Whiskey Sour (12 page)

“I don’t mean to snoop into your private business,” I said, gathering up the dishes and taking them to the sink. “But do you get into a lot of trouble with your superiors on a regular basis? You seem to have an issue with authority.”

“They’re just jealous because I have better taste in socks.”

“I’m sure that’s it.”

I looked around the kitchen and winced at the mess. I wasn’t a neat cook. I’d pretty much used every pot and pan in the house, and flour and spices were sprinkled on most of the flat surfaces. Good thing my mother wasn’t in town. I could leave it for later without feeling too much guilt.

“What do you have planned for the day?” Savage asked a little too innocently.

I narrowed my eyes and wondered if some of his Indian ancestors had been shamans. I had plans—but they weren’t anything I wanted to share with him. Savage had an uncanny ability to wiggle his way into a situation without you being aware until it was too late.

The first
of my plans was to find a new place to live if I had to do back alley hand jobs to achieve the dream. The second was to avoid Kate at all costs. I didn’t want to go to her with my suspicions about Mike until I had given her the case tied up with a bow. I didn’t want there to be any room for doubt if I was going to be the one to deliver life-destroying news.

My life was getting complicated. I wasn’t all that good at subterfuge. Good thing I’d had years to perfect my lying techniques or I’d have been in trouble.

“My plans are no concern of yours. Stop trying to complicate my life.”

The slow stretch of the smile across his face was like being stripped of one arti
cle of clothing at a time. “I am complicating your life, sweetheart. You’ll just have to deal with it. I’ve heard through the grapevine that you’re looking for a new place to live.”

“Someday I’m going to have to meet these infamous sources of yours. They must have sold their souls to the devil to know so much.”

“What if I tell you I have a friend who has a little house in Savannah that needs immediate occupancy?”

“I’d say it’s probably way out of my budget. I’ve checked the prices in Savannah. There was nothing that even came close to what I can afford.”

“This place hasn’t been advertised yet. Some friends of mine bought it for their mother several years ago, but she passed away last month. It’s an older home, but it’s in good shape, and I think you’ll be surprised at the rent. My friends are in a position where they don’t really need the extra income. They have rental properties for the tax deductions.”

“Are you serious?” I asked, propping my hands on my hips. “This isn’t your idea of a cruel joke is it?”

“I’m serious. I’d be glad to give them a call and set up a time for you to see it—”

I could tell by the slight pause in his voice that there was a
but
coming.

“What’s the catch?” I asked.

He crossed his arms over his massive chest and rocked back on his heels. “I want that first date I told you about yesterday. I’m not above bribing my way into getting it.”

“That’s low, Agent Savage.
Downright despicable.”

“I told you to call me Matt—”

“I’d rather call you Lucifer—”

“And it might be despicable, but I’m going to get what I want.”

I tapped my foot on the ground in indignation. He was right. I’d give in because I had to get out of this house and back on my own. I had to get out of Whiskey Bayou. It was important to get on with the next phase of my life as soon as possible and pretend like the last year had never happened. In the last twelve months I’d been left at the altar, I’d run over said fiancé, been sued, evicted and fired. I was starting to hope the Mayans were right about the whole end of the world thing.

“I’m in a relationship,” I said again, just for good measure.

“And where is Detective Dempsey? He’s been unusually absent.”

My subconscious filled in the blank. Nick had been unusually absent since he’d gotten what he’d wanted.

“He’s working a homicide. I was a cop’s daughter long enough to know how those things go. He’ll be back when he can.”
I hoped.

Savage arched a brow. “It’s up to you then. But my deal stands.”

“Fine, but here are my terms. I’ll go with you, but I’m not calling it a date. We can go as friends, and if you try to kiss me again I’m going to make you a soprano.”

“Don’t threaten me unless you can back it up, Addison. You and I both know you like me kissing you more than you want to admit.”

“I’m going to take a shower. Call your friends.” I stomped towards the bathroom, angry that he’d had the last word. “And if this house isn’t every damned thing I need it to be and cheaper than dirt, then your slimy deal is off and you can go back to dating your hand.”

He barked out a laugh as I slammed the bathroom door.
Shit, shit, shit
. I looked at my phone and willed it to ring. It would have been a great time for Nick to call.

“
O
f course it would be perfect,” I muttered under my breath two hours later.

“What was that
?” Savage asked, trying to hide his smile as we walked to the front door.

The tiny house sat in the middle of an older neighborhood, surrounded by neatly mowed lawns and American made cars. It was dark blue with white trim and matching shutters, and it was so small I
could almost lie down in front of it, stretch my arms up and point my toes, and reach it from end to end. But the paint was fresh and it wasn’t falling down, so I let my hopes creep up a bit.

The porch creaked under our combined weight, and Savage stooped to grab the key the owners had left under the mat.
He turned the key in the deadbolt and the door creaked when he push it open.

Fresh Pine Sol and hot air smacked me in the face as Savage waited for me to precede him inside.
I stepped into a small square of a living room with scarred wood floors. An even smaller dining room was in the middle. A crooked brass chandelier hung from the ceiling and a big square window looked out to a patch of chain length fence smothered with hydrangea bushes.

Savage leaned against the front door as I walked further into the house, the floors squeaking beneath me. The k
itchen floor was large squares of black and white linoleum and newish white appliances were freshly scrubbed. I didn’t even need to see the rest of the house. There was no way I could afford this place—not in as good of shape as it was in. I mentally rearranged my checking account and pretended there was extra money stashed in places for rainy day occurrences such as this.

“How much is it?” I finally asked, dreading the numbers.

Savage rattled off a price that made me light-headed, and before I knew it I’d agreed to sign the lease they’d left on the counter and give him a check for first and last month’s rent so he could deliver it to his friends.

I was in a state of shock the entire way back to Whiskey Bayou. I’d done it. I was 92% of the way toward being a free woman. I didn’t want to give Savage any ideas, but I was feeling mighty warm towards him for the moment.

“I’ve got to drop you off and meet with some of my men,” he said as we reached my mother’s house.

“You have men?”

“That’s what the Special Agent in Charge part of my name means.”

I grabbed my purse and got out of his nicely air conditioned Tahoe into the swampy humidity of Whiskey Bayou. “Thanks for telling me about the house. Maybe you’re not such a bad guy after all.”

“Just a minute, Mata Hari,” he said, grabbing my purse and yanking me back so I was partially inside the car. “You’ve got a job to do tonight. We need that client list, and I’ve got everything set up for you so you can get in easily. Get Kate up to date, and be ready to rock n’ roll right at ten o’clock. I’ll be parked down the street where I can keep watch.”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re bossy?”

“All the time, sweetheart. Sometimes that’s a good thing.”

He gave me one of those slow smiles and a wink and pushed me the rest of the way out of the car. I was still standing there confused when he sped away.

***

It turns out I didn’t have to go hunting for Kate to get her to agree to this
harebrained idea of Savage’s. She came looking for me, and I saw her car pull up outside the window just in time to get the camera hidden I’d used the night before.

“I got a call from Agent Savage,” she said by way of greeting. “He said you needed my help on something tonight.”

I noticed the duffle bag slung over her shoulder but I didn’t mention it. It looked like Kate was staying the night. Or maybe the week.

“Savage is a nosy bastard. He’s going to be surprised as hell when he gets my bill.”

“I think Savage wants to pay you in different ways.” Kate headed to the fridge and got herself a beer, popping the top and tossing it in the trash on her way back to the living room. “I saw the way he looked at you. He’s hot.”

“I think he might be a bit unstable,” I said. “I don’t know why that’s attractive.”

“It’s the bad boy persona. Men like that are great for sex, but hell to live with. Nick’s got the same vibe about him.” Kate plopped down on the couch and put her feet on the coffee table. “Speaking of Nick, he can’t be happy about you working with Savage so closely.”

“Nick can jump off a bridge,” I said, joining her on the couch. I was doing without the beer because I still felt guilty about the cinnamon rolls.

Her eyes widened. “Uh-oh. What did he do?”

“You mean besides giving me the most amazing sexual experience of my life and then not making contact in—” I looked at my watch and calculated quickly. “Thirty-six and a half hours.”

Kate sighed and shook her head. “I heard he caught a bad one. You might need to give him a break on this one.”

“He told me.
The sex came after the dead bodies. He was able to squeeze me in. But a text message or a carrier pigeon with a note that said
I’m not dead
would be thoughtful, don’t you think?”

“It’s true. He could have managed something. All men are
assholes.”

The silence that followed that statement was extremely awkward and I fought to keep from fidgeting in my seat.
I needed a distraction, and I needed one fast.

“So
—it turns out Agent Savage wants us to break into Natalie Evans’ house tonight and steal her client list,” I blurted out. “Though I’m sure Savage would deny this if asked outright. He’s a bit shady, I think.”

Kate choked on her beer and I pounded her on the back until sh
e was breathing steadily, if a bit red-faced.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said. “What makes him think I can bypass an alarm of that quality without do
ing a little recon first?”

My hand stilled on her back as I stared at her, wide-eyed. That wasn’t the first question I’d expected to come out of her mouth. I was expecting a
hell no
, or a resounding
that’s illegal
.

“Um, Kate.” I took the beer from her hand and chugged back a fortifying swallow. “You’re not actually thinking about going through with this, are you? What happened to protecting the reputation of the agency and following all the rules?”

“Maybe I’m tired of following all the damned rules all the time,” she said, her voice hitching on the verge of hysteria.

I was pretty close to hysteria myself. I wasn’t used to being the rational one.

“Maybe I want to do something reckless,” she insisted, taking back her beer and downing the rest of the bottle. “Maybe if my life is going to hell anyway, I should just enjoy the ride and join in the fun. We need to get Savage on the phone. I need to know how to get past her security.”

Kate stood up and started rummaging around in the duffle bag she’d brought, pulling out black cargo pants and a black t-shirt.

“Savage said the alarms would be down from ten to midnight. I think he has someone on the inside.” I felt like I was standing outside my body looking at the scene playing out before me.

“That’s smart. Savage is a good agent. He was
a Green Beret, you know. I did a background check on him after he made contact with me. Long sleeves would be better,” she said, almost to herself. “I bet there’s an extra in the closet somewhere.”

“I don’t mean to be a wet blanket, but how are we supposed to get the client list once we’re inside? Savage said she keeps it locked in a safe in her office.”

“I just need to know what kind of safe it is, so I know what tools to bring. I want to go in with as little baggage as possible. Having you with me is going to be bad enough, but I could use a look out.”

“Hey,” I said, indignation coloring my voice. I fisted my hands to my hips. “I resent being referred
to as baggage. If you’re going to call this mission anything, be honest and call it stupidity. We have no experience with breaking and entering.”

“
You
have no experience with breaking and entering,” Kate said. “I’m a professional.”

“You’re a professional private detective. You are not Grace Kelly in To Catch A Thief.”

“That’s a great movie,” she said, heading to my bedroom, no doubt to search through my closet.

“It is a great movie. But it doesn’t change the fact that we’re breaking the law here. No matter how noble the reason. I don’t want to go to jail. I’m just starting to have sex again.”

“Lucky for you he’s a cop and can probably sneak in the occasional conjugal visit. I’m going to call Savage. I need more information.”

I fell back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. My l
ife was going to hell in a handbasket, and I was wondering at what point I’d be able to get back in control.

***

At three minutes to ten I found myself dressed in head to toe black, hidden behind a thicket of crape myrtles and sweating my ass off. Wearing long sleeves and pants during one of the hottest summers in history was just asking for trouble, and already I was finding it a little difficult to breathe. Of course, that could also be the panic.

I’d caught sight of Savage’s black Tahoe parked down the street where one of Natalie’s neighbors seemed to be having a pretty swinging party,
and he was absorbed perfectly in the landscape. Only Kate and I looked ridiculous taking cover behind bushes and garbage cans. I could only be thankful there were no other witnesses.

“It’s time,” Kate said, adjusting the pack of supplies on her back.

Savage had told Kate the best point of entry was the French doors that led into the master bedroom at the back of the house. The only problem was the giant fucking wall that encased the back yard. I wasn’t about to delude myself at this point. I’d been doing this long enough to know that I had absolutely no skill when it came to the more athletic parts of my job.

We were just across the narrow alley, looking at the solid stone fence that rose more than ten feet above us, when I felt the buzz of my phone in my pocket. I pulled it out, and I saw Kate shake her head as she tried to cover the light it was making with her hands.

“It’s Nick,” I whispered.

She shook her head no again, but I was already dropping to the ground and turning my body into the darkness so I could answer. I heard Kate sigh behind me, and take cover further back into the shrubs.

“Hello,” I said as softly as possible.

“Why are you whispering?” Nick asked.

“I’m trying to work.”

“Then you shouldn’t have answered the phone.”

“I saw it was you and thought you might need to tell me something important.”

Like thanks for the sex, or sorry for pancaking on you, or I love you.
Jesus, where had that come from?

“Nevermind,” I added. “I don’t need to hear anything from you.”

“Have you been drinking?” he asked.

“No, I’m with Kate.” And I wasn’t about to tell him we’d both taken a fortifying shot of tequila before we
’d left my house.

“Oh, well that makes me feel better. You can’t possibly get into trouble with Kate.”

I heard Kate snicker and realized she could hear every word Nick was saying.

“You bet,” I assured him. “We’re safe and sound tonight. No shenanigans going on at all. Is there a reason you called?”

Kate punched me on the shoulder and signaled me to wrap it up. We were working within a time frame.

“I just wanted to let you know I’d wrapped up the case I was working. I’m going home to get a full night’s sleep, but I thought I’d stop by and see you
tomorrow. I’m off all day.” His voice lowered to a caress that touched every nerve ending in my body. “Get a good night’s sleep tonight. You’re going to be busy tomorrow.”

Spots danced in front of my eyes at the implication of what he had planned, and would have fallen over in the bushes if Kate hadn’t steadied me.

“Wow,” I said for lack of anything better. “I have to go now.”

“Be safe,” he said and hung up.

“I’m going to be pissed if I’m in jail instead of getting my world rocked tomorrow,” I said, shoving the phone back in my pocket.

“If you’re done with social hour maybe we can break into this goddamned house now,” Kate said. “I’ve got cramps and my tequila is starting to wear off.”

“I’m ready,” I said, nodding at her in reassurance. I’d probably be a lot more resistant to this whole thing if I hadn’t had the smooth warmth of the tequila flowing through my veins.

We stayed to the shadows and crept to the back fence. It was built of solid gray stone and it was hot to the touch, having absorbed the heat from
the sun all day. Kate laced her fingers together and gave me the go ahead to put a foot in so she could boost me over.

I wasn’t sure I should be the first to go over the wall, but I wouldn’t have been able to make it otherwise. I’d never been able to climb the rope in gym class. So I placed my foot in Kate’s hands and we did a couple of awkward test bounces before I grabbed onto her shoulder with one hand and put the other on the hot stone of the wall.