The call went to voice mail. Damn it. “Moira, do not tell anyone about this phone number and absolutely do not use it. And stay home in case you’re being watched.”
Fuck. He stared at the number. He had no idea how long he stood there debating his next move when his phone rang again. He answered without looking, assuming it was Moira, but it was Gabby.
“Quite the exciting night, huh?”
“Fuck no.” He had the phone number for the best lead they’d gotten since the beginning of this damn case and he was sitting on it.
Gabby sighed in his ear. “Don’t worry. Things are looking up. Moira is safely in her apartment, and the tail left her when she got to her car. The interesting part is that they made contact with her when she got out of the cab. I wasn’t close enough to hear, but I figured I’d talk to Moira. To my surprise, she called me.”
His stomach churned. He’d told Moira not to talk to anyone. “Aren’t you going to ask?”
“Just tell me. I’m not in the mood to play games.”
“Moira gave me the phone number to a woman named Gail who asked her about you.” Gabby waited for his response. “You knew, didn’t you?”
“She called me with this information a little while ago.”
“If this woman approached Moira, you know we have to use it, especially since she asked about you. They’re setting up another burglary. This is probably our best chance. Everything’s falling into place.”
“This is Moira, though.” He didn’t know what else to say to give weight to the pressure he felt to keep her safe.
“I know, Jimmy. Let’s have her make contact and see how they run it. If it looks dangerous, we won’t follow through.”
“She’s not a cop. She’s not trained.”
“That’s probably working in our favor. She’s not suspicious.”
For being in such a huge condo, Jimmy felt like he was trapped in a closet. Breakable things surrounded him and he had to remind himself they were not his to smash. He probably wouldn’t be able to afford to replace anything either. So he continued to pace. He knew Gabby was right. Moira was the best thing they had.
“I want you to run this. Personally. Make sure she’s safe.”
“I can’t see her. I’m Mrs. Buchanan. If they have eyes on her, I can’t be there. I’ll figure it out. You sit tight.”
Sit tight. As if that was even a possibility. Every nerve was taut, every muscle a rock, and thinking of Moira intentionally putting herself in the middle of this investigation repeatedly turned him inside out.
He couldn’t continue this back and forth, push and pull. She didn’t want him to hold back. Moira was in for one hell of a battle this time.
Moira felt a little guilty. After having Jimmy tell her to keep Gail’s information to herself, she knew he’d try to cover it up to keep her out of it. She couldn’t let him do that. She understood why, but this case was important to him and he would throw away something that was potentially useful. She didn’t want him to get into trouble, so she’d called Gabby. Gabby would get through to him.
He listened to her.
A pang of jealousy shot into her. She knew there was no romantic or sexual relationship between Jimmy and Gabby, and Moira really liked Gabby, but she couldn’t help but be jealous of the fact that Jimmy listened to what Gabby said. He valued her opinion and didn’t brush her off.
Then the logical voice in the back of her head—man, she hated that voice—reminded her that Jimmy did listen to her and that was part of what had gotten her into trouble. She’d told him about her Viagra Triangle story and he’d listened. He also spent time reading her work to understand her better.
And now he probably hated her. But he’d get over it, right? He’d have to realize at some point she did it to help him. Her phone rang and she half-expected it to be Jimmy calling to yell at her, but it was Gabby.
“Did you talk to Jimmy?”
“Yep.”
“Was he mad?”
“Upset, but he knows we need to utilize this information. Besides, just think of the kick ass story you’ll have a front row seat for.”
That little nugget should have her dancing through her apartment, but all she could think about was how angry Jimmy really was. But they both had a job to do. “What’s the next step?”
“Right now, nothing. Go about your regular life and I’ll call you when we have more information.”
Her regular life? Her regular life now included dating and sleeping with Jimmy. The most interesting part of her life lately was now off limits. “How long until you have a plan? I’m assuming I’m going to need to tell Gail something.”
“We’ll have you call her after we have things set up for Jimmy. I have to get back to work now.”
“Wait.” Moira took a slow breath so she wouldn’t sound too eager. “Can I talk to Jimmy? I know I can’t see him, but it’s not like our phones are bugged.”
“For now, no contact. If you need to get a message to him, call me.”
Yeah, sure. Hey, Gabby, tell Jimmy how much I want to get naked with him next time we’re together. “Okay. What about his family? Is someone checking on his dad?”
“He said his sister has it handled.”
“Oh. Okay. I’ll talk to you later, I guess.” Moira hung up and itched to call Jimmy. Instead, she crawled into bed alone.
The following morning, Moira sat down to work, but she couldn’t do an article on last night’s party since she’d been there as an escort, not a reporter, and she didn’t stay. She checked her e-mail and played around on social media, but she was antsy and bored. She grabbed her keys and her laptop and headed out for a change of scenery.
A block from her apartment, her phone jingled with a text. From Jimmy.
Where the hell are you going? I told you to stay at home.
For a man who wasn’t supposed to have contact with her, he was still being pretty controlling.
Gabby said we can’t talk. She also told me to live my regular life. I’m going to get a coffee.
How the hell did he even know she’d left? She stopped in her tracks and spun around. People on the sidewalk brushed past her. She looked up and down the street, not even knowing what she was looking for. He was having her followed. Gabby said nothing about being followed.
She turned back and walked the next block to the coffee shop. She ordered a large iced coffee and settled at a table. Although she didn’t have any articles due, she had a few ideas to play with. Then she went back on social media to spread the word about Colin’s bar and bowling alley.
Her phone jingled again, and she was determined not to engage Jimmy. But it wasn’t from Jimmy. It was Lisa. They had another date for her tonight, and they wanted to know if she could take it. She stared at the message.
She didn’t know if she could stomach playing the role of an escort again. The first couple of times turned out okay, but she didn’t want to press her luck. But Gabby told her to continue on with her regular life. Being an escort was part of her regular imaginary life.
Everything was much too complicated.
She called Gabby. “Sorry to bother you again, but I have a slight problem.”
“What?”
“First, is someone following me?”
“Jimmy wanted us to keep an eye on you to make sure everything’s okay. Did our guy screw up so bad that you saw him?”
Moira mulled that for a minute. If she said yes, some poor guy she didn’t know would get into trouble. If she told the truth, Jimmy would get into trouble.
“You talked to Jimmy.”
“He texted to ask where I was going. I figured someone had to be following me for him to know. The real problem is that the escort service has a date for me tonight. I wasn’t planning on going on more dates, but . . .”
“Shit.” Gabby blew a breath across the line. “If you don’t go, they might suspect something is up. We’re still piecing together all the players. I can’t make you do anything, Moira. It’s your
call.”
“But you think I should go.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Moira turned her cup in slow circles. “If you were me, you’d go.” “I’m a cop. I’d get paid to go.”
“Will your friend be watching me tonight if I went?”
“Absolutely. But I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”
“What can one date hurt? Tell your guy my date will pick me up in front of the escort office at eight.” There, decision made.
“Be careful.”
“Of course.” She texted Lisa to let her know she’d take the date. If her luck held, maybe it would be a nice old man like Mr. Lee.
Moira finished her coffee and walked back home, acutely aware that someone was following her and watching her every move. Maybe two people if Gail was watching too.
This life was way too complicated. She longed for the days of attending parties, chatting with people, and being herself. Her job did matter even if she didn’t win prizes or garner awards. She made a difference in the lives of those affected by the charities and organizations she helped publicize.
She trudged up the steps to her apartment and prayed there would be no more surprises.
CHAPTER 17
Jimmy had a late lunch with the mayor, with Kittner in attendance. Everyone agreed Jimmy should continue to play his part and sit on his ass. Everyone except Jimmy, of course. Gabby had already filled them in on Moira’s involvement, and Jimmy felt Kittner’s irritation throughout the meal.
When the mayor excused himself to go to the washroom, Kittner leaned over and spoke quietly. “I told you being involved with a reporter would be a problem.”
“Her work happened to cross into our investigation. She didn’t stick her nose into it intentionally.” Jimmy’s hands fisted under the table.
“And you know this how? Because she said so? Reporters will do whatever’s necessary to get a story. She’ll sell you out in a heartbeat.”
While Jimmy might question whether Moira intentionally stuck her nosy body where it didn’t belong, his belief in her loyalty held fast. “Moira has said nothing to anyone about this case and my involvement. She wouldn’t risk it.”
“You’re fucking her.”
Jimmy put his napkin on the table and leaned close enough to Kittner to be taken seriously. “Who I fuck is none of your damn business. I’ve done nothing to compromise this case, and you won’t insinuate that my personal relationship has interfered.”
The entire situation ate away at Jimmy. His personal relationship had interfered, but Kittner didn’t know that. Moira and Gabby made sure of that. He hated the way Kittner viewed Moira, and he was disgusted with himself for letting things go this far.
When the mayor returned, he thanked Jimmy and Kittner for all the hard work they’d done on the task force. “When do you think things will wrap up?”
Kittner jumped in before Jimmy could say anything. “We plan to get Mr. Buchanan out of the condo within a couple of days. We think the hired escort is the key, but we’re not sure how. Once we have things in place, we’ll have her make the call and see how the thieves approach it.”
“Any chance you’re barking up the wrong tree?”
“Given the intel we have right now, no.”
Jimmy widened his eyes, waiting for an explanation. No one informed him of any intel, other than Gail being the contact person, and that had come from Moira. When Kittner didn’t expand, Jimmy pushed. “What intel?”
“The information we have on Gail Thuringer. We have an idea of who her partners are and how they’ll proceed based on previous crimes.” Kittner pushed his plate away and slid his chair back.
Jimmy held out a hand to halt him. “Why haven’t I been told any of this?”
Kittner didn’t answer. He just shot him a look. Jimmy was being left out of the loop because of Moira.
They both rose and said good-bye to Mayor Park. When they were outside the restaurant, Jimmy continued, “How am I supposed to do my job if I don’t have all the information?”
“I make sure you have what you need to know when you need to know it. The information you need is that you’re to call Moira and make a date for tomorrow night, your last night of freedom before your wife comes home. We’ll take it from there.” Kittner walked down the block to his car as the car service pulled up for Jimmy.
He’d rather have driven his own car, but Buchanan would use a service. Jimmy settled into the backseat and then realized Detective Joe Barkley was his driver. “What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be watching Moira.”
Barkley eyed him in the rearview mirror. “Gabby and I switched places. She wanted to get you information.” Barkley handed him a file.
Most of the pages were copies of official reports, but Gabby included her personal notes. As far as they could surmise, Gail Thuringer worked with a ring of thieves. They’d hit a handful of people and then went underground for a while before resurfacing.
As Barkley pulled up in front of the condo, he said, “Gabby also wanted you to know that I’ll be following Moira all night tonight, so you don’t have to worry. She’ll be safe.”
Yanked from his concentration, Jimmy looked up. “Why wouldn’t she be safe in her apartment? I told her to stay put.”
He needed to call her and tell her to ditch her family dinner tomorrow.
Barkley was unusually quiet.
“What?”
Barkley cringed as Jimmy watched in the mirror.
“I thought Gabby told you. Moira has a date.”
“What?”
“The escort service called—”
“No.” Jimmy leaned forward and pressed on Barkley’s shoulder. “Call it off. She shouldn’t be going on some fucking date.”
A date? What the hell were they thinking?
Barkley twisted to look at Jimmy. “It was her choice, but it makes the most sense. If she’s being watched, it would be suspicious for her to turn down work. I’ll be there. She’ll be fine.”
Jimmy clutched the file in his hand and got out of the car. He slammed the door behind him, but it offered no relief. He wanted to beat the shit out of something, but he was stuck in some overpriced condo filled with things he couldn’t afford.
Once he got upstairs, he changed into sweats and went to the building’s fitness center to work off some of the tension and frustration. If he called Gabby or Moira right now, neither of them would listen. He needed to be rational.
Moira slipped into her favorite cocktail dress and put on some makeup. The only information Lisa had given her was that she’d be going out to dinner. She assumed that since the client had money, it would be a fancy dinner as opposed to Olive Garden, so she hoped her choice in clothing was appropriate. When she left her apartment, the sun was setting and it created a pink-orange glow in the sky.
Before climbing into her car, she looked around and tried to figure out if Gabby’s guy was watching. What if he didn’t pay attention? She should’ve gotten a phone number or at least a description so she’d know what to expect. Then she shook her head. She’d never needed a babysitter before, and this was just a date.
She drove to the office and went to the break room to have a quick cup of coffee, as if that would quell her nerves. Two other girls she hadn’t met before sat at the table in front of textbooks. Moira looked, but didn’t say anything. In the reception area, she asked Lisa, “What’s with study hall?”
Lisa looked to where Moira pointed. “Oh, a bunch of the girls are working their way through college. They’ll get a degree with no loan debt. Sometimes they bring their books here and squeeze in some studying.” She went back to working on the computer.
Moira wandered up and down the hall, sipping on her coffee. She wanted to be as cool and nonchalant as Piper and Jenny were about this job, but it ate her up.
Tomorrow at dinner, she’d thank her family for putting her in a position where she would never have to do this kind of job to g
et ahead in life. Lisa’s phone beeped.
“Moira, your date’s downstairs.”
Moira dumped the rest of her coffee and headed down. Quick dinner, pleasant conversation, and then back home to crawl into jammies and watch a movie.
A car sat at the curb, and when she exited the building, the driver swung the back door open. She slid onto the seat and assessed the man beside her. He was younger than she’d expected and relatively good looking. He had short, dark hair and dark brown eyes, and his smile was just this side of leery. Of course, it didn’t help that he stared at her chest.
“Hi, I’m Moira.” She extended her hand.
He took it and stroked and petted her hand instead of shaking. “I’m Terry.”
“Nice to meet you. I wasn’t sure where you had dinner planned. Am I dressed appropriately?”
“You look fine.”
He continued to ogle her but said nothing. The silence irked her more than the gawking. At least other men feigned an interest in her as a person. They started conversations and asked questions. Even old Mr. Lee did more than stare.
Terry shifted his body and angled closer to her, feeding her discomfort. His index finger traced a pattern on her shoulder at the border of her dress, skimming across from fabric to bare skin. She suppressed the need to recoil.
“Where are we headed for dinner?”
“Mmm . . . I was thinking we’d go straight for dessert.” His hand landed heavily on her thigh.
She slid a couple of inches until she hit the door. “I’m sorry, Terry, but I think you have the wrong idea about what’s happening here.”
“I know what’s happening. I pay a hefty fee and I get an evening with you.” His hand slid to the hem of her dress.
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