The Caspian Wine Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Series

by Maggie Thom

  “Really? You came to meet me. Call them off or I’ll call the cops.” Staring at the only man who was seated, Tijan guessed it was Mr. Tesimmon. Or she hoped it was.

  After a bit of a stare down, he gave the slightest nod. The two men released them. Tijan had been kicked by a calf before but the pressure the man had exerted on her arm had felt like it had been compressed in a vice. Keeping her focus on Mr. Tesimmon, she walked the length of the table toward him. Hoping that August, who had just admitted he sucked at surveillance, was keeping an eye on the rest of the men, she stopped a few feet away.

  “You must be Mr. Tesimmon. I see you and JT know each other.”

  The man dressed in the three-piece suit that had been leaning back in the chair like he owned the place, sat up abruptly at her comment. His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. “No. We were just having a conversation.”

  Tijan couldn’t take her eyes off the ridiculous inch-thick gold chain he wore around his neck in lieu of a tie. At the end of it was a huge hunk of gold. It wasn’t attractive in any way but when she looked into his eyes, there was a smug look of having accomplished what he had wanted. She realized he liked when others noted his gaudy jewelry.

  She turned to look directly at JT who was across the table from her, leaning against the windowsill that banked an entire wall. “Oh, my mistake. Thank you for keeping our guest entertained, JT. I’ve got it from here.”

  “I’m fine to stay.”

  “No. That’s alright. August can help me with anything I need.”

  The annoyed look came and went quickly but Tijan knew that even if she hadn’t seen it, she’d have sensed it. She’d been around men too often not to get the vibe that he was pissed, although in her world, the men often just outright stated when they were mad. JT, though, was good at masks. He soon flashed her a bright smile, showing her all his expensive white teeth, especially the one that had a small diamond perched on it.

  “Alright. Don’t let me interfere with a beautiful woman who knows her job.” He smiled at her but took his sweet time sauntering down the length of the twenty-foot table and out the door.

  If there hadn’t been the audience, she might have done the eye-rolling or gagging reflex. “So Mr. Tesimmon, what can I do for you? I’m assuming since you felt it important to stop me at the hospital to tell me you’d be by for answers, that’s why you’re here.”

  “You’re quite bright, aren’t you?”

  Tijan smiled but rather than sit as she got the impression he was waiting for her to do just that, she remained standing. “My mom always told me I was.”

  There was an odd look that came over his face. “I thought you grew up without a mama.”

  Tijan shrugged, feeling her muscles tense up. “It’s a figure of speech. What would you like Mr. Tesimmon?”

  “It’s Mr. T. Your father and I have some dealings. Did he ever talk to you about them?”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Where we’re at with acquiring Caspian Winery. I understand you’re living in sin with the best friend of the step-grandson to the owner. And with your three-year-old son. Of which, he isn’t the father.”

  Tijan now wished she’d been sitting; her legs felt awfully wobbly.

  “That sounds like a bit of a veiled threat, Mr. T. For the record, that part of my personal life is over so you might want to catch up on your intel.” She had no idea where this stuff was coming from. She couldn’t really blame it on too much TV but the few shows she’d watched obviously had stuck with her. All she knew was that she had to try to protect whoever she could. This man was real and dangerous. She was grateful that August had come to stand on the opposite side of the table and take the man’s scrutiny off her. She wasn’t sure she was handling what he was saying very well. He knew too much.

  His intense glare turned to August. “And who are you, exactly?”

  “I’m a business adviser.” August strolled down the other side of the table and leaned against it, crossing his legs at the ankle. “If it’s any of your business.”

  The smug look disappeared from the man’s face. “Oh, believe me it is. See, her father and I are currently in negotiations. He’s taking on a partner.” Mr. T turned to Tijan. “And I don’t want you screwing it up. Do you understand?”

  If she hadn’t felt like he was scariest man she’d ever met, one of his two henchmen had decided to join them at that end of the room. Tijan felt like he was breathing down her neck.

  It took all her willpower to paste on a smile. “What I do know, Mr. Tesimmon, is that I won’t be doing any dealings without my father’s input. And since someone felt they should shoot him and put him in a coma, well that could mean it might take a while. Do you understand?”

  Thankfully her bravado worked. Mr. T rose and made his way past her but stopped long enough to stare her in the eyes from less than a foot away. “Oh, I do. I’m not sure you do yet. But I know you’ll come around. My plans aren’t getting changed at this point. I am becoming his business partner. And soon. And I have plans for you.”

  He held her gaze for several moments before continuing past her and walking out the door. August closed the door behind them, leaning against it. At the soft click, Tijan sank into the nearest chair.

  August clapped. “Whoa. Are you ever a badass! I’m not sure a smart one but—”

  “When you’re around men all the time, the really tough outdoorsmen, you learn quickly to call their bluff or they’ll stampede you. I’m not sure that was the right approach here.” Tijan dropped her head onto the table for a moment.

  Some music began to play. Tijan lifted her head and looked questioningly at August. He put his finger to his lips, and then pointed around the room.

  Tijan nodded that she understood the room could be bugged but she whispered, “What the hell have we gotten ourselves into? What was my father doing?”

  “Why did that man say he had plans for you?”

  Chapter 41

  “Tarin, hi. Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. Is now a good time though, to set up that remote thing?”

  “Where are you, Tijan?”

  “Not in the office, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “Yeah, but we need you at the computer to be able to set up that remote access.”

  “Don’t worry I’ll do that. Is now a good time?”

  “Yes. But with the office bugged, I’m not sure that it’s—”

  “It’s okay. August and I brought the tower and the laptop to my bedroom. Did you know that Ja—your fa—my fa—? I don’t even know what to call him. Anyway, he has two computers. Just found the laptop. And he has a back way that leads from his office to the parkade area. There’s a car elevator which is cool and creepy at the same time. I’m going to park my car in the main lot; I don’t like feeling caged. And there are stairs and a human elevator that takes him to the lobby.”

  “I did. He used to enter the hotel that way sometimes when he wanted to check on the staff. He’d surprise them, make sure they were doing a good job. So you found his special key?”

  “Yeah. That’s actually how we found the laptop. He has a lot of hiding places in that office. Some are safes that we couldn’t get into. Who knows how many others we didn’t find? August and I spent four hours combing that office. We waited until everyone left at 5:30, although it was hard to convince a few to leave on time. Mary likes to hang out here a lot. She doesn’t seem to trust leaving me on my own. I told them I’d deduct pay if they stuck around. Can I do that? I don’t even know how payroll works. Mary, of course, didn’t listen but the rest did. Well, really that would be just JT. There’s no one else on this floor. Everyone else is one floor down; or at least that’s what I’ve figured out so far.”

  Tarin laughed. “Oh my God, you might be more of a business mogul than you thought.”

  “Oh no. Not doing this. My blood pressure has seen highs I never knew existed. Tarin,” Tijan took a deep breath. “Father is into some sca
ry stuff. A Mr. Tesimmon stopped by. You guys need to look into him.”

  “Okay, but first tell me about your meeting. Did you hear any more from CSIS?”

  Tijan looked at August who was busy transforming the desk in the hotel room into a working space, hooking up the computer and laptop. What was she supposed to tell her sister?

  “Not again. No. They think he’s involved with organized crime. And after meeting Tesimmon, sorry Mr. T, I have to say I’m inclined to agree. Sorry, Tarin.” Her breath hitched, which made Tijan feel worse. “I’m sorry. Maybe I’m wrong.”

  “No. I’m quite sure you’re not. I’ve always hope that it wasn’t true but my father has always been about getting ahead, no matter who he had to step on or how he had to do it.”

  “That Mr. T knows a lot about you, Tarin. He knows you’re living with Graham and that you have a three-year-old son. I felt like he was threatening all of you. He’s scary.”

  “I’ve got Guy and Graham doing some research on him. They have some good contacts in the police force, so we’ll see if they can find out anything. Don’t worry about Graham, Chance and I; we’ve been taking precautions for quite a while and Graham has stepped them up a lot since Dad was shot. Let’s get this remote access set up and then I think we should get you out of there. This is too dangerous.”

  “I’m with you. If we can find something on the man and get him charged and off the streets, I’m good with that. The sooner I’m out of here and back on the prairies riding my horse, the happier I’ll be.”

  Her comment was met with complete silence. She couldn’t even hear her sister breathe. That’s when it hit her what she’d said. “Tarin. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I’m a country kid though and this city life, well it isn’t for me. I know we don’t know each other well but I want to get to know you and be a part of your life. I don’t want to lose you now.”

  The voice that responded was a bit unsteady. “Me too. And I get it. I’m so sorry this is how we had to meet and that you’ve been pulled into this ugly world.”

  “That’s okay. I’m glad I can help. But I do want to show you my world someday. Soon.”

  Again there was complete silence. Tijan closed her eyes and let her head fall back. She was opening her mouth without thinking about what she was saying. Tarin probably had as many questions about their mom and why she hadn’t been a part of Tarin’s life.

  “Okay, I’ve got this all hooked up.”

  Tijan blinked a few times, turning her back on August and the understanding expression on his face. “Look, Tarin—”

  “It’s okay, Tijan. Let’s get this figured out and get you out of there. Then we’ll sort out twenty-seven years of our life. Okay?”

  Tijan nodded, unable find her voice. She handed the phone to August, who was a few feet behind her.

  “Hi, Tarin. It’s August. I have the computers set up. What do you need us to do on this end?”

  Tijan walked to the window and stared out over the city. It truly was beautiful in its own busy, light-filled way. It just wasn’t for her. But this was what her sister knew. Would they be able to be friends when all this was over?

  “Got it. Okay. I’ll get Tijan to log in and then you can walk her through the rest.”

  Tijan went to the computer and pulled up a chair. August set the phone beside her on speaker.

  “I’m ready, Tarin.”

  “Let’s do the computer tower first. Login and then I’m going to give you some url’s you’ll need to type into the address bar.”

  If Tijan hadn’t seen it herself, she wouldn’t have believed it was possible. But not only was Tarin able to see all that was on the computer but she had full control of it, including moving things around, starting up programs, shutting things off, and even turning on the webcam so they could see each other.

  “Is this legal?”

  “It all depends on how it is being used. There are companies out there who have this installed on their employees’ computers without their knowledge. Most say it’s to make sure they can track what the employees are doing and to ensure they aren’t stealing secrets.”

  Tijan gasped. “Does anyone trust anyone in this world?”

  “Not really. Sorry, I know you’re getting a rather harsh look into my world but I promise you not all is as sinister as this. And not all businesses are run like this.”

  Chapter 42

  “Why’d you shoot him?”

  “I didn’t.”

  “You told me it would solve all our problems.”

  “Yeah, but not until he’d signed the paperwork.”

  “What if we get caught? What if people think we’re behind the shooting?”

  “We’re not so stop acting like a freaked-out kid. We’re fine. I’ve hidden our tracks so no one will be able to trace all the money we’ve laundered—or how we’ve done it; at least not without some exceptional skills. We’re fine.” He reached under the table. Taking his partner’s hand, he squeezed it. “We’re fine. You just keep doing your job and I’ll do mine.”

  “This isn’t good. I think we should flee the country.”

  “No. I think I can get his electronic signature from something else. He’s been dealing with Eleanor for years. So if I hack her system, I should be able to get a hold of something he’s signed and transfer it to the paperwork we want signed.”

  “If you’re going to hack hers, why not just hack his?”

  “See? That’s why you’re my partner. I can’t do it but it can’t be hard to find some whiz kid who can, though we might have to do away with him after.”

  “I’ll look after it. I knew I partnered up with you for a reason. Also, make sure the Caspian deal doesn’t go through. It’s the only way I can stop certain things from happening. It won’t just piss off one boss but two.”

  “How?”

  “They’ve had problems out there this past year. Give them some more.”

  “I’ll make it happen. Can I see you tonight?”

  “We can’t be seen together too often. My father is savvy. He’ll kill both of us if he even suspects that I’m gay. Don’t worry; we’ll have everything we ever wanted. Just keep playing it my way. I can’t wait to be with you.”

  “Me too.”

  ~~~~~

  “Okay, what do you have for me?”

  “Hello, Mr. T.”

  “What do you have for me?”

  “If you’re referring to C-Lite Hotels papers, you already know that James got shot before I could get him to sign anything.”

  “I know but I also know you have access to much of his business, and the new boss isn’t sharing anything with you.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “That’s why you should never lie to me. I know everything. Now I want his business. Even if I’m not legally part owner, doctor some papers that state I am his partner.”

  “I could be killed, fired, and/or arrested.”

  “True. But I’m paying you enough that you could live quite comfortably.”

  “But I wouldn’t be of use to you or be able to make these ridiculous, illegal deals you want.”

  “So what do you want now?”

  “I think this is worth a whole lot more than you’re paying me. I know you run close to twenty million dollars through your business annually. I want two million to do this latest deal; half now and half when I deliver.”

  “Aren’t you getting greedy? That might get you killed.”

  “It might but I’ve gotten smart. Since you shot—”

  “I didn’t shoot him.”

  “Of course not; you don’t do the dirty work yourself.”

  “I’d watch what you’re saying. As I said, I have no problem getting rid of problems.”

  “And then you’d lose the best asset you have. I’ve been loyal and brought you a new way to smuggle across the borders. I—I can make your life just as miserable as you’ve made mine.”

  “We have a deal.”

  “Yes, we do.
It’s one that I agreed to a long time ago. It was the only way you’d let me stay in my son’s life. But now I want more. And I deserve more. I’ve been very valuable to you. Two million up front.”

  “Not likely. You get paid when you deliver.”

  “Which I have, time and again. I’ve let you know when there’s been a big shipment of linens coming across the border, and it’s been an easy way for you to conceal and smuggle drugs in. I’ve given you many opportunities to grow your drug business. Have you ever been caught? No, because I’ve made sure of that. So you owe me this one.”

  Chapter 43

  “August. August.”

  He was having a great dream and the web of sleep was not letting him go. He was aware that someone was trying to awaken but he couldn’t quite seem to make it over the threshold.

  “Look; I can’t wake him. He’s out. And snoring I might add. Throw cold water on him? I guess that would work. It’s a rather rude way to wake someone.”

  The voice was filtering through, the words reaching his brain but the meaning not quite registering. Since there was silence again, he stopped even trying to come out of it, but when he heard rushing water, that pulled him back to the brink. When he felt a few drops on his face, it catapulted him upright.

  “Ahh. Geez. When you wake up, you don’t do it in half measures do you?”

  August blinked a few times, looking wide-eyed at Tijan. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail and her face looked fresh and wholesome and very tempting. He knew he was staring but that was the price she’d have to pay for looking so damn good and for waking him from an incredible dream. The telltale red that was creeping up her face let him know she was uncomfortable with the look in his eye. Suddenly, she turned her back on him and sat at the laptop she had open.

  “I can’t get into this. I think this is my father’s personal laptop. Can you take this to Graham this morning? He’s going to see if he can bypass the password.”

  “Yeah, sure. Same scenario as last time?”