Armed and Fabulous (Lexi Graves Mysteries) (56 page)

"I just got thorny stems!
"

"What about the screensaver? That was
great
!"

"It was creepy! It said, 'I'm watching you.'"

"You didn't like the animated hearts that came up after it?"

"What hearts?" I screeched, my voice slightly hysterical.

"When the note screen faded out, it erupted into hearts. I programmed it myself.
I learned how to at night school.
"

"I went to get coffee right after I got creeped out!"

“So you didn’t get coffee just to bump into me?” Vincent’s face crumpled.

“No.”

"I left flowers in your place."
He watched me closely. “I arranged them in one of your vases.”

"You burgled my apartment!"

"I didn't,” he sniffed. “
I didn't
take
anything I just wanted to know what you knew. And I thought I'd leave your flowers
for you
. I was being nice!"

"Well, gee, thanks, Vincent."

"Did you at least get the chocolate?" he asked. "I stopped by later to see if you were okay. Maybe you needed a guy to lean on. It's been a rough week."

I didn't like to point out that it had been a rough couple of weeks entirely because of Vincent, but I couldn't help saying, "The ones with a great big car tire print across the box?"

"I only ran over them once and it was an accident, I swear. They were still okay to eat. I checked."

"Ohmi
God! Vincent!"

Vincent was quiet for a while, his gun wavering slightly. "So, you'll still go out with me?" he asked hopefully.
“The concert will be great.”

"You just killed Maddox," I said in a small voice.

"For fuck's sake!" Vincent steadied the gun. "I give up. Wooing you is hopeless. I've tried everything. You're impossible! Give me the key. I know you have it. I saw you take it from Tallulah. I'm going to be rich. I have millions. I can get anyone I want now. Have anything I want."

"I don't have it with me," I said, stalling for more time. "But I can get it."

"Tell me something. Does the money make me appealing now?" asked Vincent after sighing. Clearly
,
his
plan
was dissolving fast
, but I didn't have the heart to
laugh. Not with Maddox outside, alone.
Dead.

I had to be honest. No. Billions wouldn't
have made
Vincent
any
more appealing, never mind millions. But I couldn't say that with a gun pointed at my head. Not when I
w
ho
kne
w
how
many
murders
he was responsible for.

"Figures," said Vincent when I hesitated. "But no matter. All I have to do is shoot you and all the witnesses will be gone."

"Where will you go?" I blurted. I could feel my forehead breaking into a sweat as my eyes crossed to the barrel
pointed
at me.

"Hawaii for a nice vacation. I've always wanted to go. I won't be coming back to Montgomery, that's for sure. I've lived in this town all my life. I've worked at Green Hand ten years and what recognition do I get? Nothing. Even the bimbo temp won't go out with me. Maybe I'll go to LA or London or Paris, after that. Finally, see the world."

"Sounds nice," I said.

"Shame you won't be coming. What's with the hair
,
by the way? And where's the key?"

"It's at my place," I lie
d. "
W
hat's wrong with my hair?"

"Nothing. It's okay. I liked the blonde more is all.
You had the whole fabulous thing goin’ on.
"

"I fe
lt like a change."
And it's all
your fault
, I added mentally
. I could feel tears pricking at my eyes again and had to fight to keep my chin from quivering.

"The key?" prompted Vincent.

"I said it was at my apartment. I can take you there."

"No, it isn't. I searched and it wasn't there. It's here, isn't it? I told you I'm smart! I told you! You can't fool me! I'll get it when you're dead.
I’m armed and dangerous, you bitch!
" Vincent shrugged and pointed, his finger scraping the trigger guard.

At the same moment, I dropped my arm, tipped
the gun into my hand and fired, yelling, “And I’m armed and fabulous!”

Vincent screamed
as h
is shooting arm dropped.
I saw a blur behind him, just a shadow against the wall. Like slow motion, I watched Vincent steady himself, position his finger, extend his ar
m slightly forward and then...
there was nothing.

When I came to, it was to look into beautiful
blue
eyes. I raised a hand to my head, brush
ing my
fingertips across my forehead then down to my chest, feeling for
a bullet hole and finding none.
Next, I pinched myself hard. Yep. That hurt all right. And was probably a very good sign that I was still alive. Just to make sure
,
I pinched the man holding me.

"Ow," he said and Maddox's face swam into view. "I've been bashed over the head and shot. What was the pinch for?"

"Just checking."

Maddox helped me sit up.
I looked over, following the sound
s
of grunting and swearing. Vincent was flat on the floor, face down. His glasses had fallen off and lay, the frame twisted, a little to his left. His hands were cuffed behind his back
along with his
ankles
.
He drew his legs
up so his heels bounced off his butt as he struggled against the bindings. Solomon knelt next to him and delivered a punch to Vincent's side
,
which
stopped
him struggling for a moment. Solomon looked up briefly and I think he smiled.

"What happened?" I asked. I
was
dizzy and sick and really, really angry.
And in pain. Oh boy, the pain that hit me suddenly was enough to
knock me off my feet
.

"When I went out to check the camera, Vincent came up behind me and knocked me over the head. I went down and the bastard shot me."

"That is so rude," I said, commiserating with him
, overjoyed that he wasn’t singing with the angels
. "What else happened?"

"When I came around, Vincent was inside the house already
,
and I could hear him talking to you. I snuck up behind him. You fired. I went for him as he fired. Great shot, by the way. You got him in the hand."

It turned out that when I crumpled to the floor,
Maddox
thought I'd been killed. As it was,
Vincent had squeezed off a shot, the bullet slicing
past my arm
,
causing a very bloody
,
but not
life-threatening wound and I'd
simply
passed out from shock. A few stitches, some rest, and I would be
right as rain
.

Maddox helped me to a
sofa
and filled me in on what happened in the minutes I was out.
T
here had been a brief struggle
,
during
which Vincent had turned on
him
and stuck his finger into the wound in his shoulder, causing
Maddox
to
nearly
pass out from the pain.

Maddox
managed to grab the gun from him, throwing it into the dark hallway just as Solomon came
to
the front.

Ranting and raving about how I’d spoiled everything,
Vincent didn't know whether to go for his glasses or the gun, so it had been easy for Solomon to subdue him. I don't know where Solomon
was
when I called
,
and he didn't volunteer the information, but it was close enough that he'd beaten the rest of the team who
were on their way.

"You're just a temp," spluttered Vincent, lifting his face off the floor enough to stare at me. His face was bright red and he puffed angrily, pulling against the restraints from where Solomon had him hogtied. "How could you have figured any of this out?"

Maddox had one hand clapped to his shoulder. I could see blood seeping through the rag, blooming between his fingers
.
I
could only
imagine I
must have
mirrored his bloody image. We were lucky Vincent was such a crap shot. "She may be a temp
,
but she's also a highly trained government operative," said
Maddox
, his voice quietly menacing.

Bless him. He was such a good liar. And he had my back too. He was really growing on me. Well, the kissing helped define my opinion, but the whole
saving my
life thi
ng helped too
.
O
bviously. Maddox
look
ed
at me with mutual admiration.

"Really?" said Vincent, his voice belying surprise.

"No," I said,
with a painful shrug.
"I'm just a temp."

"Christ," said Vincent a
s he
stopped struggling, his cheek resting on the
floor. I think I heard a sob esca
p
e
from him.

"I
didn't figure it out," I told Vincent
, just to add to his misery. "Not all of it anyway. I
didn’t know
it was you. I only knew for certain when I saw you here. If you'd gotten the money and disappeared, I may never have put it together. You could have been in Hawaii
,
home free in weeks. Instead
,
you'll be sending me a postcard from the big house."

That sounded so cool, the way I said it. Unfortunately
,
the first part was true. I had no doubt that the taskforce would have pieced everything together, and that Vincent's name would have come up in the investigation, but it would have been too late by then. He and the money would have
vanished
. We were lucky that
in his desperation, he
made the wrong move as Maddox anticipated.