Without Any Warning (A Samantha Jamison Mystery Volume 2) (22 page)

Chapter 77

Firing Back

Okay. That was an answer I was not expecting. Who was double dealing who? Mona? David? The FBI? Without sounding like Martha, my personal gumshoe, I fired back, “What actually went down?”

“With who?” He shook his head. “I can’t believe that this whole thing has morphed.”

Morphed into what?

I was hanging by the thinnest of threads. This affair was so intertwined, I didn’t think I would ever make any sense of it, but I was giving it my best shot.

Could I catch him off guard?

“Let me ask you something out of left field.”

David looked at me sharply. “What’s that?”

“Did anyone mention to you a note that came with the painting Clay gave me?” I had this odd feeling.

He waited a beat, and then another.

I was sorry to see that reaction, hoping for his complete surprise as to what I was talking about. Either he knew him or wasn’t getting what I was alluding too.

Why the big pause?

“…No. Why would I?” he finally offered. “Who’s Clay?”

“Never mind,” I said, disappointed, as I mentally filed his too little, too late response. I circled back to Mona. “What happens now? What exactly is going on with this Joey? Is he real or just imagined?”

“Joey’s apparently real all right. It’s the identity that’s one big blank to everyone, including the FBI. They’ve only got a name.”

“Interesting. Especially since it appears, at least the last time I heard, this Joey is currently after me.”

David stared at me. “I know.”

I stared back. “I was sort of hoping you didn’t.”

He smiled. “I know.”

I smiled back. “So tell me, what do I do now?”

“Stay off Joey’s screen by staying close to home.”

“You know I can’t do that. I’m not ready for company. I don’t like my personal space invaded by unsavory individuals that are looking for something I obviously don’t have.”
Yet.

He looked at me. “So what are you going to do?”

“Something that I simply can’t avoid at this point; try to find what Joey’s looking for before Joey does.”

“Don’t,” David said frowning. “I have to keep you safe.”

“For who? You or someone else?” I asked.

He just gave me that effortless smile of his. “Wouldn’t you like to know!”

“Can I ask you another question?” I asked.

“Go ahead.”

“What do I do about Mona? I mean can I trust her?”

He laughed. “About as much as you can trust me.”

“That’s not exactly what I wanted to hear.”

“Yeah, but for now, that’s all you’re going to get.”

“What about later?” I asked, flirting with the unknown.

“We’ll just have to wait and see about that. By the way, what was all that racket the other day by the trash bin with Martha and those two other elderly ladies dumping stuff?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, I broke two vases on my landing. I heard it took them forever to clean it all up.”

Ah, revenge was sweet.

Chapter 78

Trading More Than Information

I watched his panic resonate through a vein of his that began pulsing away. Then he got real close, right in my face, barely whispering, “…What?”

I smiled, putting on my jacket, getting ready to leave. “I got clumsy racing down the stairs and knocked two over.”

“…Where exactly did that happen?”

“…Mmm. Near the bottom. Why? Is there some kind of problem?” My art history classes finally paid off when I caught sight of them the other day. Like Martha said, ‘they were an accident just waiting to happen.’
Or theft.

He closed his eyes and mumbled something incoherent.

“Hey,” I said. “I’m really not that concerned. Pat said they’re only reproductions. The replacements won’t kill me.”

David stood there momentarily speechless. “…No!”

“What?” I asked. “Why are you so upset?”

“…They …weren’t…” he barely choked out, unable to finish.

“Weren’t what?” I asked, relishing his look of pure misery.

He could hardly speak. “…Repros!”

“You mean they were really Ming vases?”

He looked up, confused. “…Yes. How did you know?”

I smiled. “Hey, don’t sweat it. I swapped them for two reproductions. The Mings are in my garage under a tarp.”

David collapsed down to a step. “What tipped you off?”

“Uh-uh. I get to ask first.” I said, taking the lead.

He threw his arms up. “Go ahead. Ask away. What?”

 
“Why’d you move them, planting them as two of my reproductions?” I asked, but then realized my
house was in chaos and always unlocked lately. It was a perfect set up.

“Because I had some stolen from me recently and yours was the first place I could think of to quickly stash the rest.”

“Who do you think could have stolen them?” I asked.

“Venturing a guess? I’d say this Joey, whoever he is, or taking a longer shot, maybe even Mona. Who knows? Too many people and deliveries are coming and going at my place to keep track. Everyone already knew yours were initially reproductions, so no one gave them another thought as they passed by them. I was protecting the vases by hiding them in plain sight.”

“Joey, I can understand, but why would Mona steal them? I’m not making a connection here.”

Was this just a distraction? If so, for what purpose?

“Because she’s in debt, running from this so called Joey.”

“I thought the FBI was shuffling her around the country.”

“That’s her story. Mona’s had the FBI, Joey, the Mafia and I don’t know who else, protecting her, chasing her and then making side deals with her because of that incriminating and valuable disc.”

“Well, I guess that means the two of us better get going and find that thing. Only, I have to tell you, you’re on your own on this. I don’t do the partner thing. I work by myself.”

“Yeah, but two minds are so much better than one,” he reasoned, smiling.

“No thanks. If I need a consult, I’ll give you a holler.”

“You are acting so cold and calculating on this, Sam.”

I smiled again. “Like someone recently observed, this gives new meaning to getting burned at the beach. Once more, thanks for the coffee. But from now on, I’m trading information on my own terms.”

Chapter 79

Something’s Got To Give Here

I suppose most people would have given up at this point, but not me. I wasn’t taking a back seat anymore. According to what I had pieced together so far, I was close, but not as close as I had hoped to be. I didn’t find that to my liking and apparently neither did Mona when I confronted her. I paced back and forth in front of her. The others were out doing their thing. I was doing mine; letting things play out.

Something had to give
.

I stopped in place after hearing her side.

“…Okay,” I finally pointed out. “As far as you’re concerned, this whole thing has changed direction. Have I at least got that right?”

“…Correct,” replied Mona cautiously.

 
I smiled. “That’s a start. By the way, is there something else you want to explain to me? Something you might want to own up to?”

Mona quickly shot me a look. “…Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe, an explanation as to why you’ve been double-talking everyone, including me.”

“I’d say that’s a little harsh. Wouldn’t you?” she countered.

I sat down thinking about it. “No! Not really. Not when you consider the chaos you’ve caused since you first arrived here.”

She blinked twice. That was all I got. She was one cool individual. How was I going to get anywhere if she didn’t at least flinch at any of these verbal jabs?

She laughed, nervously. “I never would have thought I would have witnessed the day when the infamous Samantha Jamison was capable of instigating a verbal sparring match.”

“Hey, not all of us thrive on stagnation. I certainly didn’t in the last year. Now, about that little problem we seem to have here…”

“What problem? You mean the one with Joey?” she asked, and then shrugged it off. “I’ve got that all covered.”

I was tired of her elusiveness. Maybe she thought I would have put up with it in the past, but I certainly wasn’t buying it any more. Was she stringing me on to see how much I actually knew? I decided to throw her off.

“No, David.”

That tugged at her interest. “…What about David?”

“Why the sudden fascination with his vases?” I probed.

Mona closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. “…How did you know?” she asked, calmly. “No, forget it. You probably already know most of the truth about Joey too. Right?”

“I’d have to say that’s correct. What bothers me is why put me at risk? Couldn’t you have thought of someone else other than Stephen to hide the disc for you?”

“No, not really. I didn’t and couldn’t trust anyone else.”

I was curious as to why Stephen agreed to do it in the first place. “This is bugging me, Mona. You’ve got to give me something here. I need to know the ‘why’ of it. Why would Stephen actually do it? I just don’t get it.”

What could possibly top anything else she’s told me so far?

She turned to me and let out a long sigh. “…Stephen agreed to do it, only if I split the take with him.”

I stared at her, stunned.
Touché!

Chapter 80

How Did I Top That?

How did I top that? I still couldn’t get over the fact that Stephen was still haunting me to this day. I thought it was all behind me. It was obvious I wasn’t prepared for Mona’s comeback because I was still sitting in the same chair that she had left me in, well after she had gone.

But was it true, what she said?

Restless and uncomfortable, Mona eventually said she would catch me later. Here I was, wanting to move ahead with my life and was being dragged backward instead.

Another revelation like that one and I’d find myself writing a sequel instead.

This digging for facts and unearthing the truth was wearing on me. I sat mulling over everything that had happened to me lately and knew something more was out there, just waiting to catch me off guard. What?

I was asking, but wasn’t getting. What did I fail to notice? Who had the most to lose? On the other hand, who had the most to gain? Most importantly, who was always caught in the middle? Who else?
Me!

Should I rethink this whole thing from the beginning?

I’ve done that in the past and it always seemed to help. Now I wasn’t so sure. There were so many loose ends I didn’t know which one to pick up and run with. I finally decided to try the loosest one.
And I mean the loosest.

I grabbed the phone and dialed Harley girl. She picked up on the second ring.

“This better be good, because the minutes are ticking away as we speak,” she greeted me matter-of-factly.

“…Crystal?”

“You got her. Now, tell me. What’s up? I’m pressed for time. If you’ve got this crazy urge to clean other people’s houses, I’ve got all the time in the world to hear what you’ve got to say, otherwise, forget it.” She was laughing.

The pressure was always on when dealing with her, so I got right to it. “Crystal, can I ask you something?”

“Make it quick, girl, I don’t have all day.”

“I need to ask you a favor.”

“And the favor is?”

“A minute of your time.”

“Sure shoot.”

“What are your thoughts on this David guy?”

“Too rich for my tastes!” she offered. “Still, I think he is sort of interesting.”

“In what way?” I asked.

“He’s got a lot going on over there at his house.”

“Like what?”

“Well, if you ask me, he’s dealing in more than art. I just can’t put my finger on what it is with all those people wearing a path through his door. Some days, it’s heavy.”

“See anyone in particular that was interesting?”

“Nothing more than an odd assortment of individuals.”

“Did any names enter the picture?”

“Yeah, I think I heard the name Joey tossed around.”

I sank into my chair, frustrated.

I felt certain someone was lying to me. Who? Why?