Worlds Apart (25 page)

“How long has she been in the neighbor’s?” Taylor asked.

“Quarter of an hour. If she doesn’t come out in the next few minutes, I’ll have to go and get her. I had a call from Simon Blake asking if we had anyone for a decoy this evening and I said Roo could do it.”

Taylor tensed so fast his teeth snapped together. He opened his mouth and no words came out.

“That’s okay, isn’t it?” Jonas asked. “I mean, Emma did it a few times. I didn’t think you’d mind. Roo’s up for it. Oh, here she comes.”

“Where?” Taylor blurted.

“Pussycats. I need to leave straightaway. I’ve a few leads to follow up on the Dickerson case. Roo can help. I’ll call you later.”

Taylor was beyond furious, with himself for not apologizing to Roo, with Jonas for volunteering her for something Taylor didn’t want her to do and with Roo for going into the house of a guy who beat his wife.

“Like some carrot cake?” Niall asked behind him.

“Got to go out.”

When Taylor turned, he didn’t miss the stricken expression on Niall’s face.
What have I done now?
But Taylor still grabbed his keys and left.

The microphone and recorder attached to Roo’s bra itched. Jonas had pulled off the road before they reached the club in Leeds and had helped her attach it.

“You’re such a disappointment,” he said. “Teasing me like that. No bloody bra. Huh!”

“Sure you can’t see it?” Roo asked. “Even if I unzip?”

“Try it.”

Roo eased down the zipper on the jacket to reveal the pink top beneath.

“Nope, you’re fine.”

“So who’s the guy I have to flirt with?”

Roo was quite looking forward to this. She’d worked out a story already. Paige Turner. In Leeds for the week. Looking for some fun.

“It’s a woman.”

Roo groaned. “You’re joking.”

“Annette Foster. Age thirty-eight. Married three years. Husband suspects she’s a lesbian and plotting to kill him.”

“What?”

Jonas laughed. “I only threw that last part in to make you take it seriously. Husband thinks she’s having an affair with one of the pole dancers.”

“Then why would she be interested in me?”

“Maybe you fancy the same dancer?”

“How do I know which one that is?” Roo could feel panic welling inside her. She might be good at fibbing when necessary, but this could be tricky. She wasn’t into women.

Jonas showed her the picture of Annette. “Sit next to her. Strike up a conversation. See where it takes you. And walk in as if you own the place. You need to be an alpha bitch.”

Ten minutes later Roo slid her hand into her bra to switch on the recorder and then strutted into the Pussycats club on the Headrow in Leeds. Jonas had given her money to get in and to buy a few drinks. He was coming in to keep an eye on her, and Roo was relieved about that.

The place heaved with businessmen unwinding after skipping out early on a Friday. Music pounded. To Roo’s surprise, most people weren’t gathered around the stage, instead they leaned against the bar. Roo swept the crowd with her gaze. Not many fully-dressed women, which should make her job easier.
Just a job,
Roo told herself and looked away from the bare breasts on the long stage, groaned, and then looked back.
I’m supposed to be interested in women.
None of those curling around the poles looked as though they were enjoying themselves. Their smiles were too forced.

“Hello, gorgeous, buy you a drink?” a voice slurred in her ear.

A young guy wobbled at her side, his tie skewiff, shirt half hanging out of his pants, a cute smile on his face.

“No thanks, little boy.”

Roo made her way to the bar and ordered tonic water, which she hated, so it would take ages to drink. A hand reached over her shoulder and put down a black credit card. Roo was ready to get uppity about him pushing in until he spoke.

“Give the lady champagne.” The guy’s French accent made her weak at the knees.

“Tonic water,” Roo said to the barman.

“You can have both,” said the man behind her.

She turned to look at him. In his forties, tall, quite good looking with dark curly hair, a lecherous smile and a revolting swirly-patterned tie.

“You’re not my type,” Roo said.

“You’re my type, leather girl.”

Good grief.
Roo dropped her money on the bar, picked up the tonic water and walked off. When she felt lips against her ear and someone mutter, “Bottom left of stage. White shirt. Gray slacks,” she almost spilt her drink. It was Jonas.

Then he was gone.

Roo headed over and saw Annette sitting at a table nursing a drink. The tables either side of her were occupied by guys, but there was a free chair at the table on Annette’s left. Roo sat on it and swiveled away from the men so she faced Annette.

“Hey, that seat’s taken,” a guy shouted.

Roo turned and smiled at him. “Yes, it is.” Then she turned back and said loud enough for Annette to hear. “Don’t mind, do you?”

The woman looked at Roo, shook her head and turned back to the stage. Roo sagged. Not going to be easy then.

A bottle of champagne appeared on the table with two glasses. Roo looked up at the French guy smiling down at her.

“Piss off,” Roo said.

So of course, he found a chair from nowhere and sat next to her.

“I prefer to work for my pleasure. It makes it far more enjoyable,” he said in her ear.

Shit.
“Sod off,” Roo said. “I prefer to vary my fuck-off lines.”

He laughed. She grabbed the bottle of champagne, poured two glasses, kept one for herself and nudged Annette’s arm with the other.

“Please,” Roo mouthed.

The woman couldn’t have missed what was happening even though her gaze was glued to the stage. When Annette took the glass and her mouth curved in a slight smile, Roo gave a silent sigh of relief. She glanced at the guy to see how he was taking it and he looked as though his ship had come in laden with gold.
Darn it.

“You make my heart pound,” he said to Roo.

“Maybe it will stop in a minute,” she said. “Too bad I don’t know CPR.”

Annette sniggered.

His hand crept onto Roo’s leather-clad thigh and she pressed her heel into his foot. The moron groaned as if she’d stroked his cock.

“I wish you’d walk all over me in those shoes,” he said.

“Ooh, and then you could put rings in your balls where I’d made holes.”

“Maybe I’ve already got rings. Like to check?” he asked.

Roo had the horrible suspicion he’d pull his pants down if she said yes.

“If you’re smaller than ten inches, don’t bother. If you’re bigger than ten inches, don’t bother.”

“Come to the bathroom with a ruler.”

Roo exhaled. “For Pete’s sake, take a hint. I’m not into you. Your choice of tie says everything. I wouldn’t want it anywhere near me. I’d probably catch something.”

He edged his chair closer. “I don’t want to touch you with my tie.” He fluttered his tongue in a stomach-churning move.

As the dancers moved offstage, Roo caught Annette’s gaze and rolled her eyes. The woman glanced at Mr. Wonderful, pulled Roo to her feet and kissed her.

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.

Roo had never kissed a woman before. Her mouth had opened in shock as she groaned. Annette obviously saw that as an invitation to keep going and slid her tongue into Roo’s mouth.
Do something, idiot.
Roo lifted her arms and wrapped them around Annette, relieved she felt not a glimmer of excitement. In fact, it reminded her of her first kiss. Boney Mason behind the school gym. Terrible. She’d found out where the well-padded guy got his nickname though.

Annette broke away with a smile and sat. Roo could hear clapping and it took a moment to realize it was her and Annette who were being applauded. Her knees gave way and she sank onto the chair.

“Thought it might get rid of him,” Annette said.

The French guy sat open-mouthed and wide-eyed at their side.

“Well, you’ve struck him dumb, that’s a huge improvement,” Roo said.

Annette laughed. “What’s your name?”

“Paige. You?”

“Annette.”

“So what brings you here?” Roo asked and leaned closer so the microphone would pick up the conversation.

“My girlfriend’s one of the dancers.”

“Oh, which one?”

“The one with the tail. Susie.”

“Cute. She won’t mind that we kissed, will she?” Roo asked.

“I think she might like to kiss you too.”

Crap, crap, crap.

“That sounds interesting. Been going out long?” Roo asked.

“A year.”

“You live together?”

“I’m married.”

“To Susie?”

Annette sighed. “To a man.”

Roo gasped. “Seriously? Why?”

“He’s rich.” She laughed. “Men are useful for something.”

“Do you want another bottle of champagne?” asked the newly revived guy at Roo’s side.

“See?” Annette said.

“You’re going to kiss again, right?” He grinned.

Annette sighed, and then she looked over Roo’s shoulder and smiled. “Here’s Susie. Fancy coming back to hers?”

Do I have enough evidence?
“Well…”

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

I know that voice.
Roo looked up at Taylor glaring down at her.

“Oh it’s you,” she said and raised her voice. “No, I will not fuck you for a hundred pounds.”

His lips twitched. “A thousand?”

Roo sighed. “All right. But bring your penis pump.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Out. Now,” Taylor snapped in Roo’s ear and followed her as she made her way to the exit.

Christ.
He could see what had Niall so wound up. Tight little arse in black leather, long slender legs and those shoes. By the time they were out on the street, Taylor’s cock was rock-hard. Jonas was on their heels as Taylor tugged Roo around the corner.

“Did I do okay?” Roo asked.

“Like you were born for it,” Jonas said and winked.

Taylor glared. “Penis pump? Where did that come from? You’re never doing this again.”

“I wasn’t okay?” Roo’s voice had a tremor in it, and guilt twisted Taylor’s gut, but he was too worried about what could have happened to deal with it.

“You did great,” Jonas said. “Let me get the recorder off you.”

“I’ll do it,” Taylor snapped.

Roo batted their fingers away. “I think I can manage on my own.” She put her hand into the top of her jacket, unhooked the equipment and handed it to Jonas who slipped it into his pocket.

“Can I play?”

Taylor spun round to see Simon Blake standing there, holding an open bottle of champagne and grinning.

“What part of piss off don’t you understand?” Roo glared at Simon and then she frowned. “Hey, what happened to your accent?”

“Roo, this is the guy you spoke to on the phone this morning,” Jonas said. “Simon, meet Roo.”

“No, don’t,” Taylor said and caught her elbow. “We’re leaving.”

“I’ll email you the footage,” Jonas told Simon.

Taylor caught Jonas’s eye and made it clear he wanted a copy too. He’d arrived just as Roo and the woman broke apart and he wanted to know what had Simon Blake so hot under the collar.

Simon offered Roo the bottle. “The client’s paid for it, you deserve to drink it. Well done. Oh, and by the way, next time we meet I’ll have a ruler. And I don’t need a pump.”

Roo sniggered and Taylor tugged her down the road. “What was that about a ruler?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

Taylor aimed his remote at the car. “Do you realize how pissed off I am?”

She climbed in the passenger side. “What else is new?” she mumbled. “So what specifically pissed you off this time?”

“Going to that woman’s house. What were you thinking? I blame Jonas as much as you. He should have had more sense.”

“I wanted to help. Her husband had beaten her, Taylor. She had a black eye and a thick lip, and they have two kids. I gave her the address of the hostel in Headingly, but I don’t know if she’ll go. I did tell her we couldn’t do anything else.”

“You didn’t give her one of our cards, did you?”

“Oh shit. She hid it though.”

Taylor gritted his teeth. “Never do that again.”

“Sorry.”

He pulled out into traffic and headed for the A65. “What the hell would you have done if her husband had come home?”

“But he d— Oh bugger.”

Taylor swallowed his growl of anger. That was a little nugget Jonas had failed to pass on.

Roo took a slug of the champagne. “It was okay though, I pretended to be from some religious group and I went to the next-door neighbor’s. Unfortunately, she wanted company. She went on and on about the Bible and insisted on knowing my favorite parable. I could only remember the one about the lost sheep. You know, when the shepherd leaves his flock and goes to look for the one that’s lost. He finds it and brings it home and then they have lamb stew for supper.”