Operation Midnight

by Sharon C. Cooper

  “I’m on my way to get Tasha. Oh, and before I forget, can you call off Travis? I don’t think I need a security detail to go dress shopping.”

  He hesitated but eventually said, “Okay, but I can’t guarantee that Malik won’t have someone on Tasha.”

  “Oh great.”

  Wiz laughed. “In his defense, he’s backed off a lot. He normally doesn’t put someone on her unless she asks.”

  “Well, I need to call her now and tell her not to make the call.”

  *

  Wiz disconnected from Olivia and called Travis.

  “Yeah,” he answered on the first ring.

  “Man, thanks again for looking out for Olivia for me. I owe you one.” Despite having part of the day off, Travis hadn’t hesitated when Wiz asked if he could follow Olivia.

  “The pleasure was mine. A free meal to watch two beautiful women, it wasn’t exactly a hardship. But I have to ask, doesn’t it freak you out that another human being has your woman’s face? I mean, if you’re in the same room with them, aren’t you afraid you’ll get them mixed up?”

  Wiz chuckled. “No. For one, I try never to be in the same space as Keisha. And two, if you look into their eyes, you’ll be able to tell the difference between them.”

  “Gotcha.”

  “But my advice to you is to stay away from twins.”

  “Yeah, that’s probably some good advice. I can see myself screwing that shit up every time.”

  Wiz laughed, knowing Travis the playboy spoke the truth. Wiz found out early on that Travis was a babe magnet. With his youthful, charming ways, and that dangerous, bad-boy persona he had going for him, Travis drew women to him like a moth to light. The agency had used his talent on several cases over the past year to get information or to get into places they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to get into easily.

  “Wiz, something else I forgot to mention. Your woman gave her sister a note while they were eating.”

  “And?”

  “And whatever was on it freaked your sister-in-law out. After she read it, she glanced around the restaurant as if expecting someone to make an appearance.”

  Interesting.

  Wiz wasn’t sure what to make of this new information. What could Olivia have given Keisha that would make her nervous?

  “All right, thanks, man. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Wiz tucked his cell phone away, glad Olivia was done with her sister. But as long as Keisha was in Chicago, he wouldn’t rest easy.

  He stared out the window. Considering the gray skies, it appeared the weatherman would be correct about the city getting some snow. He glanced down at the busy traffic, his mind going back to the conversation with Travis. Wiz wasn’t sure what Keisha said or did to make Olivia change her mind about rekindling their relationship. His wife had a high tolerance level for people. Even if they were dishing bullshit, she still tried to find the good in everyone. Apparently, she’d finally had enough of her sister’s BS.

  “Wiz?”

  Wiz glanced over his shoulder to find Raeanna standing in the doorway with her laptop open.

  “Hey. Come in.”

  “I was going through the jewelry store’s surveillance footage and found something.”

  They sat at the round table and she turned the screen toward him.

  “Who does that look like?” she asked of the dark-skinned woman whose face was frozen on the screen wearing a blonde, shoulder-length wig. In this shot, he could only see her profile, but he knew exactly who it was.

  “That’s Keisha.”

  What caught his attention though, was the small velvet bag in her hand.

  Raeanna remained silent as he rewound the video, watching the scene play out. Keisha emptied the contents of the pouch onto a small, velvet-lined tray that Clayton placed in front of her.

  Keisha’s trying to sell him diamonds.

  The way the store manager’s gaze darted around the store made Wiz wonder what they were saying and why he was jumpy. Keisha’s finger tapped vigorously on the glass counter as if trying to get her point across about something. The way they faced off, it seemed they knew each other.

  The conversation became more heated when Clayton scooped up the stones and slid them back into the pouch, handing them to her. Clayton peeked at his watch for the second time in minutes.

  Is he expecting someone?

  Suddenly, Clayton stopped talking to Keisha and pointed to the door. After a slight hesitation, she stormed out. Seconds later, Gary entered from the back.

  Wiz sat back in his seat, frustration lodged in his chest. He still had more questions than answers when it came to Keisha. Like where did she get diamonds? Assuming they were real.

  No, soon as the thought entered his mind, he recalled her fiancé. Wiz had done some digging, but no Dwight Watson came up as a diamond dealer. Unless he wasn’t legit. Which was probably the case considering the type of people Keisha attracted.

  But why was she trying to sell them at Gary’s place? Normally he didn’t buy diamonds from random people, only those who were bona fide diamond dealers. Wiz couldn’t say the same for Clayton. If they proved he was stealing from Gary, that could also mean he was doing some deals on the side.

  No wonder someone had ransacked Keisha’s motel room. They were probably looking for the diamonds.

  A sick feeling swirled in Wiz’s gut. This explained why she was on the run. Diamonds. Probably stolen diamonds. Only a few types of people had diamonds laying around for someone to easily steal and most of them weren’t good people.

  And she brought this shit here.

  Raeanna moved next to him, jarring him out of his thoughts. He had almost forgotten she was there.

  “I know they’re twins, but God she looks so much like Olivia,” Raeanna said. “At the party, when she walked in, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Until I remembered …”

  When she stopped, Wiz glanced at her. “Until you remembered what?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. Don’t mind me. I’m just rambling. I got home so late last night. I guess I’m not fully awake.”

  Wiz folded his arms. “Until you remembered what, Raeanna?”

  He wasn’t buying her lame excuse. He had seen her pull all-nighters hacking into a company’s system with no problem of sleep deprivation.

  She’s hiding something.

  “Until you remembered what?” he repeated.

  She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. Just when Wiz thought she wouldn’t respond, she spoke.

  “I’d rather not say.”

  Wiz frowned, now concerned that she was withholding something that had to do with Olivia.

  “Raeanna, my wife’s life might be in danger. If you know something, anything, start talking.”

  “I promised her I wouldn’t say anything.”

  “Her who?”

  “Olivia.”

  “Does this little secret have anything to do with Keisha? If it does, I need to know. Now!”

  She trembled. The hardness of his tone left no doubt that he had reached the limit of his patience.

  “I … th-that,” she stuttered, “that day I spent at your house, she asked me to search for her twin sister. I never knew she had a twin. So to see them suddenly standing next to each other was weird.”

  Annoyance rose inside Wiz. Olivia had gone behind his back to try to find Keisha. Sneaky she was not. So this new development was a little mind boggling.

  “Did she say why she wanted you to locate her?”

  “She hadn’t seen Keisha in a while and said she was worried about her. She wanted to make sure her sister wasn’t in any type of trouble.”

  Why would she all of sudden be worried about Keisha’s well-being? So all of that forgiveness crap she spewed the night of their engagement party was bullshit. She had an ulterior motive for wanting him to search for her sister.

  “Wiz, please don’t tell her that I told you.”

  “I won’t.” If Olivia wanted to
keep secrets, fine. God knows he had enough of his own. His only concern was that she might be keeping something from him that could get her killed.

  His cell phone chirped.

  “Hello.”

  “I lost Midnight,” Stan huffed on the other end. “I’m sure she didn’t see me, but somehow I think she knew she was being followed.”

  Wiz sighed. “She probably was, by someone other than you.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Natasha’s hands flew to her mouth when Olivia strolled out of the bridal shop’s dressing room.

  Olivia couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips as she stepped up on the platform in front of the large mirror. The beautiful gown was even more gorgeous than the first time she tried it on.

  “It’s perfect,” she said, twisting back and forth to get a good view of every angle.

  The rhinestones covering the high collar and the bodice glittered under the store’s fluorescent lights like stars in a darken sky. And she absolutely adored the way the skirt flared out. The abundance of tulle beneath the satin material made it look like a dress a Disney princess would wear. After getting married the first time in a simple white sundress, Olivia had vowed that she’d go all out this time. Back then they didn’t have the money for anything lavish, but now she had more than enough money to buy whatever she wanted.

  “You look amazing.” Natasha moved closer to the right side of the platform.

  The tailor stood to her left and fluffed the skirt of the dress as if it needed it. “Except for maybe some teardrop diamond earrings, you don’t need anything else. The dress is so elegant it stands out all by itself.”

  “I agree.” Olivia couldn’t help grinning. In a month she’ll be remarrying the only man she’d ever loved. She felt like the luckiest woman in the world. “All I need now is a veil and the shoes.”

  “And flowers for the church, the bouquets, party favors, and a host of other things. Oh, and did I mention cake?” Natasha said sarcastically as she stared down at Olivia’s list of things to do. To say she was behind in pulling everything together was an understatement. But as long as she got the dress out of the way, she had no doubt the rest would be a breeze.

  “Speaking of cake, when are you and Wiz going cake tasting?”

  “Wednesday. Although I think I already know the flavor I want. I just want to torture him a little.” She grinned. “He couldn’t care less what we have for the reception. I just want him to participate in some aspect of the process.”

  “I am so not looking forward to planning me and Malik’s wedding.” Natasha shivered. “I think it’ll be easier to get married in Vegas than to try to get him to do anything as it relates to our wedding.”

  Laughing, Olivia gathered the skirt of her dress and stepped down from the platform. “Probably, but I can’t wait. I can hear him cursing already.”

  Natasha rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Me too.”

  A short while later, they hurried to Olivia’s car and jumped in.

  “I can’t believe it’s trying to snow again.” Olivia put the heat on full blast and rubbed her hands together.

  “Ah yes, Chicago in the winter. Gotta love it.”

  Olivia loved Chicago, but the winters could be brutal. It was still early in the season, yet it felt like January instead of November.

  “I need to get us home before this snow starts sticking. This is definitely not a vehicle meant to be driven in this type of weather.” She had always owned a sports car and the new Mustang Wiz had bought for her a couple of months ago was her dream vehicle. But not when there was snow on the ground.

  Olivia leaned forward in her seat trying to see better out the front window as the windshield wipers swished back and forth. The rain/snow mix was still just that, but the snow was starting to win out. So far it wasn’t sticking.

  She drove west and slowed to turn onto Halsted when she noticed a dark SUV riding her bumper.

  Back off, jerk. She couldn’t believe the way some drivers drove despite the inclement weather. She was driving the speed limit and had no intention of going any faster. If he was in such a hurry, he could go around.

  “You okay?” Natasha asked just as her cell phone rang.

  “I’m good.” Olivia divided her attention between Natasha and the road as she merged into traffic on the 94. “I thought you were off today. Your staff has been blowing up your cell all afternoon.”

  “I know, right?” She dug her phone out of the side pocket of her large Coach bag. “I took yesterday off without much notice and threw everyone for a loop. This is my payback.” She held up her phone just before answering.

  Olivia exited the highway and turned right onto North Avenue, surprised to see the same SUV behind her. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn’t still riding her bumper.

  Wait … is he following me?

  Unease course through her veins. After all the tips and warnings Wiz had drilled into her, she was pretty sure this person was following them. It wasn’t one of the agency’s vehicles since the truck didn’t have the standard decal in the upper left hand corner. That was the only way the drivers could enter the company’s underground garage.

  Olivia was glad Natasha was busy on her call and had now pulled out her tablet. Since she wasn’t paying attention, Olivia decided to try something.

  She made the next right into a residential neighborhood, then went a block and made another right. Sure enough, the SUV was still on her tail.

  Heart thumping a shaky beat, Olivia made another turn and panic crawled up her spine. The last thing she wanted to do was freak Natasha out. After her ordeal months ago, she was just getting comfortable again going out without being escorted by Malik or one of the agency’s bodyguards.

  Okay, just stay calm.

  Maybe she was being paranoid. It didn’t help that Wiz’s fears about Keisha’s appearance were at the forefront of her mind.

  Olivia made another right.

  They’re definitely following us.

  “Where are we going?” Natasha asked, her cell phone to her ear with her hand over the mouthpiece.

  Oh crap. Think.

  “Um, one of the professors at the university mentioned a bakery to me. I thought she said it was around here, but maybe not.” Olivia hated lying, but the last thing she wanted to tell Natasha was that they were being followed.

  Natasha took a quick glance around. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bakery around … yes, yes, I’m still here.” She went back to her telephone conversation.

  Now that the rain/snow mix had turned to all snow falling, Olivia was more anxious than ever to get off the road. With her heart racing, she slowed down to get a feel of their location, trying to decide what to do. The person in the vehicle hadn’t really done anything to her except maybe freak her out, so calling 911 was out.

  She folded her bottom lip between her teeth as she waited for the light to turn green.

  “Wow, it’s really starting to come down out here,” Natasha said when she finished her call and put away her tablet.

  Olivia kept driving, but not as fast as before. Ice cold fear gripped her as she slowed, the back of her car sliding slightly to the right before she could straighten it. The roads were starting to get slick. She might’ve been an excellent driver, but her nerves were wound tight not knowing the intent of the person following them.

  “I’m going to call Cameron to see if he’s still at the office. If so, I’ll park this car there and have him take us home. Mustangs are definitely not conducive to this weather.”

  “Actually, that’s a good idea since Malik is still there. That’ll save you a trip to our house.”

  Olivia activated the car’s Bluetooth, but kept an eye on the SUV.

  “Hey, sweetheart. What’s going on?” Olivia sighed with relief when Wiz picked up on the first ring, his deep voice coming through the car speakers loud and clear.

  “Wiz,” she started, trying to keep her voice steady despite the unease crawling up h
er back. The SUV swerved into the left lane. When it crept alongside of them, Olivia slowed hoping it had finally decided to go around them. Giving another quick glance at the vehicle, she took in the dark tinted windows. All she could think about was the number of movies she’d seen when the passenger side window goes down and a gun appears.

  “Olivia?”

  “I’m … I”m here.” She gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Natasha and I are near the office and I think we’re going to come there.”

  He hesitated and then said, “Pull into the circular drive and I’ll meet you out front.”

  *

  Wiz disconnected the call deep in thought as he tapped his pen against the top of the conference table. Disturbed by Olivia’s call, he replayed the conversation over in his head.

  Something’s not right.

  He went to his desk and logged into his computer.

  “What’s going on?” Malik asked. He, Raeanna, and Wiz had been discussing the jewelry store case and next steps. “Is everything all right?”

  “I’m not sure. Olivia called to say that she and Natasha were on their way here.”

  “And?”

  “And she called me Wiz.” He didn’t have to say anything else to Malik. That said it all. Olivia never called him Wiz. As a matter of fact, she thought it was a stupid nickname. “I’m pulling up the app so that I can access the GPS on her car to see exactly where they are.”

  Malik stood and pulled out his cell.

  “Hold up, Tree. Don’t call.” He knew he was getting ready to call Natasha. “It might be nothing. Besides, if they were having a problem, I’m sure Tasha would’ve called you.”

  Wiz met Malik’s gaze and knew he wasn’t buying it.

  Olivia’s location came on the screen. “They’re about two blocks away.”

  Malik was out the door before Wiz could finish the sentence.

  Wiz grabbed his gun from the top drawer of his desk and placed it in the back of his waistband underneath his sweater. He hoped they were all right, but these days, he wasn’t taking any chances.

  Before he walked out of his office, Raeanna stopped him.

  “Do you need me to do anything?”