Booby Trap (25 page)

At the sound of
Gordon Harper’s squeaky voice, my stomach knotted up. I didn’t see him until he lifted himself out of a deep armchair. As soon as we filed out of the elevator, Harper came over to take stock of his captives.

He jerked his head towards the hallway. “Take Miss Luke to the spare room and put her on the bed,” he said to his hired gun. “Leave her bound and stay with her. I’ll tend to her later.” Without a word, the big man wheeled the moaning Lisa through the door and disappeared.

Gordon Harper watched them go before turning to me. “You, my dear, should take a seat.”

With a gallant gesture, Harper indicated the chair he had just vacated. I walked over to it and plopped myself down. Maria stood sentry nearby, the gun steady and pointed at my chest.

Harper walked over to where I was sitting. With one quick movement, he ripped the tape from my mouth. My lips thanked me for having the good sense to pull them in before the tape was placed. I breathed through my mouth several times before I ran my tongue around my lips and rubbed them together.

“Well, Odelia,” Harper began. He pulled a chair close to me and sat down. “You’re quite a busy bee, aren’t you?”

I just looked at him, keeping my mouth shut as if it were still taped.

“Did you ever find out who the Blond Bomber is?”

“You mean it’s not you?” I looked him directly in the eye. “I know you killed Laurie Luke.”

I was ninety-nine percent sure Gordon Harper wasn’t the serial killer, but maybe he knew who was and my question would prod him into telling me.

He raised an eyebrow in my direction, then it dropped, and suddenly he looked sad. “Beautiful woman, the Luke girl. She looked so much like my Crystal. Her death was actually an accident.”

“An accident? I thought you grabbed her as an incentive for Kirk Thomas—to make him do what you needed.”

In a flash, the sadness was gone, replaced by amusement. “That I did, though I’m surprised and very impressed that you know that much. It’s also a pity you do.” He paused and looked me over. “Because I like you. You and your husband seem like nice people. Too bad you couldn’t keep your nose out of my business.” He squeaked out a chuckle. “It’s also too bad you won’t be wearing that costume you ordered.”

“You going to palm off my death on the Blond Bomber, like you did Laurie’s? I’m hardly his type.”

“Ah-ha.” Harper’s face lit up with interest. “So you
do
know that I’m not the serial killer.”

I nodded. “I’m pretty sure that’s one thing you’re not. You might be a killer and a crook, but you’re not the Blond Bomber.”

“And did you find out who is?” When I said nothing, he leaned forward in his chair. “Telling me his identity will buy you your freedom.”

“You’ll let me go if I tell you?”

“Yes, I will—providing, of course, you also fulfill other requirements.”

I didn’t like the sound of his addendum. I looked over at Maria Santiago but her face was a blank, her eyes trained on my face, the gun on my chest.

I gave Gordon Harper a tight smile. “Like any contract, yours comes with small print.” It was a statement, not a question.

He laughed his squeaky laugh. On any other man, it would have come out as a hearty bark.

“This
is
a business transaction, Odelia. You have something I need. Two somethings, actually. And I have something
you
need: your life.”

“So how much is my life going to cost me?”

Harper leaned back in his chair and studied me before answering. “The name of the Blond Bomber and the cat.”

“Sure you don’t mean the Blond Bomber and the cat’s
collar
? Or more to the point, the Blond Bomber and the diamonds?”

Harper gave me a broad smile. “That’s exactly the price of your life right now. Can you pay it? Think quick before the price goes up.”

Right—like this gangster would let me go, knowing what I know about him and his dealings. I didn’t trust him to make good on his end of the bargain. I had to stall.

“The Blond Bomber and the diamonds for my life and Lisa’s.”

Harper laughed again. He turned to Maria. “Her life is in the balance and she’s negotiating for a package deal. Now that’s
chutzpah
.” He turned back to me. “Or stupidity.”

I twitched my nose. I might be behaving in a stupid manner, but I was running out of options.

“I understand about the diamonds, but why do you want to know who the Blond Bomber is?”

Gordon Harper rose from his chair and paced across the carpet. He finally stopped, coming to rest behind the chair he had vacated. He gripped the back of the chair, his face flushed and splotchy.

“Because when I find the bastard who took Crystal from me, I’m going to draw and quarter him and tie
him
to a tree in Laguna Canyon.”

“Personally, I don’t think that’s such a bad idea.”

He gave me a tight-lipped conspiratorial grin.

“But what makes you think I know who the killer is?”

Still smiling, Harper gently shook a meaty finger in my direction. “Because I’ve been keeping my eye on you. You’ve been nosing around, talking to people. If you don’t know who the bastard is, you have an idea.”

“Actually, I’m clueless.” I hoped my honesty didn’t get me killed on the spot, but I was fresh out of bluffs. “All my suspicions have met dead ends. One thing, though—I know who it’s not.”

Harper’s smile vanished. “Don’t screw with me, Odelia.”

“I’m not, Gordon. Whoever the Blond Bomber is, he’s connected somehow to Jane Sharp, the decorator. That’s all I know.”

“Jane Sharp?”

I nodded. “Yes, all of the victims looked like her and all of them were connected with her in some fashion, mostly through jobs she’d done.”

He stared at me in disbelief.

“Did you see the news about the last victim, Madeline Sparks?”

He nodded. I continued.

“Madeline had short red hair. Jane recently cut her hair and dyed it red. Whoever the killer is, he’s ultimately after Jane. The sicko’s toying with her and enjoying it.”

Harper didn’t say anything. He just stood glued to the carpet while he processed the information I just spilled. I twisted my hands slightly, trying to loosen my bonds.

“I need to pee,” I announced.

Maria just stood there, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. The gun must have been getting heavy in her outstretched hand because she was using her other hand now to balance it. Her eyes shifted from me to Harper and back to me.

“Gordon.” I tried to get him to refocus on me. “I said, I need to go to the bathroom.”

He came out of his thoughts and looked at me. Without saying a word, he retrieved a small knife from the kitchen and cut the tape around my wrists. It felt good to have two hands again. I rubbed my wrists and flexed them.

“The bathroom is down the hall.” He turned to Maria. “Go with her.”

Maria came with me every step of the way. The bathroom was down a hallway on the left. Across from the bathroom was an open door, and through it I could see a king-size bed, dresser, and chair. The room was decorated as simply as the living room. It looked like the master bedroom. Glancing in, I saw it was empty. At the end of the hall was a closed door. I guessed it to be another bedroom and probably where the goon had taken Lisa.

The bathroom was large but seemed like a cell when Maria pushed her way in behind me.

I turned to her. “Is this really necessary?”

In response, she narrowed her eyes at me. Sheesh, I don’t even pee in front of Greg, and I’m supposed to do my business in front of a stranger?

Although I did need to use the bathroom, I was also hoping it would buy me time to think and devise a plan. I had to get to Lisa and find a way out. Maria had used an elevator key to get to this floor, but usually elevators only need the key to open the doors to a particular floor, not to leave one. At the office, our security cards will open the elevator on the floors occupied by Woobie after hours, but we don’t need the card to leave. I was hoping it was the same in this case.

As discreetly as possible, I undid the front of my pants and got down to emptying my bladder, dawdling as best I could and avoiding eye contact with my guard. The Santiago woman didn’t seem like the type who could be swayed to chat about her boss, but it was worth a try. I turned my head to look at her and the gun.

“So, you come here often?” I kept my voice low so as not to carry the sound through the door.

“Hurry up,” she ordered, not keeping her voice down.

“Why? So I can get to the business of dying sooner?”

She remained silent.

I finished up and moved to the sink to wash my hands, again taking my time. My eyes discreetly scanned the room, looking for something of use but found nothing. I would have liked to have rummaged through the vanity drawers and the medicine cabinet. Maybe there were scissors or even a container of hairspray I could use as a weapon, but I didn’t think Maria would give me the opportunity to hunt. As I dried my hands, I spotted a container of hand cream with a pump. I reached for it.

“Don’t be foolish,” Maria cautioned.

I looked in the mirror over the sink. She was standing behind me. I studied her face. She studied mine.

“Relax, Maria. I’m just getting some hand lotion. One pump of the bottle, that’s it. Wouldn’t want the coroner to see me with rough, dry skin.”

Putting one hand under the spout, I gave it a pump with the other hand. I massaged the lotion into my hands and over my chafed wrists. Except for relieving myself, the trip to the potty seemed a bust. Then I felt Maria step closer behind me.

“Don’t do anything stupid and you might live.” Her whisper was warm as it gently hit my ear from behind.

I studied her again in the mirror. Her eyes locked onto mine as she whispered more. “If there’s any trouble, stick by me.”

“Why would you help me?” My own words were barely more than a light breath.

“Just trust me.”

In spite of Maria
Santiago’s words, I didn’t leave the bathroom any more assured than when I entered it. Maria was offering me protection, but how and why? And what about Lisa? If Maria had a plan, how would I know when it kicked into action?

Back in the living room, we found Gordon talking with his hired gun.

“Where’s Lisa?” I asked.

Gordon turned and smiled at me. The goon glowered.

“She’s fine, Odelia, don’t worry. Charles here says she’s resting.”

“She might have a concussion.”

“Don’t worry about the girl. We gave her something to relax her.”

“The same drug you gave her sister?” As soon as I said the words, I wanted them back. I was letting them know how much I knew.

Gordon looked momentarily surprised, then his face relaxed. “Oh, that’s right. You’re good friends with a cop in Newport Beach. Did he give you a rundown on Laurie Luke’s autopsy?”

Now it was my turn to show surprise. Charles grinned. Maria remained as stone-faced as ever. Harper shook his head and pursed his lips in a condescending manner. I wanted to slap him.

“Don’t be so surprised, dear lady. I told you that I’ve been watching you.”

The reality of that comment ran through me like cold water through copper tubing. Dev had been concerned about that, and he’d been right. It also meant Gordon Harper probably knew where we lived.

“Then why all the drama? Why didn’t you just come get the cat, preferably when no one was home?”

“Honestly, I didn’t know you had the diamonds until today.” Gordon flashed me one of his grins. “I was following you, hoping you’d lead me to the Blond Bomber. When the Luke woman’s sister reappeared, she told us you had them—at least you have the ones stolen from me.”

“From one of the prior jobs Kirk did for you, correct?” I slapped a hand over my mouth. I just couldn’t seem to help myself.

“I’m more impressed with you by the minute, my dear.”

“I’m honored.”

“And you do make me chuckle. Too bad we won’t have time for you to model an outfit for me.” His eyes dropped down, visiting my chest before returning to my face.

“I won’t lie to you, Gordon. I do have the cat’s collar, though until today I had no idea what was hidden in it. But I really don’t know who the Blond Bomber is. Does that mean your offer of letting me go is off the table?”

“You willing to give me the collar?”

“In a flash. The only diamond I want is already on my hand.” I held up my left hand and wiggled the finger with my wedding and engagement rings.

Harper motioned for me to take my seat, which I did. He paced a few steps, then came to rest on the sofa positioned a few feet from me under the large windows. When Harper ordered Maria into the kitchen to make coffee for us, Charles the thug pulled a sizeable gun from a shoulder holster and took over the cover job. They seemed to be waiting for something.

I didn’t move a muscle, at least for a few seconds. I still had questions and wanted answers, and my nervous tendency to babble got the best of me.

“Do you know where Jane Sharp is?” I asked Harper.

Harper hesitated, looking me over before answering. “No, why should I?”

I shrugged. “Well, this morning she disappeared. I figure she’s either running from the Blond Bomber or running from you.”

“Why me?”

“My guess is she’s the one who hooked you and Kirk Thomas up. She knew both of you. Slept with both of you.”

“Is your theory just a guess?”

I was playing with fire and had to choose my words carefully or get burned beyond recognition. “Call it the result of connecting the dots.”

Again, he shook an amused finger at me. “You’re good.”

He leaned forward and retrieved something from a wooden box on the coffee table. It was a cigar. He went through the ritual of lighting it up, using a lighter he pulled from his pocket.

“I hope you don’t mind cigars, Odelia, but I find they relax me.” He replaced the lighter while he took a few initiating puffs.

I wrinkled my nose. “It’s your place, not mine. Or should I say, Crystal Lee’s place?”

He looked around the fresh, pleasant room. “Yes, this was Crystal Lee’s home. So different from the offices downstairs, huh?” He smiled to himself. “I offered to buy her something much nicer, but she loved being above the shop. I’ve kept it exactly as she did. Being here is also relaxing for me.”

“You never answered my question, Gordon.”

He took a puff on the cigar and looked at me, waiting. I repeated my earlier question.

“Do you know where Jane Sharp is?”

“Not at this moment, but I know where I want her to be.”

I raised my eyebrows in encouragement for him to continue.

“Dead is where I’d like her to be.”

He took another puff. The pungent smoke of the cigar teased my nose.

“You were right, Odelia. Jane Sharp is the connection between me and Kirk Thomas. She’s been helping me out here and there with some of my more, let’s say,
exotic
endeavors, ever since we met. When she met Kirk Thomas, she knew he might be right for the African job. He took some convincing but enough money turned his righteous head.”

Speaking of heads, Gordon turned his towards the kitchen. “Maria, where’s the damn coffee?”

“In a minute,” came the reply from the other room.

With a flourish of impatience, Gordon took another puff from his cigar.

“Are we waiting on something or someone?” I asked, once I had his attention again.

“Why? You in a rush to die?”

Yikes!

“Not really.” My response came out calmly, in direct contrast to what I was feeling inside.

I thought about Silas and hoped that somehow he’d made contact with someone by now, preferably the police, and repeated to them what I’d said at the car. The precocious kid might be my only chance of survival.

“As a matter of fact, Odelia, we’re waiting for the cat.”

“Muffin?”

“If that’s the animal’s name, then yes. At least we’re waiting for its collar.”

“But I thought you weren’t going to break into the vet’s office.”

Gordon Harper eyed me again with amusement. If this kept up, I was going to ask for a contract for three shows a week.

“We’re not.” He stretched one thick arm out across the back of the sofa and adjusted his bulk. “You see, I don’t believe for a minute that the animal’s there. And even if it is, I doubt it’s still wearing the collar. The vet would have taken off the collar to care for its wounds.” He paused to wink at me. “I’ve had lots of pets over the years. I know the drill.”

Maria Santiago came in with a tray. On it were two colorful mugs, along with a coffee carafe and sugar and creamer made from porcelain.

Maria poured two cups of coffee. She picked up the creamer and looked at me.

“I take mine black, thanks,” I told her.

She handed me a mug and went on to pour cream and add one sugar to the other mug, which she handed to her boss.

“How civil,” I quipped. “You always serve coffee to people before you whack them?”

Gordon Harper surveyed me over the rim of his mug. “Only the ones I like.”

It crossed my mind to throw the hot coffee at him, but it wouldn’t do any real damage and would get me shot in the bargain. Instead, I took a sip. It was rich and comforting and made me wish I had a few cookies to go with it. If I was going to die soon, it didn’t seem right to do it on an empty stomach. The coffee also seemed to clear my head momentarily.

“Since we’re waiting for the collar to arrive, I guess you already know where we live.”

Gordon nodded.

“Then you know we have a dog—a mean attack dog.”

He put his coffee down on the table and took a puff of his cigar. “What you have is a charming golden retriever who plays Frisbee with the neighborhood kids and who goes to work every day with your husband.”

“You’ve been watching us that closely?” My stomach did a somersault.

“I’ve had you tailed ever since we met. But if I’d known you had the Luke woman’s cat and the cat had the diamonds, I might have done more than just observe.”

He shook his head in what appeared to be disgust. “I can’t believe that imbecile hid those diamonds in a cat’s collar.” He said it more to himself than to any of us. “Who in their right mind hides valuables with something that can run away?”

I was still waiting to hear the logic behind that myself.

“So who’s ransacking my home while I sit here and sip coffee?”

“None other than the imbecile himself.”

Great. Kirk Thomas might be a very talented wildlife photographer, but he was hardly a genius when it came to criminal activities. I didn’t even want to think about what my house would look like when I got home.

If I got home.

“Why don’t I save you some trouble and tell you where the collar is? That way Kirk won’t have to destroy our home.”

“Very sensible of you.” Harper tossed a look at Charles. “Get Thomas on the phone.” Then he turned back to me, awaiting further instructions.

“Tell Kirk it’s in the master bedroom, in a nightstand drawer. My nightstand, the one on the right. The collar was bothering the cat, so we took it off her.”

Harper looked back to Charles, who still had the phone to his ear. After a few moments, he ended the call.

“I got voice mail,” he reported.

“Try again,” Harper ordered, impatience coloring his voice like a thick Crayola.

Charles dialed again. After what seemed like an eternity, he closed the phone. “Voice mail again.”

“Call Jane.”

That caught my attention. “But I thought you didn’t know where Jane was?”

Harper put his cigar in the ashtray and hoisted his thick body up from the sofa. “I don’t.” Then to Charles, “Wait, don’t call from your phone.”

Gordon came to stand over me. “Why don’t you call her, Odelia? She might respond to a friendly call from you.”

“My phone and purse were left behind when these two grabbed me.”

Harper rolled his eyes. He looked at Charles, then walked over to Maria. “Why didn’t you two just send up flares announcing the abduction?”

“You told us to hurry,” Maria started to explain. “We didn’t think—”

Faster than a cartoon roadrunner, Gordon Harper swung out his right arm and slapped Maria Santiago backhanded, sending her backwards against the door next to the elevator. I jumped in my chair.

Harper glowered at her as she rubbed her cheek.

“That’s the problem: you don’t think.” He shot a scowl at Charles. “Neither of you.”

If this was any evidence of how Harper treated Maria in general, no wonder she was up to something. It also made me wonder how she could protect me if she couldn’t protect herself.

Harper walked back to the coffee table, picked up his cigar, and took several quick puffs. His back was to us as he gazed out the window. He’d just belted one of his underlings, then had the guts to turn his back on her. I wondered if he’d be just as confident if Charles wasn’t nearby.

I glanced back at Maria. She was still crouched against the door, but I could have sworn I saw her fiddling with the door knob. Maybe she was going to make a run for it—get away from Harper before he really got down to beating her.

Shortly, he turned around and barked a command at Maria. “Get Crystal Lee’s phone. Maybe the bitch will pick up if she doesn’t recognize the number.”

Maria left the door and retrieved a cordless phone from the kitchen. Using the display on Charles’s cell as a directory, she dialed Jane’s number on the cordless and listened.

“No answer, Gordon,” she reported. “Just kicks into voice mail.”

“Damn it!”

Coming from him, the expletive lost some of its intended juice, sounding more like a Munchkin who’d tripped on the Yellow Brick Road than a crime boss ready to blow a fuse. Gordon’s entire head flushed in agitation. He turned and looked back out the window.

“If those two grabbed the shit and took off, I will hunt them down personally.” He spun back around and gave me a hard look. The amusement of earlier was gone. “Right after I have some fun with you and the other broad.”