by Cathie Linz
“I’m impressed.”
“But you’re not impressed with Caine?” Yuri asked.
“Absolutely not. That’s why I’m asking you to keep him out of the building. Remember, if someone doesn’t pick up the bag, do whatever you want with it. I never want to see it again.”
She never wanted to see Alan or Caine again either. Since Alan was still in Bali, that was a done deal. Getting rid of Caine was proving to be more difficult.
Chapter Six
Faith began her second day at her new job by returning to her old job. Just temporarily. To pick up something important that she’d left behind—the pair of wings her favorite story time group had made for her out of cardboard, tissue paper, lots of pink paint and silver glitter with a bunch of feathers stuck on. The wings didn’t really fit and were totally lopsided, but they had great sentimental value for Faith. She asked the cabbie to wait and was in and out of the library in record time. Ten minutes, tops.
Unfortunately, the cabbie and his vehicle were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, Caine stood there looking entirely too sexy in well-worn jeans and a plain black T-shirt. “So you decided to turn in your stilettos for a pair of fancy wings, huh?”
“No. I turned in my wings for a pair of stilettos.”
“Yet here you are in sandals and wings.”
“It’s only temporary. I’m merely transporting them home.”
“Right. Because who doesn’t need a pair of wings at home? You probably have several pairs of wings. One pair for work, another pair for play. One set more casual, another more formal. Is that a smile? Yes, it is. No, it’s too late to try to hide it now. I saw your lips go up.”
“You’re imagining things.”
He sure was. Imagining her wearing those wings and little else. Maybe the wings, a thong and those stilettos she’d worn yesterday. Oh yeah, she’d give some of those Victoria’s Secret models a run for their money. Not that the wings were actually that sexy, now that he got a closer look. But Faith sure was hot.
Caine was extremely frustrated that he couldn’t get over Faith. He was frustrated period.
Faith’s smile turned into a frown as she very belatedly asked him, “What are you doing here? Are you following me again? You can’t use the excuse that you’re heading for work.”
“It wasn’t an excuse. I work across the street from your office.”
“I don’t have an office.”
“A penthouse suite?”
“I have a cubicle just like any other employee.”
“Right.”
“It’s the truth. And you don’t work across the street from the library. So I’ll ask you again. What are you doing here?”
“Helping you.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“How do you plan on getting those wings of yours home? Are you gonna fly?”
“I’m going to hail a cab.”
“Right. Good luck with that. It’s still morning rush. My car is right here.” He pointed to a black Mustang.
“You’re illegally parked.”
“I’d be happy to give you a lift.”
“No way am I getting into a car with you.”
“Afraid?”
“Damn right.”
“There’s no need to be.”
“Yeah right. You seduced me in Italy because you think my father had something to do with your father’s suicide.”
“Is there a problem?” Maria Sanchez asked as she joined them on the sidewalk.
Great. Now Faith’s former boss saw her standing there making a fool of herself. She should have just abandoned the wings and left them at the library.
No, that’s what the old Faith would have done to avoid a confrontation. The new Faith could handle anything.
“No problem,” she assured Maria even as the wings started shedding some of their excess glitter. “I’ve got everything under control here.”
“I’m giving her a lift,” Caine said.
“If that’s your black Mustang, you’re parked illegally,” Maria told him.
“We’re leaving right now,” Faith said.
“Right. Here, let me take those for you.” He reached for the wings.
She stepped back. “Don’t touch my wings.”
“Has she always been this touchy about her wings?” Caine asked Maria, shooting her a killer smile that clearly left the otherwise unflappable librarian a bit dazed.
Faith couldn’t believe it. Maria actually blushed. And was that a giggle? Surely not.
Caine held his car door open for Faith. “The faster you and your wings get in, the faster we can get going.”
Faith got in. She was determined to prove to him that he didn’t intimidate her.
She was equally determined not to let him bend her fairy wings out of whack . . . or any further out of whack.
Caine hopped in and smiled at her. “Where to, Sunshine?”
“My condo.”
“Not taking your wings to your new job?”
“They aren’t necessary there.”
“Only one day on the job, and you already know that?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know. Props can come in handy in investigative work. Like that sun hat in Italy. Smart move on your part.”
She glanced over at him, checking his profile for any sign of mockery.
“What?” he said. “You can’t accept a compliment?”
“From you? I find it a little hard to believe. As in nearly impossible.”
“A flaw you’ll have to work on.”
“It’s not a flaw. It’s based on past experience. You just missed our turn.”
“I know a shortcut.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That I was an idiot to ever get in this car with you. Stop right now.”
“Why? We’re only two blocks from your condo.”
“I’ll walk.”
“With those?”
“If I have to.”
“You don’t have to. Just stay calm. Don’t panic.”
“I don’t panic.”
“Right. See, here we are. At your front door.”
Yuri stepped up and opened the car door. “Good morning, Ms. West.” If he was surprised at finding her with Caine, he hid it well. Having a pair of glitter-encrusted wings thrust at him didn’t faze him either. “Having a good day?”
“Just peachy.” She stepped out of the Mustang.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Yuri’s face was blank, but there was a hint of laughter in his voice.
By the time she regained possession of her wings from Yuri and turned to grudgingly thank Caine for the lift, he’d already driven away without saying a word.
“Your friend Caine isn’t big on formalities.” And he never had told her why he was standing outside the library just when she needed a ride. The man had an uncanny knack of turning up when she needed him.
Wrong. She didn’t need him. And it wasn’t a knack. He was stalking her because he thought she was a link to getting revenge against her father.
Yet Caine had shown flashes of kindness and humor, not to mention that damn sexiness.
Caine was still stuck in her mind when Faith got to work. Seeing him made her want to know more about his father’s case. So as soon as she got to her cubicle, she started searching through the system.
It took some digging, but she found it. On the surface it looked like an open-and-shut case. Dr. Karl Hunter was a chemist working for the American Research Corporation on a project to develop an affordable biofuel. He was in charge of the project. There were only three other people directly involved in it. Details were sold to a rival company. A large amount of money showed up in an offshore account in Karl Hunter’s name.
But something niggled at her. She couldn’t put a finger on what it was exactly. So she copied the file onto a small thumb drive she kept in her purse—a break in company policy and protocol. She
discreetly slid the drive into her pocket.
“Looking at old cases?” Abs said, leaning over Faith’s shoulder to view the computer screen.
“I thought I could learn something from studying some previously solved cases.”
“I remember that one. It was a big deal. I didn’t work on it personally, but I heard the buzz about it. I mean, the guy ended up offing himself. Committed suicide.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Kinda sad, I guess.”
“Yes.”
“Faith, your father would like to speak to you,” Gloria joined them to say.
Faith cleared the computer screen and headed for her dad’s office. “You wanted to see me?”
“Why didn’t you move into the office I provided for you?”
“I didn’t think it was fair to move someone else out just so the boss’s daughter could move in.”
“Hmmm. Well, I’ve got a new assignment for you today. You said you wanted to do more than just sit in front of the computer screen, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good. Then I want you to head over to Thompson and Associates for a sales pitch. They are an up-and-coming law firm, and they need to hire a top-notch investigation company. I want you to convince them that they need to sign on the dotted line with us. Think you can handle that?”
“Of course.”
“I e-mailed you a list of talking points about why West Investigations is their best choice. The appointment is for eleven thirty, so you’d better get a move on. I’m counting on you to get this deal done.”
Thompson and Associates was located in the Dirksen Federal Building, a short walk away. Once inside, she went through the security checkpoint with its metal detectors before heading for the bank of elevators. A slight jostling at her side had her looking in that direction. “You don’t take direction well, do you,” Caine said. It was a statement, not a question, as he pointed to her purse and waved her wallet at her.
She grabbed it back for the second time in as many days. She belatedly noticed that Caine had changed clothes since she’d last seen him a few hours ago. Gone were the jeans and T-shirt, replaced with a dark suit, white shirt and black tie.
She hadn’t seen him in business attire. He cleaned up nice. Real nice. Hot, hot nice. He still had that Dark Knight thing going on.
“I see you left the wings at home,” he said. “And before you ask, no, I’m not following you. I’m here for a business meeting.”
“Me too.”
She stepped into the elevator and punched the button for the eleventh floor. “What floor do you want?”
“Eleven.”
“Where’s your business meeting?”
“Sorry, I can’t tell you that. Confidential information.”
He held out his hand for her to precede him out of the elevator. Instead, she reciprocated the gesture right back at him. “No, you go first. Please.”
This gave her the chance to admire him as he walked in front of her. He had the upright military posture of a Marine. And he walked right into the offices of Thompson and Associates.
“I have an appointment with Mr. Kneeson,” Caine said.
“So do I,” Faith said, hurrying to stand beside him at the elegant reception desk. “At eleven thirty.”
“I’ll let his assistant know you’re here,” the receptionist said.
Faith stepped away from the desk to study the ACHIEVE poster elegantly framed on the wall.
“Small world, huh,” Caine said.
“I can’t believe they send you out as a sales rep.”
“They don’t usually, but the regular guy got sick.”
“Sure he did.” She shook her head. “This is just another chance for you to hassle me.”
“I’m sorry for this mix-up,” the administrative assistant, a woman in her late fifties with a choppy haircut, said. “Usually we don’t book these kinds of appointments so close together. And usually Mr. Kneeson doesn’t get a flat tire on the Edens Expressway. It’s just been one of those crazy days. He should be in shortly. Again, I’m sorry for the confusion.”
“No problem.” Caine smiled at her and held out his hand. “I’m Caine Hunter with King Investigations, and I know all about crazy days.”
The assistant, who was old enough to know better, melted. “I appreciate you being so understanding, Mr. Hunter.”
“Call me Caine.”
“Can I get you a refreshment while you wait, Caine? Some coffee or tea?”
“I was here first.” Faith said, sounding like one of the kids in her story time group. “Hi. I’m Faith West with West Investigations. I have an eleven thirty appointment with Mr. Kneeson.”
“As I just stated, he’s not here yet. He had a flat tire. Would you like to reschedule your appointment?”
“No, I’ll wait.”
“Caine, would you like some coffee or tea while you wait?”
“Why didn’t you ask him if he wanted to reschedule?” Faith said.
“Because she’s smart enough to know the answer would be no,” Caine replied on the assistant’s behalf. “And some black coffee would be great, thanks.”
“Do you have any chai tea?” Faith said even though the assistant, whose name Faith had yet to discover, hadn’t asked her if she wanted anything. “And I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.”
“Linda Dennis. And no, I don’t believe we have any chai tea.”
“That’s okay,” Faith said. “I’m fine.”
The look Linda gave Faith indicated that the assistant doubted that. “I’ll get your coffee, Caine. I won’t be long.”
Caine sat in one of the elegantly upholstered chairs and made himself right at home. Faith sat next to him, to once again prove that she wasn’t intimidated or turned on by him.
“Flat tire. Bad timing,” Caine said.
“Bad luck,” Faith said.
“You’d know all about luck,” he said.
“I certainly know about bad luck. I’ve had a run of that lately.”
“Bad luck or bad judgment?”
“You’re right for once. My bad luck was caused by my bad judgment. But I’m fixing that. I definitely learn by my mistakes, and I do not repeat them.”
“Good to know.”
Could he tell that she was saying that going to bed with him was a mistake? Did he even care?
“Here’s your coffee, Caine. And I just spoke to Mr. Kneeson. He should be here in a few minutes.”
“Thanks,” Caine said.
“Yes, thank you, Linda.” Faith smiled at her. Linda didn’t smile back.
Caine calmly sipped his coffee while Faith kept checking her BlackBerry, reviewing the talking points while making sure Caine couldn’t see the screen.
With every minute she became more and more tense while Caine seemed to become calmer and calmer.
“Hi, I’m Chuck Kneeson. I’m so sorry for this mix-up and delay.” He gave both Caine and Faith a strong handshake. “Let me take you out to lunch to make it up to you. Both of you.”
“No, that’s not necessary,” Faith said.
“Sounds like a great plan to me,” Caine said.
Great. She couldn’t very well leave him alone to have lunch with the client. Now she was stuck with him. Caine, not the client.
“I understand if it’s too much for you, Faith,” Caine said as if she couldn’t cope with him or the client, she wasn’t exactly sure.
“Lunch sounds good,” Faith said.
“And King Investigations will pay,” Caine said.
“No, West Investigations will pay,” Faith insisted.
“How does the Palmer House sound to you? I’ve got a seminar to give there at the hotel later this afternoon.”
“Sounds great,” Faith said. Just peachy.
They walked the several blocks to one of Chicago’s iconic locations. Once inside the impressive Beaux Arts- style hotel lobby, Faith blushed when Caine caught her gawking like a tourist at the painted ceili
ng murals depicting Greek mythology.
“I haven’t been here since the big renovation,” she explained. “Did you know the Palmer House is the oldest continuously operated hotel in the country? And legend has it that the brownie was invented by the chef here when Bertha Palmer, the wife of the original owner, wanted a dessert for ladies to easily eat at Chicago’s 1893 Columbian Exposition. Bertha was a very smart woman. She traveled to Europe and came back with the newest paintings by those rowdy Impressionists. She bought over two dozen Monet paintings and nearly a dozen by Renoir. After her death, her art collection was donated to the Chicago Art Insitute, and the paintings became the basis for their Impressionist collection, which is now one of the best in the world. Oh yeah, Bertha was really something. Her husband built this hotel for her as a wedding present, but it burned down almost two weeks later in the Chicago Fire in 1871. So he built it again. And then the hotel was enlarged in the twenties. So this place has a lot of history.”
Damn. Her inner librarian was showing—the one who beat the rest of the staff at Trivial Pursuit and had a thing for local history.
“I read someplace that knowing trivia like that is a good trait for an investigator to have,” Mr. Kneeson said. “Tangential knowledge, I believe it was called.”
Faith proudly threw her shoulders back and stood a little straighter. “It is a good trait to have, because you never know when you’ll need to call on a bit of information to start a conversation.”
“Or a con,” Caine said.
“You’d know more about cons than I would,” she said.
“Right. I do have more experience as an investigator than you do,” Caine said.
Damn. Score one for him.
“Caine doesn’t usually do the sales pitches for his employer,” she said.
“Neither does Faith.”
Mr. Kneeson’s gaze volleyed back and forth between Faith and Caine. “I gather you two know each other pretty well?”
“You could say that,” Caine said while Faith was saying, “Not really.”
Mr. Kneeson just laughed. “Okay then. Let’s get lunch, shall we?”
They were quickly seated at the restaurant on the lobby level. Faith ordered the Amish Chicken Club Waldorf sandwich, while Caine and Mr. Kneeson both ordered the Diablo Burger.