Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
Amanda turned down Trent’s suggestion that they get something to eat before heading over to the latest address they had for Lucas Hernandez. Her stomach was too nauseous to accept food since Hernandez was mentioned.
Two uniformed officers were following them in a cruiser.
“Trent, pull over.”
“We’re almost there.”
“Please.”
He parked at the curb, and the cruiser pulled behind them.
Amanda got out of the car and went to the officer, laying out her directions. “I want you out of sight. If Hernandez sees you, this will change the friendly tone of the visit.”
“We’re supposed to be there to assist you. How are we supposed to do that if you have us posted down the street?” Officer Jensen was newer to the PWCPD, but not new to the badge. He was a transfer from another department.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but Hernandez can’t feel threatened in any way.” She couldn’t stress that point enough. It struck her on the drive over, and it had her stomach roiling. This is just a chat… She reiterated her adopted mantra in her head.
She returned to the car with Trent. The cruiser pulled a U-turn behind them.
“Where are they going?” Trent’s eyes were fixed on the rearview mirror.
She told him what she’d told the officers, and how they were going to set up on the closest side street to Hernandez’s home. “They are still close enough to step in if things turn sideways, but Hernandez or his men can’t see them.”
“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this, even if I get your point. This guy’s that touchy?”
“I’m not willing to take the chance he’s not and get my head blown off.” She gestured toward the windshield. “Let’s go.”
Trent clenched his jaw and fixed his eyes ahead of him. If he was pissed off with her, so be it. Couldn’t he see she was just looking out for both of them?
A few minutes later, Trent was pulling in front of a palatial two-story house with black trim that stood out in sharp contrast to the white stucco.
The driveway was three car widths wide and long enough to fit four sedans.
There was also a two-car garage, but two luxury vehicles sat in the driveway.
Amanda admired the sleek lines of the neon-green Lamborghini as she walked past it to the front door. It would seem her brother’s love of cars had infected her. But she was also grasping for whatever would ease her nerves.
They walked under a double-story archway to reach a set of massive mahogany doors.
Amanda glanced at Trent, but he wasn’t looking at her. She pressed the doorbell, shaking off his mood. She couldn’t afford to let it affect her. Not now.
One door opened, and a man stood there with an assault rifle strapped across his chest. Not trying to hide the fact he’s armed and ready for war. Check.
“We’re looking to speak with Lucas Hernandez.” She grounded her posture, being careful not to come across as combative.
“Good for you.” The man nudged his head toward the road, encouraging them to turn around and leave.
“We’re just looking to have a nice, friendly conversation.” She pushed that out with the trace of a smile while sweeping her jacket back to expose her badge clipped to her waistband.
The man lifted his gun an inch or two.
Trent flinched, but she stepped forward. If she was going to earn an audience with Hernandez, she needed to prove herself worthy. “It will take five minutes, and we’ll be out of his hair.”
“In five minutes, you’ll be dead,” the man hissed as he lowered his face to the height of hers.
Her insides were trembling, but she did what she could to prevent it from showing. It involved a lot of coaching herself to keep it together. “I’ll need less than that.”
The man stared her down while Amanda’s heart pounded.
“Bruno, just let the fine lady and her friend in,” a man called out.
The soldier stiffened, leaving Amanda to guess the directive came from Hernandez himself.
“Bruno!” the man barked and clapped his hands. This had the soldier backing up and leading them to a central seating area.
Crystals dripped from chandeliers overhead, and the expanse of the home swallowed them.
“Please, tell me who you are.” Hernandez was seated on a long white sectional and patted the cushion next to him.
“We’re both fine over here,” Trent said.
“Oh, he speaks.” Hernandez threw one of his arms over the back of the couch as an arrogant smile curved his lips.
“We’re Detectives Steele and Stenson,” Amanda said firmly.
“I thought I smelled pork.” A slight woman entered the area, and Trent did a double take. Amanda couldn’t be sure if it was because she looked like the woman he pursued or if it was her apparel. She was wearing a black leather pantsuit that clung to her tight frame.
“Now, now, Nina, that’s no way to talk about our guests.”
Nina perched behind her master and stared at Amanda. She tried not to let it get to her as she dropped into a chair across from Hernandez while Trent stood at her side.
“We heard that you’re searching for a new lawyer.” Amanda started with neutral territory.
“I was expecting you might come by here. I heard someone was murdered in her home. It wasn’t her though. How is Dom?”
“She’s fine. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for her real estate agent. But we believe she was killed in a case of mistaken identity.”
“How was she killed?” Nina asked.
“Three gunshots.” Amanda relayed the facts without feeling.
“I prefer something a little more intimate myself.” Nina pulled out a long blade from a sheath on her back. She stuck her fingertip against the point of the knife.
“That’s enough,” Hernandez bellowed. To Amanda, he said, “I sure hope you’re not insinuating I had anything to do with this.”
“Not at all. We’re just here to talk. Dominique mentioned a few of her clients weren’t too happy about her moving her firm to Washington.” She phrased it this way to avoid being seen as accusing him again.
“I wasn’t, but things never stay the same. I am disappointed by her lack of loyalty though.”
It was as if he were trying to entice Amanda to mention his threat. With a man like this, though, she felt forced to say something. Hernandez could see the lack of a response as disrespect. “I can understand that.”
A sly smile spread across the man’s lips. “I like you.”
His offering did little to soothe her nerves. “I’m pleased to hear that, and as a businessman, you can appreciate that my partner and I are here because… well, if we didn’t come, our bosses might accuse us of not doing our jobs.”
“I get that. Just doing what the boss tells you. I respect that. Obedience is an admirable trait in employees.”
“If I had any, I’m sure I’d agree.”
Hernandez laughed, but it died out quickly. “Well, if that’s all…” Hernandez gestured to Bruno, indicating for him to walk them out.
Amanda stood. “Thank you for your time.”
“Yes. Just remember the courtesy I’ve shown you today, Detective Steele.”
Amanda’s back was to him when he said her name, but shivers laced down her spine. There was something in his tone, in his choice of wording, that niggled.
Bruno shut the door behind them with a thud, and Amanda and Trent didn’t say a thing until they got into the car.
“You did good in there,” Trent told her, snapping his seatbelt. “You’re very cool under pressure.”
“If that’s what you think, I should get an award for my acting skills.”
“You earned one, but I’m worried to be honest. I didn’t much care for what Hernandez said just before we left. He said courtesy as if he did you a favor and now you owe him.”
It took hearing Trent saying this for her to understand why it had given her chills. There was also the way Hernandez made a point of saying her name, as if he were committing it to memory.
“You all right?” he prompted when she didn’t reply.
She nodded, lying to him and herself. “I don’t think he ordered the hit on Dominique.”
“Not if Nina’s his only female soldier. She’s too petite for one thing.”
And she seems fond of her knife…
“So what now? We still have a folder of threats against Sharp, but there are people at the other end of this acquisition. We haven’t talked with them yet.”
“Well, that’s not happening today.” She pointed at the time on the dash. 4:30 PM.
“Are you suggesting we clock out for five?”
“Since we clocked in around four this morning, yes, I am.” She didn’t have it in her to wade through the threats, hoping one would snatch her attention.
“I’m not going to argue with you. What do you think we should do with the financial paperwork for the sale and purchase?”
“We could look at them, not that we’ll understand them. I suggest we pass them over to Financial Crimes to have them review all of it and see if they can find anything that flags. Not sure if I mentioned this, but I thought before that someone wanted to prevent Dominique from seeing them.”
“I suppose anything’s possible, and I’m with you about passing off the financial reports. Math and I aren’t good friends.” Trent got them on the road, and Amanda sat back and shut her eyes. Though she was far from relaxed.
Meeting Hernandez was like meeting the devil, or so Amanda imagined. Charming and enticing on the surface, scheming beneath. If he saw speaking with her as a courtesy, he would turn up one day to collect a favor from her. And when she refused…
Her eyes shot open.