Page 81 of Entranced
“We can take it, lover. Especially for twice our usual fee.” Her voice faded a bit as she walked toward the opposite bedroom. “I think it was a good idea to arrange for dinner up here. The more grateful and emotional they are, the less they’ll think. Once they have the kid, they won’t question anything.”
“Harriet’s thoughts exactly. She already has Ethan putting the wheels in motion. I was surprised when she came down to take a look at them for herself, but she’s a little more cautious since the Frost affair.”
Mel kept her breath slow and even. She pressed her fingers against the stone of her ring. Communication between people who are important to each other, she remembered, and shut her eyes. Well, here’s hoping. Comeon, Donovan, get your butt up here and bring the marines.
It was risky, she knew, but she thought the odds were in her favor. Reaching into her bag, she felt the comforting bulk of her weapon. Not that way. She took a deep, bracing breath and put the account book in instead of taking the revolver out. She set her bag on the floor, then opened the closet.
“They’ll pass the merchandise to our contact in Chicago,” Gumm was saying.
“I’d like to pick him up in Albuquerque,” Linda put in. “I could always use an extra couple of thousand for the run.” Her head snapped up as Mel deliberately bumped a chair. “What the hell?”
Gumm was in the room like a shot, twisting the struggling Mel’s arms behind her. “Let me go! Jasper, you’re hurting me.”
“People who break into other people’s homes often get hurt.”
“I—I was just lying down for a while.” She made her eyes dart crazily to make the lie all the more ridiculous. “I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“What have we got here?” Linda asked.
“A plant. I should have known. I should have smelled it.”
“Cop?” Linda considered.
“Cop?” Eyes wide with alarm, Mel twisted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just resting.”
“How’d she get in?” Jasper demanded, and Mel let the key she was holding slip out of her hands.
“Mine.” Swearing in disgust, Linda bent to pick it up. “She must have palmed it.”
“I don’t know what—” Jasper cut off Mel’s protest with a backhand that left her head ringing. She decided it was time to drop one act for another.
“Okay, okay, you don’t have to play rough.” She shuddered and swallowed audibly. “I’m just doing my job.”
Jasper shoved her into the parlor and onto the sofa. “Which is?”
“Look, I’m just an actress. I took a gig with Donovan. He’s a PI.” Stall, Mel thought. Stall, stall, stall, because he was coming. She knew he was. “I only did what he told me to do. I don’t care what you’re into. AndI’ve got an appreciation for a good scam.”
Gumm moved to the desk and took a pistol from the top drawer. “What are you doing in here?”
“Man, you don’t need that,” she said, swallowing. “He said I should get the key and come up to look around. He thought there might be some papers in the desk there.” She gestured toward the ebony desk. “It seemed like a real kick, you know. And he’s paying me five grand for the job.”
“A two-bit actress and a PI,” Linda said furiously. “What the hell do we do now?”
“What we have to do.”
“Look, look, you say the word and I’m out of here. I mean out of the state.” Mel tried for a tawdry kind of charm. “I mean, it was great while it lasted, the clothes and all, but I don’t want any trouble. I didn’t hear anything, I didn’t see anything.”
“You heard plenty,” Gumm countered.
“I got a bad memory.”
“Shut up,” Linda snapped, and Mel shrugged.
“We’ll have to contact Harriet. She’s back in Baltimore seeing to the details of the last job.” Gumm ran his hands through his hair. “She’s going to be very unhappy. She’ll have to call off the nurse. We can’t take a kid without a buyer.”
“Twenty-five thousand down the tubes.” Linda sent Mel a look of avid dislike. “I was actually pretty fond of you, Mary Ellen.” She walked over to lean into Mel’s face, squeezing a hand around her throat. “As it is now, I’m going to get a lot of satisfaction out of letting Jasper take care of you.”
“Hey, listen …”
