Compact with the Devil: A Novel (11 page)

“You’re right,” said Nikki, and watched Astriz’s shoulders drop in surprise. “As long as we’ve got a direct link to Cano we should pursue it. But with what you said about the damage to the tracking device, I’m worried we’ll lose him and leave Kit exposed to danger.”

“Well …
Ja
,” said Astriz. Nikki frowned, trying to parse her way through the situation. She would have given anything to have Jenny, Ellen, and Jane with her.

“I hate to split up,” said Nikki, “but we may have to. You stick with Cano; I’ll take Kit.”

“You’re not what I expected, Nikki,” Astriz said.

“Yeah, I know, you thought I’d be taller.”

“I thought you’d be a bitch,” said Astriz. “But you care about the mission, don’t you?”

“It’s my job,” said Nikki, not sure where Astriz was taking the conversation.

“Mine too. OK, we split up. What about Camille?”

“The next time you see Camille, hit her with a shot of freesia KO.”

Astriz chuckled. “I love that scent. So much better than the orchid-plum knockout gas.”

“I know!” exclaimed Nikki. “What were they thinking?”

“It smelled cheap,” said Astriz in agreement, walking back to her car. “You will be all right on your own?” she asked.

“What are you talking about? I’ve got my crack team to back me up.” She jerked her thumb at Burg and Holly. Astriz laughed again.

“Check-ins twice a day?” said Nikki. “Ten and sixteen hundred hours?”

Astriz nodded. “Perfect. We’ll bring Cano down yet.” She slammed the door and threw the car into gear. Nikki felt a sinking feeling as the car drove away.

“You don’t look happy,” said Holly. “Who the hell was that?”

“And can I have her number?” asked Burg.

“No,” said Nikki, ignoring Burg. “I’m not happy at all. My luggage is in the trunk of her car.”

“Are you really planning on questioning Duncan?” asked Holly as they approached the hotel.

“Ook, ook,” Burg said in low-voiced distress.

“No reason to wait,” replied Nikki.

“Ook! Questioning Kit’s nearest and dearest is above my pay grade,” said Burg nervously.

“You don’t have to come,” Nikki said, surprised that they were even contemplating going along and taken aback to hear that a bodyguard was counted among Kit’s inner circle.

“I’m in,” said Holly. “You’re better than the usual after-party high jinks.”

Burg scratched his armpit and then shrugged. “What the hell? You only live once.”

“OK,” said Nikki, nodding, “great. Does anyone know where Duncan actually is?”

“That guy lives in Kit’s shadow. So penthouse is my guess,” said Holly.

“OK.” Nikki headed for the elevators. If she could track down the accidents or the link to Cano tonight, she’d be able to backtrack to Cano himself. Problem solved. And then it was back to L.A. Her brain added “and back to Z’ev” before she could stop herself. She’d been doing so well—almost four hours without thinking about him.

Once in the elevator, Burg attempted to poke the buttons of random floors while Holly smacked at his hands. Nikki wasn’t sure if it was playful or not; they both seemed very serious. Maybe Burg just liked negative attention.

Arriving at the penthouse level, the elevator doors slipped apart, and the three occupants stared down the hallway. Duncan was in front of them, looking over his shoulder at Kit, who was marching the groupie down the hallway as she tried to scramble back into her clothes.

“Duncan, perhaps you would be kind enough to escort this young lady out of the hotel,” said Kit icily. His furious disdain suddenly reminded Nikki of Camille.

“Pig!” spat the girl as Kit shoved her into the elevator.

Holly, Nikki, and Burg edged into the hallway, out of the way of the groupie, as Kit threw the girl’s jacket into the elevator. As he did, a small plastic bag containing a white substance fell onto the floor.

“And take your drugs with you!” shouted Kit, throwing the bag after her.

“You didn’t tell me he was crazy,” the girl hissed at Duncan as the doors closed.

“So,” said Holly when the silence had become uncomfortable, “it looks like you have a free evening.” Kit threw back his head and laughed.

“Yes, and now I need to do something with it.”

“You know,” said Burg, picking up the feather boa that had gotten left behind, “I never find these things sexy. It’s like Big Bird is in the room with me.”

They all turned to stare at Burg, who looked back seriously.

“Well, I mean, could you have sex with Big Bird in the room?” he asked defensively.

“Big Bird? That gives me an idea,” said Kit suddenly. “Come on.”

Nikki looked back at the closed elevator doors. Her plan was getting hijacked. Holly tugged on her and gave a wide-eyed “hurry up” look. With a sigh, Nikki followed after the two band members. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to find out a little about Kit.

“So you’re helping Trista?” asked Kit, handing out drinks from the bar.

“Er, yes,” said Nikki, realizing the question was directed at her.

“She’s the one that got the platform down,” Holly put in helpfully. “Saved our lives, she did.” Burg nodded in support.

“Welcome to the family, then,” said Kit, clinking his seltzer water against her glass.

He disappeared into the bedroom to call room service and was back a moment later.

“Did you—” He was cut off by the ringing of his phone.

“Mum!” said Kit, answering his phone cheerfully. There was a pause as he listened to Camille speak. Nikki tensed, wondering if it was about her. Had Trista called Camille? She should have clarified that with Trista.

“No, Mum, I’m fine. How’d you even hear about that?” Kit paused, listening to Camille’s explanation. How had Camille known about the platform debacle? Had Trista told her? And why was she taking time out of her busy chasing-Cano schedule to call Kit? Nikki considered taking the phone away and talking to Camille herself.

“Well, the news got it wrong as usual. It was just a mechanical error. Duncan got things under control in a blink.” Nikki could hear the tiny whine of Camille’s voice on the other end. It went up a fraction in tone as if Camille had asked a question. “Duncan’s my bodyguard. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned him before,” said Kit. “I can’t help it if you haven’t met him.” There was more chatter and Nikki glanced at Holly and Burg; they had the practiced blank stare of subway riders pretending not to eavesdrop.

“Well, I trust him. Nan’s met him and she likes him. Yes, he had excellent references. What is this, the third degree?” asked Kit. “I am capable of hiring good people, Mum.” There was more chatter and Kit heaved a sigh of frustration. “Well, maybe if you ever came to one of my shows you’d have met him,” said Kit tartly.

The volume increased from Camille’s end and Kit’s jaw clenched.

“Yes, I know you’re busy. No, I’m not suggesting you just drop everything and come attend to me. I’m just saying you’ve never come to one of my shows.”

“She’s never been to one of his shows?” whispered Nikki to Holly, who shook her head.

“I get the impression that she doesn’t approve.”

“I think it’s a bit beyond her approval at this point,” said Nikki, and Holly shrugged.

“From what Kit says, Camille is the type of woman who thinks she has the final say on everything,” Burg said. Nikki grunted in agreement as he continued. “But Kit … he’s got to sing, you know? She’d know that if she ever came around.” He added the last part bitterly and Nikki nodded, feeling a surge of sympathy for Kit.

“Well, you know absentee parents,” she said, remembering her own father. “Can’t live with them…”

“Can’t live without them?” asked Holly, trying to complete the phrase.

“No,” said Nikki, “just can’t live with them. Because they’re not there.”

“Agh!” said Kit, slamming the phone shut. “She drives me absolutely spare!”

“Is she in town?” asked Nikki casually.

“Who knows?” said Kit with a shrug. “She travels a lot. I’m a freaking international rock star, or at least I will be after this tour, and she’s still not happy. Wants me to settle down and get a real job. Does anybody else have this kind of problem with their mother?” he asked, looking around in bewilderment.

Nikki raised her hand. “Which reminds me. I haven’t called her in two days, which means she’s probably about this far from reporting me as a missing person.”

“Want to borrow my phone?” asked Kit, holding out his phone and smiling sympathetically.

“It’s international,” she said, and he shrugged as if that didn’t matter in the least. “Thanks,” said Nikki, taking the phone and dialing. She walked away from the couch, quickly dialing her own mother. “Lanier residence,” said her mother, sounding suspicious. It was her formal greeting for when she didn’t know who was calling.

“Hey, Mom,” said Nikki, staring out the window at the driving rain. She’d forgotten to calculate time zones. Hopefully, she wasn’t waking her mom up in the middle of the night. There was a sharp knock on the door and Kit rushed to answer it.

“Oh,” said Nell, the formality dropping from her voice. “I thought you might be your father.” Nell was starting off with a strong serve—bringing up Nikki’s father was a surefire fight starter. Nikki frowned, trying to concentrate on the match with
her mother as two bellboys opened large cardboard boxes filled with nothing but red feather boas. Another bellboy was carrying a box of Elmer’s glue. They deposited their burdens, received their tips, and departed with carefully expressionless faces. Kit began tossing boas out left and right until the floor was mounded with heaps of feathers.

“Why would Dad call?” asked Nikki impatiently. “You’ve been divorced for twenty years.” Nikki volleyed back, trying to push the fight to Nell and ignoring the fact that Kit, Holly, and Burg were divvying up the boas and glue.

“How would I know?” asked Nell. “He’s the only person I know who travels overseas.” Total willful ignorance of Nikki’s life; high lob over the net.

“Mom, he can’t possibly be the only person you know. Besides, I’ve been at my job for over a year now; you know I travel.” Burg was climbing on the bar and beginning to glue the boas to the woodwork.

“Which is why I bothered to answer the phone,” retorted Nell, and Nikki sighed. “You’re lucky I answered the phone anyway.” Nell continued, the sound of grievance building in her voice. “Where have you been? I’ve called you four times and it won’t even go to voice mail.” Point to Nell—15 love.

“I called you on Christmas. I left you a message. I told you; my phone got broken.” Quick return from Nikki. Holly was decorating the lampshades now; Kit seemed to have fixated on the television.

“Did you leave it on my cell phone?” asked Nell sharply, hitting back.

“No, you told me not to. I left it on the home phone.”

“Oh, well, you know I don’t check that every day.” Thirty-love to Nell.

“Well, I’m calling you now. Do you know how much this phone call is costing?” Blazing return from Nikki.

“I didn’t ask you to call,” Nell said, attempting a strong tone.

“No, I’m pretty sure you said, ‘Make sure you call,’ before I left.” Score! 30–15!

“Well, maybe. How’s Z’ev and Mexico? You know, it’s funny, but the area code on the phone you’re calling from is British.” Nell’s job at an international business development firm had given her an easy familiarity with most of the international calling codes.

“Er…,” said Nikki. Fault! Advantage Nell; score 40 to 15. “There was a last-minute assignment at work,” Nikki mumbled.

“You’re missing out on your vacation and Christmas with me for work?” demanded Nell.

“Vacation kind of got canceled.” Weak return from the challenger!

“What? Why? Did he cancel it? Didn’t you say he’d canceled twice already?” It’s all over! Winner Nell Lanier. “Nikki! Didn’t I teach you to stand up for yourself? If I were you, I’d tell him to drive straight or hit the road.”

“Kind of did,” said Nikki, wishing she could change the subject. “We broke up.”

“Oh,” said Nell, startled into silence. “I’m sorry, honey,” she said at last. “I know you really liked him. I don’t suppose there’s a chance you two could work things out…”

“I don’t really want to talk about it, Mom.”

“Okay,” said Nell, lapsing into silence. Emotional moments were not her forte. “Well, so is this new assignment good?” Nell’s cheerfulness sounded a little forced.

“Uh, yeah,” said Nikki, looking around at Kit, Holly, and Burg.
Burg was attempting to swing from the glass rack above the bar. Kit looked up from feathering the remote and made a face; Nikki smiled in response. “It’s got its perks.”

“Well, if they picked you for an emergency last-minute assignment then they must think you can get the job done.”

“Mrs. M seemed confident, but I have to admit I’m not as convinced,” said Nikki, eyeing Kit and wondering just how much trouble his mother was going to be.

“Oh, you can do it,” said Nell with easy confidence. “Don’t be a whiner.”

“You’re a real confidence booster there, Mom,” said Nikki sarcastically.

“I’m just saying women can’t be whiners in the workplace. We have to be go-getters if we want to get ahead.”

“Yeah, you’re right, Mom. And I guess I should probably go get them, so I can get ahead.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Nell, somehow missing the bitterness in Nikki’s voice. “Make sure to call again soon.”

“Sure,” replied Nikki, since there wasn’t much else to say. “Talk to you soon. Love you.”

“Love you too, sweetie! Bye!”

“Bye,” said Nikki, hanging up. “Thanks,” she said, handing the phone back to Kit.

“Sounds like our mothers should be in some sort of group,” said Kit, taking the phone back with a grimace.

“How about an asylum?” suggested Nikki.

“There’s a plan,” said Kit with a laugh.

“What’s with the boas?” asked Nikki, looking around. The room was quickly taking on a feathered quality.

“Kit’s a hotel artist,” explained Holly.

“You don’t think that maybe it’s a bit juvenile?” asked Nikki,
looking around in disbelief. Holly’s eyes widened in horror, as if she couldn’t believe Nikki had just said that.