Fair Game Inc (2010) (17 page)

He jumped, whirling around as suddenly as if she had a gun pressed between his shoulder blades. oUh, hi, Amber.o

oHi, James.o

Heck coughed. The doors slid open and he jumped for the sanctuary of the elevator like a man fleeing a sinking ship. His salvation was short lived. Amber slid between the closing doors to take her place beside him.

A white piece of paper fluttered in his hand as he restrained himself from pacing in the narrow confines of the elevator. An invoice, Amber thought darkly. Hope heAEs getting well paid to make me miserable. She nodded at the paper in his hand.

oOn your way to get paid?o she asked pleasantly.

oYeah.o Heck folded the paper into quarters so she wouldnAEt see what was written on it. Silence stood like a third person between them, broken only by the whir of the elevatorAEs fan.

oSo, uh, Amber--o James fidgeted, coughed again. oNo hard feelings about last night?o he finally choked out.

oOf course not.o

HeckAEs eyes widened. She hoped he wouldnAEt lose another contact. oWhy not?o

AmberAEs fingers closed around his leather tie and pulled him closer. oBecause youAEre going to do me a favor, James.o

oWhat kind of favor?o

oYouAEre going to give me a copy of that invoice before you hand it in to Barlow.o

oI canAEt do that!o

oYou can do anything you want to, James.o

oWell I donAEt--o

oIAEd be willing to pay you for my ... gratitude.o The thought made her ill, but it was the only foreseeable means to an end.

oSorry, but I canAEt--o Heck began, then, oHow much?o

oAn even hundred.o

oSorry, Amber, but I promised Barlow the details of this assignment would be confidential.o

IAEll bet you did. It was a generous offer. DonAEt tell me even James Heck has developed standards. She couldnAEt afford much more, but she wanted that invoice beyond the bounds of good sense. She wanted Grayson Charles.

oTwo hundred,o she said coolly.

For a moment, she thought heAEd refuse again. The elevator doors slid open.

oOkay, deal.o He held out his hand to shake. Amber plucked the invoice from his other fist.

oIAEll send you a check,o she said and strode off down the hallway to the offices of Barlow & Charles.

Amber froze, her hand on the door handle. Grayson Charles was on the other side of that door, along with everything else that meant. He hadnAEt called to cancel her last couple of nights at the firm. She took that to mean he intended for her to finish her sentence as ordered. Would he pretend nothing had happened and go back to the cool efficiency heAEd shown her a month ago. Beneath that crisp exterior lay a molten core of passion. She knew that now. Would he turn that passion to anger and focus it upon her?

Amber heard HeckAEs footsteps on the carpet behind her. Now was not the time for second thoughts. If she wanted a Xerox of that invoice, she had to get it now before Barlow intercepted Heck. She turned the handle.

The doors to both partnerAEs offices were mercifully closed. Amber unfolded HeckAEs invoice, laid it on the Xerox and watched distractedly as bars of light swept across the glass plate. She refolded the invoice, handed it back to Heck. He looked like a little boy presenting his mother with a well-graded homework assignment. She suppressed the urge to laugh out loud.

Snatching the copy from the output tray, she stuffed it in her purse. Heck looked hesitantly around the corner, but the doors to both offices remained closed. Relieved he followed Amber back to reception where he milled about aimlessly as if he didnAEt know what to do now.

Taking pity on him, Amber crossed the carpet and rapped on BarlowAEs door. It flew open beneath her hand. Barlow looked infinitely displeased to see her. If I can put up with you for another day, you can certainly put up with me, J. B. But instead, she said coldly, oMr. Heck is here to see you, Mr. Barlow.o

As if on cue, the door to GraysonAEs office opened. Pulling on his charcoal gray suit, he strode down the hallway towards them. He struggled into his overcoat and reached for his briefcase.

oGrayson?o

He froze, one hand on the door. She caught the shadow of emotions playing across his face as he turned toward her.

oIAEm afraid IAEm running late for a meeting, Ms. Shaw. After that, IAEll be working at home this evening.o The set of his jaw formed a barrier between them, as impenetrable as a barbed wire fence. oIAEve left the things that need to be done on your desk.o

oThis is my second last night here,o she said, conscious of Barlow and Heck hanging on their every word.

oIAEm aware of that,o Grayson said. The door closed behind him leaving her in the company of John Barlow and James Heck.

With one last anxious glance at Amber, Heck escaped into the hall, as soon as he was certain the elevator had deposited Grayson on the ground floor and he wouldnAEt be offered further companionship. Barlow disappeared behind the barrier of his door. Inside she heard paper ruffling. HeckAEs invoice no doubt. Instinct grabbed hold of her senses. Barlow was behind this turn of bad luck. No matter what happened with Grayson, sheAEd settle things between them. Barlow raised the stakes. What started as cool dislike had just become personal.

Leave! Amber threw the sum of her will at the shadowy figure behind his closed door. Leave, so I can get into that filing cabinet! But the door stayed stubbornly closed, and Amber turned her attention to the work Grayson had left for her.

Lost in thought, she didnAEt hear him approach until he was standing over her. John Barlow wasnAEt a handsome man. Neglect marred every aspect of his appearance. From the haircut that was at least a month overdue, to the haphazard tie and rumpled suit. Even his briefcase was battered and worn on the edges. He stared down at her with beady eyes set in a puffy face. The antithesis of Grayson Charles, she couldnAEt help thinking. No wonder he resented his younger, more handsome and more successful partner.

oGood evening, Ms. Shaw,o he said with a leering smile that lingered just a little too long.

oEvening,o she answered curtly.

oIAEm going to be having a meeting in my office shortly....o For a moment he looked uncomfortable as if there was a great deal more he wanted to say and none of it nice.

oAnd?o

He was still standing there, blocking the way to her office. It was a challenge of sorts. What sort, she couldnAEt tell.

oAnd your services will not be needed.o

oI see.o

oGood.o He crossed to the coat rack. Taking her coat down off its hook, he held it out to her.

HeAEs kicking me out! Injustice raged inside her. oWhat about the work Grayson left for me to do tonight?o

oIAEll see to it.o He pushed her coat further toward her. Having no other choice, she took it.

You havenAEt seen the last of me, Mr. Barlow. She wanted to say it, but she didnAEt dare give herself away. Let Barlow trip over his inflated confidence. They always did.

oGood night, Mr. Barlow,o she said politely. Then the pretense at politeness deserted and she snatched up her purse and stormed through the door.

Thinking of the invoice nestled safely in her purse, she came to a sudden decision.

Could she find the way to his house down those winding country roads in the dark?

It was worth a try.

Chapter
TEN

The world disappeared into a dark spiral beyond the glow of her headlights. Amber gripped the steering wheel harder and kept her foot on the gas, and fought back the urge to turn the car back around and head for the city. City-born and bred she could never understand what possessed people to live in what she deemed pre-industrial standards. Quiet, open spaces broken only by the howl of the wind through the trees struck her as eerie rather than comforting. The rules of city living she understood. DonAEt talk to strangers, mind your own business and watch out for dark alleys where you could be mugged or worse. Good fences, good locks on the front door made good neighbors. It wasnAEt comforting, but it was familiar. In the country everything was dark, neighbors few and far between.

If she hadnAEt been so surprised by GraysonAEs choice of a neighborhood, she might not have paid such close attention to where they were going. Being a passenger once, however, was a lot different than trying to find your own way down unfamiliar roads in the dark.

Ahead, the road branched into two different directions. Had they turned left or right? Amber peered into the darkness. Left, she decided, letting instinct take over. Inside her head, she called herself every variation of fool she could think of. What on earth compelled her to be out there in the middle of nowhere, searching for the home of a man who would likely slam the door in her face and leave her to find her own way home?

She simply couldnAEt leave things as they stood between Grayson and herself. The thought that he might think her involved with that worm James Heck, kept her driving. I have my standards, Grayson. What in heavens were you thinking?

Gravel sprayed beneath the HondaAEs wheels. A dim glow through the poplar hedge lit up the familiar outline of the schoolhouse. The last time sheAEd come here ... Amber thrust the thought from her mind. Letting the car door close softly, she walked toward the house.

He must have heard her coming. Before she could even knock on the ancient wooden door, it flew open.

oYou!o

Amber felt the last vestiges of her hope evaporate. Grayson didnAEt look at all happy to see her.

oMe,o she said softly. A fire beckoned in the living room beyond. But between her and the comfort of warmth on a cold night stood the impassive Grayson Charles. oCan I come in?o

Grayson motioned to the couch before the fireplace. Papers littered its surface and the sum of sitting space on the couch opposite. Apparently, when he worked, Grayson was just as untidy at home as at the office. oAs you can see, IAEm very busy.o

oIAEll only take a moment of your time.o

oI donAEt have a moment to spare.o

He wasnAEt going to make it easy for her. Amber dug in her purse, her fingers closing around the copy of HeckAEs invoice. She brought it out, into the dim light between them. oI just wanted to show you this.o

Grayson took the paper reluctantly, turning it into the light to see better. Amber stepped closer, inching past the threshold. It would be harder for him to turf her out now. An old trick from her PI days. Unfair to use it now, but she was desperate.

Amber watched the storm of emotion cross his face. Annoyance, relief, confusion and back to anger.

oAnyone could have fabricated this,o he said finally. He turned back, finding her suddenly in his way. oAs I said, I have work to do.o

Though he towered over her by at least a head, Amber held her ground. oWhy is it so hard,o she asked softly, oto believe me instead of John Barlow?o

oBarlow is my partner.o

oAnd I was your lover,o she snapped. Men misplaced their alliances, she reflected darkly.

His head came up. Suede-brown eyes beseeched her understanding, even as his face remained unyielding.

oWhy are you so intent on believing IAEm out to hurt you?o

The question took him by surprise. Involuntarily, he stepped back. Amber gained another precious inch of territory. oI might ask you the same question,o Grayson said finally, deflecting the dangerous question back upon her.

Who is he? The whisper of his words flitted though her memory. Sudden understanding illuminated the problems between them.

oWho was she?o

Her softly spoken words took him aback. She saw his spine straighten, his face harden for the battle he certainly expected to come. But then he sighed and looked tiredly back at her. Ruthlessly, Amber used that moment to move closer.

oLet me in, Grayson.o

oAmber, this isnAEt a good time.o

oThere isnAEt going to be a better one. Take advantage of my generosity, Counselor. ItAEs a rare thing.o

That got a smile out of him. oAll right, Amber.o He stepped back from the door. Crossing to the couch, he swept the papers into a single pile and motioned for her to sit down. oBut just for a moment. IAEm going to be up most of the night, anyway. I donAEt want to go to court tomorrow without any sleep.o

She took the offered seat and crouched there anxiously. oFirst, let me say that I am not nor have I ever been involved in any way with James Heck. Aside from the annual private investigatorAEs trade show, weAEve barely said more than a civil sentence to each other. Barlow should really watch who he hires. Heck was more than happy to sell me a copy of his invoice.o

He was listening, eyes scanning her face intently, as if for reassurance of the truth.

oI hope you appreciate this, Grayson,o Amber said with a sigh that seemed to suck what little energy remained from her body. oThat stupid invoice just cost me two hundred dollars.o

Grayson glanced down at the price on the Xeroxed invoice. oHe only charged Barlow a hundred and fifty.o

oYeah, well lifeAEs not fair.o

The ghost of a smile crossed his face. oNo, itAEs not.o