High-Stakes Playboy (22 page)

* * *

Archer parked his rented motorcycle at one end of the main drag of Serendipity, California, and made a big production of strolling the entire length of Main Street. The whole object of this exercise was to get the word out that he was in town. Or more to the point, to get word to Mina Stringer that he was in town.

Steve’s private investigator had a description from a reliable source of a woman closely matching Mina’s description staying at a motel in Serendipity. This woman had apparently been causing some trouble at a local bar the previous week. She hadn’t been seen all weekend, however.

He had the name of the bar and would, of course, show up there tonight. But in the meantime, he flirted with every woman who would talk to him on Main Street—making sure to drop his name with each of them—and he went into various stores to chat up the clerks.

He stopped in the jewelry store and made a big production of picking out and buying an engagement ring. He actually found himself choosing the ring he thought Marley would love most. It was a beautiful diamond in a simple solitaire setting. A matching but separate surround added an arc of smaller diamonds around the central stone. The overall effect was a sun-and-moon motif. But it would allow Marley to dress up the stone and be all girlie and shiny or to remove the surround when she was working and opt for the simple beauty of the unadorned diamond. He guessed at Marley’s ring size and made arrangements to pick up the rings later in the day.

He stopped in at a florist’s to discuss doing flowers for an oceanside wedding at his grandmother’s estate outside of town. He swung by the best restaurant in town to talk about catering a wedding feast. He even went into the men’s clothing store to try on tuxedos and chat about outfitting his best man with a tux, too.

There. If everyone in Serendipity didn’t know within the next hour that he was getting hitched to a girl named Marley Stringer, he gave up.

He made one more stop at a sporting goods store to make a purchase for the night to come.

Now, it was time to head over to the bar Mina had been seen at and set a trap for her. And then the waiting game would begin.

* * *

Marley was stunned that Mina had apparently been behind most of the problems in her life, and apparently behind the accidents on the set. She intellectually accepted Steve’s evidence against her sister. But she just couldn’t
believe
it. She was appalled. Embarrassed. She couldn’t name all the other awful feelings churning around in her gut.

She looked up at Steve somberly. “I brought this trouble to your movie set. What can I do to help make it right?”

He frowned at her for long enough that she didn’t think he was going to answer. But then he said, “There is one thing you could do.”

“Anything. Name it.”

“Archer and I think it’s possible Mina has a co-conspirator in the crew. She used a code to get past a numeric keypad and into the airport hangars last week. That code changes every two weeks, and only the airport employees and the film crew have the current number. But we have footage of her walking right up to the pad and punching in the correct number sequence. No errors, no hesitation.”

“You think someone on the crew gave it to her?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Do you need me to ask around among the guys to see if anyone knows her?” Marley offered.

“I’ve got a better idea. How would you feel about impersonating your sister? Do you think you could pull it off?”

Chapter 15

A
rcher paced his childhood bedroom in his grandmother’s house, unable to sit still. For once, the rhythmic sound of the ocean pounding the rocks below her cliffside estate failed to soothe him. He couldn’t think about anything but Marley. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that a woman could so totally capture his attention and affection so fast. All of a sudden, his entire existence revolved around her.

A knock on the door made him about jump out of his skin. He was irritated to find his brother Jackson standing there. “Thought I’d stop by to say hi and find out what brings you to Gran’s place like this in the middle of the movie shoot, Arch. You haven’t been your usual playboy self since you got back from overseas.”

Ya think?
He shook his head. “I met a girl.”

“So I heard?”

He shrugged. “How the hell did you hear about it? You’re over in the trailer camp with all the fancy movie stars.”

Jackson laughed. “Hotbeds of gossip, movie sets. And you were big news when you showed up. The women, including those fancy movie stars, were dying to know all about the hot stick jockey who’d shown up on set.”

Archer snorted.

“If you ever want to talk about your girl troubles, I’m around. And I won’t carry tales. Just sayin’.”

“What makes you think I’m having girl troubles?”

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

He scowled at his brother out of general principle.

“So how was your vacation with the Marilyn-look-alike cinematographer?”

Damn. The gossip mill on set really had been busy. And it made him even more certain that Mina had a co-conspirator in the crew. How else would she have known where to find him and Marley so fast last weekend? Aloud, he answered, “Up till the part where my truck blew up, it was fine.”

“Your truck
blew up
?”

“Yeah. Probably a bomb. I remote-started it to let it thaw out because it was covered in snow, and kaboom. Flaming truck.”

“What’s that all about? Any idea who did it? Is this tied to the other accidents around the set?”

He filled Jackson in briefly on his and Steve’s suspicions regarding Marley’s twin sister.

“So why are you here in Serendipity, then?”

Good instincts, Jackson had. He knew Archer wouldn’t just leave Marley alone back at the set with her psycho sister on the loose. “Steve’s private investigator thinks Mina is staying here, in town.”

“And you came roaring in like a conquering hero to catch her.”

Archer grinned. “Well...yeah.”

“Alone?”

He shrugged.

“For a smart guy, you can sure be an idiot sometimes.”

He scowled at Jackson. “She doesn’t know we’re on to her. All I have to do is get her talking and get her to slip up. I’ll be wearing a wire.”

“And you think a psychopath like her is just going to up and tell you all about trying to kill her sister?”

“No. I think she’s going to recognize me as the guy who’s been shagging her sister and try to kill
me
.”

“You’re using yourself as bait to catch a known violent nut ball?” Jackson voice rose in sharp surprise.

“We don’t have enough evidence to take to the police. It’s all circumstantial at this juncture and points at Marley as much as it points at Mina.”

“And you’re sure you’re chasing down the right twin?”

“Would you mistake Lyra for Shyanne?” Archer retorted. Marley and Mina were possibly even more different in personality than his and Jackson’s twin sisters.

Jackson huffed. “Of course not. They’re as different as day and night once you know them.”

“So are Marley and Mina.”

“This is a dumb idea, bro. Have you got any backup at all?”

“No, and I damned well don’t need you volunteering. Your wife is going to have a baby any second, and I don’t want you running around dark alleys behind bars playing ninja assassin. I’m the highly trained soldier, bro. I’ve got this.”

Jackson’s brows knit in a heavy frown, but he didn’t argue.

“Speaking of which, where is your lovely bride? I haven’t seen Anna since I got here. I want to meet her.”

“She’s eager to meet you, too. She’s heard plenty of stories about you.”

Archer groaned. “Great. Just great. She’ll hate my guts on sight.”

Jackson slapped his shoulder fondly. “You’re family. And family sticks together. She’ll forgive your unending attempts over the years to corrupt poor innocent me.”

Archer snorted and followed his brother out of the room. Yeah, but would Marley forgive him for putting her twin sister—her only living blood relative—in jail for a very long time to come? It was one thing to know your sibling was a bad egg. It was another thing entirely to see your only living relative punished for it. He, of all people, knew how thick blood ran. The Prescott clan stuck together no matter what.

* * *

Marley sat in Tyrone’s makeup chair facing the mirror. She studied his work with intent concentration. The heavy, black eyeliner was exactly like in the last picture she had of her sister, taken some years ago. The slicked-back hair and partially failed attempt to subdue the blond curls was exactly like Mina’s hairstyle, too.

Still, Marley murmured regretfully, “She’s harder than me. She has always lived harder than me, too. Is there any way to add a few wrinkles around my eyes?”

“Does she smoke?” Tyrone asked, studying her face.

“She did. I don’t know if she still does.”

“Open your mouth, then. I’m going to paint your teeth a little more yellow. And then I’ll add a few crow’s-feet around your eyes and a line around your mouth.”

She waited patiently while he aged her prematurely, and then she studied the results. “That’s getting very close. But it’s still not hard enough.”

Steve, who was observing her transformation, interjected, “It’s the expression in your eyes. You still look like, well, Marley. What happens if you think hard, angry thoughts?”

She looked up at Archer’s brother, surprised. “Like what?”

“Like Mina’s about to hurt Archer, and the bastard you’re talking to is going to help her.”

Even the idea of Archer getting hurt at Mina’s hands or those of her sister’s anonymous accomplice made her spitting mad.

“That’s it!” Tyrone exclaimed.

She glanced into the mirror and reeled at the effect. Angry and glaring, she did, indeed, look just like her sister.

Steve spoke up. “You know what to do, right? Just lurk in the shadows at the edge of the big barbecue Adrian’s throwing for the crew tonight. Wait for someone to contact you. Don’t make any overt moves. Okay?”

She nodded grimly even though she was scared to death. She could do this for Archer.

“My guys will have eyes on you every minute. As soon as Mina’s accomplice makes contact and says something to incriminate himself, we’ll move in and nab him. And speaking of which, it’s time to get you wired for sound. Tyrone, could you help her with that?”

“Of course.” The makeup artist deftly threaded the wire from the battery pack around her stomach and up into the cleft of her bra.

It was awkward having some guy’s hands down her shirt that didn’t belong to Archer, but it was a lot less weird having Tyrone do this than Archer’s brother. She was grateful to Steve for his consideration.

“That should do it,” Tyrone announced. Under his breath, he asked, “Are you okay, sweetie? You’re as pale as a ghost.”

“I’m terrified,” she confessed. “Whoever’s helping Mina is a would-be murderer. This isn’t going to be a nice person I lure out.”

“Steve Prescott is a good man. I’ve worked with him on a couple of movies, and he’s smart. Tough. Takes care of his crew like they’re his own family.”

What she wouldn’t give to be actual family to Steve. She would love nothing more than to settle down with Archer, marry and have a bunch of kids. Assuming Archer could ever forgive her for Mina doing her damnedest to kill him. She wouldn’t blame him at all if he just walked away from her and her crazy sister. He hadn’t bargained for so much family baggage when he’d gotten involved with her, for goodness’ sake.

“Okay, Marley. The barbecue is getting ready to start,” Steve announced. “Let’s do this.”

Here went nothing.

* * *

Archer stirred his soda on ice idly and did his best to ward off the more aggressive females in the bar. No sign of Mina, however. It was still early, though. The bar was half-empty, and groups of singles were only now starting to trickle in to toss down a few drinks and check out the local talent. Tourist season was pretty much over, but a few new faces were sprinkled in among the regulars, who hadn’t changed much since the last time he’d been in here, some five years ago. Last time he’d been home on leave...

A petite blonde paused in the entry. She was looking back over her shoulder at someone outside on the sidewalk. Saying something inaudible. It made her grin, whatever it was.

Mina.

The resemblance to Marley was eerie both for how much the two of them looked alike and for how very, very different they looked. Physically, they were dead ringers for each other. But there was a toughness about Mina, a vibe of “don’t mess with me or I’ll hurt you bad” that was entirely absent from Marley. It was laughable to think that anyone could mistake the sisters for each other.

He looked down at his drink quickly, lest she spot him staring at her. He figured she would hide as soon as she spotted him to watch him. Maybe wait for a chance to swoop in and do something dastardly to him.

He half turned away from her to face the guy on a stool beside him. “Buy you a drink, buddy?” he asked.

“Yeah, sure. Thanks.”

Archer nodded. “What’re you drinking?”

He kept up an inane conversation with the guy for a couple of minutes. Then, when he’d purchased plenty of liquid goodwill in the form of multiple rounds of Scotch on the rocks, he said low, “Hey, dude. Do me a favor. I think I saw my crazy ex-girlfriend come in a while ago. Could you take a look around the place and see if you can spot her? I don’t want her to see me looking for her, or she’ll think I want to get back together with her.”

“No problem. What does she look like?”

“Short. Blonde with curls. Wearing black. Good-looking. Kinda like Marilyn Monroe if she were a biker chick.”

“You mean that hot number dancing over by the jukebox. Crazy, you say? Too bad. She’s a looker.”

Archer risked a surreptitious glance toward the dance floor and spied Mina immediately. All she needed was a pole to complete the raunchy dance she was doing solo, apparently for the benefit of all the unattached males in the joint.

“Yup, that’s her. Do yourself a favor and stay way the hell away from her. Bartender, another round for my friend here.”

When his impromptu drinking buddy was lubed up enough to need help getting to the restroom, Archer hoisted him off his stool and guided the guy across the dance floor using the other man’s body as just enough of a shield to explain Archer not seeing Mina full-on. But if she was half as alert and predatory as he thought she was, she would surely spot him.

He left bar-stool guy on his knees in front of a toilet, worshipping at the throne of the porcelain gods, and slipped out into the hallway housing the restrooms. It was a straight shot to the dance floor from here. He would lay odds Mina was in a position to watch him emerge into this hallway, but he didn’t look back to check.

He turned and went the other way, out the back door into the alley behind the bar. This afternoon, he’d unscrewed the lightbulbs in the cages on either side of the back door. It was dark out here, quiet, after the blaring music and lights of the bar/dance club.

He slid to one side of the doorway and eased back against the brick wall in the deep shadow cast by the small porch overhang.

He didn’t have long to wait. The door opened a tiny crack. A pause. It opened a few inches more. Another pause. Then the door swung open far enough to nearly hit him and a small, slender form topped by blond hair stepped out into the alley.

“Looking for me?” he asked from behind her.

Mina whipped around fast, a blade glinting in her fist.

Aww, dammit.

“Hey, Archer,” she said affectionately. “Didn’t think I’d find you in town tonight. I figured you would be at the barbecue with the rest of the crew.”

Was she actually going to try to convince him that she was Marley? Shock rolled through him. Her voice was
just
like Marley’s in tone, inflection and accent. And yet, he wouldn’t have confused Mina for her twin in a million years.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked as jealously as he could manage. “I mean, I know things didn’t go that great up at the cabin, but I didn’t take you for a cheat.”

Mina took a step forward, the fist with the knife disappearing into a pocket of her leather biker jacket. Her free hand came to rest on his chest. It was all he could do not to flinch away from her touch. It felt slimy. Dirty. The vibe coming off her was all
wrong
.

He decided to go with an angry act. No way could he act amorous toward this woman. “Why the hell are you dressed like that? You know I don’t like you in tight pants or low-cut tops. You look like a whore in that heavy makeup, for God’s sake.”

Mina’s stare narrowed angrily for an instant, but then smoothed out. Her eyes went wide and innocent in the darkness. “Why don’t you come back to my place? I got a motel room in town for tonight. If you don’t like my clothes, you can take them off me.”

She rose up on her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss him. He braced himself to pretend that he wasn’t repulsed at the idea of kissing her. Funny how, in spite of all the women he’d kissed over the years, he couldn’t fake enjoying a kiss with this woman.

Her lips nearly reached his. Her breath was warm on his face and smelled of rum. He could do this. Just. One. Kiss.

Something sharp and hot stabbed his gut. It took a millisecond to register that the pain was an actual knife. The bitch had stabbed him!

He wrapped his right arm around her neck and slammed his left fist down on her forearm with all his strength. The worst of the fiery pain in his side subsided. He must have knocked the blade out of her hand and out of his side.