the props.”

  “I’ll find her.” Jules produced a nonchalant smile and started toward the door.

  “Jules?” Rhianna’s suspicion was transparent. “What are you doing?”

  A good question and one Jules had hoped to avoid. “Come sit down with me for a minute,” she requested gloomily. She would now lose the next hour trying to convince Rhianna that they would have to catch Brigham themselves, or he would evade the authorities and she would never be safe.

  Rhianna was a jump ahead. “Please don’t tell me you’re going back there.” Panic swept the serenity from her face.

  Wondering when she had become so obvious that her lover could second-guess her every move, Jules took Rhianna’s hand and led her to the sofa. “Baby, I’m working with a detective at the sheriff’s office, and we’re going to catch Brigham. The two men he assaulted in Denver will testify against him. He’s going to prison.”

  “I’m happy about that,” Rhianna said mildly. “So why do I feel like I’m missing something?”

  “That would be the part about me putting on a blond wig and waiting in your bedroom.” Jules winced.

  “I see.” Rhianna’s gaze was steady. “Is this your version of taking a bullet for me? You think you owe me something?” Anger leaked into her expression. “So you’re going to place yourself at risk for the sake of past regrets? You want to serve me Brigham’s head on a plate?”

  Unnerved by the accuracy of her perception, Jules said, “There’s some truth in that. But I’m also acting out of self-interest. I want him out of your life so there’s room for me. For us.”

  Rhianna’s chest rose and fell unevenly. “Don’t you understand, I’ve already forgiven you.” Her voice caught on a sob. “The last thing I want is for you to take a risk like that! That man has cost me everything I cared about. I can’t let him take you away. I just can’t.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Jules said. “I know how to take care of myself.” She held Rhianna in her arms and stroked her hair. “You have to trust me. I wouldn’t do this if I thought there was any chance I’d never see you again.”

  “I’m afraid. Please don’t go,” Rhianna begged. “I’ve been learning to shoot. I don’t feel so vulnerable anymore. Let’s just get on with our lives. They’ll catch up with him. If not now, later.”

  Jules shook her head. “He’s a time bomb. I talked to him in the parking garage at your friend Mimi’s building.”

  Rhianna drew back. “He was there?”

  “He’ll always be there,” Jules said grimly, “biding his time, waiting for his opportunity. Screw that.”

  She felt a shudder pass through Rhianna’s body. “If you’re doing this, I’m coming, too.”

  “No. Absolutely not.”

  “This isn’t a negotiation,” Rhianna said with cool vehemence. “Lisette can look after Alice. They adore each other.”

  “Who’s Lisette?”

  “The showgirl with the blond wig you don’t need to borrow anymore. There are plenty of standby dancers. I’ll get her up here right away.”

  Jules tried again with the common sense. “It’s not a good idea for you to be around. You’re safe here and I don’t have to worry about you. Please. Let me and Percy handle this.”

  Rhianna got to her feet, her expression mutinous. “That creep thinks he can hunt me? Well, the boot is on the other foot now, and I want to know how that feels.”

  “I understand—”

  “No, you don’t,” Rhianna said harshly. “You think you owe me something? This is what I want.”

  *

  From the safe, anonymous confines of his rental Chevy Trailblazer, Werner contemplated his options. He had pulled off the road at Bullshead City just in case he was making himself look suspicious. He knew exactly where that interfering bitch, Julia Valiant, was going with Rhianna. He’d done his homework since arriving in Oatman.

  Rhianna was employed by the owners of the Enchanted Palace casino. If she was accompanying their child on a road trip to Laughlin, there could only be one destination. He had seen the couple depart in the morning and assumed they were on their way to their workplace. Parents like them routinely left their children to be raised by someone else. For a wild moment, he considered seizing both Rhianna and the infant. He felt sure she loved that baby. Its presence would mean a lot to her, and Werner could turn the situation to his advantage. Rhianna was tenderhearted and unselfish. If she feared for the child’s safety, she would be extremely compliant.

  But as the idea took shape, Werner realized he would be making a huge mistake. Imagine the furor if he kidnapped the child of wealthy casino magnates. The FBI would be on his tail. He would be at the center of one of those vast manhunts. He wouldn’t make it out of the state, let alone north to the remote wilds of Minnesota, where Rhianna’s home was waiting. But if by some miracle, he slipped through the police dragnet, a worse fate would be in store.

  Those two fat cretins who had broken his door down back in Denver were hired by the Mosses. He had squeezed the details out of them while they pleaded for their lives. They were amateurs, but the fact that they’d been sent in the first place meant the Mosses had friends in organized crime. Werner could imagine the strings they would pull to get their baby back. They would put out a contract on him. He would be dead meat.

  Werner plucked another chicken nugget from the box on the passenger seat and stared at the dark gray Mercedes parked in the roped-off V.I.P. area. He still couldn’t decide on the smarter move. Sooner or later, now that she’d dropped Rhianna and the baby off, Valiant would leave and his path would be clear. He had no idea what she was doing here in the first place, but it occurred to him that Mommy must have sent her.

  He had told her about the two criminals bleeding in his study, and she had agreed that his leaving town was a good idea. She had promised then that she would deal with Rhianna for his sake. Perhaps she had sent the attorney with a cash offer—compensation for any pain he had inadvertently caused. Valiant’s powers of persuasion were impressive. He knew she didn’t like him, but she’d taken care of his interests all the same. He felt sure she would talk Rhianna around and leave her with the right impression of the Brigham family’s power and wealth.

  Perhaps he would not have to remove Rhianna by force. If the lawyer had done her job, Rhianna might even receive him warmly. Las Vegas was just down the highway. They could get married in one of those tawdry chapels with a preacher who looked like Elvis. Later on, their real wedding service would be held in Denver.

  Werner ate another nugget, then cleaned the oily debris from his gums with his toothpick. He wasn’t sure how realistic these hopes were, but it didn’t matter. He could adapt to a change in circumstances if he had to. That’s exactly what he was doing now. He stared at the elevator and wondered if it was time to locate the Mosses’ accommodations. The family could not stay in their rooms indefinitely. The parents had a business to run. They would soon leave Rhianna alone with the baby, or perhaps they would send her back home to the ranch. That was the optimum scenario.

  Werner sharpened his gaze as one of the uniformed valets entered the parking area. Apparently he would not have to wait much longer. The boy aimed a remote at the Mercedes and its lights flashed. Julia Valiant was on the move.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I know he’s coming,” Rhianna said, listening for the sound of a footfall that did not belong.

  Every home had its own unique nocturnal personality. In the winter it creaked and whined a hymn of protest to the cold weather. Summer made its wood stairs and panels thirst, and took a harsh toll o
n its painted skin.

  Rhianna had lived in the Mosses’ ranch house since the previous October, and she knew the sounds it made as it settled from the heat of the day to the cool of the desert night. She recognized the protests of certain floorboards when Hadrian moved from his beanbag in the corner of her bedroom to the food station in her tiny kitchen. She knew the muted click and sigh of the air-conditioning.

  Bonnie and Lloyd had made a big deal out of soundproofing. They wanted to be able to turn up the bass in their home theater without waking Alice. Lloyd liked to work out in the gym with Cher turned up loud. Bonnie thought Cher was a fine actress but hated her singing. Rhianna was thankful they had stuffed the walls of her apartment with insulation. She played the piano and preferred not to torture the household when she practiced her scales and arpeggios every night.

  During the day, she barely noticed the subtle noises that seemed so loud at night. Her hearing was amazingly acute when she was lying in bed with all the lights out. She could make out the faint cries of night creatures, the wet plunk of insects landing in the swimming pool, the ghostly drone of passing cars, the occasional bleat or whinny coming from the barn.

  She usually kept her blinds tightly closed after dark, but tonight Jules had arranged them with a couple of tiny gaps in strategic places. She said she wanted to invite Brigham to peep in so they could see him. There was more light outside than there was in the apartment, once all the lamps were extinguished. They would see Brigham if he came around the back of the house, and Jules was certain that he would. She and Percy had walked around the exterior and interior soon after they got back, planning which rooms would be lit and at what times. Jules wanted Werner to make faulty deductions about where people were.

  “Are you saying he’s coming right now?” Jules asked from the sofa near the sliding doors.

  “Yes, I can feel him. It’s not my imagination.” A malevolent presence seemed to have entered the house. Rhianna didn’t want to let her imagination run away with her, but she could swear that Werner had been inside her room. She detected the taint of evil, and her senses shrank from it. “I think he’s been in here. Maybe he broke in while we were out.”