Wicked Obsessions (5 page)

Without hesitation, he pointed to one. "See how her one leg is slightly bent? Kinda reminds me of a table leg."

Teri looked at the photo through her magnifying glass. "Yes. You're right. I could paint an elegant dining room... from somewhere famous, like Monticello... and replace one of the table legs with a cut from this photo. She smiled up at him. "I think you just helped me figure out what I was missing! What else do you see?"

He ran his fingers through his silver-streaked hair and pointed out two more possibilities. "Now that I know what you're looking for, I think I could do better."

Teri continued to study the photographs. "I would love to see you try. When do you have time for another shoot?"

"My time is pretty free... unfortunately."

Teri thought it sounded like he had something else to say and gave him her full attention.

"Look, I'd feel a whole lot better here if I laid all my cards on the table. I'm sure Ann told you I'm new in town. I only arrived from Fort Worth a week before you offered me this assignment. I don't even have a place to work yet. But there's more to it than that. These pictures represent my first paying job as a photographer."

"You're kidding! You showed all the expertise of a pro."

"Let's say I was a professional amateur. I... won a few awards... in my younger days."

"Well, I'm glad Ann sent you my way first. I predict you'll have more business than you can handle before you know it. What did you do in Fort Worth?" When he grimaced and glanced away, she apologized. "I didn't mean to pry."

"It's not that. I just wasn't sure what you meant by 'do'."

She recognized avoidance when she heard it, but she pushed anyway. "If you weren't a photographer, what did you do for a living, or are you one of those lucky Texans who discovered oil in his back yard?"

He laughed out loud at that. "Don't I wish. At least then I'd be livin' in some fancy hotel suite instead of campin' in Ann's son's room."

"Oh, dear. No luck finding an apartment, huh?"

"Not on my budget in the city. But I saw a couple places in between here and there that I figure to check out on my way back today. By the way, can you recommend a processing lab? The one that did these warned me they rarely do work this fast."

Teri wondered what kind of profession he had had that he'd rather not discuss. She decided to respect his right to privacy and jerked her thumb toward a closed door with a red lightbulb above it. "That's the best one I know. I do my own developing. You're welcome to use my facilities any time. As long as my work comes first." She grinned and got up to open the door to the darkroom. "See? Just like downtown."

Drew stepped inside and scanned the equipment. "This is great. I can't wait to set up my own. I'm not crazy enough to refuse your offer, but I will insist on payment of some kind."

As he stepped back out of the cramped room, Teri said, "For now you can pay for your own supplies and we can figure out if you should pay rent as your business builds. So, how about tomorrow for another session with Selena?"

"It would be a pleasure, ma'am."

Teri chuckled. "You know, I
do
like the way you say that, but it seems a little... too polite... especially considering the fact that we'll technically be sharing quarters for a while."

Drew's fingers combed his hair again. When Teri noticed the sheepish look that accompanied the gesture, she determined it was more of a nervous habit than primping on his part. "Yes?" she prompted.

"Now who's just a bit psychic?"

"What?"

"You can tell I have something else to say."

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Naw, you just have an obvious tell. If I could actually read minds, I'd get in a lot less trouble." A frown threatened to take over her smile, but she instantly pushed thoughts of Rico out of her head.

"Yeah, well, it's about the other day. I had the feelin' I did or said somethin' to offend you—that you thought I was comin' on to you."

Teri's eyes widened and her cheeks warmed. She couldn't figure out how to deny something she knew to be true.

"I wasn't," he continued earnestly. "At least not intentionally. I'm not... I mean, I wouldn't..." Drew sighed and started over. "I was married to the same woman for a long time. It's been quite a while since I made a pass at a woman, and maybe I—"

"No, you did nothing wrong. I'm a little over-sensitive at the moment. I'm sorry. Friends?" She held out her hand and he shook it firmly.

"Friends."

For some time after Drew left, Teri had trouble keeping her mind on her canvas. Not only was he an incredibly good-looking man with an accent that dripped liquid heat into her pores, he was a gentleman in the true sense of the word.

That was something Rico could never comprehend... or see the value in. At least her lying, cheating husband was still trying to fool her with his good behavior. Fortunately, he had bought the lie she'd told him about seeing her gynecologist while he was at work. An imaginary infection had granted her ten days of abstinence. All she had to do was ignore his hangdog expression when she refused to stop working and join him when he went to bed each night.

Her main hope now was that the rest of his plan to get money from her—whatever it was—didn't escalate too soon. She needed a little more time to prepare for a new life without him.

* * *

Teri was very relieved to see Selena behaving civilly toward Drew during their shoot on Thursday. As she had the first day, Teri watched them quietly from her perch in the corner, only occasionally making a suggestion. For the most part, Drew seemed to know exactly what would work for her needs.

She was feeling incredibly optimistic when the studio door opened and an extremely menacing character strode in. The man was at least six feet tall, and his broad shoulders and bulky arm muscles made him appear even bigger. Coarse black hair hung straight to his shoulders and a bushy Fu Manchu moustache and reflective wraparound sunglasses hid most of his face. A silver skull hanging from his right earlobe caught the light as he surveyed the inhabitants of the room.

"Mrs. Gambini?" His voice was as rough as his appearance.

Teri took a step forward. "I'm Mrs. Gambini. I didn't hear you knock."

"I didn't. I was lookin' for your husband. But you'll do."

It was difficult to tell with his mirrored glasses, but it looked as though all the man's attention was focused on Selena. "Excuse me," Teri admonished sternly. "We're in the middle of a photo shoot here. If you would like to leave your card, I'll have Rico call you when he gets home."

The man's lip curled up into a sneer. "My card? That's cute." He turned his head toward an unfinished canvas. "I heard you was an artist. Not bad."

Teri wanted to order him out, but like a coiled snake, he emanated a capacity for deadly violence. She forced her voice to stay calm as she asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"The name's Bones. An' what I want is, uh, you could say I'm in the insurance business. Yeah, that's it. I'm checkin' out your property for insurance purposes. Like, I see you got a lotta paint here. Now paint is a very flammable substance, ya know. This whole place could go up"—he snapped his fingers at her face—"like that. Ya oughta consider lockin' your door too. Never can tell who might wander in when you're... all by your lonesome."

Teri gasped. There was no doubt that he was threatening her. The reason was not that hard to fathom. She needed to hear it said aloud, but no sound would form in her throat to ask for an explanation.

The man strolled to the open door, then turned back to her one last time. "Your hubby owes a debt to a certain Irishman. Tell him his due date has been moved up. He'll know why. Now he's got five days, till five o'clock Tuesday. If I were you, lady, I'd be thinkin' how to help him with his problem... for your own sake."

He was gone several seconds before she could find her voice. Drew and Selena had no such problem as they both rushed toward her with concern and questions.

"Please!" Teri cried to stop their conjectures. "I have no idea what he was talking about, and until my husband gets home, there isn't much sense in speculating. Now let's get back to work."

Selena kept one eye on Teri as the morning progressed. She could see that fear still had a grip on her throat and humiliation kept her on the verge of tears, but Teri was doing her best to conceal it. This woman was the best friend she had. She loved Teri as much as she'd loved her own mother. And Teri was hurting because of a man.

Just as her mother had been hurting.

Selena despised Rico for putting Teri into such a precarious position. She
had
to find a way to get Rico out of Teri's life. Thoughts of vengeance gave Selena the only impetus she needed to commence Plan B.

Chapter 3

"I don't want to hear any more of your apologies, Rico! That animal was in my
studio!
He as much as threatened that he'd burn the place down if you didn't pay up." So livid she couldn't choke out another word, she slapped his face with all her pent-up fury. A split second later the back of Rico's hand lashed her cheek.

The moment he'd done it, he knew all hope was gone. He reached for her, but she jerked away. "Oh my God, Teri—I didn't mean to do that. This whole thing's got me nuts, I don't know what I'm doing anymore." He collapsed on the sofa and buried his face in his hands.

Teri glared at him, her chest heaving with anger. "And I don't care anymore. It's over, Rico. Today was the final straw. We're through. I want you out of my life."

A sob escaped his throat—one he didn't have to fake for her benefit. When he looked up at her, real tears ran down his cheeks. "They're going to kill me. I didn't know who I was involved with until it was too late. These guys don't believe in payment plans. And they don't just nail your knees to the floor when you don't come through. If you don't pay these guys, you disappear... in pieces. Ya gotta help me, babe, one more time, and then I'll get out of your life... if that's really what you want."

She saw the naked desperation in his eyes, smelled his fear, and felt absolutely nothing. Even the anger had left her. Where there was once so much love, now there was only numbness. Her voice sounded as hollow as she felt. "How much? How much will it cost me to be rid of you permanently?"

Rico pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes. He could hardly believe his ears. The life raft she was holding out had a hole in it, but it was the only one in sight. Keeping his eyes downcast, he mumbled, "Seven grand...
in cash."

Teri gritted her teeth. Seven thousand dollars was nearly twice what she'd received from the gallery for the recent sale. She could refuse... and risk having her studio burned to the ground. Or she could bail Rico out one more time and trust him not to contest the divorce when the time came. Forced to choose the lesser of two evils, she said, "All right, Rico. I'll have the money for you by the time you get home tomorrow. And I'll have a settlement agreement drawn up for your signature at the same time."

She touched her cheek and felt the beginnings of swelling. "But I want you out of my sight. Now. Unless you want me to call the police, you will pack a bag and be out of here in one hour. And after tomorrow, I don't
ever
want to see you again."

* * *

When Teri told Selena she would be completely tied up painting for the next week and would not need her to model, Selena decided not to waste a minute of those days. By Saturday morning, Selena had the details of Plan B all worked out and ready to launch.

She laughed at the image in her bedroom mirror. It had taken almost two hours after she left Teri's, but she had done it. No two pieces of the costume had been purchased in the same place. The ugly black wig, thick moustache, wraparound glasses, and silver skull earring looked like duplicates of the originals. Only the hoodlum's clothes had to be revised to allow for additional padding. An old black vinyl jacket and gloves hid her feminine arms and hands, and dark beige makeup altered her ivory complexion. If the guy who threatened Teri were standing beside her now, they'd look like twins.

It pleased her sense of irony that the thug should have a role in her little play, albeit
in absentia
.