Hazard in the Horoscope

by Kari Lee Townsend

  Lifting my hand to knock, I hesitated and reached for the doorknob instead. I pushed the door open, and my heart squeezed. Mitch was sitting on the couch, leaning back, his head to the side sound asleep. I quietly walked over and stood before him. There were notes and files spread all across the coffee table in front of him. I climbed into his lap and spread the afghan over us both, then snuggled into him. He stirred, and his arms instinctively came up to wrap around me and pull me closer.

  “You smell good,” he mumbled, burying his nose in my butchered hair.

  I sniffed then wrinkled my nose. “You don’t.”

  “Sorry,” he muttered. “Long night.”

  I toyed with the string from the hood of his sweatshirt, my cheek pressed against his chest. “Did you find the action you were looking for last night?”

  “I did.”

  My body stilled. “Really? No wonder you’re so tired.”

  “Exhausted.” I heard the chuckle in his tone and slapped his chest. He grunted. “Seriously, though. The prostitution ring is definitely still going on.”

  “Why won’t you let me help?”

  This time he stilled. “I know you want to help, Tink, but a prostitution ring is no place for a beautiful woman, let alone my fiancé.”

  “Then don’t think of me as your fiancé.” I sat up so I could look him in the eye. “Think of me as your partner with an awful haircut and not so beautiful at the moment.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Good. Because I would hate for us to take a step back after finally moving forward.” I kissed him before he could stick his foot in his mouth, then I climbed off his lap to sit beside him on the couch. “Okay, partner, so tell me what you’ve got.”

  He sat up, rubbed his hand through his messy hair, and then studied the papers on the coffee table in front of him. “I searched everywhere I could think of last night, but wasn’t having much luck, when Cole miraculously appeared to see if I needed help.” Mitch gave me a knowing look.

  I examined my nails.

  “Pleading the fifth, I see.”

  I shrugged. “I know my rights.”

  “Hmmm. Anyway, Cole knows the Rebel Riders and knows all their old haunts. Ray might have split from them, but it stood to reason he might frequent the same spots. Cole took me to some places I’d never even heard of. The prostitution ring is still going on for sure, but I didn’t see any sign of Jasmine Jackson. I showed her picture, but no one else has seen her around, either.”

  “Do you think someone else from the Rebel Riders is running the ring, now that Ray has been murdered?”

  “I’m not sure. What I learned pretty quickly is that even if they are, people aren’t talking. The gang is feared in more towns than just Stillwater. We’re on our own because no one is willing to turn them in.”

  A knock sounded on the garage door.

  I looked at him in question. He stood then grabbed his gun off the end table and slipped it in the back of the waistband of his jeans. It was early morning and our home, but we’d learned in the past that anything can happen at any time. With two murders to solve, the clock ticking and the clues adding up, this was no time to let down our guard. Mitch had turned into Detective Stone once more, and he was through with taking chances.

  My detective approached the door from an angle so he wouldn’t be in a direct line of fire should anything bad happen. “Who is it?”

  “Torres. Open up, man. It’s damn cold out here.”

  Mitch’s shoulders relaxed and he opened the door a crack. “Do you know what time it is?” He opened the door wider.

  “I know you,” Juan said as he entered with two cups of coffee, “and I know you don’t sleep until a case is put to bed.”

  I cleared my throat.

  Juan’s surprised gaze landed on me. His eyes traveled over my pajamas then Mitch’s rumpled hair. “Oh, man—sorry, Sunny. Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

  “Nope. No action going on over here. Right Mitch? He’s plumb tuckered out from all the action he got last night.” I grinned at him, not about to let him off the hook that easily.

  He smirked then ignored me. “Why did you say you were here, Torres?”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Exactly. Start talking.”

  Juan handed Mitch a cup of coffee, then turned to me with eyebrows raised in question. I held up my tea. He lifted his cup in salute and took a big drink. “Okay, so Kristen Peters’ testimony to Internal Affairs, along with Nancy Culligan’s statement that her first blond wig went missing, and confirmation that she is Adam Burrows’ sister, led to me getting a search warrant. I went to Burrows’ apartment, but he’s still out of town in some unknown location. However, the warrant allowed me to search the premises.”

  “Find anything interesting?” Mitch drained the last of his coffee, drinking it in record time.

  “He had lots of pornography on his computer. Flyers for Winterfest in Divinity. We didn’t find the wig, but we did find several blond fibers. I sent them to the lab and they match the fibers that were found in the café.”

  “He must have worn a disguise and trashed the businesses in Divinity, but why?” I set my teacup down and looked through the papers on the coffee table.

  “To flush out the Rebel Riders, I’m guessing.” Juan finished his coffee as well.

  “Burrows was angry over the gang moving on to new territory without him and not cutting him into the profit, which he clearly needs to fund his questionable hobbies. Maybe he killed Gunther and then tried to make it look like the gang was responsible and still in town, pressuring new businesses.”

  “Yeah,” I said, “and maybe when Ray started the prostitution ring, Burrows found out and confronted him. If Ray refused to cut him in, then he could have killed him. And if he’s in town, maybe he knows Kristen Peters talked to IA, so he can’t go back to Stillwater. Maybe he took over the prostitution ring for money. Clearly someone is running it, based on all the action you saw last night.” I fluttered my eyelashes at Mitch.

  Detective Torres glanced between the two of us. “Am I missing something?”

  “Nothing important.” Mitch shook his head at me. “Speaking of missing, I’m beginning to think Jasmine Jackson is in real danger.”

  “Me too,” Torres agreed. “So, what are we going to do about it?”

  “I have a plan.” I stood up, earning me a confused look from Juan.

  “That wouldn’t involve looking for some action, would it?” Mitch jumped to his feet, his expression grim. He knew me so well.

  “Guess you’ll have to follow me to find out.”

  “Over my dead body,” Mitch grumbled a couple hours later as we sat in Captain Walker’s office.

  “Would you please tell him it’s the only way,” I asked Captain Walker, then sent pleading eyes around the room.

  “It does make sense, Mitch,” Captain Walker replied.

  “Detective Burrows will recognize Mrs. Peters and even you, Detective Stone,” Mayor Cromwell stated authoritatively. “Ms. Meadows is our only hope of flushing Burrows out. Or would you prefer to see your best friend go to jail? Because at the moment, Cole West is still the prime suspect. Without his gun, we can’t prove it isn’t the murder weapon that was used on Gunther Corp. And right now, Adam Burrows is the most logical suspect we have for killing Ray Simone and the only other possible suspect for Gunther Corp’s murder. Maybe it’s time you start taking your fiancé’s abilities a little more seriously.”

  “This doesn’t have anything to do with her abilities.” Mitch stood and began to pace around the room.

  “Doesn’t it?” I asked.

  He stopped walking and looked at me. “Sunny, you could be hurt.”

  “So could you.”

  “I’m a trained police officer. You’re not.”

  “No, I’m not. However, I would be wearing a wire, and you would be close by.”

  “She could wear a disguise,” Chief Spencer said.

  “You to
o?” Mitch put his hands on his hips and stared at him.

  “Listen, Detective, I have to agree with everyone else.” The chief looked me over. “With the proper disguise, Ms. Meadows could pull off being a prostitute.”

  “Thanks, I think,” I said.

  Mitch scrubbed a hand over his whiskered face. “I don’t like it, but looks like I don’t have much of a choice.”

  “It’s settled then.” Captain Walker stood. “Sunny, I think it’s time you paid a visit to Renee Jordan.”

  “I’ll take her.” Mitch grabbed his coat.

  “You’ll do no such thing.” I stood up and grabbed my coat. “I’m a big girl, Detective. I can take care of myself. Besides, I’m not taking a chance of anyone blowing my cover. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  “But—”

  “Bye.” I waved and walked out of the police station as quickly as possible while I still had backup inside. No matter how worried Mitch was, Mayor Cromwell was right. I was the only solution. Jo and Cole needed me, and I wasn’t about to let them down. If Adam Burrows was looking for some action, I’d show him some action.

  I would be a prostitute the likes of which this entire county had never seen.

  20

  That evening, after hours spent in Stillwater, I walked into Smokey Jo’s Tavern with purpose in every stiletto step I took. Jo and Cole were behind the bar with Zoe and Sean tending to the tables. Mitch sat on a barstool, drinking a cup of coffee. Tonight was the night we were going to try out my new look.

  Who better to try it on first than my fiancé?

  The tavern was pretty busy. It was Friday and happy hour had just begun. I made my way past a few tables, earning several looks of appreciation. At least I hoped they were looks of appreciation and not shock.

  Renee had outfitted me with a rich, long burgundy wig. The hair was thick, silky straight, and fell to my waist. She’d tinted my eyebrows a shade of red as well, and we used a brown-red mascara and red lipstick to enhance my features. A brown beauty mark on the side of my mouth finished off the look. Hey, if I was playing dress-up, then I had decided to go all out and spice things up a bit. Mitch had liked my Natasha wig so much. I had a feeling my escort look would give him more action than he could ever ask for. Especially with the tight black mini-dress and four-inch heels I had on.

  But first we had a killer to catch.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Wally from Wally’s World gym said after bumping into me. He smiled. “Where are my manners? Let me buy you a drink to make up for it.”

  “Okay,” I said, feeling confident.

  I knew Wally pretty well, but he didn’t appear to recognize me. I followed him to the bar, taking the stool right beside Mitch. Here was the real test. He glanced at me, and my heart jumped into my throat. I gave him a little smile. He nodded once, then looked away and continued to talk to Cole.

  I released the breath I’d been holding. That was a good sign.

  “Hey, Jo, I’ll have a…” Wally looked at me.

  “Dirty martini, straight up,” I answered, making my voice sound deeper and a little more sultry.

  Wally looked back at Jo, who cut him off before he could finish.

  “Got it.” She made the drink in an expert fashion and record time, then set it in front of me. She hesitated for only a second then she smiled. “Here you go…?”

  “Ally.” I took the drink from her and set it before me. “Thank you…?”

  “Joanne West, but you can call me Jo. Everyone does.”

  I was brought back to the moment I had first met Jo, in what seemed like forever ago at this very bar, when she’d made me a drink and listened to my problems. But today she couldn’t know who I was, because I had a job to do. And if I could fool my best friend and my fiancé, then just maybe I stood a chance of fooling a killer.

  I turned to Wally. “Thank you, Mr.…?”

  “Just Wally. And you’re welcome. Are you here for the festival? I don’t recognize you from Divinity, so I’m assuming you’re from out of town.”

  “I’m from all over, sugar,” I said, earning a closer glance from Detective Stone. I kept looking at Wally, but I could feel the curiosity of Mitch’s gaze. He was always aware of his surroundings and studying others, especially when working a case.

  “How long are you staying?” Wally asked.

  “I’m not sure yet.” I took a sip of my drink, trying not to wince. It wasn’t my drink of choice, but I was playing a character.

  “Well, if you need a tour guide, I’m your guy.”

  “Awww, you’re so sweet, hon, but I’m meeting some friends.” I looked at the clock behind the bar. “They should be here soon. Thanks anyway.”

  “Gotcha. Well, maybe I’ll see you around?”

  “You never know.”

  Wally left, and I took another sip of liquid courage. I knew the police needed my help, and I was happy to do whatever was necessary for Jo and Cole, but I couldn’t deny I was nervous. What if the wire didn’t work? What if I lost Mitch? What if I drew out some other pervert and not Adam Burrows? There was so much that could go wrong. I took a deep breath and glanced at the clock again.

  “I’m sure your friends will show up sooner or later,” Detective Stone leaned over and said to me above the music.

  I blinked a few times, taken aback, then quickly returned to character. “Oh, honey, I’m not worried. I just said that to make that man go away. He seemed nice enough, but he really wasn’t my type.”

  “Oh,” Mitch responded, sounding surprised. “You seemed so confident with Wally, but then you sounded a little nervous. I was just trying to reassure you. The people are really nice in Divinity. I’m sure you’ll have a good time. I’ll leave you to your drink.” He picked up his coffee and started to turn away.

  “Not so fast.” I reached out and placed my hand on his forearm. “Now you are exactly my type. Care to be my tour guide?”

  “Oh, I… no, I couldn’t.” He patted my hand, then moved it off his arm. “You seem like a nice enough lady, but I’m engaged. In fact, I thought my fiancé was meeting me here.” He glanced at his watch. “Must be I heard her wrong. I have someplace I have to be, but enjoy your drink. Jo here is a great bartender. She’ll take care of you.”

  I sighed dramatically. “Pity for me. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. Your fiancé is a lucky girl.” I winked.

  He frowned. “Right, uh, have a good night, miss.” He laid some cash down on the bar. “Thanks for the coffee, Jo. Buy the lady another round on me.”

  Mitch left, and I bit back a grin. I’d passed the test, and so had my fiancé. It was comforting to know I’d picked a good one.

  “What will it be, Ally,” Jo said, bringing my startled gaze back to hers. “Care to tell me what’s going on?”

  I should have known I couldn’t fool my best friend and a woman as smart as Joanne West for long. She made a living off reading people. But I had fooled my fiancé, and I was going to deal with a man tonight, so I should be fine. “Later, Mrs. West. I have some place I have to be. And I’ll take a coffee for the road.”

  She poured a coffee to go, then handed it to me with a serious expression. “Be careful, miss. Even in small towns, the streets can be scary at night.”

  “Always.” I smiled then headed out the door. Lucky for me I wasn’t going to be on any streets, and scary came with the territory for what I had planned.

  “Where is Ms. Meadows, Detective Stone?” I heard Captain Walker ask from where I stood outside his office.

  “Honestly, I thought she would be here already,” Mitch answered. “She wasn’t at home and she never met me at Smokey Jo’s. This is why I didn’t think using her as bait was a good idea, but no one wanted to listen to me.”

  “On the contrary, Detective, I think it’s a fabulous idea,” I said as I walked up behind him, in the same sultry voice I’d used in the tavern.

  He spun around and stared at me, looking confused for a moment. Then his eyes widened as realization
dawned. “Sunny?”

  “I prefer Ally.” I smiled wide, pleased as punch.

  “I have to say you look remarkably different,” Chief Spencer commented.

  “My word, Ms. Meadows, I never would have known that was you.” Mayor Cromwell circled around me in awe.

  “That’s entirely the point, gentlemen. Even my own fiancé didn’t recognize me.” I kissed Mitch’s flushed cheek. “By the way, thank you for not flirting back,” I whispered for his ears only, then winked at him.

  He just stood there, staring at me, still speechless.

  “I do believe this will work,” Captain Walker said.

  Mitch finally cleared his throat. “I knew there was something off about you, but I couldn’t figure out what exactly. I never imagined that was you.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I still don’t like this. What’s the plan, then?”

  “Detective Torres used his informant’s connection and got me a meeting.” I brushed non-existent lint off my tight black mini-dress. Mitch was going to like this even less.

  “A meeting? With whom? Where?” A muscle in Mitch’s cheek pulsed.

  “I, um, don’t know who I’m meeting, but it’s at a cabin in the woods.” I rushed through the last part of the sentence not quite making eye contact.

  “The same cabin that Ray brought Jasmine Jackson to?” Mitch shot a hard gaze at Chief Spencer. “No disrespect, but hell no, this is not happening.”

  “I’m sorry, Detective, but yes, it is.” Chief Spencer looked me over once more in a critical fashion. “Renee Jordan outdid herself. Ally is a stranger to Divinity that no one will recognize. She’s our only hope to solving these cases.”