by Sue Coletta
“No, it’s fine. You’ll probably find out sooner or later, anyway. About a week ago, I discovered I’m pregnant. Thing is, I’m not with my ex anymore. Long story.”
“Wow. Weak moment?”
She chuckled. “I guess you could say that. It’s probably the only thing we did well together.”
“I hear ya. I think we’ve all been there at least once in our life.”
Levaughn parted his lips to speak, and I shot him a penetrating stare. When we first got together we agreed not to discuss our exes. I planned to make him keep that promise, too. Not that I was jealous or anything. Okay, maybe a little. All right, the thought of another woman touching him made me crazy. That’s an understatement. One glance from a beautiful woman, and flames burned inside me like a crematorium. Admittedly, it’s an area I needed to work on. Not tonight, though.
“That’s a lot to deal with,” I continued. “It’s not just you anymore. Now you need to worry about the safety of your unborn child.”
“And Dexter, my cat. What if the hacker hurts him to get to me?”
“It’s funny you say that. Well, not funny. I’m the same way is what I meant.” Crap. Now I had to explain. “A couple years ago, I went through a similar experience to yours, and all I could think about was Berkley and Katie McGuire. Levaughn here—” I rubbed my shoulder against his— “let me stay at his place, and he insisted we bring them along. Didn’t you, babe?”
A hint of rose swept across his cheekbones.
“Aww, so sweet,” said Lolli. “Above and beyond the call of duty, isn’t it, Detective?”
“Please, call me Levaughn.” A slight smirk arched his full lips. “I might’ve had ulterior motives. Shawnee and I worked together for years, but she barely gave me a second glance.”
Playfully, I backhanded his chest. “That’s so not true,” I lied.
At first I might’ve been reluctant to date a cop. Sure, at the time Levaughn had no idea about my late night rendezvous’, but that didn’t make the situation any less wrong, even if I did mentally undress him a gazillion times. “Anyway, if it wasn’t for The Creator case, we might never be together. Right?”
Our gazes locked, and he ran the tip of his tongue across his full lips. Transfixed, I couldn’t look away.
The server delivered our drinks, and broke the sexual tension between us. Probably best. If I stared into his amber eyes another few seconds, I might be tempted to jump his bones right here, right now. Mm-mmm. His silk shirt hugged his bulging pecs and six-pack abs.
Why didn’t I force Nadine to get her own room?
Scrawling a mental note to change our sleeping arrangements, I finger-swiped the thick foam from my Guinness. Levaughn’s gaze followed to my open mouth, and I released a soft squeal.
“Umm,” said Lolli. “It’s late. Maybe I should go.”
Without a word, I chugged half the glass, and an icy coldness trickled down my esophagus. “Ahh, I needed that.” Out of nowhere, something Lolli said earlier slapped me across the face, and my eyes flashed wide. “Deborah Haze was pregnant too. What if all the victims were?”
Levaughn said, “You’re forgetting one important detail.”
“I am?”
“Yeah. Me. If he’s targeting pregnant women, then why hack the Crown Vic?”
Lolli gasped. “He tried to kill you too?”
“Yup. Earlier tonight.”
“What time?”
“First contact was around eight, I guess. It took longer to resolve. Shawnee would know better. Why?”
“Because he called me about eleven o’clock.” Like Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hide, her kind face grew ridged, her tone dripping with hatred. “You’re the reason he was so angry.”
I waved my hands like an umpire calling foul. “Hey, hey, hey. Levaughn’s not the bad guy here. Let’s not misdirect blame.”
Ice crackled in the water as Lolli stared into her glass. “I’m sorry. Of course it’s not your fault. It’s just that when he used my name it really freaked me out.”
“He, what?” Now she had my full attention. “First or last name?”
“Both.”
“Oh my effin’ head. We’ve had this all wrong.” I shot to my feet. “I need to find Tex.” My gaze ping-ponged between Levaughn and Lolli who, despite wearing her bang-around clothes, was extremely attractive. “On second thought, let’s get you settled first. You’ll be staying in the hotel. It’s not safe for you to go home till we find this guy.”
“But what about Dexter? I can’t leave him alone.”
“Crap. You’re right. Okay, new plan. Let’s get you a room.” I mumbled, “Preferably on a different floor.”
“Shawnee,” admonished Levaughn.
“Did I say that out loud?” I clawed a hand through my hair. “What I meant was, after the room, we’ll swing by your place and grab Dexter.”
“Oh, they allow pets here?”
“No. We’ll have to smuggle him in.”
“How?”
“You let me worry about that. I sort of have a knack for these things. For now, both of you follow me.”
* * *
1:45 a.m.
We just hit the front desk when Tex sent me an urgent message to meet him in the conference room. I wasn’t sure what he found, but whatever it was, it sounded serious.
“Crap.” My head swiveled from Levaughn to Lolli and back to Levaughn, and I chewed my bottom lip.
“What’s wrong?”
“I gotta go. Tex needs me. But, uh…”
“Then go. I’ll take Lolli to get Dexter.”
“I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you guys wait for me in the bar? I shouldn’t be long.”
Levaughn dragged me off to the side, moved in real close, and hushed, “Shawn Daniels, are you jealous?”
“What?” I shoved him away. “Don’t be ridiculous. After what you experienced, I didn’t think you’d feel comfortable driving, is all. If you are, fine. Go.”
Staring into my eyes, he ran the back of his fingers against the side of my face. “We’ll wait for you in the bar.”
Arms wide, I shrugged. “Hey, if that’s what you wanna do.”
“Stop it.”
“Stop what?”
“I see that wall going back up. Don’t you know by now that you’re the only woman in the world for me? What do I gotta do to make you believe that, paint it across the sky?”
I smirked. “Could ya?”
He cradled my face in his hands and kissed me—hard and long, his tongue swirling with mine—and I melted into his strong chest. “You’re gonna be late.” He knew damn well how much I ached for him. “To be continued?”
I traced his body with my gaze—a juicy steak dangled before a starving lioness. With the back of my hand I wiped drool off my lower lip. “Feelin’ good about leavin’ me this way?”
“Actually—” he grinned— “I do.”
“Bastard.” I winked, then strolled away. I’d been awake for so many hours my breath must’ve reeked like something died inside my mouth. In the elevator I blew into a cupped hand. Huh. Not bad.
Ruby-red digits climbed to the second floor. When the elevator dinged, I hustled to the Butler Meeting Room. Inside, Tex sat alone with his laptop.
“Thanks for coming so quickly. Have a seat.”
I lowered to the chair next to his. “Did I do somethin’ wrong?”
“The hacker we’re looking for goes by Reaper.”
“I know. R-3-a-p-3-r. Wait. You’ve been workin’ this case? I thought you were only consulting on the technical aspects.”
“A friend asked for my help. Of course I’m working this case.”
“Then why bring me in?”
“We’ve had nine murders and two attempted murders. It’s all hands on deck. Do you have a problem with that, Nimble Kitty?”
My eyes flashed wide, and I gasped. “You know?”
“Of course I know. You’ve built quite the name for yourself in some underground communities.�
�
True. But I wasn’t the one who chose the call sign. That beauty, to use the term loosely, my mentor Bo Adams dubbed me with, and every time someone mentioned it, I cringed. And yet, after Bo’s death, I couldn’t bring myself to change it. To me it felt like trashing his memory. Because if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have survived past my fifteenth birthday.
“Let me explain.”
“No need.” Tex’s fingers swept over his keyboard. “Don’t waste your time with Anonymous. They aren’t involved.”
“Yeah, I kinda figured that when I couldn’t find a connection.”
“I discovered something interesting this morning. Okay, here it is.” He spun the laptop toward me. The flat-screen showed strings of ones and zeroes, otherwise known as bits. “Notice anything hidden within the code?”
Deciphering the design, my gaze narrowed on a string of letters and numbers. “K-y-1-3. We have a name?”
Smiling, he nodded. “Kyle.”
“This is huge. Did you find an IP address by any chance?”
“Not yet, but I do think our hacker isn’t a professional black hat. And if I’m right, he made a mistake somewhere.” His cell phone signaled a text. When he read it, he rose to his feet. “Can you handle things for a while? The team needs me. It’s urgent.”
“Absolutely. I’ve even got Reaper’s cell tower info.”
“Perfect. Lie in wait. When he reconnects, triangulate the signal.”
“Yup. Already on it.”
He patted my shoulder. “Great job. If you need me, shoot me a text.”
“I will.” I waved over my head. “Catch ya on the flipside.”
An hour later, I had a cat named after a serial killer stuffed under my shirt, scratching the shit out of my skin, a pregnant woman who looked like she could pass out at any moment, and Levaughn in front of us, Kumbaya-ing with every security officer who even glanced in our direction. Truth be told, I’d had better nights.
Chapter 12
7:00 a.m.
The next morning, after three to four hours of sleep max, I awoke with a ballsy idea. It would take skill and speed—two of my best attributes—but I wasn’t certain Lolli would play along.
Nadine’s ear-piercing scream sliced the silence in the room, and I sprang out of bed, my eyeballs bugged from the sockets. Shifting my weight from one leg to another, my head bobbed like a velvet dog statue on a dashboard. “What happened? Are you all right?”
With an erect finger at Lolli who, amazingly enough, didn’t wake, she planted a fist on her hip. “Who, pray tell, is this? And why is she in my bed?”
I scooped Dexter off the comforter, bundled him in my arms. “Yeah, about that…”
“For cripes’ sakes, how long have I been out?” Arm extended as if the cat might chew off a limb, she stroked Dexter’s head. “Aww, she seems sweet.”
“He.”
As usual my correction flew right by her. “I heard Siamese cats can be temperamental.”
“Doesn’t seem it. C’mon, let’s talk in the other room.” Similar to a shadow, and almost as close, she followed me into the den-type-area. Before I filled her in on the events of last night, I took a moment to be there for her. Finding out about Christopher couldn’t’ve been easy, especially with his choice of playmate. “Don’t you just love his crystal-blue eyes?”
“Yeah, she’s gorgeous. What’s her name?”
Dexter meowed, if you could call it that. The strangest noises came out of that cat…rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
“Dexter, no. Shhh…please.”
Rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
Pacing back and forth across the carpet, I swayed him in my arms. Not unlike the way one might soothe a bawling infant. I even tried bouncing him on my hip til the absurdity of the situation dawned on me.
Rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
“Please shut up. You’re gonna get us thrown out.”
Rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
Nadine peered over my shoulder, startled me, and I nearly dropped him. After all that transpired, I could only take so many jolts to the ticker.
“She might be hungry.”
Rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
“Or maybe, he’s pissed off about being called a chick.”
“Oh, he’s a boy?”
“No, Nay. He’s a hermaphrodite. Of course he’s a boy. How many girls do you know with the name Dexter?” With a long exhale, I slowed the rage coursing through my veins. “I’m sorry. I’m beat and I still have a long day ahead. I shouldn’t’ve snapped at you.”
Rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
“You’re apologizing?” With the back of her hand, she felt my forehead. “You feelin’ all right?”
Through gritted teeth, I said, “I’m fine. Now, can you please try to find somethin’ for him to eat before he gets us kicked outta the hotel?”
“Well, excuse me for caring. I bet if we had those Swedish massages, you wouldn’t be so stressed out.” As she ambled into the kitchenette, she tossed over her shoulder, “But hey, no one listens to me.”
Oh, my effin’ head. Maybe if I’m lucky, the hacker will take me out too—put me outta my misery once and for all. “While you’re in there, can you grab me a coffee please?”
She popped her head out the archway. “They have French vanilla in the Keurig.”
“Really? I’m all over that like white on rice.”
Her nose crinkled. “What does that even mean?”
Rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
“Nay, the cat. Stop drillin’ me with questions and hurry. Please.” To cover Dexter’s incessant meowing, I fake-coughed so many times my throat acted like I’d gargled with sheetrock dust.
“Fine. Not another word outta me.” With two fingers she motioned to zip her lips, and I didn’t buy it for a second. Nadine Couture didn’t possess the ability to remain silent for more than thirty seconds. As much as I adored her, keeping her trap shut was not one of her strong suits. In fact, the ability was nowhere near her wheelhouse. Around age seven, she’d blasted the skill into a galaxy far, far away. Which made her more of a walking oxymoron, considering she worked as a librarian.
Rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
I set Dexter on the floor, and he vocalized even louder. I tried rubbing his head.
Rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
My fur-babies loved their back stroked, but it had zero effect on Dexter’s incessant yapping.
Rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
With my half-bitten fingernails, I scratched right above the base of his tail, and his feet danced, savoring the moment. The second I stopped… rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
This cat will be the death of me.
I no sooner considered gagging him when Nadine returned with a bowl of tan mush. As she squatted to set the food in front of Dexter, I flung out my hands. “Wait. Was is that stuff?”
“Oatmeal. I brought a few packets to save money on breakfast.”
Why didn’t that surprise me? “How do you know cats can eat oatmeal? What if he starts kibbyin’ on the floor?”
“Honestly, Shawnee. Do you really think I’d give him something that could kill him?” She tsked her tongue. “I read an article about it. Oatmeal is actually really good for their diet.”
“Where was this article, exactly?”
“PetMD.”
“And why were you on PetMD? Did something happen to Berkley and Katie McGuire?”
Rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow, rahhh, raaow.
“You’re so paranoid sometimes. Do you wanna keep him quiet or not?”
“Do your thing, Doctor Doolittle. Apparently, you’ve got this all figured out.”
“Thank you.” She set the bowl on the floor, and Dexter dove right in, but now, the bizarre meow was replaced with laballlabballlallbala nominominoma. Pause. Purring, he rubbed his body against Nadine’s legs, and then ran back to the bowl. Laballlabballlallbala nominominoma. P
ause. Now over to my legs. Back to the bowl. Laballlabballlallbala nominominoma. Over and over he repeated this never-ending cycle, all the while his voice boomeranging through the suite.
What the hell happened? Last night he seemed so normal. Jaw and eyes agape, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh, cry, or flee. With all this racket, it was only a matter of time before the neighboring guests complained. Who knew Siamese cats were so loud? If only Lolli mentioned that little tidbit before I smuggled Mr. Chatterbox into the hotel.
Laballlabballlallbala nominominoma, laballlabballlallbala nominominoma.
I cradled my forehead in my palm. Karma’s a cruel bitch.
“So, you gonna tell me why there’s a strange woman in my bed?”
“Did you make coffee?”
“Yeah, one sec.” She hustled into the kitchenette and returned with a mug from home. “Here ya go.”
“You brought mugs too?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Might as well be comfortable while we’re here.”
“Whatever. I’m done tryin’ to figure you out.”
“You’re welcome by the way.”
“Sorry. Thank you.”
“So, the woman?”
French vanilla filled my sinuses when I set my lips on the ceramic rim. Heaven. Too bad she didn’t add a shot of Jack Daniels to the mix. Kidding. Sort of. “Her name is Lolli McGarret.” Briefly, I explained how she was a surviving victim of the Ford case. “Because we couldn’t book a room at that hour—some policy bullshit—I stuck her in your bed for one night. What else could I do? Levaughn’s in mine.”
Laballlabballlallbala nominominoma, laballlabballlallbala nominominoma.
She jabbed her chin toward Dexter. “And him?”
“We couldn’t leave him in her condo. What if the hacker killed him to make a point?”
Laballlabballlallbala nominominoma, laballlabballlallbala nominominoma.
A smile broke across her face. “He’s really lovin’ that oatmeal.”
Someone pounded on the door with the intensity of a scorned lover.
“Aw, shit. Here we go.”
Chapter 13
6:00 p.m.
Mark Madison never expected to lose his job today. After ten years busting his balls in that nursing home, the least they could have done was provide a benefit package worthy of changing endless lightbulbs, replacing batteries in smoke detectors, fixing broken air conditioners, and being woken in the middle of the night by staff members whose patients flushed various objects down the toilet for the umpteenth time.