Protection

by Shelley Munro

  They started their walk back to the office, retracing the path to the road.

  Halfway along River road, a small white car slowed before it passed them. The two female occupants stared before the driver sped up and drove off.

  Great. Just bloody great. His mother and sister possessed an inbuilt antenna where he was concerned. No doubt he’d hear about his Lothario tendencies and his bad reputation next time they met.

  Back in the office, he waited for Alice to check the paperwork.

  “Ben has numbers one, two and three. Harriet has numbers four and five. Joseph has three, four and five. Katarina has one and two. And we were meant to have one of each.”

  James nodded. “I’ll ring them to confirm they have the correct numbers. Where did the balloons come from?”

  “Someone delivered them to the office earlier. I don’t know how they got up there. They were in the corner of the room when I arrived this morning.”

  James’ eyes narrowed. He grabbed a chair and stood on it to reach one of the colorful helium balloons floating on the ceiling. “This one is covered with clowns. And this one has dogs on it.”

  “Yes.”

  He studied her in a thoughtful manner before he gathered up the rest of the balloons and clambered down. “You said you saw a clown and a dog driving a van.”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t like it. It’s time to let the police know.” A twinge of unease rippled down his backbone. It was easy to see the gifts made her uncomfortable. Why hadn’t she mentioned them earlier?

  Alice grimaced. “That’s part of the reason I was late for our lunch date. I stopped to have a word with Richard and Luke.”

  “So that’s why Luke escorted you.” Relief hit James. Until then he hadn’t realized jealousy had played such a big part in his reaction. It made him look at her with new eyes. Sure, they were compatible in bed, but they had nothing in common apart from their interest in Fancy Free. They were too different for him to consider anything more than a fling.

  “Luke said I shouldn’t go anywhere alone, to be on the safe side. I’ll go and check with Rodney about the samples,” she said, “although we both checked the numbers together. I don’t see how we could have both made a mistake.”

  “Wait.” He grasped her forearm to halt her departure. “Has anything else happened that I should know about?” He gestured at the balloons he’d rescued and tied to the chair.

  “A couple of things.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded. “Such as what?”

  “Some business cards, a jack-in-a-box at the bed and breakfast. More balloons.”

  James didn’t like the sound of it, even though taken on their own they seemed harmless. “Be careful. Don’t go anywhere on your own.”

  “I won’t,” she promised. “I won’t leave the premises.”

  He gave a clipped nod. “Straight there and back.”

  Half an hour later, she returned and he finished his last phone call. “Everyone has the correct model numbers.” He grinned without warning. “Good results, by the sound of it. They’re having fun doing the tests.”

  “That’s fantastic.” She frowned. “Rodney is as sure as I am about the correct condom numbers. I’ve checked my handbag again in case I missed it but the sample isn’t there.”

  “It’s not in the office. I checked in case it had dropped out.”

  Alice’s brows drew together, and he had to admit, it didn’t look good. “That leaves Rita and the latex salesman.”

  “I can’t believe either of them had anything to do with it.” James leaped to his feet. “Rita has been here since the start, and we’ve dealt with the same salesmen for ages. Burt Williams, our normal guy, right?” At Alice’s nod, he added, “Besides, you said he wasn’t alone.”

  “He wasn’t.” Her voice was sharp and her nose lifted in an imperious manner. “I didn’t do it either.”

  “I never said you did. But we’ll have to tighten security again. We can’t afford to take risks.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” she snapped. “I’ll liaise with Richard.”

  A taut silence hummed between them before James gave a curt nod. “I intend to work on the new campaign and do some cold calling to try to shift Fancy Free products. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “At your place? Around six?”

  “Make sure you grab a cab or call me. Don’t walk.”

  “I won’t. Believe me, I don’t want to come face-to-face with the clown or the dog again. I want to go back to the bed and breakfast to change and chase up the bank about the overdraft. I can’t believe the bank manager is being so pedantic. There must be some way out of this mess.”

  James left Alice to continue with her day and headed back to his office, troubled by the missing condom. After dropping into his swivel chair, he pulled a pad out of the drawer on his right. He studied the list of names—every one of Fancy Free’s staff along with the board members. It was obvious someone didn’t want the company to succeed. But not Alice. He knew that automatically. Besides, she’d made it clear she wanted her inheritance, and in all fairness, she pulled her weight, working hard to make sure the company succeeded. He crossed off Alice’s name. He crossed off several other names since they had nothing to do with production or had entry to the offices. That left about ten names—all friends and known to him for years.

  He grunted. It was obvious they harbored a viper in their bosom, one they’d have to weed out before the company failed.

  And the problems Alice had with the clown and dog harassing her. He wondered if this was something to do with Fancy Free or completely unconnected. James made a mental note to talk to Richard and Luke to get their feedback.

  Knowing there was nothing else he could do at present, he started his cold calls. Not his favorite task but a necessary one if they wanted to boost sales.

  Three hours later, he reached the end of his list. He picked up the orders he’d taken, deciding to deliver them to dispatch in person. After letting Rita know he’d finished for the day, he strode from the offices and turned toward the warehouse that housed both production and dispatch. He waved to Rodney, who as usual seemed in a world of his own and didn’t register his presence. The man obsessed about his work, living and breathing condoms and sexual aids.

  James didn’t suspect their inventor was responsible for their problems either and mentally crossed the man off his list. He pushed open the door to dispatch and entered.

  “Hi, Tim. I have some orders for you to send out to new customers.”

  “Great.” The teenager accepted the orders and scanned them. “It’s been slow.”

  “What about the order for McEntee and Jerry? That was due out today.”

  “Canceled,” Tim said. “I had it ready to go and a woman rang up from the company saying the order wasn’t needed.”

  “Did she say why? It’s the first I’ve heard of it.” Alarm filled James. They couldn’t afford to lose orders. “Let me check while you start on these. I’d like them to go tonight.”

  Tim nodded and began to box the new orders while James rang Rita to discover why McEntee & Jerry had cancelled their order.

  “Rita, Tim says today’s orders were canceled.”

  “When? Why?” Rita’s surprise carried down the phone.

  “Exactly what I’d like to know.” Hell, not again. This was starting to piss him off. He’d discover the culprit’s identity if it were the last thing he did before his contract ended.

  “Should I ring McEntees?”

  “No, I’ll do it.” He disconnected his cell phone and dialed McEntees. A three-minute conversation revealed the saboteur had hit again. James hung up and checked his watch. The courier truck should arrive in half an hour. “Where are the orders?”

  “On the spike. Do they still want them?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m sorry,” Tim said. “I unpacked all the boxes since I didn’t think they were required.”

  “Not your
fault. I’ll help box them.” James went to work, pulling boxes from the stack, scanning, checking and addressing them, cursing under his breath all the while. Dammit, heads would roll over this. He would find the damn culprit. Working as quickly as possible, they packed the orders. Unfortunately, the large order took time to package and the courier arrived before they’d finished. “Damn.” He scowled down at the current order. There were several more to complete after this one. “Can you wait?”

  “No time, man.” The courier puffed on his cigarette and blew three perfect smoke rings. “Have a schedule to keep. Do ya have anything for me to take or not?”

  James came to a quick decision. “Yeah.” He indicated the pile of three boxes he’d packed along with the three that Tim had completed for the extra orders. Once the courier left, he’d pack the rest and deliver them himself. No way did he intend to let the saboteur win. The courier loaded the boxes in the back of his truck and took off in a cloud of dust, revving his engine until it roared in protest.

  “Do you need a hand?” Rita hurried up, gasping her words out between puffs.

  “Yeah, thanks.” James yanked another carton of condoms off the shelf and slit the tape fastening with a sharp knife. A pity the orders weren’t straight boxes of the same condom. Instead, they had to hand pack each order individually. Still, it was the offer of a mixture of condoms that had nailed the huge order. He could hardly complain now.

  Between them, they packed the other fifteen boxes. “Rita, would you ring Ben and Joseph and see if they can help deliver this order. I think with the three of us we’ll have enough vehicles to deliver the rest of the order in time to catch the flight to Wellington.”

  When Rita headed for the phone, he checked his watch. Almost seven. He grabbed his cell phone and rang his home number. Engaged. He shoved the phone in his pocket and loped to his SUV. It was going to be a long night.

  * * * * *

  Alice glared at the phone when it rang yet again. No way did she intend to pick that phone up for a third time. First, Mrs. Bates, James’ mother, had rung and blasted her for the despicable behavior with her son. Then James’ sister had rung and taken the next shot, lambasting her for walking down the street without underwear. Alice had told James everyone would notice. Her mouth drew to a thin line when she recalled the biting words that had poured down the phone. According to Melissa, if it weren’t for her, James would toe the line and work in the family business as a lawyer. She’d tried to tell them he was an adult and did as he pleased but both women had refused to let her get a word into the conversation. Finally, tired of the abuse, she’d hung up.

  When the phone rang for a third time, she turned it off while she prepared dinner. Stress roiled in her stomach. Her afternoon had been a traumatic one, and it dismayed her each time she thought about it. She’d arrived at the bed and breakfast to find Lindy distraught. Someone had broken in while she’d visited the supermarket in the neighboring town.

  They’d rung the police and Luke had arrived at the house quarter of an hour later.

  “Have you touched anything?” he’d demanded.

  “No, I arrived home after Lindy. We rang you straight away.” Alice wrapped her arm around Lindy’s trembling shoulders. “The front door was wide open, and we could see someone had been inside.”

  “I locked the door,” Lindy said. “I know I did. I wasn’t even gone for long. All I wanted were some extra supplies to finish cookies for the school fete tomorrow.”

  Luke slipped past them in full cop-mode, his brown eyes narrowed in concentration. His face set in harsh lines, his normal heart-stopping smile absent. “Wait here while I check to see that the intruder has gone.” In seconds he prowled from sight, and although Alice strained to listen, she couldn’t hear a single footstep despite the creaky floorboards in the old Victorian house.

  “I feel violated.” Lindy swiped the traces of tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry to be such a watering pot but I’ve never been in this situation before. This is a good town, a safe town. That’s why we chose to settle here.” She cupped a hand over her stomach in a protective manner, and Alice suddenly clicked. Lindy was expecting a baby.

  Luke returned. “It’s safe to come inside. There’s no one here. It looks as though they came in via the laundry window and left through the front door after opening it from inside. I’ll call the guys who check for fingerprints.”

  “Have they…they done much damage?” Lindy asked in a timid voice.

  “I think you need a cup of tea,” Alice said. “Can we use the kitchen?”

  “The kitchen is clear. I don’t think they went in there.” Luke stood aside and let Alice guide Lindy toward the kitchen. She heard him speak quietly into his cell phone while she took care of Lindy. Alice pushed her into a chair before bustling about to make the tea. “I’ll ring Jake for you.”

  “No, I can do it. I’m pregnant not injured. Arriving home to a break-in was a shock.” She stood abruptly, walked over to the counter where the phone sat and picked up the hand piece.

  While Lindy spoke to Jake, Luke strode over to her. Something in his expression brought a wave of tension, her stomach tight with nerves. “Problem?”

  “They’ve trashed a couple of rooms. There’s not much damage, but they’ve been creative in your room. At least I’m assuming it’s yours.”

  “They?”

  Luke hesitated before saying, “Looks like the clown and the dog.”

  When Alice took several steps toward the doorway, he stopped her with a hand to her shoulder. “Wait until the fingerprint guys arrive. I presume Jake is coming home?”

  “I think so.” A shudder worked down her backbone.

  Without speaking, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed lightly. “We’ll catch them.”

  “This has something to do with Fancy Free,” Alice whispered. “I’m not sure how or why but someone is trying to scare me so I won’t keep to the terms of the will.”

  “But practically everyone in town knows about the six-month stipulation in Alicia’s will.”

  “Then you have a tough job, don’t you?”

  Luke snorted his amusement. “Oh yeah?” The mirth faded leaving latent sensuality—enough to cause a hitch in her breathing. “What’s up with you and James? Would I tread on his toes if I asked you out?”

  Alice hesitated before deciding on honesty, or as much as she was prepared to give. “James and I are testing condoms. We’re spending quite a bit of time together but we don’t have a commitment between us. It wouldn’t feel right going out with another man while I’m working with James so…uh…closely.”

  Luke smoothed the back of his hand over her cheekbone. “It’s not just work for you.”

  A sigh whispered between her lips and regretfully she shook her head. “No.”

  Smiling, Luke lowered his head and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. He drew back to study her intently. “We can be friends.”

  Alice nodded, understanding he’d give more if she wanted, if she gave the slightest indication. “Friends,” she agreed. He hugged her briefly, reminding her she wasn’t wearing any underwear. Her gaze flew to his and his slow, sexy grin told her he had noticed her lack of bra. Oh dear. Here’s hoping she didn’t have a sudden attack of clumsiness because that really would give the show away. All of a sudden she was aware of cool air around her upper thighs and buttocks, the swish of her skirt over naked skin. She prayed she didn’t trip.

  Luke chuckled, humor shining in his eyes. “James is a lucky man. Is he still going traveling once his contract is up?”

  “Yes.” Pain sliced her heart at the knowledge. She didn’t understand James sometimes. He confused her.

  They heard the front door open and hurried footsteps.

  “Lindy?”

  “In the kitchen, Jake,” Luke called.

  Jake burst through the door seconds later, the panic on his face only clearing when he saw his wife, safe and unharmed. A trace of envy struck Alice hard. James held h
er heart but he never looked at her like that. Mostly he snapped at her these days.

  “Jake, Alice and I are going to check out her room. There’s a bit of damage in there and I want to know if anything is missing.”

  Jake nodded. Alice followed Luke from the room, and when she glanced back, Jake had Lindy in a tight embrace. Security. Friendship. Love. That’s what they had together. They had each other and were a team. Gosh, she envied them.

  “Sometimes James doesn’t know what he wants or needs,” Luke said. “His parents have been hard on him because he refused to follow the path they wanted. It’s colored the way he sees things.”

  “Hmmm.” She followed Luke up the curved flight of stairs to the first floor. Her room, the Sunflower room, was halfway along the passage.

  The door stood open and Luke stopped her on the threshold. Suddenly, she was glad of his solid presence. The intruders had tipped out all her drawers and emptied the contents of her wardrobe, tossing her clothes all over the floor. She gasped in shock and clapped a hand to her mouth to still the sound. Her plain white panties looked like giant stepping stones forwarding a stream. Heat crawled into her face and seeped down her neck. Oh dear. They looked enormous. Maybe there was some merit in owning tinier pairs of panties instead of the sort that helped suck in a stubborn tummy. When she looked more closely, she saw that clown stickers had been slapped on her bras and they were arranged neatly on the bed to display this fact. They also looked large—they had to be to hold her breasts—and plain. Alice closed her eyes briefly, trying to stifle her embarrassment and the sense of violation.

  “Alice?”

  Her eyes flickered open and she inhaled, desperately seeking calm. Her gaze took in the rest of the room. When she stepped closer to the bed, calm deserted her. A stuffed toy leaned against her pillows—a dog—and it had a spear through its heart. “That…” her words trailed off when she noticed the clown doll. It had toppled off the bed and lay in two parts, the head separated from the body. “Do you think that’s a message?”