Parisian Affair (26 page)

Todd ignored her momentarily, then whispered,
'Where did you hide the loot?'

Allegra yanked her hand out of his and
stiffened. 'Wh-what are you talking about?' she said in a low
hiss.

'Don't play games with me.' His voice was
still a whisper. 'I know you're here to buy something for Hilton
Whitehead.'

Allegra remained silent, her eyes ablaze with
fury.

'Tell me,' Todd growled quietly, 'and I mean
now.'

She looked away from him and didn't
respond.

Todd placed his hands firmly on her shoulders
and leaned in close, his mouth at her ear. 'There are minicams in
this place. Somebody's been spying on you.' He nodded toward the
hall. 'Probably that little creep that's in the head.'

'But—but... are you sure?' Allegra
sputtered.

He nodded, looking into her eyes. 'Now tell
me where the hell you hid the loot.'

Allegra returned his gaze. 'In—in the . . .
bathroom,' she finally said.

Todd's lips formed a momentary smile. Then he
let her go. 'Sit down and stay in here.'

'But what—?'

'Allegra, please just do as I say for
once.'

She saw the serious set of his face and sat
down on the couch.

Todd went down the hallway and locked the
apartment's door, then stood blocking the exit, arms folded across
his chest. Soon the bathroom door opened, and Paul stepped out.
Even from the sitting room, Allegra could see the look of surprise
on his face.

'I'll be going now,' the young man said,
trying to maneuver around Todd.

'I don't think so,' Todd said.

'Why? What—what's going on?' Paul asked,
looking at Todd, then down the hallway to Allegra.

With one beefy hand, Todd grabbed him by the
neck and practically lifted him off the ground as he walked Paul
into the sitting room. Paul clawed wildly at Todd's hand, but to no
avail. Thin and weak, he was no opponent against Todd's strong,
worked-out body.

Allegra watched with widened eyes and started
to get to her feet. 'Todd, what the hell—?'

He motioned to her with the flat of one hand.
She sat back down with a frown on her face.

He loosened his grip on Paul's neck, but
didn't release him. 'Before you go,' he said, 'I want what you took
out of the bathroom.'

Paul's hooded eyes were barely open, and he
was limp in Todd's hold. He licked his lips, and said, 'I... I
don't have anything from the bathroom.'

Allegra could see beads of sweat on his face
and the almost spastic tremor that took hold of his body.

'Don't play games with me,' Todd said.

'I—I don't have anything,' Paul mewled
pathetically. Sweat was now rolling down his face, and his eyes
were wide with fear.

Todd gave his neck one good hard squeeze, and
Paul yelped. With his free hand, Todd yanked Paul's jacket off his
shoulders and threw it to the floor. 'Search his pockets, Ally,' he
ordered. 'And pat down the lining good.'

Allegra sat still, but only for a moment,
hating being part of this violent scenario. It wasn't so much the
authority in Todd's voice that got her moving but the thought that
he knew what he was talking about. She scooped up Paul's jacket
from the floor, quickly searched the pockets, then laid it down
flat on the couch and began patting it down.

With his free hand, Todd was patting down
Paul's upper body. Arms, chest, back, stomach.

Allegra looked up at Todd. 'There's nothing,'
she said.

'You're sure?' he asked.

She nodded. 'Absolutely.'

Todd clawed at Paul's belt, undoing it with
alacrity, then yanked down the zipper at his fly and tore open his
pants, sending the button rolling across the floor.

Paul began to squirm in his grip. 'Please,'
he whimpered. 'Please. Don't do this. Please.' His eyes beseeched
Allegra, but she turned away, unable to bear the pathetic look on
his face.

'Aha,' Todd said calmly. 'What have we here,
Paul?' From Paul's Jockey shorts, his pulled the small box labeled
JULES LEVANT JOAILLIER and held it up toward Allegra.

She gasped, and Paul's body slumped in Todd's
powerful grip. Tears were running down his wan cheeks.

Allegra took the box from Todd's hand, and he
released Paul, who almost stumbled to the floor.

Allegra opened the box to make certain that
the ring was still inside. Nestled within the pinkish beige suede,
its dark green shimmered up at her—almost with an impish wink—and
she felt her body go limp with relief.

'It's here,' she said to Todd.

He nodded, watching Paul reach over and take
his jacket from the couch. When he'd put it on, he wiped the sweat
and tears from his face with a sweep of both hands and stood
stiffly.

'You did this for Sylvie,' Todd said, stating
a fact rather than asking a question.

Paul's eyes briefly lit on Todd's. Then he
studied the floor as he redid his zipper and belt.

Todd took a step toward him, and Paul
flinched. 'I repeat. You did this for Sylvie, didn't you?'

Paul's mouth opened and closed, but nothing
came out.

'You had a minicam in here and one in the
bathroom, watching to see if Ally hid the ring here, didn't you?
You have a place with monitors, upstairs or downstairs. Don't
you?'

Todd took another step toward him, ramming
the fist of one hand into the palm of the other. Paul looked up at
him, flinched again, and then took a step backward.

'You were watching her. Invading her privacy.
Like some filthy pervert. Only you couldn't see her while she was
in the shower because that's a blind spot on your monitors, and you
thought she'd gone out.'

His eyes fell to the floor, and Paul remained
silent.

Todd drew back his arm and balled his hand
into a fist again. 'You make me sick,' he spat. 'I'd like to tear
you to pieces.'

'No,' Allegra cried. 'Todd, don't. We've got
the ring. Just let him go. Please.'

'Tell me, Paul,' he said. 'Tell me now, or
I'll break your fucking nose. You did this for Sylvie, didn't you?'
He moved closer to him, using his body to intimidate him.

Paul nodded slightly.

'Say it,' Todd growled.

Paul nodded with more vigor. 'Yes,' he
finally muttered. 'For Sylvie.'

Todd relaxed his fist and crossed his arms
over his chest. 'I'm going to rip the fucking minicams out, and I
want you out. I don't want to see your face again.'

When Paul didn't move at first, Todd shoved
him with a hand. 'Get the fuck out!' he yelled.

Paul scurried down the hall to the door. His
hands fumbled at the locks as he tried to open the door. Todd was
close on his heels.

Paul was over the threshold in one awkward
step and didn't pause in the hallway outside before starting down
the steep, curving steps.

'We'll be out of here tonight,' Todd shouted
at his back, a finger pointed at him. 'Your keys'll be in the
kitchen sink.' He slammed the door, locked it, and turned back to
face Allegra, who stood watching from the sitting room. Her face
was drawn and white.

He walked slowly toward her, then took her
into his arms. 'Oh, Jesus, I'm so glad to see you,' he said,
hugging her tightly.

Allegra's tense body shook slightly and tears
came into her eyes, but she fought them back as he stroked her
shoulders.

'It's going to be okay, Ally,' he said
tenderly. 'I'm here for you.'

She slowly relaxed into his warm embrace.
'I—I'm glad to see you, too,' she said, 'but I'm having trouble
believing what just happened.' She drew back and looked up into his
eyes. 'I'm having trouble believing everything that's happened in
the last few hours for that matter.' She squeezed his shoulders
with her hands. 'Including how you found out so much.'

'I think we'd better sit down and have a
little talk, Ally. I want you to tell me everything. You've
obviously put yourself in some danger here, and I want to know
exactly what's going on,' he replied.

Releasing her, Todd moved a chair over
against the far wall, stood up on it, and yanked the minicam off
the wall near the ceiling. Plaster chips rained down on the floor,
and the tiny camera hung loose on a wire. He jerked again, tearing
the camera off the wire.

'There,' he said. 'That little shit can't
watch us now. If he's got the balls.' He got down off the chair and
tossed the camera on the floor. 'Be right back. I'm going to get
the one in the bathroom, too.'

Allegra heard plaster falling in the bathroom
and felt a chill run up her spine when Todd returned with the
minicam dangling from a length of

wire in his hand. 'It was like I thought,' he
said. 'The camera was aimed so it could see nearly everything in
the bathroom but the shower.' He threw the camera toward the corner
where the other one had landed.

He joined her on the sofa, where she had
taken a seat. 'Now,' he said, 'everything. From the beginning.
Leaving nothing out. Okay?'

She nodded. 'Yes.'

'Good,' Todd said. 'First, get comfortable,
and I'll pour us a little champagne. How's that?'

'Champagne?' she said. 'Where did you get
that?

'Had the driver stop on my way in from the
airport and got us a nice, chilled bottle.' He pulled it out of his
black carry-on bag. 'Something to keep that tongue of yours well
lubed, loose, and . . . true.'

'I'll tell you the truth, Todd,' she
promised. 'Why confide in you if I'm going to lie?'

'That includes no sins of omission,' he said.
'I know you well enough to know that you might leave a few
important details out.' He winked at her playfully, then turned and
went to the kitchen counter. He set the bottle down, took two
wineglasses from the shelf, then ripped off the foil and took off
the wire covering the cork. The cork suddenly flew off and popped
against the ceiling before landing on the floor.

'Whoa!' Todd exclaimed, quickly grabbing a
glass for the champagne bubbling out of the bottle. He filled both
glasses and took one to Allegra.

'Mademoiselle,' he intoned formally.

'Thank you, monsieur,' she replied.

He sat down next to her and clinked his glass
against hers. 'To us,' he said, looking into her eyes.

'To us,' she echoed.

They both took sips of the champagne. 'This
is delicious,' Allegra said.

'It is, isn't it?' he agreed. He set his
glass down on the little table and clapped his hands together.
'Now,' he said, turning and looking at her, 'why don't you start at
the beginning.'

Allegra didn't like what she was about to do
because she felt that she was betraying a trust. She had promised
Hilton Whitehead not to tell anyone what she was doing. But, she
reasoned, circumstances had changed considerably since she'd made
that promise in his New York penthouse. She had performed her duty
to him in Paris, and since then had been a witness to two
shootings, both of which might have been attempts on her life. Now,
to top it off, Sylvie and Paul were apparently in cahoots to steal
the ring.

She began to tell Todd everything. Sylvie
approaching her for Whitehead. Coming to Paris to bid on Princess
Karima's ring. Staying at Paul's apartment at the instigation of
Sylvie. Meeting Ramtane Tadjer at Jules Levant Joaillier, then
seeing him at the auction, where he verified her assertion that
Dufour was attempting to give her the wrong ring. Going to the
museum with him, where a shot was fired through a window in the
room where they were standing. Rushing from the museum only to see
Ram's chauffeur shot on the street in front of her. Running back to
the apartment and hiding the ring, only to discover Sylvie and
Paul's plot to steal it.

When she was finished, Todd, who had listened
to her story without interrupting, stared at her blankly. She could
tell that his mind was working overtime, however, and she knew that
he was going to have questions. But first, she wanted the answer to
a couple.

'How did you figure out what I was doing?'
she asked.

Todd shrugged. 'It was simple,' he said. 'You
left the Dufour auction catalogue on your bedside table for one
thing. I saw you and Sylvie having a tête-à-tête at the club that
night we went dancing. Then you've had all these conversations with
her in the last couple of weeks. I know you're acquainted, but not
that close. I also know she works for Hilton Whitehead, the only
person I can think of who could afford to buy anything in that
catalogue. Then, you were picked up in a Rolls-Royce to go to the
airport. Plus,
Jalouse
magazine did not have a photo shoot
scheduled with you.' He took her hand in his. 'I feel bad about
calling them to check up on you, but I was getting really
concerned.'

Allegra wanted to be angry with him, but it
was hard to work up any real anger toward someone who had been
looking out for her welfare.

'I guess I would never make a very good spy,'
she said.

'I wouldn't suggest that you go into that
line of business,' he replied, his hand massaging her back. 'But I
think there are a couple of things we ought to do right away.'

'What?' she asked, turning to him.

'Get out of here and check into a hotel, for
one,' he said. 'And the other is to call Hilton Whitehead and tell
him exactly what's happened. He ought to know, Ally. I think you
may be risking your life for him, and he should know about it. And
he's got to know about Sylvie right away.'

Allegra nodded. 'Oh, God,' she said. 'I hate
doing this to her—'

'To her!' he exclaimed. 'Think about what she
was trying to do to you.'

'I know,' she said, although the full impact
of Sylvie's betrayal hadn't yet registered in her mind.

'I wonder . . .,' Todd began, his eyes
focused on some distant, indefinable point.