Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
“ I was mugged last night.”
“Tell me what happened,” he prodded carefully, needing details. “Where and when?”
For a second, he thought she wouldn’t talk about what must have been a frightening experience.
“After work, I went to Smart Shopper to do my weekly grocery shopping. I was coming out of the store at six. I was closing my trunk when the person who mugged me pushed me against the back of my car.”
Keeping his hand on hers, he listened to the matter-of-fact way she described being mugged. If he weren’t able to see the shadows of fear that hadn’t been there before she started talking, he would have missed them.
Lifting his hand, he cupped her face. “Did he hit you?”
“No, my face was hurt when he pushed me against the car.”
From the bruising evident on her face, the punk had slammed, not pushed, her against the car. Kent’s blood boiled at the unnecessary violence against Sage.
“How was your arm hurt?”
A grimace crossed her face at the memory. “When he jerked my arm behind my back to get my purse off my shoulder, he saw my watch. I shouldn’t have fought him back, but I didn’t want him to take it. The watch had sentimental value. I had just gotten it back the day before.”
“Where did you get it back from? Did you lend it to someone?”
“No …” she hesitated briefly. “I had pawned it. My mother left my sister, Glory, her engagement ring and me her Piaget watch my father had given her for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.”
“That’s pretty sentimental. I wouldn’t have handed it over, either, but it wasn’t a smart move.”
“Tell me about it,” she said ruefully.
“Did he do anything else?”
“No. Thankfully, he took off. A couple saw something was wrong and called the police.”
“Do you remember the officer’s name?”
Opening her purse, she took out a sheath of papers. “His name was Officer Simon Lee. He was a nice man. He and his wife followed me home from the ER. They even helped me in with my groceries.”
“I’m glad they were there to help you. Did you call and report your cards stolen?”
“While I was in the ER.”
“Good.” Starting the car, he gave her a serious look. “Are you good to go back to work?”
“Of course. I’m tougher than I look.”
Pulling back into traffic, he blandly asked another question. “Why did Bree want to see you this morning?”
Sage rolled her eyes at him. “She called me into her office to tell me that Hollingsworth has a reputation to maintain, and I need to be more circumspect with my personal life.”
“Huh?”
“She inferred my injuries were a result of domestic violence.”
“You’re kidding?”
“I wish I were.”
“Did you tell her you were mugged?”
“No. It was none of her business.”
Kent smiled at the stubborn tilt of her chin. “Technically, it was none of my business, either, yet you told me.”
“Yes, but you bought me a burrito and my iced coffee.”
He was still smiling when he pulled back into his reserved parking spot. Turning off the car, he unbuckled his seat belt while Sage undid hers.
“I’m sorry you were mugged. I’m sure it was a frightening experience for you. If you need anything, just give me a call. I’m only a few floors away.”
“Thank you, Kent.”
“For what? A burrito and a cup of coffee?” he joked as they got out of the car.
Closing the car door, she came around the back to walk alongside of him. “For making today a little less crummy.”
“You brightened my day, too. I had to sit through an entire morning going over my colleagues’ and my open cases.”
“Ouch. Somehow, I think I had a better morning than you did,” she said laughingly.
“There’s a big beer fest Friday night downtown. You want to hit a few of the stalls with me?”
“Kent”—she pressed the elevator button—“you had me at beer.”
As the elevator door opened on Sage’s floor, Kent pressed the button to hold the door.
“Don’t forget, if you need anything, just give me a call.”
Shyly, her eyes skirted his as she left the elevator. Sage was like a flower unfolding with more and more attention he gave her.
As soon as the elevator closed behind her, his smile disappeared as if it had never been there. He had lost count of the number of women he had used to further his own ends, and never once had he felt a twinge of guilt. Until now.
That she had given the same answer he had Garrett made him question what Bree had shown they both wanted to keep their work life separate from their private life. Unfortunately for Sage, she was playing right into his hands.
Passing his assistant’s desk without a word, he went into his office and closed the door, taking out a disposable cell he always kept on him.
He keyed in a number, then impatiently drummed his fingers on the desk as he waited for the call to be answered.
“Yes?” Sal’s voice came over the phone.
“I’m going to need a couple of favors.”
“You want favors, go through Lucca,” Brusquely, Sal refused.
“What I want is your field of expertise. You do these favors, and I’ll tell you how to get your little firecracker in bed.”
“Who says I want that?”
Not in the mood to play games, he disconnected the call. He was dialing another number when an incoming call flashed across the screen. Kent accepted it with a smug smile, glad Sal wasn’t there to witness it.
“What’s the favor?”
“I want the security footage from the Smart Shopper parking lot from Monday at five p.m. and an Officer Simon Lee’s phone number.”
“Why do you want the security footage?”
“A friend of mine was mugged there.”
“Give me an hour.”
True to his word, Sal had the information he wanted within the hour. Kent returned the favor, letting Sal know anything Nintendo should do the trick.
Using his personal laptop, he pulled up the footage.
The surveillance video provided a sideview of Sage’s mugging.
Unfortunately, the mugger’s back was to the camera, so he couldn’t get a clear view of his face.
The fucker was twice Sages size. After taking what he wanted, he had run off to the side of the market, where he was out of view of the camera.
Rewinding the footage, he focused on Sage. She had parked right under one of the store’s lights. Zooming in closer, he was able to get a clear image of the watch she’d been wearing.
He took a picture of the watch on his cell phone and felt a burning rage at Sage’s terror-stricken expression. Closing his personal computer, he placed it back inside his briefcase.
The call to Officer Lee was quick and to the point.
At first, he refused to give him any information on Sage’s case until he dropped a couple of names.
If the Carusos or the Lucianos found out about the name-dropping, he would cross that bridge later.
Right now, he was only focused on one objective.
He had used the time waiting for the information to come from Sal to complete the work that needed to be done today, so when he left his office, he stopped by his assistant’s desk.
“I’m leaving for the day.”
Mrs. Boward stared at him above her bifocals. “What should I say if anyone asks for you?”
Kent didn’t think his assistant would approve of the profanity-laced response he wanted to give. “Tell them I’ve left for the day.”