In the Still of the Night:Sexy Romantic Suspense (Book 2 The Blonde Barracuda's Sizzling Suspense Series)

by Lee, Taylor

  Michelle interjected. “But first I had to prove that I was the owner.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I almost forgot. The city will not give you a permit until you prove that you are the legal owner of the business, correct?”

  “Yes, Mr. Vitale, he was the man who inspected my studio, said that to get my permit I had to list the proper owner. When I told him that Healing Hands was the owner, he said that wasn’t good enough. That I had to declare the actual name of the owner, not the name of the business. I am the owner so he put my name on the permit.”

  Lexie asked, “Did you bring your permit with you today? Good, I will pass it among the Council members, but for the audience I’ve put a copy on the screen. As you can see, Duncan Vitale inspected your establishment and Martin Freeport, the head of the Department of Public Health, signed off on the permit. And, yes, I see that you are listed as the owner of Healing Hands massage studio.”

  As Michelle left the stand, Lexie put another city license next to Michelle’s on the screen. “This is another city permit, and as you can see it was signed off on by the same two gentlemen. However this permit is in the name of the Rising Sun massage parlor, one of the 110 illicit spas we identified.” Lexie paused to let the crowd reaction settle, then popped up another list.

  “In the event that you think the Rising Sun permit is an aberration, this is the list of the 110 we consider to be illicit massage parlors. Those that are highlighted in red all have received a permit from the city. In other words, our fair City considers 92% of the illicit massage parlors legal operations.” Again allowing most of the reaction to settle, Lexie added, “Please note one other significant factor. Of the 110 illicit spas that have City Permits, only three of them list the owner.”

  The hearing room erupted.

  During the five minutes it took for the Council Chair to bring order to the room, Lexie’s students passed out the damning lists to all the Councilmen, and to everyone in the audience, including members of the press. In addition, copies of the videotapes that had been rolling throughout the hearing, were distributed to the audience. The press already had them. Jake and Brady moved out of the way to allow a stampede of reporters to fight their way to the hall, where cell phones were pulled out and the big news communicated to city desks.

  Jake shook his head in admiration, watching Lexie quietly standing at the podium reviewing her notes and not overtly gloating. Jake admitted that she had good reason to gloat. Her evidence was important—and her strategy was correct. She would never have received the attention she deserved if she’d been forced to wait to present it. He and Brady exchanged a glance. At that moment Dan Rourke happened to look over. Jake was somewhat mollified, knowing that the other two men who’d been as adamant as he was to postpone the presentation concurred that they were wrong.

  But Lexie wasn’t done.

  Chapter 19

  Jake wasn’t surprised at the way that Lexie chose to conclude the hearings. He knew how strongly she felt about the human devastation wreaked by the illegal sex industry. Lexie continued.

  “I want to warn you that these next videos are challenging to watch. They were difficult to produce. I have shadowed the girls’ faces to protect their privacy, which I am sure you understand.”

  A silence fell over the room as the videotaped interviews began. Each of the women described how they came to this country, and what they were required to do on a daily basis. Loud gasps spread across the room when each of the girls told how they were forced to turn at least 12 tricks a day or they would be punished by their pimps. At the end of the ten minute presentation there was still silence. Lexie wisely let it stand.

  At that point, Kurt Masters again raised an objection and insisted that video not to be put into the public record.

  When Peter Kim asked for his rationale, Masters relied, “Look Councilman, I know you are new so you haven’t seen how Ms. Beloi operates.”

  He turned a scathing glare on Lexie. “How do we know that those women are not part of your little club? Don’t you have a kicking club where you teach women to kick men, beat them up?”

  Lexie tossed her head. “Among other things.”

  The room erupted in laughter. Kurt Masters’s face flushed a dangerous red. Lexie softened the blow to his pride.

  “We teach women self-defense, Councilman. How to protect themselves.”

  Masters waved his microphone like a weapon.

  “Is it true that you teach prostitutes?”

  Lexie maintained her calm presence. “We teach anyone who comes to our studio, and wants to learn how to protect themselves.”

  “So in other words, any man better pay attention if he sees you or one of your gals. You might just beat him up, right?”

  Lexie joined in the laughter.

  “If he deserved it, I just might!” She added, “But it is not just men who are at fault here. Women also exploit these vulnerable girls. Women can be just as destructive as men. In the illegal sex trade, women typically manage the massage parlors. It is often women who recruit the young women to come to this country, first by winning their trust, and then with false promises. Finally, it is usually women who accompany them on their journey here. No, Councilman, this ugliness is an equal opportunity crime. Both men and women are involved.”

  Masters was adamant. “I still protest including these videos. Unless these women are willing to show their faces, why should we believe them?”

  Several councilmen asked to be recognized, but Lexie spoke first.

  “I understand your concern. I agree. Their testimony would be even more powerful if all of you could see how damaged they are. And, how young they are. But I had a dilemma. Even our Vice Squad led by Captain Rourke can’t promise these young girls protection if they come forward. And neither can the courts. For good reason, the girls are terrified of their pimps and the madams who run the brothels. The stories of what happens to girls who try to break free are hideous.”

  Lexie stood quietly for a moment as if contemplating her next move. Jake knew from the way she squared her shoulders that her calm voice and demeanor were for show. She was about to attack.

  “But, sir, if you can guarantee their safety the way you would your own daughters’, I will allow them to come forward.” She paused and then forged ahead. “I understand, Councilman Masters, you have three daughters approximately the same age as these young women. For example, Alicia, your eighteen-year-old freshman in college, is the same age as the girl we called Victim One. And if I’m not mistaken, your nineteen-year-old daughter Melissa—”

  Masters reared up in his chair.

  “Stop! You have no business mentioning my daughters’ names. This is a public hearing. A public record. You have no right—”

  Lexie interrupted. “I beg your pardon. I misunderstood. I thought you wanted me to give you the names of these vulnerable girls. The last two, Victims Three and Four, are actually three years younger than your twenty-year-old daughter Heidi.”

  The Councilman was apoplectic. He pounded on the top of the table and virtually shouted into the microphone.

  “Strike that! I demand that you strike my daughters names, and that you hold this outrageous rabble rouser in contempt!”

  Lexie shrugged. “I believe you’ve made my point, Councilman.”

  ~~~

  Jake stood in the back of the room and watched as Lexie fielded questions from dozens of reporters. Peter Kim stood at her side. Jake didn’t know which was more fierce: his pride in her, or his pain that he wasn’t the one beside her. The combination was tearing him apart.

  Brady poked his head in the doorway, then came in and stood next to Jake.

  “I know you are beating yourself up, Jake. And yeah, she was magnificent. Fucking unbelievably magnificent. But, big guy, we weren’t imagining the danger. It’s real. And yeah, you can kick yourself for being overprotective—but that’s your job, Jake.”

  “I dunno, Brady. So I lose the woman I love because that’s my job?
Seems like a hell of a price to pay.”

  Brady’s expression was serious. For once not even a sly grin crossed his face.

  “I refuse to believe that, Jake. And you know you don’t either. If you need any confirmation that you are right to be concerned, fucking concerned, Dan Rourke is waiting for us. Wants to work on a perimeter protection plan. Now we’ve got that damned event tomorrow night to worry about. You know whoever this is Jake, is just gonna be loaded for bear after this hearing. She blew the damn place apart.” He nudged Jake. “Could you drop the death mask? Here she comes.”

  Lexie was talking over her shoulder to a persistent reporter as she walked up the aisle. When she saw Jake, her eyes flared with excitement that died as quickly as it shone… replaced by pain and a twist of sadness. He understood all three emotions. They were ripping him as well. He reached for her hand and leaned down to kiss her cheek. He didn’t know who was shaking more, but was gratified that she was trembling as hard as he was. She whispered, “You came, Jake.”

  He thought his heart might break, realizing she truly thought he wouldn’t.

  “Darlin’, I never left.”

  A young woman with a press badge tugged on Lexie’s arm.

  “Excuse me, Miss Beloi, Lexie. Can you stand over here next to Councilman Kim? We need a shot with both of you in it.”

  Jake let go of her hand and turned to go.

  “Jake, wait.”

  Jake knew it was counterproductive, but standing this close to her, breathing in her special fragrance, was more than he could stand. He either had to scoop her up in his arms and kidnap her… or… let her go back and meet the crowd of fans and reporters wanting to talk to her—and Peter Kim.

  He squeezed her hand. “Go, Darlin’. They’re waiting for you.”

  Her expression hardened. Jake assumed she’d remembered she was angry with him when he realized that she was looking past him. Hearing his name, he turned to see Dalila approaching. Her emerald eyes shone with a predatory gleam. She smiled at Lexie, as if she were a long lost friend. Sidling up to her and throwing the photographer in front of them a 100 watt smile, Dalila reached past Jake and grasped Lexie’s hand.

  “Alexis, you were wonderful. Everyone is raving about your performance. You put on the best show we have had in our stuffy office building in years. Congratulations.”

  Looking past Lexie, she spied Peter and gushed, “And Peter was wonderful as well. The two of you really set off fireworks. You must be very proud of one another.”

  Lexie’s expression was tight. The softness Jake had reveled in minutes before was gone, replaced by a mix of anger and sadness. Peter came up at that moment.

  He reached out and shook Jake’s hand, and nodded to Dalila.

  “Greetings, Jake. You must be very proud of Alexis. Please forgive me for the interruption. There is a camera crew that is going to mow us all down if Alexis doesn’t give them at least one or two of her snappy quotable lines. I’ll do my best to hold them off, but it is you they want, Alexis.” He nodded to them, and turned back to answer a question from a reporter who pressed a microphone in his face.

  Dalila tugged on Jake’s arm.

  “Come, Jake. Don’t deprive Alexis of her moment in the sun. It’s not every day a girl has twenty reporters hanging on every word she says. Besides, we’ll have a chance to visit with the two superstars at the gala tomorrow evening. My understanding is that we’ll all be at the head table. What fun!”

  At the reminder that Lexie had agreed to be Peter’s guest at the event, a blast of anger tore through Jake’s gut. He glared at her and was rewarded by the guilty blush on her face. So it was true. It wasn’t just one of Dalila’s vicious troublemaking lies. Two days before, Lexie had been his passionate lover and committed to marrying him… at least, eventually. Now because he’d made the mistake of wanting to protect her, of daring to thwart her, she’d jumped ship and fastened her future to a Korean ‘businessman’ who drove a fucking Jaguar. With difficulty, he managed a grim smile.

  “I guess it is a matter of how you define fun. Perhaps for you two, it’s how you get your kicks. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll step out from between you and let you enjoy one another. You seem to have a lot in common. Congratulations, again, Lexie. You were magnificent.” Seeing that Peter had been corralled by a reporter, he added, “Please say good-bye to Peter for me. Tell him I look forward to tomorrow evening.”

  Flicking Dalila’s hand off of his arm, Jake turned and strode out of the room.

  Lexie watched him go and fought the urge to run after him. She needed him. She needed him to hold her. She’d seen the regret on Jake’s face, the pain in his eyes. She knew he felt like he had let her down. That he hadn’t supported her. That he’d let his fear for her safety prevent him from participating in her triumph, her victorious presentation before the Council.

  She wished she could tell him about the text message they sent to her yesterday. And about the note she’d received today. It was signed the same way the text was yesterday. The same insignia. Like the text message, this was also a picture—in full color. Of her. Only in the picture on the note, she was dead, a bullet hole in the middle of her forehead. She’d found the note tucked in the corner of the podium just before she began her presentation to the City Council.

  ~~~

  The voice on the other end of the line was rough with sleep, sharpened by annoyance.

  “I trust you know that is 3:30 in the morning in Seoul? And while I enjoy a night on the town, I don’t enjoy talking on the telephone after midnight. What do you want?”

  “What I have been telling you for some time. Half-measures will not work. We need to take her out permanently. We have warned her. We have attacked her. If she is frightened, she doesn’t show it. We have a small window of opportunity that we need to take advantage of. It will close soon. We can only keep Gardner at bay for so long.”

  The man’s voice was suddenly less sleepy.

  “You were the one who insisted that she be allowed to testify. Now you are saying that she what? Needs to be killed? Isn’t it a little late? It would appear to me that the damage has been done.”

  “There was no way to stop her from testifying. She would have done it with our help or without. At least this way we controlled it.”

  The now fully awake, the man gave a derisive laugh.

  “If that is how you define control, my friend, I do not wish to see you when you are out of control. But how do you people say it? Now that the ‘cat has flown the bag,’ what good does it do to take her now, except to cause more scrutiny.”

  “Would you change your mind if I tell you that she is one document away from identifying Young-soo?”

  “That is bad news indeed. And I do not have to tell you, that should that name become public, it will not reflect well on you.”

  “Do you think I don’t know that? That is why I will not let that happen. And why she needs to be removed permanently.”

  “What about Gardner? He is more dangerous than she is. You told us that you had him neutralized as well. From what my contacts are telling me, he is anything but taken care of. Perhaps there is dissention between them, but he does not seem to have let up. You do know that he has tentacles that are as far-reaching as yours.”

  “That is why my plan is foolproof. And masterful. I plan to take them both down. Or to be more precise—to have them take each other down.”

  “I hope for your sake, that you are correct. You received the largest up-front payment the syndicate has ever paid. Against my advice. But somehow you managed to worm into Young-soo trust in a way no none else has. I should give you credit for this. But do remember, no matter how much Young-soo admires you, failure is not an option.”

  “Especially when I will receive double my up-front payment when this episode is closed.”

  “Indeed.”

  Chapter 20

  Lexie walked from her quarters heading for the dojo, grateful that she had a full day of classes ah
ead of her. She wanted to bury herself in her rigorous practice, and then in her demanding role as the superstar teacher. Seeing Ming in the anteroom, surrounded by reporters, Lexie gave an aggrieved sigh. She’d barely slept last night, and the dark circles under eyes when she’d dared to look in the mirror proved it. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to more reporters. Alas.

  “There she is! Lexie, my name is Cassandra Phillips, I’m with—”

  Before the eager young women could finish introducing herself, she and at least ten other news people had surged forward, surrounding Lexie on all sides.

  Lexie smiled gamely and conceded that at least for the moment, she was trapped. She nodded to Ming, signaling that it was all right for her to leave. Ming threw her a grateful glance and quickly retreated to the dojo. Lexie noted ironically that it hadn’t taken Ming long to figure out that notoriety was tiring. Lexie could have warned her. But even she was stunned by the remarkable response to the Council meeting. The 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts last evening on every television station in the Bay area led with the story. By the time she’d finally stumbled into bed, she’s had about as much as she could take of the blond in the red dress answering one question after another. But she had to admit, she looked good, beautiful even, and Peter had been wonderful. He was polished, compelling and determined to make her the star. Not that he had to try very hard. Lexie sniffed. Guess when it came down to it, big boobs, blonde hair, and sexy shoes were a bigger draw than a studiously handsome man content to playing a back-up role.

  For a brief moment, Lexie allowed herself to think about how it might have played out, if Jake had been standing beside her. She tossed her head thinking about it. For sure, every female reporter would have found some reason to ask the six foot, four inch ‘to-die-for’ hunk at least a question or two. But he wasn’t there and Lexie reminded herself why. She had asked him to leave.