The Finding (19 page)

“Good. Could
you ask Hugh to come in as you leave?”

Kellen gave
Eddie Perini a quick salute and exited the room. As he walked down
the hallway, he paused near the poster that claimed Sandy was an
heiress. Checking over his shoulder to ensure that Hugh was in the
office, he ripped the paper from the wall and shoved it in his
pocket. He suppressed the desire to whistle as he ambled down the
narrow stairway. Lady luck was on his side again!

*****

Hugh leaned
against the doorway and observed his ‘boss.’ The man was grinning
like a Cheshire cat.

“That was a
good performance, wasn’t it Hugh?” Eddie leaned back in his chair
and propped his feet on the desk. “Anderson really believed I was
some big crime lord. The way I yelled at poor Frank and then was so
overly polite with him. And I loved the way I said ‘late payments
cause...distress’ in that cool, detached way. Anderson will be
running home and finding some cash, I’m sure of it.”

Grunting, Hugh
sat down not nearly as gleeful as Eddie. He’d overheard the whole
conversation and Anderson had seemed too certain he could find the
needed money in time. Something was off about that; further
investigating was definitely in order. “Perhaps. But what if he
doesn’t?”

Eddie dropped
his feet to the floor, his expression sobering. “For his sake I
hope he manages. Aldrich really wants results; greedy old
bastard.”

Ignoring the
latter comment, Hugh gave an update on Anderson, unsolicited though
it was. “I’ve checked out Anderson. He lives with a girl and they
both work at a grocery store; both low income jobs. They rent a
small house, but Anderson does own a motorcycle. It’s old, but some
might call it a classic, though you’d need to find the right
buyer.” He shrugged. “If you want money from him, the best bet is
to go after the girl. She leaves for work pretty early in the
morning; usually no one’s around. I can grab her easily. Anderson
will find a way to cough up some money for her sake.”

Eddie rubbed
his chin. “No. Hold off on that. He said his friend has some money.
Let’s give the guy a chance. If Anderson doesn’t come through with
a substantial payment tomorrow, we can still try Aldrich’s way. No
harm done in waiting. Aldrich isn’t here. He has no idea what’s
really going on.”

Hugh stared at
Eddie thoughtfully. “Sure, you’re the boss.” He managed to keep his
voice neutral.

Eddie burped
loudly and grimaced. “This sort of stuff is bad for my digestion.
I’m heading home. Can you lock up?” Hugh nodded and Eddie grabbed
his jacket, swinging it over his shoulder as if he hadn’t a care in
the world. He didn’t even bother to lock the filing cabinets.

Such negligence
could prove deadly in this business, Hugh thought as he stared
around the tired room. The decor reflected Eddie’s careless
attitude. Worn furniture, papers strewn about, file drawers left
partially open. Giving a derisive smile, he went to the small
window and pulled the blind slightly aside so he could see the
dimly lit alley below. After a few minutes a door opened and a
shadowy figure stepped out. A security light briefly illuminated
the individual and revealed that Eddie was heading for his car.

Satisfied that
he was alone, Hugh let the blind fall back into place and wandered
over to the filing cabinet. He pulled a drawer open and began
rifling through, pausing every now and then to read a bit here and
there.

Nate Graham had
hired him to get inside Dollar Niche and find out how the business
operated. Hugh wasn’t too sure why Graham wanted the information,
but he was getting paid and that was what mattered. Well, that and
the fact that he might get to beat somebody up. That was an added
bonus.

Hugh knew some
might question his ethics; working for two different employers,
being paid to spy on one of them. He shrugged. Such minor details
didn’t bother him. It was a cut throat world and he was available
to the highest bidder, plain and simple. Sure he was clever enough
to ‘make something of himself’ as his granny used to say, but using
his brain had never appealed that much. It was the darker side of
life that drew him.

He copied a few
pages to give to Nate and shoved them in his pocket. He’d drop them
off then cruise by Anderson’s place again. There was something
strange about that setup and he wanted to know what it was.

*****

Bryan shivered
and bit back a sneeze. It had been drizzling for almost an hour
now. Vegas wasn’t known for its rainfall, but given his luck, he
wasn’t surprised that it was happening tonight when he was sleeping
outside. Between the dampness and the cool night temperatures he
was miserable.

The local
vegetation provided minimal shelter. Cassandra’s yard was a typical
desert garden with cacti and... He frowned up at the plant he was
huddled near wondering what it was called. An agave? Or maybe a
yucca? Whatever it was, he’d give almost anything for a good old
broad leaf maple that would keep the water from dripping on his
head.

Feeling sorry
for himself, he rested his chin on his paws and kept one eye on the
house, the other on the road. It had been a quiet night; just a few
vehicles passing by. No one had approached the house, not even this
Kellen character she lived with.

Bryan’s wolf
snorted.
What type of male leaves his female alone all night?
It’s obvious he doesn’t care. Once she is ours, such a situation
will never occur.

She isn’t ours,
buddy. Bryan felt it necessary to remind the animal within of that
important point. Sure, Cassandra is a lovely little bundle, but
that doesn’t mean anything. There are lots of women in Las Vegas.
Remember the one at the car rental? He paused expectantly, but his
wolf wasn’t impressed and retreated to mope.

Grimacing, he
conceded the animal had a point. Cassandra was much more alluring
than the redhead. An image of her pressed flush to his body popped
into his head and he was sure he could smell her heady scent, feel
her warmth, taste her... His body stirred in response to his mental
imagery and Bryan had the distinct impression that his wolf was
smirking.

Sighing at the
contrary creature, Bryan lifted an eyebrow and watched with casual
interest as a white van come down the street. It slowed as it
approached and he raised his head to watch more closely. This van,
or a similar one, had been by before. He squinted trying to see the
driver, but could only make out a silhouetted figure. Sitting up
completely, he tested the air for a scent. It was vaguely
familiar... Hadn’t he detected it around the house when he returned
after eating? He’d assumed a friend or neighbour had stopped by,
but this wasn’t the usual time for social calls.

When the van
came to a complete stop, he got to his feet, ready for action if
need be. He sensed the driver was hesitating, wondering if he
should stay in the vehicle or get out and take a closer look at the
house.

Just as the
van’s door began to creak open, a figure appeared strolling down
the sidewalk. Someone was out walking their dog in the rain! Bryan
scowled, but stepped back and shifted into his human self. While
his wolf form was better for sneaking up on the individual in the
van, it would attract the dog’s attention more. He pressed himself
back into the shadows and watched.

Whoever was in
the van, noticed the dog-walker as well, for the door slammed shut
and the van started. It pulled away sedately, and Bryan narrowed
his eyes. Whoever was driving knew how not to attract
attention.

Stepping out of
his hiding place, he quickly walked to the road, trying to catch a
glimpse of the license plate, but the van was already turning the
corner. Hmm...wasn’t it the same van he’d seen in the grocery store
parking lot the previous day? If so, he already had the plates
committed to memory. Now he just needed time to send them to Daniel
to be traced. He cursed himself for not taking care of that little
job earlier.

Questions
bounced about in his brain. Why was this guy watching Cassandra
Greyson? He’d been observing her at work and then snooping around
the house earlier this evening. Was the man a stalker or a rejected
boyfriend? Or was there some other reason for his interest? A
frustrated growl sounded low in Bryan’s throat. No one had the
right to be watching Cassandra except himself! He turned abruptly,
intending to return to his hiding place and resume his guard
duties.

“Hello!” A
voice—elderly and female—called out and Bryan swivelled his head
towards it. Mrs. Mitchell, the elderly lady from the grocery store
was approaching, with an overweight dachshund trotting beside
her.

“Mrs. Mitchell,
nice to see you again.” He nodded and tried to look casual, as if
he belonged in the neighbourhood.

She beamed up
at him. “You like walks in the rain, too, I see.”

He opened his
mouth to answer, but she continued on without waiting for a
reply.

“We don’t get
much rain so when we have the chance, Netty and I head out, no
matter what time it might be.”

Bryan glanced
at the fat dog that he assumed was Netty. It didn’t appear to be
enjoying the rain at all. Instead it was staring woefully at him,
its eyes begging for an appeal from the damp, early morning
outing.

“I know how you
feel.” He muttered under his breath as he wiped a raindrop from his
eye, then pulled at the damp shirt that stuck to his chest.

Mrs. Mitchell
didn’t seem to notice. “You must have just moved here. I know all
the neighbours. You’re in the Thompson’s old house, I bet!” She
patted his arm and nodded towards Cassandra’s house. “That’s where
Sandy lives. You remember her, the girl from the grocery store?
You’re almost next door neighbours now. If I were you, I’d take
lots of walks down this street. You might bump into her and I think
you might be just what she needs.”

The older woman
glanced towards the horizon. “The sun will be rising soon. It’s
going to be a beautiful day, you know. The desert always blooms
after a rain. Well, we’d better be on our way. Come along, Netty.
I’m sure I’ll see you around, Mr... Er... What was your name
again?”

“Bryan.”

“Mr. Bryan. Of
course. I’ll have to try to remember that.” She smiled at him then
jiggled Netty’s leash and headed on her way.

He shook his
head as he watched her disappear around the corner. Strange woman,
he thought. There was something off about her, though. Was it just
old age or...? Cocking his head to the side, he considered their
exchange. She hadn’t told any lies, he was sure of it—humans gave
off a number of signals when they were being deceptive—but she
hadn’t been completely honest either. Pursing his lips he
considered the situation, then decided to forget about it. Mrs.
Mitchell was an interesting old lady, but in the grand scheme of
things, had little impact on him and his dealings with
Cassandra.

Using his
sleeve to wipe the rain from his face, he glanced down and frowned
at the damp material that clung to his body. Going back to the
motel and changing sounded eminently appealing, but even as the
idea came to him, a light flicked on inside the house. Cassandra
was awake. Hmm... He couldn’t just stand around on the sidewalk,
staring at the house. One of the neighbours might notice. Perhaps,
he’d just wait beside her house. When she came out, he’d walk up to
her casually and introduce himself.

*****

Cassie awoke to
a vague feeling of discomfort in her neck and back. Gingerly she
stretched and tried to roll over, moaning as pain shot through her
body. She grimaced, and opened her eyes, slowly coming to realize
that she was in the living room. No wonder she was stiff, she’d
spent the night sleeping on the couch.

She yawned and
stood up, more aches and pains making themselves known. Glancing at
her watch, she saw that it was still early, barely five-thirty. A
faint brightness was just appearing in the sky outside her window.
Stumbling into the kitchen she prepared the coffee maker, then made
her way to the bathroom, functioning on autopilot.

It wasn’t until
she’d stood under the hot shower spray for a few minutes that her
brain suddenly registered the fact that she’d been waiting up for
Kellen. Had he come home last night? Scrunching up her brow, she
tried to recall if she’d heard him or not, but her mind was a
blank. She’d slept soundly last night, which was strange given her
uncomfortable location. For some reason a feeling of security had
wrapped itself around her, as if all was right with the world and a
guardian angel was watching over her. A foolish idea though. No
doubt, she’d finally been overtaken by sheer exhaustion.
Thankfully, it appeared the animal inside her had slept too.

Quickly, she
finished her morning ablutions, wrapped herself in her bathrobe,
and hurried down the hall in search of Kellen. They really needed
to talk. She stood outside his bedroom, listening intently for a
moment, but heard nothing. Giving the door a soft knock, she called
his name and turned the handle. A peek inside showed her that his
bed hadn’t been slept in and his work uniform was still lying on
the chair beside his bed.

Exhaling
loudly, she ran her hands through her damp hair in exasperation. He
hadn’t gone to work and he hadn’t come home. That could mean only
one thing, he’d spent his night gambling again. Damn him! Wasn’t he
deeply enough in debt? He owed fifty thousand dollars! Was he
trying to make it up to a hundred? She felt tears of frustration
and anger welling in her eyes.

Slamming the
door, she stomped into her own room and began to get dressed,
pulling on her clothing while muttering dire threats under her
breath. He’d definitely lost his job, if he’d missed work again
last night. Mr. Bartlett had already been more than understanding
when it came to Kellen.