The D.C. Incident (4 page)

Shaking his head as he read through the new messages, he glanced at Nicki.

“Oh, yeah, hotstuff. Wear something stunning to the Labor event tonight. Seems Senator Michaels is gonna be apologizing to you. Damn honey, I wouldn’t miss tonight for anything. Apparently most of Washington agrees. Got a message from Stew Wourst over at Union headquarters saying that in the last hour they’ve gone from a respectable crowd tonight to sold out. Smart bastards that they are, when the rush for tickets started, Stew quadrupled the ticket price and he still has a waiting list panting to get in.”

At that moment, Nicki’s phone signaled Rafe’s ringtone. She grabbed it, amazed that it felt like hours since she’d seen him.

“Are you okay, Rafe?”

His chuckle was her answer.

“Do you mind if I put you on speaker. Otherwise I’ll have to repeat everything you say to Caleb.”

Rafe’s accent-tinged voice filled the room.

“By all means. If my lecherous partner knows I can hear him, he might behave himself. For once.”

“Hey, big guy, you’d be proud of me. Hotstuff is sitting in bed in her jammies sipping on that vicious brew she likes and I’m lounging beside her on the bed being a perfect gentleman.”

At Rafe’s growl, Caleb laughed.

“Relax big guy. She’s safe. Only my feet are on her bed. My ass is in the chair. Although, I’ve been told by more than one sweet young thing that my feet are sexy as hell.”

He grinned at the sound of Rafe’s muttered expletive.

“But seriously Rafe, what the hell did you do to Michaels? Nothing like deballing a United States Senator on his way to becoming President of the United States of fucking America. Fuck man, I’ve stopped answering my phone so that I can cuddle up with hotstuff. I mean chat with Nicki about the
work
we need to do today before you get back.”

Before Rafe could respond to his clowning, Caleb frowned. “Damn, Rafe. I just looked at my messages and in the last hour I’ve now received over a hundred texts. You turned this town ass over elbows.”

“I think you’re right, Caleb. I just hung up with Grayson. He said the lines at the center are buzzing. I appear to have hit the Senator where it is most likely to hurt. His pride. I presume that my libidinous partner told you what happened, Nicki?”

“Yes, he did. Don’t misunderstand, Rafe, but I can’t help but think it’s too bad if we take Michaels down for the disgraceful way he treats women. Particularly because Stephen Freeman, the man who is paying us over a million dollars to ‘crucify’ Michaels, is as bad or worse.”

Rafe’s sigh was audible. “I agree, Nicki, on all counts. They are both equal opportunity assholes. But we’re getting paid to go after Michaels. Besides he brought this on himself by being stupid enough to attack you.”

Caleb agreed. “Don’t forget, hotstuff, if our hotshot accountants can give us the evidence of the crimes you’ve discovered, that asshole is gonna have a lifetime to swing his dick around. Too bad the only guys who are gonna sit up and take notice are Abramoff and his cell mates at FCI Cumberland.”

Nicki frowned. “It’s not that, Caleb. I want that bastard in jail so bad I can taste it. I just wish we weren’t working on behalf of a creep like Freeman.”

Rafe cut in. “We’re working on behalf of our
client
, Nicki. And in an odd way, for the American people. If we make a million dollars doing it, so be it.” His tone softened. “We’ll talk about this later, Darling. Right now I’m on my way to New York. One of the foremost ‘business leaders’ in Thailand is interested in acquiring our services. If you think our U.S. criminals are gag worthy, you won’t believe this asshole. He’s corrupt enough to make
me
wonder if we should take him on. But the non-refundable five million dollar retainer he’s offering convinces me that he is just our kind of guy.”

“Wish you could see the look on hotstuff’s face, Rafe. Don’t think she’s buying your business rationale. Want me to kiss her and try to make it better?”

Nicki punched him and laughed. She spoke into the phone.

“I do understand Rafe, but… “ She hesitated then ploughed forward. “I have something to tell you. I hope you won’t be angry.”

Caleb stood up and walked over to the window whistling under his breath. Nicki glared at him. Forgetting for a moment that she was on speaker phone, she hissed, “So help me God, Caleb, if you told him what I found—”

Rafe’s voice was curt. “Leave him alone, Nicki. For once I agree with him. Both Caleb and Grayson told me what you were up to. I presume you were going to bring me into the discussion at some point?”

Nicki tried to ignore the army of ants crawling in her gut. Rafe rarely got angry with her but the few times he had made her not want to poke a stick at the lion. Glaring at Caleb, she forced herself to speak calmly.

“Yes, I was, Rafe. I’m sorry that Caleb thought he had to blab to you.” At Caleb’s guffaw, Nicki climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her. Clicking off the speaker button, she appealed to Rafe. “Honestly, I just wanted some evidence before I came to you. I wasn’t sure you would want me investigating our client. But… if Grayson has found the evidence I’m looking for and I can get
one
of
them
to talk to me…. Well, let me put it this way, Rafe. Sure hope that the down payment you got from Rep. Freeman is non-refundable.”

Rafe’s silence was telling. After a long moment, he broke the heavy quietude. His voice was cool. “I’d like to think that you would come to me at any point in an investigation. In fact, in the future you damn well better. This isn’t the first time we’ve had this discussion, Nicki. We’ll have it again tonight. Now that I know what you are up to—and by the way I have seen the evidence Grayson is sending to you, all I can say is: good work. But what you are doing is dangerous, Nicki. Be careful.”

Nicki swallowed hard, deciding this was not the time to hold back any more information.

“Um, Rafe, I didn’t have a chance to tell you or Caleb or Grayson, but I’m having lunch with Mrs. Freeman today.”

Closing her eyes, Nicki held her breath not sure she wanted to hear Rafe’s response.

After what seemed like a very long time but was likely no more than thirty seconds, Rafe responded. His voice was soft but she would have had to be stone cold deaf not to hear the danger undergirding it.

“Please don’t make this worse, Nicki. Given that you and I speak to one another at least five or six times a day you have had ample time to tell me anything and everything about the case
we
are working on. I suppose I should thank you for finally choosing to confide in your boss, and the man you spent eight hours making love to. We’ll discuss this later, Nicki. After I’ve had a chance to decide what I’m going to do tonight to get your attention. Goddamn it Nicki. These people—all of them—are dangerous. I thought I’d beaten the lone ranger out of you when we made you a full partner in ISA. Apparently not.”

Nicki interrupted, “I’m sorry Rafe. I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t getting off track— “

“You got off track Nicki when you stopped confiding in your partners. Like I said, we’ll discuss it tonight. And dammit, take Caleb with you; and for God’s sake be careful.”

“But… I can’t take him, Rafe. I need to go alone. She might not talk in front of Caleb. And I can handle— “

Rafe’s voice dropped at least ten decibels. “Nicki. Take. Caleb. With. You. That’s an order. Do you understand?”

Nicki frowned at her phone listening to the dial tone. Apparently Rafe hadn’t thought he needed to wait for an answer.

Chapter 5

“Don’t talk, Caleb. Obviously you and Rafe, and even Grayson, think I am incapable of thinking, much less taking care of myself. However, I know exactly the information I need to hear from Cherise Freeman
and
how to get it!”

Caleb smiled at her as he ushered her into the Smithsonian’s garden café.

“Did I ever tell you how cute you are when you’re angry, hotstuff?”

Chuckling at her angry gasp, Caleb gave her a little shove and in the process pinched her butt.

Nicki whirled on him but seeing his dark blue eyes dancing with laughter, she swallowed her angry retort and couldn’t hold back a smile. Damn, Caleb was such a clown but he was crazy about her and she was equally nuts about him.

She snorted in mock anger and snapped, “Baby ducks are cute, Caleb. And
you
are cute. I on the other hand am gorgeous.”

“You sure as hell are that, hotstuff. But how about me? Can we just call me hot and be done with it?”

Nicki shook her head and grinned as they waited for the maître d’. Caleb had done it again. There was no way she could stay angry with him. She’d rather be mad at Rafe. But even there she had a niggling sense that Rafe was at least partially right. He was annoying as hell and bossy to boot. But she had to admit, she was a lone ranger and she should have told him about her suspicions. Now with Grayson’s information in hand combined with what she’d pieced together, the evidence she had was damn near explosive. The question was, how much did Cherise Freeman know—and was she willing to help Nicki bring down her own husband?

~~~

Minutes into the lunch conversation, as much as she hated to admit it, Nicki was grateful that Caleb was with her. She needed to put a buffer between herself and the Congressman’s wife. Caleb gave her a fighting chance to get the information she needed. Without Caleb, it was questionable whether she could have pierced the self-possessed woman’s hard shell.

Three minutes after they introduced themselves, Nicki knew that Mrs. Freeman had as much of agenda as she did. Cherise Freeman knew more about her husband’s philandering than any woman should know—and not kick his ass to the door. And being willing to help Nicki bring down the Congressman? Fat chance. What was more likely was that Mrs. Freeman would do anything in her power to keep anyone—including Nicki—from upsetting the callous bargain the two ruthless people had cut.

If ever there was a political wife, Cherise Freeman exemplified it. Beautiful in a cold, contained way, her refined appearance screamed old money. Her platinum blonde hair was cut in a sophisticated chin length bob. Not a hair was out of place in the lacquered helmet. It made the vixen in Nicki want to reach out and muss it. But everything about Cherise indicated that she wasn’t the kind of woman who got mussed, ever. Like her husband, Mrs. Freeman’s smile never made it past her thin lips. Her ice blue gaze was implacable.

Because Nicki had an indulgent father, and was an avowed clothes horse, she recognized the creator of the expensive designer suit covering Cherise’s rail-thin body. No cleavage, no hint of softness marred her frosty appearance. The jewelry she wore was the only thing about Cherise that was excessive. To Nicki’s knowledgeable eye, she estimated the baubles Mrs. Freeman chose to wear to lunch cost in the high five figures.

While Nicki quickly came to a decidedly negative conclusion about her luncheon companion, the Congressman’s wife returned the favor in spades. Raking her eyes over Nicki’s voluptuous body, Cherise pursed her lips as though she’d spent the morning sucking lemons. As her gazed travelled from Nicki’s sensational hair to her equally expensive clothes, the woman’s disdain bordered on contempt. If Nicki had concluded that Mrs. Freeman was a cold, calculating bitch, Cherise had clearly decided that Nicki was a high priced slut out to shag her husband.

Caleb’s intentionally garrulous chatter seemed to charm Cherise—at least as much as she could be charmed. But after their food was served and Cherise had nibbled on two arugula leaves making Nicki feel like a glutton for eating a whole piece of bread dabbed with butter, Cherise dropped the mask. Folding her napkin in a neat square and placing it on the table, she turned a stink eye on Nicki. Her modulated voice dripping with distaste, Cherise didn’t try to hide the stony wrath behind her words.

“I hope you are wise enough to know that my husband is a pig. At least when it comes to the women he fucks.”

Nicki swallowed hard, choking back a laugh at Caleb’s shocked gasp. Maintaining as much dignity as she could muster, she asked, “Are you referring to your husband or the women?”

Cherise sniffed.

“Both.”

Nicki sucked in a deep breath of air and slowly released it. She cautioned herself. She needed all of her wits to spar with this woman. While their confrontation would not be physical, it would be as fierce as any battle she’d fought. It was clear that Cherise eviscerated her opponents with her contempt and self-righteous elitism. Nicki was glad that her father taught her early on, that if she was going to fight in a man’s world, she’d better learn the power of ruthlessness. Nicki conceded she may have met her match. Cherise was as merciless as she was.

Sweeping aside any pretense of good manners, Nicki threw down the gauntlet.

“Even though you are completely wrong about my intentions regarding your husband, may I conclude that you do not care that he is an avowed philanderer?”

Cherise carefully placed her fork across her uneaten salad and pinned Nicki with a cold stare.

“Not in the least. As long as the slut knows her place.”

Nicki arched a caustic brow.

“Which is?”

“To satisfy his carnal,
animal
needs.” Cherise didn’t hide her distaste. “Why would I begrudge him that? Men need to relieve themselves. Better it be with something or someone who isn’t there in the morning. Someone who can be easily disposed of. I buy off any woman foolish enough to think she could capture Stephen’s interest for more than an evening. Money always works—even for those women who are as attractive as you, my dear.” Her insinuating sneer confirmed that she considered Nicki one of ‘those’ women.

Neither Nicki nor Caleb chose to respond. As if to chase away any lingering doubts that she might be something other than a ruthless woman, Cherise smashed that thought. Her pleasant smile made her words uglier.

“You see, my dear, Stephen and I have a mutually beneficial agreement. We both have the same goal. Stephen intends to be the next President of the United States. I intend to be The First Lady. Neither one of us will let anything nor anyone stand in our way. And now it appears that you and your
consorts
share the same goal. I pay off the women who are foolish enough to think Stephen is interested in more than a night’s entertainment. Then Stephen and I pay off you and those charming
men
you
associate
with. With your help, we remove the only other potential impediment in our way: Senator Donald Michaels.”