Pretty Dangerous (25 page)

“Come in, but this will be a short visit. You
have nothing I want.” Nairoby backed into the room.

She motioned to them to move away from the
door. Then she kicked it closed with one foot. She held a cell
phone in one hand by her side. Her other hand was behind her back.
They stood in a small seating area. A few feet away, a big screen
television played on mute. The queen-sized bed was unmade. A room
service meal sat on a small round table under stainless steel
covers. Jazz walked over and lifted one.

“You livin’ it up on their money, huh? Shrimp
cocktail appetizer, steak and lobster dinner, nice room.” Jazz
nodded in appreciation.

“Talk, be brief, and leave,” Nairoby
clipped.

“I hope you’re not holding a weapon behind
you. That would be downright unfriendly,” Jazz said calmly. Her
taut expression implied she could strike out defensively in a
blink.

MiMi noticed a knife wasn’t among the
silverware on the table with the dishes. “We’re not here to harm
you. The police say you and you’re partners were involved in some
kind of deal with Roderick Jefferson.”

“Who is that?” Nairoby glanced at Jazz as if
checking on her position, then back to MiMi.

“A local businessman found murdered a couple
of weeks ago. Here’s a picture of him.” MiMi reached inside her
purse. She held up one hand when Nairoby tensed into a fighting
stance. She slowly pulled the phone out, opened the images app and
held it up. “Do you recognize him?”

Nairoby’s gaze flickered at the screen. “No.
Now get out.”

“Ah hell naw. You know she’s lyin’.” Jazz
gave a snort. Then she snagged a plump shrimp and popped it into
her mouth. “Hmm.”

“I was wrong, I don’t like you. How crude. Or
do you still say ghetto here?” Nairoby flashed a scornful look at
Jazz.

“I’m ‘urban’, and there’s nothing wrong with
my fashion sense,” Jazz replied coolly. “You’re still lyin’.”

Nairoby ignored her and looked at MiMi. “I
suppose that this man was your lover, since you have a photo of him
on your phone. And I have no reason to lie. I’ve never met
him.”

MiMi studied her for a few seconds. “But you
know who he is.”

“If you leave quickly I won’t call security
or the police.” Nairoby brought her hand from behind her back. She
held a long tapered steak knife like she knew how to use it.

“You don’t want the police involved,” MiMi
said carefully. “Let me repeat. They’ve made a connection between
you and a dead man. They’re doing research on your partners. Since
the FBI is in town I bet they already know everything about you.
Right down to when you last had your last pedicure.”

“So what? Ramon and I will be gone before
they can do anything,” Nairboy replied. The slight quiver in her
voice betrayed her lack of confidence.

“Honey, this ain’t the Dominican Republic.
When the law in the USA decides to snatch your ass, you won’t get
far. You better listen to what MiMi has to say.” Jazz stared at the
shrimp as if deciding whether to eat another one.

“You don’t know what you’re talking
about.”

“Your partners can kill two birds with one
neat stone; get the heat of a murder investigation off them and
deliver some pay back. You make a mighty nice murder suspect.” MiMi
watched fear turn her pretty brown skin pale.

“Yeah, it’s sinkin’ in finally, MiMi.” Jazz
gave a short laugh, decided and ate a second shrimp.

“Tell me about your business with Roderick,”
MiMi pressed before they lost the advantage and Nairoby had time to
think.

“Those greedy idiots,” Nairoby burst out. “I
told them...”

“Men rarely listen to us, especially when it
comes to business,” MiMi replied.

“Not all men, one woman other than me,”
Nairoby said. She nodded. “My partners are sharks. Oh they’re
polished, civilized on the surface. But make no mistake, these are
dangerous people.”

“How many?” MiMi frowned.

“Four, including Ava Torres. Well there were
four until Benito...” Nairoby’s voice trailed off. She blinked hard
but then put on a blank expression.

Jazz studied her. “He was a friend of
yours?”

“Don’t look for things you won’t want to
find. I didn’t kill your lover, so if you came here for revenge.”
Nairoby assumed a rigid fight stance once more.

“Don’t be silly. People saw us come up here,”
MiMi snapped. “Look, is there any possibility your friends killed
Roderick for any reason?”

Nairoby wore a stunned look for a few
seconds. She dropped her hand, but she looked wary. “Why should I
tell you anything?”

“I’m a suspect, too,” MiMi said after
weighing her options for a few seconds. “I figure your
partners--”

“Sounds more to me like they’re her bosses,”
Jazz interjected. She grinned when Nairoby glared at her.

“They’ll decide that letting one of us be
charged is to their advantage. You could be more vulnerable than
me,” MiMi continued.

Nairoby stared at MiMi, eyes wide. “How do
you mean?”

“You came over here, met with Roderick and
the discussion turned violent. You and your bodyguard killed him.
Your partners will cut you loose to face the consequence. There’s a
reason you’re looking so scared right now,” MiMi said
carefully.

“Jefferson met one of my associates...”
Nairoby paused to shoot Jazz a heated look before she resumed. “At
a trade conference sponsored by the New Orleans World Trade Center.
They involved in an arrangement to import and export mineral or
gravel products. Big industry in my country. I wasn’t in on the
deal.” She waved a hand.

“Your interest being textiles mainly,” MiMi
said sourly. Jack Crown, another dearly departed traitorous lover.
She was building quite a collection of that particular animal.

“Yes.” Nairoby seemed not to notice MiMi’s
sarcasm. She frowned. “Jefferson bought up minerals, perlite I
think at first for construction products. Something about starting
to offer those products for wholesale and using them for his own
building projects. Very high profit potential, and everybody was
pleased. Then something went wrong. I believe he cut them out of a
lucrative contract, went straight to one of their suppliers.”

“So they had a reason to be very unhappy with
Roderick. But I don’t think they’d kill him because he cut through
the middlemen. I mean the streets would be littered with dead
businessmen, and women.” MiMi shook her head.

“There’s more. I overheard Arturo, one of the
partners, shouting once when I went to his office to deliver
papers. It was about eight months ago I think. He said Jefferson
threatened them if they tried to retaliate,” Nairoby said.

“Threatened them how?” MiMi sat down on the
arm of a large chair.

“My partners... engage in high stakes
transactions at times with unsavory people.” Nairoby shrugged.
“Nothing different from any sharp business group in the global
market. And no, I won’t say more.”

MiMi huffed in frustration. “You don’t owe
them loyalty.”

Nairoby shook her head. “I would not live
very long if I disclosed too much.”

Jazz looked at MiMi. “Roderick might have
known too damn much for his own good. AKA motive for them to shut
him up.”

“You cannot tell anyone we’ve spoken. Ramon
would...” Nairoby’s voice trailed off and she flinched at the
unfinished thought.

“Don’t sweat.” Jazz wiped her hands on the
cloth napkin.

“Of course. Make yourself at home,” Nairoby
muttered. She leaned against the wall, but still watched them
closely.

Jazz gave a short laugh. She took her cell
phone from the pocket of her jacket. She read the screen, and
tapped a text. “Yeah, the big dude is still at the Hollywood
Casino. He’s occupied romancing a good looking lady.”

“You’re following him?” Nairoby’s eyes went
wide.

“Ms. Villa, I’m not going to be arrested for
murder just so you can feel safe,” MiMi said coldly. “I’m not
totally heartless. We have a cover story to make it less likely
your bosses will suspect we got information from you.”

“My sister has a private security company.
We’ll say that’s how we found out about Roderick and his deals with
them. Plus the FBI and the police could find out just as well.”
Jazz didn’t look up from her phone.

“Tell them the FBI is watching me and you
couldn’t risk being seen with me,” MiMi added.

Nairoby sat without answering for a few
moments, and then she nodded. “That could work, but only for a
while. Ramon said as much once, that we best let things cool off.
But if you tell the FBI about my partners they won’t let us go
home.”

“The police can’t stop you from leaving
unless they have enough to arrest you,” MiMi replied.

“Ha, American laws make life so easy,”
Nairoby said with a smirk. Then her expression turned grim. “My
life is in your hands. If you slip, my partners will make me
pay.”

MiMi felt a chill spread over her body. “Like
Herrera?”

“I believe he may have helped Jefferson cut
out my partners,” Nairoby said in a somber tone. She glanced from
MiMi to Jazz and back again. “Do you understand?”

“Yeah. They don’t play.” Jazz dropped the
phone in her jacket pocket and zipped it closed. She walked over to
MiMi and dropped her voice low. “My friend can’t keep Ramon
distracted much longer. He’s wanting more than conversation.”

“You mean...” MiMi gaped at her. Then she
recovered from the shock and turned to Nairoby. “Tell them--”

“Yes, yes. I don’t need coaching. I’ll handle
my partners.” Nairoby stood straight again.

MiMi started to probe more about Ramon, but
decided against it. “Okay.”

“We’ll need time, eight hours.” Nairoby moved
sideways to the door without turning her back on them.

“Fine.” MiMi glanced at Jazz and gestured
they should leave.

As if on cue and eager for them to be gone,
Nairoby opened the door. Jazz led the way. She gave Nairoby a head
to toe look as she walked by. The woman backed up. Her gaze darted
from Jazz to MiMi until both were in the hallway. Then she shut the
door hard.

“Well that was interesting,” Jazz
murmured.

They didn’t speak again as they entered the
elevator and rode down. MiMi felt exposed as they exited on the
lobby level. Waiting out on the street for the valet to bring the
SUV made her nervous. MiMi let go of the breath she’d held when her
vehicle appeared. She quickly gave the young man a tip and got
in.

“Call the cops and spill what you just found
out,” Jazz said when they pulled away into traffic. She lit up on
of her smokes.

“I agreed to give her eight hours,” MiMi
replied. “And roll down your window. I don’t want my baby breathing
second hand smoke.”

“Hell, so damn picky,” Jazz muttered. Still
she complied. She blew smoke out of the passenger window. “You need
to offer up some suspects ASAP to get your ass off the hot
seat.”

“You heard what she said. I don’t want her
blood on my hands.” MiMi turned onto Florida Boulevard taking the
direction toward Jazz’s club.

“Nairoby is street all the way, a true
survivor. Besides, you can’t believe everything she said. For all
we know she could have her own dangerous crew. We just have her
word for it that Ramon isn’t one of her boys.” Jazz sucked in more
smoke and streamed it through the window.

“She looked genuinely scared, but you’re
right,” MiMi replied with a frown.

“That girl’s a player. She knows how to think
fast and put on an act. Her back up is a cash reserve only she
knows about and an exit plan.”

MiMi stopped as a traffic light turned yellow
then red. She glanced at Jazz. “Takes one to know one, huh?”

“Exactly, cause that’s what I’d do in her
shoes. She’s kinda cool. So Jack and her...” Jazz made a crude
gesture and indicated the sex act.

MiMi hissed just as the light turned green.
She hit the accelerator pedal too hard and the SUV shot off. “That
no-good--”

“Careful, no cuss word. You’ll get in the
habit and slip up in front of Sage.” Jazz giggled when MiMi let
loose with expletives anyway.

“You know what he did? Pumped me for
information on the textiles business to help him do deals with her.
I earned any money he made.”

“Gotta admire a smooth operator.” Jazz
pressed against the passenger door when MiMi growled. “Hey, I’m
just sayin’.”

“Why should I give her any damn time,” MiMi
muttered. She started the speed dial feature connected to her cell
phone on the steering wheel, then hung up. “No. I can’t do it even
to her. I’ll call Edselle and fill him in. Then ask him to call
Detective Drake or his partner in the morning.”

“Okay, but waiting might not make a
difference. Sounds like Nairoby’s pals back home are done with her
already.” Jazz shrugged. She tossed away the cigarillo when MiMi
pulled up to another red light.

“Overnight won’t hurt. How did you arranged
for a woman to hook up with Ramon at the casino?” MiMi grinned at
Jazz.

“So you know my guys followed them. They saw
the big dude hitting on good-looking women in the hotel bar and a
couple of Third Street nightclubs. He likes blondes. I called my
friend Sandy. We worked at the same gentlemen’s club in Houston
back in the day. She owes me big time, so she took the job.” Jazz
breathed in the night air.

“But what if Ramon had tried something?” MiMi
drove on through the green traffic signal.

“One of the guys stuck with ‘em. He would
have pulled the jealous boyfriend routine at her signal. Now the
best part is she might have learned something, but I doubt it. The
dude may be muscle, but I don’t think he’s stupid.” Jazz smiled at
MiMi. “Speaking of smart, you played a nice hand with Nairoby. I
was like, damn. Look at my girl.”

MiMi shook her head. “Yeah, all of this mess
has changed me. I’m not sure it’s in a good way, not for my little
girl’s sake.”