Dangerous Bond (Jamie Bond Mysteries Book 4) (15 page)

"I'm so sorry," Maya said. "I didn't mean to make you fall. I must've had too many shots." She giggled.

Speedo stood up and wobbled. "It's okay. It's a party, right? Come on, sugar."

He waved her forward and stepped off the elevator.

Maya stood several steps behind. Then she raised her hand and showed us Speedo's key card.

Sam and Caleigh squealed. "Way to go, Maya."

I chuckled. That was my girl.

Maya slipped the card into her purse as Speedo turned right and pushed open the double doors.

We all sighed at the breathtaking view of luxury, from the dazzling chandelier to the skyline past the floor-to-ceiling windows behind the long mahogany dining table and eight upholstered chairs.

Maya tentatively stepped into the penthouse and turned around counter clockwise, giving us a visual of the surroundings. She knew more than she gave herself credit for. I was going to have to sit down and talk to her when we returned. But she'd receive a praising. After this, she may need a raise too.

To her right were two archways. One led to a couple of doors and the other led to what looked like a kitchen. Along the wall to the kitchen was an elaborate and well-stocked glass bar. Several women and men in bathing suits and towels sat on the stools. Maya showed us the dining room table next, and up close I saw that it was set with the most brilliant white and gold-trimmed dishes. Several vases of fresh flowers—purple, yellow, and white—sat in the center.

To the left was the living room, with white and beige ultramodern sleek sofas, a large flat-screen TV, and various other tables and chairs that were hard to make out with all the bodies on them. These people didn't seem to have come from the pool party though. The men were fully dressed in low-hung pants, jerseys, sneakers, and a lot of gold jewelry. A few women in outfits as skimpy as Maya's were draped over the sides of the sofas.

Maya stepped closer, and a coffee table full of money, a few guns, pills, and beer cans came into view. One of the guys walked over to her. "Hey,
chica
. What's your name?"

Bass throbbed in the background, but the music wasn't as loud as at the pool, so his voice came across loud and clear.

"Maria," she said. "I'm looking for my boyfriend. He's up here. Julio. Have you seen him?"

The guy sucked in the corner of his mouth and checked Maya out from head to toe, lingering suggestively on all of the important parts. "No,
mija
, but if you can't find him, I can be your daddy."

Elaine snorted. Charley didn't make a sound. I imagined she wasn't too thrilled.

But Maya giggled in character. "Sure thing." When she turned toward the bar, she whispered, "Never gonna happen."

Charley's turn to snort.

Maya approached a girl in a bright-yellow bikini at the bar. She grabbed her phone her from her purse and pulled up the photo of Julio. "Hey, any chance you've seen this guy here?"

The girl squinted, shook her head, and went back to sprinkling salt on the side of her hand.

Sam sighed. I'd doubted this would be easy, but I hoped we wouldn't leave here with nothing.

Maya moved on down the bar, asking each of partygoers. No one recognized Julio. Which, with the currently average level of inebriation, didn't necessarily mean they hadn't seen him. She turned toward the living room, and her steps were slow, as if she was nervous about venturing inside. I understood how she felt.

"She shouldn't be in there," Charley whispered.

There was a knock on the door, and the Senior Sleuths flinched.

Oooh, room service.

Charley rose and answered the door. It was just as well she was distracted at this part of Maya's assignment. As the hotel staff rolled a cart of tantalizing scents into the room, I leaned forward and kept my eyes on the screen.

Maya entered the living room, and the TV showed one of Heavy's music videos. It looked like an old one 'cause Heavy was thinner and younger. Maya sat on the edge of a sofa. I assumed she was trying to blend in.

The guy who wanted to be her daddy jutted out his chin and made a kissy face.

The server pulled the cart out of our room, and Charley thanked him. Then she went about opening the dishes of food, and the aromas attacked me. Sam, Caleigh, and I looked behind us, taking our eyes off the computer for a moment.

Charley must've noticed us drooling, because she said, "I ordered a bunch of items, so we can all share. Take whatever you want."

She didn't have to tell us twice. I jumped up and grabbed a plate.

I served myself some salmon, risotto, Caesar salad, and green beans almandine and then quickly returned to my seat. Leave it to a mom to order healthy choices. We were all lucky. If it had been up to me, I may have ordered burgers and fries.

"Can you grab me a bottle of water?" I asked and kept my gaze on Maya.

She shoved the photo of Julio in the face of some guy with dreadlocks. "Have you seen him? It's my boyfriend, and I'm trying to find him before the cops do."

The guy shook his head. "Nah. What'd he do?"

"Held up a liquor store."

The guy looked unimpressed. A girl with cornrows and a lip ring glanced over briefly before turning her attention back to the television.

Sam handed me a bottle of water and sat beside me. "Do you think she'll find him?" she whispered.

"I hope so." I wished I could've been more certain.

Maya started to step back into the dining room, and suddenly Heavy's manager appeared at her side.

He looked her up and down, eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"

"Maria. I'm with him." She pointed to Speedo, who was dancing by the bar.

The manager rolled his eyes and went into the living room. I heard Maya let out a sigh of relief as she headed to the bar. But before getting up close to Speedo, she changed course and walked toward the kitchen. She peeked inside. It was long and narrow with granite counters and stainless steel appliances. It was also empty.

"Go on, Maya. Look around," I whispered to myself and stuffed a forkful of fish into my mouth. Oh my God, it was so succulent.

Maya stepped back and glanced around her, but it was so quick that everything was a blur. Then she stepped into the second archway, which was a small hallway. She opened the first door and entered a bedroom. A bedside table light was on, and the room was empty. She shut the door behind her and walked farther in.

"That's my girl," I whispered low enough that no one heard.

Caleigh, Charley, and Elaine returned to their seats with full plates.

Maya showed us the black jacket lying across the brown comforter of the bed. Peeking out from under the jacket was a black wallet. She flipped it open. Edwin Johnson. This was the manger's room. She headed around the bed, opened the closet to reveal several suits on hangers, and then peeked into the empty bathroom. Nothing of interest.

She went back into the hall, took a deep breath, and then went to the other door.

Elaine opened a tiny bottle of vodka and sipped it. "This is so exciting."

The second bedroom was enormous compared to the first. This was the master bedroom. The long burgundy drapes were open, and the fabulous view from the dining room was present in here as well.

"This is making me so nervous," Caleigh said. "She needs to move faster. What if Heavy Cash walks in?"

Charley made a moaning sound.

"She'll tell him she's looking for a bathroom," I said. That's what I would do.

Maya did the same inspection as the last room, starting with the closet and ending with the other door in the room. She placed her hand on the doorknob and hesitated.

I leaned closer. "Do you hear that?"

Muffled sounds came through the microphone, but we were too far away to make it out clearly. Maya pressed her ear to the door. "It sounds like a couple is going at it," she whispered.

"Well, open the door and go on in, honey," Caleigh said as if interrupting hot sex was an everyday occurrence for her.

Maya started to walk away but then stopped and listened again. "Actually, I'm not sure it's ecstasy I'm hearing. It almost sounds like someone is hurt."

The hairs went up on my arms.

Sam glanced to me, and in her eyes I read the fear that maybe Julio was in there.

Maya softly rapped on the door. If it was a love nest, someone would tell her to go away. Instead, the muffled sound grew louder, and I could clearly hear it this time. It sounded as if someone had their mouth covered.

"Go in," I mumbled and wished I'd been able to go up there myself.

Maya turned the knob, but of course, it was locked. She looked around the room quickly. I doubted Heavy had bobby pins lying around. She jerked open the end table drawers and then the dresser. Nothing. She went back to the closet and opened the luggage on the floor. As luck would have it, 'cause sometimes the universe was on our side, a switchblade was in a side pocket. She unfolded it and went back to the bathroom door. She jammed the tip of the knife into the lock, and I mentally crossed my fingers while shoving the rest of my green beans into my mouth.

She tried over and over again, and then finally with a sharp twist of her wrist, we heard a distinct click.

"She needs to teach me how to do that," Elaine said.

It was probably a really good thing that Elaine didn't become a private investigator.

Maya pushed the door open. Instead of finding a half-naked couple, we stared at a man. He sat on the tiled floor, and sure enough, a strip of duct tape was pressed to his mouth. He wore a short-sleeve T-shirt, and his very pale skin allowed Sam to take a breath of relief. Or maybe it was disappointment, because if it had been Julio, at least he would've been found.

But when Maya knelt beside the man and peeled the tape off his mouth, I got a better look at him. I almost choked on my green beans as I realized I was staring into the face of Ian Jenkins, aka Wrap Guy.

Maya used the switchblade to cut through a piece of rope that held Jenkins's arms behind his back, and then she helped him get to his feet.

"We've got to get out of here. These guys are dangerous," he said. He wore the same brown pants and green polo shirt from Lite Wraps.

"What happened? How did you get here?" she whispered.

But he shook his head. "Later. We need to leave. Now!"

Okay," she answered. I had to agree. The interrogation could wait. However Jenkins had ended up tied up in the bathroom, I didn't want Maya around when the tier-upper returned. She helped Jenkins to his feet and accompanied him through the bedroom. Then she tossed the blade onto the bed as they walked past it. Normally I'd leave a room the way I found it when investigating, so that the occupant didn't know anyone had been there. But in this case, that would be obvious as soon as Heavy checked his bathroom.

I set down my plate with a clatter and stood up, ready to start pacing again.

Maya peeked her head into the hall, and a man headed in their direction. She shut the door and slapped Jenkins on the arm. "Back in the bathroom. Hurry."

Crap. This was not good.

Jenkins and Maya ran into the master bath. She shut the door and locked it. "Shoot. We can't just walk out. They'll see you."

A low whining filled the mic. Maya turned, and we saw Jenkins pinching the bridge of his nose. The sound was coming from him.

After shushing him, she glanced around the bathroom.

"She needs help," Charley said.

Caleigh stood, clearly feeling the nervous pacing energy I was.

"Wait," Maya said.

"What?" Jenkins asked.

She faced the mirror and looked to be talking to herself, but I knew she was talking to us. She had to know we'd be there in a heartbeat if she ran into trouble. "Give me a minute to think."

We heard a knock at the door.

Jenkins gasped and covered his mouth with his hand.

Maya shushed him again and turned to the door. "I'll be out in a few. I don't feel so good."

The man heading toward the master bedroom must've wanted to use the bathroom. Good thing it hadn't been Heavy. Where was he?

"Hurry up," the guy on the other side of the door said.

Back in the mirror, Maya bit her bottom lip. "Hey, can you get me a plunger," she shouted.

Caleigh let out a laugh. "No guy wants to hear that."

Caleigh was right, and Maya was brilliant. She faced the back of the door, and her eyes settled on a plush white robe hanging up on a hook. "I have an idea."

She pulled the robe off its hook and wrapped it around Jenkins. "Here, put this on."

"Are you crazy?" he asked. "This isn't a disguise."

He was right, and Maya must've known it too, because she started looking around the room again. But there wasn't much to find in a hotel master bath with a shower the size of my entire bathroom at home. From her reflection in the mirror, we saw Maya pressing her ear to the door. She opened it, looked out, and said, "Come on."

The bedroom was empty again. She ran to the closet and tossed a black jacket at Jenkins. "Put this on. And don't give me any lip, or I'll leave you here."

Charley and Elaine cackled. Caleigh eased back into her seat, but I remained standing. As soon as Maya hit the elevator, I planned to be waiting for her.

Maya found a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses and tossed them at Jenkins. "Here."

It was a decent plan as long as Heavy wasn't out there to notice Jenkins was wearing his clothes.

At the door, Maya turned and stared at Jenkins. "Slump your shoulders and walk with swagger. Got it?"

He nodded and cocked his torso to his right. Not exactly what Maya had in mind, I was sure.

Maya opened the door.

I held my breath. The hallway was empty, but there were a couple more yards before she hit the elevator.

Each step forward was like being in a torture device. Part of me wished she'd run for it, but that would only attract attention.

Maya looked to the right, and all the same people were at the bar, including Speedo. He was still dancing, a Corona in one hand. He kept trying to remove the cap with the palm of his hand, but it wasn't working. Then he resorted to his teeth, swayed a bit too far to the side, and fell into the shelf behind the bar. The sound of glass breaking made everyone look his way.

Good going, Speedo.

Maya took advantage of the distraction and quickly reached the double doors, pulled them open, and stepped into the hall. They were just a few inches from the elevator. Yes! Maya pushed the button.

I tapped my foot. Come on. Come on. Don't take long. I could still hear the bass booming from the penthouse suite. Did one of them not shut the double doors behind them?

"Hey," said a voice close by.

Oh crap. Who was that?

Maya turned and stared into the face of the girl with the cornrows. And sure enough, the penthouse double doors were wide open. Anyone in there could clearly see them leaving.

"What?" Maya asked.

The girl looked over her shoulder and then back to Maya. "I saw that guy on your phone."

Sam sat a bit straighter.

"Oh yeah? Where? When?" Maya asked.

"He was here yesterday. I heard him say something about going to the Gold Bar."

The elevator door opened, and before Maya had time to react, Jenkins moved forward. He started to get onto the elevator but changed his mind and rushed toward a singular door almost opposite the elevator. One marked
Exit.
He was taking the stairs.

Shoot! Jenkins was making a run for it.

I grabbed my Glock and shoved it into the back of my shorts, and then I slipped my phone into my bra. "That's it. Let's go."

Sam and Caleigh jumped to their feet and ran into the hall. I followed closely behind and remembered to turn and point to Elaine and Charley. "You two, stay here. If Maya doesn't get on that elevator in the next two minutes, call me."

The women nodded, and they both had fear in their eyes. Okay, so Elaine had some excitement too but mostly fear.

We ran into the hall. I hit the elevator button, and even though my mind raced, I knew exactly what to do. "Sam, come with me. Caleigh, get to the lobby and make sure he doesn't go down there. I don't care what you have to do, but don't let him leave this building."

"Got it." Caleigh jumped onto the elevator, and Sam and I hit the stairwell. As we entered it, we heard the pounding footsteps heading our way. Jenkins. Our luck was on fire today.

Sam and I took off. We reached him two flights up. Damn, he'd been running fast. He must've been scared of whoever had him in that bathroom. My money was on Heavy, and I couldn't wait to find out why. There was no way I was letting Jenkins get past us. I didn't care if I had to throw both of us down the steps.

Sam and I reached the landing, and he was four steps above us. He didn't pay us much attention. He didn't seem to recognize me at all. It was just as well because it gave me the advantage. When he stepped on the landing, I lunged and threw myself at him.

"What the…" he shouted with a groan as his head hit the wall.

"Did you really think you could get away so easily?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Get off me," he snarled. He pressed his hands to my shoulders and tried to push me away. He hadn't counted on me being a very annoyed woman. I held my ground, but at this rate he'd get the upper hand eventually.

Sam came up behind me. She put a hand on his forehead and pushed it back against the wall.

His black beady eyes widened with recognition as he stared into mine. "You."

I smiled. "Surprise. Now, let's go. You're coming with us."

I grabbed his wrist and started to jerk him forward, but he wasn't having it. He remained stuck to the spot.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"You, of course," Sam said in a syrupy-sweet tone. She even batted her eyes. If she wanted to flirt to get him to return to our room, that was up to her. I barely wanted to touch his wrist. I was already thinking of the scalding shower I'd take when all of this was over.

"I'm not going with you. You're both crazy." He yanked free of my grip and took off. He managed to get down the next few steps before my legs moved.

"Sonofa…" I ran down one step and noticed he was two away from the next landing. Once he turned, it would be harder to reach him again, so I did what I said I would.

I rose onto the balls of my feet and leapt. If I'd taken a moment to think about it, I never would've done it. Gravity instantly pulled at me, and my heart nestled in my stomach somewhere. I quickly prayed I'd come out of this conscious and not maimed.

"Jamie," Sam shouted. There was panic in her voice. I knew how she felt.

Jenkins turned and widened his eyes as he saw me flying toward him. His expression was comical enough that had I been sitting on the sidelines, watching this crazy woman behaving like a bat, I'd be in stitches laughing. But all I felt in the moment was fear that I'd end up in the hospital.

He missed the last step, and his right leg went down two, throwing his balance off, which really sucked because I ended up landing with my face at his stomach. I fell against him, and we both crashed onto the concrete landing. I was going to need a giant tube of Bengay cream when this day ended.

Fortunately, I was okay, other than his belt buckle digging into my neck. Unfortunately, he seemed to be okay too. Not that I wanted him injured, but a little less squirrely would've been awesome.

"This is ridiculous," Sam shouted, and her footsteps sounded behind us.

Jenkins squirmed and twisted to get to his feet.

That wasn't happening, not after almost killing myself. I dug my hands into his upper arms. The term
biceps
would have suggested there were muscles involved, and that was far from Jenkins's fleshy reality. As he turned to get to his knees, I hung on and moved with him. We rolled twice, until I was back on top, but now we were dangerously near the next set of stairs.

Before I knew what was happening, Sam was beside us. She shouted "Clear" as if she was a doctor on a medical drama TV show. I didn't fully anticipate what was happening, but I trusted her. I sprung off Jenkins and landed on my butt on one of the steps.

Sam flung her arm forward and tased him.

His body jerked several times and then flopped still. I took the opportunity to grab his right arm and pin it behind his back, incapacitating him.

With my other hand, I touched my throbbing lip and pulled back to see blood on my fingertips. I must've hit it against his belt. "Nice work."

"Thanks." She blew the end of the Taser and frowned at me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I will be."

Sam nodded toward Jenkins, who looked dazed.

"Wha…what happened?" he mumbled.

We both ignored him.

"What are we gonna do with him?" Sam asked.

"Let's get him back to the hotel room. I want to know why he was tied up in Heavy's bathroom."

Sam nodded. "That makes two of us."

I pushed him ahead of me, with Sam at his side, threateningly brandishing the Taser in case he had any further thoughts of bolting. He seemed to get the point, as he willingly shuffled his feet down the next flight of stairs and out into the hallway.

As we entered the carpeted hall, the elevator dinged across from us, and I expected to see Maya or Caleigh get off, but it was a formally dressed older couple. Great. Witnesses.

The man held the woman's hand. It was sweet. They were probably in their late sixties. She wore a royal-blue, short-sleeve gown with silver glittery leaves trailing down the length of the dress from the shoulder to the hem at her ankle. The man wore a black tuxedo, white shirt, and a royal-blue tie. They frowned at us as they neared.

I smiled and said, "He never knows how to handle his liquor."

They hurried past, and we continued on. Once inside our room, we brought him to the sofa and let him go. He crashed onto the cushions.

"Oh my gosh, what's wrong with him?" Charley asked and then looked at me. "Are you okay?"

Sam held up her Taser and grinned. "He's just a little dazed."

Jenkins blinked at her and recoiled into the cushions further. "Keep that chick away from me. She's nuts!"

Elaine clapped and cackled.

"We're fine." Nothing a handful of ibuprofen wouldn't cure. I grabbed a bottle of water and wished for something stronger, but I needed to keep a clear head. Plus, the minibar was outrageously expensive. If Elaine hadn't cleaned it out.

The door opened, and Maya walked in. Relief washed away the frown lines along Charley's forehead, but she didn't rush to her daughter and smother her in hugs and kisses. Instead, she patted her on the shoulder and said, "I am so proud of you."

I grinned. "Someone call Caleigh and tell her to come up. Here." I tossed my phone at Elaine, who caught it with one hand.