by C. D. Samuda
Leah’s first day back at work was complete chaos. One of the weddings scheduled to happen in a few days was delayed due to venue issues. The bride and groom’s parents had a falling out over the venue already booked.
The bride asked for the best hotel in the city and her fiancé had agreed. Now she learned that the groom’s father and the owner of the hotel were involved in a bitter feud. The wedding was three days away and the booking was paid for in advance. How would she find another venue on such short notice?
“Bridget?” she called her assistant into her office. “Take Cara and Mike off their respective tasks and have them call every potential venue in the city.”
“Right away,” Bridget said, rushing through the door.
“Bridget.” Her friend stopped and turned. “Call the city council about the use of the park. I will see if the Cali Mall Plaza is available.”
“Cali Mall?”
“Yes, the area at the fountain is beautiful at night.” Her office line buzzed and she answered. “Hello.”
It was Cara. “There’s a Detective Lawson here to see you, Miss Brooks.”
“Thank you. Please send him in,” she replied, wondering what that was about.
“I’ll get right to that venue hunting now,” Bridget said as she exited the office.
She stood as the man entered the room. He was about mid-forties, a slightly rounded belly and sharp eyes. His eyes traveled around the room before landing on her. She gave her best smile and indicated a chair.
“How can I be of assistance, officer?” she asked.
“I’m the detective in charge of Quinn Harrison’s case. You are acquainted with Mr. Harrison, I presume?”
Oh crap. Leah inwardly groaned. The police found her. She had hoped they wouldn’t need her statement. That had been a silly notion since she was likely the only witness they had. She resolved herself to the situation and spoke calmly to the man.
“We’ve only met once, after the incident. Before that, I never met him.”
“Can you tell me in your own words what happened that night?” He asked. At her questioning stare, he added. “We have it on CCTV, but we need a statement from you, the witness.”
“I never saw anything. When I got to the garage, he was lying on the ground,” she paused as she recollected that night. “There was a lot of blood. I was so scared, that the person who did it might return.”
“I’m sorry to put you through this Miss, but it is procedure,” Lawson replied. “Was there anything you noticed about the surroundings?”
“It was strange, that the security guard didn’t check in once while I waited for the ambulance.”
Lawson looked at her intently. She could not read his expression. This would be one of the first things the police would check … wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t they consult the security personnel first after an incident such as this?
“You may be on to something,” he said. “When you met Mr. Harrison, did he say anything to you about who might have done this?”
Leah was a little bewildered about the question. “On the contrary, he never brought up the subject and I didn’t think it was my place to ask.”
“Are you sure that nothing in your conversation might have hinted at the attack?”
With a shake of her head, she replied. “All he wanted was to repay me.”
“Yes,” the detective chuckled. “Harrison has been bugging me to find you, says you smell like flowers.”
Leah was surprised. “What?”
“The victim said you smelled like flowers – he couldn’t tell what kind. Couldn’t stop talking about how your perfume kept him alive,” Lawson said. “And your eyes, I swear, he thought you were some angel from heaven. Now seeing you, I don’t blame him.”
The mood in the room changed and Leah looked away. The way the detective was now raking his eyes over her made her skin crawl. Those sharp eyes settled on her breasts, causing her to squirm in her chair. The blouse she wore had a high neck with a teardrop slit at the cleavage. That’s where he affixed his gaze. To ease the discomfort, she coughed and rose from her chair.
“Would you like something to drink, Detective?” she asked, turning her back and walking to her left where a mini fridge and cabinet were.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
Leah poured herself some water and took a sip in a bid to compose herself. Nothing could be done about what she was wearing and she couldn’t stop his eyes from straying. However, she hoped he would get the message and stop ogling her the way he had been. When she turned, he was on his feet.
“Well, thank you for your time, Miss Brooks.”
He stretched his hand out. Leah was hesitant to take it. They shook and bade each other farewell. His eyes never once returned to her cleavage. Before he went through the door, he handed her his card.
“Please feel free to call me if you happen to remember anything else.”
She smiled. “I will, Detective.”
Returning to her desk, the conversation with the detective played over in her mind. Quinn didn’t strike her as the type of man to obsess about a woman. To her, Quinn’s obsession was due to her saving him and nothing more. He would as soon forget her and the way she smelled.
~13~
“Here’s the file on the woman you asked for,” Copeland pushed a manila envelope across the table.
Quinn’s heart skipped at a beat. The envelope contained the information he asked for. So why was he hesitant about opening it? What if Leah wasn’t interested in having dinner or getting to know him? Still, he must find out about her. If nothing else, he must find her in order to repay his debt.
They were in a restaurant across town where they decided to meet, away from curious eyes. He still hadn’t hired a body guard and Copeland scolded him about it before they got down to business. For the first time since Quinn was attacked, he felt that perhaps he should consider personal security. If Copeland felt he needed it, there was good reason.
Picking up the envelope, he wondered what he would find out about Leah. Tentatively, he opened the envelope and Leah’s photo fell out first. He picked it up and stared at it. She was definitely different from the women he was acquainted with and this had nothing to do with her looks. A stirring in his loins startled him and he dropped the photo. This thing about him responding sexually to her was beginning to distract him. He met her once – had exactly one conversation. Then he recalled that the night Terry stopped by, it was the thought of this strange woman that got him going.
“What’s the matter? Isn’t that her?” the PI frowned.
“Yes, it is she,” he replied, pulling the file from the envelope.
Leah Brooks. The name resounded with him. Leah Brooks, he repeated. The file said she was 29 years old, the director of her own company - Fantasy Weddings. His eyes dropped to her office address … 6th floor of The Lake Towers.
“What the…!” He exclaimed, backtracking to the address. “She really works there. I suspected as much, but I thought it was too good to be true and maybe she was there by coincidence.”
His heart was now beating quite erratically at the thought of her sitting in her office one floor below his. Come on Quinn, what’s the matter with you? You were never this hung up on any woman. And thinking she was an angel? When since were you religious? Those thoughts didn’t prevent his curiosity from blossoming into full blown desire to know her.
Quinn chuckled. “So Miss Leah Brooks, you can run, but you certainly cannot hide from me.”
“Well, now that the good news is out of the way…,” Copeland said in a grave tone.
Quinn’s head snapped up, his eyes searching Copeland’s face. What he saw was a set jaw and steely eyes. Quinn knew the look well. This was serious.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
Copeland cracked his knuckles and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “How’s business?”
“Great, couldn’t be better,” he responded. “Have you got something?”
The man stared at him for a moment. Quinn could not read his eyes. His chest tightened, expecting the bad news. What could it be that Copeland was taking his time telling him? Was it a business rival? Frank Crane came to mind. Pulling out of the merger was one of the best decisions Quinn could have made and Frank took him to court and lost.
That was a year ago. He remembered it well. The man had embezzled his own company and tried to get him to foot the loss. When he’d insisted on getting the financial reports, Frank panicked. Quinn brought in an independent auditor after suspecting that the company he just merged with had doctored the ledgers to get him on board. Frank lost everything and was ordered to pay damages of five million dollars. He was sentenced to three years in a federal penitently. Copeland’s voice brought him back from the past.
“Give me 48 hours to confirm what I have and I’ll get back to you, maybe sooner.”
At that moment, his phone buzzed, indicating a message. He picked it up and entered his code, then read the message. “Pay up or die. A hundred grand – no less.”
“What is it?” Copeland queried when he scowled at the screen.
He pushed the phone across the table. The PI’s eyes widened as he read the text. The number was unknown, but they both knew it was from the same people who sent the first one.
“What are you going to do?” Copeland said.
“I’m not giving them a cent if that’s what you mean. When I find these f***ers….”
Quinn doubled his fist and pounded the table. A few patrons looked their way. His intense glare encouraged them to turn back to their food.
“You stay away from trouble. I don’t want your father to get angry at me from the grave,” Copeland said. “Let the police and me handle this.”
It took a moment to squelch his rising anger. “Alright, I’ll stay out of it for now.”
“Good,” his friend replied. “Lawson is the best at catching bad guys, so trust him.”
“You know him?”
“Yeah, he was recruited for the CIA, but I don’t know what happened. Next I know, he joined the police force. You send the text to him and I’ll continue with my part. We’ll get these guys.”
By this time, Quinn had grown anxious. It was obvious that the investigator had something, but he knew the man. Copeland would not give him any information until he had definitive proof. It simply meant that he was on to something. He trusted the man implicitly and decided to wait the two days for the information.
The meeting left Quinn with a bittersweet feeling. On the one hand, he knew exactly where to find Leah and on the other was the shadow of darkness about his attack. Copeland’s promise to him was that when they next met, he’d have all the information he needed.
When he was seated in his car, he pulled the phone and read the message a few more times before forwarding it to Lawson. It was now late afternoon – 3:12 to be exact. After a moment’s thought, he headed to the office. Vita, and especially Alan, would be furious about him coming in. He was supposed to stay in Oregon until Friday and return to the office the following week. Work was all he had to keep him sane now. Plus, Leah was in that building.
He’d sped past a flower shop when he braked and reversed. It was a spur of the moment thought that he should get her something. She must love plants if she wore soft sweet perfumes like the one he could never forget. Chimes went off at the door as he pushed it and entered. A middle-aged woman approached.
“Can I help you?”
“Someone I know wears a flowery perfume. I want to get her something that smells like her.”
“Do you know what flower made her scent?”
He shook his head. “No, but it’s a beautiful scent.” He paused and thought for a moment. “You know what, get me a bouquet, a large one,” he replied.
“Is it for your wife?” She inquired, with a smile. “It is a rose perfume”
“I don’t think it’s rose and no she isn’t my wife,” he said.
“A girlfriend … fiancé?” she walked over to some pink tulips. “These are perfect for the one you love.”
Quinn bent and smelled the tulips. They didn’t smell anything like Leah. The woman knitted her brows as she watched him. He knew he looked odd smelling the flowers. He moved along the aisle and smelled each one.
“Just dating?” the woman asked.
Quinn glanced her way. “She saved my life.”
“Oh, you want to say thank you!” she said happily. “How about the gladiolus?”
He moved to the plant she was pointing at and smelled it. This wasn’t it either. Beside the gladiolus was another plant in a pot on a single stem with rose-colored petals. He was quickly drawn to it and he sniffed it. The familiar scent tickled his senses and rushed over him like warm rain. His heart galloped at a zillion beats per second as he took another long whiff of the beautiful yet subtle scent of orchids.
Finally, he straightened and picked up the pot. “This one.”
“Oh, that’s a little more intimate,” she advised.
“Then it’s perfect,” he smiled broadly with a gleam in his eyes.
She looked at him with a knowing smile. “Shall I have it delivered for you?”
After writing a short note, he handed it to the florist. At least one good thing happened today. As Quinn stepped on the gas on the way to his office, he wondered who wanted him dead. Was it Frank? The deal was a bad one and he’d pumped money into the man’s business. Frank had to know that what he was doing was a federal crime.
When Quinn pulled into the underground garage, the memory of the assault shot into his brain much like a bullet. The knife piercing his flesh was raw. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall anything he might have missed.
The smell of those dirty socks almost made him gag. The softness of breasts as he jabbed his elbow back was as though it was happening in that moment. He could feel the life drain from him with each ounce of blood that oozed from his body. Then Leah happened.
The thought of her brought a feeling of calm. Something about her made him relax through the pain of the memory. A sudden jolt in his chest made him open his eyes. The feeling startled him. His heart was beating more rapidly than before that he gripped his chest. Leaning back in the seat, he waited until it gradually returned to its usual pace.
* * *
“I couldn’t stay away any longer Lita, how have you been?”
The secretary stared at Quinn as she nervously wrung her hands together and looked anxiously toward Alan’s office. He knew what she was thinking. Alan had given strict orders to keep him away from the office.
“Quinn, Alan is going to blow a fuse. Why did you leave the resort?”
“I was bored to….”
“What are you doing here Quinn?” Alan came through the front office.
“I am the boss in case you forget that,” he joked. Alan wasn’t amused. “Stop being a mother hen, I’m in such good mood today,” he grinned, stepping away to his own quarters.
“Don’t you walk away from me.” Alan trailed him as he entered his office.
“Alan, stop fussing, really, I’m fine.”
“Did something happen?”
“Like what?”
“You said you’re in a good mood,” Alan sounded exasperated.
“Yeah, I’m alive. Isn’t that good news?”
Alan gave up and returned to his own office. Quinn turned his laptop on and brought up the list of companies he was scouting. Time for a new project.
~14~
Leah stared at the orchid, thinking that one of the parties from the upcoming wedding might have sent it. She’d managed to get permission to have the wedding at Cali Mall. This was the first time for such an event there, and would provide publicity for the shopping district.
A high society wedding between two of the most famous families in Cupertino called for celebration. The parents were both elated that the wedding ceremony was near the Cali Mall fountain. On the evening of the wedding, the section to be used would be
cordoned off. In addition to the invited guests, the public would get to witness this spectacle. Little treats would be handed to the spectators, adding to the publicity. Of course, the press would be present.
This wasn’t the most famous wedding Leah had ever done, but it was the most difficult to pull off. Both sides had different ideas of what they wanted. The parents had more input than the couple, and this was what made it difficult. It had been a tug of war between the mothers of the bride and groom. Leah thanked heaven it would be over soon.
She took the card and opened it, expecting that one of the parents, or even the bride had sent it. The handwriting was flashy, which told of her the person’s arrogance. She learned to read handwriting over the years and knew that someone cocky sent it. The groom’s father came to mind. A crease entered her forehead as she read:
Leah, you can run but you certainly cannot hide from me. Remember that dinner date you promised. How about this evening at 7? Call me. Quinn.
Below the name was his office and cellphone numbers.
“So you found me, huh?” she laughed. “You cocky bastard.”
Should she ignore it and pretend she never received it? She was tempted to do just that. Then again, if he found her, wouldn’t he hound her until he got what he wanted? Might as well get this over with, Leah.
A smile played on her lips as she dropped the card on her desk. Quinn was a shrewd man, she thought. From the scent of her perfume, he realized she liked orchids. She traced a blush petal with the tip of her finger, thinking that she’d take it home. Then she thought that perhaps leaving it in the office would be best. But where would she put it?
Adjusting it on the desk, she decided to leave it there. This was where it belonged, where she could see it every day. The encounter with Quinn at the lodge resurfaced and she must admit that she enjoyed their brief moment together. Without further thought, she picked up the card and dialed his cell phone.
“Quinn Harrison,” his deep smooth voice answered. Leah closed her eyes as her heart skipped and her throat suddenly went dry. “Hello?”
“Hello, this is Leah.”