Takedown (An Alexandra Poe Thriller) (17 page)

She found Frederic Favreau sitting on a retaining wall near a kayak stand that was closed for the night. After stopping several yards away, she took out the pack of Doinas, popped one into her mouth, then rooted around inside her clutch.

On the way down she had decided it would be best to use Gérard as a prop, as if his sudden appearance in her life had rattled her.
 

Which wasn’t that far from the truth.

She had passed his presence off to Cooper as a coincidence, but she wasn’t convinced of that herself, and wondered if Gérard really
had
followed her here. The question was why.

As she dug through her purse she could feel Favreau watching her again. After a moment, she cursed under her breath and looked up, pretending to notice him for the first time.

She took the cigarette from her mouth. “Oh. Hello again.”

“Hi, there.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have a light, would you?”

“I’m starting to think you’re stalking me,” he said with a grin. “It’s usually the other way around.”

She approached him. “I think
I’m
the one who’s being stalked. You saw what happened in the cafe, right?”

He took a lighter from his pocket and flicked it. “Hard not to. Old boyfriend?”

She leaned in and lit the cigarette. She’d never been a smoker, but figured she could tolerate a few puffs before she felt like puking.

“No,” she said, deciding to stick as close to the truth as possible. “Just somebody I met in Key Largo.” She took another puff and exhaled. “Men sometimes get attached to me. I’m not quite sure why.”

“Oh, I think you know.” He pocketed the lighter. “Before we were so rudely interrupted, I was about to tell you you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.”

She smiled. “I never know how to react to that.”

“But you’re used to hearing it, aren’t you?” He held out a hand. “I’m Frederic, by the way.”

She shook it. “Alexandra.”

“Nice. I like it. What did you end up ordering, Alexandra? At the cafe?”

“Nothing. I didn’t have an appetite after Thomas showed up.”

“That’s not right. You want me to talk to this guy? Tell him to back off?”

She laughed. “No, I appreciate it, but I’m sure he got the message.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Some guys have selective hearing when it comes to certain women. I could tune up his eardrums a little.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but no thanks.”

Favreau shrugged. “Just trying to help a damsel in distress. I thought I heard him say something about Sweden. Is that where you’re from? Because I would’ve pegged you as American. Although you look like you’ve got some Middle Eastern blood in you, too.”

“You’re very observant.”

“You’re very observable.”

She laughed again. He might not be the most attractive or subtle guy in the universe, but he definitely had game.

“Sweden was supposed to be my first gig,” she said. “But the girl assigned to St. Cajetan dropped out at the last minute, so here I am.”

“And here
we
are.” He took a last drag off his cigarette and flicked the butt into the sand. “And it kills me to say this, Alexandra, but it’s been a long day and I’m beat.”

He got to his feet.

“You’re leaving? I thought we might get a drink.”

“Trust me, I’m tempted, but it took me twenty-eight hours and three stops to get here this morning, and all I really want to do right now is sleep. Will you take a rain check?”

She hesitated. “…Of course.”

“Good,” he said with a nod. “My offer still stands about the ex. Just let me know.” He grinned again. “You have a good night now.”

Alex watched him in a state of disbelief as he stepped past her and headed up the beach to the hotel.

When he was gone, she said into her comm mic, “Does somebody want to tell me what the hell just happened?”

I
T
WAS
WELL
past ten when they all stepped into their suite, feeling depressed and discouraged.
 

“You know,” Deuce said, “I can’t really blame the guy. Alex is a wild card right now. For all he knows, she could be law enforcement, or even working for Valac.”

Warlock dropped two equipment cases by the door. “The poor git’s probably Googling Alexandra’s life story as we speak.”
 

“If he is,” Cooper said, “He’ll find a nice little social media profile Stonewell cooked up. Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and credits that include regional television stations in three different states.” He turned to Alex. “There’s no reason for him to think you’re anything other than what you say you are.”

“A lot of good that does us now.” She kicked off her heels and headed for the living room. “The longer it takes us to find those codes, the closer he gets to making the sale.”

Deuce followed her and plopped into a chair. “We could try the fire alarm gambit. Maybe he’ll forget to rig his door.”

Warlock laughed. “Good luck with that, mate. Freddy boy strikes me as a creature of habit.”

“You have any better ideas?”

“Probably. But none that comes to mind at the moment.”

Deuce gave him a look and said to Cooper, “Maybe we should grab the bastard and smack him around a little. Get the codes and force him to run point for us.”

Cooper shook his head. “We have specific instructions about that. McElroy doesn’t want to risk tipping off Valac.”

Alex sank to the sofa and leaned back. “Well, maybe McElroy should get his butt out here and come up with a better solution, because so far his way isn’t working. I’m with Deuce. I’ve always preferred the hands-on approach.”

“Technically speaking,” Warlock said, “isn’t that what you’re going for?”

Alex glared at him. “You really do walk the edge, don’t you?”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re a bit humor impaired?”

“When you say something funny, maybe I’ll laugh.”

Cooper raised his hands. “All right, children, save it for the playground. We have work to do.”

“By the way,” Warlock said to Alex. “I believe you still have my ciggies. I’d like them back.”

“Sure,” she said. She popped open her purse, took out the pack of Doinas, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it at his chest. “They’re all yours.”

Warlock’s eyes narrowed. “That was my last bloody pack, you—”

“All right, you two, enough,” Cooper said. “I know we’re all feeling frustrated right now, but you can save this bullshit for somebody else’s parade. Are we clear?”

Alex and Warlock were silent, but Alex knew Cooper was right. She and Shaggy were acting like five-year-olds.

Not that Deuce had any problem with it.
 

“Damn,” he said, “I really gotta get me some popcorn.”

There was a knock at the door.

They all turned in surprise, then Warlock touched the frame of his glasses, shifting his gaze to the upper right corner. His eyes went wide and he rushed over to the rolling computer cart in the middle of the room. “It’s him. It’s Favreau.”

Alex sat up. “
What?
You’re sure?”

“I’m not blind. He’s standing in the hallway with a bottle of bubbly.”

There was another knock and Alex and Deuce jumped to their feet as Warlock rolled his rig toward his room. While the others cleared out, Alex went to the door, took a deep breath, and said, “Yes?”

“It’s me, Frederic, your new smoking buddy. I hope it’s not too late to cash in that rain check.”

“Oh…uh…I thought you were going to bed?”

“Turns out I wasn’t as tired as I thought I was. I got my second wind.”

“Okay…” she said. “Give me a minute, all right?”

“Take your time. I’m in no hurry.”

Alex stepped away from the door, wondering how she should play this. It was one thing to share a lighter on the beach and maybe get a drink at the hotel bar, but showing up at her room was a bold move. One that told her Frederic Favreau was used to getting his way.

She left the foyer and crossed to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her, slipped out of the dress, then pulled on one of the hotel robes from the closet. Taking her cell phone from her purse—which doubled as a comm transmitter—she dropped it into a pocket.

When she opened the door again, Cooper stood only a few feet away.

“Perfect,” he said, eyeing the robe. “This guy’ll never know what hit him.” He tossed something to her and she caught it. “These should buy us some time.”

A bottle of pills. “What are they?”

“Think roofies, only a lot stronger and a lot faster acting. We’re talking seconds, not minutes.”

Alex was surprised. “You carry these around, do you?”

“They were a gift from McElroy. Something the Stonewell labs cooked up, just in case.”

She slipped them into her empty pocket. “Thanks. You’ve just made my job infinitely more palatable.”

“Thank McElroy,” he said, then tapped his ear. “I’ll be on comm.”

As he disappeared into his room, she crossed back to the front door, took another breath, then opened it to find Favreau staring down at the screen on his cell phone.

He quickly pocketed the phone and looked up, taking in the robe and the subtle swell of her breasts. “Damn, I think I like this even better than the dress.” He held up the bottle of champagne. “I hope you have glasses.”

“How did you know what room I’m in?”

He grinned. “I’m a pretty resourceful guy. Place like this, you just have to know who to bribe. And when I found out we were hall mates, I thought we might as well get to know each other.”

In the cafe and on the beach he hadn’t struck her as a man who lacked confidence, but now he displayed a cockiness Alex hadn’t seen before. She figured Warlock was right—Favreau had done some checking and found she was safe. At least where it counted. He likely assumed she was nothing more than a gold digger and decided he’d take advantage of the situation.

All she had to do was run with it.

“I guess I should be flattered,” she said.

“I guess you should be, because I’m not usually this proactive. But then a woman of your caliber doesn’t come along every day.” He gestured. “Are we gonna do this or what?”

She stepped aside and let him pass, taking the bottle of champagne from him as they moved into the living room. “Have a seat. Let me find those glasses.”

He looked around. “Whoa, this place looks bigger than mine. You’re not here alone?”

“I wish,” she said, heading into the kitchen. “I’m sharing it with my crew. But don’t worry, they’ve all gone to bed. Early call tomorrow.”

He sank to the sofa and leaned back. “The three guys from the lobby?”

“That’s right.”

“Did you tell them about me?”

“No,” she said. “Should I have?”

“I don’t want to be stepping on anyone’s toes. Things can get ugly that way, and I don’t like complications.”

She laughed, set the bottle on the counter, and began searching the cupboards for wine glasses. “I’m new, remember? I barely know these guys.”

“You don’t know
me
at all.”

“Yet I already like you better. Besides, two of them are gay and the other one’s married.”

“Okay, I’ll give you the gay guys, but the married one, trust me, he’s checking you out. He’d be crazy not to.”

She found the glasses and set them on the counter. “You really like to say what’s on your mind, don’t you?”

He shrugged. “I’m a man of many faults and few regrets.”

“You’re also good for a girl’s ego.”

He grinned again. “I aim to please.”

“And I aim to drink.” She tore the foil from the bottle, removed the crown, and popped the cork. As she poured into the first glass, she dipped her free hand into her robe pocket and thumbed the cap off the bottle of pills.

“Go easy with mine,” he said. “I wouldn’t want you taking advantage of me.”

She laughed again, then took the hand from her pocket and dropped a pill inside the glass as she poured. From his vantage point on the sofa, Favreau couldn’t see a thing, and by the time she crossed to him, the pill had completely dissolved.

She handed him the doctored drink. “What shall we toast to?”

He raised his glass. “To gay guys, married men, and painfully gorgeous women.”

They clinked glasses and drank and she sat next to him, close enough that their thighs were touching. He put a hand on her leg and a small shiver of revulsion ran through her. She hoped Cooper had been right about the pills. The faster this happened, the better.

He finished his drink in two long gulps, set his glass on the table, and turned to face her. He took her glass from her hands and set it next to his.

“I’m not finished with that.”

“Finish it later,” he said, then pushed her against the cushions and leaned in to kiss her. His breath smelled of mints and tobacco and champagne, and Alex braced herself for impact, silently cursing McElroy and Cooper and even Warlock and Deuce. But most of all, she cursed herself for saying yes to this nonsense.

What had she been thinking?

But before his mouth could touch hers, Favreau got an odd look his face and said, “Jesus, that champagne is stroooo…”

Then collapsed against her chest.

“H
E
’
S
OUT
,” A
LEX
said, then climbed out from beneath him as the others emerged from their rooms and joined her at the sofa.

Patting him down, she took out his cell phone and handed it to Warlock, who turned it on and scrolled through the menu. “It looks like a burner and he’s wiped the memory. Nothing of use here, but I’ll put a tap on it so we can monitor his calls.”

Alex removed Favreau’s wallet, quickly thumbed through it and found two hotel key cards, several hundred euros, a French ID card with his name, address, and date of birth, and a handful of credit cards, each with a different name.

Warlock looked hopefully at the wallet. “Any SD chips? Thumb drive?”

“What you see is what you get.”
 

“No real surprises so far,” Cooper said. “He’s not stupid enough to keep the codes on him. We need to get past his perimeter alarm and search his suite.”