Dead Heat (8 page)

“It’s okay. I guess you are right. We don’t actually know anything about each other, which could be a problem if we are to be believed to be in a serious relationship. How about we go out on a lunch date and learn more about each other?”

“Um, no thanks. It’s not a real relationship anyways. The only person we need to fool is the assassin and he’s not going to be quizzing us. So, who was on the phone?”

“Yet, you cared if I was married. Interesting. Here’s the deal, Paige. You let me take you out on a date tonight and I’ll tell you what I found out. No date, no info.” Oh! She really wanted to wipe that cocky grin off his face, but she really wanted to know what happened.

“Fine. But I don’t have to like it.” She was saved by the bell, quite literally, when a new client walked in.

* * *

He sat back in his car and pulled out his cell phone. He never took his hard eyes off the yellow building. Punching in the number he had memorized, he waited for the boss to pick up.

“Is it done?”

“Almost. The two are taken care of.” He said in his normal cold voice. He had never been hired for a hit on a woman, nevertheless two women, but he had gotten it done. Just like always.

“You know I can. Her and her boyfriend live above her shop. When the timing is right, I will go in and take care of her. If he doesn’t get out of the way, I will just make it look like a murder-suicide. Nothing I haven’t done before.” His lips twitched. He might just feel something besides boredom for this one.

“Fine. Just hurry up. I don’t want any loose ends.”

* * *

Cole slid his hand into hers as they walked down the street toward the Café. Betty Jo had been very excited to see Cole in the store. Come to think about it, her traffic flow had increased as the day went on.

“I bet it was interesting growing up with all those brothers. I am kind of jealous. I always wanted siblings, but it was just me.”

“Yes. It was interesting. They always wanted me to be this little girly girl. But I always wanted to be just like them. I followed them everywhere and finally they gave in and started teaching me instead of trying to get rid of me. But then I went to design school and totally surprised everyone. I think they are torn between being proud of me and embarrassed about how I turned out.”

“Marshall always wanted me to run his company for him. I am good at business and I am good with people.” She got nervous when Cole was quiet for a moment. Did he think she wasn’t good enough to run a major company?

“I can see that. You would be really good at it, but I think you like being the one in charge and you have the freedom to do that with your own store.” Cole opened the door at the cafe for her. She smiled as she walked in and found her usual table empty. He understood. Someone who barely knew her understood what her brothers still failed to see.

Miss Daisy gave them a wave and a wink as she shuttled from table to table taking orders. Paige made her way through the packed dining room to the only open table in the back of the room. She had hoped for a booth where she could have enough room to breathe from Cole’s presence. Instead, she got a table for two pressed against the back side wall. It was the most private table at the Café. Cole walked around where she stood staring stupidly at the small, intimate table. He pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit.

“How’s the cutest couple in Keeneston doing?” Miss Daisy asked on a wink as she placed two menus in front of them.

“So, where did you hear that we are dating?” Cole reached across the table and started tracing his fingers over the top of her hand in a motion that sent a wave of heat shooting straight from her fingers down to her, oh my!

“You know there’s nuttin' going on in this town I don’t know about young man. Besides Kandi stopped by for the back-to-school lunch for the PTA. Told the whole room about how you are slumming it with your help. I figured she wasn’t talking about Betty Jo, so I figured Cole used it as an excuse to stick around for a while.” Miss Daisy shrugged her thin shoulders as she pulled out her pad and ever present pen to take their drink orders before shuttling off to the kitchen.

Paige didn’t bother to look down at the menu. She had it memorized. Tonight she was going to go with the grilled pimento cheese sandwich with fresh tomato and bacon. She sat quietly, looking at the people in the restaurant as Cole decided on what he wanted to eat.

“Well, I always wanted to be in the FBI. I was six years old when an FBI agent came to my school and told us about the agency. I played football, wide receiver, during high school and was in the National Honors Society. The combination got me noticed by some smaller schools like Sewanee, Maryville, and Rhodes in Tennessee and Georgetown and Centre in Kentucky. I narrowed it down to which ones offered me a full scholarship for academics and finally decided on Centre College down in Danville.

I took lots of government and law classes, and they confirmed my desire to go into the FBI. My professor contacted the agency and got me an internship for the summer before my senior year. I was assigned to the Assistant Deputy Director in D.C. I was nothing more than a glorified gopher, but he let me sit in on many meetings and would even stay late to discuss the day’s events with me.

After graduating from Centre, I earned my Masters in Criminal Justice from Eastern Kentucky University and was admitted to the FBI Academy. I found out later that the Assistant Deputy Director called the Director in charge of the Academy and got me in.”

“That was nice of him.” Paige sat back and allowed Miss Daisy to set their drinks down and take their order before hustling off for the kitchen.

“It was nice of him. It is what got me in. Turns out I didn’t have enough standout qualities on my resume and was going on the waitlist. It’s very difficult to get into the Academy and he made it possible for me.”

“Is that who you report to now?” Cole smiled and she knew she was right.

“Yes. When the new Director was named, he was promoted to special ops. He doesn’t have to report to anyone unless he deems it necessary. He is going to bring the Director in on it soon.”

“So, now that you have me on this date, are you going to tell me the current news?” She couldn’t believe she had forgotten he had heard from his boss. She was actually having a good time talking with him.

“They ran your sketch through the system and got a hit. We don’t have a real name on him, but we suspect he’s behind around twenty mid-level assassinations. We’re pretty sure he was hired by one or all of the New York boys to clean up the mess, as in you.” Cole stared at her with his cross cop face.

“I still can’t believe the owners of the largest law firm in New York City, Federal and District Judges, and Senators could be involved in something as horrible as kidnapping, rape, and murder. I hate that Kenna and Dani were dragged into this, but at the same time, if not for them this would still be going on. Girls would still be made to… it’s too horrible to even think of.” Paige felt sick just thinking of what those poor girls had to go through. She had heard the story of Kenna accidentally walking into one of the parties and witnessing her then boyfriend, Chad Taylor, attempting to rape a woman while some of the most powerful men in the state and federal government sat back and watched. She was only now getting a taste of what Kenna and Dani must have felt that night when they ran from Chad. “Did you learn anything else?”

“Yes. Thanks to Dani’s tip on the bartender at the club in New York. We tracked down the bartender and found him at the gym both he and Chad belonged to. We threatened him with life in jail and he started talking instantly. Turns out he would signal Chad if there were any new young women who were unaccompanied coming into the gym or the bar. He thought Chad just had a type of girl he liked to hit on. Turns out they were probably the girls Chad would either bring to the monthly parties at the law office or he would pimp out to the judges and other VIPs who were regulars at those parties.

“The bartender led us to Chad’s place. Agents are going through the place with a fine tooth comb. It is obvious he didn’t think he would ever get caught. He has all kinds of papers and pictures lying around. Even had a note that lists the fake name Judge LeMaster hid the 9-1-1 tape under. Apparently, LeMaster sent a clerk to listen to the tape. The clerk returned it to evidence, but purposely misfiled it. It can’t be classified as destroying evidence. But if Chad had not written down the file it was hidden in, then we may have never of found it.

“The tape confirms everything Kenna said. You can hear her screaming for them to stop the rape and then you can hear Chad attacking Kenna. Afterwards, you actually hear Bob and Senator Bruce ordering the death of the girl.

“ Normally, I think the best way is to capture a criminal alive so they can pay for their crimes. But I think the best punishment he could get was to have Dani kill him. After hearing parts of the tape, no man deserved it more. Chad would never think she had it in her and that makes it all the better in my mind.” Cole leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. He was obviously agitated that men like Chad and the New York boys had taken advantage of innocent women.

“I know it was hard on Dani, but I think Ahmed is helping her with his experience in killing people. Things like how to handle the nightmares and flashbacks. I think, deep down, she feels the same way you do. She knows he is dead and knows he won’t ever get out of jail someday. I think it brings her a certain peace. At least it did until this. I still can’t believe it happened. I didn’t even know assassins existed in the real world. I thought it was just something in the movies.”

“They are very real. Which is why I am so worried about you. Movies can’t hurt you, but this guy can.” Paige looked away from Cole and down at her napkin. She didn’t want him to see she was starting to worry now that she knew all the facts.

“I see you have already run out of things to talk about.” Kandi sashayed her way over to the table. Paige stifled a groan when she heard Kandi’s grating voice. She raised her eyes from her napkin and almost choked with laughter.

Kandi leaned against Cole’s chair in tight barely there shorts and Ed Hardy t-shirt two sizes too small. She looked like she had raided a fifteen year old's closet.

“You know, Kandi, I have some great clothes at my store more suited to a woman of your age. You should check them out.” Paige grinned and gave a slight bat of her lashes.

“Oh! Aren’t you a dear? I only wear designer clothes. I know you can’t afford them, and probably know nothing about them. This is Ed Hardy. This t-shirt alone costs more than you probably make in a week.” Kandi turned as if Paige wasn’t even sitting there and started brushing up against Cole.

“I know Don. And I know how much they cost. I have about ten of them in my closest.” Paige picked up her water and took a sip as she waited for her words to make their way through all the teased hair and hairspray and into her ears.

“Oh, Paige. You’re so silly. It’s Ed Hardy, not Don.” Paige watched as she gave Cole a look that conveyed just how stupid Kandi thought she was.

“Actually, his first name is Don and I interned with him and Christian Audigier while I was in design school. I just talked to him last week, actually.” Paige took another sip of her water.

“You know, I never asked what your name is.” Kandi ignored Paige, clearly not believing her. But Paige didn’t care. It was enough to piss her off and that made it worth it. She’d have to dig out the picture of the three of them at New York Fashion Week just for fun.

“Cole.” Cole looked at her and she just shrugged. Sometimes it was hard to detach Kandi after she leeched on to someone new.

“Oh, what a sexy name,” she purred into his ear. This time Paige did laugh out loud. The look on Cole’s face was priceless. A mix of repulsion and fear. “I bet you’re getting real tired of her. I could always rescue you from such a boring girlfriend.” It looked to Paige as if Kandi managed to pump up her breast size again as she leaned closer to Cole’s face.

“She’s good at rescuing things. She has built-in life preservers.” At Kandi’s shocked face she put on her best smile, “Don’t worry, they look natural.” Kandi narrowed her eyes at her, executed a perfect hair flip, and walked back to the table filled with her minions. The same minions that helped terrorize Paige in high school.

“She’s scary.” Cole gave a quick shiver of his body as proof.