A Bid for Love (18 page)

His blue eyes filled with unshed tears, and Cassi reached out to lay a hand on his. “That makes sense,” she said. “They say funerals are for the living, not for the dead. But you were with her at the hospital when it really mattered, and from what you’ve told me about her, I think she might be more interested in what we’re going to do with the Buddha than who’s at her funeral.”

Jared stared at her for a long moment before replying. Cassi held her breath, but to her relief, Jared started laughing. “You’re crazy, you know that? But you’re also right. I think Trudy would’ve loved you.”

“Good, then let’s get you ready, old man.” Cassi pointed to the bag of clothing and makeup on the dresser. Jared groaned.

As soon as he was dressed, Cassi began applying his makeup. “I figure if someone’s waiting for us at the airport, this might prevent us from being recognized.”

Jared laughed. “You could walk past your own mother and not be noticed.”

“Actually, I look just like my grandma. Now don’t move. How will I ever get your face uniformly wrinkled? It’s hard enough hiding your cuts and bruises.”

“I can’t help it. You make me laugh. Has anyone ever told you that you’re funny?”

“And impulsive, crazy, and unpredictable. That’s why I’m not married, you know. The men I know can’t handle such spontaneity.” Cassi purposely made her voice light, hoping he wouldn’t guess that though she’d many male friends over the years, not one had ever been romantically serious about her—at least not that she was aware of. Cassi sighed and turned from Jared to mask her emotions. “Come see how you look in the mirror,” she ordered gruffly.

Jared didn’t move but sat studying her. “Cassi, look at me.”

She turned toward him hesitantly. “What?”

“It was their loss.”

A warm feeling spread through Cassi. “Thanks,” she said. “Maybe it was.”

* * * * *

The elderly couple moved slowly down the large corridor in the airport, searching for their gate number. They looked no different from the other old people in the crowd around them, except that their step was perhaps a bit more spry than it should be at their apparent age.

“Don’t look now, but they’re double checking IDs at the boarding gate,” Cassi whispered to her distinguished-looking older companion, who bent slightly over his cane. The gun-wielding men at the departure gate wore bored expressions, but she knew that would change if they had any clue that she and Jared were heading their way.

Jared glanced up at the men and down again quickly. “We’d better hope our new drivers licenses hold up under scrutiny.”

After two hours with the ID man Carl had recommended, they had gone from Cassi Mason and Jared Landine, to Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey Johnson, retirees from Florida. They’d also canceled the reservations Jared had made for them under his own name, though they had no choice but to buy new tickets on the same flight since there wasn’t another plane to New York until much later.

“We should be fine,” Jared added as they joined the line to board the plane. “We got through ticketing and the security gate.”

“I’m thinking maybe we should take a bus.” Cassi nervously adjusted the glasses that were a part of her costume. “Or come back tomorrow.”

“I don’t know.” Jared made a gesture as if checking for his own gun, the one he wasn’t carrying. Not wanting to risk checking it in for the flight, in case they were being watched, they had stopped at the post office and mailed the weapon to his apartment in New York.

“Have you ever taken drama?” Cassi asked. “We’ll just have to bluff our way through.”

Jared shook his head. “Let’s just go back the way we came. Your bus idea is looking better and better. We can go as far as Nevada and take a plane from there.” Jared started to turn. “Oh, no,” he muttered.

“What?”

 “The men from the beach are a couple yards behind us. They’ll catch up in about thirty seconds.”

Cassi’s heart begin knocking in her chest. “How’d they get through security?”

“Must have bought tickets. At least they probably don’t have guns.”

Probably
didn’t sound so sure, and Cassi didn’t think the men would need guns to take the Buddha from them anyway. And if they stole the Buddha, she would never learn its secrets or how Linden was involved.

 Though they hadn’t yet been recognized, they were boxed in. The men from the beach were professionals, and surely they were trained to look for disguises. It might only be a matter of time before they discovered Cassi and Jared. There was only one thing to do. She shoved her duffel bag at Jared. “Get on the plane if you can, and wait for me.”

She took three quick steps away from the back of the line, tossed her purse under a chair, and started screaming in what she hoped was an old lady’s voice. “Thief, thief! Those men stole my purse!” Cassi pointed vaguely at the men who had attacked Jared. As people flocked to her, the two men looked confused and stopped walking.

“Thieves!” Cassi yelled. “Stop them! Make them give it back! Oh, what am I going to do?”

The two men checking ID at the door raised their heads at the commotion, and Cassi beckoned to them. Silently she referred to them as FBI men, though she didn’t know exactly who they were. One left the door and came to stand with Cassi.

“What seems to be the problem, Ma’am?”

“Those men took my purse! I was just going to get on that plane there when they came up behind me and—”

“We didn’t take her purse,” protested the man with the hooked nose. His companion nodded vigorously.

“You did too!” Cassi didn’t feel any qualms for either of them. These were the men who had beaten Jared and chased her on the beach.

“Hey, don’t I know you?” The FBI agent’s eyes narrowed at the men.

The thugs backed away a few steps under his stare. “Don’t move,” he ordered, motioning for his companion to join him. His hand hovered near the gun at his waist.

The agent at the door hurriedly waved several more passengers through, including Jared, before telling the stewardess to close the door so no one else could board. Cassi saw Jared gazing back at her worriedly as the door shut between them.

She felt satisfaction that at least he’d made it inside, that his fake ID hadn’t been uncovered.

“Don’t you know these guys?” The FBI agent said to his friend as he joined the small crowd around Cassi.

“Yeah, if I’m not mistaken, they work for Big Tommy.”

The thugs nodded. “So what if we do? We ain’t done nothing wrong, and you can’t take us in. This old lady’s crazy.”

“Ain’t done nothing wrong, you say?” mocked the first agent. “What a joke! Part of the biggest organized smuggling ring in the country, and you say you ain’t done nothing wrong?” He stopped talking, noticing the intent expressions on the faces of the passengers around him. Their irritation at being delayed vanished as they sensed something interesting happening, something that didn’t concern them but reeked of juicy scandal. Several took out their cameras.

“You just stay out of our way or we’ll take you in,” the second FBI man growled at the thugs, turning back to the door leading to the plane. “Come on now, folks, just get on the plane. No, don’t show me your ID unless I ask for it,” he added. “Let’s hurry this along. I know what I’m looking for.”

The rest of the passengers consisted mostly of a tourist group from Japan and several American women. There was a tall American man, too, and he was the only one the FBI man asked for identification. They were also matching names against the passenger manifest.

“Please, young man, could you help me to my plane?” Cassi said to the first FBI agent, who still stood beside her.

“Sure, which one is it?”

She pulled her ticket from the pocket in her dress and showed it to him.

“Oh, that’s the one we’re checking ID for.”

“But I told you, they stole my purse.”

“Well you can’t go to New York without ID. We need to call the police. They might be able to recover your purse.”

“There is it.” Cassi pointed under the chair. “That man must have stuffed it there. Darn purse-snatchers, always targeting old ladies. What is this world coming to?” A woman standing nearby grabbed the purse and handed it to her. Cassi gave her a smile and dug through it. “Here, young man. Here’s my license. Now hurry and help me to the plane. My legs are getting wobbly. All this excitement, you know.” Cassi’s weakness wasn’t feigned as she clutched his arm.

The man scarcely glanced at her ID. “Go on in, Ma’am,” he said, guiding her to the gate and passing her off to a flight attendant. “And next time, hold on to your purse.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Jared sighed with relief when Cassi boarded the plane. Her face was wrinkled and white from the concealing makeup, but her eyes danced with excitement behind the spectacles. She had obviously enjoyed her performance.

“Well?” he asked as she slipped into the seat beside him. He shook his head back and forth in an exaggerated motion as she told him what had happened, keeping her voice to a whisper so the other passengers wouldn’t hear.

“I bet since you canceled your reservations, it really must have been a routine check,” she finished. “Or we’d never have gotten away with it. They weren’t even checking everyone.”

“They were before you made the commotion. I was watching them.” He paused. “That was a dangerous thing you did.”

“I don’t think so. They were probably FBI at the door, don’t you think? If they’d discovered me, then at least you would have been free to choose another route. I didn’t have the Buddha, and for all they know we aren’t even together. Right?”

Jared thought for a minute. “Maybe. But what if they weren’t FBI?”

“Who else could they be?”

“Then maybe we should just give it to them. They’re supposed to be the good guys, right?”

“That’s the way it should be. But it seems awfully suspicious that they swooped in only after the auction. Like they were waiting for you to buy it.”

Jared blinked and moved even closer. “You think someone’s setting me up?”

Cassi shrugged. “I don’t know, but I wish we could find out why everyone wants it. It’s a fake, after all.” Her voice became so soft Jared had to struggle to hear. “I want to know why Linden is involved. I’ve been thinking that maybe he’s not responsible for any of this. Maybe he’s in some kind of trouble.”

“There’s no way to know,” Jared said, wishing he could offer her something more. “But I’m going to get some answers from Laranda before I hand this thing over.” He grinned at her and felt the rubbery makeup on his face stretching to accommodate the movement.

“Oh, no,” Cassi said suddenly.

“What is it?” He looked up sharply, half-expecting to see the thugs they’d eluded coming down the aisle.

“I’ve got an itch on my cheek.” She wiggled her cheek furiously under the makeup and Jared laughed. But now that she mentioned it, he felt an itch begin on the backs of his wrinkled hands.

“Me too,” he said.

* * * * *

The plane ride passed uneventfully, though both were uncomfortable under their disguises. They were nervous when changing planes in St. Louis but saw nothing out of the ordinary. As they circled John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, Jared marveled that the long hours had passed so quickly with Cassi. They had talked the entire flight about their lives and plans for the future. One particular thing had impressed Jared.

“I want to have my own gallery,” Cassi said. “One where I can sell beautiful and artistic things to ordinary people. I don’t want to cater just to the rich. I know it won’t bring as much money, but it would be real, a place that people could learn in and feel comfortable visiting.”

Jared had entertained such a notion himself for the past few years, though he hadn’t gone beyond the dreaming stage. “I know what you mean,” he replied. “I’d like to have art classes for children. Teach them about real art.”

“Exactly,” Cassi said.

How different she was from Laranda, who’d simply laughed at his idea when he had suggested it. His boss had neither time nor patience for children, who certainly wouldn’t increase her bank account. Thinking of Laranda brought a sour taste to Jared’s mouth, and he put her firmly from his thoughts.

They took a taxi from the airport to Jared’s New York apartment. Cassi sat close to him, her wrinkled face staring out the window at the passing lights. He touched her knee. “I’m glad your little play-acting back in L.A. worked. I don’t think I could have forgiven myself if anything happened to you.”

“You’re not responsible for me,” she said with a wicked grin. “Can’t you see these wrinkles? I’m old enough to take care of myself. Eh?” She slapped the driver’s seat near his shoulder, and he agreed enthusiastically.

Jared laughed, thinking again how fun she was to be around. On the plane, he could almost imagine they actually were an old couple, grown comfortable with each other over long association and deeper in love each day. He couldn’t imagine anything more satisfying. Even in disguise, she radiated an inner light.

Could he open his heart to her?

Cassi’s voice broke in on his reverie. “Is this your apartment?”

Jared looked out the taxi window and nodded, scanning the dark streets for danger. “Yep.” He paid the driver as Cassi climbed from the car, searching as he had for something that was out of place. But no one came from the shadows with guns, or shouted for them to drop the Buddha. If someone was watching, it seemed their disguises were perfect.

“It’s beautiful,” Cassi said when he joined her, looking up at the gray-brick building which rose six stories above them. “I mean, as far as apartments go.” Each window had a built-in planter box, many of which were filled with blooming flowers, though they were difficult to see in the dark, despite the streetlights. The front of the building had a small yard, filled with greenery and more flowers.

“Wait until you see my apartment.”

“Which floor is it on?”

“The fourth. On the left side.” He pointed.

“Do you grow flowers?” Cassi strained to see the planters above her.