She shook her head. “Yeah, that was obvious when Jenna showed up.”
“Jenna means nothing to me.”
“And yet you were madly in love with her once.” She gave him a sad smile. “See what I mean? I rest my case.”
“First of all, I was never madly in love with Jenna. She was someone to go out with to pass the time. Furthermore, do you really think it was mere coincidence that Jenna showed up at Cooper’s party?”
“Does it matter? She showed up, and it was what I needed to realize the two of us can never be more than friends and business partners.”
“Precisely as Cooper intended.”
A furrow appeared between her brows. “What do you mean?”
“Think about who we’re talking about. Jenna wouldn’t know the difference between an original painting and a fifty-dollar print.”
Maurie’s eyes flashed with resentment. “That girl doesn’t know the difference between her tail and a hole in the ground.”
“Right, and she’s got more tentacles than an octopus.” He shuddered. “I thought I’d never get away from her. My point is that Jenna would never drop in at an art gallery of her own accord. Cooper orchestrated that whole thing. He knows how you feel about me, and he threw Jenna in my path as a distraction.” Maurie’s sudden intake of breath stopped him cold. And he realized his blunder.
“How I feel about you?” Maurie fired back, her voice going shrill.
Oops. Poor choice of words. “How we feel about each other,” he amended. They were sitting here, together, and yet they were worlds apart. Every time he opened his mouth, it backfired, but he couldn’t give up. Somehow, he had to help her see things as they really were. He pushed his hair back and tried to organize his thoughts. “Okay, I get where you’re coming from.”
“You do?” She arched an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
“Yes, all these years, you’ve watched me make mistake after mistake, as I’ve tried to find the right girl.” His eyes penetrated hers. “But I was never going to find another, because the right one is you. It’s always been you.” He touched the curve of her cheek. “I love you, Maurie. I truly do.” For an instant, Maurie’s protective mask dropped away. He saw the same look in her eyes she’d had the night before when she contemplated going away with him. He realized then, with more certainty than ever, that she loved him too. In the next second, she backed away, making him wonder if he’d imagined it all.
“No! I won’t let you draw me into your fantasy.”
He caught hold of her hands in an attempt to bring her back. “It’s not a fantasy. We belong together, Maurie. Don’t keep shutting me out.”
She jerked her hands away from his. “Stop it!” She jumped to her feet. “Stop filling my head with nonsense.” She clenched her fists. “One of us has to be the adult here. If Dani hadn’t broken things off with you, you’d be married right now.” She glared at him, daring him to disagree.
“Yes,” he admitted, “but that’s beside the point.”
She held up a hand, her eyes sparking with anger. “No, that’s precisely the point.” Her lower lip quivered. “If you care for me at all, you’ll drop this. Cooper’s a great guy, and I’m marrying him. That’s final.”
And there it was. The cold, ugly truth. Maurie didn’t trust him with her heart, and deep down, he couldn’t blame her. All this talk of his feelings was pushing her away. As excruciating as it was, his only option was to pull back before he lost her completely. The words hurt coming out of his mouth. “I’ll respect your wishes and stop pursuing you.” For now, he added mentally.
“Really?”
The vulnerable look in her eyes cut him to shreds. He’d not meant to hurt her, and yet he had. He longed to pull her into his arms and run his hands through her profusion of fiery curls. To kiss her until the fever for her broke. “Really,” he said, forcing a smile.
She nodded in relief.
“Under one condition.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m listening.”
“We leave right now and go to the building in Hau’ula. Cooper’s not the man you think he is.” He stood. “And I’m going to prove it to you.” Liam knew she was holding onto the notion that he was making up the whole story about Cooper. A part of him wished he could appease her and let it go; but he couldn’t, because the stark truth was staring him in the face. And he had to do everything in his power to protect Maurie, even if she ended up resenting him for it.
“Fine,” she huffed. “Let’s go to the building and get this over with.”
The dark clouds churning above were fitting for Liam’s emotional state, as he and Maurie made their way up the road leading to the building. Maurie had barely spoken two words to him since they left her home in Laie. He could read her thoughts as clearly as if they were being broadcast over a loudspeaker. She thought he was a jealous nut. He really couldn’t blame her. If he’d not overheard the conversation between Cooper and the nasally man, followed Cooper up here and saw the antiquities, he wouldn’t believe it either.
“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” She gave him a sidelong glance.
“Yes, almost there.” A few minutes later, they pulled into the clearing beside the building. His heart dropped when he saw it. This wasn’t good. Not good at all.
Maurie was the first to speak. “Are you sure this is the place you’re talking about? It doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in a long time, and the door is standing wide open.”
Liam got out of the car, walked around, and opened the door for Maurie. “Let’s go check it out,” he said tersely. He could only hope the antiquities were still inside. He swore when he stepped through the door. The place was totally empty. A frenzied laugh rose in his throat, and he gulped it back down. “He’s cleaned everything out,” he croaked. “I should’ve anticipated this.” He could feel the heat of Maurie’s glare, but he didn’t dare meet her gaze. Instead, he went to the window. “This is where I crawled through.” He pointed. “Look, you can see the broken glass.” He could feel the fingers of hysteria tugging at the corners of his brain as he swallowed. “I know how this looks, but it was all here. I swear.” He kept his eyes fixed on the gecko crawling up the wall.
“I can’t believe I let you drag me up here,” Maurie said, giving him a blistering look. She shook her head and stomped out.
He followed after her. “I know how this looks, but Maurie, you have to believe me. I swear, I’m telling the truth.”
She spun around and got up in his face. “You wanted me to come here, so I came! For both of our sakes, stop this.” Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t take anymore of this, Liam.” Her voice broke. “Are you trying to destroy our friendship?” Her expression hardened. “Because that’s what you’re doing.”
“You’re right.”
“What?” she yelled.
“I said you’re right. I won’t mention it again. Does that make you happy?”
“Immensely,” she spat, then turned and tromped to the car. She got in and slammed the door.
Liam let out a defeated breath. The dense forest was closing in like a hot, wet blanket. Cooper had been a step of ahead of him the whole way. And now Maurie thought he was a raving lunatic. He felt the first raindrop. Then another. A moment later, a succession of cold pinpricks dotted him. Then the bottom dropped out of the sky, sending down sheets of rain as he slowly walked back to the car.
Chapter 9
Desperate times call for desperate measures was Liam’s first thought when he pulled up in front of B. K. Detective Agency. Images of sleazy detectives like the ones he’d seen on TV flashed through his mind, as he got out of his convertible BMW. He walked through the door to where a pretty receptionist was sitting. She looked to be part Hawaiian and part Asian.
“Aloha, how may I help you?”
“I’m Liam Barclay. I have an appointment with Benny Kai.”
She looked down at her book. “I’m sorry, I don’t have you down.�
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“I called and spoke to Benny this morning. He said to stop by and he’d work me in.”
Uncertainty clouded her eyes. “Uh … okay … have a seat. I’ll tell him you’re here.”
Twenty minutes later, a heavyset man in his early forties emerged from one of the doors, wearing an Aloha shirt and khaki shorts. He looked Liam up and down, his sharp eyes taking in details as if he were cataloging and placing him in a file. “Like I said on the phone, I don’t have a lot of time today, but—” He looked past Liam, through the large window, to where Liam’s BMW was parked outside. “Is that a 428i Turbo?”
“Yes.”
“Eight speed automatic?”
Liam nodded.
Benny grunted. “Nice ride. I bet that set you back a pretty penny.”
Liam shrugged. “I’m not all that concerned about the cost.” His eyes met Benny’s. “It’s the performance I’m interested in.”
Benny rubbed a hand across the layer of stubble covering his meaty chin. “I see.” He turned to his receptionist. “Vanita, hold my calls.”
Her eyes rounded. “But?”
“Just do it,” he barked, waving a hand. “Come on back.”
Liam nodded, biting back a smile. It seemed Benny Kai was able to carve time out of his busy schedule to meet with him after all.
Benny led Liam to a stuffy office the size of a closet. He pointed at the plastic chair across from his desk. “Have a seat.”
Liam looked around, surprised at how messy the place was. There was a decrepit plant in the corner that looked as old as Methuselah, and the once white blinds were a dingy gray. An explosion of paperwork littered the desk, along with empty soda cans and candy wrappers.
Benny swiped his arm and moved the junk to one side to clear a space on his desk. “Yeah, I know. The place is a wreck. I fired the cleaning lady this morning.”
Liam chuckled. “With a last name like Kai, I assumed you’d be Hawaiian, rather than haole.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot. Kai is the last name of my hanai family. When I was eighteen, I took their last name. Hanai is Hawaiian, meaning they informally adopted or raised me,” he explained.
“Yes, I’m familiar with the term.”
A smile stole across Benny’s lips. “Anyway, Kai’s better than my actual last name—Butterman.”
Liam laughed. “Definitely an improvement.” Benny’s dry sense of humor was likeable, helping to take the edge off the situation.
Benny leaned back in his seat and propped his arms behind his head, revealing large, sweat circles under his armpits. “So, what can I do for you?”
“My business partner Maurie Bradshaw recently got engaged to a man named Cooper Manning. He’s an art distributor and owns The Alani Gallery in Honolulu. I suspect Cooper’s not what he appears to be, and I want to have him checked out.”
“Tell me more about your business partner.”
Liam launched into a detailed description about Maurie, telling how they’d worked hand-in-hand over the years, building his art business. He finished by saying how trusting and naïve Maurie was and how he didn’t want her to get hurt.
Benny sat up and began drumming his fingers on his desk. “So, Maurie’s not just a business partner.”
Liam pushed his hair out of his eyes. “No, she’s my best friend.”
“And?” Benny eyed him, waiting for him to spill it.
“And I love her,” Liam said. “But that’s beside the point.”
Benny rubbed his neck, looking disappointed. “So you want me to dig up any dirt I can find on this Cooper fella, so you can prevent Maurie from marrying him. Is that it?”
“Yes … I mean, no, there’s more to the story.” Hearing it spelled out so bluntly was harsh, like he was doing this for pure jealousy. He scrambled to tell the rest in order to defend himself. “I have reason to believe Cooper is selling either stolen or forged antiquities.”
Interest lit Benny’s eyes. “Tell me more.”
Liam told him about the conversation he’d overheard and how he followed Cooper to the building, outlining the details of that harrowing evening and how he took Maurie there, but the place had been cleaned out.
“The night you followed Cooper. Did you go back to the gallery where he was meeting the man?”
“No, I should have, but I was too shaken up. It’s not everyday I get shot at.”
Benny shook his head. “I hear ya. Does Cooper suspect you were the one who broke into the building?”
“I don’t think so. I saw him the morning after at Maurie’s house and attended a party at his home that evening. He acted normal.” He didn’t bring up the topic of the lost sunglasses. Surely Cooper would’ve already confronted him, if he’d found them.
“You say you snapped some pictures?”
Liam retrieved his phone from his pocket and pulled up the pictures. “Here.”
Benny examined them. Then he opened the top drawer of his desk and handed Liam a business card. “Text these to me at the cell number listed on the card. I’d like to put out feelers to see what the chatter is. Did you recognize the man Cooper was talking to?”
“No, but I can give you a detailed description of him.”
“Yes, that will help.” He paused. “According to what you heard, Cooper needs documentation in order to sell the pieces.”
“Yes, it’s called provenance, a pedigree of sorts, which outlines the history of the piece to establish authenticity.”
“Okay, in layman’s terms, what pieces of documentation would Cooper need?”
“Possibly a catalog from an auction or exhibition, the names of previous owners, sales receipts, a statement from a reputable person who knows the origin of the piece.”
Benny picked up a pen and twirled it through his fingers. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Cooper mentioned he was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He moved to New York City at around age ten.”
Benny grabbed a pad and jotted that down.
“I did a Google search for Cooper and couldn’t find anything, which is odd considering he’s an art distributor who owns a gallery.”
“That does sound strange. Where does he live?”
“Kailua. I’ll text you the address.”
“Do you have a picture of him?”
Why had he not thought to snap one? “No, but I can give you a description of him. He’s the kind of guy that stands out in a crowd. He won’t be hard to pinpoint.”
Benny leaned back and crossed his legs. “So, what’s the primary agenda here?”
“I want you to find out everything you can about Cooper’s background, and I want you to put a tail on him. I would’ve already gone to the police with this …”
“But you need proof,” Benny inserted.
“Exactly.”
Benny rubbed a hand across his forehead. “Okay, I’ll do it, but it’s not gonna be cheap.”
“Cost is not an issue. I just want you to get me the proof I need to expose him. If you can find out where he’s moved the antiquities, then we might be able to catch him in the act of selling them.”
“As I said earlier, I’ve got a packed schedule, but I’ll see what I can do. Give me a couple of weeks. Three at the most.”
Liam leaned forward. “What will it take for you to put this at the top of your list? I’ve got cash. You name the price. I’ll pay half now and the rest when you’re done.”
Benny smiled. “A man who speaks my language. Okay, I’ll get started today.”
It was two days later when Liam’s dog, Rebel, came up missing. He’d let her out to do her business and then got a phone call from a gallery on the North Shore, requesting that he do an exhibit. Twenty minutes later, when he ended the call, he looked around for Rebel, expecting her to be in the backyard. But she was nowhere to be found. He combed the complex, calling out for her. He even walked to the Turtle Bay Resort, thinking she might’ve followed some vacationers there. After an hour of searching, he started
to panic. Not knowing what else to do, he called Maurie. The two had not spoken since the day he took her to Cooper’s building, and he could tell from her cold tone that she was still mad at him.
“Maurie, I need your help.”
“Oh? How so?”
“Rebel’s missing.”
“What? Oh, no.”
The dismay in Maurie’s voice was a comforting reminder that no matter how vehemently they disagreed, they would still be close. “I let her out earlier, and she’s nowhere to be found.”
“Have you looked around the neighborhood?”
“Yes, I started there and then went to the resort. I even walked the beach.” He blew out a breath. “Before I went out searching, I checked the video footage from my security cameras. One minute, it shows her in the backyard, and the next, she’s gone. I’m worried someone might’ve taken her.”
“Have you talked to the neighbors?”
“No, good idea. I’ll try that.”
“Hang in there. I’ll leave right now. Be there in about twenty minutes. In the meantime, keep your phone close by, so you can call me if you find her.”
“Will do.” Gratitude washed over him. It was good to know that even though things were tense between them, she would drop everything and come when he needed her. “Thanks.”
There was a slight pause. “You’re welcome. Be right there.”
Liam and Maurie searched for another two hours, but couldn’t find Rebel anywhere.
“I should’ve put a microchip in her like you suggested,” Liam lamented, pacing the living room floor. He’d not wanted to take the time to get it done. And he hadn’t thought it necessary. Rebel never ventured far, which is why he feared someone had taken her. He didn’t realize until this moment how fond he’d grown of Rebel. Like most Terriers, Rebel was a bundle of energy, always stirring up trouble. His next-door neighbor, Anthony, couldn’t stand the sight of her, because she was always digging holes in his yard. Once, Rebel stepped on Liam’s palette and tracked paint all over the condo. But she was also loveable and loyal, always wagging her tail, excited to see him when he walked through the door. Maurie had gotten Rebel for Liam a couple of years prior. She was going to Indiana to visit her family for three weeks, and she insisted that Liam needed company. It only took a couple of days for the little puppy to weasel her way into his heart, and he knew Maurie felt the same way.
Love on the Rocks (Hawaii Billionaire Romance) Page 7