Jaded (4 page)

Effortlessly and instinctively, he changed strategy and attacked from a different angle. “We can do this the easy way, Miss Devereaux: You can tell me all about Andrew Townsend. Or I can get a warrant and open this entire place up and expose your members and their privacy. It’s up to you.”

“You and I both know for a judge to sign off on a warrant you need stiff probable cause.”

He grinned. “You’re as smart as you are beautiful.” He stepped closer, but she held her ground. “My techs lifted a blood sample from your parking lot this afternoon, and I’ll bet you dinner it matches Mr. Townsend’s.”

“I’ll bet you it doesn’t.”

He extended his hand. “I’ll take that bet.”

She hesitated before she extended her hand. He was sure the hesitation was not because she was afraid of losing the bet, but because she feared his touch. He looked closer. Someone had damaged this woman. Damaged her bad. For all of her bravado, he understood her resistance to intimacy at its most basic level. Slowly, he wrapped his fingers around her hand. He felt a tremor zip through her body. But he played to win, and if he had to unwrap her slowly, layer by layer until he got to the vulnerable core of her, he’d do it. He pulled her closer. She was so close now he could see the pulse of the black striations surrounding her irises. “If you win?”

“Then you leave me and my club alone.”

“How did you cut your hand?”

She withdrew her hand. “None of your business.”

“How much does it cost to join your little club?”

She smiled, her eyes dancing. “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.”

He may not be able to afford it, but he could always backdoor his way in. He handed her a card. “If your memory suddenly comes back, give me a call. Or when I win, I’ll be calling you.”

Jade laughed, the sound low, thick, and throaty. His dick flinched. Dammit, the woman was potent. “I always win, Detective.” She moved past him to the door and opened it.

“I’m not done with you yet, Miss Devereaux. I’m going to go hang out in the lounge area for a while. I suggest you call the owner and get his permission to speak to me. I really don’t want to drag you downtown for questioning.”

“Legally you can’t, and you know it, so don’t threaten me with it.”

Jase grinned and his blood revved. “You are one smart lady.” He moved to the door and opened it, his grin nearly splitting his face. “But I’m smarter.”

Jase saw himself out as far as the main lounge and called Ricco to come on down. Two sets of eyes in this joint would be better than one. And he knew Mr. Hollywood Cop could get any woman to sing any tune, in any octave, when he turned up that Latino magic of his. Jase shook his head. He’d never had a problem in the female department, but dayum, if they didn’t fall out of trees around Ricco.

Putting thoughts of his partner aside, Jase casually took mental notes of each person in the club. At the moment that included the wooden soldier of a doorman; the majordomo, Thomas Proctor; the brawny bartender; and a stock boy. He’d caught a glimpse of a few men in black slacks and tuxedo shirts. Probably servers.

Jase strode to the vestibule door and walked through. He surmised that when the club opened for the evening’s festivities, the “guests” would come through a gauntlet. First, the front door manned by Ichabod. Once past that Rottweiler, they’d have to get by the scrutinous Thomas Proctor, the brute of a majordomo bouncer, before they would no doubt be welcomed into the large circular bar and lounge by Jade. He doubted she would be the first female face. She was management and, while he would expect her to mingle, it made more sense for the “working girls” to hustle up to the men as they came in. Hmm, kind of like a cat house.

Jase scowled. For a gentlemen’s club, at that moment not one drop of estrogen filled the room. Maybe they made an entrance? He walked back into the lounge and caught Proctor’s glacial gaze as he discreetly talked on a cell phone.

Jase smiled inwardly. If that guy thought he was going to back down because of a few glares, he was mistaken. He sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere soon. His police business aside, Jase’s male curiosity got the better of him. It would take a SWAT team to pry his ass out of Callahan’s tonight.

Despite the lack of female companionship at the moment, the lounge was a gig he could get accustomed to real quick. It reeked of old money, fine brandy, and cigars. Subtle, delectable scents wafted in from the dining room he guessed was off one of the many doors that lined the back portion of the circular room. An impressive black-and-gold-veined marble fireplace nearly took up one wall. Brass-studded chairs and settees similar to the ones in the waiting room were casually grouped around the fireplace. About half a dozen smaller cherrywood tables with chairs wide enough to seat two, for those interested in a more intimate conversation, were tucked into a handful of private alcoves. Bold paintings in robust colors depicting several amorous scenes hung subtly lighted. Lush potted plants finished off the classic comfort of the room. Jase nodded. Well done, and very interesting.

Though the main attraction proved scarce at the moment, Jase was certain when the women made their appearance, the term “gentlemen’s club” would take on its full meaning. He glanced at his watch. It was still early. He glanced at the gleaming bar. Fine brandies lined the beveled glass shelves, along with every other high-end alcohol imaginable. The big man behind the bar polishing the slate bar top flashed him a less than friendly look. A kid nearly flattened him as he hurried around the end of the bar with a box in his hands.

The bartender broke a smile and rubbed the kid’s carrot top after setting the case on the bar top. “Perfect, Rusty. Now, go ask Miss Jade which brandy she wants to feature tonight.” The kid smiled and shuffled past Jase.

Jase observed the kid’s hesitant step before he took several direct strides toward the office. Rusty seemed to have a hard time making up his mind. Was it out of fear or was he slow? Could he have whacked Townsend’s balls and hog-tied him? Jase doubted it. The person who did Townsend had a methodical motive. The kid could barely look him in the eye and could hardly haul the case of wine up onto the counter. Townsend was a big man who worked out regularly. No way.

But that didn’t keep the kid or anyone else in the place off the suspect list. Everyone was a suspect until they were unequivocally ruled out. And even then, mistakes were made, oversights happened, so even for those removed from the list there was always option B: to go back on it.

So even if Rusty looked physically incapable? Maybe he had help. Of course, without motive…

Jase’s gaze turned back to the big bartender. He could have done the deed with his little finger. Maybe he wanted Jade for himself, and thought Townsend was getting too demanding. Maybe it was another member who got a jealous hair up his ass. Hell, maybe a bunch of the girls had had enough of the drunken Lothario’s groping and took matters into their own hands. His eyes traveled to the closed door at the end of the hall. Maybe Jade snapped. And just maybe Proctor or the Rottweiler helped. They seemed hell-bent on shielding Jade from him. Why?

The possibilities were wide open.

Hesitantly, Rusty knocked on Jade’s office door.

“Come in,” Jade’s deep, husky voice called. Jase’s blood shot south. He moved closer to the open door.

“Hello, Rusty.” Her voice was pure, warm honey. Jase watched the kid’s body twitch. Jase felt the same damn thing.

“Um, Mac told me to ask you which brandy you wanted featured tonight.”

“Hmm, how about the Napoléon?”

Rusty bobbed his head and backed out of the room, slamming into Jase. He didn’t look up but scrambled out of the way.

Jase caught Jade’s gaze across the space that separated them. For a long moment Jase let the sizzle in his blood simmer. He felt things in his body he hadn’t felt since he was fourteen and about to get his cherry popped by a very wise and very curvy twenty-three-year-old.

Jade stood and walked to the door; slowly, she closed it. He heard the lock click from the other side and with that sound the spell was broken. Jase physically shook himself. That woman was dangerous.

“Nice place,” Ricco said from behind Jase. He let out a long breath and turned, more than grateful for the interruption. He needed to focus his big head.

“Buddy, you are in for a treat tonight,” Jase said to his partner. “And I hope you have your dick strapped to your leg because if the proprietress, Jade Devereaux, is any indication of the ladies this place puts out, we’re in trouble.”

Ricco laughed and slapped Jase on the back. “I love my job! Now, tell me where we are.”

Jase brought Ricco up to speed and set him off to interview the servers, who were lurking along the fringes, and to take a crack at the surly doorman.

“I’m going to go back and see if the lady of the house has had a change of heart.”

Ricco grinned. “Maybe you should allow the master to take a crack at her.”

Jase scowled. The thought of Jade responding to his friend disturbed him. And what bugged him more was that it bugged him in the first place. Jase almost stepped aside and gave Ricco his blessing, but he didn’t. He glanced at the closed door. No, Jade Devereaux was a nut he would crack. Alone.

“Thanks, buddy, but I think I’ll tackle this one solo.” He stalked past Ricco toward Jade’s office. Mac cut in front of him, blocking Jase’s way.

“She’s busy.”

Eye to eye, not more than two feet separated them. Jase smiled. He had no intention of making Mac his adversary, but damn if he was going to allow this guy to impede his investigation. “You know,” Jase started, “we can do this one of two ways. I’ll leave it up to you how you want to play it.”

Mac’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Jade plays tough, but she isn’t. Rough her up and you’ll have me to deal with afterward.”

“Are you threatening me?”

Mac nodded. “Yes.”

Jase’s smile, which had waned, sprung back up. “I’ll leave her in one piece.”

Grudgingly, Mac stepped aside.

Jase moved past him and knocked on the door. A long moment later he heard the lock click and the door opened. Her scent wafted around his senses in a slow sensual swirl and Jase felt like if someone nudged him, he’d be on his knees. The potency of the woman standing angrily in front of him jarred him.

“What is it now, Detective?”

“I have more questions.”

Jade stepped back and opened the door wider. She moved to her desk and turned to face him.

“I’m glad you changed your mind,” Jase said, closing the door behind him, then stepping closer into the small tidy office. For the second time that night he observed every nondescript item. Instead of sexy and exotic like the woman sitting behind the desk, he found the room cool, aloof, with no hint to her personality, family, or preferences. It seemed staged to him, as if the owner didn’t want to give away any clues to her personal life.

White desk, white walls, white accessories.

“I didn’t change my mind. I was finally able to get through to the owner, Mr. Morton, and he advised me to cooperate with you—to a point.”

“What’s his first name? And where is he?”

“Jack. Jack Morton, and currently he’s in Milan.”

“When did he leave?”

“Two weeks ago.”

“So you run the place?”

She nodded. The elegant curve of her neck reminded him of a swan. A dark, solitary, exotic swan. He wondered who’d hurt her so bad.

“I’m the proprietress.”

“What is the scope of your duties?”

“Is that pertinent?”

“It is.”

“I run the daily club operations. We have a restaurant, lounge, and billiard room upstairs.”

“How does a place like this work?”

She sighed as if impatient. “Callahan’s is a gentlemen-only club. After strict screening, if an applicant is chosen, there is a membership fee, as well as an initial processing fee. The membership gives you the privilege of dining and/or socializing here with the other members, or with one of the ladies who are employed by Callahan’s.”

“As in high-class whores?”

Jade stood, the force so hard her chair hit the wall behind her desk. “Hardly. The women here are educated, hardworking, honest young ladies. While our members may purchase a date for an outside dinner or a social function, there is no sexual exchange. We are
not
a brothel, Sergeant.” She pointed to the door. “If you insist on insulting me, leave.”

“Lighten up, Miss Devereaux. I call them as I see them and right now I’ve got a dead guy who is known to hang out at this
gentlemen’s club
run by some ghost who is currently in Italy and at every turn in this place, I’m turned away by some moody brute, and you, the lady in charge, is giving me crumbs. So excuse me if I’m just a tad bit suspicious. Now, what time do the doors of your
gentlemen’s club
open for business?”

Jade sat down in her chair, the effort smooth and sleek. Languidly, she crossed her legs and looked up at the detective. She’d have to be blind not to see the way the detective’s eyes flickered downward every time she moved. The dress she wore was discreetly deceptive. It gave a man the hope that with the wrong move, one or both of her breasts would pop out. She took great pains to make sure no more than necessary was revealed.

“I’ll tell you what, Detective Vaughn. Feel free to talk to any employee here, on their time, not mine. I have a business to run, and I don’t like blips.”

Jase grinned, the gesture startling. He had straight white teeth, his canines just a smidge longer than average. He looked like a big, bad, hungry wolf. She shivered, and understood that the man standing in front of her was not one who liked to play games for which he didn’t make the rules.

She smiled. That was okay; she relished knocking men off their balance beams. They all deserved to want, but not to touch.

Jase flipped his notebook closed and slipped it into the breast pocket of his tailored black suit. For a cop he had excellent taste in clothes.

“I’ll make myself invisible out there, pretend like I’m a guest.” Jade opened her mouth to protest, but Jase halted her with his hand open in a stop position. “I give you my word, my partner and I will be discreet. Either allow me free rein out there or I call Vice and make it ugly for everyone.”