Accidental Detective_Book 1

by Kate Benitez

  What Leo paid little attention to was how the women—who were also dressed in cocktail or business attire—followed his every move with their eyes. Even with a plain black silk mask firmly in place, Leo was a sight to behold in his perfectly tailored dark gray suit. Over six feet tall and well-muscled, Leo was oblivious to the fact that when he dressed up, he bore a striking resemblance to James Bond—or, at least, the fantasy of the character.

  The female attention drifted away as Leo cut to the front of the line, presenting the bouncer with the VIP ticket Mrs. Tate had supplied him with. As the front of the line shifted back to make space for Leo’s bulk, he was thankful that his client had access to the ticket since, even for a Young Professional’s party, the place was packed. Perhaps Robert Blackstone’s big reveal wasn’t such a surprise after all.

  The bouncer waved him through, and Leo moved easily into the dimly lit space. From the heaving and jostling of the massive crowd outside, the VIP area inside had plenty of room for the guests to move around and mingle. Leo decided to make his way to the bar—he would look a little out of place without a cocktail in hand. Under the crystal chandeliers, he signaled to a bartender—the mahogany of the wooden bar gleaming in the artificial candlelight and after ordering his standard Sam Adams, he turned and surveyed the room.

  He pondered how covering someone’s eyes could make them act so differently, given that the rest of their bodies were on full display, but it seemed to make people more forward and flirtier. Women smiled and leaned into their men, and the men stood taller, straighter—trying to physically dominate each other, now that their identities were hidden.

  Despite the masked faces, Leo still picked out a few of the crowd easily. A heavy-set young lawyer who’d recently won a huge lawsuit, and a tall woman who wore a dress that looked hot off the runway. Certainly, she was the Boston-born model who’d recently graced the cover of one of those fashion magazines Anneliese always had lying around at the office. Finally, there was Robert Blackstone.

  The man wasn’t hard to find. He stood beneath a massive stone fireplace mantle, flanked by two unmasked bodyguards and Leo didn’t need the well-dressed couple vying for Robert’s attention to see who he was, even with his mask, so he waited another minute, tipped his bartender and headed off across the room.

  As he approached Robert Blackstone, the couple were just making their excuses to mingle again. It was almost as if it was fate or maybe it was Anneliese’s luck rubbing off on him—rarely was it this easy to get his main suspect alone. Leo waited for Robert to accept a new glass from his bodyguard and Leo noted that the highball glass contained a clear liquid which, even garnished with a wedge of lime, looked nothing like a gin and tonic. Robert however, probably thought it looked like a classic drink for a classic guy. Leo knew the damn thing contained only water. He never could stand a man who couldn’t hold his drink while on the job.

  He allowed an easy smile to grace his face instead of the frustration he felt inside and turned on the upper-class charm he’d acquired through the training that filled his childhood.

  “Mr. Blackstone, I was hoping to catch your ear this evening. Thanks for the free drink,” Leo toasted his glass with Robert’s fake gin and tonic.

  Robert was a beat hesitant in responding, presumably trying to place who Leo was—and not for the first time since leaving the Marines, he was happy that he’d parted ways with his family and their desire to be ‘seen’ around Boston. His gregarious father would be one of those people easily picked out of a crowd with a mask and a snowsuit on.

  “Why, of course. The VIP area is for a select crowd of people I wanted to be sure I spoke with as well.” But before Robert could ask for his name, Leo continued his side of the conversation.

  “I’ll get straight to the point. I’m interested in your finances, Blackstone.” Leo watched as Robert’s mouth opened. Not jaw-dropping exactly—Robert and his Armani suit were far too polished for that—but the general uncouthness of the statement had even this seasoned politician shocked. “I’m looking to back an up and coming political nominee. As a Young Professional myself, I’m looking for someone I can grow with. Someone whose... let’s say, views, align with my own.”

  Robert smiled. His teeth were far whiter than Leo had expected, and the grin almost wolfish. “Mr.…” Robert paused to give Leo the opening to tip his masked hat, but Leo just smiled back at him.

  “I’m going to use this mask to my advantage. I’m a private donor and have no desire to have you block my interests should I choose to take my wealth elsewhere. You were the one who required disguises for the evening, weren’t you?”

  “Actually, the masks were the idea of the Young Professionals planning committee. The women thought it sounded romantic.”

  Leo only tilted his head.

  Robert took an almost invisible breath and continued, “Well, I am in the market for backers, and I’ve never said no to money.” Robert paused to flash that smile again. “But I am lucky enough to be suitably well-funded. I’m only looking for backers who believe in my causes…”

  Robert went on and on, detailing his view of terrorists, the economy, and the restoration of various Boston landmarks. The man seemed to cover the gamut when it came to beliefs. Leo was proud of himself for managing to keep his smile as the man bullshitted on and on, but after the statement about not needing money, Leo had found out all he needed to know.

  There wasn’t a politician in existence who didn’t need money. Money was what made the world go around. If Blackstone didn’t need it from a potential young and wealthy donor, where was he getting it from? Surely not this crowd of under 40’s. Attractive and aspiring as they were, they were no cash cow. Plus, the man’s public—and not so public—finances as of two months ago, needed a boost. Where were the funds coming from? Leo knew he wasn’t going to find out from a sober Robert. No, he would have to lie low, flirt, and mingle with the rest of the crowd. Eventually, Robert would give him something. Leo just had to wait him out to see what it was.

  Chapter 7

  What impressed Anneliese first, was the cavernous space in the room. People chatted and mingled, and a group of dancers performed on a small platform above the lower level of the bar. The next thing she noticed was the open bar. Finally, she thought, she’d be able to get a drink without any hassle—and a drink was exactly what she needed.

  For the first half of the party, she’d wandered around the public area. What she was hoping to find, she wasn’t sure, but something in her gut told her that she was going to find it here. Anneliese had kept her hair styled down, the curls bouncing around her shoulders with the extensions threading through the dark strands. She’d chosen to wear a purple dress and peacock feather shoes to show off the blue-green extensions. She wanted to draw as much attention as she could to them.

  Several men had commented on the trendy strands, but their conversation didn’t seem to extend beyond some generic pickup lines and there was one really weird one who compared her to a cupcake. Anneliese was still trying to figure out how the body-con dress and colored hair extensions made her comparable to a cupcake, but he was quite disappointed when she didn’t get the joke. Thankfully, he’d left her alone without her having to give him the brush off, but later she saw cupcake man licking a woman’s shoulder and was even more disturbed.

  Of all the men she’d been watching, only one of them had fondled a strand of her extensions. Dan was his name, and he’d come down to the public area of the party, ostensibly to search for a friend. She’d given Dan the benefit of the doubt and told him her name when he’s asked, and they’d just spent a solid fifteen minutes searching the packed public area. But even with the limit on the number of people allowed in that space, it was still dense with bodies and it was really no surprise that Dan hadn’t been able to find his friend in the crush when all the suits seemed to blend together. Finally, Dan gave up looking and turned to Anneliese.

  “He’s obviously not here yet, but thanks for helping me searc
h for him. Would you like to join me for a drink in the VIP area… as a thank you?”

  Anneliese wasn’t sure if that would be the right place to find her thief, but maybe it was? “I’d love to, but I don’t have a ticket for that area.”

  “Don’t worry about that. Come on.”

  The next thing she knew, Anneliese found herself following him back towards the private area of the party. Dan whispered in the ear of the bouncer guarding the entrance on their way through and before she knew it, she was in the uncrowded space. Now, standing at the warmly lit bar and watching the bartender serve drinks with flair, Anneliese decided it was only private areas of parties for her from here on out. None of that mixing with the masses. VIP areas were now one of her new favorite places.

  Dan brushed the hair off her shoulder again, and Anneliese got a tingle of the intuition variety. “There was something in your hair,” he said when she gave him a stern look for his uninvited and intimate action.

  Anneliese allowed a warm and encouraging smile to come to her glossed lips. She was no stranger to faking an emotion in pursuit of getting the job done. She’d seen one too many brides in god-awful dresses for that. No one looked good in a wedding dress that had a see-through corset, no one.

  Freed from the wedding industry, Anneliese could now admit that every last one of them looked like they were about to audition for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show rather than marry the love of their life in front of God, man, and their mothers. She pushed the random thought away and allowed her hand to trail lightly on Dan’s forearm.

  “I’m always thankful for a little help and a gentle hand,” Anneliese said in a conversational manner. “How did you get so lucky to be invited to the good part of the party?”

  She used the question to allow her eyes to flick around the room. A few cocktails had made the guests looser, and beyond couples and groups flirting with one another, she couldn’t discern any other link between them.

  “I’m part of the committee. A good friend of the secret host,” Dan finished with an eye wiggle. He waved two fingers in the air to signal the bartender and turned back to Anneliese. “Would you care for a drink? They make a great blood orange martini here.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” she replied.

  She used the excuse of a new couple approaching the bar behind her and leaned closer into Dan. All of her senses told her to encourage him. Not to come on strong, but to continue to give him openings to flirt with her.

  Anneliese wasn’t stupid, though, she watched her drink carefully and accepted it directly from the bartender. She’d tugged on the extensions herself so she knew that if they were being taken out by someone, they must be drugging the women in some way.

  “Cheers,” she said, flicking the mass of curls over her shoulder and offering a feminine smile. Dan’s eyes followed the strands. An unusual choice for a straight man.

  “Cheers to you. What is it you do, Anneliese?”

  Inwardly, Anneliese winced at having given the man her real name. That wasn’t smart. She needed to get better at this whole detective thing, but it was too late to take it back now.

  “I’m a secretary. I’m currently working for a small private business,” she hedged.

  Dan’s eyebrows shot up with interest. “Aah, what do they do?”

  Anneliese’s mind whirled, and she took a sip of her martini to stall. That drink really was good! She swallowed the raspberry citrus flavor and started to answer when Dan suddenly bumped into her, causing her to waver on her heels. Dan’s hand shot out, and he caught her one armed before she fell to the floor.

  “Oh, Anneliese, I’m so sorry.” He moved between her and the bar, turning to throw an angry glance over his shoulder, presumably at the person who pushed him, as Anneliese readjusted her dress. When he turned back to her, he put both hands on her shoulders and gave an encouraging smile, “Are you ok?”

  Anneliese gathered herself again and was more embarrassed than anything else. “Fine. You’d think for all the luxury of the room they have up here, people would be more careful.”

  Dan shrugged and moved aside, allowing her access to the bar and her drink again. “You would, but there’s more than enough people here who have drunk more than enough cocktails to make simply standing a dangerous thing.”

  Anneliese let out a small laugh of appreciation. “To answer your question, we help wealthy people find things.” Now that she was familiar with the auction house’s purpose, she had to consider that professional organizers were most likely a thing, too. Besides, it wasn’t quite a lie, a lot of what Leo did was find things for rich people—including cheating spouses and stolen items.

  With each sip, the alcohol warmed her blood, and the image of Leo in those dark jeans and a button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled up... those muscular forearms… She felt a shiver move through her. God, it was as if he was here in the room. She could almost smell the fresh scent of his soap.

  When Anneliese refocused, Dan nodded as if he understood the idea of rich people needing others to keep track of their belongings. “That’s becoming very popular with a certain crowd. The work must be interesting, working with all of those beautiful items.”

  Anneliese nodded in response, warming to the lie. “Oh, yes. It would amaze you to see the amazing things people own… and how much they cost.”

  “Anything you can share?” Dan encouraged, taking a sip of his own drink.

  She waved her finger and shook her head. “Nope, I’ve signed a non-disclosure agreement. Not even this wonderful martini is going to unlock my mouth.”

  Dan pouted and raised an eyebrow. “Funny, I was very much hoping to unlock that mouth. Would you like another drink?”

  She looked down and noted that she was, in fact, close to finishing her beverage. Funny, she hadn’t realized she’d drunk it so fast, and as she popped the fruit that had accompanied the martini into her mouth, Anneliese vowed to drink the next one a lot slower.

  She was about to ask Dan what he did as well to round out the usual small talk, when a blonde approached him. She touched him lightly on his elbow and spoke into his ear. Anneliese couldn’t see the woman clearly as she stayed on the far side of Dan, and tall as she was, Dan was taller and hid her from view. Anneliese only had a vague sense of an attractive, waifish woman.

  While her target was distracted, Anneliese finished the dregs of her drink and turned to scan the crowd. The masks everyone wore really made it difficult to recognize anyone, she thought. Who’d have thought that a thin piece of material covering the skin around someone’s eyes would hide so much? She was proud of her own rhinestone mask—a lucky find in a cheap jewelry store earlier on in Newbury. Most people wore simple black, white, silver, or gold masks, but Anneliese had always liked to stand out in a crowd. Maybe that was probably another negative point in the column of being a poor detective.

  Leo always made such mundane choices, and for good reason. He blended better. Granted, at six feet four and incredibly ripped, the man was going to turn heads no matter what, but the simple haircut and endless wardrobe of plain button-downs and jeans helped a lot in his line of work.

  She glanced down the bar and noticed a pair of blue eyes staring her down. Her breath came in short. Now that’s what Leo would look like all dressed up, she mused. The man who’d captured her in his gaze was tall, maybe even taller than Leo, with the same close-cropped blonde hair, but his eyes seemed to be bluer. On second look, Anneliese wondered if it was the combination of the warm lighting and the dark, black, silk mask that intensified their cool color, but in any event, it was working for him—as was the body skimming suit.

  Anneliese licked her lips. He looked good enough to eat and after all those days trapped in the same office with Leo, trying to ignore her attraction to him, this man seemed like the perfect distraction—that is, once she was done with dear Dan here.

  After a few seconds looking into his eyes, she broke eye contact and her attention returned to Dan and the blonde
who’d shifted forward into Anneliese’s sight line now. The woman had turned to face the room and now leaned her elbows and back on the bar, displaying the plunging silver cocktail dress to her advantage, Anneliese was sure. What drew her attention, though, were the same peacock strands threaded through her updo that Anneliese had in her own dark curls.

  Alcohol and lust swirled through Anneliese’s system, and she couldn’t remember where she’d seen the woman before. Was she just obsessed with the extensions, as well? Or was there more to her? Anneliese’s mind was too foggy to think straight. She watched as the woman whispered one last time into Dan’s ear and—did she lick it, too? Surely not! Dan turned back to Anneliese with another cocktail and a flirty smile.

  She blinked down at the drink. It was another of those delicious martinis. She remembered that she’d intended to take this one a little slower, but suddenly she was parched. Anneliese smiled at Dan as he lifted his own blood orange drink and said, “Saluté.”

  She lifted her glass to clink against Dan’s when a large hand appeared from nowhere and stopped the ascent of the glass to her lips. Anneliese looked up into deep blue eyes and suddenly felt like she had vertigo. Her entire body relaxed, and she had no idea why.

  *****

  After Robert had given his speech, officially unveiling the worst-kept surprise of the season, things had degraded from a political event into a wild party. Drinks still flowed on the house in the VIP area, and the bouncers were more relaxed after Robert had made his silent exit. Most of the guests probably didn’t even realize he’d left.

  Leo had taken advantage of the situation and invited Gulliver into the VIP area. As it turned out, he’d had already received a VIP ticket but had opted to experience the event from the public’s view.

  “Better for my story, you know? See it all like the masses do rather than rub elbows with the VIP’s. Besides, I have an interview set up with Blackstone in a few days. I’ll get a personal perspective then.”