Mint Cookie Murder

by Leslie Langtry

  "That's my house, and you can't commandeer it! I live there!" I don't think I'd ever been this angry at Riley. Even after the time in Nicaragua when he accidentally set fire to my shoes (he was trying to start a fire in the middle of nowhere), while I was wearing them. Or the time on the Amazon River when he used up all the mosquito spray on himself, leaving me to turn into one huge, itchy welt. Or the time in Moscow when we were undercover in a seedy bar filled with the Russian mafia and he slid out in our getaway car for a booty call—leaving me to walk through the worst part of that city alone. In January. Huh. I realized I had a lot to be mad at Riley for.

  "You don't go anywhere without me," Riley replied. "As of right now, you are in danger. My job is to figure out why."

  "If Bobb wanted to kill me, he would have," I snarled. Philby hissed quietly, deciding a full-on hiss didn't warrant upsetting his comfort.

  "He was scoping you out," Riley said. "There is no argument here, Wrath. You're staying."

  "Look," I said evenly in an attempt to reason with him, "I don't think…" I looked at my cat. He was snoring. "…the assassin wanted to kill me. Maybe he wanted to talk to me? Now I won't be there to do so."

  Riley shook his head. "I'm not taking any chances." He moved to the door and opened it. "I'll run home to get some things. This door locks from the outside, and I've instructed Suzanne to shoot you with a tranq gun if you try to leave."

  "You what?" He what? "I'm trapped in here? This isn't a safe house…it's a cell! And what about safety? How do I get out if my shoes catch fire for no reason?" I hoped he'd catch my meaning. He didn't.

  "I don't want you getting hurt. Will you please just trust me and stay here? Please?" He sounded exasperated. "And it's not a prison. There's a keypad hidden in here. I'm just not going to give you the code right now."

  I threw my arms up in the air. "I don't believe this! You can't keep me here! You have no legal grounds to do so!"

  "I know!" He shouted. I wondered what Suzanne thought was happening in here. "But if you would just do this one thing for me…one thing! I'd really appreciate it!" Riley's eyes were pleading. It caught me off guard.

  For a moment, I thought about this. I took a couple of deep breaths and closed my eyes. Riley said he was doing this to keep me safe. Fighting him on it wasn't doing any good. My heartbeat started to slow down a little.

  He had a point. I didn't want to die any more than the next guy. But I didn't like being locked up. I thought about rushing Riley and twisting his testicles until he shouted for Suzanne to let me out.

  On the other hand, I could use some uninterrupted time to think about this. Riley thought I was safe here, so this was as good a place as any to sort things out. Maybe I should do what he says…for now. If I have to knock him down later to get out of here, I can. But right now, I'd go along with him.

  "I will stay here until you get back. Then we're going to talk," I said.

  "Fine." Riley flashed me a dazzling smile. "See you in a bit." The door closed behind him, and I heard the latching sound of a lock. Fantastic.

  I sat on the bed and started to pet Philby. He didn't seem to even notice. I thought about Bobb. Riley thought I was his target. So why didn't he kill me on the spot then? I never knew an enemy assassin who didn't take advantage of any opportunity to kill when he had it. And he'd had me in my backyard with the hedges for cover. It would've been perfect.

  And yet, Bobb didn't even attempt to approach me. The assassin even let me know he knew my name. And he told me his name with the spelling that would've tipped me off. Why do that? None of it made sense. Surely Riley could see that?

  As for me visiting Lenny in the clink…I know I didn't do that. Well, unless I was under the influence of hypnosis. That has happened before. Once in Serbia, a double agent hypnotized me into thinking I was an Olympic soccer player. And, oh yeah, a man. Riley managed to track me down before I made it into the men's locker room to change for a match. Although I'm sure the Nigerian men's team would've caught onto me before I took my shirt off.

  No, I couldn't have visited Lenny. Besides, Riley would have the video footage soon enough to prove that. But someone was setting me up. My money was on Bobb. That would be easy. And maybe he pulled off the Midori murder too.

  Still, I had Girl Scout Cookies to sell, assassin or no. I couldn't stay here. That would be ridiculous. And I had a boyfriend. He'd wonder what was up. I pulled out my cell and dialed.

  "Hey, Merry!" Rex answered. He was using my first name so he must be away from the office.

  "Hi, Babe!" Babe? Why did I call him that? Pet names definitely meant the relationship was getting serious, didn't it?

  Rex laughed. "I was just thinking of you."

  Yay! He was thinking of me! I guess my use of the name, Babe, wasn't so weird after all.

  "Well," I said, "Maybe we should get together tonight. Maybe we could go out for dinner or something?" I was on dangerous ground now—suggesting something other than our usual cuddle at his house.

  "Oh, sorry, Merry," Rex replied. "I've got to make up meeting my friend. Remember, I was supposed to meet Angela the other night, but you had that unexpected visitor?"

  My heart sank. "Um, sure, okay. Who's Angela again?" I asked, hoping it sounded like I couldn't remember. It was a risk. Either sound like a moron or bypass any chance at getting intel on this bimbo.

  "Just an old friend. She's in town for a conference this week. I'll fill you in later—I have to get ready."

  "Okay. Bye…" I said, trying not to sound like I was sulking. Which I was.

  "Bye, Gorgeous," Rex said. That was something—sort of like a very adjectivey pet name.

  Angela. So that was her name. Angela. I didn't like her name. An Angela was a statuesque, seductive, siren who never once in her life had to take "no" for an answer. She's probably some high-powered executive. But what would she be doing in town at a conference? It's not like we're a big city, like Des Moines, for crying out loud. Who came here for a conference? Well, I guess we did have a Radisson.

  Likely story—a conference. She's probably always pined for Rex. My mind started snowballing. I'd bet they were together in college. She was recruited by some major corporation, but Rex wanted to be a detective in a small town. Angela threw down an ultimatum and lost him forever. Okay—that part of my made-up story made me feel better.

  But now, she's back! Determined to win the love she once lost! Angela would pull out all the stops too, wearing a skin-tight designer suit in blood red and super sexy stiletto high heels. Her long, exotic, mahogany hair in perfect waves cascading over her shoulders as she sashayed to meet him in the hotel lobby.

  I shook my head to clear it. Whoa, this was getting a little out of hand. I had no proof of any of this. Besides, he'd called me "Gorgeous"! And he told me all about this date.

  Date. No, this couldn't be good. I needed to do something. I looked at my watch. 5 p.m. Damn. I didn't have much time. I needed to act on this intel.

  * * *

  "What do you mean, you need the night off?" Riley asked me when he got back. "You don't get a night off, Wrath. It doesn't work that way."

  He'd returned shortly after my call with Rex with Philby's litter box and food and a bag of my clothes and toiletries. How he knew what I'd need was pretty weird.

  "I've got some Girl Scout stuff I have to do tonight," I lied.

  "I'll go with you," Riley said.

  "No!" I shouted a little too eagerly. No way was I going to bring him along as I spied on Rex. He'd laugh at me. I'd never live it down. "You would be totally bored. I'll be perfectly safe," I promised.

  Riley frowned at me. "I don't think so," he said. "Something's up. What's really going on?"

  "Nothing." I shrugged. "Just stuff I need to do. Boring stuff."

  "That isn't how this works, Wrath. What part of locked up in a safe house do you not understand?"

  I narrowed my eyes. "And what part of you can't legally hold me here, and I don't work for you anymore don't
you understand?"

  Riley crossed his arms over his chest. "You are not going anywhere until I kill Bobb."

  Philby hissed from inside of his litter box.

  "Then you are going to have to defend yourself, because I'm going to kick your ass and Suzanne's ass too." I got into a defensive stance.

  "Like you could take me," Riley sneered, removing his jacket.

  I lunged forward and pushed his jacket over his shoulders, locking his arms behind him. Swinging my right leg, I knocked his legs out from under him and then held him facedown on the floor.

  "I'm sorry," I murmured in his ear. "What were you saying?" I got off him and allowed him to struggle to his feet. He didn't look very happy.

  "I could shoot you," he said, putting his hand on his gun. "Or have Suzanne bring in the tranq gun."

  "Yeah, who is Suzanne, anyway?" Curiosity got the best of me. "And why a yarn shop?"

  Riley shrugged. "Suzanne is actually from here. She joined the CIA but quit shortly after training. I've kept her number handy." He smiled.

  "Ah. One of your conquests?" I asked. "Poor kid. Do I have some stories for her…" I got up, walked over to the door, and knocked.

  Riley tackled me and held me against the wall. "Blackmail? Really?" He backed up, releasing me. I did notice with some satisfaction that he got out of my way in case I reciprocated.

  I winked. "What do you think, Riley? I've still got the numbers of a few women at the office who might be interested in some information…"

  Riley frowned. "You wouldn't."

  I smiled because I had him now. "I would."

  He sank into a chair, defeated. "I'm just trying to protect you."

  "I can protect myself." Except against Angela's plans to take my boyfriend. "I just need a few hours."

  "For Girl Scout stuff?" he asked. I nodded.

  "Kelly can go with you then." He decided.

  Oh great. Kelly would probably give me a worse time than Riley ever could.

  "That's the only way you're going out for a few hours. With Kelly." Riley crossed his arms to let me know he was serious. "And I mean a few hours, Wrath. You get three. Max."

  "You can't make me take Kelly with me!"

  "I'm doing this for your own good!" he stormed. Wow. I'd never seen him so angry! Not ever. He'd always had this placid, laid-back surfer vibe.

  "What's your deal?" I asked. "Why is this so important to you?"

  Riley walked up to me. He took my face in his hands, his lovely blue eyes on mine. "You are important to me." I felt my anger break. Was he going to kiss me again? For some reason, I really, really wanted him to. Oh my God! What was I thinking? I had a boyfriend! I had to solve this case and get rid of Riley so I wouldn't have this temptation anymore.

  He released me and walked away, running his hands through his hair and straightening a tie that had never loosened. "I'll take you to Kelly's. She will bring you back here when all is said and done. I'll stay here with you tonight, and we can try to figure this out." He looked at his watch.

  "I should be getting the footage from the prison any minute now. We'll go through it when you get back."

  "Okay," I said, a little dazed. This man had way too much sway over me. I needed to get out of the range of his pheromones to think. Besides, it was time to stalk my boyfriend and destroy the seductive Angela before being locked down for the night by the CIA. Piece of cake.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  "I don't suppose I've told you yet how stupid this idea is?" Kelly frowned behind me. I could virtually feel her frowning.

  "Not since five minutes ago," I said, my voice muffled by the clothes in the closet. I was rummaging for my spy suitcase. It was filled with all the stuff I'd ever need in my life of not being a spy anymore. My fingers grasped the worn, leather handle, and I yanked it out, gulping in the rush of fresh air.

  I took the case to the breakfast bar and opened it. Kelly appeared over my shoulder.

  "Seriously. You should really think about this."

  "Her name is 'Angela,' Kelly. Angela!" I said as I plucked a tiny camera from the suitcase. It was the size of a pack of Wrigley's gum. One end held a tiny lens, and there was a small button on top. The bottom of the camera was a screen so I could see what I was taking pictures of. There was a tiny LED light for a flash, but I'd be too far away for it to be useful. I turned it off. A light would just make me stand out anyway.

  I retrieved a small, velvet bag from the case and removed its contents. The tracking device was a tiny magnet with a super thin wire coming out of it. There was also a monitor the size of a GPS unit.

  "What are you going to do with those?" Kelly asked.

  I looked her up and down. "Go get changed. Wear black."

  "No way," Kelly said. "I promised Riley I'd be with you every moment."

  "Fine," I sniffed. "I'll change, and then we'll go to your house."

  Ten minutes later, Kelly was sitting in her car a couple of houses up from my house, and I was sneaking up Rex's driveway dressed all in black. My boyfriend's SUV was parked out front, not in the garage, so it only took a few seconds to place the tracking device. I'd just climbed into Kelly's car as Rex came out of the house.

  "If we're going to follow him," Kelly whispered, "why do we need a tracking device?"

  "Just in case we lose him," I whispered back as I watched Rex stride out to his car and get in. Wow. He looked fantastic. He had on khaki slacks and dress shoes, a button-down shirt and tie, and a navy blazer. Huh. He didn't get that dressed up with me. My throat started to ache a little.

  "Get going!" I hissed as Rex started to pull out of the driveway.

  "I cannot believe I'm doing this," Kelly whispered, throwing the car into drive and creeping slowly down the street.

  I turned on my monitor and saw the satisfying little red spot that told me Rex was on the move. Kelly's car was the blue dot.

  "You're doing this because you love me."

  "By the way, why are we whispering?" Kelly whispered.

  I looked at her for a second. "I don't really know," I said in a normal voice.

  We followed Rex in silence as he made his way to the downtown area. That made sense. Angela was staying at a hotel, so he must be going to pick her up. And if he lingered there for more than 10 minutes after dropping her off, I was going to use the carrot I brought.

  Rex pulled into the check-in area for the Radisson and went inside. Kelly parked across the street and turned her lights off. We sat there, waiting.

  "She's probably trying to lure him up to her room to seduce him," I grumbled.

  "Why would Rex cheat on you?" Kelly asked. It was a stunner of a question. One I didn't think I could answer. Why would Rex cheat on me?

  "I don't think he'd go that willingly," I said. "But Angela would pull out all the stops. Men are pretty weak when a naked woman is begging for it."

  "Oh for crying out loud." Kelly rolled her eyes. "He told you about it. You said he called you "my gorgeous angel." What more do you want?"

  I might have exaggerated what Rex had said to me a smidge. Yes, I'm that insecure.

  "There they are!" I was back to whispering for some reason. In seconds I had the camera up and was taking pictures as fast as I could.

  "Okay, so she's pretty," Kelly said.

  I stopped and looked over the camera. She was pretty. Rex, my boyfriend, was laughing as he escorted an attractive honey-gold blonde to his car. Angela was wearing a coat over a dress and high heels. She was grinning at him. He opened the door to the passenger side, and she got in. He closed the door behind her.

  I slumped in my seat. "Never mind. It's over. I can't compete with that. Let's get a couple quarts of ice cream and go home to cry."

  Kelly started the car. "No way. Not a chance. You finally get a decent boyfriend and you're giving up?"

  I stared at her. "What's the point? I make myself miserable watching them flirt all night? I'd rather go home and drive bamboo splinters under my nails."

  Rex s
tarted driving, and Kelly followed. "No, we're going to follow him so you can see that there's nothing going on. She's probably married, and they're just friends." She had the most determined look on her face. A look I'd seen since we were kids. There'd be no backing out of this now.

  "Can we just get ice cream to eat while we spy then?" I asked. I thought it was a fair question. I hadn't had dinner.

  We followed them to Trattoria Italiano—the nicest restaurant in town, and parked outside as the two went inside. My heart was around my ankles. Kelly jumped out and ran to the convenience store at the end of the block, returning with two pints of Ben & Jerry's. I loved her.

  "What about spoons?" I asked.

  Kelly rummaged through the glove compartment and found some sporks. We started eating as the maître d' sat Rex and Angela in a window directly across from us. I really couldn't have set it up any better. We watched as he ordered a bottle of wine, and it was served by the sommelier.

  "So why does Riley have you hiding out at the yarn shop?" Kelly asked through a mouthful of Chunky Monkey.

  I picked at my Phish Food. "Some stupid assassin is after me." I told her the whole story as we watched Rex and Angela talking and laughing and eating out in a nice restaurant. Something he never did with me.

  That struck a harsh note. What kind of relationship did Rex and I even have anyway? We never went out. We hadn't told ourselves we were dating each other exclusively. We fooled around but weren't having sex. Maybe I didn't have a right to think of Rex as my boyfriend. Yeah, so that didn't depress me even more. If I was going to get through this surveillance, I was going to have to decide that I was in a committed relationship with Rex. I'd just have to tell him that he's in it later.

  "How do you get yourself into these situations?" Kelly asked.

  I shrugged. "Just lucky, I guess." I set down the ice cream to take a few more photos, but my heart wasn't in it. I was pretty convinced that Rex and Angela were picking out wedding invitations and deciding on the reception venue.

  "They're just having dinner," Kelly said, nodding toward the couple. "I haven't seen anything that says otherwise."