The Tulip Terror

by C L Bauer

  “It is hot this year.”

  “Paris may set a record.” The uncomfortable, unnecessary conversation needed to cease. “So.” He stopped as the champagne was served. “We have some business, perhaps?”

  “Perhaps. Our mutual friend informed me that you have some connections, perhaps of the tulip variety, a very specific bowl.”

  Pierce nodded. “Yes. I have made my name in acquiring such things.”

  “I’m looking for a very rare tulip. I hear it is available if you know the right people. I’m hoping you are that person.”

  The man smiled thinly. “For a price. Always for a price. It’s dangerous to go to that specific location, but if you can get as far as Turkey, once you acquire the bowl, we can get you out. If we consolidate our efforts, I’m sure you have enough to bankroll your part.”

  It was a statement and a requirement, not a question. “I do. I have ventures in Antwerp, Brussels and Zurich, different commodities, of course.”

  Pierce took a drink slowly and watched his soon-to-be new partner.

  “Such as?”

  “Diamonds in Antwerp, drugs in Brussels and accounts in the best banks in Zurich, a few in Geneva too.”

  “I could use that cool breeze off the lake in Geneva.”

  Bernard nodded now. “Yes. My bank is just across the street from there.”

  “And any art or antiquities, Mr. Notte?”

  “Our contact has most of my pieces that I’ve acquired, but I’ve kept a few. I acquired a Matisse the other day. The Musée d’Orsay has been looking for it for years. Antiquities are more difficult for a man like me, but that market is open with the right contacts, and I have them for a price.”

  Pierce said nothing, studying the American instead. Wealthy, over privileged, a culturally astute gentleman who was not so gentlemanly. It would be interesting to work with this man.

  “And, what do you bring to the table, Mr. Pierce?”

  “I bring the intelligence, logistics, money, and security. I have those contacts to open certain markets. You have no protection at the moment, isn’t that true?”

  Bernard downed the remainder of his champagne. He twisted in his seat. Damn, what had he gotten himself into? This man was different than the rest. He was sophisticated but rough, clean but dirty. He was dangerous.

  “I get by.” He lied.

  Pierce chuckled, absentmindedly swirling the wine in his glass as if he was totally bored or unimpressed.

  “You will have to do better. I know you have no gun on you or in your hotel room. I know that you have been followed from Geneva to Nice. Two men are following you and they appear to be of Syrian descent perhaps Iranian. There’s also a CIA agent dogging you here in France. He knows where you live in Paris; he sat at the table across from you when you had coffee near Notre-Dame Tuesday morning. You took several risks, including the passport you used at Charles de Gaulle Airport last month. It was very sloppy, Mr. Notte. The good news for you is that it doesn’t seem that any government entity is none the wiser of your ventures.” He emphasized the last word as if Bernard’s ventures were inferior.

  “If I’ve done such a poor job, how am I still here?” Bernard snapped back at the off-handed insults.

  Pierce’s low laughter sent a chill down Bernard’s spine despite the trickling of sweat down his back. “By the grace of God and because of me. You see, Mr. Notte, I believe we can work together and do it very well. That’s why your contact brought us together. The end game, if we are successful, could have a result beyond your wildest dreams. But I can’t stress enough the dangers involved in this undertaking. Have you heard of a man named Khalid? If not, you will. He has been after the same artifact. He is persistent. Even after we have it, he may attempt a move in Paris. After all of this, are you still in?” He finished his wine in one large swallow and then stood up from the table. He threw several euros on the marble table top.

  “It does intrigue me and I suppose if I’m in so much danger, our partnership is necessary. Yes, I’m in.” Bernard said not one more word. Yes, he had heard of Khalid. The man was a scourge, a terrorist, a killer. Yet, he was after an ancient bowl. He’d realized he was being followed by a couple of men, but the CIA?

  “Bien. We will meet again, of course. Our contact will make the arrangements.” Pierce noticed some movement near the tight alleys of the oldest part of Nice. “Ah, look, it’s a wedding party. The bride is lovely and she’s carrying such beautiful lilies.”

  Bernard Notte wondered what kind of a man could deal in danger and deception one minute and then enjoy a wedding the next, perhaps someone exactly like him.

  Chapter Twelve

  It was over one hundred degrees when Lily returned with lunch for Abby and herself. Actually, she’d also brought a small hamburger for Mort as a treat. That dog was such a slug, but she was a great security asset. She heard someone at the front door of the shop before they even opened the door. Because of the danger in Lily’s life over the last two years, she certainly appreciated any canine clairvoyance.

  After their early lunch and all the work done for the day, Lily sent Abby and Mort home. She began to take apart the Fourth of July decorations in the shop’s front window. As she was removing the last of it there was a tapping at the window. Of course, it was Gretchen Malloy. Did the woman ever wave? She was always making some sort of noise, tapping with her hands and feet, and clucking with her mouth. She was a real life mother hen.

  “Hello, my dear girl,” she yelled as she came into the shop as Lily climbed out of the window. “It is too darn hot out there. I should have sang that.” Her outrageous laughter filled the room.

  “What’s up? To what do I owe this honor?”

  “I have news.” Gretchen pulled up the nearest chair and dropped. “I was just at the club. Merritt Saunders has just returned from Europe. They had a lovely time. You know the Saunders family, don’t you? Maybe you don’t, well, she was in a Paris salon and you won’t believe who she saw.”

  Lily plopped down in the other chair with no regard for what she looked like. She looked like a limp green bean with curly hair. She really needed a haircut. Her shoulders were hunched and her legs sprawled out in front of her. She really didn’t need to say anything. Gretchen would just keep talking.

  “She saw Bernard Notte, infamous Bernard Notte. Shouldn’t he be in jail or something?”

  Lily suddenly sat straight up to attention. “What?”

  “Yes, him. He was in Paris. Do you believe the gall of that man to show his face in one of my favorite cities? We need to call your man and have the braggart arrested immediately.” Gretchen pointed at Lily’s phone on the table. “Do it now.”

  “I can’t just call him. Actually, he did text last night. He’s on his way home, well to Virginia for debriefing. But Dev can’t just arrest Mr. Notte. I’m not sure who you would call.” Lily thought about it briefly. Really, had he done anything? Garrett had implicated him. At any rate, he’d escaped America before anyone could do anything, whatever that might be.

  “So, Dev is on his way home?” Gretchen questioned.

  Gretchen gave Lily whiplash the way she changed from one subject to another. It was enough to make a person dizzy. “Yes.” She would offer no more information to the biggest gossip in Kansas City.

  Gretchen began babbling about some debacle at one of the reception sites. The DJ had been inappropriate about something, but Lily wasn’t really listening. Her focus was on the sidewalk and the man, woman and small child walking toward her shop. She jumped up and greeted them at the door, ignoring Gretchen’s beratements of how rude she was.

  “Carlos! What are you doing here? And Alise? Angelica? This is fantastic.” She hugged Carlos and turned to Alise for a quick greeting. The little girl looking up at her was swept up into her arms. “You’ve grown so much. Before you know it, I’ll be doing your wedding.”

  “No, not mine,” she answered. “But maybe--”

  Alise silenced her daughter quickly.
“Yes, she’s a handful.”

  All four of them could hear Gretchen’s cell phone ringing--Yankee Doodle Dandy. Lily would have to ask about that later. The reunited group continued to talk until Gretchen came over to them.

  “My, my.” Her eyes were roving over Carlos’ physique, of course. “I have to go. A crisis has occurred and I must scoot. The bride isn’t happy with the bodice of the dress. I will talk to you later.” She pointed at Lily.

  As she left, she turned around to look Lily’s visitors over one more time, especially the male one. “Lily, you are always surrounded by the best looking men. This one is so, so el caliente. Adios.” She patted Carlos’ shoulder as she exited.

  Lily heaved a sigh of relief and stifled a giggle. Was Carlos blushing? “Now that she’s gone, come on in.”

  Carlos shook his head. “Do we need to know who that is?”

  “Nope. She thinks we are best friends but actually she is an annoying wedding coordinator who inserts herself into my business, well my personal business.”

  Alise giggled. “Sounds like what a friend does.”

  “I’ll ignore that. Well, she has her moments, but you can’t stay too long in her world. You’ll hurt yourself with virtual whiplash.”

  Lily sat down with Angelica on her lap. “So what are you doing here?”

  “Look.” The young girl pointed out the window at a very large black limousine. “She wanted to say hello.”

  Lily peered over Angelica’s head to see the elderly Mrs. Notte walking slowly toward the shop with the assistance of her devoted butler. “Oh my gosh.”

  The small girl slid off Lily’s lap and headed to the door, now held open by Carlos. “Come on Grandma. Lily can’t wait to see you.”

  Lily couldn’t see her through her river of tears. Dev had told her of his suspicions, that Angelica could be Garrett’s daughter. The little angel didn’t need to know how or why, but the outcome was offering her a life of her dreams.

  Lily greeted the woman with a full hug, holding on way too long. Mrs. Notte didn’t seem to mind. “Lily, I’ve missed you and this shop so much.”

  “And we’ve missed you,” Lily whispered as she kissed her cheek. She stepped away and surveyed her guest. “You look wonderful.”

  “I had my hair done and I’m just so happy. I hear you had something to do with all of this.” Mrs. Notte swept her hand out to include Alise and Angelica. “I have a new family, a much better one.”

  “And we care about you too,” Alise added quickly.

  “No,” Angelica said as she stood in the middle of the adults, “we love her.”

  “And I love you, my little angel.”

  “We just wanted to stop in and say hello,” Carlos interjected. “We’re on our way to lunch. Have you heard from Dev?”

  “Just last night. He’s home. Hopefully, he’ll be here in a couple of weeks.”

  Angelica ran to Lily and hugged her legs. “And then will you two get married and have babies?”

  Lily gulped and looked toward Alise for an answer, or how to answer.

  “She just thinks the two things go together. She loves both of you so much.”

  “And I want some wedding cake,” Angelica added.

  “Well, we can get you some cake in the meantime,” Carlos answered quickly. “Enough with the questions for Lily. We better get going. We’ll see her another day.”

  “Besides, if we don’t go to lunch now, there won’t be time for the pool,” Mrs. Notte said.

  Angelica looked up toward Lily. “Do you know Grandma, well she is actually my great grandmother, has a pool in her backyard?”

  “Yes, on both counts. You are one very lucky little girl.”

  Angelica nodded and went to grab her new grandmother’s hand. Barrett, Mrs. Notte and the little girl waved their goodbyes and headed to the limo.

  “When did the two of you have time to get together?”

  Alise slid her arm around Carlos’ waist. “It’s a long story, but we are very happy. Dev can fill you in on all the details.”

  “He better,” Lily answered. She’d never seen so many smiles. As they drove away, Lily was still smiling. “Devlin Pierce, you better get here soon. I’m tired of being alone.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The car’s text message voice said one word “landed”.

  “Crap,” Lily muttered out loud. She was only passing the car dealership on her way to the airport. With her luck he wouldn’t have any checked luggage and would be outside waiting on her. Dev was a master packer with the ability to travel out of a carry-on. She wished she had his skills, but she loved her shoes. She’d never taken any trip, even just a weekend one, without at least three pairs of shoes. A shoe fettish was embedded in her family’s DNA.

  She really didn’t want him waiting on her, and she was certainly tired of waiting on him. She wanted to see her fiancé. Lily giggled as she thought of the very word. As agreed, when they happened to be in the same place at the same time, he’d become her husband, and she’d become his wife. That pact kept her going all those days and nights when she was alone, trying to remember his voice, the smell of his cologne, his lips touching hers. She knew there would be more goodbyes, but she needed this hello today desperately. She needed to know and be assured that what they had wasn’t fiction but reality.

  Lily finally exited toward the airport and slowed her car down as she entered the terminal area. He’d probably be waiting outside in this weather. Even though it was the beginning of August, there was a low humidity breeze cooling down hot Kansas City to a mild evening temperature of eighty degrees.

  She looked ahead, seeing other passengers spilling out, crossing to the parking lot or their waiting rides. She saw his tall figure, the top of his dark almost black hair. He saw her car and gave a little wave. He was talking to someone, maybe he’d met them on the plane. At least he hadn’t brought her another dog. Please, no surprises of the canine variety.

  Lily pulled up slowly and placed the car in park, popping the back for his luggage. She was focused on the oncoming traffic as she exited and came around the car. Her mouth gaped open.

  “Dan, Father Dan?” Dev’s friend the priest was greeting her with a rather large smile. He was attired in tan walking shorts, sandals and a black polo shirt.

  “What are you doing here?” Lily passed the open arms of Dev to hug the clergyman.

  “I came for the barbecue or a good steak. Isn’t that what Kansas City is known for?” Dan wrapped his arms around Lily. “Besides, I needed a vacation.”

  “And you picked this town?” Lily questioned. “I would’ve picked some island.”

  Dan pulled back to look at Lily seriously. “Dev said he would take me out to eat and maybe to a baseball game. He said he would buy. I got on the plane.” Lily smiled. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who appreciated Devlin Pierce paying for a good meal and a night out.

  Dev loaded their bags and shook his head as he dropped the car’s lid.

  “I guess I’m just chopped liver now?”

  “Looks like someone is jealous,” Lily whispered to Dan.

  Dan kissed her on the forehead. “He’s in a mood. I think he misses someone.” He winked as he looked over at his friend. Dev’s arms were crossed in front of him; he was handsomely pouting.

  Lily turned slowly, walking into his now open arms, her head burrowed into his chest.

  “It’s about time,” he murmured as he leaned down for a welcome kiss. “Missed you so much. I wish the priest wasn’t here.”

  “Well, you are the one who keeps bringing a surprise. Come on, let’s get the priest some food.”

  “About time you two thought about me,” Dan announced. “I want barbecue, a specific kind of food.”

  Dev pointed at the car as Lily went to the driver’s side. “You, get in.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir,” Dan kidded. “Bless you, sir.”

  Dev shook his head as Lily and Dan were already laughing about something, pr
obably at his expense. “It’s going to be a long week.”

  Monday morning came quickly for Lily. After the airport pickup, no sooner had the threesome finished dinner, it was time to drop Dev and Dan off at the hotel. She headed back to her house to bed. Alone. Why had he decided to stay at a hotel? Was it because the priest was with him? The alarm the next morning woke her too soon. By the time she arrived at the shop, Abby was already there and working. She was processing flowers that had just been delivered out on an early morning run. Abby explained it was for her out-of-town client.

  “Abby, what are you doing?” Lily asked as she saw the boxes filling the backroom. She appreciated Abby’s interest in taking on more responsibility, and an August wedding, but she wondered if her assistant was in over her head.

  “You said I should take on more so I did,” Abby said defiantly, standing her ground. Inside she was shaking, but she couldn’t allow Lily to see her fear.

  “I know. I did, but for what kind of a client? These are some high budget items sitting around.” Lily looked over at the white and lavender lilacs in the bucket near the cooler. Lilacs were her favorite flower, but to bring them in August was expensive. “Did you charge enough?”

  “I’ve got it covered. Believe me.” Abby smiled widely. She had it more than covered, and her boss didn’t suspect a thing.

  Lily threw her hands up when she saw strands of white orchids filling one of the boxes. She decided to relinquish control for once in her life. Let the girl fail or succeed on her own. She had to learn. “Fine, you win. This will give me more time with Dev today.” She looked over to the lilacs one more time. “You are going to get these in the cooler, right? It’s early in the week for all these flowers for a Saturday wedding.”

  Abby took her by the hand and stood her near her desk. “Please trust me. I know what I’m doing. It’s going to be a long week.”

  Lily shook her head. “Are you crazy? It’s the slowest week we’ve had in months. That’s why Dev planned his trip here.”