Seduced in New York (Sexy Spy Series, No. 1) (3 page)

As the woman, a busty redhead with bright red lipstick, started talking to Kevin, I wandered closer. Dressed in a very short blue dress and wearing stilettos, she looked out of place in
Central Park
. As she put her hands around the person I was going to kill, I realized was happening.

She was his girlfriend. Whether or not she was using him, just
like
I had used him, was another question, but the way the redhead looked into the man’s eyes, I was pretty sure that she was deeply in love with him.

Once I was close enough to overhear their conversation, I stopped and put my head down. The two of them were whispering. I heard the words
Hawaii
, honeymoon, and money.

It dawned on me like a stack of bricks. This must have been why Kevin was selling the list. He was in love with this woman. It all made sense now. Initially, when Mr. Smith had told me that Kevin Lord, a man who had graduated
Harvard
University
with honors in two separate fields and who had started his own million dollar business empire was selling out, it didn’t make sense. But now it did. It was all because of the redhead.

But how did
Troy
fit into all of this? Maybe he had heard about this list that Kevin was shopping around and wanted a piece of it. After all, the list contained ten names. I didn’t know who the people were, only Mr. Smith was privy to that information, but they were important.

I didn’t think that Kevin needed the money, so there had to be something else. Or maybe Mr. Smith was right when he suggested that the company that Kevin had founded all those years ago was on the verge of bankruptcy.

As Kevin looked at his watch, I knew that the meeting with Mrs. Kolovos was on his mind. He tried to break away from the redhead’s embrace, but she protested and pressed him against the bridge, kissing him on the
mont
h.

As her hands moved all over the man’s body, I wondered how Kevin would get out of this situation. The woman suddenly moved away from Kevin and walked away. What had Kevin said to make her go? I didn’t know, but I didn’t stop to wonder.

I strode up the bridge, intending to put rest the matter between the two of us. As I walked toward him, I noticed how still he looked.

As he slumped down, I rushed over. His eyelids were barely open. I felt for his pulse. It was barely there. What the hell had happened?

As passer bys started to converge on us, I helped Kevin to his feet and mustered a fake smile to the onlookers. “Think my boyfriend had a bit too much to drink last night.”

I moved off the bridge and leaned Kevin down against a tree.

“Kevin, can you hear me?” I called gently, trying to awaken the man’s senses. But his eyelids closed even
furth
er.

I leaned forward and kissed him. He didn’t respond. Thinking of something, I scanned my eyes across his arms. A large pin prick was visible on the right one. Having been in bed with him the night before, I was pretty sure that hadn’t been there.

I felt the man’s pulse again and it was no longer there. Kevin was dead. I was shocked. I felt remorse. Sure, I was going to kill him, but I was at least going to offer him a chance, a chance that I offered all my clients before I killed them.

Kevin probably wouldn’t have taken up the opportunity to come and work for us, but there was a slim chance that he would have. But now that he was dead this would, of course, be no longer possible.

I looked around, seeing if I could spot the redhead. I couldn’t. She must have done this to him. It was the only thing I could think of. But why?

As much as she looked as though she was in love with them, it must have been a cover up. Had she been sent by
Troy
? Or was she working by herself?

Whatever the case, it was time to move. Leaving Kevin by the tree, I walked away. There was nothing I could do for him now except find his killer.

That wouldn’t be easy, especially if she was working with
Troy
. Regardless, it wasn’t time to think about that now. I had a date with Mrs. Kolovos.

~*~*~

Upon reaching the airport, I headed toward the hanger where my contact was supposed to be waiting.

After reaching it, I flung the door open, hurried in, and glanced around. Except for a white delivery van, it was empty. A man, wearing the uniform of a well-known cleaning service, leaned against the vehicle, his cap covering his head.

I called out as I approached him. “Patrick!”

The man glanced up and smiled. It was one of my best friends. I didn't have many, but at least I had Patrick. He was handsome, clean-shaven, and wearing a bright smile. His muscles bulged through the white shirt that he was wearing.

I’d always had a thing for blonde-haired people, and in Patrick’s case it wasn’t any different. I
hadn’t
told him that yet, as I had only known him for just over a year and I didn’t want to let him know that I liked him.

He probably suspected it through as he had often seen me when I walked past the gym where he worked out on my way to work.
Being a huge car buff,
he
probably wondered why I stopped driving and had decided to mostly walk to work. God knows I don’t need the exercise. Even in my most plumpish clothes I look fitter than half the population out there.

Anyway, whether or not he knew that I had a thing for him, he didn’t show it. He usually had a smile on his face though whenever I showed up, but not today. That was not a good sign.

Patrick glanced at his watch. “You’re late.”

“Relax, I’ve got plenty of time,” I replied.

Patrick opened up the back doors of the van, reached in, and threw me some clothing.

Catching it, I looked at the skimpy, light blue dress that had a plunging neckline. I’ll be the first one to admit that I don’t mind flaunting my assets, but only for the right cause. And I didn’t think that this was the time.

I stared at Patrick. “Why the dress? I thought I was just handing the list to Mrs. Kolovos and that was that.”

Patrick didn’t answer as he dialed a number into his cell phone that he just pulled out. “Zoe’s here.” He nodded and then handed his phone to me. “Mr. Smith wants to talk to you.”

I grabbed the phone. “Hi.”

“I want you to find out why Mrs. Kolovos wants the list,” Mr. Smith said. “Now, before you say anything—”

“This was supposed to be an in and out,” I protested. “Especially with
Troy
taking interest—”

“That is precisely why we have to find out. You know more than anyone what
Troy
is capable of and I want to know why he is associating with Mrs. Kolovos.”

“Just because those men may have been with
Troy
doesn’t mean that he’s working with Mrs. Kolovos,” I argued.

“No, but there is one piece of evidence that I couldn’t tell you about until now. It’s in regards to her husband.”

“I thought Mr. Kolovos was dead?” I said.

“Presumed dead is the official word. However, a month ago, reports started to come in that a person looking like Mr. Kolovos had been popping in and out of the busiest night clubs on the east coast selling party drugs.”

I was stunned. “What? How does that make sense? He’s a retired
US
Army captain.”

“The man was then spotted at a safe house, one which we suspect belongs to
Troy
. Now, this could be a coincidence, the man could just look like Mr. Kolovos, but I have a feeling that there is more to this than meets the eye. That’s why I want you to get close to Mrs. Kolovos.”

“How close?”

“As close as you can. Do whatever it takes to get the information out of her. I want all that she knows about her husband. Just don’t blow your cover. Now, I assume you dealt with Kevin?”

I paused, wondering if I should tell my boss about the busty redhead. Not wanting to complicate matters at the moment, I told him the briefest details. “He’s not going to speak to anyone anymore.”

“Good. At least that’s one problem we don’t have to deal with. I’ll let you go now. Mrs. Kolovos should be arriving at any moment. Oh, and when you have the information, switch on the tracking device and make your way to the rendezvous. Okay?”

“Will do,” I replied. I hung up and gave the cell back to Patrick. “What tracking device have you got for me this time?”

Patrick reached into the back of the van and pulled out a jewelry case. Opening it, he took the diamond necklace and handed it to me. “In the middle of this diamond is the tracking device. Press down to activate it.”

“Can I activate now?” I asked. “If I wait until I’m with Mrs. Kolovos—”

“No. If the transmitter is sending a signal when you pass through security, you might be detected. So only activate it before you are ready to leave the premise.” Patrick reached into the van once more and pulled out a map of the area.

He pointed. “This is the house and surrounding garden. With the tennis courts and open-air swimming pool, as well as the rose garden and six-car garage, you will have to keep your wits about you to know where you are. If Mrs. Kolovos suspects that you are not who you say you are, she’ll inform her security detail which is not the welcoming party that you want to be part of.”

“I’ve dealt with security before,” I said, glancing at my Rolex. The meeting was due to take place in five minutes.

Patrick grimly smiled. “I know, but these men are ex military with only one order, which is to shoot first and ask questions later.”

I whistled softly. “She sure likes her privacy.”

Patrick nodded and pointed to a spot half a mile from the walls. “A boat will be waiting for you here. But don’t delay. It will only wait for fifteen minutes, starting from when you press the tracking device.”

“Why fifteen?”

“We only have fifteen minutes if we’re to avoid the patrols organized by Mrs. Kolovos. So be on time.” Patrick glanced at his watch. “Time to get dressed. Be quick.” He walked off, heading to the hanger door to check things out.

I hurried to the van and pulled off my jeans and t-shirt. I didn’t know why I had to wear such a revealing dress in order to get the information out of Mrs. Kolovos, it wasn’t as though she was a man. But I didn’t want to go in my jeans so I put it on and, looking in a mirror that had been set up in the van, I put the necklace around my neck. I flung on some makeup and brushed my hair as Patrick came back.

“Time to go,” he said.

I nodded and, with one final glance around to make sure that everything was in place, I took the envelope with the list of names in it and walked off.

Hurrying to the hanger door, I opened it and stepped out. Looking around, I spotted a sleek, black helicopter just landing.

I waited and then, as I saw two bodyguards step out, I knew that it was my contact. Taking a deep breath, I walked toward her. I paused halfway and waited for her to approach me.

Though I had seen her photo in various newspapers, it was the first time that I had laid my eyes upon Linda Kolovos. And was I impressed. She was nearing forty, but she didn’t look a day over twenty-eight.