Cat 'N Mouse (3 page)

“Let me know what you come up with.”

“Will do. I left a present for you in the cookie jar. You might need some firepower. Oh, feed Elvira for me will you,” Matt said with a laugh and hung up.

“Elvira? Wait—”

Sam stood still looking around the kitchen after Matt hung up the phone. He peered under the table in the corner, but didn’t see anything. Sam remembered the tarantula Matt owned in high school, and then the snake just before he went off to join the Marines, Sam shuddered to think of who or what Elvira was. He stuck his head over the island staring into the living room and further down the narrow hallway.

Nothing slithering. No hissing or scratching. He hadn’t seen a cage anywhere, but that didn’t mean anything. He was introduced to Louise, the tarantula crawling across his chest after one of Matt’s famous parties in high school and had nearly wet his pants. Whatever Elvira was, it would find him, eventually.

Sam placed the phone back on the charger when it beeped indicating the battery was low. He reheated his dinner then grabbed a beer from the fridge.

He set the beer and the dinner on the island and pulled up a stool. He sat on the stool and let his gaze wander around the apartment. Matt’s place was the quintessential bachelor pad with stark white walls and black furnishings. No pictures. Well, not if you count the picture of the dogs dressed in tuxedoes playing poker over the fireplace smoking cigars.

Well, if he was going to play bodyguard to Little-Miss-Sunshine then he might as well see what he was up against. Sam was about to open the file Matt had conveniently left sitting on the counter since the day he’d arrived from Boston when someone knocked on the door. He reached for the cookie jar in the shape of a bulldog on the counter and removed the lid. Inside he found a semi-automatic handgun. He shoved it in the waistband of his jeans and headed for the door.

After he had left the Prescott estate that afternoon, he had the strangest feeling that he was being followed. It didn’t matter how many times he drove around in circles the kicker was he couldn’t pick up anyone, and that didn’t sit well with him at all. He was halfway to the door when he heard the voice of the last person he expected to see tonight.

“Mr. O’Malley, it’s Warren Prescott.”

•  •  •

Warren Prescott knocked again on the door. He hated to be kept waiting. Yet that’s what Mr. O’Malley was doing. He’d just gotten off the phone with Matt while enroute to Matt’s apartment and was assured that O’Malley was at the apartment. He knocked again and heard movement on the other side of the door.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Prescott?” Sam asked when he opened the door leaning against the doorframe. He watched as Sam’s gaze shifted to Colt waiting by the black Escalade. His bodyguard didn’t like O’Malley and it seemed the feeling was mutual, but that was not his concern at the moment.

“I’d like a word with you. May I?” Warren looked beyond Sam’s shoulder into the living room. The man didn’t budge. “Please.”

Sam nodded. Colt started toward the apartment building.

“He can wait outside,” Sam said loud enough for Colt to hear. “He doesn’t look toilet trained.”

Prescott gestured for Colt to wait and the bodyguard stopped half way up the walkway. He was aware that the bodyguard didn’t like this impromptu meeting. Colt typically received his schedule in advance so that he could execute his job and protect him. Not his time. He had wanted to talk to O’Malley himself and not use a go between. When he planned things he left nothing to chance.

Matt had told him O’Malley was only available for a week. A week wasn’t good enough. He intended to change the man’s mind. He wasn’t accustomed to not getting what he wanted. And he was not accustomed to begging either.

“You don’t like me,” Warren said as he entered the apartment. He smelled food. A microwave dinner was on the counter with steam rising from the black plastic container.

“Does it matter?” Sam grabbed his beer and perched on the stool. He tipped the bottle to his head, watching Prescott lingering at the door.

“It would make things easier.” Warren moved into the living room and waited for Sam to offer him a seat. The invitation didn’t come. “My daughter is my world. She belongs at the estate, but at the moment she chooses to live elsewhere. I’ll do whatever I can to protect her from the bastard who wants to hurt her. At the moment, that means having you on our side.”

“I’m no bodyguard. Matt and I just had a discussion. Since I’m in between jobs, I’ve given him a week of my time. After that, you can get someone to chauffeur your
Princess
around.”

“I want you until this threat is over. Matt says you’re good at what you do. I’m willing to pay.”

“You don’t have enough money in the world to keep me on your payroll. You don’t own me either. I made a promise to Matt, not you. One week and I’m done.”

Warren sat down on the sofa, leaned back and signed heavily. His hands were shaking. To show weakness to anyone was not something he was accustom to.

“My daughter is all I have, Mr. O’Malley. Someone wants to hurt her. It could be because they’re trying to get back at me, I don’t know. I’ve not been kind to a lot of people.”

“I’m sure you and Matt can work it all out after the week is up.”

“No!” He slammed his clenched fist into his open palm. “The reason why she ran into your car was because her brakes failed. Someone tampered with her car.”

Sam put the beer down on the counter. Warren noticed that he hadn’t moved from the spot since he’d entered the apartment. He gave the impression that he was relaxed, but Warren knew better.

“I gave you my answer. We’ve nothing further to discuss. Why are you still here?”

Warren wasn’t used to losing control and took a minute compose himself all under the intense scrutiny of Samuel O’Malley. Nothing but honesty would appeal to the man staring at him. He could sense it. They had a lot in common, but if he said that right now, O’Malley would laugh in his face.

“You remind me of myself when I was your age. I was angry at the world, but that anger got me where I am today. I’ll be damned if I’m going to apologize for my success. I’ve earned it. I deserve it. What I don’t deserve is your contempt. At least not yet.”

Warren saw a green shadow at the corner of his eye crawling quickly toward the bedroom. Sam turned his head toward the bedroom to see what he was engrossed in. The thick green iguana stopped half way down the hallway, staring at the two men.

“Prescott, meet Elvira. Matt’s sense of humor.”

He turned his attention back to Sam. “You asked why I’m here. It’s simple. To protect my daughter and I’ll do so at any cost. Matt trusts you to take care of her and that’s good enough for me. Also, my daughter hates you. And if nothing else comes from this, you can get her back for wrecking your car.”

That brought a smile to Sam’s face. He got up from the counter and sat down in the armchair across from Prescott, but didn’t respond to what he’d just said. When Warren looked toward the bedroom again the iguana was gone. At that moment he felt unsure of himself. He’d felt that way once when his wife had passed away.

“Why go outside for help? What about your bodyguard? He seems competent. And Matt?”

He shook his head. “Colt travels with me full time. Besides, my daughter has everyone wrapped around her fingers, including Colt and Matt. I have a feeling you may not be so easily swayed by her. She’ll be well protected.”

He grunted.

“I know you two got off on the wrong foot, but once you get to know her, you’ll like her.”

Sam grunted again. Prescott couldn’t read his expression. What was clear by his attitude—he didn’t care for Alexandria. He didn’t want to have anything to do with her, but too bad. His daughter will be protected and he would do whatever it took to make it happen, even if it meant saddling her with someone she couldn’t stand.

“She’s at the estate. She’s still a bit shaken from the car accident this morning. Come by tomorrow and we can all talk about our arrangement.”

“Your daughter will never go for it.”

“I can handle her.”

“I never said I’d go beyond the week.”

“You never said you wouldn’t either.”

•  •  •

White Musk.

The scent floated off the red silk scarf filling the interior of the brown four-door sedan. Closing his eyes for a moment, he allowed his mind to wander, imagining Alexandria Prescott sitting next to him.

Talking to him.

Touching him.

Kissing him.

The engine spluttered, interrupting the warm feeling that wrapped itself around him like a cocoon. His eyes flew open and he rubbed them to focus. Hot air shot from the air conditioning vent and fiddling with the button didn’t help. The sound of crickets filled his ears when he shut off the air conditioner and opened the window. Except for a stray dog, the street was virtually empty.

He sat across the street from the three-story apartment building. The white bricked building was at the end of a dead end street in South Orlando. He had a clear view and a quick get away if need be.

Warren Prescott had entered the ground floor leaving Colt behind. Forty-five minutes later he watched Prescott emerge. Colt stood by the car door like a soldier on guard opening the door for his master. Warren slid into the back seat. Colt closed the door and got in on the driver’s side. He watched in the rearview mirror as they pulled away.

There was no need to follow Prescott. He knew the man was going home to his Princess—soon to be his Princess too.

Rubbing the scarf against the stubble on his face, he pictured Alexandria sitting beside him. Anger bubbled up inside him when he remembered the man in the black suit that came out of the restaurant and hugged her a few days ago. He slammed his fist into his leg and pain shot all the way down to his toes. That man wasn’t good enough for her. None of them were.

Pushing the man in black to the back of his mind, he thought about Samuel O’Malley, the man he’d followed from the Prescott estate. What was his role? Prescott’s visit concerned him. It was his fault. If he hadn’t tampered with Alexandria’s car then she would’ve gone back to her condo instead of hiding from him.

O’Malley had to be a cop or a private investigator. He had the height and the build for it. He was also smart. Twice today O’Malley had almost caught him following him.

It was his anger that made him careless, an anger he needed to control if he wanted to be with his Princess. He had lost his first job because of his anger. He was good at his job before he was dishonorably discharged. They had taught him to kill and he became good at it. Then they accused him of liking it too much. So what if he killed people that didn’t deserve to die. That’s what war was about. They concluded he was unstable. Instead of serving his country, he held the door for people, and some of them don’t even look at him. They treated him like dirt.

He knew he should’ve forgiven Alexandria for cheating on him with the man in black. He had always forgiven her, but this time she needed to be taught a lesson. He looked toward the apartment window. O’Malley had pulled back the drapery and was peering out into the darkness. A few minutes later the front door flew open and O’Malley sprinted across the street toward his car.

Turning on the car, putting the gear in drive, he jammed on the accelerator and drove away, tires screeching into the night. He was half way home before he turned on his headlights.

Samuel O’Malley was going to be a big problem.

•  •  •

Alexandria knocked on Mimi’s door. Her room was at the other end of the house. At six thousand and fifty square feet, the house was like a football stadium. Growing up in the house, she’d often felt lost in it. Still did.

As a child when she couldn’t sleep at night, she would always visit Mimi. She would sit in her room for hours and Mimi would tell her stories about her life in France before she moved to America. Her favorite were the stories of Josephine Baker, the entertainer.

When things were at their most confusing Mimi would make it all better, and that’s why she was outside Mimi’s door. She was too old to be hanging on to childhood memories and was feeling a bit silly. She was a grown woman yet sometimes stepping back into the house made her—

“Come in, Sweet Pea.”

“Old habits die hard,” Alexandria said when she opened the door and made a bee line for Mimi’s bed. The marble tile felt cool under her bare feet until she hit the soft white rug in front of the bed.

Alexandria loved Mimi’s room. Even though her father had remodeled the entire house, Mimi’s room had remained the same over the years. Rich heavy drapery in green silk hung from the windows. It also covered a window bench that overlooked the garden. The room was decorated with fine antique furnishings, most of which Mimi had brought with her from France.

“Come,” Mimi removed her glasses, closing the book of poetry and setting it on the night table. She patted the large four-poster bed lifting the green silk cover. “I was expecting you. This brings back memories.”

“Not always good ones.” Alexandria lifted the hem of her nightgown and crawled into the bed. She told Mimi about the argument with her father. “I know he means well, but sometimes he’s suffocating.”

“He loves you, Sweet Pea. Whatever he does it’s because he loves you. Tell me what’s on your mind. The last couple of times when you visited you never came to my room.”

“I’m a little old to be crawling into bed with my former nanny, don’t you think?”

“Says who?”

With a big wide smile and a sparkle in her green eyes Mimi lifted Alexandria’s spirits and she began to feel better. Mimi understood her and that’s why Alexandria could tell her anything. There was no ordering her about or telling her what was best for her or belittling the things that were important to her.

“The nightmares are back.”

Mimi didn’t say anything at first. She smoothed the hair from Alexandria’s face and folded her in her arms. She smelled of baby powder. It felt like she’d come home to a real home in Mimi’s arms. Even her condo didn’t feel like home to her. Her father had bought it like everything else. It all belonged to him.