I Know Lucy (The Fugitive Series) (13 page)

Placing it inside the thick leather pouches they used, she grabbed two mints and collected the drinks from the bar. She delivered the house wine to table four then moved back to the lobby. Placing the vodka in front of the tall man. He glanced her way, but didn’t smile. She tried not to let it bug her. Rich people, she found, weren’t overly grateful. She spotted Shorty over her shoulder. He’d moved into position while she was at the bar.

A niggle was growing inside her. She couldn’t place what it was, but as she turned away from the blond man, she felt a wave of unease sweep through her. Maybe they should pull out of the con?

But she had no good reason to. She shot Shorty a subtle glance. His dark eyes bore into her, telling her to get on with it.

Her lips were shaking as she smiled at him. “With you in a moment, sir.”

“No rush.” His smile was gentile in contrast to the look he’d just whipped her with.

She cleared her throat and approached Marlin. “Here you go, sir.”

“Thank you.” He took the leather pouch from her and flipped it open. She saw him flinch ever so slightly and had to press her lips together not to laugh. The bill was pretty exorbitant.

“Right.” He opened his jacket, reaching for his wallet in the inside pocket. His expression fell. He looked up at her, his grey eyes large and horrified. He quickly patted down the rest of him and then sputtered. “I—I’m so sorry. I don’t have my wallet. I mean, I thought I did. It was… surely not.” He groaned and slapped his forehead. “It must be sitting on my desk in the office. I can’t believe I’ve done this.”

Lucy looked to the side, going for awkward. “I’m sorry sir, but I can’t let you leave without paying.”

“I know. I know. I’m so embarrassed.” He winced. “My office is two blocks from here. Please, if I could just run back and grab it. It’ll take me ten minutes.”

“I don’t know.” Lucy bit her lip. “I’d get in so much trouble. I can’t afford to get fired.”

“I completely understand. Um…” Marlin pressed his lips together. “Well, here, take this.” He unclipped his watch and handed it to her.

She hesitated. “Um…”

“As insurance. It’s a hand me down from my grandfather. I doubt it’s worth much, but it’s definitely worth more than the meal.” Marlin stood, taking her hand and forcing her to grab it. “I will be back for this.” His grin was adorable as he buttoned his jacket and swiftly left the room.

Lucy gazed down at the gold watch in her hand, aware that a few eyes were on her. She shoved it into her apron pocket and started to head back to the bar.

“Excuse me,” Shorty called her back.

“Oh, I’m sorry, sir.” She walked over to him, looking flustered. “What can I get you this evening?”

“Yes, we’ll get to that in a minute. I just…well, I couldn’t help overhearing your little conversation and I spotted the watch. May I take a closer look?”

She dubiously pulled it from her pocket, glancing over her shoulder as she handed it to Shorty. The mark’s ears were on fire, she could tell. She adjusted her position, so she could spy him a little better and at the same moment noticed that the blond vodka man was also gazing at her. She tried to smile confidently at him, but that foreboding feeling washed over her and she ended up reverting her eyes to Shorty.

“You know, I don’t think that boy realizes just how precious this watch is.”

“I’m sorry?” Lucy tipped her head.

“What’s your name, darling?” Shorty’s posh British accent was in full bloom.

“S-Sarah.”

“And let me guess, you’re in high school?”

She nodded.

“Saving for something special? That’s why you can’t lose your job, am I right?”

She acquiesced with a sigh. “I’m trying to buy my first car.”

“A worthy cause, my dear.” He leaned in close, going for conspiratorial, but speaking loud enough for the mark’s table to hear. “If I were you, I’d flag the job and leave now.”

“What do you mean?”

He held the watch up to the light. “This is no cheap hand me down. I’d bet my life this little beauty is worth a pretty penny.”

“Like how pretty?” Lucy bit her lip.

“My dear, I’d say you were sitting on several thousand dollars here.”

“No way.” She gripped the tray in her hand.

He spun it over, studying the engravings on the back. “This is an antique. I can tell by the engravings. Trust me, I used to work in the industry. I was a valuer for an auction house for several years. I can tell this is a limited edition watch, made in Switzerland. This is no mere hand me down, I can assure you.”

“Do you think the guy who owns it knows?” Lucy flicked her thumb at vacant table 18.

“I think the boy who owns it is a rich, clueless prat who probably places no value at all in his possessions.” He gently placed the watch back in her hand. “You hang on to this, my dear. Go to the Winchester Auction House in the morning. You know it?” She shook her head. Pulling a business card and pen from his back pocket, he flipped it over and wrote down an address. “Tell them Fletcher sent you. Have it valued and placed in the next auction. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.” He grinned at her.

She took the card hesitantly. “But what if he comes back?”

“Might be a good time to head home sick.” The man winked. “I guess it depends on how badly you want that car.” As he slid the pen back in his jacket pocket, his phone rang. “Excuse me.” He answered it with an elegant flair and then stood from the table and left, muttering something about having to take the call.

Lucy gazed at the card in her hand, taking her time, giving the mark an opportunity to call her over, but he wasn’t quick enough. Instead, the tall blond man was clicking his fingers at her.

She glanced up and was forced to approach him, swallowing back her annoyance.

His pale gaze travelled over her as she approached, nerves exploding through her system like fireworks. Her brain began to buzz as she neared him, her mind igniting with an image from years before.

“I don’t suppose you’d mind showing me that watch.” An arrogant smile eased over his lips, his hard eyes sparkling in a way that was more menacing than anything. “If you’re interested in selling, I might be able to offer you a decent price.” His blond eyebrows rose, making his face look even longer.

That face.

That voice.

Trying to ward off her growing anxiety, she reached into her pocket, deciding it’d be okay if the mark was a different person. She was just handing it over when an image crystallized in her brain. She was suddenly back in a dark stairwell, gazing through a crack in the door. Her mother was screaming and her father was begging a tall blond man with pale green eyes to leave her alone.

Lucy’s breath hitched, her fingers clutching the watch tight.

It was him.

She was standing a foot away from her parents’ killer.

Chapter 15

May 2011

“I—uh, I have to go.”

“Excuse me?” His eyes hardened, making them look like cold emeralds.

“I’m sorry, I have to get back to the bar.” She shoved the watch into her apron pocket and turned.

He tried to grab her arm, but she snaked out of his way.

“Excuse me, miss. I’d like to order something more,” he called after her, but she didn’t stop, just kept moving. Slamming her tray on the bar, she made Mark jump.

“What’s your problem?”

“I feel sick.” She swallowed. “I think I’m gonna be sick.” She made a beeline through the kitchen and instead of turning right towards the bathrooms, headed straight out the back door. The night air hit her and she ran straight into it, pumping her arms as fear coursed through her muscles.

Her breaths were erratic and punchy as she raced around the corner and straight into a pair of tight arms. She screamed, trying to pull away, but the grip was relentless.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Shorty’s pincer grip grew tighter as he pulled her down the street. Marlin was waiting in the car, looking worried. Shorty opened the back door and shoved her inside, before they squealed away from the curb.

“How the hell could you screw that up? We were playing it perfectly. It didn’t matter that the mark had changed. I told you to go with the flow in those situations. Damn it, Cyan. You just lost us a shitload of cash. That arrogant prick would have paid big time for that watch. I could see it in his smarmy expression.”

“I think he was a cop,” Lucy mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. Her insides were quivering, she could feel her organs jumping to a terror-filled tune.

She’d seen him.

It was him!

“You don’t know he was cop.”

“I just…I could feel it. He was onto me. I had to back away.”

“We were killing that con. He was the perfect mark — arrogant and greedy. He was eating out of your hand until you screwed it up.” Shorty slammed the dashboard as Marlin accelerated through the green light. “Sputtering like a school girl amateur! You might as well have written conman on your forehead, you stupid, stupid girl!”

They drove the rest of the way in silence, Lucy fighting off waves of nausea as memories assaulted her, while also trying to combat the growing dread of dealing with Shorty.

He stomped up the stairs and slammed the door of their apartment once they were all through.

“I’m sorry, Shorty.” Lucy untied her apron, too afraid to look at him. “But something was off.”

“Even if he was a cop. It was obvious he was a dirty one and we could have pulled if off anyway.”

She looked at him incredulously. “As soon as he figured out the con, he’d be all over us!”

“We wouldn’t be around to be caught!” He threw his hands in the air and looked at her like she was dumb. “Why are you so scared of cops anyway? They’re some of the easiest people to bribe.”

“Duh,” Marlin scoffed. “Not all of them can be, Shorty.” He moved to stand by Lucy, his protective instincts there for all to see.

Lucy felt a touch better, knowing he wasn’t going to let Shorty completely demolish her.

“No.” Shorty shook his finger, stabbing Lucy with a dangerous gaze. “It’s more than that. She’s running from the law for more than one reason. It ain’t just the conning that’s got you spooked, is it Cyan?”

She kept her head still, refusing to shake it in front of him. “I just don’t trust them. Like you said, some are crooked, some aren’t. We won’t always be able to tell the difference.”

“And that’s where you underestimate me, little girl. I know you’re lying.” His face was mottled with rage, making Lucy shrink back behind Marlin. With a disgusted scoff, Shorty stormed from the room.

As soon as he was gone, Lucy sank to the couch, her shaking limbs no longer able to hold her.

Marlin eased down beside her and gathered up her fingers. “You want to tell me?”

She shook her head, but her lips moved anyway. “I can’t get caught by them, Marlin. It’ll be the death of me.”

His face bunched with concern. “You seem pretty certain.”

“Come on.” Her chuckle was shaky “We both know I’m the girl from the news that night.”

Marlin swallowed, shifting closer to her, wrapping his arm tightly around her shoulders. “You were only a suspect. The case would have gone cold by now. You’ve been forgotten. You don’t have to worry.”

Lucy shook her head, her eyes large and unfocussed. Her surroundings turned blurry as tears welled in her eyes. “I was there, Marlin,” she whispered.

He went still. “You saw who murdered your parents?”

She nodded, fear coiling in her stomach as her mother’s scream ricocheted through her brain again. “I was hiding in the basement stairwell. I saw everything.”

“And that guy tonight. It was him?”

Her head bobbed, tears threatening to turn her insides to mush. She sniffed, sliding her detached defenses into place.

“Why? Why did he kill your parents?”

She licked her bottom lip, dredging up memories she swore she’d never talk about. But now seemed the right time. Marlin had never pressured her before, but now the need to spill was overwhelming. She gripped his skinny fingers.

“I can’t remember all the details.” She swallowed. “I just remember that my dad was really scared and he told me to go and hide. This man…the guy from tonight…he turned up at our house. He tortured my mother and then killed her in front of my dad.” She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the image of her father’s floppy body away. “He wanted me too and started calling my name, but Dad fought back…” Her breath hitched. “He fought back and was shot.”

“Who was this guy?”

“I don’t know his name. I don’t know anything about him, except…”

“Except what?”

Lucy licked her bottom lip, her body trembling as she glanced up at Marlin. “He called himself an officer of the law.”

The shocked silence didn’t just ascend into the room, it dropped like a nuclear bomb. Lucy turned away from Marlin’s pale face.

“No wonder you’re so afraid of cops.”