Strangers

by Crystal V. Rhodes

  Whoever they were, they could knock on the door forever. They’d never get a response. The guy who told him that his name was Andy would not be answering. He wasn’t dead when he left, but he should be by now.

  Shedding his clothes, Hardman stepped into the shower and washed off the grime of a night’s work. After toweling off, he felt refreshed, but he was still tired.

  While the rest of L.A. readied itself for a new day, he climbed between the sheets to sleep as his mind wandered back to the events of last night into mid-morning. It had all been too easy.

  Once inside the tiny house, he had stolen silently into the bedroom where his prey had been sleeping. Once he had been overpowered, Hardman had applied a blindfold and a gag. Dragging him to a chair, he proceeded to beat the information needed out of him. The man proved to be tougher than he looked because it took a while. He even had to apply a water torture technique he had learned in his earlier life to get what he wanted, but he did get the information—two names.

  One of them was that of Jack Spencer. Andy had told him that he was the “person of interest” who was being held by the authorities. Hardman could only hope that the authorities didn’t blow that one; but he had no faith in the system. The second name Andy gave him had been identified as the man who had orchestrated every step of the failed abduction—a process that had been thwarted by the iron-clad will of one little girl, Gillian Reasoner.

  As he closed his eyes in exhaustion, that thought brought a smile to Hardman’s face. The kid had spunk. He liked that.

  Tomorrow he would plan his next move. It was clear that the second man would be his target. The only decision he had to make was how he would settle the score.

  CHAPTER 17

  “The media hasn’t given up and neither has the paparazzi. A few of them are still hanging around the office as well as your new condo,” Dana’s administrative assistant had warned when she called her.

  Having been forewarned, Dana decided to avoid both places. After the taxi cab Ray had called picked the three of them up, Dana directed the driver to take her to a Come Right Inn owned by her cousin. It was nestled in the canyons of L.A. and offered the comfort and privacy that was needed. Sin decided to check into the bed and breakfast too. In spite of the media scrutiny Ray decided to go to his Beverly Hills office. Each of them was hoping to hear from James.

  As Dana relaxed in her luxurious room, she thought about him and the intimacy they had shared less than 24 hours ago. What a gentle, considerate lover he was. It hadn’t come as a surprise, because for some reason she had expected that from him. She really liked James Starr, but she doubted that their attraction to each other would go any further. As she had told him, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to take the chance on having another failed relationship.

  A knock on the room door interrupted her thoughts. When she opened the door, Sin stood on the other side. Dana let him in.

  “I’ve got an update from Stillwaters,” he said as he walked into the room. She directed him to a wing-back chair. Dana settled in the one opposite him.

  “I just got off the phone with everybody. They all say hello. Nedra said that the girls are doing fine. Gillian is still in her queen bee mode.”

  “Nothing new about that,” Dana chortled.

  “I filled Nedra, Darnell and Thad in on the second suspect and what happened.”

  “I called Bev, but Ray had already spoken to her. Have you heard from Agent Conway?”

  “No, I haven’t,” Sin ran a hand over his tired eyes. “I’m going to wait until we hear from Starr.” He noticed how Dana avoided his eyes when he mentioned James Starr. For a moment there was silence between them. He decided to speak up first.

  “I’m not one to judge,” he told her quietly.

  Dana’s eyes slid back to his. “I didn’t think that you were, but I know that James and you aren’t the best of friends, so...”

  “That has nothing to do with your relationship with him…”

  “No, no, no,” Dana held her hands off as if to ward off his words. “There’s no relationship. We just enjoy each other.”

  Sin shrugged. “I stand corrected.”

  “Speaking of James, I noticed how you and he were like some kind of commando squad when we were inside the house.

  Dana remembered how on their discovery of the man in the tub, James had whipped out a weapon, and to her surprise so had Sin. He had James’ back and had checked the house while James had hustled her out the back door.

  Sin gave her a knowing smile. “And I noticed that you didn’t tell Ray about that.”

  “Hey, I’m not going to complain about two men who can take care of business.”

  He laughed at her comment and he was glad that she didn’t ask him about the gun he was carrying. Dana was all right with him.

  Thinking back to when he had first met her, Sin had thought of Dana as flighty and self-centered, but he knew that she was as hard as nails when it came to negotiating for her clients. Since her accident a few years ago, when she fell down a flight of stairs in her home and was seriously injured, she had changed. She seemed to have mellowed. He found her to be a much more caring and considerate person than in the past.

  Dana’s cell phone rang. James was on the other end.

  “Hey there,” he greeted her softly. “Did you have any trouble getting out of the neighborhood?”

  “No, a cab eventually showed up. How did things go at the house? “And before you answer, I’m putting you on speaker phone because Sin is here.”

  “The guy was going into cardiac arrest by the time the ambulance arrived,” James told them. “I was giving him mouth-to- mouth when they took over. I gave the cops my statement, but I didn’t mention you guys.”

  “If they’re thorough in their investigation, they’ll eventually find out that we were there,” said Sin. “We stuck out like sore thumbs walking through that neighborhood. The cabbie that picked us up asked if we were lost tourists.”

  “We need to contact the authorities and tell them we were there and why we left,” Dana concluded. “I doubt if we’ll be charged with anything, but it could get messy.” Sin agreed.

  James informed them that he was at the hospital, and Andy Vega was in intensive care. “They’re not sure if he’s going to make it,” James added. “And if he does awaken they think that he’ll be a vegetable.”

  “He was beaten that viciously?” Dana couldn’t help but feel for the man.

  “It was pretty bad. According to the doctor there’s a lot of trauma.”

  Stating that he had to call Nedra, Sin excused himself and left the room. Dana and James were left alone to talk.

  “Now what I really want to know is how you’re doing?” James asked again. “I know that whole scene in that house was hard on you.”

  Dana was touched by his sensitivity. “I’ll probably have nightmares for a while, so I’d rather not think about it.”

  “Maybe I can help ease those nightmares,” James hinted.

  “I’m sure there’s something you could do,” she returned suggestively.

  “I’ve got one more stop to make and then I’ll come by and we’ll see. Where are you, at your office?”

  “No, I’m still dodging the paparazzi and the media. I’m staying at my cousin’s Come Right Inn.” She gave him the address and her room number. “I’ll be waiting.”

  ****

  “So you contacted me after the fact?” Agent Conway glared at James through narrowed eyes as he fingered the plastic encased letter addressed to Dana.

  James didn’t react to his censure. “The family has hired our agency to investigate and I was only doing my job.”

  “No, you were interfering with an ongoing investigation!” The agent’s voice rose in frustration. “I could arrest you for that.”

  “You could.” James remained unfazed. “But I’ve given you the evidence. I did my best to make sure that it wasn’t contaminated. I called the authorities when I found the victim. I e
ven tried to save his life. What else is a citizen to do?”

  The agent stared at James suspiciously, but James held his eyes. He could understand how the man felt. As an officer of the law he was under tremendous pressure to find the people responsible for the kidnapping. The public wanted arrests and quick resolution, like on TV or in the movies. Since Conway was the lead investigator, a successful end to this case was on his shoulders and the load was heavy. They couldn’t afford to make mistakes.

  “I’m here to help, not to hinder,” James told him empathizing with his plight. “After all, we’re working for the same cause. I can’t afford to make mistakes either.”

  “But you can make yours in private,” the agent said candidly.

  James was surprised at the man’s frankness. “I could have kept the letter to myself. I could have walked away from that house and you might not have known that I was even there. Instead, I brought this letter to your office. I’m not the enemy. This case is just as important to us as it is to you. It’s a big one for our security firm. My partner and I are handling it personally. He’s flying in later today to see what he can do to help me.”

  “Oh, great! I’ll have two of you roaming around L.A. and getting in the way.” It was clear that Agent Conway didn’t relish the prospect.

  It didn’t matter one way or the other to James how he felt. He was going to do his job. Right now he was on his way to the Come Right Inn to see the woman who had reminded him of that fact. He had other business to take care of.

  He stood, getting ready to leave the agent’s office. “How’s the interrogation of Jack Spencer going?”

  “Fine.” Conway’s answer was curt. He turned to his computer screen in dismissal.

  James knew that any information that he might have gleaned from this agent would be nonexistent. Conway’s resentment was clear. He saw James’ agency as competition and it was his intent to shut them out.

  James closed the door behind him. He was used to the Agent Conways in this world. No problem. He would do what he was hired to do.

  ****

  “So the jobs going to be a little harder,” Dana surmised after reviewing what James had told her about his trip and his talk with Agent Conway.

  “Maybe so, maybe not.” James lay at the foot of Dana’s bed playing with her toes as they talked. Her pedicure was perfect. The sizzling red polish on her toenails matched the color on her manicured fingernails. “Have I told you that you’re too sexy to be believed?”

  Dana thanked him for the compliment by running her big toe slowly down his cheek. Catching her foot he planted a kiss in her instep, re-igniting a slow burn.

  “Have I told you that I like your style, Mr. Starr?”

  “Yes you have Mrs. Mansfield and it’s appreciated.”

  “I try to please,” Dana growled. She liked this playful side of him, especially since he seemed to be such a serious man.

  After their latest workout, Dana figured that if James was as good at investigating as he was at making love, then the case should be over very soon. He had left her body thoroughly satisfied.

  As he was massaging her foot, her mind was still in a fog. It took a few seconds before she realized that he was talking to her.

  “What?”

  “I need to Skype Gillian and talk to her,” James repeated. “And I’ve got to get out to that house where the girls were kept.”

  Using her foot to tilt his chin upward to look at her, Dana frowned at him. “I can’t believe that you’re talking about business right now. After all, I am heading back to my home town tomorrow.”

  “I haven’t forgotten. I don’t want to think about it. I’m going to miss you too much.”

  Using his elbows, he slowly dragged his large body over her naked torso, placing kisses in strategic places along the way. When he reached the head of the bed, he reversed their positions and pulled her on top of him. Dana placed her head on his massive chest.

  James gave a sigh of contentment. It had been a long time since he felt this happy.

  “I have an idea,” he offered. “Instead of going back to Stillwaters why don’t you come to Tiburon and stay with me. I’ve decided to take Ray up on renting his old place. You’ll have the privacy that you need there until all of this dies down.”

  He wanted her with him. He wanted to get to know her better. He wanted to know everything about her.

  Dana didn’t respond at first as she listened to the steady beating of his heart. With him she felt protected. She felt safe. Being with this man could easily become a habit, but the truth was that all habits weren’t good for you.

  “I like the offer, but I don’t think that staying together at this point would be good for either of us.” She paused before continuing. “No, let me correct that. It wouldn’t be good for me. We might be moving a little too fast.”

  James drew back, trying not to feel hurt by her words. After all, he was the one who had suggested that they take it slow.

  “I understand, but I can’t help but think that we had a pretty good thing going on here.”

  “I think that we do, but I’ve learned from past relationships that when I move too fast it turned out to be a mistake. I’ve been married to an abuser…”

  James started. “Someone hit you?” Dana nodded.

  “And I’ve been married to a user. It’s taken me a while to admit this, but my engagement to Mitch wasn’t a wise decision either.”

  James knew to what she might be alluding. On those few occasions when Mitch and he socialized, he was a witness to the fact that Mitch didn’t act like a man who had a fiancée.

  “Listen, James, in the time that we’ve known each other, you’ve become very special to me. But you’re as complex as I am. We need to get to know each other’s complexities if this thing is going to work.”

  Dana was at the stage in her life where she was no longer so desperate for affection that she was willing to go along to get along. The train had left that station. Time and experience now made her demand more from a man than being a good lover. Any man who wanted to come into her life had to demonstrate both character and substance. James appeared to have both, but time would tell.

  James knew that she was right. He was letting lust overrule logic. At some point common sense had to prevail.

  “I can’t argue with what you’ve said.” Setting Dana beside him, he scooted up in the bed, putting a bit of distance between them. “We don’t really know each other that well. There are things that do need to be said.” He fell silent for a moment as he stared into space, seemingly lost in thought.

  Dana missed the warmth of his embrace the moment that their bodies had parted, but she forced herself to ignore the ardent need to be back in his arms. From his demeanor it appeared that he had something he wanted to share with her. He was a difficult man to read, and she wasn’t sure what to expect next; but what he did say wasn’t what she had expected to hear.

  “I want to tell you about my son and his mother. If you want to know anything about me you need to know about them.”

  For the next hour Dana listened as he revealed a part of his life that she was almost certain he rarely talked about. Although it had been decades since he had lost the two people he had loved so deeply, he spoke as if they had died yesterday.

  James had put a shield around his heart. Never again did he want to feel the agony of such loss. He was letting her know that emotional involvement was as risky for him as it was for her.

  After he finished talking, James felt drained. He had never told anyone other than Nate how the death of Regina and Pookie had affected him; how much guilt he carried because of it, or the depth of the pain that he carried. He wasn’t sure what had possessed him to do so this time, except that unlike the women in his past, this one seemed to want to understand him. She really seemed to care.

  Dana placed her head back on his chest knowing that he had shared something special with her. They lay there in silence.

  It was the ring
of his cell phone that roused them both. Hours had passed. They had fallen asleep. It was now late evening.

  Retrieving his cell phone from the night stand, James checked caller ID and groaned.

  “Damn! It’s Nate. I forgot to pick him up at the airport!”

  Answering the call, he was ready to be apologetic, but the voice on the other end wasn’t that of his partner.

  “Is this James Starr?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Rolling out of the bed, Dana had started getting dressed when an agonized moan from James caught her attention. She turned to see the stricken look on his face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Still gripping his cell phone, he looked at it and then up at her. “It’s a police officer. He said that Nate had a heart attack at the airport. He’s dead.”

  CHAPTER 18

  “Daddy, when can we come home?”

  His daughter’s plaintive voice was like daggers in Sin’s heart. Strangers had come out of nowhere and had disrupted his family’s life.

  “We’ll all be home together soon,” he assured her with the hope that what he was saying was true. “But I thought that you loved it in Stillwaters.”

  “I do, but I’ve got to get back to school. They send me work and I’m keeping up with the class, but it’s not the same as being there. Anyway, most of the cousins have gone home now, and the ones who live here go to school in another town, so I’m by myself most of the time. I don’t have anyone to play with except Nia.”

  Sin was livid. His baby girl was suffering. Somebody was going to pay for this! He tried to sound conciliatory

  “Well, Trevor is there with you.”

  He knew that really didn’t matter. A fifteen year old boy keeping his twelve year old sister company would be nothing short of a miracle, as Gillian informed him.

  “That’s no big deal! When he’s not doing school work, he’s working at the grocery store or playing basketball at the Cove.” Her voice softened. “I miss home, Daddy. I miss you and I miss Sweet too.”