On Deadline & Under Fire

by Amanda M. Lee

  My next choice was Lexie. She had an interesting ability to fit in seamlessly no matter the crowd. Once, when she moved to Florida for a year to live with her father, she became heavily invested in the Cuban community. She even picked up a fake accent that she shed the moment she returned to Michigan. She wasn’t always the smartest kid in the class, but she was most likely to survive an apocalypse, and that’s exactly what I needed this evening.

  Unfortunately for me, I didn’t realize Carly was taking a class at Lexie’s yoga studio when I placed the call, so I had two expectant faces waiting when I opened the front door to leave shortly before eight.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  Carly was dressed to impress in a cocktail shift that showed off her expanding bump. She didn’t smile at my greeting. “What’s your problem?”

  “I don’t have a problem,” I said hurriedly. “I simply had no idea that you were coming along for the ride.”

  “I’m part of this investigative trio. We’re like Nancy Drew, but with better hair and wardrobe options, and we can swear without ticking off a large readership of tweens.”

  “I’ve never really looked at it that way,” I said wryly. “It’s an interesting observation. You can’t come.”

  Carly balked. “Excuse me? Who are you to say I can’t visit a hip and happening underground club? I’m still as young and fresh as I ever was.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose to ward off a returning headache. I managed to shake the one associated with my humidity fatigue an hour before. It was coming back with a vengeance. “You can’t come.”

  “I’m coming!”

  “I’m not trying to cut you out of an adventure,” I argued, changing tactics. “I’m not trying to be the big bad guy in the story you’re whipping up in your head even as we speak. You can’t come because it’s dangerous.”

  Carly narrowed her eyes. “Dangerous how?”

  “We’re dealing with mobsters here.”

  “Tony Soprano or Michael Corleone?”

  “More like the guys who offed Hoffa and then hid his body so well no one ever found it,” I shot back, grim satisfaction rolling over me when Carly paled a shade or two. “These guys aren’t playing around, and I don’t think it’s smart for you to visit that club in your condition. What happens if you’re attacked?”

  “Do you really think that would happen?”

  “It’s not likely, but I’ve only visited this place during the day,” I replied. “I have no idea what to expect at night. Besides, the guy who dropped the note managed to follow me half the day without me realizing it. That means he was following me all day yesterday, because he had to know where we lived to recognize when to follow.”

  “I didn’t really think of that.” Carly tugged on her lower lip as she considered the conundrum. That allowed Lexie time to ask her own questions ... and lay a ton of grief at my feet.

  “If it’s so dangerous, why do you want me with you?” Lexie queried.

  “Because you aren’t afraid of danger and you’re more than willing to hop on a new adventure whenever the opportunity arises,” I replied without hesitation. “You’ve been shot at, threatened with a knife and arrested for hitting a pregnant woman with an umbrella. Whatever is going down at The Domino Club won’t faze you in the least.”

  Lexie brightened considerably. “You make a good point. I’m good when it comes to being a gangster.”

  “I’m fairly certain that’s not what I said.”

  “I’m good at being a gangster, too,” Carly argued, finding her voice. “Why don’t you want me to be a gangster with you? I was always your partner on stuff like this before ... well, before this.” She gestured toward her huge pregnancy belly.

  “If you want me to feel guilty, it won’t work,” I warned. “I’m not the one who got pregnant. That’s all on you. I can’t take you to a potentially dangerous club when you’re pregnant. I’m pretty sure that’s frowned upon.”

  “Now wait. Hold up.” Lexie raised a finger, her eyes gleaming as her brain kicked into overdrive. “I know you think it’s a bad idea to take Carly with us to the speakeasy, but I think you’re looking at it the wrong way.”

  Oh, well, I couldn’t wait to hear this. “And what way should I be looking at it?”

  “No one is going to threaten a pregnant woman,” Lexie answered, unruffled by my tone. “No one wants to be the jackass who is seen threatening a pregnant woman in public. If we take her, we’ll probably have an easier time navigating the club.”

  “See!” Carly waved her arms, victorious. “You need me. In fact, you’re not letting me go with you. I’m allowing you to come with me. Yeah. It’s not so funny when the shoe is on the other foot, is it?”

  “I’ve never gotten that expression,” I groused. “Aside from that, your analogy doesn’t make any sense. You can’t find the speakeasy without me, which means I’m clearly the one in control.”

  Carly’s smile faded. “Are you really willing to die on this hill?”

  “I ... what?”

  “It’s a war term,” Lexie explained helpfully. “Strategically, warring factions always tried to control a specific hill when battling. Carly is basically saying that you picked a hill you can’t defend for this argument.”

  I glared at my cousin. “I know what she meant.” Honestly, I had no idea where she was going with the terminology.

  “Then why did you ask?”

  “I ... .” Ugh! I shook my head to dislodge my fury. I didn’t have time to waste on a ridiculous argument like this. It was time to put my foot down. “I don’t want to leave you out, Carly. I hate it when I have to go on a mission without you. I even feel guilty at times because you melt down when you find out about it. That doesn’t mean you can come with me tonight.

  “I’m sorry, you’re not coming,” I continued, firm. I grabbed my keys from the console table. “This is not an adventure for pregnant chicks. You need to go home and dip some pickles in ice cream or something.”

  Carly’s eyes were glittery slits when I risked a look in her direction. “Is that so?”

  I refused to back down even though I could feel the fear bubbling in my stomach. “I’m afraid so. I’m making the rules tonight. There’s nothing you can do to change it. So ... suck it up. I’m in charge and I have a specific plan. You’re not part of that plan.”

  “We’ll just see about that.”

  24 Twenty-Four

  The Domino Club was packed with people, so many that the air conditioning unit was having trouble keeping up. I was irritated the minute I walked through the door, and that was only compounded by the fact that Carly started complaining before we even found a table.

  “This place is ridiculous.”

  Oh, yeah. In the end, Carly won. I couldn’t fight the fact that she was pregnant and could call up tears on a whim. Ultimately I gave in because I had limited time.

  “You didn’t have to come,” I reminded her as I threw myself into a chair and glared.

  Carly huffed out her annoyance. “Do you want me to cry again?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “If anyone asks why I’m crying I’m going to point the finger at you. If you think taking a pregnant woman to an underground club is stupid, just wait until you make that pregnant woman question her self-esteem. No one is going to be happy when I tell them I’m crying because you called me fat.”

  My mouth dropped open. “I didn’t call you fat!”

  “That’s not how I’m going to play it.”

  “Oh, man.”

  Lexie snickered as she took the spot between us, tugging off her small wrap and revealing a tiny top that put her rather impressive assets — seriously, she’s not even five feet tall and has double Ds that constantly make her look top heavy — on full display. “She’s got you over a barrel and you know it. You should probably let it go.”

  “You should let it go,” I shot back.

  “I’m not the one holding a grudge.”

 
“Whatever.” I rolled my neck as I surveyed the room, frowning when I caught sight of a few familiar faces. “Good grief. That’s the lead investigator for the prosecutor’s office.”

  Carly followed my gaze. “Should he be in a club run by gangsters?”

  “Should anybody?”

  “I think we fit right in,” Carly argued primly. “No one has even noticed that I’m pregnant.”

  As if on cue, the waitress picked that moment to sidle up to our table. “What will it be? By the way, we don’t serve alcohol to pregnant women. We do have an awesome Shirley Temple if you’re interested.”

  Carly beamed. “I love Shirley Temples.”

  “Good.” The waitress flicked her eyes to me. “And you?”

  “I’ll have a Jack and Diet Coke.”

  “How classy,” the waitress drawled, shifting her eyes to Lexie. “How about you, honey? By the way, whoever did those things for you did a masterful job. They look real. Who’s your doctor?”

  It took Lexie a moment to realize what the waitress was insinuating. “These are real.” She grabbed her breasts for emphasis, giving them a good squeeze by way of proof. “I don’t need a doctor to enhance what I’ve already got.”

  “Then they’re even more impressive.”

  “They are,” Lexie agreed. “I’ll have Johnny Walker Blue Label, two fingers, on the rocks.”

  The waitress nodded, impressed. “You’ve got it. I’ll be back in a few minutes with your drinks.”

  I waited until she was gone to speak. “Just so you know, Lexie, you’re buying your own drinks.”

  “Oh, please.” Lexie made a disdainful sound in the back of her throat. “Why do you think I wore this shirt? I’m not paying for anything tonight.”

  “You seem awfully sure of yourself.”

  “Trust me.”

  “Yeah, well ... .” I trailed off when I caught sight of Phil Keane standing by the bar. He was talking to our waitress, their heads bent together as they discussed something they didn’t want others to hear. His gaze was slow and precise as it bounced across the room and ultimately landed on me. “Here we go,” I muttered, sitting straighter in my chair. “When this guy comes over here, let me do the talking.”

  “I think we should be the ones saying that to you,” Carly countered. “We know how to handle ourselves in social situations. You always make a scene.”

  “I never make a scene.”

  Carly arched a confrontational eyebrow. “I spent four years with you in college and know that’s not true. I could make a list if you’re having trouble remembering.”

  “I’m good.” I shot her a warning look before plastering a smile on my face as Phil made his way to our table. “Mr. Keane, it’s so good to see you again.”

  “I was about to say the same.” Phil’s smile was wide, but it didn’t make it all the way to his eyes. I could tell he wasn’t expecting me, which I considered a win. He took the open chair at our table and fixed a deliberately lazy look on his face as if he were indulging me. “So, to what do I owe the honor?”

  “Oh, well, I couldn’t get this place out of my mind,” I explained. “I had a night free and wanted to spend time with my friends. This was the first place that popped into my head.”

  “We strive to be memorable.”

  “And you succeed.”

  “We also pride ourselves on flying under the radar,” Phil added, his smile slipping. “I wasn’t aware that you planned to return after our last meeting ... and with guests no less.”

  I’d been expecting this. I was ready. “Yes, well, it’s not as if I brought cops or other reporters. I brought my cousin and best friend. Neither have any ties to groups that could threaten you. Of course, you already have a prosecutor, two city councilmen and the city attorney hanging around tonight, so anyone I brought would naturally pale in comparison.”

  Phil’s smile was completely eradicated by this point. “Listen here ... .”

  “No, you listen,” I cut him off. “We just want to relax and have a few drinks. We want to do it in a place where I won’t risk running into people I know. Granted, I do know a few people in here, but they won’t say anything because this place is like Fight Club. No one speaks about it, so it doesn’t exist.”

  Phil blinked several times in surprise. “I ... well ... I guess that’s true.”

  “It’s definitely true,” I agreed.

  “We don’t want to cause trouble,” Lexie added, batting her eyes for Phil’s benefit as she leaned closer to the table and showed off her huge chest for his benefit. “We just want to chill for an hour or so and then leave. That’s not so bad, is it?”

  “Of course not.” Phil swallowed hard, his eyes never moving from Lexie’s breasts. They were ridiculously impressive, almost mesmerizing. I couldn’t really blame him for being enamored. “I’m sorry if I seemed unwelcoming. That’s the last thing I want.”

  “We forgive you.” Lexie giggled. “We’re used to people wanting to kick Avery out of restaurants and bars. It happens all the time.”

  Hey! The only reason she was even here was because I invited her. “I rarely get kicked out of restaurants.”

  “She’s lying to cover,” Lexie said. “She can’t help herself. Just ignore her.”

  “And you’re her cousin?” Phil flushed with pleasure when Lexie winked at him. “You two look nothing alike.”

  “That’s because I don’t have boobs that could double as a flotation device during a water landing,” I groused.

  Lexie ignored the dig. “I am her cousin. We’re pretty close. In fact, she helped me open my yoga studio in Roseville. She’s my favorite cousin, even though she’s often embarrassing in social situations.”

  I would show her embarrassing. “Listen, while you’re here, I don’t suppose you have any further information on Jay Truman?” I opted to take control of the conversation. If I allowed Lexie to remain at the helm we would veer into unchartered waters and that was always a recipe for disaster.

  Phil didn’t bother to hide his surprise at the question. “I haven’t heard anything new since the last time I saw you. Why? Do you have information to share?”

  Hmm. That was interesting. He wanted to grill me as much as I wanted to hound him. “Just a few things, although I’m not sure what to make of them.”

  “And what have you discovered?”

  “Well, for starters, the sheriff’s department and fire chief are keeping the interesting reports under wraps,” I volunteered. “They only do that when they think something big is going down.” That wasn’t exactly true. I had no idea what information the departments had made public. It couldn’t hurt to rattle Phil’s cage, though.

  “What do you think they’re hiding?” He seemed legitimately interested. “Do you think something happened in that building that they don’t want the public to know about?”

  “Oh, most definitely. Whatever happened is tied to Jay Truman. I’m not sure how the fire started, but I’m guessing it was to cover up Jay’s murder.”

  “And how do you know Jay was murdered again?”

  “I have my sources.”

  “In the sheriff’s department?”

  “I have sources in multiple places,” I countered, avoiding answering the question directly. “I hear certain things.”

  “I hear things, too,” Phil said. “I haven’t heard that Jay’s death is being ruled a homicide. I would think the prosecutor’s office would know something about that.”

  That explained the investigator’s presence. “Not necessarily. The sheriff’s department only hands over information when it’s ready to take it to the next level. I don’t think they’re there yet.”

  “Interesting.” Phil stroked his chin. “Well, as we talked about the other day, Jay wasn’t exactly known for being a friendly guy. He didn’t have people watching out for him. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He had enemies at every corner.”

  “Were you his enemy?”

  “Not always.”


  That was a fabulous non-answer if I ever heard one. “You didn’t kill him, right?”

  Phil’s smile was indulgent rather than insulted. “Of course not.”

  “Did you pay to have someone kill him?”

  “Ms. Shaw, I can assure you, if I wanted Jay dead, I would do it myself,” Phil supplied. “To be fair, I would’ve happily helped him shuffle off the mortal coil if the opportunity arose. But given our past, I would be one of the prime suspects from the start. Why would I want to risk something like that for so little gain? It’s not as if Jay was a presence in my life. He hadn’t been for a very long time.”

  He made a compelling argument. Still, I wasn’t sure I believed him. “You must have an idea who wanted to kill him. You ran in the same circles for years.”

  “Yes. That’s how I know everyone wanted to kill him. I have no idea who finally arranged to make it happen – if that’s really the case, and I’m not convinced it is – but I’m hardly surprised.” Phil slowly rose to his feet. “Now, however enlightening I find your company, I really have to see to my other guests. Please, have a few drinks and enjoy your evening. I’ve taken care of your tab so you can leave once you’ve had your fill.”

  I managed a smile, although it was probably more of a grimace. “I appreciate your hospitality.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  IT WAS ALMOST TEN when I excused myself from the table to hit the bathroom. Russell was due to make his appearance soon. I’d fended off five texts from Eliot — who really hated that artsy-fartsy movie — and was anxious to talk to the reluctant hero before making my escape.

  I pulled up short when I caught sight of a face in the mirror behind the bar. Even though the man it belonged to sat with his back to me, I could see his reflection and he didn’t look any happier to see me than I was to see him. I considered approaching and making a scene, but something about the way he was dressed told me that was a really bad idea.

  Instead I grabbed my phone from my pocket, clicked “Derrick” on the contact list, and started texting.

  What are you doing here?

  I sent the message and watched as Derrick scowled at the buzzing in his pocket. He pulled out his phone, stared at the screen, and shook his head.