Knock Out (A Reynolds Security Novel) (13 page)

Cha
pter 17

“There are thirty four Starbucks in Edgepark and its suburbs. You didn’t head into the city did you?”

“
No.”

“
Well I think we start where I picked you up and work out from there. I am thinking we go south to start.”

“
Sounds like a good plan.”

“
How long do you think you were walking?”

“
Three or four hours.” She shrugged. His head snapped up to look at her.

“
Damn girl, you can cover a lot of ground in that time.”

“
I know.” She sighed.

“
Want me to kick his ass?” he said softly, “Boss or not it would be my pleasure.”

“
Thanks Colby. I mean it. But it wasn’t his fault, none of it.”

The Starbucks tour was frustratingly fruitless.
“I can’t believe there are so many Starbucks in this town.” Lou grumbled as she stomped up the stairs to her apartment. “I can’t believe I lost my car, I am such an airhead.”

“
You’re not an airhead. It happens to the best of us.”

“
Really, you have lost your car?”

“
Yeah, did you ever see that movie Dude, Where’s my Car? It was an episode kind of like that.”

“
Really? Does your tattoo say Dude or Sweet?”

“
My tattoo doesn’t say anything but I’ll show it to you if you’re really good.” Colby grinned and she laughed.

“
Why do you flirt with me? I’m not even the right gender.”

“
I flirt with anyone I like. Gender has nothing to do with it.” She was about to make a crude comment when Cooper emitted a low growl that caused her to freeze in her tracks. Colby pulled a .45 from a shoulder holster and stepped in front of her. He tried the handle of her door but it was still locked. He put his hand out to her in silent request for her keys.

Lou was frozen paralyzed with fear, afraid of her own apartment. It was as if the last year and a half
hadn’t passed. She felt like she had when she’d gone back to her apartment after the attack. She hadn’t been able to go in. After trying several times she had gone to a shelter and felt safer there than in her own home on base. Colby nudged her gently and she finally snapped back to the present. She gave him her keys and he unlocked the door. Cooper entered first. He went through the apartment and straight to her bedroom closet. The closet door was open but Colby swept it gun raised anyway. Cooper stood on his hind legs his nose raised toward the shelf in the top of the closet. Then he sat down and whined. Lou and Colby looked at each other.

“
If it is a mouse I am going to be so pissed.” She said in a stage whisper. She reached up and lifted the lone shoebox off the shelf. She held her breath as she lifted the lid. She saw the evil heels that made her feet ache just to look at them but underneath there was a sparkle that hadn’t been there before. She lifted the shoes and gasped. In the bottom of the shoebox was the diamond necklace that she had worn at the jewelry exhibit along with The Heart of Africa. The enormous diamond that had been around Elena’s neck the night of the party.

“
Oh boy, somehow I don’t think these were meant to be gifts.” she whispered again.

“
If they were, you gotta tell me your secret.” She carried the box over to the bed afraid to touch the jewels.

“
What do I do? Do I call the police?”

“
And tell them you just happened to find millions of dollars in diamonds in your closet? I am standing here and I don’t believe it.”

Lou groaned and flopped onto her bed.
“This is great just great. As if my life isn’t complicated enough someone is trying to frame me as a jewel thief.”

“
No one says frame anymore hun. You were set up.” He sat down beside her. “You know you’re going to have to call him right?”

“
Yes,” she hissed. “I just don’t want too.” Lou stood up and angrily walked back to the living room. She paused to give Cooper a treat and praise him for his find before she pulled out her cell phone.

“
Carpenter.” He answered on the first ring. She was caught off guard and wasn’t quite sure what to say.

“
I um, I have something that you need to see.”

“
Much as I would love to pretend to be at your beck and call. I am busy.” His nasty tone fortified her resolve.

“
Look this isn’t a personal call. I told you we only have a working relationship. This is work related and I can’t talk about it on a cell phone. Would you like to meet in person or shall I call your partner?” She held her breath awaiting his response. She was bluffing there was no way she would call Ethan.

“
I’ll be there in ten.” he said and hung up. Lou resisted the urge to throw the phone, barely.

Jace arrived in three minutes. She took a deep breath before she opened the door. He looked pissed.
More so than she had ever seen him.

“
In here.” She walked toward the bedroom trying to ignore the awkwardness. Colby was still sitting on her bed. The two men shot daggers with their eyes but neither spoke to the other. Lou pointed at the box and Jace looked inside.

“
Where did this come from?”

“
Hell if I know. Cooper found it.”

“
Cooper?”

“
Yes. Cooper alerted on it. Scared the shit out of me. I thought it was a bomb.” She meant it to be funny but no one so much as smirked. Jace sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“
Where were you last night?”

“
She was with me.” Colby spoke up for the first time and Jace glared at him.

“
Not until three.”

“Lou…”

“Colby, not until three.”

“
Before that?”

“
I was alone.”

“
You’re going to have to be more specific.”

“
I was driving. I decided I need a run. So I parked and I went for a run.”

“
Where did you park?”

“
What difference does it make?” She growled. He held up his cell and showed her a picture.

“
Is this your car?”

“
You know it is. Where is it?”

“
It is parked about a block away from the Radisson in a Starbucks parking lot, where a woman fitting your description was seen acting suspiciously.

“
Damn, should’ve gone north.” Colby muttered. Jace glared at him again.

“
Would you give us a minute alone?” Jace said to Colby barely making it sound like a request and not a demand. Colby glanced at Lou. She nodded. Colby sighed and stood up.

“
Come on Cooper, let’s walk down to the corner store. I need a pack of smokes.”

“
Don’t you dare! You quit.” Lou called after him.

“
Somehow I think I am going to need them before the night is through.”

“
Get the gum.”

“
I’ll think about it.” She heard the front door close and realized she was alone with Jace. She crossed her arms squeezing them tightly.

“
I did not steal that necklace.”

“
Where were you?”

“
I just told you.”

“
You drove and then went for a run.”

“
Yes.”

“
Then what?” She glared at him and clenched her fists to keep from taking a swing at him.

“
Then Colby picked me up and I went back to his place. I stayed there until I went to work this morning. After work I went looking for where I left my car. I didn’t find it. A little while ago when I came in was the first time I had been here since Sunday when I packed and left for the city.” She could see the muscles flexing in his jaw. He was angry. She didn’t really care, she was angry too.

“
I did not steal anything.” She clenched her teeth.

“
I know.”

“
Then why are you interrogating me?” She yelled.

“
I am not asking anything that you aren’t going to have to answer a hundred more times.” They stood there glaring at each other in silence for a full minute before he finally voiced what was burning between them.

“
Have you been sleeping with him the whole time or did you just decide to change things up last night?”

“
Oh you’re one to talk you hypocrite!” She yelled at him and stormed out of the room.

“
What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He yelled back following her.

“
I am not discussing this. No strings, remember? That means you are free to fuck whoever you want and so am I.”

“
Well a heads up would have been nice.” He threw out. She spun around her mouth open in shock.

“
Are you kidding me?” Before he could respond there was a knock at the door. It eased open and Colby stuck his head in.

“
Sorry to interrupt. Thought you might want to see this.” He handed her a tabloid and she looked at the cover. The headline was Candi Spellner’s lesbian liaison. Underneath was a picture of her and Candace laughing at the restaurant. Inside there were more pictures of the two of them around the city. It even listed her by name. She groaned and buried her head in the paper.

“
Batting for the other team now Lou?” Jace said snidely.

“
One of us had a tryst with a hot blond recently but it wasn’t me.” she said, angrily stomping past him. She grabbed her cell phone and pressed the button before putting it to her ear.

“
Candace… yeah I saw it. I am really sorry… no… are you sure? Okay I’ll talk to you soon.” She looked at the two men watching her. “She thinks it’s funny. She is more concerned about my reputation.” 

“
I told you not to get involved with the client.”

“
Don’t be an asshole Jace.”

“
Damn it Lou, didn’t you pay attention to the rules.”

“
Yeah I’ll bet there is rule about not fucking your employees too huh?” She glared at him and he glared back before glancing to where Colby was lounging in a chair. “Don’t worry about him he already knows we’ve been boinking like bunnies. He’s the one who told me to get new underwear.” Jace’s look was downright murderous when he turned it on Colby.

“
You slept with her knowing she was with me?”Jace advanced toward Colby and he stood so the two men were toe to toe.

“
I didn’t sleep with her. We are friends. You are the one who made her cry.”

“
Colby!” Lou cried as if he had just revealed her darkest secret. Jace spun and looked at her.

“
I made you cry? How?” Despite the seemingly sensitive question he had barked it at her and she was not the least bit inclined to answer it.

“
Who I do or don’t sleep with is not your business, either one of you. What is important is the fact that someone stole millions of dollars in jewelry just to hide them in my apartment and not very well I might add.” Both men’s expressions lightened as if they had both forgotten the reason they were there. Jace sighed and took out his cell phone.

“
Round up the team and meet me at 388 twenty third avenue apartment 230.”

“
What team? Who did you just invite to my apartment?”

“
There is already a team investigating the missing necklace, who do you think found your car?” 

“
Who?”

“
Sam Cavanaugh, Charlie Batch, Lance Cocker, Brent Lee.” Lou wanted to complain but they were all people that she had worked with at the party people she would have picked herself.

“
Should I take it personally that Colby and I weren’t picked for your team?” She crossed her arms defiantly.

“
No, you and Colby both have upcoming engagements. They were free.” She gave him a look that said she was skeptical and he glared back with equal defiance.

“
So fill us in on what the rest of the team knows.” Colby said trying to ease the tension. Jace told them everything that had been reported to them along with everything the team had found out so far, which amounted mostly to her and her car. 

“
Wait so you’re saying that you were hired to find the rainbow necklace but not the Heart of Africa? Why not? It has to be worth a lot more.”

“
He didn’t mention that it had been taken, only the rainbow.”