Without Any Warning (A Samantha Jamison Mystery Volume 2) (13 page)

Chapter 40

Marketing 101

At the last minute, I remembered the farmer’s market, and of course, ended up in traffic in search of a coveted parking space. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who had decided to show up late on that bright and breezy morning instead of hitting the beach. I snatched glimpses of succulent tomatoes, green lettuce, radishes and cherries displayed on some of the vendors’ tables. There were also used flea market items for sale too. After several minutes of patiently driving around in circles, I found a slot and hustled, bag in hand, over to make some purchases.

About a half an hour later, I had more than enough to get me through the week, but as I turned to go, I recognized two figures deep in conversation off to the side. There was David, speaking to Mona behind a vendor’s tent, its flaps lightly fluttering around them in the breeze.

They knew each other?

I promptly worked my way over behind a stall, not only to observe them without being spotted, but hopefully to hear what they were saying. As I edged closer, it appeared that they were arguing instead of talking.

“Of all places, what are you doing next door?” Mona asked heatedly. “I can’t believe this! What a total screw up!”

“Listen, I don’t follow your rules. Got that?” David tossed back, glaring at her. “You keep changing the name of the game and freelance too much. Besides, your history together was a no-brainer, and I became impatient for some inside information. Under the current circumstances, I didn’t think anyone else would mind. By the way, her involvement is a major problem. What’s with that?”

“I don’t have time to go into it now,” replied Mona.

“And I don’t like what I’m hearing,” countered David. “It makes things way too complicated. And you know how I hate complicated.”

“I know, I know. That’s what he said too,” said Mona.

I froze.
Who said?
What was going on? What was scarier was that the
she
they both referred to in their testy conversation sounded like it was
me.

David’s eyes strayed toward the people shopping and passing by. “He’s right, you know. It would be a lot easier if she weren’t. Complications tend to cause casualties.” He turned his attention back to Mona.

Mona met his gaze. “It’s too late, David. She’s already involved and is asking too many questions. She’s getting closer than she should, and I don’t like it. What am I going to do?” She looked up at him. “Got any brilliant ideas, Einstein?”

“Watch your back and don’t slip up. The rest should fall into place. Ease off a little. Your obvious comings and goings are giving her more than enough of an opportunity to catch you with your so-called undesirables. Get my drift?”

Mona smiled. “Very funny. What a clever choice of words. Maybe, I should be giving you the same advice.”

David laughed. “You’re just a little touchy, don’t you think? Hey, we all have to do things we don’t want to. You made your choices long ago and now unfortunately, a lot of people are paying for them. That’s just the way it is. You gotta deal with it, Mona.”

“I don’t have any other alternative, do I?” she complained.

“No, you don’t!” replied David. “Once you opened up that can of worms, you set everything else in motion. Too late for any regrets or change of heart. You’re in it until it’s all over.”

“That means her too,” Mona sighed wistfully, concern in her voice. “If only I could go back and change the past.”

“Well, you can’t.” He looked at his watch. “I’ve got to get back. It’s late.” They glanced at each other, quickly nodded and separated without another word.

I suddenly felt a variety of emotions, disappointment, being one of them. Maybe, I was jumping to conclusions. Maybe, they weren’t talking about me at all, but someone else. If so, who? Unfortunately, I couldn’t think of anyone. Okay, so that left only me.
Why me?
But as I stood there watching them walk away, I had a sinking feeling it was most likely, you guessed it,
yours truly
.

David had me convinced he dealt in antiquities. Was that a ruse? For what? Was he ever really a widower? What was he involved in with Mona? What were they both planning? Who was he working for? Who was the other
he
they both referred to? Phil? Joey? Question marks flew everywhere.

Did I really want to get in deeper, putting myself at further risk? I thought back to the fear and determination in Mona’s eyes in the beginning when she first arrived. What was she afraid of? Why did she feel I was the only one she could turn to? She previously claimed she had no one else. If she only trusted me, then why did I suddenly feel my trust was being betrayed?

Like everything else in my past, this was something I had to figure out. Why? Because, as much as I hated to admit it, this involved me. I was completely wrapped up in their network of lies.

I thought I was simplifying my life and getting away from further distractions of intrigue. The past was the past, but I was wrong, and like once before, I was finding myself paying for those assumptions.

Raindrops began falling as I slowly made my way back to my car. I suddenly felt overshadowed by more than the ominous clouds overhead. I was more knowledgeable than I was before I arrived, but unexpectedly had a lot more to worry about, most notably, my safety.

I looked at my watch. One minute past one. The market was closing, and from what I just heard from overhearing Mona’s and David’s conversation, so were my questionable chances of solving this thing. And as usual, the clock on this thing was ticking away.

Chapter 41

A Clever Window Of Opportunity

I stood at the dining area window with my glass of wine. The Caesar salads were freshly prepared for dinner, and I had a minute to consider my situation as I looked out at the courtyard, streets and rooftops beyond. It was early evening. A siren could be heard in the distance, quickly approaching. It passed on down the block, its lights flashing. Fender bender? Swimming accident? Who knew? Life went on. Mine however, seemed on hold.

Trust me, I never went looking for trouble, but it always seemed to find me. I should be used to it by now. My current doubts had me questioning my competence. How would I pull off this clever task of prying information from David, a near-stranger, who seemed, in my opinion, a pro at nondisclosure and deception? Still, it might end up being the perfect opportunity to catch him off guard.

The doorbell rang. Mona and Martha were fortunately occupied elsewhere. I hurried on down to the foyer as composed as could be, not wanting to appear too eager for my impromptu invitation. If I had learned anything in the past, it was how to persuade information from others. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. I had a pretty good winning streak though that is if you bothered to keep score. I always did. It helped boost my self-confidence.

 
There stood David, flowers and wine in hand.

Was this guy polished, or what?

“Hi! Glad you could make it,” I greeted warmly. “Come on in. I’ve got everything ready on the table upstairs.”

“Thanks for the invitation,” he replied. “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

I bet.
“I have some Brie and fresh grapes for us outside and wine already chilled on ice.”

We sat out on the deck, talking about nothing special. The waves hit the beach and we watched the last rays of sunlight slowly fade behind us. For good measure, I finally lit a few candles to keep us company. I was pulling out all the stops. Expensive wine was first, and then chilled shrimp and Chicken Caesar salad.
Believe me; I could lace a bowl with garlic among the best of them
. My coup de gras? Crème Brule. A pretty good cook myself, I could be devious to get what I wanted too.

“So,” I said, edging my chair closer for a more intimate exchange, “I’d like to ask you something.”

I could tell the pricey French Cru had scored. He smiled, totally relaxed and mildly buzzed. “What?” he replied, thoroughly into the tranquil atmosphere I had created.

“I thought I saw you at the farmer’s market the other day. I was surprised because I didn’t expect to see you there. You know, being you’re so busy collecting all those art objects coming and going from that house of yours.”

David took another sip, or I should say, swig of his wine, and then he helped himself and poured some more. I could tell by his body language that he was stalling for something to say. “Well, how about that!” he finally said, sipping more of his wine.

What did that mean?
‘How about that!’
Exasperated, I pressed further. “What were you doing there? Shopping for another one of your irresistible recipes?”

His forced smile revealed he’d been caught red-handed. I was sure he was trying to come up with a believable excuse. As far as I was concerned, there wasn’t one good enough after what I heard that morning. I just wanted to see how he would spin this one. He was obviously prepared and went right to the heart of what suddenly lay between us.

“You saw me with Mona. I assume you haven’t asked her yet, right?”

I smiled. “You know, I knew there was some kind of cosmic connection with us from the very beginning. No, not yet, I’m asking you, first. I figured your answer might be more interesting.”

He turned, visually scrutinizing me, and then abruptly smiled. “You have a great sense of humor.”

I nodded. “So I’ve heard. After that whole ordeal I went through in the past year, that’s what kept me somewhat balanced, that and my writing.”

“But the truth finally ended all your uncertainty though, didn’t it?”

I went still.
How did David know so much about me?

He stopped sipping his wine, wearing an expression of,

‘
I think, I’ve just blundered.’

Even though disturbed by his slip of the tongue, I was more interested in how he knew. It reminded me of conversations with someone similar from my past.
Clay.
“Now, would be a good time to give me an explanation. Don’t you think?” I asked firmly.

He sipped more of his wine, hesitated, and then said, “…Mona told me.”

Knowing my name was one thing. This was different. “What else did she tell you?” I asked. For good measure, I also threw in, “I didn’t know you knew her.”

“I didn’t. We bumped into each other accidentally at one of the stands. She said she was visiting a friend, trying to decide what to make for dinner. She loved to cook and came to get inspired, and so, decided to give the market a try.”

I leaned forward, trying not to laugh. Obviously, inventive comebacks weren’t his forte. “Now, why would she confide in a total stranger, who by some twist of fate, conveniently happens to be my next door neighbor?” When he didn’t respond, I went on: “There’s only one thing wrong with that picture you describe. Mona doesn’t cook. She’s the supreme take-out queen. Weren’t you aware of that?”

“…I am now,” he replied, smirking sheepishly. “I thought I had you pegged, Samantha. Apparently, you’ve been observing closely, and know more than you’re admitting. I humbly now stand corrected.”

Been there. Heard that before.
“Why are you here? How about some answers? You know, ones that are believable.”

“The less you know the better. You see, Mona’s gotten herself into a thorny situation.”

I finally had enough spin for one night. I stood, shoving my chair backward. “Let me try and guess.” I leaned in, invading his personal space, figuring, what the heck, let me take a shot at this. “You’re here to protect Mona? Right?”

He stood too, bent forward and leaned in closer, nose-to-nose, and then suddenly winked. “...No, Samantha. I’m here to protect …you!” He straightened and smiled. “…I guess this is where I exit stage right,” he added and did exactly that.

I stood there, wordless. I just had the perfect window of opportunity to learn something more and totally blew it!

Now, who was caught short for something clever to say?

Chapter 42

Moving Targets

I mentally replayed what David said and what he didn’t. The chilling implications threw me. Why was I being protected? From what? My knees felt weak as I stared out at the darkness and the ocean beyond, sipping my wine. I looked over at all I had prepared on the beautifully candle-shadowed table, where I’d foolishly buried any chance of plying my culinary skills. What a joke! Here I was honing in for the kill, and he just moved all the players.

Mona appeared in the terrace doorway. “…Hi,” she said uncertainly, as she slowly approached me.

“Hi, yourself,” I replied halfheartedly. I motioned to my harebrained culinary tactic going to waste. “Have you had dinner yet? My big evening fell through with a loud thud.”

“I know, he just called me on my cell. Look, I think we have to talk. I’ve put you in a precarious situation and I owe you some kind of explanation.”

I turned to face her. “Well, it’s about time!” I walked over to the table and sat down heavily.

 
Mona joined me. She looked at all the untouched food.

“Wow! This really smells great! I’m starved.” She grabbed David’s untouched plate and dug in heartily.

I was incredulous. “Mona! How can you eat? At least have the decency to fill me in first.”

She abruptly stopped, setting down her fork. “How about some wine then?” she asked, pointing to the almost empty bottle.

I shoved back from the table, got a glass, poured the rest of the wine into it, and not so gently placed it in front of Mona with a thump. “Okay! Explain! This better be good, too! I think I’ve been patient for an explanation regarding your bizarre behavior and actions long enough. Don’t you?”

She slowly sipped her wine, and then eyed me cautiously. “…Remember your last book involving Stephen’s death?

My breath caught. I didn’t like where she was going with this. “…Yes.”

Mona started fingering the edges of the tablecloth resting on her lap. “I don’t know exactly where to start.”

“How about at the beginning,” I said, leaning back.

“It’s a long story, but I’ll try and make it as brief as possible. I guess the whole thing started when I caught Joey’s company skimming big money from the bottom line and altering the spreadsheets. At first, I thought there was some kind of mistake. There wasn’t.

“He was altering my work after I initially input the numbers. I couldn’t believe it never dawned on him that after he left the office, I might recheck my own work once again just before it went upstairs into the safe. Intrigued by his strange behavior, I dug deeper, taking a closer look at other paperwork and then followed his sloppy paper trail. He became too trusting with me around his safe, figuring he had nothing to worry about.”

She took another sip of wine. “When I figured out what was going on, I confronted Joey, saying I was leaving because of what I found out. The whole operation was illegal, and I wanted nothing more to do with him or them. He laughed, saying it was too late. I couldn’t quit because I knew too much already. Besides, I had previously signed off on all those spreadsheets. And guess who would’ve taken the fall?”

“What happened then?” I asked, fascinated by her story.

“He thought he had me. What he didn’t count on was I had already made a disc for my own protection, showing the money trail going into a fictitious account and then being transferred on to an off-shore numbered account.

“You see, I became suspicious, after I realized there were two discs, one for the IRS and one for themselves after catching Joey on the sly, pocketing the original disc and replacing it with another, more sanitized version. That was when I compared the two discs.”

I sat there listening, rubbing my forehead, and then offered, “And so you were caught in a no-win situation.”

“You got that right. Sometimes, I’m my worst enemy, being too meticulous. Everything always had to be in its place, rechecked and in perfect order. Like you, I’m a Virgo to a fault! And to think at one point, I actually considered a permanent relationship with him! Sam, I was so naïve and stupid! Come to think of it, so was he for being so confident and letting incriminating material lie around, taking for granted that I’d never catch on.”

“Then what happened?” I asked, still mentally sorting all the facts and players.

“When I initially tried to walk, he threatened to kill me.”

“Did you go to the police?” I asked, in astonishment.

“No, I was reminded by Joey that he and his boss had close ties somewhere in the department. No way was I going down that road. So, I went to the FBI instead.”

My mind was doing double-time, trying to get a grip on what she was telling me. I had a slight inkling of what was next. “…Who was Joey’s boss?”

Mona hesitated, and then blurted, “…The mob.”

She quickly saw the look I threw her.

“…Sam, I swear, I had no idea. The FBI told me after I mentioned a few names. And to think I thought Joey was the idiot! I should have known better. I knew the job paid too well to be legitimate, but that? Then the final shoe fell.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“I got sloppy. Joey found Stephen’s address on my computer – I’d forgotten to delete it after I had arranged for pick up and delivery by the post office of the disc. He pretty much figured out what had to be in that package after I confronted him with what was really going on. Joey was nobody’s fool. Neither was I at that point. I had no other choice. Being scared to death, I up and ran.”

Somehow, I still wasn’t getting my connection to all this. “What does this have to do with me?” I asked.

“I’ll get to that. You see, the FBI put me in the witness protection program because I was filling them in on inside names, big time. I identified some Mafia made guys I had witnessed going in and out of their offices by photos. The big negative was afterward. Every time I moved, Joey somehow found me, so I had to get a new identity and move once again.”

I sat there, listening to her incredible story, but it sure seemed believable, as the facts were finally starting to fall into place. “That’s why you disappeared off the map and I couldn’t trace you!”

“Exactly! Then I gave my original disc to the FBI, but the morons who were assigned to me, lost it! Here I was, caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the mob, and no evidence to save my ass. Thank goodness, I mailed another back up copy to your husband, Stephen, as extra insurance for my own protection.

“…You what? But, where’s the disc? Stephen’s dead!”

“Well, Stephen emailed me that he stashed it in the puzzle, Sam. My problem is what do you think he meant by that? Any ideas?”

“…I’m not sure,” I said, unnerved by her words.

 
Mona stared at me. “I have absolutely no idea how they found out, but you need to figure out what Stephen meant because they’re now targeting you.” She paused. “…They think you have the disc with all their information on it.”

I sat there, stunned.

How could Stephen have possibly known that the book I wrote after he died would be called
The Puzzle
?