Merry Wrath Mysteries Boxed Set Volume III (Books 7-9) Page 37

  When I was ten feet away from him, I paused and picked up a plated piece of cake. Backing against the wall, I began to nibble in an attempt to look casual. Wow! The cake was good. I should've had this first!

  On my right, possible Disco Mummy leaned against the wall near a selection of gold doubloons. He wasn't looking directly at them but instead fussing with his costume. Who was this guy?

  I looked at Rex and willed him to look at the possible kidnapper, even though Rex had had no contact with him. How could I get these two together?

  As I puzzled it out, I noticed that my fiancé seemed a little preoccupied with a diminutive redhead in a plunging black dress. She said something to him, and he laughed. I felt a stab of jealousy. Where had that come from? I wasn't the jealous type…and yet something about this woman set off alarm bells. Was it Darlene?

  Maybe Rex had met her and decided to check her out. That made sense. And it made me feel good that he'd made use of my suggestion. Rex could probably trap her into implicating herself. The thought made me giddy.

  The woman removed her mask, and I froze. Juliette Dowd was flirting with my fiancé, her ex-arranged-marriage groom.

  Juliette squealed and giggled so loudly that I wanted to walk over there and shove cake in her face, but I'd eaten it all, and anyway, why would I waste a piece of cake like that?

  Besides, it would give me away. I didn't want that. So, I watched miserably while Juliette clung to my fiancé and he smiled politely.

  A moment later, Rex excused himself and walked away. Juliette stood there, staring after him. He had work to do and was just being nice to her. I shouldn't jump to conclusions.

  Two short, dark-haired women approached Juliette. They were wearing masks made from the faces of real animals. Juliette squealed and hugged them both. I watched as Randi and Ronni removed their grisly masks and smiled at the redhead. They liked her! My heart sank. Even Ronni was happy to see Juliette. I didn't even know she could smile.

  What were they doing here? The twins didn't seem like the gala sort. Thinking back to their connection to Stan, I couldn't help but wonder if they were, in fact, involved in this whole mess.

  Juliette said something that made Ronni roar with laughter. The mean twin patted the woman who was supposed to marry my fiancé on the back. She liked her. I guess evil likes evil.

  Turning my attention back to the mystery man I'd been following, I discovered that he had vanished. Crap! Why was I so easily distracted? I'd missed my chance to find out if he was the Disco Mummy. I needed to work on my focus. My petty jealousy had let the man who may have kidnapped Kaitlyn go free.

  I turned to the cake table, but it was all gone. This night couldn't get much worse.

  "Hello. I haven't seen you before." The sleazy voice of Stan came from behind me. Of course he was here.

  I turned around and smiled, adopting a cultured, socialite tone. "That's because I'm not from around here."

  "May I get you a glass of champagne, and we can pursue this…conversation?"

  It was all I could do not to vomit in my mouth. "I'd like that."

  Stan was sporting a tux and a mask like Riley's. But I'd know that voice anywhere. It was Stan, alright. And the fact that he was here meant I was right.

  The heist would be going down tonight, and I now had a front-row seat.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  "What's your name?" Stan oozed as he handed me a glass of champagne.

  No way was I going to drink it. This guy had roofie written all over him.

  "Sophia." I extended my hand. "And you are?"

  He bent and kissed my knuckles. It was nearly impossible not to yank my hand back.

  "My name is Stan. And I thought maybe your name was Aphrodite."

  What a terrible line. I hadn't heard a line that bad since Carlos the Armadillo said I looked like a pretty flying fish he'd once seen when he was seven. I've never seen a flying fish, but I was pretty certain I didn't resemble one.

  I smiled broadly. "You have lovely manners. Are you from here?"

  "Sadly, yes. I'm from a tiny hamlet not far from here. You wouldn't like it. It's Hicksville central."

  Would it be okay to kill him now?

  "And you are definitely not from around here. I'd remember a goddess like you."

  I swallowed some bile and laughed lightly. "I'm originally from New York City. But currently I reside in Omaha."

  "I'll bet they call you the Jewel of Omaha." He grinned wolfishly. "Have a drink. You don't want your champagne to run cold, now do you?"

  Who doesn't want their champagne to be cold? I had the sneaking suspicion that Stan was going to drug me, drag my body off, come back, and steal the gold then revive me for his alibi or worse…

  Long ago, I'd mastered the art of making a small sip look like a large one. It takes some doing, but I managed. A tiny bit of Rohypnol might make me a tad dizzy, but drink all of it, and I'd miss all the fun.

  "What do you do, Stan?" I purred.

  "I deal in antiquities," he said. "I'm kind of a big deal in this area."

  Either I had him dead to rights, or he was lying to impress me.

  "I'd guess you've never had to work a day in your life," he said.

  He was kind of right. I hadn't had a job in years. And the one I did have involved the use of a car battery hooked up to places he didn't want to think of.

  I batted my eyelashes. "You are a clever one, aren't you?"

  Stan persisted, "Am I right?"

  I nodded. "You are. But I find discussing money to be vulgar."

  The man didn't even look chastened. "My apologies. Maybe you'd be interested in a few antiques?"

  Did he mean himself?

  "I do love a good find," I said demurely. My eyes rested on Rex across the room as he was speaking to some man I couldn't identify.

  "Perhaps, after this party, we could slip off for a party of our own?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  I was going to need antacid tonight. A lot of it.

  "Perhaps," I said coyly.

  My character wasn't a giggling blonde like Amber had been. Sophia was worldly and wary. Many men had pursued her over the years for her money, and she knew a line of bull when she heard it.

  Something, or someone, to our left caught Stan's attention, and he frowned.

  "Could you excuse me?" he asked. "I see a colleague I need to talk to."

  "Of course," I said. The room was going a bit wobbly. I needed to eat.

  "Don't go anywhere." Stan winked as he walked away.

  I went straight to the buffet and loaded up a plate with cheese. Fatty foods can absorb alcohol. I wasn't sure it would work on Rohypnol, but it was worth a shot. As I did, I followed Stan with my eyes.

  He hurried to the door to the garden where Riley and I had been. After looking around suspiciously, he slipped out the door.

  I was torn. From what I could see, nothing had been stolen so far. If it was going to happen and I went outside to follow Stan, I might miss it. It was possible Stan was just running off to talk to someone about nothing.

  On the other hand, if Stan was meeting with his fellow crooks, I would miss that. The man I'd been following had disappeared. Was that who he was going to meet? If so, I had to find out.

  I could always pretend that Sophia was looking for Stan. If his ego was as inflated as I thought it was, my appearance would make sense. Unfortunately, there was always the chance that it would make him suspicious.

  I decided to go for it. Rex and his men were watching the artifacts. I'd be his eyes outside. Walking as if I was in no hurry, I made it to the door and slipped out into the garden. The moon was still lighting up the grounds, so I'd have to be discreet.

  Very slowly I eased out onto the stone path, taking great care not to make any noise—something that was difficult with high heels on. I slipped them off and tucked them under a bush. Much better.

  The dizziness returned, but other than that, I felt fine. I followed the perimeter of the garde
n, stopping when I heard voices. I ducked behind a tree and listened.

  "I told you not to come here!" Stan hissed.

  A man's voice mumbled his response. I couldn't hear it. I leaned in a little closer.

  "That doesn't matter! I told you I was handling it!"

  Now I knew why the man was mumbling. He was speaking some language I was unfamiliar with. If Stan could understand him, why wasn't he responding in the same language?

  I leaned a bit too far, and my dress snagged on the tree's bark. I froze. Now what? If I moved, the dress would tear, and that might make a noise. If I didn't move and the two of them walked a few feet closer, they'd see me.

  To add to my situation, my vision began to spin. Dammit. Stan had slipped something into my drink. He hadn't seemed to recognize me, but what if he had? Was this all part of his plan? If so, I'd have to concede that I'd underestimated my opponent.

  I had to get out of here. Passing out would definitely make a lot of noise, and if that was what was going to happen, I'd rather do it inside than outside, where I could get loaded into a truck and hauled away.

  Pulling the dagger from my garter, I very carefully reached up behind me, sliding it between the dress and the tree. This time my heart was pounding for the wrong reason. The angle was an odd one, and the dress would likely tear, but I'd be able to escape.

  "You should've waited in the car," Stan growled. "I told you I'd take care of it!"

  I felt the dress give as the garden began to spin. It would only be a matter of seconds before I passed out. I took two steps before falling. The last thing I remembered was someone catching me in their arms. And then it all went black.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  My head felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer, and spots danced before my eyes. Where am I?

  "She's coming to," a garbled voice said. It was male, but I couldn't figure out who it was.

  "I could just kill her! What was she thinking?" a second man said—his voice fuzzy and pulsing.

  It must be Rex. He'd found me out. I suppose it was better than the alternative.

  "I was just trying to help" was what I was trying to say. It came out as azjstytohlp.

  Gradually things began to come into focus. I knew I was in a room because there was a ceiling. The light was bright, and it hurt. A man's head blocked it out, and I wanted to thank him, but my tongue wouldn't work.

  "Ms. Wrath?" The voice was less garbled, and my vision cleared.

  I was staring at Stan Coombs.

  I tried to scramble away, but my body refused to move.

  "It's okay," he said, sounding less like the smooth-talking Casanova and more like a concerned adult. "You're all right."

  "You!" I managed a complete word. "What did you put in my drink?"

  He seemed confused and looked at someone on his right who I couldn't see.

  "I didn't put anything in your drink." Stan helped me to a sitting position.

  I was still in the dress, and from the brunette hair that fell to my shoulders, I guessed the wig was still on.

  "How did you know it was me?" I rubbed my eyes.

  "I didn't. Your friend did."

  Riley stepped into view with a sheepish smile.

  "I'm sorry, Merry." Riley sat down beside me. "I couldn't tell you before. Stan works for the Iowa State Police. He's working with me. I'd tell you not to tell anyone, but I'm guessing you don't want anyone to know you're here either."

  "Where am I?" I pulled off the wig and started undoing the clips that held my hair close to my head.

  Riley picked up the wig. "I kind of liked you as a brunette."

  I snatched the wig out of his hands and shook out my hair. Normally curly, it was like tight corkscrews now.

  He sighed. "You're in the Museum Director's office. Nobody knows you're here."

  I straightened my gown, and Stan handed me my purse and shoes.

  "You're not involved?" I asked him. "You didn't murder Amber, and you didn't steal the Mesopotamian coins from the Smithsonian?"

  The two men looked at each other. "You found the coins?"

  "And obviously the police don't know about your little investigation if you didn't know they had the coins."

  Stan handed me a glass of water before pulling a chair up to the couch. "Tell me everything."

  I told them everything. Stan knew some of it but not most. He seemed surprised about the coins found near Didi and stifled a laugh when I told them about Leonard's "clue."

  When I finished, the two men stared at each other, probably trying to figure out what they should tell me.

  "Iowa State Police?" I asked.

  Stan nodded. "Undercover unit."

  "But you grew up in Who's There. You knew my mother."

  He gave me a weak smile. "Sorry about that. The date was so I could tell her I wasn't as bad as she made out. I've always liked Judith. I shouldn't have told her who I really was."

  "My mother knew you were with the State Police?" Why hadn't she told me?

  "Yes" was all he said.

  "Are you saying your nasty cover goes all the way back to high school?"

  "No, I was a jerk then. I grew out of it. But when I moved back to town, people only remembered me as the scheming letch. I had to keep that going."

  "What do you know about all of this?" I asked.

  "Pretty much everything you already knew. We knew about the coins but didn't know they'd been found. I'm surprised Detective Ferguson didn't tell me about those."

  My jaw dropped. "Why would he tell a suspect details about the case?"

  He looked puzzled. "Ferguson knows who I am. I told him when they took me to the station after the parade."

  The room started spinning again…and not from the drugs. "He didn't tell me that." My voice faded away.

  Why didn't Rex tell me about Stan's cover? My emotions slammed into each other…anger, sadness, confusion. Why had he kept this from me?

  "I'm sorry," Stan said. "I assumed you knew."

  "Why did you hit on me at the gala?"

  "I didn't know who you were. I was just playing my cover so everyone would think I was who they thought I was."

  "Why did they kidnap you and put you on my parade float?"

  Stan looked nervously at Riley. "I…I…don't really know."

  Something wasn't right. Did Riley understand that too?

  "Did anyone steal the gold?" I asked glumly. "Obviously not, because both of you are here."

  "Not yet," Riley answered.

  I turned to Stan. "Who were you talking to out in the garden?"

  Riley looked at the man. "You were talking to someone in the garden?"

  Stan looked the way I now felt. "Nobody. Some guy was lost."

  He was lying.

  Should I call him out? I wasn't sure that would help me. I felt like a number one fool.

  Played by everyone, even my mother and fiancé.

  * * *

  Riley followed me home. I didn't ask him to do that. I did ask him not to tell Rex I'd been there.

  "Shouldn't you be back at the gala? Looking for burglars?" I grumbled when we got out of our cars in my driveway.

  "Let's get you inside the hou…whoa!" He jumped back about ten feet. "What is that?"

  He was pointing at Philby sitting in the window in her werewolf mask. Maybe I should have her out for trick-or-treaters tomorrow night.

  Once we crossed the threshold, both cats were rubbing up against Riley's legs. He reached down to pull Philby's mask off, and she growled.

  "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

  He shrugged before sitting on the couch. Martini climbed into his lap and immediately fell asleep.

  "I'm going to change," I shouted over my shoulder as I turned down the hallway.

  "Want some help?" Riley asked.

  I ignored it. I had enough on my plate without needing to decipher what he meant by that. The dress was torn where I'd used the dagger to free myself. Oh well. There's got to be a tailo
r somewhere, right? I threw on jeans and a sweatshirt before joining my treacherous guest in the living room.

  The door flew open, and my mother stepped in, looking flawless as usual.

  "Riley! I thought that was you. Oh, Merry. You changed out of that lovely dress." She seemed disappointed.

  I didn't answer. Instead, I went into the kitchen and filled a bowl with four scoops of ice cream and opened a bottle of wine.

  "I'm sorry, kiddo." Mom looked chastened. "Stan filled me in and asked me to step in as an emergency organizer for the gala. Apparently, the employee who was to handle things died."

  "She did." I pointed with my spoon. "Right out there."

  Riley walked in and sat at the breakfast bar.

  My mother frowned. "He told me he'd tell you. The State Police got me a room at the Hilton, and I jumped in. There was a ton of work to do. It's a good thing I have experience with events." She frowned. "I'm so sorry. I thought you knew."

  When I didn't answer, she said good night and headed back to the bedroom.

  "She really helped out, you know." Riley took the bottle of wine from me and poured himself a glass. "Red? With ice cream? Seriously?"

  I ignored him.

  "What's really going on here?" Riley asked. "You're not just mad that you were left out of the investigation."

  "You mean the one that my fiancé, my former handler, my mother, and Stan-Call-Me-Stan know all about?"

  He held up his hands. "Don't blame me. You had nothing to do with stolen artifacts, and that was my investigation. I had nothing to do with yours."

  He was right, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

  There was a buzz, and Riley checked his cell.

  "No heist tonight," he said. "We must've been wrong."

  Time to get rid of my former handler. "Head back to your hotel. We can talk about all of this tomorrow."

  Riley, to my surprise, did what he was told. After petting the cats once more, he left through the front door. I only hoped Rex wasn't looking out his window at this particular moment. I wasn't sure how I could explain why my ex was leaving my house in the middle of the night.