Thunder in the Night (Crimson Romance) (25 page)

At last, Clark, ever helpful, supplied us with information. Moving around to the driver’s side of the zoo van as his cohort climbed into his own vehicle, he confirmed their next rendezvous with a bob of his head and the statement, “Tomorrow.”

Mart and I exchanged startled glances. I was surprised the next transaction would take place so soon. Tomorrow night was the big Mardi Gras celebration at the zoo. Naturally, Clark would feature prominently in the festivities. Could he sneak away?

The vans followed each other out of the structure, and the instant the tail lights were gone, Mart sprinted around to where the exchange had taken place, his footfalls ringing on the concrete. I followed.

“What did you see?” I asked, watching as Mart bent low to the concrete. “What are you looking for?”

“Evidence of what was in that crate,” he told me. “And here it is.”

In the dim light of the shadowed corner, he held up a long thin object I couldn’t identify at first. He turned it slowly in the air where it was gently illuminated. Colors appeared, muted, patterned.

Then I knew, too.

Chapter Thirty-One

It was a feather.

The objects trussed up like submarine sandwiches were wild birds. Probably endangered birds. Perhaps an exotic species captured in their native land and smuggled here, to the United States.

“Oh, Mart!” I shuddered, imagining the terror and suffering the animals had endured. “Could they still be alive, wrapped up like that?” It didn’t seem likely.

“Clark said they were and I suppose it is possible.” He rose slowly, clutching the feather firmly in one hand. Suddenly, he looked ten years older. New creases appeared in his face and his eyes, so expressive, were flat and dull with fatigue and something a lot more serious.

“They said there would be another exchange tomorrow,” I said. “With all the excitement and confusion of the Mardi Gras, I suppose it will be easy to pull off the transaction. Who will notice if Clark disappears for a while?”

“Exactly.” Mart drew me into his arms and hugged me hard. The unexpected embrace took me by surprise and I knew it was a hug of reassurance, not passion. One of those life-affirming gestures we all need every now and then. I could feel the trembling of his muscles beneath my fingers, the rush of adrenaline that always follows trauma.

After a bit, he stepped back. “Thanks,” he said, giving me a timid smile. He dropped a kiss on my forehead.

“Tomorrow,” he told me, “I’ll get in touch with the authorities Ishani spoke of. Tell them what we saw and heard. Give them this.” He handed me the lone feather and I took it reverently.

As I turned it in my fingers, I recalled one of the curious events from Belize. “Mart,” I began, thinking out loud. “When Clark got that text message ‘airborne’ must have referred to the birds who made the journey alive,” I reasoned. “Grounded ones were dead. But what about the line ‘Uncle visiting’?”

He snapped his fingers. “I bet I know the answer to that. Uncle Sam. Federal inspectors. Perhaps the area the birds were being sent to was due for an inspection. It wouldn’t be good to have a shipment of illegally imported birds show up on that day,” Mart speculated.

We headed back to his disabled vehicle, where Mart called a tow truck and I called a cab. The taxi showed up first and Mart kissed me soundly before I headed off for home.

At my place, I dropped my shoulder bag onto the nearest flat surface, exhausted in both body and spirit. Every bone in my body ached from the hours spent in the automobile, but I wasn’t sure I had the energy to run the tub.

I flopped onto the sofa and covered my eyes with my forearm.

I’ll just rest a minute,
I told myself.
Then, I’ll soak in a tub of hot bubbles.

When I woke up, the sun was shining.

Chapter Thirty-Two

I made a hot breakfast on Saturday morning. My dreams had been disturbing ones, but none of the details had survived waking. Still, I couldn’t shake a distinct feeling of doom and gloom.

As I ate my pancakes, I traced the path of this terrifying plot and my involvement in it. Each little clue and revelation had led to this moment — like the steps leading to the top of the temple. Now, we stood at the precarious summit, seeing the pattern spread before us and recognizing the danger. I stirred a bit of sugar into my tea and wondered what the evening would bring.

To be honest, I’d been looking forward to the Mardi Gras even before our trip to Belize.
Finally
, I’d thought,
I’ll have a chance to wear that fabulous gown
.

I’d gotten the dress for a song a few years earlier quite by chance and had never had an occasion to wear it. I knew at the time it was impractical. How much opportunity is there, after all, to wear a full-length, hand-beaded evening gown that shimmers in a breathtaking shade of gold? The creation felt as if it weighed about twenty pounds, thanks to all those beads. But when I tried it on, I felt like a princess, transformed from a plain old working woman to a regal, statuesque glamour girl. Just the thought of it now made my lips curve in pleasure, pushing back the hazardous part of the evening and allowing me to indulge in daydreams of dancing with Mart, looking like a commercial for expensive perfume in our evening finery. I let the fantasy unfold as my tea grew tepid and emerged from that wonderful world only at the insistence of the telephone.

“Allison, it’s Mart. Do you have a minute?”

“Sure.” I tucked the phone under my ear and moved to the stove, putting more water in the kettle.

“I’ve talked to those local authorities Ishani named and they’ve already arranged to be at the Mardi Gras tonight. They’ll be watching that service drive closely, but if we spot anything untoward, we’re to contact them immediately.”

“How many officers will there be?” I asked.

“About half a dozen. Some on the zoo grounds. Some at the deserted road behind the aviary.” He stopped, took a breath, went on more slowly. “Allison, you stick close to me tonight, okay? I don’t want anything happening to you.” His voice was warm with concern and I smiled as a glow of happiness touched my heart.

“Mart,” I told him honestly, “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.”

There was silence on the other end of the line for the space of a heartbeat. Then he said, “You know, when this is all over, you and I have to have a talk.”

“Oh?” My voice asked the question I couldn’t give words to.

“Yes. Somewhere quiet where we won’t be interrupted.”

The kettle whistled and I poured the steamy water into my cup.

“I’ll pick you up tonight around seven,” he went on, getting back to the matter at hand.

“Sounds perfect.” I was picturing how I’d greet him at the door, my hair upswept, smelling gently of my favorite fragrance, crossing the room elegantly in my high stiletto heels.
Not the outfit for a stake-out
, I thought with a giggle.

“I’ll see you then,” Mart concluded. “I’d better get back before anyone comes looking for me.”

• • •

When I opened the door at the stroke of seven, my heart was hammering with a heady mixture of anticipation and dread.

The anticipation was fulfilled by the sight of Mart, so handsome and elegant in full evening attire. With his double-breasted tuxedo and jaunty bow tie, he looked rather like a groom in a bridal magazine and I whistled in appreciation.

He did a bit of whistling, too, and I hammed it up, twirling slowly in the snugly fitting gown. Mart followed me into the living room, watching me all the way.

“Zowee!” he crowed. “You look fantastic! I’ll have to fight off your admirers all night.”

“I hardly think so,” I told him, embarrassed by his very vocal attention.

“Oh, I don’t know. Come here for a second.” He stretched out his arms and took a step toward me.

It was hard to move quickly in the heels, but I managed to evade his grasp. “Now, Mart,” I warned, only half in jest. “I spent half an hour on these lips alone.” I pointed at my outlined, penciled, and glossed mouth. “Don’t muss it up before we even leave the apartment.”

“You’re right,” he stated, dropping his hands in defeat. “Mustn’t mess the makeup.” He sounded disappointed, even though the light never dimmed in his eyes.

I relented, stepping up to him. With my high heels, I matched him in height and we looked smack into each other’s eyes. “One kiss,” I said.

“For luck,” he agreed.

His hands slipped easily around my waist, pulling me up against his body. One hand slid lower, beyond the small of my back, pressing me closer still. I squirmed in pleasure as our lips met in a fierce exchange.

“You know,” Mart whispered in my ear, his breath hot and taunting, “I almost hope nothing happens tonight, so we can get away early. Come back here, maybe?” The suggestion was accompanied by a thorough inspection of each crevice of my ear, traced first with his finger, then with his tongue.

My body was beginning to ache in some places and swell in others. All thoughts of the Mardi Gras had been driven out by his touch and the fate of my lipstick was a foregone conclusion.

“Oh, yes,” I sighed, cradling his cheeks in my hands. I kissed the tip of his nose then his mouth.

The slit in the back of my gown that enabled me to walk also made it possible to lift my leg several inches, fitting it tightly against his thigh. I snuggled into his embrace.

“If you’re cold now, we’re both in deep trouble,” Mart quipped, stepping back, knowing if there was one thing I was not, it was cold. “Seriously, Allison, I hope you’ve got a coat to match. It’s a cool evening.”

I was already on my way to the closet, reaching for the long black velvet number I’d worn only once before.

“That should do,” Mart approved, helping me into it. “And it isn’t fur. Good.”

“Honestly? Will people wear fur to the zoo fundraiser?” This seemed incredible. “How thoughtless. How — ”

“Hypocritical?” he finished my sentence, shaking his head. “Prepare to be astonished, Allison. There will be fur o’plenty.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Standing with a cocktail in hand, I examined the crowd of formally attired people clustered together in the zoo’s education building. The Mardi Gras was held at scattered locations throughout the zoo, including a few of the outdoor areas, where folks bundled up to brave the cool spring air. As Mart had predicted, there were many women swathed in fur.

“But it isn’t that cold!” I’d protested when I saw the first. Raccoon, or fox, I think.

“Allison, weather has nothing to do with it,” Mart told me, his eyes sweeping the room for familiar faces.

We’d spent the early part of our evening mingling, as if our only reason for attending was to socialize. Many of the people from our zoo trek were there. Faith, already looking woozy from drink. Jen, in flaming red. And, of course, the Underwoods. Dan wore a full tuxedo. Elaine was engulfed in blue satin.

I lifted a hand in greeting when they looked my way and Elaine started over to us.

“Oh, great,” Mart growled in my ear. “I don’t know if I can take these two right now.” He’d been edgy all the while, barely responding when people spoke to him, leaving me to make the introductions.

I could tell he was eaten up with concern about the transaction that might be occurring later. My own nerves were pulling tighter by the minute, too. Every tick of the clock brought the event closer. Would we know if the authorities apprehended someone on the path in the woods? Would we hear the news spread rapidly through the crowd, or read about it in the morning papers? I kept my hands occupied, fiddling with my glass so I didn’t nibble at my nails. Mart reached frequently in his pocket to make sure his phone was still in place, ready for action. He was like a bomb waiting to go off and I knew the incessant chatter of the Underwoods would do nothing for his mood.

“Why don’t you get us another drink?” I suggested as Dan and Elaine drew nearer. “Feel free to take your time.” I winked and saw relief flood his features.

“Thanks.” He squeezed my elbow, grinned briefly at the Underwoods and took off like a shot.

“Where is your escort off to in such a hurry?” Dan asked. “He shouldn’t leave a beautiful woman like you alone for very long. You may not be here when he returns.”

My cheeks blushed scarlet at his compliment.

“I’m sure he’ll be back soon, dear,” Elaine told her husband and I nodded.

“Quite a nice turnout for the event,” I made conversation as I scanned the crowd. “It should raise plenty for the zoo.”

“I should say!” Elaine agreed. “Clark’s really worked wonders since he came here.”

At the mention of the man’s name, I gave a grimace of distaste that I hoped went unnoticed. The last thing I wanted to discuss was Clark but, here in his domain, such a wish was futile. Elaine went on to recount the fiscal history of the zoo, stressing Clark’s contribution to its present tiptop shape.

“Without him,” she concluded, “the zoo might have been closed. Then what would happen to all those sweet animals?”

“Why, they’d have to sell them!” Dan stated.

“Sell them?” Elaine sounded horrified. Her hand flew to rest the hollow of her throat and her diamond rings sparkled in the light.

“Would Clark have any objections to that?” I asked, remembering the feather Mart and I had found in the parking lot. Life was cheap. Especially the tiny lives of tiny creatures.

When I glanced at the Underwoods, they both looked puzzled. Elaine’s lips were pursed in a pout of disapproval. Dan’s expression was more difficult to interpret.

“What do you mean, Allison? Clark loves these animals. Would do anything for them. Even die for them, if he had to!” Dan protested, each phrase uttered more emphatically than the previous one.

I shifted my weight onto one foot and wiggled the toes which had gone numb from my constricting shoes. This was dangerous territory. If Dan persisted, I’d need to keep a poker face, something which had never been easy for me. No one must know what Clark was involved in. Not yet. Especially here in this crowd of zoo supporters, where a critical comment would travel verbatim to the man in question faster than I could say, “endangered species.”