by Camel Press
Spencer stepped forward with a sly smile, his brown eyes glittering in the starlight. “You know, don’t you?” He smirked at James. “I told you she’d figure it out.”
“You were supposed to keep that from happening.”
“And you were supposed to pay me yesterday, but I’m still waiting.”
“You’ll get your money when the job’s completely done.”
“That wasn’t the deal.”
Cat’s eyes darted back and forth until the men stopped bickering and looked at her.
Cat turned to Kiki. “So it’s true? You and James placed that bet so you could get control of his team, his biggest asset?”
“His team?” James stepped forward. “Our dad—our dad—bought this team. I’m entitled to it every bit as much as George but who does he give it to? The firstborn screw-up.”
“So you set up your own brother?”
“He set himself up with his gambling addiction. The league should’ve never approved him to be an owner anyway. They wouldn’t have if our dad hadn’t covered it up for him. I just brought to light what was already true.”
“George was clean. I spoke with his gambling counselor; he’s abstained for the last six years.”
“Bullshit! He met Kiki here, gambling at the casino two years ago. She told me so herself.”
Kiki averted her eyes, but not before Cat caught it. “Did she now?” Cat’s smile was triumphant. “I’d be careful, James. What goes around comes around.”
His eyes flashed and he charged toward her, backing her up to the rail. A smug smile stretched over his lips and he loomed over her. “Calm down. I’m not going to throw you overboard or anything. That water’s gotta be fifty degrees. You’d freeze to death in an hour; that is, if you didn’t get swept away by the current.”
He looked at Kiki and mockingly rubbed his chin.
“Although that would tie up some loose ends. And once the police figure out your brother was involved, implicating you won’t be much of a stretch.”
“Hey, hey. Wait a minute, what are you doing?” Spencer took a step toward her. “Back off or—”
He was cut off by the growing roar of an engine, so deafening she knew it was closer than the parking lot. Their heads shot up just in time to see a motorcycle speeding up the dock ramp and heading straight for the ship. Cat squinted into the single headlight, but couldn’t make out anything beyond its mounting glow. Spencer grabbed her arm and yanked her to the other side as it charged onto the dock. James made a futile attempt to get out of the way, but the extended front tire struck him and he flipped over the railing, falling into the dark water below.
“James!” Kiki screamed, but did not budge from her corner of the dock.
The motorcycle took a sharp turn to keep from careening into the casino boat and came to a halting stop. That’s when Cat recognized the Fatbob Harley and its driver’s skull-painted helmet.
“Quinn?!”
He took off his helmet, shook out his hair, and extended the helmet to Cat. “Need a lift?”
She grabbed it out of his hands and hopped on the back of the large motorcycle, throwing the helmet on her head just before he took off. As he sped down the wooden walkway and buzzed his way through the parking lot, the cold night became arctic. She tried to shield her face behind Quinn’s broad shoulders but there was nothing to protect her bare legs in the frigid air. He came to a stop under the freeway bridge and shut off the bike.
She hopped off the back of the bike and gave her numb legs a quick stretch. The two-minute ride was long enough for her. She preferred her cycles to be ten-speed and on a nature trail.
“We should be good here.”
Quinn took a look at her outfit and frowned. “Jesus, Cat. What are you wearing?” He slipped out of his leather jacket and handed it to her. “Put this on.”
She slipped it on. “Thanks.”
The light from the freeway bridge spilled over, and she did a double-take at his darkened locks. “What happened to your hair?”
He bent down to look at himself in the motorcycle’s side mirror. “I had to stay on the down low, too. It’s called Midnight Express. You like?”
“Not really.”
He flipped her blonde wig. “Well, same to you.”
Across the parking lot, they still had a view of the casino boat and she pointed at the crowd of people collecting on the deck, attempting to fish James out of the water with an extended lifeguard hook.
Quinn squinted toward the ship. “Damn, looks like he’s still moving.”
She scanned each face. “I don’t see Spencer. He must’ve snuck away when we fled. I can’t believe he’s been lying to me all this time.”
“Yeah, well ….”
She put her hands on her hips. “He lied about everything. He was in James and Kiki’s little scheme just as much as you were.”
“Not at first. All he was supposed to do was try to steer you and media toward George’s gambling and eventually break the story of his playoff bets to the world.” Quinn shook his head. “But you ended up doing it before he could and screwed everything up. I can’t believe he showed up to collect his money.”
“I can’t believe you came back. The cops are gonna be looking for you, you know?”
“James still owed me.”
“You made over four hundred thousand dollars on the game.”
“Yeah, well, James made a lot more than that and got a team out of the deal. He was supposed to pay all of us our final cut yesterday, but told me to meet him at the club today instead. I was on my way there when Webbs stopped me. You ran right past us.”
“That was you?” She remembered stopping at Webbs’ table on her way out of the club, but had been too frantic to register the identity of her dark-headed friend. “I guess I didn’t recognize you with your Just for Men makeover.”
“You didn’t recognize me? You were halfway across the casino when Webbs told me the slutty blonde sailor was my little sister.” He gave an exaggerated shudder.
“Fair enough.” She slipped off the wig and pulled at the wig cap until her own wavy red hair came tumbling down to her shoulders.
“Much better.”
“Quinn …” She took a deep breath. “Joel Faulk told me that you threw Ryan off the balcony. Please tell me you didn’t.”
He met her eyes with slight hesitation. “I was supposed to. But then Spencer …. I hesitated, but Spencer got impatient shoved me at Ryan. Same result. Besides, if it hadn’t been me, James would’ve just found someone else to do his dirty work.”
“Breaking people’s arms is not a living.”
“Yeah, I know that. Which is why in the end I couldn’t go through with it. I guess Spencer is more cold-blooded than I gave him credit for. I don’t think he’d admit—even to himself—that he had a hand in it. But that little dick Ryan had it coming. He threatened to rat us all out. He’s lucky all he got was the balcony.”
Her face paled. “Oh God, Damien Staats, you didn’t—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Quinn shook his head vehemently. “I didn’t have anything to do with that. I’ll rough a guy up or knock him into fifty degree water but,” he held a finger up, “I’m no killer. Besides, the cops ruled his death an accident.”
“Still. You forced Adam Alvarez to throw games—”
“Forced?” Quinn laughed. “Adam was in this more than anybody.”
“Why? He doesn’t need money.”
“He wants to be on a big market team, but he’s under the Soldiers’ control for the next three years. James told him that he’d get Roger to make a trade happen. Everybody got something out of this, Cat. James got the team, Spencer got …. well, was supposed to get the scoop of a lifetime, Adam got out, Joel got a payoff, Ryan got a contract extension, and the late lamented Damien got Kiki.”
“What?”
“Kiki. She and the first baseman were, you know, shagging flies behind the boss man’s back.”
“Kiki and Damien?”
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“He was in love with her; he was going to leave his wife for her once she divorced George.”
“No, you’re mixed up.” She shook her head. “Kiki and James are shagging flies behind the boss man’s back. I saw it with my own two eyes in the Champagne Room and even before that in the coat closet of Aiken’s Steak ’n Taters.”
“Huh.” Quinn jutted out his bottom lip thoughtfully. “I’ll be damned. They played him.” He tossed a look over to the casino. “Convenient for Kiki and James that Damien took himself out of that love triangle then.”
“Really convenient. Maybe it wasn’t an accident after all.”
“Hey, don’t look at me. I just wanted to make some easy money, but Swim Jim over there’s the one who had an agenda.”
Cat shushed him, cocking her head to make out the faint police sirens in the distance. “Cops.”
The whispers turned into wails and Quinn instinctively jerked his head toward the sound. “Fuck.”
“Quinn, Detective Kahn knows a lot and Joel is going to start blabbing his lips to save his own butt. I won’t be able to keep your name out of it and when he does, they’re gonna come at you and James hard.” Cat held out his helmet. “Your four hundred thousand dollars won’t even cover James’ defense attorney’s retainer. You need to leave town now.”
“But you—”
“Don’t worry about me.” She shoved the helmet into his hands.
“Kind of hard not to. For someone who lectures me about going legit, your world doesn’t seem a whole lot safer.”
She shrugged. “Maybe the McDaniels are destined for trouble.”
“Do me a favor then,” he said, throwing his long leg over the bike. “Benji’s a nice guy but he wields a baseball bat like a total pussy. Take him to the batting cages so that if someone really does break into your house, he can use it?”
He switched on the ignition and the gruff howl of the V-twin would have smothered any response, so she merely stuck out her tongue like the bratty kid sister he would forever see her as and handed him his jacket.
He secured his helmet, reluctantly accepted the jacket, and pinched her cheek. “Take care of yourself. Oh shit, I almost forgot.” He reached into his leather saddlebag and pulled out a key. “I left a wedding present in the cold air return vent of your office.”
Cat gave him a curious expression, but before she could ask, he winked and took off in the opposite direction of the incoming squad cars, leaving her in a cloud of dust. She tucked the key in her bra.
Chapter 31
Cat walked down the riverfront, shivering convulsively in her scanty nautical uniform. She raised her palms in the air when the officers noticed her. “I’m looking for Detective Kahn.”
“Over here. Send her over here.” Detective Kahn waved at her from an ambulance and immediately started walking toward a makeshift workstation on the hood of an unmarked Lincoln.
She moved as fast as the chunky shoes would allow. Her feet were really beginning to feel the consequences of a parking lot hike in platforms.
Paramedics loaded a blanket-wrapped James Hudson on an ambulance gurney. She charged over to Detective Kahn. “Why isn’t he in handcuffs? Didn’t Webbs tell you? It was James, not George, who placed those bets.”
“Hold up, kiddo, you’re going too fast for me.”
Cat took a deep breath. “James and Kiki are having an affair. They placed the bet under George’s name to set him up so that they could get the team. They bribed those players with contracts, trade deals, money … and Kiki, in the case of Damien. She was also having an affair with him.”
“How do you know all this?”
She indicated her ridiculous outfit, and his eyes widened, as though he were noticing her attire for the first time. “I went undercover.”
Detective Kahn’s eyes widened and he opened the back door of his car, pulling out a police blanket. “Let’s just take care of that. I don’t need you getting my rookies distracted.”
Cat looked around and noticed several uniformed officers watching them. She gratefully took the blanket and wrapped it around herself.
“Where’s your brother?” he asked.
She shrugged and averted her eyes from his intense stare.
“I’m asking as part of an official investigation, Cat. He rammed my suspect with a Fat Bob. James Hudson probably has a shattered leg.”
“He allegedly rammed him with a Fat Bob, Detective. Then he left town, for good this time.” Cat tried to sell that with every molecule of acting ability she possessed. Quinn probably hadn’t even made it to the city limits yet. “Does it matter? You got your guy. James’ wrists aren’t shattered. Throw a set of handcuffs around them.”
“I got Joel Faulk’s statement earlier. I know that Quinn was working as his muscle.”
“Not really.” She sighed, knowing she was fighting a losing battle. “So what happens now?”
“Well, I could charge you with obstruction of justice because I think you knew Quinn’s involvement when we spoke earlier.” He narrowed his eyes. “I also think you know where he’s going now.”
“I really don’t. Quinn and I have never been close.”
“I think James Hudson’s leg would beg to differ.” He leaned against the squad car. “Anyway, I’m not going to charge you with anything. I’ve got a jackass brother, too, and under the same circumstances, I’d protect him.”
If she hadn’t been wearing the spandex romper, she would’ve thrown her arms around him to show her appreciation. Instead, she took the modest approach and smiled to show her gratitude. “Thank you.”
“That doesn’t mean Quinn’s off the hook. In fact, if you speak to him, please tell him to turn himself in. We can make him a pretty good deal if he’ll testify against Hudson.”
“I don’t think I’ll be speaking to him for a while.” At least that was the truth. Cat figured, given Buffalo’s proximity to Canada, James was probably on his way to Chicoutimi. Sure, he could be extradited, but they’d have to find him first.
Cat looked around the scene. “Where’s Spencer?”
“Who?”
“Spencer Kekuia, the reporter for the News Herald.”
Detective Kahn shook his head slowly, completely oblivious not only to the fact of her former best friend’s involvement in the crime, but to his existence in general.
“I guess Joel didn’t tell you everything, after all. Funny how he was all loose lipped about my good-for-nothing brother, but Spencer and James’s involvement somehow slipped his mind.”
“Okay, okay now, just calm down and tell me who this cat is.”
“Spencer is—make that was—a friend of mine, but he was in on this, too. Quinn told me that James was paying him to keep me occupied and to release a scoop about George’s gambling addiction.”
Detective Kahn grabbed his notepad. “Spencer Kekuia, you said?”
“He was here, in the club with Kiki and James, and led me outside for their ambush.” She paused, feeling a twinge of guilt as she remembered his help on the dock. “He did pull me out of the way of the motorcycle. I might’ve fallen into the water, too.”
“Cat!”
They both whipped around as Benji charged the scene, but then was stopped by a couple of officers. He frowned at them and pointed at her. “That’s my fiancée.”
Detective Kahn nodded at the officers and Benji rushed in, throwing his arms around her. “I was in a night class when everyone’s phones started blowing up with James Hudson and the Snow Bird Casino. I had this sinking feeling you were involved so I kept calling your phone, but you never answered.”
Detective Kahn grabbed her purse off the hood of his car. “She was involved. This was evidence, but I suppose you can have it back.”
She sheepishly took it out of his hands and nibbled on her lip. Benji’s anger had turned into irritation. “I swear, I just came by to talk to Webbs and one thing led to another ….” She opened up the blanket and showed him the outfit. “It’s a long
story.”
His eyes grew as big as the lifesaver drink trays. “I would say so. Can we go home?”
Detective Kahn wagged his forefinger at both of them. “I’m gonna want an official statement, again, tomorrow.”
She nodded.
“Go on, get out of here.” He snapped his fingers at the two officers and they lifted up the police tape.
Benji drove them home, hanging on her every word as she recounted the evening’s events. She pulled Quinn’s key out of her bra and fiddled with it.
“What’s that?”
“Oh uh, well … Quinn told me he left a wedding present for the two of us in our cold air return vent.”
“Inside the cold air return vent? Is that some sort of family tradition? Or a Scottish thing? Like for good luck?”
She giggled. “Not that I know of, but when we were kids, he used to hide his Halloween candy in there to keep it away from me.”
Benji pulled into the parking lot. “What’s the key for? It’s kind of unusual looking.”
She held it up for inspection. It was tiny and gold, with an ornate head. “Only one way to find out.”
They headed straight for the office, not even stopping to slip off their shoes on the floor mat. Cat wheeled over the desk chair and hopped on the seat. “Hand me that screwdriver.”
Benji grabbed the screwdriver off the desk and steadied the wobbling chair underneath her. She dropped the screws in his open palm and pried off the vent cover, pulling out a large wooden box.
Benji took it from her. “It’s a box.”
She hopped off the chair and smiled. “That’s not just any box.” She pointed at wooden carvings in the sides. “It’s a puzzle box. We each had one of these when we were little.”
“Do you know how to open it?”
“Not exactly.” She felt the sides and moved to the front, trying to find the latch. “That’s part of the security feature.”
“That’s annoying.”
“Legend has it that if you can figure it out, a good luck charm lies inside.” She turned the decorative carving on the side and pulled down the piece of wood behind it. It presented a keyhole. Aha!” She smiled triumphantly and held out her hand. “Key?”