“I know my business, Saylor. And it’ll be my ex-business if they catch us in this room. You’re wasting time. Let’s go.”
Thirty-one stories. I nodded and bit on my lip, awaiting his instructions as if I had a date with the gallows.
“Here’s the deal. Just climb onto my lap and wrap your legs around my waist.”
What a time for him to say those words.
“You like this position, right?” He gave me a sexy grin.
I felt my face go red, but avoided his eyes. Clasping the hand he extended toward me, I stepped onto the sill. He guided me onto his lap. I put my arms around his neck and squeezed my eyes shut.
“Hold on tight,” he said.
His hard body felt heavenly, but the instant he pushed us from the ledge and out into space I thought I might faint from the sheer terror. My eyes popped open. Nothing in front of me but the night sky. It took everything I had not to scream. I broke out in a cold sweat. It was like something from one of those terrible dreams where you’re dangling off the ledge of a tall building.
Wait a sec. I was dangling off the ledge of a tall building.
“I love being up here.” Eldridge sounded positively jubilant. “Try to get into it.”
All I could muster was a little whimper. I just hoped I wouldn’t barf on him.
“Don’t worry, Saylor, I won’t let go of you.”
A tingling sensation ran from my fingertips to my toes and out the top of my head. I tucked my face into his shoulder. With one arm around me, Eldridge made springy little bounces off the balls of his feet, gliding downward from one floor to the next. At one point he came to a standstill.
Heart in my throat, I looked up at him and asked in a shaky voice, “Why are we stopping? And please don’t say the line’s stuck?”
“Everything’s fine. It’s just that we reached the twenty-first floor.”
“So?”
“I like the number.”
I wanted to sock him. I hated teasing. Especially when it happened to involve the possible loss of life. And most especially when said life was mine.
He gave me a long, lazy smile and covered my mouth with his. Zap. Heat seared through me. Speaking of dreams. In that one magical instant twenty stories above the ground all the fear in my body vanished. Or else the height made me delusional like those people who get lost in the desert and don’t care about getting home anymore.
Eldridge brushed his lips over my face and said, “A sky kiss.”
Suddenly I recalled Inez’s vision: Trapped by a woman in a little girl’s dress. Help will come from the sky. Wow.
Before I knew it, we were on our way down again. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let you fall,” he said. “Relax. Enjoy the view.”
Never before had I let myself become so completely vulnerable in the hands of a man. And never before had I felt so completely protected by one. I allowed myself to take it all in. The warm strong feel of his muscular body. That juniper-cinnamon scent of him.
To the east, moonlight shed its luminous glaze across the dark river. Central Park with its shadowy uneven contours stretched along the feet of the skyline to the west like a dense pile carpet. Below, the glowing streets hummed and honked with traffic amid a dazzling display of city lights. Everything glittered in a way that seemed totally new, totally magical.
When Eldridge touched ground, he set me gently on my feet. A car engine turned over and Benita pulled up in the Camry.
I turned to Eldridge. “I’m running out of ways to thank you.”
“You’ll think of something.” We locked eyes in silence for a moment, and then he pointed to the roof. “Gotta go get my equipment.”
On the way home to Brooklyn, Benita raved about the Mace-man’s surprising window rescue. He was a surprise package, all right. And a level five kisser. The effect he had on my fear of heights, not to mention my libido, almost made me forget the biggest news of this horrible week. “Binnie, I know where Gwen hid the tablet.”
She jerked her head toward me and had to swerve to avoid hitting the car next to us. “Where?”
“Brooklyn Botanic Garden.” Leaning back against the headrest, I closed my eyes and pictured Gwen. “I can still see her standing in a field of blue flowers, between an oak and a beech tree, hands clasped against her chest, head bowed, saying, ‘After five thousand years, The Rose Of Inanna is soon to bloom again and the glory of women will reign supreme once more.’ Now I know what she meant. Last April she asked me to go with her to bury a cloisonné pillbox. She said it held ‘Inanna’s gift.’ Gwen never opened it, but the tablet has to be what’s inside that box.”
“We got ourselves a new ball game.”
“Binnie, Gwen died to keep that tablet from her murderer. We can’t just give it up to them now.”
“Guess you’re right. Not that I’m wild over the part about dying for it.” She shook her head. “As if they’d let us stay alive anyway even if we did hand them the tablet.”
“Don’t get me wrong. Now that I know where the tablet is, I’m terrified I’ll crack under pressure and give it up. But I have to come through for Gwen one more time.”
“The problem is how. We’ve got no solid leads. No hard evidence. Nothing for the police.”
“I hate to say it, but it’s up to us to finish this job somehow. We just have to remember— we’re smarter than whoever killed Gwen.”
Our apartment building came in to view. Murphy’s Law. No place to park. We circled the block and came up empty. After all that time hiding under Viv’s desk, my bladder couldn’t survive another minute in the Camry. So, Benita dropped me at the front door.
Directly outside the lobby door, Jonathan, the night concierge, played nursemaid to a small white dog on a leash. He turned and followed me inside.
“Walking Renoir?” I asked. “Don’t tell me Mr. Fellows is slowing down.”
Jonathan’s face went positively bleak. “You haven’t heard the news?”
“What news?”
“Somebody found Mr. Fellows’s body over on Doughty Street,” he said. “Renoir came back here by himself, dragging his leash.”
“What?” My mouth went dry.
“Two stab wounds to the chest. No sign of robbery either. At least that’s what the cops said. They left about twenty minutes ago. Be back to question residents over the next few days.”
“You mean they have no idea who did it?”
Jonathan shook his head. “No witnesses. The detective left his number here, in case anyone has information that might be helpful.”
A nightmarish thought passed through my mind as I recalled Mr. Fellows earlier today trying in his own feeble way to defend my honor against Curtis. “I’d like that number,” I said, reaching down and petting the newly orphaned dog. “What about poor Renoir?”
“The Axelrods in 424 said they’d keep him until Fellows’s son arrives. He’s in China, you know.” Jonathan went to the desk and handed me one of the policeman’s cards.
I made a beeline for the elevator. When the doors closed me in, I let loose. “That no good motherfucker!” I pounded my fist against the wall of the elevator. No wonder they call him the Monster. My teeth tightened into an angry vise. I’d come to the end of my rope. I was going to the police. What difference did it make at this point? I’d tell them everything I knew. Explain it all. Complete descriptions, the threats to my family, the works.
I flipped open my cell phone. Couldn’t get a signal. No reception in the elevator. I burst into tears. Poor Mr. Fellows. That brave little man stuck up for me. It’s all my fault. Everything I do goes wrong. I’ll never solve Gwen’s murder. And who knows what’ll happen to my family?
The elevator reached my floor. My hands were so jittery, I could barely work the keys to open the loft door. This was the second person to die because of me. And Tim had been beaten almost to death. Wait till Binnie hears this one.
My bedroom phone rang. I hurried to my room. Caller ID was blocked. I picked up anyway.
“Hello?”
“Who’s your daddy?”
“You rotten bastard! You killed him.”
He began to laugh.
I collected myself with a deep breath. “I get it. You think snuffing out someone’s life is just another part of your little game. You find it amusing. Even funny. Okay, let me add something to that game that I know will really give you a laugh. I know where the tablet is, and you and that sicko boss of yours are never going to see it. Because your time is up, asshole. I am going to the police!”
“I wouldn’t do that, sweetpussy,” he said, voice deep and ominous.
“Fuck you.” And I never said it with so much conviction in my entire life.
He paused, and then said calmly, “Got someone who wants to say hello.” Another pause.
“Saylor.”
“Binnie?” My whole body started to tremble with rage and my angry determination gave way to desperation.
“They got me.”
A chill went down my spine, hearing Benita use the same words Gwen had used in the secret message of her “suicide” poem. “Where are you?”
The same grim voice came on. “Tonight at three a.m. Make a right on Plymouth and keep walking toward the anchorage. Be there alone. No cops. No firearms. No bugs or tricks. And no company of any kind. I smell any bullshit, I put a cap in the Rican.”
Click.
TWENTY-SEVEN
I put down the phone, cursing myself for failing to push the record button. Not that he confessed to anything. Should I call the police? Or would sending them in be a death sentence for Benita? If I called that detective and accused Curtis of murdering Mr. Fellows would they take the Monster in for questioning? Then let him go? And whether they held him or not, would his posse reward me with Benita’s dead body?
The thought popped in my head that she might not be the only person Curtis had moved in on. I frantically punched in my mother’s number. To my relief, Mom sounded fine, but she started right in questioning me about my date with the rich and famous Alan Grossman. Every mother’s dream. My latest fears around Alan’s possible connection to Gwen’s murder made it hard for me to enthuse about him convincingly. Not to mention Benita being in Curtis’s hands and my three a.m. deadline that could end both our lives.
I pretended to have a crisis call from a client, signed off and phoned my brother. Steven answered his cell backstage. He worked as a costume designer for an all-male theater company. There was plenty of ambient chatter. I even heard an actor complain that his dress cut in too much around his waist. Couldn’t get much safer than that.
At Lana’s house I got only voice mail. Same with her cell. I didn’t like that. I tried to keep myself level, reminding myself Lana had loads of friends and several boyfriends and was from a generation that didn’t believe people should go through life with cell phones growing out of their ears. I’d try her again later.
I went into Benita’s room where Uncle Pete rested in his cage. Stroking a finger along his black feathers, I said, “Don’t you worry, Petey. I’m going to bring Binnie back home. I promise.”
“I like doggy style!”
“Yes, Uncle Pete. We all do.” After giving him some food pellets, I realized I hadn’t eaten anything since the hors d’oeuvres at the art gallery. I had no appetite, but decided some coffee might be a good idea. Especially since the wall clock read 10:05.
Five hours to figure a way out of this mess. I had to think of something.
I went to the kitchen, filled the coffee maker and chose an old mug that said “Can Do.” To stave off my hysteria, I rushed around the loft, closing the blinds and checking locks. Finally I flopped down in a club chair with my coffee and put my head in my hands. Too bad I wasted my time calling the Monster an asshole instead of getting him to spill out some clues about where they were holding Binnie.
My cell rang. I jumped, nearly toppling my coffee. I grabbed the phone off the end table, hoping it was Lana returning my call. Caller ID told me it was Eldridge.
He sounded so solid and comforting. I couldn’t resist telling him about Fellows, Benita and my impending deadline, although I made a point of holding back on the details. No way I’d give him the time and place of the final meeting, or else he’d show up there. Perhaps it was wrong of me to have aroused his protective warrior spirit while holding back on the particulars. But how else could I stop this wild man from getting himself killed?
“I agree with not going to the cops,” he said. “But I can handle Bardarson. Which is why you’re gonna tell me where and when this shit’s going down. ”
“Forget it, Eldridge. Curtis warned me if anyone—hear me, anyone—comes with me, he’ll shoot Benita. And this is a guy who obviously enjoys killing as if it were a game of pool.”
“There won’t be anybody with you. Because you’re not going. I am.”
“Look, Eldridge, you’ve been a lifesaver so far, and I thank you. But I’m the one Gwen chose to see this through. And with two people dead, another severely beaten, Benita captured and my family threatened, I refuse to add you to that list. It’s better if I handle this alone.”
“How’s one tiny female going to turn the tide on Curtis and company?”
“Let’s leave my being tiny out of this.”
“We both know what you’re capable of getting into when you’re on the loose,” he said, a sassy smile in his tone. “You need me.”
“Believe me, Eldridge, you have no idea what I’m capable of.” I thought about Gwen’s perfume and what I did to the men at Capricia’s gathering.
“I’m taking over from here, Saylor, and you can’t stop me. End of story. Now as to the main event. Where and when?” Typical male. He wasn’t listening.
But I wasn’t listening to him either. I was thinking of Gwen and why she used her genius to recreate Inanna’s special perfume—a perfume that exponentially amplified the most powerful weapon women have always had over men. Would it work tonight?
“I have to go.” I closed my cell. Seconds later as if on cue, came my ring tone and Eldridge’s number in the tiny window. The Mace-Man wouldn’t give up that easily. It made no difference. I wasn’t answering this time.
I went to my bedroom, changed into shorts and tee and dug around in my dresser drawer for the Tinkerbell jewelry box. Sitting on my bed, I examined Gwen’s perfume bottles and asked myself, should I, or shouldn’t I? Was the delicate mixture sealed within their intricate glass casings to be my saving grace?
I had experienced the amazing capabilities of Heaven’s Daughter, and there was no doubt as to the possibilities. However, what about the variables? As in all chemical trials, conditions meant everything and tonight’s were hardly conducive for flicking the “on” switch to Innana’s elixir. Anxiety inhibits the parasympathetic nervous system that controls our initial sexual responses. And Tim said the perfume required stimulated female pheromones in order to work.
I was in no mood for seduction. My three o’clock confrontation with Curtis and his boys had my knees shaking. Maybe I could just think about having sex last night with Eldridge to get my pheromones going. Or find something appealing about Curtis. Urgh. Pukey. But if I could get the Monster to act like Alan and Chip did two days ago at Capricia’s house, it would be worth it.
The sound of my front door’s tumbler lock jolted me. I sprang from the bed and grabbed a pair of scissors. From the living room I heard, “Saylor? Is that you?”
Aunt Lana. I ran to the living room and hugged her. “I’m so glad your safe. You didn’t answer your phone when I called you in East Hampton.”
“Never mind me,” she said, squeezing me tight. “You’re the one I’m worried about.” She released me with a meaningful look. I checked my watch. 11:37. Three and a half hours before my appointment under the bridge.
After listening to my news about Benita and the three a.m. deadline, my aunt heaved a long sigh and sank onto the loveseat. “It’s time to give the name of that horrible Curtis to the police. Let them track him
down.”
I paced back and forth in front of her. “And find what? An address in Hoboken that’s six years out of date? The guy wheels around with dummy plates. There’s not a thing about him that’s legitimate. Maybe he doesn’t even use the name of Bardarson anymore. Everything he does is calculated. Face it. By the time the cops locate Curtis, it’ll be way too late.”
I could see Lana fighting to conceal the anguish in her face as I continued. “The other thing is, Curtis is not acting alone. I didn’t want to tell you this, but two men tried to kill me out on Long Island. Whoever’s running this operation will continue as planned with or without him. This fiend called Chub Dubs wants Gwen’s tablet at all costs.”
“What about that sexy boxer who’s been trying to play bodyguard. Can he help?”
“He wants to. But Eldridge can be a little over the top when it comes to confrontation. And one boxer is no match for this hit man and his team. Sure Eldridge is tough. And smart. He could probably take out three of Curtis’s guys and not give a damn if he got himself knocked off in the process. He has a kamikaze streak a mile wide. But this is something I have to do alone. No way can I allow Eldridge to put his life on the line for me. There’s already been…” My voice cracked. I told her about Mr. Fellows.
My aunt patted the spot next to her on the loveseat. I curled beside her, grateful to accept the nurturing she always gave me when I was upset. She reached her arm around me and began stroking my back. “You’re a gutsy little lady with a big heart, and I respect your courageous attitude. But why not simply get the police to follow you?”
“If these murdering bastards suspect anything or see a patrol car, they’ll kill Binnie.”
“Actually, I picture more of a plain clothes operation. Undercover. You saw The Departed.”
“Right now that title is not extremely comforting. Not to mention images of Leonardo getting blown away.” I tugged at my hair in frustration. “I also find it hard to believe the police would bring out their undercover crew based on one woman’s telephone report. Later is when I’ll need the cops. At first I have to play along until I can make sure Binnie is all right. Then, once the creepos see we’ve complied, that would be a good time to put the bust on them. Except no one will know where we are, dammit.” I tossed a throw pillow across the room.
Aphrodisiac Page 31