Laina Turner - Presley Thurman 01 - Stilettos & Scoundrels Read online

  “Hello.”

  “Cooper, where are you?” I said urgently.

  “I’m pulling out of the police station parking lot right now. Are you okay?” he demanded, sensing my mood.

  “I’m fine,” I assured him. “But I think Chris might be in danger. Tobey is here and is having a full-blown meltdown. He says he has to talk to you. Meet us at Betty’s. We can be there in ten minutes.” The police station was on the other side of town, so if they met at Betty’s, it was in the middle and would be faster.

  “I’m on my way out. What’s going on, Pres?”

  “Just meet us there.” I looked at Katy and Tobey. “Get in,” I said to both of them, jumping in my Kia and putting the key in the ignition. As I pulled out into traffic to head across town, I tried again to get Tobey to tell me what was going on. Chris had to be involved in this mess somehow. We had been right all along. But why was he in danger?

  “Tobey, you’ve got to tell me what’s going on,” I said, speeding the few miles to meet Cooper.

  “Just hurry up and get there, and I promise I will tell you everything,” Tobey yelled.

  “Calm down, Tobey,” Katy said, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze. “It can’t be that bad.”

  “Yes, it is. We are running out of time,” he said, glancing at his watch. “It may be too late already.”

  “We’ll be there in two seconds,” I said, turning the corner, which led right to the parking lot of Betty’s. As I turned in, I saw Cooper was already there. He must have been flying. As we pulled in, he was stepping out of his car. I came to a stop right next to him and he reached for my door. Tobey and Katy jumped out as Cooper started to speak.

  “Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” he asked while looking intently at me. We all looked expectantly at Tobey.

  He looked back at us, gathering his thoughts. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he started speaking. “I’m afraid for Chris. I think he got himself in big trouble! He’s in way over his head, and I think his life may be in danger,” Tobey forced out in a rush of words.

  “Tobey, slow down. What is Chris mixed up with?” Cooper quickly changed from being concerned about me to focusing on what Tobey had to say. I admired how calm he was in a crisis. I guessed that was what made him good at his job.

  Tobey took a deep breath and started to speak again. “Chris is mixed up with some bad people, and it’s all my fault. You have to help him!”

  “How is it your fault?” I asked Tobey.

  “He was blackmailing the Senator.”

  The three of us stared at Tobey in shocked silence. We thought Chris was involved somehow, but this wasn’t exactly what they expected.

  Cooper was the first to break the stunned silence. “Why, Tobey? What did he have to gain?”

  This was what we hadn’t been able to figure out when we thought Chris might be a likely suspect. What was in it for Chris? What was his motivation? It couldn’t just be because of Helen.

  “He didn’t have anything to gain.” Tobey’s voice caught in his throat. “He was doing it for me. When the Senator found out I was gay, he was going to fire me. I had counted on this job getting me noticed and on to the next level. Being in politics is all I’ve ever wanted. I was angry that he’d fire me after all I had done for him, and I went to Chris. Chris knew about the Senator’s gambling problem and threatened to expose him unless he kept me on the payroll and helped further my career.”

  I still wasn’t sure how this put Chris in danger and started to ask Tobey about it, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cooper shake his head, motioning me to be quiet. We waited for Tobey to continue.

  “Bobby had witnessed Tom losing big in Vegas. Bobby mentioned it to me, and I told Chris, who thought it would be just the information we needed to shut Tom up,” Tobey said hoarsely. “But then Tom was murdered, and things have been spinning out of control. Chris called me about an hour ago to tell me that he and Helen were meeting someone out at the old warehouse, and that this would be settled once and for all.”

  Cooper and I looked at each other. What in the world did Helen have to do with this and why was she with Chris, besides the obvious sex part? I looked at Cooper and could tell he was thinking the same thing. Cooper spoke first.

  “Tobey,” he said gently. “Why would Chris be with Helen?”

  “She’s known about the blackmailing all along. She is the one who encouraged Chris to do it. She knew that Tom would cave. He didn’t want to blemish his career and she thought she could use it as leverage,” Tobey said bitterly. “If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think Chris would have gotten this involved.”

  “Tobey, why would Helen care? What does she have to gain?” I asked.

  “She wanted to divorce Tom, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Said it would hurt his political career and she owed him. She convinced Chris that Tom would relent under the blackmail scheme, and she pushed him until he gave in.”

  “Why would that matter?”

  Tobey looked at me as if I were stupid. “Because he loves her, Presley. She said if he blackmailed Tom and was able to get a divorce then she wanted to marry him. He’s doing it for her. In fact, I think Chris killed the Senator for Helen.”

  “What!” Katy and I exclaimed.

  “I think Chris killed the Senator for Helen.” Tobey was beside himself with emotion.

  “Tobey, why would you think that? Blackmail is one thing, but murder? Chris isn’t that kind of guy.” As I said it, however, I wondered. I hadn’t had much contact with him in years, so anything was possible. This just seemed so surreal.

  “I know he was at their house the night the Senator was killed. I asked him if he had seen anyone else or had any ideas about what happened. He wouldn’t say anything. He just clammed up. I got the feeling he was trying to protect me.”

  “But to kill someone?”

  “You don’t understand, Presley. He’s head over heels for Helen. He would do anything for her. Sorry, Katy.” Tobey realized too late how all of this would affect Katy, but better she hear it now than to go on thinking Chris was her knight in shining armor.

  Katy just shook her head and grimaced. I just stood by feeling helpless. Hopefully this would be the final straw for Katy and she’d finally stay away from Chris. Tobey shifted his weight impatiently. “We need to go to the warehouse. Every minute we waste talking about it could be fatal for Chris.”

  “We need to call Dirt,” I said to Cooper. His back was to me, and he stepped a few feet away. He already had his phone out and was dialing. Someone must have picked up because I could see him talking into the phone. He snapped it shut and turned back to me.

  “Wonder where he’s at. He never showed up to talk to the FBI, and I have left him several messages.”

  “Was that who you were just talking to? The FBI? Maybe something else happened and he’s tied up?”

  “Could be. Just funny that no one at the station knew where he was at.” Cooper shrugged. “Pres, you and Katy take Tobey back to your house and wait for us there.”

  I glared at him with what I hoped to be my dirtiest look. Had he not learned anything about me? Did he really think he would be able to get away with leaving me out?

  “Oh, no you don’t. I’m going with you,” I said.

  “Pres, I don’t have time to argue with you,” Cooper said exasperatedly. “It’s not safe.”

  “Then don’t argue. Just face it, I’m going.”

  “Fine! Katy, take Tobey’s car back to the Thurmans’ and stay there until you hear from us.”

  Katy nodded in agreement. She had no desire to be involved in this, especially where Chris was concerned. She took Tobey’s arm, but he snatched it away and looked at Cooper.

  “You can’t go without me either. I’m his brother.”

  “Don’t worry, Tobey. Let Katy take you back to the house. I will make sure nothing happens to Chris. Just trust me.”

  “No,” Tobey said firmly. “I would rather be in dang
er than to have to wait and wonder what was going on.”

  If the situation wasn’t so dire, I would have to laugh at Cooper’s face. I could tell he would have been happy locking both me and Tobey up somewhere so he could leave us behind. The clenched jaw and throbbing temple gave me a clear picture of how much effort he was using to stay calm. Poor Cooper. He would have to get used to having sidekicks.

  We sped down the road to the old warehouse, and I could tell there were a million things running through Cooper’s head. He stared stone-faced at the road.

  “What’s the plan?” I said, gripping the door handle. I peeked at the speedometer and saw that he was pushing ninety. This made me a little nervous—not that he was speeding—hell, I did that all the time and had the tickets to prove it, but rather that he felt such an urgency to speed. “Do we really need to go this fast?” I asked, looking over at him. His side profile was quite nice, even with his jaw set and the cords in his neck taut. He was ready for something. I just wasn’t sure what yet.

  He glanced over at me. “I can only hope we don’t come across any cops. If Dirt doesn’t get my message…” he trailed off, looking at me again.

  “What if bringing in the police makes it worse?” asked Tobey.

  “It’ll be fine, Tobey. Cops are trained for this.”

  “But still…” Tobey started again.

  “Tobey,” I interrupted. “You can trust Cooper.”

  “I’m just so worried.”

  “It’ll be okay, Tobey.”

  “So, what’s our plan?” I asked Cooper again.

  Cooper just looked at me with a dirty expression of his own. I punched him in the arm.

  “What the hell did you do that for? You know it’s not smart to hit the driver when they are trying to concentrate on the road.”

  “I have the utmost confidence in your driving ability,” I said hotly. “But, if you don’t start including me, I’ll hit you again. Harder,” I threatened.

  He grimaced slightly. “I think that Chris and Helen are meeting Simon at that warehouse. Maybe even Garrison. It’s the only thing that fits.”

  “Do you think that somehow Chris is a partner with Simon in all of this?” I asked.

  “No,” he replied. “I think Simon has his own agenda. I’m just not sure what it is. I am almost positive it’s not the same as his dad’s. That’s not who Simon is.”

  I started to follow his logic. “So you don’t think Simon is trying to get Helen to make good on the debt and Chris is stepping in to defend her?”

  “Not really. But to be honest, I’m not really sure of a lot right now.”

  “That’s crazy,” I continued. “What the hell is Chris thinking?”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of, Presley. He’s not thinking. If he were, he wouldn’t think he could go up against a member of the Mob. He doesn’t need to worry so much about Simon, but the rest of them…” he trailed off.

  “Oh, my God,” Tobey groaned from the back. “He is no match for someone like Simon. Can you drive any faster?”

  “Surely Chris would know that he would lose going up against them,” I said, ignoring Tobey in the back.

  “I would think so, Pres.”

  “They say love is blind,” I said sarcastically, shrugging.

  “And stupid,” he muttered under his breath.

  Chapter 24Cooper slowed as we neared the warehouse. We could see lights illuminating the bottom floor. The other five floors were pitch black. We could see Chris’ red Impala and Helen’s Mercedes sitting in the lot. As we pulled in, we also saw Simon’s car in the lot, along with a black Lincoln, which I recognized to be the car of Garrison Palazzo. Then, to my surprise, we also spotted Bobby’s rattletrap truck.

  I nudged Cooper as he dialed Dirt again. “That’s Bobby’s car, and the other car belongs to Simon’s dad, Garrison Palazzo.”

  “Dammit,” he swore softly. With a resigned look on his face, he put the phone back in his pocket. “Dirt’s still not answering. I can’t wait any longer. I’ve got to get in there.”

  “You mean we’ve got to get in there,” I corrected. He was crazy if he thought he was going in there without me.

  “No!” he yelled. “You are not going in there. It’s dangerous. You and Tobey just wait here until Dirt comes so you can fill him in.”

  “You are not leaving me here, Cooper. I’m coming with you. Besides, Dirt might not even get your message. What then? You need someone in there to help you,” I said firmly, defiantly staring into his eyes.

  “No, you’re not coming, Presley. I don’t need your help! I can take care of myself,” he yelled, not taking his eyes off me. For a moment, we stared at each other. I wasn’t exactly sure what this was going to accomplish, but I wasn’t going to be the first one to look away.

  Cooper had a hard time not losing focus when he was looking at her. “Listen, Pres,” he said in a rational tone. “I’m not going to put you in danger. And, I can’t think clearly if I have to worry about you.”

  “That’s sweet, Cooper, and I appreciate it, but I’m not going to sit out here and let you face the danger alone,” I said defiantly, feet planted, my jaw tight. “Besides, Tobey can stay out here and wait for Dirt.”

  Tobey looked at me as if I were crazy. “Am I safe out here?”

  “You’ll be fine, Tobey,” I said. “Wait here for Dirt and tell him what’s going on. I’m going with Cooper for back up.”

  “Fine. We don’t have time to argue about this,” Cooper gave in. “Just stay behind me and do as I say.” He muttered a few choice words under his breath that I chose to ignore, and then looked at my shoes. I noticed his gaze as it traveled over my body. It was making me feel very warm. The feeling, however, was short-lived when Cooper made a snide comment about my shoes.

  “What’s wrong with my shoes?”

  “Take them off. You will be able to hear those heels from miles away. We need the element of surprise.”

  “Well, excuse me. I didn’t plan on this when I chose my outfit,” I anwered sarcastically.

  “All the more reason to stay here,” he said pointedly.

  I rolled my eyes at this last ditch effort to get me to stay put and took my shoes off. I didn’t relish walking in the nasty warehouse with bare feet—I was probably risking tetanus or something, but I wasn’t about to stay in the car. Cooper locked the car door with Tobey inside. He put the keys in his pocket, and we headed towards the warehouse. We had parked around back so that if anyone else showed up they would only see the other cars, unless, of course, they drove around the building. Then, we were screwed. Hopefully Dirt would have the same idea so he would see our car.

  Walking in the front door, Cooper motioned for me to be quiet as he drew his gun. It was dark with only the faint light from the setting sun allowing for any visibility. It took a few seconds for our eyes to adjust before we could even make out any of our surroundings. It made me a little uneasy watching Cooper handle a gun. I’d never seen a gun like that up close. I didn’t even realize he carried one, though it made sense, and it made me look at Cooper in a whole new light. He was actually even sexier, if that was even possible.

  Cooper and I heard voices in the back of the warehouse. As we got closer to the voices, a glow emanated from a room down the hall. It was nice to be able to see, but the light also made us a little bit more visible. We listened intently, trying to make out what was being said. There seemed to be at least three people talking. I immediately recognized Helen Daniels and Simon talking. We knew Chris was in there, but he wasn’t currently saying anything and the other voice wasn’t his. I didn’t recognize it, but I assumed it belonged to Garrison Palazzo.

  Cooper heard the voices too and it confirmed some of his suspicions. He wished Presley would have stayed in the car. He had a bad feeling about this.

  Cooper and I crept around the corner, and the people doing the talking came into view. Everyone stood in a semi-circle. Simon stood facing an older man who Cooper and I knew to be G
arrison Palazzo. Simon and his dad were arguing, and both were armed with guns. Chris and Bobby stood next to Helen, and none of them were saying much of anything. They just looked scared. Couldn’t blame them there. Now that I was closer to the action, I almost wished I had stayed behind. There were too many guns out there for me, but I was in it for the long haul now and I sure wasn’t going to admit that I was scared at this point.

  As we inched closer, we could start to make out what the others were saying.

  “You got your money, Garrison. Leave her out of it,” Simon yelled. I assumed he was referring to Helen, which seemed odd. What did Simon care about Helen?

  “Simon, we can’t leave any loose ends. They need to be silenced. Permanently,” Garrison Palazzo said with a menacing tone, pointing his gun at both Helen and Chris. “Son, you were supposed to have taken care of this already.”

  “Looks like father and son aren’t exactly on the same page. I told you Bobby was involved somehow,” I whispered to Cooper, elbowing him in the ribs. He gave me a stern look and pressed his finger to his lips in an effort to silence me—not an easy task.

  “What about him?” Simon said, pointing to Bobby. “What’s to say he won’t talk?”

  “Hey man, you have my word. I just wanted to repay my debt and be left alone. I didn’t see anything,” Bobby said in response.

  Thanks, Simon, I thought to myself. Glad you wanted that question answered too. “Trust me, Simon. He’s no threat. He knows that if he says anything, the police will get an anonymous tip telling them that he killed our friend, the Senator.”

  “What?” Simon and I both exclaimed. However, I must have been louder than I thought, because everyone had heard and turned toward me. Cooper clamped his hand over my mouth, but it was a fraction too late. There was no denying that this time my mouth had landed me in big trouble.

  “Damn it, Presley,” Cooper whispered in frustration. He knew he should have forced me to stay in the car, even if he’d had to tie me up to make it possible. He pushed me away from him back toward the warehouse door, but we couldn’t back up fast enough when Garrison saw us.